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Joe Pickett #6.5
Dull Knife
A chilling short story of death and retribution from the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Cold Wind." Twenty-two degrees below zero on a high mountain lake in Wyoming. Game warden Joe Pickett was carefully sliding across to check the licenses of a group of ice fishermen on the lake, when he saw the strange faint yellow glow coming from beneath the surface and, when he got closer, the thin, spindly, black thing sticking up in the middle of it. His first thought was that it was a tree branch. But it wasn't. It was a frozen human hand, reaching up through the ice...
23 pages, ebook
First published September 27, 2011
706 people are currently reading
3060 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
111 books7,194 followersC. J. Box is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels including the Joe Pickett series. He won the Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel (Blue Heaven, 2009) as well as the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, two Barry Awards, and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction. He was recently awarded the 2016 Western Heritage Award for Literature by the National Cowboy Museum as well as the Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel by the Western Writers of America in 2017. The novels have been translated into 27 languages.
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
* Joe Pickett
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cjbox
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
* Joe Pickett
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cjbox
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
April 16, 2023
4 Stars for Dull Knife: Joe Pickett, Book 4.5 (ebook) by C. J. Box.
While Joe Pickett is out checking fishing licenses on a frozen lake the fishermen mention that they have seen lights under the ice on the far side of the lake. Joe investigates and finds a car’s headlights and an frozen arm sticking up through the ice. When Joe finds out that it’s his favorite Wyoming basketball player who was left behind, he’s on a mission to find out who left her out there to die.
While Joe Pickett is out checking fishing licenses on a frozen lake the fishermen mention that they have seen lights under the ice on the far side of the lake. Joe investigates and finds a car’s headlights and an frozen arm sticking up through the ice. When Joe finds out that it’s his favorite Wyoming basketball player who was left behind, he’s on a mission to find out who left her out there to die.
April 3, 2024
Sad tale about a life that had so much potential but was undermined up by her culture. I can't say I enjoyed it. But C.J. Box is nothing if not an honest communicator and this story rings true, sad, but true.
September 3, 2020
Pretty good short story that makes you want a longer version. Joe found a truck underneath iced reservoir while checking licenses of ice fishermen.
January 7, 2023
This was a very sad and moving short story. Box undoubtedly knows about the Wind River Indian Reservation. I lived there as a child for a bit and saw firsthand the sadness and desperation.
September 4, 2017
Not a bad story, but too short for me to really enjoy.
November 21, 2020
Typical .5 short story.
May 4, 2012
Though this was a short e book special, CJ Box manages to continue bringing issues, storytelling, characterization , and great writing to a superior level!! He's one of my top ten all time favorite authors!!! No matter who I've given his books to, or who I've recommended his book to, there has yet to be someone who finds my enthusiasm for his writings unjustified!! If you haven't found him yet, there is nothing like TODAY!!
January 14, 2023
2.5 **, not rounding up.
Elements of this story did end up in a full length book. Parts of it are very good. The description of the headlights under the ice was amazing (but come on, I've replaced enough by now that I don't believe it's possible to have headlights continue working under water for any length of time).
The biggest part I don't like is Joe's treatment of the guy responsible. Pickett felt guilty for shooting the man who was trying to kill his family. He goes way out of his way throughout the series to NOT cross lines and only "gets western" when he can't do anything else. This story felt like a different character.
Elements of this story did end up in a full length book. Parts of it are very good. The description of the headlights under the ice was amazing (but come on, I've replaced enough by now that I don't believe it's possible to have headlights continue working under water for any length of time).
The biggest part I don't like is Joe's treatment of the guy responsible. Pickett felt guilty for shooting the man who was trying to kill his family. He goes way out of his way throughout the series to NOT cross lines and only "gets western" when he can't do anything else. This story felt like a different character.
August 24, 2023
A good novella that would have been a great full length story.
August 9, 2020
This is a short story that gets into what Joe is thinking and the anguish he goes thru as he works during a tragedy that takes place in his territory and the rez.
March 10, 2012
Love the way the author writes about the outdoors. He describes it so well you feel like you are standing in the snow smelling the pines. Only complaint on this book, its just a story, not a book. Toooooooo short, gimme me more.
January 30, 2021
A nice tight quick read that captures most of the elements of a Joe Pickett story. This is a short story. Good descriptions of the cold and the weather. Some good characterizations. Joe gets to show off his suppressed desire to bully others. I sense he is becoming more cynical and brutal as the series progresses. It will be interesting to see if I'm right.
While checking licenses, Joe discovers a human arm sticking out of a frozen lake. He calls in his perennial antagonist the sheriff and they determine the victim was a Native American female high school star who never followed up on her talents to take advantage of the full ride scholarships she was offered. Both Joe and his daughter Sheridan admired her and Joe was angered by what she had not done with her life.
Joe knows the sheriff won't bother with a serious investigations, so he decides to get ahead of him and do his own investigation.
Worth a read for fans.
While checking licenses, Joe discovers a human arm sticking out of a frozen lake. He calls in his perennial antagonist the sheriff and they determine the victim was a Native American female high school star who never followed up on her talents to take advantage of the full ride scholarships she was offered. Both Joe and his daughter Sheridan admired her and Joe was angered by what she had not done with her life.
Joe knows the sheriff won't bother with a serious investigations, so he decides to get ahead of him and do his own investigation.
Worth a read for fans.
March 22, 2019
I really enjoyed Trophy Hunt, book four of the Joe Pickett series, so I was eager to read this short lil story. Unfortunately, Dull Knife was super disappointing.
It started out great, too! The ice, the looming dark; the atmosphere was perfect and chilling—particularly for the discovery of a body. But from the moment the body was identified as a local Native American woman, the story took a steep nosedive. The whole thing felt kind of exploitative; a way to say, 'look, here is our great, very not racist white man!!' I imagine it was all well-intentioned, but the way the story was handled just made it feel like it was all for the reader for like Joe more. The weird focus on the woman's athletic abilities, the scene in the hospital—it all made for uncomfortable reading.
Hoping that I'll have a better time with book five!
It started out great, too! The ice, the looming dark; the atmosphere was perfect and chilling—particularly for the discovery of a body. But from the moment the body was identified as a local Native American woman, the story took a steep nosedive. The whole thing felt kind of exploitative; a way to say, 'look, here is our great, very not racist white man!!' I imagine it was all well-intentioned, but the way the story was handled just made it feel like it was all for the reader for like Joe more. The weird focus on the woman's athletic abilities, the scene in the hospital—it all made for uncomfortable reading.
Hoping that I'll have a better time with book five!
June 5, 2015
A freaky accidental death, righteous anger, and one of the best opening paragraphs I've ever read.
"When it's twenty-two degrees below zero on a high mountain lake, the cracking of the ice makes an unearthly howling bellow that chills the blood and makes hearts skip a beat. The crack itself, looking like a jagged bolt of crystal-white lightning, zips across the ice with the flick of a lizard's tongue. But it is the sound of the crack, the plaintive, anguished moan, that penetrates a man and makes his skin crawl, remind him that if the earth wanted to swallow him up, well, it could. And no one could stop it.
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett froze with the sound and looked down at his feet as the crack shot between them."
"When it's twenty-two degrees below zero on a high mountain lake, the cracking of the ice makes an unearthly howling bellow that chills the blood and makes hearts skip a beat. The crack itself, looking like a jagged bolt of crystal-white lightning, zips across the ice with the flick of a lizard's tongue. But it is the sound of the crack, the plaintive, anguished moan, that penetrates a man and makes his skin crawl, remind him that if the earth wanted to swallow him up, well, it could. And no one could stop it.
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett froze with the sound and looked down at his feet as the crack shot between them."
January 11, 2018
#4.5 in the Joe Pickett series. A quick read - short, even for a novella. Joe oversteps his authority to bring a measure of justice and retribution for the death of an Indian woman on the Wind River Reservation. a moneyed, entitled, self-proclaimed Indian from CT is spreading alcohol and drugs to take advantage of young Native Americans.
On a high mountain lake in Wyoming, game warden Joe Pickett is carefully sliding across the ice to check the licenses of a group of fishermen when he sees a strange yellow glow coming from beneath the surface. At first he thinks it's a tree branch. But it's not. It's a frozen human hand, reaching up through the ice.
On a high mountain lake in Wyoming, game warden Joe Pickett is carefully sliding across the ice to check the licenses of a group of fishermen when he sees a strange yellow glow coming from beneath the surface. At first he thinks it's a tree branch. But it's not. It's a frozen human hand, reaching up through the ice.
August 27, 2024
Just a little short story about Joe Pickett and a frozen Indian girl. A sad tale that rings true to life. Just another day in the Sawtooth Mountains.
October 2, 2024
Good short story.
July 27, 2025
Another story where the bad guy gets what is coming to him.
You gotta like Joe Pickett!!
You gotta like Joe Pickett!!
December 27, 2020
Reading of Joe Pickett's adventures is a fun departure from the usual detective story. I thought this one was exceptional. C.J. Box is a talented artist in using words to paint pictures..
April 8, 2024
Chilling! The death of an Indian didn’t count for much in early Wyoming.
April 13, 2022
Great short story.
I enjoyed the short story, made you wish it was longer. I would like to know more about Jessica. Joe Pickett always gets justice.
I enjoyed the short story, made you wish it was longer. I would like to know more about Jessica. Joe Pickett always gets justice.
September 1, 2025
Joe Pickett 06.5 Dull Knife by C.J. Box
challenging dark sad tense
Fast-paced
Plot or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.0 Stars
I had a hard time with the that Game Warden Joe Pickett was portrayed in this situation.
He came off too harsh. Yes, he has edges, but I didn't feel that THIS was Joe Pickett. It was almost like the Upside Down version of him.
There were glimpses of him, but it was a meaner version of him.
Didn't particularly like this character...after the five previous books (I'm one ahead of this short story) of learning who he is, and how he's misunderstood.
Let's see what happens in In Plain Sight, which is the next novel in the series. Now that I see the number attached to this short story, I may be wrong. Very interesting. I may be ahead of the game. Maybe this IS Joe Pickett, now.
challenging dark sad tense
Fast-paced
Plot or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.0 Stars
I had a hard time with the that Game Warden Joe Pickett was portrayed in this situation.
He came off too harsh. Yes, he has edges, but I didn't feel that THIS was Joe Pickett. It was almost like the Upside Down version of him.
There were glimpses of him, but it was a meaner version of him.
Didn't particularly like this character...after the five previous books (I'm one ahead of this short story) of learning who he is, and how he's misunderstood.
Let's see what happens in In Plain Sight, which is the next novel in the series. Now that I see the number attached to this short story, I may be wrong. Very interesting. I may be ahead of the game. Maybe this IS Joe Pickett, now.
September 3, 2007
DULL KNIFE (Game Warden-Wyoming-Cont) – Ex
Box, C.J. – Short Story – Phil Parks, Illustrator
A.S.A.P., 2005 – Hardcover, Limited Edition
Game Warden Joe Pickett has little to do in the winter except check the licenses of ice fishermen. When one asks about light shining up through the ice, Joe finds a submerged car and a body.
*** I keep saying I don't really like short stories. Okay, I lied. Perhaps I enjoyed this as much as I did because I already know the character of Joe so I did't miss the development aspect and could focus solely on the plot. I loved the story, enhanced by wonderful illustrations, and am anxious to read his new, full novel.
Box, C.J. – Short Story – Phil Parks, Illustrator
A.S.A.P., 2005 – Hardcover, Limited Edition
Game Warden Joe Pickett has little to do in the winter except check the licenses of ice fishermen. When one asks about light shining up through the ice, Joe finds a submerged car and a body.
*** I keep saying I don't really like short stories. Okay, I lied. Perhaps I enjoyed this as much as I did because I already know the character of Joe so I did't miss the development aspect and could focus solely on the plot. I loved the story, enhanced by wonderful illustrations, and am anxious to read his new, full novel.
August 11, 2016
10 aug 16, another from box for me...joe pickett #4.5. i think this is about the 20th title from him i read. onward...ever onward.
11 aug 16 finished, an okay story, i liked it, had a sense that box wasn't as interested in writing this one as some of the others...some? all of 'em. great description...ice. never see me out there, find yourself in canada, saying hey and wherefore. laissez les bon temps rouler and such. onward, ever onward.
11 aug 16 finished, an okay story, i liked it, had a sense that box wasn't as interested in writing this one as some of the others...some? all of 'em. great description...ice. never see me out there, find yourself in canada, saying hey and wherefore. laissez les bon temps rouler and such. onward, ever onward.
November 21, 2017
Ice Lake
Short and sweet. Just a small taste of the Joe Pickett books that are so addictive. Mr. Box is a great storyteller and this small tale illustrates that talent. Nature pure and raw and how short life can be on the rez.
Short and sweet. Just a small taste of the Joe Pickett books that are so addictive. Mr. Box is a great storyteller and this small tale illustrates that talent. Nature pure and raw and how short life can be on the rez.
October 17, 2019
Quick mystery novella with Joe Pickett out on a frozen lake checking on a group of ice fishermen and ends up finding a hand sticking up out of the ice that is attached to a body underneath. A short 30 page mystery that is engaging and has the main cast of characters that I love in this series.
March 24, 2020
A quick read
This short story felt like you were looking back on a flashback or memory Joe Pickett could have been having while sitting at breakfast with his family. A great, quick read that I'd love to read more of.
This short story felt like you were looking back on a flashback or memory Joe Pickett could have been having while sitting at breakfast with his family. A great, quick read that I'd love to read more of.
September 16, 2016
Excellent but for its brevity
As usual CJ Box draws us in from his first words and makes us feel as if we are there in the midst of the action.
As usual CJ Box draws us in from his first words and makes us feel as if we are there in the midst of the action.
May 19, 2017
Short story, short review : good story, for the happy few.
July 11, 2017
Dull Knife
A quick story about the unfortunate events which are too common on reservations. It was a quick read; an excellent reminder.
A quick story about the unfortunate events which are too common on reservations. It was a quick read; an excellent reminder.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews