Book Review: The Crossroads

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This is my book review of The Crossroads by author C.J. Box. It is a Joe Pickett novel from the Joe Pickett series, book #26.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett was driving to Antler Creek Junction with his dog, Biscuit. Bullets struck his vehicle at the remote crossroads near three ranches. The crime was reported anonymously.

Marybeth, his wife, received the call she never wanted to get. They told her that Joe was in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head. She got in her car and raced to the scene.

The EMTs announced that Joe had a faint pulse and was unconscious. The Life Flight helicopter arrived and flew him straight to Billings. Marybeth was with Joe during the flight and subsequent hospital stay.

Each of the three families at the crossroads where Joe was found was upset with Joe, and each was known to be dangerous. Marybeth and the new sheriff had no idea which ranch he was visiting, or whether the people there were involved.

There are three possible suspects. Billionaire Michael Thompson and his wife, Brandy, of the Double Diamond Ranch. Ranchers John and Shelby Bucholz, of the Bucholz Cattle Company. And secretive sisters Lisa and Lainie McElwee, of McElwee Land and Cattle Ranch. They all act guilty.

Joe and Marybeth’s three daughters, Sheridan, April, and Lucy, set out to determine who shot their father. They gather at their family home and begin their own investigation.

Introducing the New Sheriff:

This news is not what new sheriff Steve Sondergard wants to hear. He fears the women’s lives could be in danger. They could also unknowingly get in the way of his own investigation.

After a few chapters, you’re led back to the scene with Joe before he was shot, where he mulls over his observations of the three ranches. Money and lawlessness are always a strong motivator when it comes to violence. And with these three families, it’s no different.

The book is told from the perspective of each member of this close-knit family. Marybeth and their three daughters, Sheridan, April, and Lucy, share their thoughts and insights throughout.

The hired killers are in hiding, and through their conversations, you gain insight into their motivations and who in the police department is involved. Dorn Peddy and James Dale O’Bryan are the two men who ambushed Joe, shot him, and left him for dead. Their boss tells them to finish the job they started.

My Thoughts:

I’ve read a handful of C.J. Box’s novels, and all of them are great books. The Cody Hoyt/Cassie Dewell novels are good as well. Cassie Dewell is April’s boss and is mentioned in this book.

There’s always a mystery to be solved in C.J Box novels. This author creates very believable, memorable, and strong characters.

The Joe Pickett novels are a long-standing series, and if you’ve followed along, the Pickett family becomes almost like your own.

About the Joe Pickett Book Series:

The C. J. Box Joe Pickett series is a long-running set of mystery and crime novels centered on a Wyoming game warden. He frequently becomes entangled in dangerous investigations in the American West.

The series began with Open Season and has grown to more than two dozen books.

About the Author:

C. J. Box is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 31 novels, including the Joe Pickett series. He has won many awards for his writing. Twenty million copies of his books have been sold in the U.S. and abroad, and his novels have been translated into 27 languages.

Several of his novels were turned into television series. Big Sky, on ABC, and Joe Pickett, on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. He was the Executive Producer for both series.

Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, and fishing guide. He’s also been a reporter and editor for a small-town newspaper.

Box is an avid outdoorsman. He has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. Box served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo and the Wyoming Office of Tourism.

He and his wife, Laurie, live on their ranch outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. They have three daughters and four grandchildren.

Disclaimer: I was given this book for free in exchange for my honest review.