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Joe Pickett #12
Force Of Nature
In 1995, Nate Romanowski was in a Special Forces unit abroad when his commander, John Nemecek, did something terrible. Now the high-ranking government official and cold-blooded sociopath is determined to eliminate anyone who knows about it—like Nate, who’s hidden himself away in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. And he knows exactly how Nemecek will do it—by targeting Nate's friends to draw him out. That includes his friend, game warden Joe Pickett, and Pickett’s entire family. The only way to fight back is outside the law. Nate knows he can do it, but he isn't sure about his straight-arrow friend. And all their lives could depend on it.
352 pages, ebook
First published March 20, 2012
3043 people are currently reading
4597 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
111 books7,177 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,343 reviews
August 16, 2015
There is plenty of action in this dynamic well written stand-alone novel as former Special Forces soldier and master falconer Nate Romanowski hides out in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. Nate knows all the dishonorable secrets of his former Commander, John Nemecek who is determined to hunt him down and kill anyone who stands in his way. Game Warden Joe Pickett, a loyal and trustworthy friend of Nate’s is soon caught up in all the chaos as he tries to protect his family and the community. Many interesting facts about falconry are scattered throughout the book adding fascinating detail to this skillful and exciting thriller. Recommended!
July 30, 2012
I was kind of afraid to read this. I love the Joe Pickett books so much, and I've always found Nate Romanowski's character fascinating, but did I want to read a whole book about him? Yes, yes I did. It's excellent.
The plots: If you haven't read the entire Joe Pickett series, start at the beginning and linger over my other favorites, Free Fire and Nowhere to Run. Then when you get to this book you will really appreciate the characters, their history together, the complex relationships, etc. that make this such a spectacular story. Nate's been in hiding for years, and what he's been hiding from is coming for him in his WY hideaway. He's forced to take offensive action, and the story never lets down from there. Joe's still there, along with his family, although in a supporting role this time, but he never lets me down. :)
My thoughts: I think I already shared those. Read all these books! Even if you don't think you are interested in a series with a MC who works as a Wyoming game warden, there is a real universal appeal to these stories because of the human element. You get to know Joe, his wife, his daughters, his mother-in-law, and his friends...and the relationships are all realistic and nuanced and complicated. I also learn things about the state of WY through these books...its landscape, its mysteries, its tendency to attract the loners and the rebels. Plus, every book contains an excellent mystery too! Highly recommended!!
The plots: If you haven't read the entire Joe Pickett series, start at the beginning and linger over my other favorites, Free Fire and Nowhere to Run. Then when you get to this book you will really appreciate the characters, their history together, the complex relationships, etc. that make this such a spectacular story. Nate's been in hiding for years, and what he's been hiding from is coming for him in his WY hideaway. He's forced to take offensive action, and the story never lets down from there. Joe's still there, along with his family, although in a supporting role this time, but he never lets me down. :)
My thoughts: I think I already shared those. Read all these books! Even if you don't think you are interested in a series with a MC who works as a Wyoming game warden, there is a real universal appeal to these stories because of the human element. You get to know Joe, his wife, his daughters, his mother-in-law, and his friends...and the relationships are all realistic and nuanced and complicated. I also learn things about the state of WY through these books...its landscape, its mysteries, its tendency to attract the loners and the rebels. Plus, every book contains an excellent mystery too! Highly recommended!!
January 31, 2021
The beginning is good. The middle seems long. The end is okay, but should be better. 5 of 10 stars
April 23, 2025
Much more about Nate's past revealed in this book. I wonder how much CJ Box himself knew of Nate's makeup before now, and how much it's been a building process along the way. Whatever it has been, I like the understanding, the contrasts and similarities between him and Joe in their continuing friendship. Joe goes through a bit of hell in each book. Granted, he places himself in the middle of it, but hey that only serves to build the tension.
January 18, 2022
3.5 Stars
“Everybody you come in contact with seems to wind up "no longer with us".”
― C.J. Box, Force of Nature
This is the 12th book in Joe Pickett series but in this outing the focus is on his friend Nate Romanowski. In the previous books we knew that Nate had a mysterious past and had some connection with special forces. But want agency? Why did he choose to go off the grid? In this story we get the answers to Nate's past.
The story opens shortly after Cold Wind and the death of Large Merle and his dying words “The Five. They’ve deployed.” Nate knows that his former commander, John Nemecek, will stop at nothing to get him and reveal his secret. Anyone who knows Nate may know what happened. Guilt by association. Their only chance at safety is to go off the grid too. So the first thing Nate does is warn people ... including Joe.
I enjoyed the story but part of the problem I had with it is that Nate is a little too over the top. Like Rambo or Jack Reacher. In one scene there is an ambush. Three guys attempt to take out Nate. Well you can guess how that turned out. He does get injured but patches himself up and continues to go about warning his friends. Later we learn that Nemecek has gotten to Nate's friends from his special forces days. Looks like it is just Nate vs Nemecek.
Death and mayham have come to Saddlestring, Wyoming and they have Sheriff McLanahan to protect them. With each story McLanahan shows that he is an incompetent idiot who surrounds himself with sycophants. Ask him to do three things and none will get done. Especially if one of those is to call in the FBI for help. He is running for re-election and doesn't need anyones help. More people will die.
In the end you know that it will come down to Nate and Joe going up against the bad guys. By themselves in a remote area of Wyoming. The story is all about Nate's past and how we got to where we are today. If you want to fly anywhere you have to go through TSA screening. Everyone. Senior citizen, cast on your arm, etc.
“Everybody you come in contact with seems to wind up "no longer with us".”
― C.J. Box, Force of Nature
This is the 12th book in Joe Pickett series but in this outing the focus is on his friend Nate Romanowski. In the previous books we knew that Nate had a mysterious past and had some connection with special forces. But want agency? Why did he choose to go off the grid? In this story we get the answers to Nate's past.
The story opens shortly after Cold Wind and the death of Large Merle and his dying words “The Five. They’ve deployed.” Nate knows that his former commander, John Nemecek, will stop at nothing to get him and reveal his secret. Anyone who knows Nate may know what happened. Guilt by association. Their only chance at safety is to go off the grid too. So the first thing Nate does is warn people ... including Joe.
I enjoyed the story but part of the problem I had with it is that Nate is a little too over the top. Like Rambo or Jack Reacher. In one scene there is an ambush. Three guys attempt to take out Nate. Well you can guess how that turned out. He does get injured but patches himself up and continues to go about warning his friends. Later we learn that Nemecek has gotten to Nate's friends from his special forces days. Looks like it is just Nate vs Nemecek.
Death and mayham have come to Saddlestring, Wyoming and they have Sheriff McLanahan to protect them. With each story McLanahan shows that he is an incompetent idiot who surrounds himself with sycophants. Ask him to do three things and none will get done. Especially if one of those is to call in the FBI for help. He is running for re-election and doesn't need anyones help. More people will die.
In the end you know that it will come down to Nate and Joe going up against the bad guys. By themselves in a remote area of Wyoming. The story is all about Nate's past and how we got to where we are today. If you want to fly anywhere you have to go through TSA screening. Everyone. Senior citizen, cast on your arm, etc.
February 17, 2012
This is the long-awaited revelation about why Nate Romanowski is hiding out in the mountains, off the grid. Which shady government agency did he belong to? Who is hunting him now?
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
I really like Nate, but I'm not sure he carried this book. Maybe it's because Joe Pickett is so well developed during this series. Even Marybeth comes across as a very real, shaded person, and women characters aren't always the strong point of this series. There's a very well-done, chilling scene with her in the local library. Nate functions better as a shady mysterious figure than as a protagonist, I think. When you're reading the action scenes with Nate, it's great. But I'm a bit uncomfortable with his philosophy, although I understand why he has it, and I found it hard to believe that he could ever be in danger, as dangerous as he is himself.
This isn't really a mystery. Joe and Marybeth can't find out any information to help Nate, and Nate already knows what's going on. It's more of an action thriller. There is a mystery as to who the mysterious female seductress agent is, I suppose, and a pretty good job was done with that.
Our incompetent sheriff is incompetent, and tragedy results. The finale is quite quick- I hardly breathed while I was reading it.
I'm not sure what to think of the falconry part. Nate's link to the shady government organization via falconry felt a bit contrived, and I'm not sure an Air Force brat would ever have enough time in one place to really develop a bird. The big reveal about the horrible thing that drove Nate from the service honestly felt a bit anti-climactic, honestly. It pretty much occurred off-screen, so to speak, and I couldn't muster much horror for it. Maybe that says something bad about me, that I'm too jaded. But you never are told Nate's feelings about it, or really shown any reaction from him, so perhaps that's why my reaction was muted too.
I think the best thing for the series would be for Nate to resume his shadowy, off-to-the-side role, and let Joe do what he does best- get into the middle of things that he's just got to do something about. Nate is a great foil for Joe and works best that way.
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
I really like Nate, but I'm not sure he carried this book. Maybe it's because Joe Pickett is so well developed during this series. Even Marybeth comes across as a very real, shaded person, and women characters aren't always the strong point of this series. There's a very well-done, chilling scene with her in the local library. Nate functions better as a shady mysterious figure than as a protagonist, I think. When you're reading the action scenes with Nate, it's great. But I'm a bit uncomfortable with his philosophy, although I understand why he has it, and I found it hard to believe that he could ever be in danger, as dangerous as he is himself.
This isn't really a mystery. Joe and Marybeth can't find out any information to help Nate, and Nate already knows what's going on. It's more of an action thriller. There is a mystery as to who the mysterious female seductress agent is, I suppose, and a pretty good job was done with that.
Our incompetent sheriff is incompetent, and tragedy results. The finale is quite quick- I hardly breathed while I was reading it.
I'm not sure what to think of the falconry part. Nate's link to the shady government organization via falconry felt a bit contrived, and I'm not sure an Air Force brat would ever have enough time in one place to really develop a bird. The big reveal about the horrible thing that drove Nate from the service honestly felt a bit anti-climactic, honestly. It pretty much occurred off-screen, so to speak, and I couldn't muster much horror for it. Maybe that says something bad about me, that I'm too jaded. But you never are told Nate's feelings about it, or really shown any reaction from him, so perhaps that's why my reaction was muted too.
I think the best thing for the series would be for Nate to resume his shadowy, off-to-the-side role, and let Joe do what he does best- get into the middle of things that he's just got to do something about. Nate is a great foil for Joe and works best that way.
November 3, 2025
Currently listening with Simon. We can't get enough of this series! This time we are listening to the audiobook narrated by David Chandler. We are familiar with this narrator as he also reads the Corcoran O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger.
Wow! That was explosive! In this volume of the series we learn Nate Romanowski's backstory. What a team he and Joe Pickett make!
Note: At the beginning of chapter 21 Marybeth Pickett makes the closing announcements for the library where she works and this was so poignant for me. I used to make the closing announcements at the library where I worked until I retired at the end of June 2024.
Favorite quote:
Joe about Nate, "we've been through a lot and he's never broken his word." Also, "I just take him at face value."
"I heard that the couple of guys who did it are taking the dirt nap." Another way of saying that they are dead and buried for their sins.
Joe is relieved when the plane takes off with his family inside. It will take them far away from the current danger, he thinks. "Now that they were safe, the fish tank of his mind got bigger. He could see the individual fish, the individual problems. He began to make a plan."
Wow! That was explosive! In this volume of the series we learn Nate Romanowski's backstory. What a team he and Joe Pickett make!
Note: At the beginning of chapter 21 Marybeth Pickett makes the closing announcements for the library where she works and this was so poignant for me. I used to make the closing announcements at the library where I worked until I retired at the end of June 2024.
Favorite quote:
Joe about Nate, "we've been through a lot and he's never broken his word." Also, "I just take him at face value."
"I heard that the couple of guys who did it are taking the dirt nap." Another way of saying that they are dead and buried for their sins.
Joe is relieved when the plane takes off with his family inside. It will take them far away from the current danger, he thinks. "Now that they were safe, the fish tank of his mind got bigger. He could see the individual fish, the individual problems. He began to make a plan."
June 18, 2013
The heavy presence of Nate Romanowski makes this my favorite of the Pickett series. The pacing is fast, the action brutal, and the sense of justice perfect. There is nothing more to be said.
September 3, 2024
Since I started reading the Joe Pickett series, I have tended to read them in groups of two (example #1 and #2, then #3 and #4, etc.), while reading other books in between each set of two so that I could enjoy and savor this series. Since it usually only takes a couple of days to devour each of them, I find myself going through them way too fast.
Now, have just finished #12 “Force of Nature” back-to-back with #11 “Cold Wind” which went well together.
“Force of Nature” focuses mostly on Joe Pickett’s best friend, Nate Romanowski, who is facing serious danger from his past. This time Joe finds himself in more of a supporting role as his family is targeted by an enemy that wants nothing less than to remove Nate permanently.
Nate’s military past has never left him. Back in the late 1990’s Romanowski was a member of an off-the-books Special Forces unit titled Mark V, but secretly referred to as the Peregrines, and made up of the best operators from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Nate was recruited by then Lieutenant John Nemecek not only because of his physical and mental prowess, but also his falconers skills. Nemecek himself is a falconer and uses that advantage in directing Nate’s assignments.
However, Nemecek was also a cold-blooded killing psychopath that sent Nathan on a mission that involved something terrible… And only the two of them know what happened and its impact to the country they swore to protect. It was bad enough to cause Nate to walk away from his military duties and never look back.
Since then, Nate stayed off the radar and tried to lie low in the Bighorn Mountain region of Wyoming. But something has happened to cause Nemecek, now a high-ranking government official, to send members of his team to eliminate Nate from ever sharing the secret that could ruin him. Part of that plan includes targeting Nate’s closes friends to draw him out. Friends like Alice Thunder, Bad Bob, and especially Joe Pickett and his family…
As Joe and his family members are marked, Joe finds himself in a different kind of danger he’s ever faced. On in which the law is not enough to protect him and the ones he loves. This time it’s clear that the only way to survive this enemy is to fight back in the only way that Nate knows how, and that is outside of the law. This time, neither local law or the FBI can protect them. Only Nate’s unique training and violent skills give them a fighting chance to live…
I thought the last book – “Cold Wind” – was the best in the series. Now, I am going to qualify that comment by almost saying the same about this one. What qualifies that is that this book – “Force of Nature” – goes together with that book as a twosome. They bookend each other and should be read together. The plotlines about Joe and his past coming back kick-off in the previous book and then culminate in this one. Where Joe plays the lead in the prior book trying to solve the who killed his mother in-law’s husband, Nate was forced to go on the run. Then, in this book, Nate takes center stage, and it is his story we get, both present and past.
We actually learn more about Nate then all of the previous books in the series combined. For me, it feels right that Nate’s major storyline doesn’t occur until books #11 and #12 in the series. Box has patiently been setting it up over the course of the books, here a little, there a little, until the time was right to bring everything to a head regarding Nate, his past and its impact on the man he became. I found it very interesting how the influence of the Pickett family and Joe has played a key role in settling him down a little bit. I knew that he respected the heck out of Joe, but I never realized how much Joe was a role model for Nate. That was an uh-huh moment for me.
The other key thing for me was that because Box built up Nate’s dark secret for such a long time, I was worried that it would turn out to be something less than I expected. What if it was a retread of other action/thriller plotlines like a Jason Bourne or something along those lines. That would be a disappointing let down to say the least. For me, Nate was such a complex, living in the grey, character that balances Joe’s do the right thing according to the law motif (much like Hawk is to Spenser in Robert B. Parker’s classic series) that his secret was crucial to truly defining his character and mindset. The good news, without giving anything away, was that the actual secret was creative, clever, and made all of the sense in the world as to who he is and how he acts. Some might argue that it could be cliché, but in my mind, Box set-up up perfectly with the falconer angle, and hit a home run. When Nate finished sharing what happened to him, I was left with shivers, and a deeper understanding of his inner pain. Wow! Box delivered an emotional payoff that struck gold for me.
I should also add that in both of these books, Box made everything personal and gut wrenching. We, as readers, are drawn to Nate and his unique circumstances. We hate someone attacking him and those close to him (especially since there are so few). We take it personal and want revenge for him. We are okay with Nate doing things that are unacceptable under the law but provide justice. He is the one that is allowed to step outside the bands of societal norms and structure because we need him to do the things that need to be done when evil is allowed to reign.
Box then amplifies these storylines through Joe’s family to elevate his stories in a way that connects with readers hearts and make you want to come back for more and more. I tip my proverbial hat to Box for his ongoing ability to consistently meld together the best of both worlds and deliver a consistent winner each time out.
This series keeps growing on me in a lot of good ways. As I mentioned in my previous review, I am fully emotionally invested in Joe Pickett, his family, and friends. And especially Nate Romanowski. I am personally invested in the outcomes of both the characters and mysteries involved. And the ending in this particular book was a prime example of how you deliver a winning and emotional climax that the storylines demanded, and the reader deserved.
Overall, this was a 5-star rating for me, bookending #11 and #12 together, as they should be. These two books both brought several storylines together and culminated in incredible, thought-provoking endings that gave me chills. I don’t know how, but this series just gets better with every book…
Mr. Box - my proverbial Stetson hat is tipped in full respect to you! These last two in the series have been completely awesome!
Again, if you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you consider taking a chance on reading this series. It is so seriously worth it. Entertaining mystery at its best, along with memorable characters and settings...
And yes, I am already 100 pages into the next book – “Breaking Point” - in this series before I even posted this review…
Now, have just finished #12 “Force of Nature” back-to-back with #11 “Cold Wind” which went well together.
“Force of Nature” focuses mostly on Joe Pickett’s best friend, Nate Romanowski, who is facing serious danger from his past. This time Joe finds himself in more of a supporting role as his family is targeted by an enemy that wants nothing less than to remove Nate permanently.
Nate’s military past has never left him. Back in the late 1990’s Romanowski was a member of an off-the-books Special Forces unit titled Mark V, but secretly referred to as the Peregrines, and made up of the best operators from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Nate was recruited by then Lieutenant John Nemecek not only because of his physical and mental prowess, but also his falconers skills. Nemecek himself is a falconer and uses that advantage in directing Nate’s assignments.
However, Nemecek was also a cold-blooded killing psychopath that sent Nathan on a mission that involved something terrible… And only the two of them know what happened and its impact to the country they swore to protect. It was bad enough to cause Nate to walk away from his military duties and never look back.
Since then, Nate stayed off the radar and tried to lie low in the Bighorn Mountain region of Wyoming. But something has happened to cause Nemecek, now a high-ranking government official, to send members of his team to eliminate Nate from ever sharing the secret that could ruin him. Part of that plan includes targeting Nate’s closes friends to draw him out. Friends like Alice Thunder, Bad Bob, and especially Joe Pickett and his family…
As Joe and his family members are marked, Joe finds himself in a different kind of danger he’s ever faced. On in which the law is not enough to protect him and the ones he loves. This time it’s clear that the only way to survive this enemy is to fight back in the only way that Nate knows how, and that is outside of the law. This time, neither local law or the FBI can protect them. Only Nate’s unique training and violent skills give them a fighting chance to live…
I thought the last book – “Cold Wind” – was the best in the series. Now, I am going to qualify that comment by almost saying the same about this one. What qualifies that is that this book – “Force of Nature” – goes together with that book as a twosome. They bookend each other and should be read together. The plotlines about Joe and his past coming back kick-off in the previous book and then culminate in this one. Where Joe plays the lead in the prior book trying to solve the who killed his mother in-law’s husband, Nate was forced to go on the run. Then, in this book, Nate takes center stage, and it is his story we get, both present and past.
We actually learn more about Nate then all of the previous books in the series combined. For me, it feels right that Nate’s major storyline doesn’t occur until books #11 and #12 in the series. Box has patiently been setting it up over the course of the books, here a little, there a little, until the time was right to bring everything to a head regarding Nate, his past and its impact on the man he became. I found it very interesting how the influence of the Pickett family and Joe has played a key role in settling him down a little bit. I knew that he respected the heck out of Joe, but I never realized how much Joe was a role model for Nate. That was an uh-huh moment for me.
The other key thing for me was that because Box built up Nate’s dark secret for such a long time, I was worried that it would turn out to be something less than I expected. What if it was a retread of other action/thriller plotlines like a Jason Bourne or something along those lines. That would be a disappointing let down to say the least. For me, Nate was such a complex, living in the grey, character that balances Joe’s do the right thing according to the law motif (much like Hawk is to Spenser in Robert B. Parker’s classic series) that his secret was crucial to truly defining his character and mindset. The good news, without giving anything away, was that the actual secret was creative, clever, and made all of the sense in the world as to who he is and how he acts. Some might argue that it could be cliché, but in my mind, Box set-up up perfectly with the falconer angle, and hit a home run. When Nate finished sharing what happened to him, I was left with shivers, and a deeper understanding of his inner pain. Wow! Box delivered an emotional payoff that struck gold for me.
I should also add that in both of these books, Box made everything personal and gut wrenching. We, as readers, are drawn to Nate and his unique circumstances. We hate someone attacking him and those close to him (especially since there are so few). We take it personal and want revenge for him. We are okay with Nate doing things that are unacceptable under the law but provide justice. He is the one that is allowed to step outside the bands of societal norms and structure because we need him to do the things that need to be done when evil is allowed to reign.
Box then amplifies these storylines through Joe’s family to elevate his stories in a way that connects with readers hearts and make you want to come back for more and more. I tip my proverbial hat to Box for his ongoing ability to consistently meld together the best of both worlds and deliver a consistent winner each time out.
This series keeps growing on me in a lot of good ways. As I mentioned in my previous review, I am fully emotionally invested in Joe Pickett, his family, and friends. And especially Nate Romanowski. I am personally invested in the outcomes of both the characters and mysteries involved. And the ending in this particular book was a prime example of how you deliver a winning and emotional climax that the storylines demanded, and the reader deserved.
Overall, this was a 5-star rating for me, bookending #11 and #12 together, as they should be. These two books both brought several storylines together and culminated in incredible, thought-provoking endings that gave me chills. I don’t know how, but this series just gets better with every book…
Mr. Box - my proverbial Stetson hat is tipped in full respect to you! These last two in the series have been completely awesome!
Again, if you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you consider taking a chance on reading this series. It is so seriously worth it. Entertaining mystery at its best, along with memorable characters and settings...
And yes, I am already 100 pages into the next book – “Breaking Point” - in this series before I even posted this review…
March 11, 2017
Another exciting book from CJ Box. It is always nice to get lost in another Joe Pickett adventure (spoiler: this one focused more on his friend Nate). As I am originally from Wyoming, but living in Indiana, Box always lets me escape back home. Start the series from the beginning to get the most out of this story.
August 20, 2021
I know I am sounding like a broken record, but the Joe Pickett novels keep getting better and better. This is pretty rare for a series as long as this one, but I consistently keep looking forward to the next.
February 14, 2025
Nate Romanowski. Falconer, true friend of Joe Pickett and a character that has been wrapped in mystery from the first book in this series. Now, we get to know the reason why and I just loved this book. Although C.J. Box messes with details it is an exceptional read with action, suspense and a riveting story to keep you hanging on to the edge of your seat. The evolving of Joe Pickett, his wife, Marybeth and Nate Romanowski make you feel that you truly know the characters as well as you do your own friends.
Nate Romanowski was a military brat with a very strict lifer for a father. He entered the Air Force Academy and was recruited by John Nemecek for an elite Special Forces unit. In 1995 Nate and his commander were on a clandestine mission where something went terribly wrong that resulted in the deaths of thousands and Nate left the team. Now, John Nemecek is up for a military contract and Nate knows the skeleton in his closet that can't be allowed to see the light of day. Nate has been targeted for elimination.
As Nate's friends are murdered, Nate tells Joe and his family to run. Joe is not about to leave his friend to face whoever is coming after him alone and stays.
Nate Romanowski was a military brat with a very strict lifer for a father. He entered the Air Force Academy and was recruited by John Nemecek for an elite Special Forces unit. In 1995 Nate and his commander were on a clandestine mission where something went terribly wrong that resulted in the deaths of thousands and Nate left the team. Now, John Nemecek is up for a military contract and Nate knows the skeleton in his closet that can't be allowed to see the light of day. Nate has been targeted for elimination.
As Nate's friends are murdered, Nate tells Joe and his family to run. Joe is not about to leave his friend to face whoever is coming after him alone and stays.
February 15, 2024
5 Stars for Force of Nature: Joe Pickett, Book 12 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by David Chandler.
The story really focuses on Nate Romanowski. We learn a lot more about his background and why he’s such a recluse. And who really trying to kill him.
The story really focuses on Nate Romanowski. We learn a lot more about his background and why he’s such a recluse. And who really trying to kill him.
March 3, 2014
I am very glad to have come across this series. This was my first book by C.J. Box and in the, Joe Picket, series. This book stood on its own and made me want to read more in this series.
Even though the story is set in Wyoming and follows a game warden, it is not anything like the Walt Longmire series. I enjoyed it very much, it was original, informative and had great characters that I'm looking forward to getting to know better.
David Handler did an excellent job with the narration. I have listened to him before but this is his niche, his voice fits Joe Picket perfectly.
Even though the story is set in Wyoming and follows a game warden, it is not anything like the Walt Longmire series. I enjoyed it very much, it was original, informative and had great characters that I'm looking forward to getting to know better.
David Handler did an excellent job with the narration. I have listened to him before but this is his niche, his voice fits Joe Picket perfectly.
August 21, 2021
This was the best Joe Pickett book so far, even if the main character in this one wasn't Joe, but his friend and fugitive Nate Romanowski. Plenty of action as Nate is being pursued by his former commander for a secret only the two of them have. The plot is realistic as Nate eliminates his foes two by two and even three at a time. If there was a 6 star rating I would give it that. This is book 12 of the series and I will read them all.
January 25, 2025
The best thing about the Pickett series is how fast they go. I can finish a book in only 1-2 sittings. The worst thing is when you finally get to the story you've been waiting for, and it's a huge letdown.
This was Nate Romanowski's book, the one where both his backstory is supposed to be revealed and where the BigBads he's been hiding from for years finally go after him. I'm disappointed on both counts. In fact, I'm not sure we heard his deep, dark secret because if that was it, it was overhyped. The final showdown was short and anticlimactic, and there was not one drop of chemistry between Nate and Hailey. Meh.
No, sorry, let me try that again. MEH.
Oh well, we can only go up from here! Onward to the aptly named Breaking Point.
This was Nate Romanowski's book, the one where both his backstory is supposed to be revealed and where the BigBads he's been hiding from for years finally go after him. I'm disappointed on both counts. In fact, I'm not sure we heard his deep, dark secret because if that was it, it was overhyped. The final showdown was short and anticlimactic, and there was not one drop of chemistry between Nate and Hailey. Meh.
No, sorry, let me try that again. MEH.
Oh well, we can only go up from here! Onward to the aptly named Breaking Point.
January 9, 2021
Audio This one had my attention from start to finish
June 3, 2022
I liked the back story on Nate. It certainly explained how he got his money. Interesting fiction twist with the 9/11 reference. A bit violent, but a good book in the Joe Pickett series.
August 28, 2017
Without a doubt C.J. Box knows how to write in a rich nice language. But why 80% of the book its main hero and his close friends are being chased without them or us knowing why.
After 10% (of the book) he is still running. They still chase him and we don’t know why.
20% and he is still running, now they are after him and after the people close to him.
30% and they still chase him – We don’t know why.
40% and they still after him. He and us have no clue as of why.
50% still no change. (Almost gave up reading)
Only when I reach about 80% I started to get some idea as of why the main hero is being chased, and even then it sounds so ridicules.
I still do not understand the significance of the "Falcon" in this story.
After 10% (of the book) he is still running. They still chase him and we don’t know why.
20% and he is still running, now they are after him and after the people close to him.
30% and they still chase him – We don’t know why.
40% and they still after him. He and us have no clue as of why.
50% still no change. (Almost gave up reading)
Only when I reach about 80% I started to get some idea as of why the main hero is being chased, and even then it sounds so ridicules.
I still do not understand the significance of the "Falcon" in this story.
February 10, 2021
Fast ride!
March 12, 2025
Another 5 star story. In a way, it had the energy of a Gray Man or Orphan X book with the focus on Nate.
November 1, 2012
PROTAGONIST: Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett
SETTING: Wyoming and Idaho
SERIES: #12 of 12
RATING: 4.5
Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming who has taken on just about every threat imaginable over the course of twelve books. He is a moral family man who has often been aided by his off-the-grid friend, Nate Romanowski. Nate has been an enigmatic character throughout the series, and FORCE OF NATURE is a book that is dedicated to telling his story.
At one time, Nate was in a Special Forces unit in Central Asia. He was hand picked to join this group by the commanding lieutenant and master falconer, John Nemecek, who had heard of Nate’s falconry skills. Nate joined the secret unit, known as “The Five”. At times, Nemecek ordered them to do questionable things. To this day, Nate regrets going along with some of these orders. Nemecek is on a mission to eliminate anyone who knew about the worst of these activities and has sent a group to terminate Nate. Nemecek is not the least bit hesitant about doing whatever is necessary to catch his prey, much like the falcons that he trains, including going after the families of Nate’s friends, one of whom is Game Warden Joe Pickett.
Nate goes to ground and begins to seek out some of his closest Special Forces friends, finding some of them dead or in grave danger. Meanwhile, Joe is training a new warden, Luke Brueggemann, and trying to aid Nate surreptitiously. Joe has a strong moral code and finds it difficult to cover for his friend. He does an admirable job of it, despite the fact that Nemecek has threatened his family and they are planning to vacate to California for a while.
Nate Romanowski has long been an enigma, and Box does a great job of revealing Nate’s past and his motivations. It’s essential to understand the art of falconry in order to really know Nate; the fact that he is able to kill without remorse is not a sign that he is a sociopath; instead, he has a falcon’s way of looking at things. This outlook may be tough for the squeamish reader to handle. I did find it odd that Nate confided deep dark secrets to a female he met along the way; he is normally an extremely wary man and doesn’t trust anyone easily. I also had a hard time with the “big secret” part of the plot; it was an anticlimax to finally have it revealed and it wasn’t very believable. Despite that, I found FORCE OF NATURE to be an excellent read. I was pleased to see a deeper level of development of one of the major characters of the series, as well as the depth of friendship and loyalty between Nate and Joe.
It hardly seems possible that FORCE OF NATURE is the twelfth book in the Joe Pickett series. The first book, OPEN SEASON, was published in 2001. I remember how much I delighted in reading it. It’s great to find that my enthusiasm for this series has failed to wane in all this time.
SETTING: Wyoming and Idaho
SERIES: #12 of 12
RATING: 4.5
Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming who has taken on just about every threat imaginable over the course of twelve books. He is a moral family man who has often been aided by his off-the-grid friend, Nate Romanowski. Nate has been an enigmatic character throughout the series, and FORCE OF NATURE is a book that is dedicated to telling his story.
At one time, Nate was in a Special Forces unit in Central Asia. He was hand picked to join this group by the commanding lieutenant and master falconer, John Nemecek, who had heard of Nate’s falconry skills. Nate joined the secret unit, known as “The Five”. At times, Nemecek ordered them to do questionable things. To this day, Nate regrets going along with some of these orders. Nemecek is on a mission to eliminate anyone who knew about the worst of these activities and has sent a group to terminate Nate. Nemecek is not the least bit hesitant about doing whatever is necessary to catch his prey, much like the falcons that he trains, including going after the families of Nate’s friends, one of whom is Game Warden Joe Pickett.
Nate goes to ground and begins to seek out some of his closest Special Forces friends, finding some of them dead or in grave danger. Meanwhile, Joe is training a new warden, Luke Brueggemann, and trying to aid Nate surreptitiously. Joe has a strong moral code and finds it difficult to cover for his friend. He does an admirable job of it, despite the fact that Nemecek has threatened his family and they are planning to vacate to California for a while.
Nate Romanowski has long been an enigma, and Box does a great job of revealing Nate’s past and his motivations. It’s essential to understand the art of falconry in order to really know Nate; the fact that he is able to kill without remorse is not a sign that he is a sociopath; instead, he has a falcon’s way of looking at things. This outlook may be tough for the squeamish reader to handle. I did find it odd that Nate confided deep dark secrets to a female he met along the way; he is normally an extremely wary man and doesn’t trust anyone easily. I also had a hard time with the “big secret” part of the plot; it was an anticlimax to finally have it revealed and it wasn’t very believable. Despite that, I found FORCE OF NATURE to be an excellent read. I was pleased to see a deeper level of development of one of the major characters of the series, as well as the depth of friendship and loyalty between Nate and Joe.
It hardly seems possible that FORCE OF NATURE is the twelfth book in the Joe Pickett series. The first book, OPEN SEASON, was published in 2001. I remember how much I delighted in reading it. It’s great to find that my enthusiasm for this series has failed to wane in all this time.
June 13, 2012
All Nate Romanowski ever wanted was to be left alone with his secrets and his guilt. He dropped out of society, went off the grid, and vanished into the wilderness. He knew at some point there could be a reckoning. In the last month his good friend, Large Merle, died just after giving him the warning – “The Five. They’ve deployed.”
Now the battle has begun and has come in an unexpected form. Lucky to survive, Nate can’t make any more mistakes. Not only does he have to convince those he loves, such as Game Warden Joe Pickett and his family, to run for their own safety he also has to take the battle to the enemy. The same enemy who trained him all those years ago.
While billed as “A Joe Picket novel” this book is primarily a Nat Romanowski book. Long standing questions regarding his background and behavior are finally answered in detail. The reasons given are complex, compelling, and completely true to character.
Because so much of the book is geared toward Nate Romanowski, Joe Pickett and his family become secondary characters in the work. A couple of recent ongoing storylines continue in this novel but are not developed further. What little readers see of Joe Pickett and his family is mainly geared towards Joe and Nate’s friendship and trust and repercussions of that.
Force of Nature: A Joe Pickett Novel builds off of events in Cold Wind and does so very well. However, it is not necessary to have read that book before you read this one though it clearly would be best. Potential readers who are unfamiliar with the series should note that this is one of those series where characters age and evolve as life happens to them. Nothing is static here and hasn’t been since it began long ago in Open Season.
Force of Nature: A Joe Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
http://www.cjbox.net
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguin.com
2012
ISBN# 978-0-399-15826-1
Hardback
392 Pages
$25.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System. Again this year the summer reading challenge for adults and kids is now underway. For more information go to
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libr...
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
More reviews at http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
Now the battle has begun and has come in an unexpected form. Lucky to survive, Nate can’t make any more mistakes. Not only does he have to convince those he loves, such as Game Warden Joe Pickett and his family, to run for their own safety he also has to take the battle to the enemy. The same enemy who trained him all those years ago.
While billed as “A Joe Picket novel” this book is primarily a Nat Romanowski book. Long standing questions regarding his background and behavior are finally answered in detail. The reasons given are complex, compelling, and completely true to character.
Because so much of the book is geared toward Nate Romanowski, Joe Pickett and his family become secondary characters in the work. A couple of recent ongoing storylines continue in this novel but are not developed further. What little readers see of Joe Pickett and his family is mainly geared towards Joe and Nate’s friendship and trust and repercussions of that.
Force of Nature: A Joe Pickett Novel builds off of events in Cold Wind and does so very well. However, it is not necessary to have read that book before you read this one though it clearly would be best. Potential readers who are unfamiliar with the series should note that this is one of those series where characters age and evolve as life happens to them. Nothing is static here and hasn’t been since it began long ago in Open Season.
Force of Nature: A Joe Pickett Novel
C. J. Box
http://www.cjbox.net
G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguin.com
2012
ISBN# 978-0-399-15826-1
Hardback
392 Pages
$25.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System. Again this year the summer reading challenge for adults and kids is now underway. For more information go to
http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Libr...
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
More reviews at http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
October 6, 2018
If a guy who rips people's ears off appeals to you, you might like this novel. Nate, a master falconer, is a supporting character in the Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett series. I guess a squeaky clean hero like Joe can only provide so many thrills, and to get up to today's ear-ripping standards you need a bad-ass like Nate to take center stage once in a while. Are we surprised when Nate states, "Torture works"? Of course not. It's a right wing cliche uttered by an under-appreciated killer in every other best-selling thriller. We need tough guys like Nate, and Special Forces, and the CIA, and death squads and SWAT teams to do our nation's dirty work for us - "to keep us safe."
C. J. Box - when he not inserting product placement ads for Carhartt jackets - frequently reminds us that everyone in Wyoming owns guns - lots of them. (Nate's gun is the biggest.) I suspect that author C. J. Box knows his audience and does not want to alienate any gun-toting right wingers. So he is careful not to insult "libertarians" who might be holed up in the woods with emergency food rations and lots of guns. They are described as having a wide range of political views. Maybe I've missed it, but I haven't heard any locals in the Pickett series using the "n" word. The racism that plagues the U.S., and the pervasive and deep, systemic oppression of Native peoples doesn't seem to exist in Pickett's picturesque Wyoming. (in real-life Wyoming, there are no hate crime laws.)
Of the two Native American characters who appear in the book, one is the silent type and the other an ineffectual semi-loser who plays the Native race card. But perhaps these stereotypes are balanced by another: the hero was once in love with a beautiful Native woman who had long black hair.
Lastly, after reading the descriptions of falconry in this book - the Sport of Kings (that is, Saudi princes and the like) that is wiping out certain species used as prey - it sounds horrible. (Who wants to be chained to a pole with a hood over your head instead of being wild and free?)
I add my usual appeal for more writers, editors, agents and publishers of color and/or Native cultural heritage. We need you!
C. J. Box - when he not inserting product placement ads for Carhartt jackets - frequently reminds us that everyone in Wyoming owns guns - lots of them. (Nate's gun is the biggest.) I suspect that author C. J. Box knows his audience and does not want to alienate any gun-toting right wingers. So he is careful not to insult "libertarians" who might be holed up in the woods with emergency food rations and lots of guns. They are described as having a wide range of political views. Maybe I've missed it, but I haven't heard any locals in the Pickett series using the "n" word. The racism that plagues the U.S., and the pervasive and deep, systemic oppression of Native peoples doesn't seem to exist in Pickett's picturesque Wyoming. (in real-life Wyoming, there are no hate crime laws.)
Of the two Native American characters who appear in the book, one is the silent type and the other an ineffectual semi-loser who plays the Native race card. But perhaps these stereotypes are balanced by another: the hero was once in love with a beautiful Native woman who had long black hair.
Lastly, after reading the descriptions of falconry in this book - the Sport of Kings (that is, Saudi princes and the like) that is wiping out certain species used as prey - it sounds horrible. (Who wants to be chained to a pole with a hood over your head instead of being wild and free?)
I add my usual appeal for more writers, editors, agents and publishers of color and/or Native cultural heritage. We need you!
April 27, 2015
I have read all of the Joe Pickett books prior to this one and IMO, this one is the best so far. This is no. 12 in the series and it focuses on Nate Romanowski, the rogue agent who has been hiding from the FBI for most of the series. Nate is one of my favorite characters in the books and is reminiscent of another of my favorites, Jack Reacher. In this one, Nate is on the run from his former leader in the black ops group that he was involved with during the first war in Iraq. Nate has been hiding from an incident that occurred prior to 9/11 that could have possibly changed what happened on that fateful day. His former superior is out to silence him. This was one of the most violent in the series and was full of page-turning action. In addition, there were some unexpected twists and characters who were not as they seemed. Overall, very high recommendation!
January 9, 2023
The Nate storyline is..... well, ridiculous. But it's entertaining. In this book we learn about his background including two very young half Philippino sisters, his military career, and his father. Sorry not sorry but trying to make a bad ass member of the chair force...
Part of the appeal of this series is that Wyoming is connected to nothing and in the middle of nowhere, but in this book we learn that Joe Pickett is 1 degree of separation from Osama Bin Laden....ok.
I'm currently binging this series while I finish a commission. The ridiculous international intrigue story does pop up again in a future book (featuring Nate and the return of another character) but most of the plot lines are still Joe being a local warden... well, sort of.
Part of the appeal of this series is that Wyoming is connected to nothing and in the middle of nowhere, but in this book we learn that Joe Pickett is 1 degree of separation from Osama Bin Laden....ok.
I'm currently binging this series while I finish a commission. The ridiculous international intrigue story does pop up again in a future book (featuring Nate and the return of another character) but most of the plot lines are still Joe being a local warden... well, sort of.
August 3, 2018
Disappointing installment in usually reliable Joe Pickett series. Actually give it a 3.5. This one focuses on Nate Romanowski more so than Joe. We finally get to know Nate's secret, but it all adds up to a fairly tame thriller and mystery.
October 3, 2015
Dude, all the things Joe didn't want to know about Nate. You don't want to know them either....
November 24, 2022
I love this series! 5 stars.
December 19, 2021
Classic Box, but this time focused on Nate including interesting references to The War on Terror. I hope we see Nate again.
Now we know most, if not all of Nate’s story and it was very interesting. Joe was great playing the backup role this time. Can’t we just get rid of McClanahan already though? I kind of wish Joe would run for sheriff.
Now we know most, if not all of Nate’s story and it was very interesting. Joe was great playing the backup role this time. Can’t we just get rid of McClanahan already though? I kind of wish Joe would run for sheriff.
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