Below Zero

Joe Pickett #9

by C.J. Box

A new Joe Pickett novel from the Edgar(r) Award-winning author of "Blood Trail."
Six years ago, Joe Pickett's foster daughter, April, was murdered. Now, someone is leaving phone messages claiming to be the dead girl. As his family struggles with the disturbing event, he discovers that the calls have been placed from locations where serious environmental crimes have occurred. And as the phone calls grow closer, so does the danger.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Westerns, Crime, Audiobook, Suspense

373 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2009

About the author

C. 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

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go with God. But leave me out of it.

I thought the most common name is John Smith, then I found out that book characters often have a friend named Jack Daniels. 😉

If you have not read Winterkill #3 ***SPOILER***

A Chicago mobster, Stenko is trying to make amends as he is sick with an incurable illness. Stenko lost a daughter so he rescues a teenage girl who resembles her from a brothel in Chicago. His son Robert is an environmental extremist. They took her along on their "road trip". The girl likes Stenko but thinks Robert has a few screws loose. As Stenko's heath deteriorates April Keeley is afraid she'll be stuck with Robert and start texting Sheridan, Joe Pickett's eldest daughter for help. Is April still alive? Joe and Nate look for April all over eastern Wyoming with help from the FBI.

"Below Zero" is not what I had in mind, a surprise. I had the wrong impression and thought this is a cold-weather story. The book actually takes place in late summer/early fall. Whoever designed the "updated" cover apparently didn't read the book.

[Brian O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, if you've never read a CJ Box novel I strongly suggest you read the Joe Pickett series. Every book is quality and the characters are all so strongly developed that each read is like visiting a family member that you have not talked to in awhile. This book had all of the elements of the typical Joe Pickett novel. Joe having to make moral decisions, which are always tough for him since he has such a high moral compass. There is always new and old antagonists, that Joe has to deal with simultaneously. Joe's family always gets involved, which is great because they are such great characters and good ole Nate always has a role and he is an awesome character.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for Below Zero: Joe Pickett, Book 9 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by David Chandler.

Joe Pickett’s daughter Sherry starts getting text messages from his dead foster daughter April. Could she still be alive or is this a sick hoax? Joe calls it favors from the Governor and others to help find and save this poor girl.

[James Paddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know Below Zero is not CJ Box’s latest novel, but it is the latest one I’ve read and I am just as riveted as I was with all the rest. Joe Pickett and his family, Marybeth, Sheridan and Lucy, continue to burrow into the hearts of CJ’s readers. Joe, a Wyoming game warden who often finds himself on the disgruntled side of either the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish, the Wyoming governor, one or more county sheriffs, or his wife, finds he must take a leave of absence to investigate text messages Sheridan is receiving from someone calling herself April. We, CJ Box’s loyal readers, believe that April, their adopted daughter, was killed six years before in Winterkill. We are immediately pulled into the story because we, along with Joe and Sheridan, can hardly breathe at the thought that April might be alive and is reaching out for help. We have no choice but to force ourselves into the truck with the two of them as father and oldest daughter head off —despite Marybeth’s concern for Sheridan’s safety, and Lucy’s anger at not being included—to find and save April and bring her home.

Being busy with my own writing and research, I usually find it difficult to hold my attention to a story I’m reading, no matter the author. With Below Zero (or anything CJ Box writes) I have a hard time leaving it to return to my own work. He keeps me engaged and rooting for the heroes, often as in the westerns and mysteries of old, wanting to yell out, “Look out behind you!” or “Quick! Hide!” There are times I want to punch someone in the nose, or worse. Sometimes that someone is Joe Pickett himself when he doesn’t see the obvious. Of course we can’t forget about Nate Romanowski.
A Joe Pickett adventure would not be complete without the .454 Casull-carrying falconer and fugitive who is determined to do whatever it takes, legal or not, to protect the Pickett family.

I am writing this review before finishing Below Zero because, frankly, I don’t want to inadvertently give the ending away. Do Joe and Sheridan find the girl claiming to be April, alive and unhurt? Is she April? If so where has she been for six years? Why hasn’t she made contact earlier? What unlawful act does Nate Romanowski commit in the name of the Pickett family’s friendship? Do we remember why Nate feels he owes Joe his lifelong gratitude?

CJ Box keeps the stories going, book to book, year to year. I can’t wait to watch Sheridan turn into an adult. What further tribulations do she and Lucy have down the road? CJ, don’t ever quite writing while I’m still around.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 9th volume in this excellent series! Simon and I are enjoying reading it out loud together.

Updated on 14th August, 2025: I think this is my favorite of the series so far. We were too tired to finish it last night, so we prioritized reading the last two chapters this morning before we did anything else. We were on the edge of our seats as we read and both crying by the end with sad/happy tears. What an epic story!

Quotes:

"As they ventured from South Dakota into Wyoming, both the people and the landscape changed. Good solid midwestern stock gave way to mountain people who were ragged on the edges, he thought."

"Nate said, "My life is an open book. You just don't want to read it.""

"Rulon was a big man in every way, with a round face like a hubcap, an untamed shock of silver-flecked brown hair, and eyes like brown laser points when he fixed them on a person or an object."

"She thought, No one should die like this, as if there were a brood of small fevered animals inside him trying to eat and claw their way out."

"April, Joe thought, was like a horse. She needed to know what was expected of her and where she fit in the herd. Once she knew both she was all right."

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Six years ago Joe Pickett's foster daughter, April, was kidnapped and killed (see Winterkill) and that tragedy has stayed with Joe. Now his oldest daughter, Sheridan, has been getting text messages from someone claiming to be April. Is this a sick joke? Or could April have survived? Whoever is texting Sheridan appears to have knowledge that only the Pickett's would know.

There are two alternating stories. One follows Joe as he searches for whoever is sending the texts to determine if April is alive and do what he could not do six years ago. Save her. The other follows a girl who was rescued by a man and is now traveling with him and his environmental nut son. The pair are killing people who leave a carbon footprint and will not pay a ransom to reverse the damage. Get below zero. The girl starts sending texts to Sheridan.

Joe is forced to enlist the aid of the FBI in order to try and trace where the texts are coming from. If you have met Joe Pickett you know this decision doesn't come easily. Bad things happen when the FBI gets involved. Like the time they went after anti-government radicals and Joe saw a trailer with April in it blow up. But the FBI has the technology to trace the text messages and Joe needs that information. The FBI wants the bad guys who have killed several people in different states. Quid pro quo.

Along the way Joe enlists the help of his friend Nate Romanowski who is also wanted by the FBI and goes after a poacher called the Mad Archer. It took a while to get into this story but once Joe and Nate teamed up and starting closing on the father and son things picked up. At the end of the story we learn whether the girl with them is April, Joe and Marybeth's foster daughter.

Joe Pickett is a nice guy with a high moral compass. He is usually battling the system as well as the bad guys. He usually is on the outs with his superiors and others in law enforcement. He is a terrible shot with a pistol and prefers to use a shotgun. Thankfully he has a good friend in Nate who is very good shot. As you read each story these characters grow on you and you bond with them.

[Brian Fagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Below Zero is C. J. Box's 9th Joe Pickett novel. I've read about two-thirds of the 21 books in the series, and this one is among my favorites. Joe's older daughter Sheridan gets a text message from someone posing as her dead sister April. In earlier episodes, Joe and his wife Marybeth adopted April, who was always a little "different", but overall fit very well into their loving family. April was tragically killed in a showdown between authorities and a band of renegades that April had been taken by.

Now, the Picketts are struggling to make sense of the texts that Sheridan is getting. They never actually saw April's body when she was killed, but they don't want to go through fresh grief again either, if this turns out to be a sick prank. What grabs their attention most is that the sender knows personal and private things that really only April should know ! The second side of Below Zero concerns a father and adult son who "April" is traveling with. They are radical environmentalists who are bent on killing or extorting from wealthy people with large carbon footprints.

I was disappointed that Box felt that he had to invent a terribly glaring coincidence to make this case personal for Joe's friend Nate Romanowski - it would have been enough to get him involved without that contrivance. Sometimes Box allows dialogue to become awkward by forcing information into it that would be more naturally delivered to the reader in thoughts or narration. But those issues were more than offset by one of Box's best and most gripping plots.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you want a twisty mystery with a hero who has a true center compass, Joe Pickett is the series for you. I can depend on this hero will deliver and stay true to his values. He is not liked by many in law enforcement or his chain of command, he doesn't play political games and that has made some his enemy. Lucky for Joe, the governor likes him.

After a blow up in the Yellowstone area, Joe has been exiled to the Baggs, Wyoming area. Kinda a "time-out" for being right, but not politically correct. Joe keeps busy tracking a bow wielding baddie who is shooting game and leaving them to suffer and die. When his daughter Sheridan starts receiving text messages from April Keeley, Joe takes emergency leave and retunes home.

April died six years ago in a fiery conflagration instigated by the FBI. Joe doesn't see how April could have survived, but the texts are full of things April would know. As Joe makes a connection between the different locations the texts are coming from, and the death and destruction in those places, he is sure a radical environmentalist is involved. That makes Joe concerned for April and determined to do whatever it takes to find her.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.J. Box and his Joe Pickett novels never get old and never disappoint.

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took for me to finish the book in order to understand what the title meant. The book left me with unanswered questions and mixed feelings. There were some good parts but the storyline was somewhat discouraging to read.

The Pickett family adopted a little girl named April. Her birth mother had other plans and got April back and the last time Joe Pickett, the adoptive dad of April, saw her she appeared to be blown to pieces before his eyes. After six years, Sheridan, his oldest daughter, gets a call from April and the whole family is astounded.

The story is narrated by April and Joe but is April really April? Does the reasoning behind the actions of all involved reasonable? If it wasn't for the wisecracks throughout the story, I probably wouldn't have finished this book.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having read and enjoyed many of his books, I was very disappointed with this one. It was almost as if somebody else had written it, trying to emulate Box's style, but failing miserably. The plot was just too unbelievable for me and the dialogue was weak and frankly, childish. I found myself not really caring what happened, although as it was an audiobook, I decided to let it play to the end. Had it been a hard copy book, I'd have given up well before half-way. Seemed to me that Box was pushed by his publishers to produce another book and his heart just wasn't in it this time.

[Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I like about Joe Pickett is that he's not overly macho, he's not infallible, he has a realistic amount of concern or angst but unlike so many protagonists it's not overly done. In short, Joe is very realistic. (Not so MIssy, his mother in law but that's a different story.)

In this story we have a resurrection of sorts; April is alive! Or is she?

Joe had seen April, his foster daughter die in an explosion caused by an overzealous group of law enforcement officers from various departments. So when his oldest daughter, Sheridan, receives a text message from someone saying she's April there is hope and concern. Is it April? She certainly knows a lot of information that you would think only April would know.

This story follows a girl, the man who rescued her from the proverbial fate worse than death, and the man's son, an environmental nut and the people that the nut feels are environmental criminals.

While attempting to unravel the mystery of whether the texter is really April or not Joe arrests a poacher called the Mad Archer, twice. And oh yes, he damages, if not destroys another truck. If you don't understand that reference you need to read some of Mr. Box's novels about Joe.

There are the usual characters in this novel and that is a good thing in my opinion. We have Maribeth, Sheridan, Lucy and of course, Nate. Again, if you're not familiar with those characters, read some of those books.

This is a typical Joe Pickett book and if that sounds routine, it isn't. It's a good thing

Box writes in a typical format as to his plots but is a master at making each story interesting and different even with many things being somewhat the same. In order to fully understand what I mean you need to read several of his works and if you are into mysteries, crime solving, you enjoy reading about the great outdoors, you can feel the cold of a Wyoming winter, the dust of a summer day, you enjoy seeing a beautiful sunset even if courtesy of the written word, you will enjoy those reads.

[Rex Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

If any "enviro-freaks" have actually gone so far as to serially murder people because of the size of their carbon footprint, I'm unaware of it. Consequently, the animating motive of the villainous Stensons in this book was unreal to me. Not that serial killers need a higher order motive, or from a sane person's perspective, any motive at all. Nevertheless, this is still a highly enjoyable book, especially because of the excellent treatment of Joe's relationship with his daughter Sheridan - who bears all the indicia of a lead character in making.

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe is off on a different adventure after finding out that a person he thought was dead, wasn't.

[Asheley T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD!! Joe Pickett continues to keep me entertained and on my toes, with my heart racing all the while.

Seventeen-year-old Sheridan has been getting text messages from April Keeley, who supposedly died way back in the third book, Winterkill. Winterkill has been my favorite Pickett book to date, not only because of the crimes and the action in it (survivalist bad guys!) but because it leaned heavily on April Keeley's story. Joe and Marybeth had previously taken April in as their foster daughter. Sadly, April Keeley was killed in one of the major events in Winterkill.

Or so we thought.

Now that someone claiming to be April has reached out to Sheridan, Joe has the opportunity to right some wrongs and fix the regrets that came after that awful situation. Joe aims to figure out who keeps contacting Sheridan, and why, and where this person claiming to be April is. Joe goes as far as to boldly take a leave of absence from his work for Governor Rulon and head out on the road.

And this time, he takes Sheridan with him. (LOVED that.)

Okay, so first of all: I can hardly bear the idea that Sheridan has grown up in front of my eyes, right on the pages of these novels!! My own twin daughters are 17, so EVERYTHING with Sheridan rings absolutely true. I have always loved the way C.J. Box has a way with creating young female characters so well, and I've grown to respect Sheridan more and more since her time on the pages in the first novel. She is headstrong, independent, smart, and very cool. She's an apprentice falconer, trained by none other than Nate Romanowski, and I continue to be thrilled every time she and Joe interact on the pages. Their father-daughter relationship feels authentic, truthful, and really sweet.

ALSO: I'm loving that Joe has grown a little more adventurous over the past few books in terms of blurring the lines of legality. He has such a conscience and a true desire to do the right thing all the time, but he seems to be learning that sometimes the right thing isn't always the legal thing. In addition, he has done things that aren't really right or legal over the past few books, and I feel like his guilt and mixed feelings about his own actions makes his character more complex. I LOVE Joe Pickett and I'm so excited that I still have a ton of books in this series because watching him work is one of my favorite ways to spend my reading time.

AND! I was shocked at some of the newer developments in Nate's life!! WHOA!! I love it, I love his character, and I'm so glad he is important on these pages. Every time Nate shows up in these Pickett books, I get excited and I read faster and faster. He's such a wild card. He doesn't really care that much about the law, but he cares a great deal about the people he loves. Which means he is completely loyal to Joe. Their friendship and unusual work partnership is probably my favorite character relationship of any series, ever.

I don't want to talk about the events in this book, because it was hella good watching them all unfold. But I will say that there are hunters that injure animals for sport (not cool at all and Joe is on that case, for sure) and there are several really bad characters that are mobsters and/or environmental true believers. So exciting. So damn good.

Audiobook Notes: I listened to most of this book on audiobook, You guys know by now I'm probably the BIGGEST Joe-Pickett-on-audiobook fan out there. But the more the story amped up, the faster I needed the story. So toward the end, I had to turn the audio off so I could read with my eyes. I read faster than the audiobook is read, and I was just too impatient for the outcome of this one to listen to every minute of the audio. This is not to knock on David Chandler's narration, which is doggone perfection (especially with Nate's character). I just needed the story faster.

I'm off to buy the next audiobook in this series, bye!

Title: Below Zero by C.J. Box
Series: Joe Pickett #9
Narrator: David Chandler
Length: 10 hours, 22 minutes, Unabridged
Publisher: Recorded Books

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Joe Pickett series...a "Dudley Do Right" archetype...great settings, great characters...I reread this one after reading Box's latest, "Treasure State" from his Highway Quartet series, the sixth in the series of a quartet, HMmmm...In "Treasure State," April Pickett is an intern for Cassie Dewell, working on her hours of experience for her PI license...I'd forgot how Box resurrected her after her supposed death in "Winterkill"...In "Below Zero" texts from April show up on Joe's daughter's phone, pulling joe into a search for a Chicago mobster and his Eco-terrorist son...Loved it again!!!

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a barely okay and I think, to date, my least favorite Pickett book. Everything about it was just a little ridiculous. The core story wasn’t really rewarding because the outcome doesn’t seem very viable. The Nate component as well as the Missy situation is becoming silly. Joe wasn’t really even the character Box has given us. Hopefully Portensen is gone, that could be a positive. Hopefully the next one finds it footing again.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe is in the center of serial-murders of enviromental baddies who weigh carbon footprints in dollars spent.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really thinking this would be 3 stars halfway through. The whole global warming, carbon footprint thing was getting on my nerves. I understand that this isn’t a brand new book and at the time it was written there were a lot more believers. It just felt like C. J. Box was jumping on the bandwagon and we were getting another preachy book that was wrapped in a cocoon and sold as a mystery. However, having Nate point out some of the fallacies behind people buying away their carbon footprint by using groups that might be making things worse smoothed my feathers a bit. The whole idea that throwing money at and buying your way out of leaving a huge carbon footprint while not changing how you do things is so hypocritical. Besides the fact that I don’t really believe any of it. Does our planet’s temperature cycle through hotter and colder periods? Yes! Is it all going to melt? I don’t think so. And I am tired of the insanely rich telling me that I am killing the planet while they jet everywhere. Deal with China’s pollution first! Yes I think we should try to pick up trash and protect our resources. But not the way these crazy politicians and Uber wealthy tell us to. They are all crazy! And thankfully there was another side to this story. The girl that was along for the ride. That was an interesting twist. As an aside, I hated Robert. I know we were supposed to and I did. He was whiny and selfish and evil. I felt absolutely no sympathy for him. He never understood that he should take some responsibility for his actions. What a murderous awful person hiding behind his save-the-planet flag. Hmmm! I guess I let you know my stance on things. I usually try not to do that but…..🤷‍♀️

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book #9 in the Joe Pickett series and I enjoyed this one. Joe's daughter starts receiving mysterious texts from their deceased foster daughter who died 6 years earlier. This kicked off a wild chase across Wyoming.

The pacing matched the urgency of the plot, and the story kept moving without dragging. I enjoyed seeing all the core characters come together to uncover the truth, and their teamwork added a lot to the overall momentum.

The ending had a nice sense of karma. It was a bit predictable but still satisfying and well earned. So 4 stars for this one.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After taking down some idiot bow hunting poachers, Joe Pickett's family starts receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be their murdered foster daughter. These calls have something to do with environmental terrorists. Joe's got to get to the bottom of things before his family is torn apart.

Not bad, but not exceptional.

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six years before the events of this book, Joe and Marybeth Pickett's foster daughter, April, had apparently died in a fiery explosion when the FBI raided the camp of a group of militia-types who were squatting on public lands near Saddlestring, Wyoming. April's birth mother had taken her to the camp. After the fire, the bodies of a woman and a young girl were found in the trailer where Joe had seen April. It was assumed that the body was hers. The Picketts buried the child and grieved for her.

But was the body really April's? That is thrown into question because now, out of the blue, the Picketts' older daughter, Sheridan, is receiving text messages from someone who claims to be April. Is it possible? Where is she, this child who would now be fourteen years old?

Joe Pickett is in disgrace in his job after the events of the last book, in which he abetted the escape from custody of that noted criminal, and Joe's friend, Nate Romanowski. It is only his relationship with the governor that has saved him from being summarily dismissed, but, as punishment, he has been assigned a post far from his home and family. When he learns of the text messages that his daughter is receiving, he asks the governor to release him from duty so that he can investigate.

He checks the text messages and finds that there is information there that would have been known by April. Can she really be alive?

He gets help from a contact in the FBI in tracking the cell phone that the messages are being sent from and notices a troubling fact: The points from which messages are sent seem to be aligning with reported murders. He learns that the teenage girl - whoever she is - may be traveling with a Chicago mobster and his son who is an environmental warrior. What can possibly be the meaning of all this?

One of the strengths of this series is the well-developed characters of the Pickett family - Joe, Marybeth, Sheridan, and Lucy. But in this book, I felt that the family members' characters were being distorted and that they were cardboard figures, not fully developed people. Moreover, the plot seemed contrived and fell a bit flat for me. I just really had a hard time believing in it or caring much about where it was taking me.

There were some interesting parts of the story, including the efforts of the environmental warrior and his gangster father to reduce the father's carbon footprint on the planet to "below zero" so that the mortally ill father can die in peace. Of course, the ways in which they attempt to reduce the carbon footprint involve creating a very large moral stain, so perhaps not the best choices.

At one point in the book, Box puts the argument between believers in and deniers of human abetted climate change in the voice of Nate Romanowski. Nate reckons that he hasn't really decided what to believe because there are credible arguments on both sides of the issue. No, Nate (and Box), there really aren't, and I think it was just about at this point that I began to lose patience with the book.

Overall, it was in some ways an interesting read but certainly not my favorite of the series.

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read of the Joe Pickett series, the more I fall under his spell. Below Zero is outstanding in every way. The case Joe gets involved in quickly becomes personal for he and his family resulting in a shocking climax for them as well as for series' readers. The ending left me no doubt that I'll need to grab the next book asap! I highly recommend the audiobooks as the narrator does a fantastic job of bringing each character to life in the best of ways. Highly recommended!

[James Biser · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, Joe Picket and his family come to believe that their step daughter is not dead. They believe she has been texting her sisters. With the help of the FBI, they look into who is sending the texts. It is a mystery. They even seek the assistance of Nate Romanowski.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. This is one of my favorite series.

[Kerrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a previous Joe Pickett story, Joe Pickett witnessed the horrible death of his foster daughter, April. In this novel, Joe and his family visit the headstone for April. But suddenly, his daughter Sheridan begins to receive text messages from someone purporting to be April and using intimate nicknames April used for Sheridan and Lucy. This unnerves Joe Pickett to his core & touches upon feeling of guilt about the debacle of unwarranted actions by law enforcement initiated against the sovereign survivalist camp six years prior to the present day of this story.

So much so, Joe Pickett takes a leave of absence to find the sender of the text messages and even takes Sheridan along for the adventure since it is Sheridan to whom the girl sends texts.

Danger ensues this pursuit as the girl in question is in the company of a Chicago mobster and his environmentalist son who is on a deadly & desperate mission to reduce the carbon prints made by people to save the earth.

Sometimes, the most courageous act is to recognize one’s needs help in a moment of crisis. Joe calls upon his friend, Nate Romanowski to help rescue the girl and apprehend the environmentalist killers. Together Joe & Nate must prevent the mobster and his son from bringing their ultimate plans to fruition.

The girl is rescued, but is she April? Is April alive?
Read this novel to find out the answer to this mystery.

Along the way, in a secondary story, Joe nabs the “Mad Archer” who wantonly injured or killed animals and birds.
Joe adopts an odd looking but lovable dog injured by the Mad Archer whom he names “Tube”.

This story was well worth the read. My thanks to the author for this story.

[Arnold Kanarek · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are already a Joe Picket fan, then this volume is a must-read. Foster-daughter April Keely was supposedly killed in book 3. Sheridan starts getting texts from someone who claims to be April. As they look for this girl, Nate and Joe have one of their usual wild adventures. Enjoy!

[Robert James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another terrific entry in the Pickett series. Really enjoyed the characters and I liked the meshing of the environmental story with the personal story. Nobody writes better than C.J. Box.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most far-fetched of the Pickett novels so far. Did not like this one.

Joe and his 16yo daughter Sheridan chase cell phone pings across the northern central states in the hope that the foster daughter he thought died six years ago was instead kidnapped.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Below Zero” our favorite Game Warden, Joe Picket is working in the remote area of Baggs District, where Game Wardens are sent to die. This assignment is a result of the negative publicity on the Governor in the last book and serves to keep Joe in hiding until the political heat wears off. While in exile, Joe is focused on trying to hunt down and capture the Mad Archer, an unknown assailant killing elk with a bow and arrow.

Back at the home front, Joe’s oldest daughter, Sheridan receives a mysterious text message from someone who claims to be April, a foster sister adopted by the Pickett family about eight years ago when her mother abandoned her. However, April’s mother returned a couple of years later and legally reclaiming and forcing her to join a survivalist and government conspiracy group called the Sovereigns. Six years ago, during a terrible winter storm, a combined team of the FBI, BAT, and local police surrounded the Sovereign camp, and stand-off turned into an unexpected showdown that took the lives of many of the Sovereign members, including April and her mother.

The texts make no sense since April should be dead. But the texter knows personal things about Sheridan and her sister Lucy that only April would know, as well as other information about the family, Joe, and Marybeth.

To make matters worse, it seems that the texter, is leaving messages from different locations describing the two men she is traveling with and hints of their activities. As Joe and Marybeth try to understand what is going on, they discover that the locations being shared have had serious environmental crimes taking place… Is the texter part of those activities or is she is a prisoner?

For Joe and family, this time it’s personal in ways they never expected, and the one who holds the key to finding the texter is Sheridan…

It’s been a couple of months since I read the last book in this series, but picking up book #9 “Below Zero” was no problem at all. It fit well like a comfortable glove. So well, that it turned out to be a 2-day read that I devoured like meeting with a long-lost friend or family member. I didn’t miss a beat.

This one focused mostly on Joe, Marybeth, and Sheridan, as well as a healthy dose of Nate Romanowski, who is in hiding from the FBI. Sheridan played a larger role that provided her well earned screen time and character development. I especially enjoyed Box’s exploration of Sheridan’s relationship with both her father and Nate. She has a special one with both men, even though their bonds are very different in nature and interest. Nate serves well as her mentor, with falcons as well with life. Sheridan is evolving from the rebellious teenage daughter who’s very comfortable with telling adults what she really thinks into a young adult who is learning through tough experiences to temper her harsh communications enough to be more effective.

Box also continues his multiple storylines arcs, including Nate hiding away from the FBI, Marybeth’s mother’s change in marriage status and the fallout from it, the Governor’s political challenges, and FBI agent Portenson’s ongoing battle with Joe. They are all interesting storylines and it’s easy to appreciate their development along with all of the twists and turns along the way. For me, this is the special that makes the Joe Pickett series so much fun to read. As much as I enjoy the mystery elements (and those are important, don’t get me wrong), but the characters and ongoing storylines centered around family are what really elevates these stories 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. I am emotionally invested in Joe Pickett, his family, and friends. For me, it all starts with Box’s simple and straight-forward writing style. The storylines moved along at a smooth and steady pace. I never lost in interest while reading and was personally invested in the outcomes of both the characters and the mystery. The plot was set-up well, the characters were interesting, and I found myself appreciating his storytelling skills. The plotlines were creative, interesting, and well-delivered. The ending had a strong buildup that delivered a winning and emotional climax.

Overall, this was another strong 4, or even 4.5 out of 5-star rating for me. Each book just keeps building on the previous one and getting better and better…

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 cannot wait to start reading the next one…