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Joe Pickett #14.5
Shots Fired
Over the course of eighteen books, C. J. Box has been consistently hailed for his brilliant storytelling and extraordinary skills at creating character, suspense, and a deep sense of place. All of those strengths are in the ten riveting stories—three of them never before published—that make up Shots Fired.
In “One-Car Bridge,” one of four Joe Pickett stories, Pickett goes up against a “just plain mean” landowner, with disastrous results, and in “Shots Fired,” his investigation into the radio call referred to in the title nearly ends up being the last thing he ever does. In “Pirates of Yellowstone,” two Eastern European tough guys find out what it means to be strangers in a strange land, and in “Le Sauvage Noble,” the stranger is a Lakota in Paris who enjoys playing the “noble savage” for the French women—until he meets Sophie. Then he discovers what “savage” really means.
Shots Fired is proof once again why “Box is a force to be reckoned with” (The Providence Journal-Bulletin).
One-Car Bridge
Pirates of Yellowstone
The End of Jim and Ezra
The Master Falconer
Every Day Is a Good Day on the River
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
Dull Knife
Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage)
Blood Knot
Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti
In “One-Car Bridge,” one of four Joe Pickett stories, Pickett goes up against a “just plain mean” landowner, with disastrous results, and in “Shots Fired,” his investigation into the radio call referred to in the title nearly ends up being the last thing he ever does. In “Pirates of Yellowstone,” two Eastern European tough guys find out what it means to be strangers in a strange land, and in “Le Sauvage Noble,” the stranger is a Lakota in Paris who enjoys playing the “noble savage” for the French women—until he meets Sophie. Then he discovers what “savage” really means.
Shots Fired is proof once again why “Box is a force to be reckoned with” (The Providence Journal-Bulletin).
One-Car Bridge
Pirates of Yellowstone
The End of Jim and Ezra
The Master Falconer
Every Day Is a Good Day on the River
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
Dull Knife
Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage)
Blood Knot
Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti
269 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2014
2097 people are currently reading
3197 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
111 books7,174 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 568 reviews
July 14, 2021
This is a collection of ten short stories. The introduction was really good and felt personal as Box tells the reader how he came up with ideas for his stories. Truthfully, I'll read anything this man writes. Not every story has Joe Pickett in it, but still interesting to read about visitors or other locals. Some stories are better than others and I've read two of them before. The ones with a ⭐ are my favorites.
____________________________________
⭐ One Car Bridge (#14.4)
- Pirates of Yellowstone
⭐ The End of Jim and Ezra ---disturbing story!
⭐ The Master Falconer (#11.5)
- Every Day Is a Good Day on the River
- Pronghorns of the Third Reich
- Dull Knife (#4.5)
- Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage)
⭐ Blood Knot
⭐ Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti
____________________________________
⭐ One Car Bridge (#14.4)
- Pirates of Yellowstone
⭐ The End of Jim and Ezra ---disturbing story!
⭐ The Master Falconer (#11.5)
- Every Day Is a Good Day on the River
- Pronghorns of the Third Reich
- Dull Knife (#4.5)
- Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage)
⭐ Blood Knot
⭐ Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti
April 1, 2024
Short Stories
I was under the impression that the stories “Dull Knife” and “Master Falconer” were stories that filled in gaps between Joe Pickett books, so I decided to go for the book full of short stories. That turned out to be kind of a mistake.
Don’t get me wrong, none of these stories were bad, but half of them were not at all related to Joe Pickett or anyone else in his orbit. The aforementioned stories that I thought were gap fillers were really not important to any story. These stories were fine if you have nothing better to read, but not worth the full price, and definitely not worth what they wanted separately for the short stories I mentioned. I gave this book overall a 3.5 stars, but will round up to four for the last story “Shots Fired”.
I was under the impression that the stories “Dull Knife” and “Master Falconer” were stories that filled in gaps between Joe Pickett books, so I decided to go for the book full of short stories. That turned out to be kind of a mistake.
Don’t get me wrong, none of these stories were bad, but half of them were not at all related to Joe Pickett or anyone else in his orbit. The aforementioned stories that I thought were gap fillers were really not important to any story. These stories were fine if you have nothing better to read, but not worth the full price, and definitely not worth what they wanted separately for the short stories I mentioned. I gave this book overall a 3.5 stars, but will round up to four for the last story “Shots Fired”.
December 22, 2020
Whether you are a fan of CJ Box’s Joe Pickett series or have never heard of him, this collection of short stories is definitely worth the read. Not all of them feature Pickett, but even the ones that don’t are stellar. This author can really pack a lot into the short form, always showcasing his love of the Wyoming outdoors with detailed and entertaining prose.
I personally love the short story form and this volume was just as great as everything CJ Box writes. Highly recommend. 👍
I personally love the short story form and this volume was just as great as everything CJ Box writes. Highly recommend. 👍
June 2, 2023
If you are a Joe Pickett fan (like me), you will enjoy these stories very much. If not, they may entice you into the Joe Pickett universe.
August 2, 2025
These are wonderful short stories, and they show just what a pheromonal author C.J. Box is. He just draws you into the story from the first sentence and these stories just great. Joe Picket and others are the focus of the short stories. 4 1/2-Stars
One Car Bridge (14.4): 5-Stars Joe is the barer of bad news that sends a family into turmoil over what the future holds for them.
Pirates of Yellowstone: 4-Stars Two Eastern European men land in Yellowstone with no money and no jobs.
The End of Jim and Ezra: 4-Stars Being stranded high in the mountains during winter can lead to deadly consequences.
The Master Falconer (11.5): 5-Stars Nobody messes with Nate, not even a Saudi Prince.
Every Day Is a Good Day on the River: 4-Stars And some days it isn't, especially for three guys who don't really know each other.
Pronghorns of the Third Reich: 4-Stars When one partner crosses the other, consequences can be generational.
Dull Knife (4.5): 4-Stars Sad tale about a life that had so much potential but was undermined by her culture.
Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage): 4-Stars Jimmy Two Bulls is in Paris because his cousin, Lyle Bear Killer, has promised a job with great pay with the Wild Bill Wild West Show at Disneyland, Paris. Lyle has also promised good food, great wine and French married woman who will sleep with him because he is an American Indian. Jimmy finds he just isn't wired that way and that becomes a big problem.
Blood Knot: 5-Stars How you treat the elderly can have profound consequences. "It's not about blood, it's about the knot."
Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti: 5-Stars Jos receives a call of shots fired in the meadow where sheepherder Ander Esti has his wagon. What he finds is not what he expected.
One Car Bridge (14.4): 5-Stars Joe is the barer of bad news that sends a family into turmoil over what the future holds for them.
Pirates of Yellowstone: 4-Stars Two Eastern European men land in Yellowstone with no money and no jobs.
The End of Jim and Ezra: 4-Stars Being stranded high in the mountains during winter can lead to deadly consequences.
The Master Falconer (11.5): 5-Stars Nobody messes with Nate, not even a Saudi Prince.
Every Day Is a Good Day on the River: 4-Stars And some days it isn't, especially for three guys who don't really know each other.
Pronghorns of the Third Reich: 4-Stars When one partner crosses the other, consequences can be generational.
Dull Knife (4.5): 4-Stars Sad tale about a life that had so much potential but was undermined by her culture.
Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage): 4-Stars Jimmy Two Bulls is in Paris because his cousin, Lyle Bear Killer, has promised a job with great pay with the Wild Bill Wild West Show at Disneyland, Paris. Lyle has also promised good food, great wine and French married woman who will sleep with him because he is an American Indian. Jimmy finds he just isn't wired that way and that becomes a big problem.
Blood Knot: 5-Stars How you treat the elderly can have profound consequences. "It's not about blood, it's about the knot."
Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti: 5-Stars Jos receives a call of shots fired in the meadow where sheepherder Ander Esti has his wagon. What he finds is not what he expected.
August 22, 2024
4.5 Stars for Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country, Joe Pickett 14.5 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by David Chandler.
It was a treat for me to get to listen to these Joe Pickett short stories. Most of them had to do with Joe or his friends but some just took place in that part of the world.
It was a treat for me to get to listen to these Joe Pickett short stories. Most of them had to do with Joe or his friends but some just took place in that part of the world.
March 13, 2024
Enjoyable little collection of short stories featuring Joe Pickett and sidekicks.
July 24, 2014
If you're a fan of CJ Box like I am, you must read everything that he writes. I'm generally not a fan of short stories, but every one of these is a winner. Especially appreciated the one that was a required 1000 words--no more and no less. Box's efficiency with just the right words made it interesting and complete.
There are also a few that were previously only released for e readers, and I know a few people who were disappointed in not being able to read these before. A couple revolve around Joe Picket and Nate. Also a very interesting one "Pronghorns of The Third Reich" that was written around an actual picture from history.
Great listening to them on Audible. David chandlers continues to do an excellent job narrating Box's works.
There are also a few that were previously only released for e readers, and I know a few people who were disappointed in not being able to read these before. A couple revolve around Joe Picket and Nate. Also a very interesting one "Pronghorns of The Third Reich" that was written around an actual picture from history.
Great listening to them on Audible. David chandlers continues to do an excellent job narrating Box's works.
January 18, 2025
“Shots Fired” is a collection of ten C.J. Box short stories, including four featuring Joe Pickett.
“One-Car Bridge” - Joe Pickett has his hands full delivering bad news to the Crazy Z Bar Ranch owner, Lamar Dietrich, who is considered so hard to work with or deal with that he has his own Book of Rules…
“Pirates Of Yellowstone” – European immigrants, Vladdy and Eddie, arrive in Yellowstone Park to find their promised jobs are not available, so they must figure out another way to make money…
“The End of Jim and Ezra” – Two men are trying to find a way to survive the winter while being stuck in a one room cabin in the Wind River range of the Wyoming territory during 1835…
“The Master Falconer” – Joe Pickett’s friend, Nate Romanowski, has a big problem when someone from his past comes to town looking for him to provide a service…
“Every Day Is a Good Day on The River” – Jack’s invitation by a casual acquaintance to go drift boat fishing with a personal guide turns into a personal nightmare…
“Pronghorns Of the Third Reich” – Clint and Juan kidnap Judge Parker during a snowstorm to force him to understand why his judicial decision for Clint’s grandfather was the wrong outcome…
“Dull Knife” – Joe Pickett gets a call from a group of ice fishermen that involves a light shining up out of the frozen lake that leads to a frozen human hand sticking out of the ice…
“Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage)” – Jimmy Two Bulls, an Indian from South Dakota finds himself working with his cousin in the Wild West Show at Disney Paris. But his adventure takes a dark turn when he meets Sophie…
“Blood Knot” - Hattie Syke goes fishing with her ailing grandfather, that leads to a life lesson…
“Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti” – Joe Pickett responds to a call where shots were fired and finds himself in the middle of deadly situation and no back-up…
For me, the four Joe Pickett related stories were the best, but I am probably bias in my affinity towards Joe, his setting, and the conflicts in his stories. Actually, one of those stories was focused on Nate, which I really enjoyed. However, I think that story was written early in Box’s writing career as he was still fleshing out Nate’s full character because there was a moment when Nate was attacked and let it go without immediate retaliation. That moment caught me off guard and felt a bit off at the time, but the Nate more than vindicated himself in the end.
As for the other stories, the Jim and Ezra story was a good one that reflected well on the historical situation and the challenges of friendship. “Good day on the River” was intense, reminding me of an old Kevin Bacon movie “The River Wild” that kept you on the edge of your seat. The rest of the stories were good, not great, but entertaining and enjoyable.
Overall, I am not the best short story reader, but these kept my attention, especially the Joe Picket and Nate Romanowski ones. Those, by themselves made this a worthy read.
The Joe Picket and Nate Romanowski stories – 4 out of 5 stars.
The other stories – 3 out of 5 stars.
Overall rating – 3.5 stars.
“One-Car Bridge” - Joe Pickett has his hands full delivering bad news to the Crazy Z Bar Ranch owner, Lamar Dietrich, who is considered so hard to work with or deal with that he has his own Book of Rules…
“Pirates Of Yellowstone” – European immigrants, Vladdy and Eddie, arrive in Yellowstone Park to find their promised jobs are not available, so they must figure out another way to make money…
“The End of Jim and Ezra” – Two men are trying to find a way to survive the winter while being stuck in a one room cabin in the Wind River range of the Wyoming territory during 1835…
“The Master Falconer” – Joe Pickett’s friend, Nate Romanowski, has a big problem when someone from his past comes to town looking for him to provide a service…
“Every Day Is a Good Day on The River” – Jack’s invitation by a casual acquaintance to go drift boat fishing with a personal guide turns into a personal nightmare…
“Pronghorns Of the Third Reich” – Clint and Juan kidnap Judge Parker during a snowstorm to force him to understand why his judicial decision for Clint’s grandfather was the wrong outcome…
“Dull Knife” – Joe Pickett gets a call from a group of ice fishermen that involves a light shining up out of the frozen lake that leads to a frozen human hand sticking out of the ice…
“Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage)” – Jimmy Two Bulls, an Indian from South Dakota finds himself working with his cousin in the Wild West Show at Disney Paris. But his adventure takes a dark turn when he meets Sophie…
“Blood Knot” - Hattie Syke goes fishing with her ailing grandfather, that leads to a life lesson…
“Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti” – Joe Pickett responds to a call where shots were fired and finds himself in the middle of deadly situation and no back-up…
For me, the four Joe Pickett related stories were the best, but I am probably bias in my affinity towards Joe, his setting, and the conflicts in his stories. Actually, one of those stories was focused on Nate, which I really enjoyed. However, I think that story was written early in Box’s writing career as he was still fleshing out Nate’s full character because there was a moment when Nate was attacked and let it go without immediate retaliation. That moment caught me off guard and felt a bit off at the time, but the Nate more than vindicated himself in the end.
As for the other stories, the Jim and Ezra story was a good one that reflected well on the historical situation and the challenges of friendship. “Good day on the River” was intense, reminding me of an old Kevin Bacon movie “The River Wild” that kept you on the edge of your seat. The rest of the stories were good, not great, but entertaining and enjoyable.
Overall, I am not the best short story reader, but these kept my attention, especially the Joe Picket and Nate Romanowski ones. Those, by themselves made this a worthy read.
The Joe Picket and Nate Romanowski stories – 4 out of 5 stars.
The other stories – 3 out of 5 stars.
Overall rating – 3.5 stars.
July 9, 2015
Some good stories here taking place in Wyoming, the Rockies, or at least featuring people from the Rockies. I have read lots of CJ Box novels and was excited to see that he compiled some of his shorter works. I think this book would serve as a good introduction to those wondering whether you might be into his writing.
My favorites from this book: One-Car Bridge, Pronghorns of the Third Reich, and Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti.
My favorites from this book: One-Car Bridge, Pronghorns of the Third Reich, and Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti.
May 2, 2016
This is a fascinating group of short stories and I enjoyed them all but but one of them was too gross for me. The last one made me cry.
August 25, 2014
Ten stories: three feature Joe Pickett, one is about Nate Romanowski; leaving six stories that are all over the map in both place and time but have a Wyoming connection. Box wrote an intimate intro explaining the muse or motivation for each one of the stories. "The Noble Savage" takes place in France and is dark. There's even a story about the Third Reich and Wyoming complete with the photo which inspired it. These stories rival Annie Proulx's Wyoming short stories.
April 21, 2022
this was a collection of short stories. Some were better than others and some bring in characters from the book. I enjoy the Joe Pickett story lines and these stayed true to them
August 9, 2020
There are a couple of treasures in this short story collection. I really liked the idea of an interesting picture...then write a story about it! Blood Knot was my favorite.
January 22, 2021
I really liked the construction of this book. It’s compiled with short stories from CJ Box that were included in newspapers, books, etc...over the years. I really enjoy anything he writes, so this was fun.
One-Car Bridge.
We all know what “really” happened on that bridge. Good news is, the Sandfords get to stay awhile while everything gets figured out, and Kyle Jr. gets to graduate from school in Sattlestring. The bad news, which is the grand scheme of things really isn’t bad, Lamar Dietrich is dead and there is nothing in his, Book of Rules, that dictate how to handle his passing.
Pirates Of Yellowstone.
Vladdy got his wish, the money. But at what expense. His friend, Eddie got killed and he committed robbery, extortion, and murder all for two-thousand dollars. Not quite the riches he was looking for but a better situation than he was in. Question, does he share his new found wealth with Cherry or no?
The End Of Jim & Ezra.
This is a classic tale of, cabin fever. Jim was so tired of Ezra that he left the comfort of a cabin to try and make it back to civilization only for him to get shot at by the Pawnee and return to Ezra eating his favorite horse, saying the same terms that drove him crazy prior to him leaving. I think we have all been there a time or two. We can relate to, Jim.
The Master Falconer.*
Alisha Whiteplume and her brother, Bad Bob, alive. That’s refreshing considering what happens to them. Both at the expense of Nate’s past in some capacity in later books. Really liked how Nate and Alisha’s romantic story was told. I didn’t know that Nate worked for Bud Longbrake before either.
Awesome short story. What Nate did to Khalid was classic Nate with the exception of tearing off ears or blowing someone in half. Giving Al-Nura chickens instead of Peregrine Falcons was incredibly funny. He has a rude awakening when he lands and finally opens the crate. Hope Shorty is okay though, he had a rough day to say the least.
Everyday Is A Good Day On The River.*
Fishing trip gone wrong. You never sleep with another mans wife. It has dire consequences. Duke seemed like a fun person, but that charisma screwed him in the end when it concerned one pissed off husband. I would have loved to gone fishing with him if he was a real guide in real life. I feel for Jack the most though. He legitimately wanted to go fishing and even caught a couple nice fish. He was having a good ol’ time before Tim got his revenge. But hey...everyday is a good day on the River.
Pronghorns Of The Third Reich.
Crazy series of events and even crazier ending to the story. What are the odds that Clint's grandfather, Benny, was indeed telling the truth about the antelopes, even if it did sound outrageous. Good news for Juan, he didn’t kill a deaf dog and he got away. Bad news for Clint is he probably died due to the conditions without proof at the time of the stolen land and as a poor ranch hand. Parker is the luckiest one of the all, but the worse one. He took advantage of Clint’s grandfather’s lack of education and made a fool out of him in the courtroom, then locked Clint out of the Engler’s house causing him to evidently die, just to find the picture that proved that both, Benny and Clint were telling the truth. Talk about a turn of events that were catastrophic to the person who originally faced a generational loss.
Dull Knife.
Jessica Lynn Antelope shared a lot of similarities to, Shenandoah Yellowcalf Moore in a previous CJ Box book, “Blood Trail.” Both were star athletes on the Res. that could have got them out, only to come back due to family problems that resulted in them falling on hard times. Both were cooks and “other things” for hunting guides. Both died way before their time. This story is so fitting to life on the res. Drugs, alcoholism, family struggle, how they are perceived from people that are not of Native American decent, and how some “people” of different ethnicity only contribute to the plague of misfortune upon young Native Americans with their false sense of ideological bias and the self-perception that they are the saving grace who say they are “helping” Natives but rather hurting them. Good story.
Le Sauvage Noble.
What started out as a dream of getting laid and getting paid, turned into a tragic affair. Lyle tried to warn Jimmy about French women, but Jimmy was too stubborn for his own good. He got to experience all the things Lyle said he would, but in the end it resulted in the death of four people: Sophie, Marcel, Lyle, and his unborn child. I guess his ex-girlfriend, Jasmine, was right. They don’t want Jimmy. Sophie used Jimmy to get back at her husband. Growing attached can be a horrible thing of the feeling are not mutual. Lyle tried to warn him.
Blood Knot.*
“It’s not about blood. It’s about the knot.”
The story was short and sweet. Loved the meaning of it. Mattie is one lucky girl with her found inheritance. Her parents. Not so much.
Shots Fired.
RIP Ander Esti. The last of his kind. I didn’t know about sheep wagons of people who actually lived in the middle of nowhere in them to watch over heard of sheep. Seemed kind of absurd, but it was a job and some people enjoyed the quiet I suppose. Bryce Pendergast got sprayed in the face with bear spray, shot in the knee, and shot in the butt. He doesn’t have very much luck. It’s unfortunate that Joe originally sprayed him instead of shooting him because then Bryce wouldn’t have shot Ander and this whole ordeal wouldn’t have occurred.
Good book. CJ Box hits it out of the park again. Highly recommended.
* - My top three stories.
One-Car Bridge.
We all know what “really” happened on that bridge. Good news is, the Sandfords get to stay awhile while everything gets figured out, and Kyle Jr. gets to graduate from school in Sattlestring. The bad news, which is the grand scheme of things really isn’t bad, Lamar Dietrich is dead and there is nothing in his, Book of Rules, that dictate how to handle his passing.
Pirates Of Yellowstone.
Vladdy got his wish, the money. But at what expense. His friend, Eddie got killed and he committed robbery, extortion, and murder all for two-thousand dollars. Not quite the riches he was looking for but a better situation than he was in. Question, does he share his new found wealth with Cherry or no?
The End Of Jim & Ezra.
This is a classic tale of, cabin fever. Jim was so tired of Ezra that he left the comfort of a cabin to try and make it back to civilization only for him to get shot at by the Pawnee and return to Ezra eating his favorite horse, saying the same terms that drove him crazy prior to him leaving. I think we have all been there a time or two. We can relate to, Jim.
The Master Falconer.*
Alisha Whiteplume and her brother, Bad Bob, alive. That’s refreshing considering what happens to them. Both at the expense of Nate’s past in some capacity in later books. Really liked how Nate and Alisha’s romantic story was told. I didn’t know that Nate worked for Bud Longbrake before either.
Awesome short story. What Nate did to Khalid was classic Nate with the exception of tearing off ears or blowing someone in half. Giving Al-Nura chickens instead of Peregrine Falcons was incredibly funny. He has a rude awakening when he lands and finally opens the crate. Hope Shorty is okay though, he had a rough day to say the least.
Everyday Is A Good Day On The River.*
Fishing trip gone wrong. You never sleep with another mans wife. It has dire consequences. Duke seemed like a fun person, but that charisma screwed him in the end when it concerned one pissed off husband. I would have loved to gone fishing with him if he was a real guide in real life. I feel for Jack the most though. He legitimately wanted to go fishing and even caught a couple nice fish. He was having a good ol’ time before Tim got his revenge. But hey...everyday is a good day on the River.
Pronghorns Of The Third Reich.
Crazy series of events and even crazier ending to the story. What are the odds that Clint's grandfather, Benny, was indeed telling the truth about the antelopes, even if it did sound outrageous. Good news for Juan, he didn’t kill a deaf dog and he got away. Bad news for Clint is he probably died due to the conditions without proof at the time of the stolen land and as a poor ranch hand. Parker is the luckiest one of the all, but the worse one. He took advantage of Clint’s grandfather’s lack of education and made a fool out of him in the courtroom, then locked Clint out of the Engler’s house causing him to evidently die, just to find the picture that proved that both, Benny and Clint were telling the truth. Talk about a turn of events that were catastrophic to the person who originally faced a generational loss.
Dull Knife.
Jessica Lynn Antelope shared a lot of similarities to, Shenandoah Yellowcalf Moore in a previous CJ Box book, “Blood Trail.” Both were star athletes on the Res. that could have got them out, only to come back due to family problems that resulted in them falling on hard times. Both were cooks and “other things” for hunting guides. Both died way before their time. This story is so fitting to life on the res. Drugs, alcoholism, family struggle, how they are perceived from people that are not of Native American decent, and how some “people” of different ethnicity only contribute to the plague of misfortune upon young Native Americans with their false sense of ideological bias and the self-perception that they are the saving grace who say they are “helping” Natives but rather hurting them. Good story.
Le Sauvage Noble.
What started out as a dream of getting laid and getting paid, turned into a tragic affair. Lyle tried to warn Jimmy about French women, but Jimmy was too stubborn for his own good. He got to experience all the things Lyle said he would, but in the end it resulted in the death of four people: Sophie, Marcel, Lyle, and his unborn child. I guess his ex-girlfriend, Jasmine, was right. They don’t want Jimmy. Sophie used Jimmy to get back at her husband. Growing attached can be a horrible thing of the feeling are not mutual. Lyle tried to warn him.
Blood Knot.*
“It’s not about blood. It’s about the knot.”
The story was short and sweet. Loved the meaning of it. Mattie is one lucky girl with her found inheritance. Her parents. Not so much.
Shots Fired.
RIP Ander Esti. The last of his kind. I didn’t know about sheep wagons of people who actually lived in the middle of nowhere in them to watch over heard of sheep. Seemed kind of absurd, but it was a job and some people enjoyed the quiet I suppose. Bryce Pendergast got sprayed in the face with bear spray, shot in the knee, and shot in the butt. He doesn’t have very much luck. It’s unfortunate that Joe originally sprayed him instead of shooting him because then Bryce wouldn’t have shot Ander and this whole ordeal wouldn’t have occurred.
Good book. CJ Box hits it out of the park again. Highly recommended.
* - My top three stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2025
CJ Box compiled some short stories into this book named Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country. I enjoyed each story and loved CJ's writing style as he told each story. He can transport you into the presence of each character and scene. Joe is not in all the stories but his essence is wandering through each story.
One Car Bridge
Pirates of Yellowstone
The End of Jim and Ezra
The Master Falconer
Everyday is a Good Day on the River
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
Dull Knife
Le Sauvage Noble
Blood Knot
Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti
One Car Bridge
Pirates of Yellowstone
The End of Jim and Ezra
The Master Falconer
Everyday is a Good Day on the River
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
Dull Knife
Le Sauvage Noble
Blood Knot
Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti
October 24, 2025
A very good collection of short stories, I gotta admit. Well written & structured, plus not too over-the-top violent. (I'd been a CJ Box fan when he was first published but quit reading his works after the violence in his books escalated drastically.)
March 1, 2022
Nice collection of short stories. Box continues to be a favorite of mine. Very enjoyable.
May 25, 2018
Solid stuff...I've done a number of short story compilations recently & have become a huge fan of this unique storytelling...recent authors include Lee Child & now C.J. Box...Great Stuff!!!'
June 19, 2025
Audiobook #14.5 Joe Pickett short stories. Not as good as novels.
September 30, 2025
A collection of Joe Pickett short stories. Always well done. Pickett is a Bureaucrat of Land Management guy who seems to always be in the right or wrong place depending on your perspective. This is a long running series with an interesting cast of supporting characters. Not very violent.
August 2, 2017
I did not find this "riveting". Some authors can write short stories, some can only do novels, some can do both. The "End of Jim and Ezra" was lame; the better ones involved characters from the Pickett novels. Box didn't have to flesh out these characters, if you knew them from the novels, but J and E never came alive for me. I anticipated the end, though not the exact details, but with short stories the end should have a twist to it.
October 20, 2016
Nice mix of stories. The intro really adds to the appreciation.
September 24, 2016
23 sep 16, finished this collection today. good stories. a couple i'd read before elsewhere...dull knife and another forget which title.
July 10, 2015
I subtracted one star for Le Sauvage Noble - not noble by a long shot.
August 25, 2025
Joe Pickett 14.5 Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country by C.J. Box
3.75 Stars officially
challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus: Yes
Shots Fired short story collection - 3 88 Stars
1) One-Car Bridge - 4 Stars
I enjoyed how this story was told, with the keys to the story already laid out...without he reader really knowing that the seeds had been planted.
2) Pirates of Yellowstone - 3 Stars
I remember when this story took place, and THIS part of it felt odd (even then), but now...it just seemed weirder. I do not know why.
3) The End of Jim and Ezra - 3.5 Stars
This is a brutal tale. Reminded me of the TV show Yellowjackets. It was also like a fever dream. Interesting.
4) The Master Falconer (reread) - 3.5 Stars
I have to say, I enjoyed it more...this time, but not much more. Not sure they won't come back, world view change, or not.
5) Every Day is a Good Day on the River - 4 Stars
Well, I didn't see that coming. Interesting tale. Hmm. What if that happened to you What would you do?
6) Pronghorns of the Third Reich - 3.5 Stars
This is such an odd story, that I would never have thought that there was any possibility of truth in it at all. Oh well.
7) Dull Knife (reread) - 3.5 Stars
I've upped my rating on this reread. Now, the story seemed to impact me a bit more...knowing it a little better. Sad story.
8) La Savage Noble (The Noble Savage) - 4.5 Stars
I was thoroughly invested in this story. It is a sad story. I don't agree with any side, but understood the sadness involved in the story. Oof
9) Blood Knot - 5 Stars
How can a story that is SO short, be SO impactful. I actually was brought to tears. Wow!
10) Shots Fired: A Requiem for Andre Esti - 4.25 Stars
Oh, the frustration of being officer of the law. To be in contact with people who are "less than" the people that they've murdered (for their own selfish reasons). This story has Joe Pickett as the protagonist, the first and only of this collection.
Ovearall, I'm not usually a fan of short stories, but because this is associated with a universe and a book series, it makes sense that the author has stories that don't actually fit in, but are still good stories. I'm glad that he didn't let the "good idea" go to waste.
3.75 Stars officially
challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus: Yes
Shots Fired short story collection - 3 88 Stars
1) One-Car Bridge - 4 Stars
I enjoyed how this story was told, with the keys to the story already laid out...without he reader really knowing that the seeds had been planted.
2) Pirates of Yellowstone - 3 Stars
I remember when this story took place, and THIS part of it felt odd (even then), but now...it just seemed weirder. I do not know why.
3) The End of Jim and Ezra - 3.5 Stars
This is a brutal tale. Reminded me of the TV show Yellowjackets. It was also like a fever dream. Interesting.
4) The Master Falconer (reread) - 3.5 Stars
I have to say, I enjoyed it more...this time, but not much more. Not sure they won't come back, world view change, or not.
5) Every Day is a Good Day on the River - 4 Stars
Well, I didn't see that coming. Interesting tale. Hmm. What if that happened to you What would you do?
6) Pronghorns of the Third Reich - 3.5 Stars
This is such an odd story, that I would never have thought that there was any possibility of truth in it at all. Oh well.
7) Dull Knife (reread) - 3.5 Stars
I've upped my rating on this reread. Now, the story seemed to impact me a bit more...knowing it a little better. Sad story.
8) La Savage Noble (The Noble Savage) - 4.5 Stars
I was thoroughly invested in this story. It is a sad story. I don't agree with any side, but understood the sadness involved in the story. Oof
9) Blood Knot - 5 Stars
How can a story that is SO short, be SO impactful. I actually was brought to tears. Wow!
10) Shots Fired: A Requiem for Andre Esti - 4.25 Stars
Oh, the frustration of being officer of the law. To be in contact with people who are "less than" the people that they've murdered (for their own selfish reasons). This story has Joe Pickett as the protagonist, the first and only of this collection.
Ovearall, I'm not usually a fan of short stories, but because this is associated with a universe and a book series, it makes sense that the author has stories that don't actually fit in, but are still good stories. I'm glad that he didn't let the "good idea" go to waste.
July 13, 2014
When I was a kid growing up in Northeast Dallas my parents always took us camping on the winter breaks as well as during the summers. Not only did we do a bunch of parks and sites here in Texas we spent weeks at a time up in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. My dad was an avid hiker and he and I frequented many a trail. Little did I know then that, as fate would have it, once I moved out at age twenty I would never make it back to the mountains I had loved since a child. Author C. J. Box is one of a handful of writers who really bring the beauty of the wilderness alive for this reader. His latest book titled Shots Fired: Stories From Joe Pickett Country does it again in spectacular fashion.
The short stories in this anthology are ones that have appeared in various anthologies as well as three brand new ones exclusive to this book. Four of the tales feature Game Warden Joe Pickett and /or Nate Romanowski. One story is set overseas in Paris by way of South Dakota and is a very dark tale. There is one based on a snippet of history from before WW2 and the magnificent Hindenburg. The ten tales presented are all good ones and readers get to them after a short introduction that explains the background of each work.
The book opens with a Joe Pickett story titled “One-Car Bridge.” Joe has to deliver some bad news to the manager of the Crazy Z Bar Ranch one Saturday in September. The absentee ranch owner, a very wealthy man by the name of Lamar Dietrich, is known for his harsh ways and absolute refusal to accept anything less than total success by all of his employees. He won't be happy that the Game and Fish Commission has formally denied his plan to convert around two thousand of his sprawling ranch into an exotic game hunting operation. Mad does not begin to cover what Joe and others expect his reaction to be and the ranch manager and his family are in for it.
In the “Pirates Of Yellowstone” Eddie and Vladdy have come a long way from their home in Prague to work in the park. They were assured by Yellowstone Park representatives in Prague that they had jobs to work for the official park concessionaire. Unfortunately, now that they are here and very ready to work, their jobs do not exist. The best the HR representative here can do is put them on a waiting list. They have to make some money---one way or another.
From modern day readers journey back in time to September 1835 where the winter snows have come early and heavy to the mountains known as the Wind River Range in “The End Of Jim and Ezra.” Pushed hard by newcomers and a lack of beavers in their normal trapping grounds, Jim had made the decision to go far higher into the mountains than normal. Higher than any white trappers had ever gone before and it worked. It had worked so well Jim hadn’t wanted to leave. Now the snows have come and they can't get their beavers or themselves out. Hopefully the weather will break before they do.
Nate Romanowski is the main focus of “The Master Falconer” though Joe Pickett does make a brief appearance. Visitors from overseas have landed in Saddlestring, Wyoming, and they plan on conducting some business with Nate. Not that he has any interest in ever dealing with them again even before they use what he cares most about against him.
“Every Day Is A Good Day On The River” is the title of the next story as well as statement of life for many folks. In the tale, Randall “Call Me Duke” Connor has two clients in the flat-bottomed Mckenszie boat drifting down the river. Jack and Tim are supposed to be on the North Platte River for a day of relaxation and fishing. Jack is a bit nervous never having done this before, but Tim seems very quiet and in a mood. Jack would be quite a bit more nervous if he had any idea what is coming at them.
Based on a picture from 1936 and some very interesting history “The Pronghorns Of The Third Reich” comes next. A debt from before WWII has come due and Clint means to collect it no matter what..
Joe Pickett is back in the nxt tale titled “Dull Knife.” Checking the license status of a group of ice fisherman on the surface of Dull Knife Reservoir in the Big Horn Mountains should be a fairly routine event. Even with all the noise the ice is making at twenty-two degrees below zero. Pickett's license check once he gets across the noisy ice leads to far more interesting things.
“Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage) comes next where those in Paris can't get enough of the idea of American Indian's and Cowboys. So on the advice of his buddy Lyle, Jimmy Two Bulls packs his recently purchased and allegedly authentic Indian garb and leaves South Dakota behind for Disneyland Paris and the Wild West Show. According to Lyle, if he plays the Indian role correctly good times will be had with the way too sophisticated women of Paris.
“Blood Knot” comes next and this very short story is all about family legacy and appreciation. Intense and over quickly it can't really be described more without ruining the read.
The final story is “Shorts Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti.” Like the previous story, legacy and tradition are key components of this tale. It is late September and Joe Pickett is sent to investigate the shooting of a vehicle driven by Burton Hanks. He reported being shot at and claims to know the identify the shooter. Burton expects Pickett to dispense immediate justice by arresting Ander quickly and hauling him to jail, but Pickett sticks to his usual method of trying to figure out all the facts first.
This collection of short stories is a good one and there is not a bad one in the bunch. Split fairly evenly between the Pickett stories and others that feature interesting characters and often difficult situations, Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country provides a lot of good reading. For those new to the Joe Pickett series of very good books, this read explains why so many are fans including this reviewer.
Shots Fired: Stories From Joe Pickett Country
C. J. Box
http://cjbox.net
G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguingroup.com
August 5, 2014
ISBN# 978-0-399-15858-2
Hardback
288 Pages
$26.95
This reviewer was selected to receive an ARC of the book by LibraryThing in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
Blog at http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
The short stories in this anthology are ones that have appeared in various anthologies as well as three brand new ones exclusive to this book. Four of the tales feature Game Warden Joe Pickett and /or Nate Romanowski. One story is set overseas in Paris by way of South Dakota and is a very dark tale. There is one based on a snippet of history from before WW2 and the magnificent Hindenburg. The ten tales presented are all good ones and readers get to them after a short introduction that explains the background of each work.
The book opens with a Joe Pickett story titled “One-Car Bridge.” Joe has to deliver some bad news to the manager of the Crazy Z Bar Ranch one Saturday in September. The absentee ranch owner, a very wealthy man by the name of Lamar Dietrich, is known for his harsh ways and absolute refusal to accept anything less than total success by all of his employees. He won't be happy that the Game and Fish Commission has formally denied his plan to convert around two thousand of his sprawling ranch into an exotic game hunting operation. Mad does not begin to cover what Joe and others expect his reaction to be and the ranch manager and his family are in for it.
In the “Pirates Of Yellowstone” Eddie and Vladdy have come a long way from their home in Prague to work in the park. They were assured by Yellowstone Park representatives in Prague that they had jobs to work for the official park concessionaire. Unfortunately, now that they are here and very ready to work, their jobs do not exist. The best the HR representative here can do is put them on a waiting list. They have to make some money---one way or another.
From modern day readers journey back in time to September 1835 where the winter snows have come early and heavy to the mountains known as the Wind River Range in “The End Of Jim and Ezra.” Pushed hard by newcomers and a lack of beavers in their normal trapping grounds, Jim had made the decision to go far higher into the mountains than normal. Higher than any white trappers had ever gone before and it worked. It had worked so well Jim hadn’t wanted to leave. Now the snows have come and they can't get their beavers or themselves out. Hopefully the weather will break before they do.
Nate Romanowski is the main focus of “The Master Falconer” though Joe Pickett does make a brief appearance. Visitors from overseas have landed in Saddlestring, Wyoming, and they plan on conducting some business with Nate. Not that he has any interest in ever dealing with them again even before they use what he cares most about against him.
“Every Day Is A Good Day On The River” is the title of the next story as well as statement of life for many folks. In the tale, Randall “Call Me Duke” Connor has two clients in the flat-bottomed Mckenszie boat drifting down the river. Jack and Tim are supposed to be on the North Platte River for a day of relaxation and fishing. Jack is a bit nervous never having done this before, but Tim seems very quiet and in a mood. Jack would be quite a bit more nervous if he had any idea what is coming at them.
Based on a picture from 1936 and some very interesting history “The Pronghorns Of The Third Reich” comes next. A debt from before WWII has come due and Clint means to collect it no matter what..
Joe Pickett is back in the nxt tale titled “Dull Knife.” Checking the license status of a group of ice fisherman on the surface of Dull Knife Reservoir in the Big Horn Mountains should be a fairly routine event. Even with all the noise the ice is making at twenty-two degrees below zero. Pickett's license check once he gets across the noisy ice leads to far more interesting things.
“Le Sauvage Noble (The Noble Savage) comes next where those in Paris can't get enough of the idea of American Indian's and Cowboys. So on the advice of his buddy Lyle, Jimmy Two Bulls packs his recently purchased and allegedly authentic Indian garb and leaves South Dakota behind for Disneyland Paris and the Wild West Show. According to Lyle, if he plays the Indian role correctly good times will be had with the way too sophisticated women of Paris.
“Blood Knot” comes next and this very short story is all about family legacy and appreciation. Intense and over quickly it can't really be described more without ruining the read.
The final story is “Shorts Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti.” Like the previous story, legacy and tradition are key components of this tale. It is late September and Joe Pickett is sent to investigate the shooting of a vehicle driven by Burton Hanks. He reported being shot at and claims to know the identify the shooter. Burton expects Pickett to dispense immediate justice by arresting Ander quickly and hauling him to jail, but Pickett sticks to his usual method of trying to figure out all the facts first.
This collection of short stories is a good one and there is not a bad one in the bunch. Split fairly evenly between the Pickett stories and others that feature interesting characters and often difficult situations, Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country provides a lot of good reading. For those new to the Joe Pickett series of very good books, this read explains why so many are fans including this reviewer.
Shots Fired: Stories From Joe Pickett Country
C. J. Box
http://cjbox.net
G. P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group USA)
http://www.penguingroup.com
August 5, 2014
ISBN# 978-0-399-15858-2
Hardback
288 Pages
$26.95
This reviewer was selected to receive an ARC of the book by LibraryThing in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
Blog at http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
February 28, 2018
An outstanding collection of 10 short stories/novellas. Joe Pickett appears in 4. Most takes place in the current day West - although one is set in Paris and one takes place in the mid-1800s. 3 are new to this collection and I have previously reviewed 3 novellas that appeared as eBooks.
One-car Bridge - Joe Pickett gets involved in a situation between a ranch manager and an absentee owner / Pirates of Yellowstone - 2 hapless Czech seasonal workers are stranded in Yellowstone when their jobs disappear / End of Jim and Ezra - 2 trappers are snowed in for a mid-1800s winter / Master Falconer - a Joe Pickett universe tale featuring Nate Romanowski. Previously reviewed as an eBook / Every Day is a Good Day on the River - though sometimes jealousy and revenge intervene / Pronghorns of the Third Reich - Previously reviewed as an eBook / Dull knife - Joe Pickett novella previously reviewed as an eBook / Le sauvage noble (The noble savage) - Modern Indians work in a Wild West Show in Disneyland Paris / Blood knot - a very short poignant tale of the relationship between a grandfather and his 14 year old granddaughter / Shots fired : a requiem for Ander Esti - Joe Pickett investigates the death of a sheepherder.
One-car Bridge - Joe Pickett gets involved in a situation between a ranch manager and an absentee owner / Pirates of Yellowstone - 2 hapless Czech seasonal workers are stranded in Yellowstone when their jobs disappear / End of Jim and Ezra - 2 trappers are snowed in for a mid-1800s winter / Master Falconer - a Joe Pickett universe tale featuring Nate Romanowski. Previously reviewed as an eBook / Every Day is a Good Day on the River - though sometimes jealousy and revenge intervene / Pronghorns of the Third Reich - Previously reviewed as an eBook / Dull knife - Joe Pickett novella previously reviewed as an eBook / Le sauvage noble (The noble savage) - Modern Indians work in a Wild West Show in Disneyland Paris / Blood knot - a very short poignant tale of the relationship between a grandfather and his 14 year old granddaughter / Shots fired : a requiem for Ander Esti - Joe Pickett investigates the death of a sheepherder.
March 15, 2019
Author C.J. Box is consistently great, no matter the length of the stories
This is a collection of ten short stories that I somehow missed when it first came out. I'm very glad that I remedied that oversight.
I love author Box's storytelling and he shines in this collection. I've read all but one of his books THREE WEEKS TO SAY GOODBYE and plan on reading it next. I especially like his Joe Pickett character, Wyoming game warden, and Nate Romanowski, master falconer, and four of the stories in this collection are centered around one or the other of them. And the other stories are five star reads also.
I especially liked the short short story called BLOOD KNOT. It brought back memories of fishing with my Grandpa, even though we didn't fly fish.
I highly recommend this collection to seasoned Box fans and it would be a good taste of his writing style if you're just discovering him.
This is a collection of ten short stories that I somehow missed when it first came out. I'm very glad that I remedied that oversight.
I love author Box's storytelling and he shines in this collection. I've read all but one of his books THREE WEEKS TO SAY GOODBYE and plan on reading it next. I especially like his Joe Pickett character, Wyoming game warden, and Nate Romanowski, master falconer, and four of the stories in this collection are centered around one or the other of them. And the other stories are five star reads also.
I especially liked the short short story called BLOOD KNOT. It brought back memories of fishing with my Grandpa, even though we didn't fly fish.
I highly recommend this collection to seasoned Box fans and it would be a good taste of his writing style if you're just discovering him.
December 6, 2022
Book #25 - Shots Fired by C.J. Box. I am a big fan of his series about Wyoming Game Warden
Joe Pickett. This book is a collection of short stories by Box. Four of them relate to Pickett or his best friend, Nate Romanowski.
I really liked all ten of the stories - as with his Pickett novels each had fleshed out characters and good plot twists. It was also good to read traditionally structured stories after the untraditional ones in the recent books by Lisa Lutz and Tommy Orange. I give this a 8.
Joe Pickett. This book is a collection of short stories by Box. Four of them relate to Pickett or his best friend, Nate Romanowski.
I really liked all ten of the stories - as with his Pickett novels each had fleshed out characters and good plot twists. It was also good to read traditionally structured stories after the untraditional ones in the recent books by Lisa Lutz and Tommy Orange. I give this a 8.
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