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Joe Pickett #21
Dark Sky
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett must guide a Silicon Valley CEO on a hunting trip. Novel by C.J. Box
356 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2021
2276 people are currently reading
5868 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
111 books7,231 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 1,906 reviews
June 19, 2021
Won't Marybeth be surprise?
Me ➜ dancing like a crazy woman 💃🤪
How am I supposed to wait another year until the next book?! Boy, this was gooood!
In Dark Sky, Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett was tasked by the Governor to guide San Francisco big tech (Twitter-like) billionaire on an Elk hunt. Little did they know, they were being hunted.
This was timely in terms of social media responsibility and content censorship. And as always with Pickett novels; nature, guns, and wildlife. Nate has his side story of illegal smuggling, inspired by a true story. The "guest star" Steve-2, big tech CEO grew on me. Box is superb with giving this guy such character who is smart and successful in his world is so out of place in the Bighorn Mountains.
Me ➜ dancing like a crazy woman 💃🤪
How am I supposed to wait another year until the next book?! Boy, this was gooood!
In Dark Sky, Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett was tasked by the Governor to guide San Francisco big tech (Twitter-like) billionaire on an Elk hunt. Little did they know, they were being hunted.
This was timely in terms of social media responsibility and content censorship. And as always with Pickett novels; nature, guns, and wildlife. Nate has his side story of illegal smuggling, inspired by a true story. The "guest star" Steve-2, big tech CEO grew on me. Box is superb with giving this guy such character who is smart and successful in his world is so out of place in the Bighorn Mountains.
February 22, 2021
Dark Sky is book 21 in the Joe Pickett series and this is definitely one of my favourite series. Every time I read a Joe Pickett book it feels like visiting old friends that you haven’t seen in a long time. It’s the well developed characters that is the foundation of this series.
Dark Sky has two parallel stories, one relates to Joe and one to Nate. Without any spoilers but it’s fun to see the old fashioned Joe encounter the world of social media.
C.J Box is one of the best authors out there and his description of the wilderness is brilliant. The book is fast paced, filled with action and impossible to put down. It’s always difficult to rank a book but this is one of the best in the series. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Highly recommend this book.
Thank you Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Publishing Group) and the author for the opportunity to enjoy this book and share my honest opinion.
Dark Sky has two parallel stories, one relates to Joe and one to Nate. Without any spoilers but it’s fun to see the old fashioned Joe encounter the world of social media.
C.J Box is one of the best authors out there and his description of the wilderness is brilliant. The book is fast paced, filled with action and impossible to put down. It’s always difficult to rank a book but this is one of the best in the series. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Highly recommend this book.
Thank you Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Publishing Group) and the author for the opportunity to enjoy this book and share my honest opinion.
March 14, 2021
Wonderful book, wonderful series. Every book in the Joe Pickett series is consistently great reading based for the most part in the Wyoming mountains.
Joe is ordered by the governor to take a social media magnate on an elk hunt. But just like Zuckerberg, he is hated by a lot of people. Let's just say the hunt doesn't go well
Joe is ordered by the governor to take a social media magnate on an elk hunt. But just like Zuckerberg, he is hated by a lot of people. Let's just say the hunt doesn't go well
March 11, 2021
I normally really like this series, but this one left me unimpressed and somewhat annoyed. I've always felt that the author did a great job of keeping an open mind as far as politics in the story goes, but the sociopathic "antifa" poacher nonsense was absolutely ridiculous. Come up with an actual believable villain next time.
February 27, 2024
In Dark Sky Joe Pickett and his hunting party find themselves running for their lives from some horrific bad guys. In addition, Nate is focused on settling a long overdue score... with extreme prejudice.
Can't wait to find out what the masterful C.J. Box has planned next for Joe and the gang in book 22.
Narrator David Chandler delivers yet another phenomenal ride through the rough terrains of the hard weathered and multidimensional lives of these tremendous characters.
Can't wait to find out what the masterful C.J. Box has planned next for Joe and the gang in book 22.
Narrator David Chandler delivers yet another phenomenal ride through the rough terrains of the hard weathered and multidimensional lives of these tremendous characters.
August 29, 2021
5 Stars for Dark Sky: Joe Picket Series, Book 21 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by David Chandler.
Wow, I think this is the best one in the series. The Wyoming game warden takes Silicon Valley CEO Elk hunting. Two completely different worlds collide. Multiple storylines makes this a really fast read, with lots of action.
Wow, I think this is the best one in the series. The Wyoming game warden takes Silicon Valley CEO Elk hunting. Two completely different worlds collide. Multiple storylines makes this a really fast read, with lots of action.
March 25, 2021
I love me some Joe Pickett. This story is fast paced with plenty of action and great descriptions of the outdoor setting. Beyond the main characters the "supporting cast" are one dimensional stereotypes and uninteresting. The misrepresentations of "antifa" covid and social media seemed like political views of the author and detract from the story. It really felt like Box just phoned it in. I finished reading it but I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
March 3, 2021
C.J. Box, I firmly believe, is not capable of writing a bad novel. But in the last few years I've begun to suspect that he's all too capable of writing an uninspired above-average novel, and DARK SKY, while above average in almost all respects compared to other entires in the Joe Pickett series and to other authors in his genre treading similar trails, does nothing to dispel this slowly dawning suspicion.
DARK SKY is a novel that feels ... tired. And not just because Box seems to have gone once too often one of his favorite plot tropes: pairing Joe Pickett with a doofus or a dilettante in the Wyoming mountain wilderness, isolated, under-equipped and on the run from killers. This time, Joe is the unwitting, unwilling companion of Steve "Steve-2" Price, a Silicon Valley social-media mogul who comes across as something of a cross between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Joe is assigned to be Price's wilderness guide when hunting and cutting his own meat because Steve-2's latest obsession with authenticity. Little do they know that Price is being targeted by a trio of men bent on revenge because a family member of theirs was shamed into suicide by Price's Facebook-like social-media app, ConFab.
Price isn't uninteresting, and neither are the killers, or some other characters who turn out to hidden agendas where Steve-2 is concerned. But if you've read all the Pickett books — this is his twenty-first outing — you've read this story a few times before. And beyond that, Joe doesn't really have any interesting thoughts or observations about the world Steve-2 represents, and because Steve-2 is quite a loquacious fellow, Joe all but disappears under the weight of his guest star. There's some hammy sermonizing, pro and con, about the goods and the evils of social media, but nothing that passes for piercing insight beyond the drunk-at-the-end-of-the-bar level. Even Joe's signature line — "Things are about to get real Western here"— feels like it's being delivered as an obligation, like a band that has to play its biggest hit before its fans will allow it to leave the stage.
It makes me wonder if Joe is all done growing as a character, because he doesn't grow an inch in DARK SKY.
Really, none of Box's stock company registers to much effect here. Nate Romanowski does his Nate thing, tearing off ears and being tortured by his dark past, yadda yadda. Marybeth Pickett provides alarm and assistance in equal measure. We briefly meet Twelve Sleep County's new prosecuting attorney and sheriff. Daughters Lucy and April are AWOL. Same with Joe's evil mother-in-law, usually the most interesting character in a Pickett novel.
Far from AWOL is Sheridan Pickett. Joe's eldest daughter seems to be a full-fledged adult here, living on her own, finding her own code, happily apprenticed to Nate as a falconer in training. In fact, she's grown so much that she seems to be straining at the boundaries Box has put on her, still treated to some degree like the little girl who still needs protecting by men from men, and one gets the feeling that she's outgrown that role and then some. Her father seems to be grappling with that a bit himself during a moment of mortal, climactic danger: "The rider was Sheridan, her hat flying off her head and her hair streaming behind her as she rode. To Joe, she looked like a younger, faster, female version of John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn in TRUE GRIT."
The ending of DARK SKY has me wondering if maybe, just maybe, Joe Pickett's ready to hang up his game warden's badge. And if Box is ready to hang up Joe Pickett as a lead character, and maybe, just maybe, hand over the reins to Sheridan Pickett. If so, I hope so. Her voice, her youth, her gender — in manly-man, Republican country, no less — feels ready to step in and take over, and for many reasons, the time feels right. If nothing else, Joe Pickett has earned his emeritus-hero status.
DARK SKY is a novel that feels ... tired. And not just because Box seems to have gone once too often one of his favorite plot tropes: pairing Joe Pickett with a doofus or a dilettante in the Wyoming mountain wilderness, isolated, under-equipped and on the run from killers. This time, Joe is the unwitting, unwilling companion of Steve "Steve-2" Price, a Silicon Valley social-media mogul who comes across as something of a cross between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Joe is assigned to be Price's wilderness guide when hunting and cutting his own meat because Steve-2's latest obsession with authenticity. Little do they know that Price is being targeted by a trio of men bent on revenge because a family member of theirs was shamed into suicide by Price's Facebook-like social-media app, ConFab.
Price isn't uninteresting, and neither are the killers, or some other characters who turn out to hidden agendas where Steve-2 is concerned. But if you've read all the Pickett books — this is his twenty-first outing — you've read this story a few times before. And beyond that, Joe doesn't really have any interesting thoughts or observations about the world Steve-2 represents, and because Steve-2 is quite a loquacious fellow, Joe all but disappears under the weight of his guest star. There's some hammy sermonizing, pro and con, about the goods and the evils of social media, but nothing that passes for piercing insight beyond the drunk-at-the-end-of-the-bar level. Even Joe's signature line — "Things are about to get real Western here"— feels like it's being delivered as an obligation, like a band that has to play its biggest hit before its fans will allow it to leave the stage.
It makes me wonder if Joe is all done growing as a character, because he doesn't grow an inch in DARK SKY.
Really, none of Box's stock company registers to much effect here. Nate Romanowski does his Nate thing, tearing off ears and being tortured by his dark past, yadda yadda. Marybeth Pickett provides alarm and assistance in equal measure. We briefly meet Twelve Sleep County's new prosecuting attorney and sheriff. Daughters Lucy and April are AWOL. Same with Joe's evil mother-in-law, usually the most interesting character in a Pickett novel.
Far from AWOL is Sheridan Pickett. Joe's eldest daughter seems to be a full-fledged adult here, living on her own, finding her own code, happily apprenticed to Nate as a falconer in training. In fact, she's grown so much that she seems to be straining at the boundaries Box has put on her, still treated to some degree like the little girl who still needs protecting by men from men, and one gets the feeling that she's outgrown that role and then some. Her father seems to be grappling with that a bit himself during a moment of mortal, climactic danger: "The rider was Sheridan, her hat flying off her head and her hair streaming behind her as she rode. To Joe, she looked like a younger, faster, female version of John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn in TRUE GRIT."
The ending of DARK SKY has me wondering if maybe, just maybe, Joe Pickett's ready to hang up his game warden's badge. And if Box is ready to hang up Joe Pickett as a lead character, and maybe, just maybe, hand over the reins to Sheridan Pickett. If so, I hope so. Her voice, her youth, her gender — in manly-man, Republican country, no less — feels ready to step in and take over, and for many reasons, the time feels right. If nothing else, Joe Pickett has earned his emeritus-hero status.
December 18, 2020
This is the 21st book featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and I don't think I've missed a single one. This one, happily, came as a pre-release copy through NetGalley, thank you very much - and even though I diligently go through my stack of to-be-reviewed books in order of publication date, it took me all of 30 seconds to move this one to the top of the list. And I think it's one of the best in the series.
In large part, that's because it's more of a plain old, relatively uncomplicated story that's fast-paced and easy to follow. There are two parallel plots, the first of which puts Joe in charge (albeit reluctantly) of an elk posse for the edification of a spoiled Steve Jobs wannabe who wants to get in touch with his back-to-nature feelings. Knowing he could lose his job if he passes on the assignment (and that the same is true if something goes awry), Joe grabs his winter gear, takes a deep breath and sets off.
No surprise: Something goes awry. This time, it's a guy who has an axe to grind against the tech CEO and who will do anything to take him out of commission permanently. That, in turn, ends up with Joe and the CEO with no weapons, no communication devices and fighting to stay alive in the mountain wilds with snow - and a potential killer - at just about every turn.
Meanwhile, Joe's former special forces friend, Nate Romanowski, has troubles of his own. Joe's daughter Sheridan, who's in training with Nate to learn the art of falconry, discovers empty nests that indicate there's a raptor thief at work. Incensed, Nate sets out to find the culprit and - just like the guy and the tech CEO - do anything to take him out of commission permanently.
Another no surprise: The two plots do come together - but not before both keep readers on the edge of their seats. And the end, while satisfying, isn't complete; there's at least one wrong still to be righted, which presumably will happen in the next installment. As always, I look forward to reading it!
In large part, that's because it's more of a plain old, relatively uncomplicated story that's fast-paced and easy to follow. There are two parallel plots, the first of which puts Joe in charge (albeit reluctantly) of an elk posse for the edification of a spoiled Steve Jobs wannabe who wants to get in touch with his back-to-nature feelings. Knowing he could lose his job if he passes on the assignment (and that the same is true if something goes awry), Joe grabs his winter gear, takes a deep breath and sets off.
No surprise: Something goes awry. This time, it's a guy who has an axe to grind against the tech CEO and who will do anything to take him out of commission permanently. That, in turn, ends up with Joe and the CEO with no weapons, no communication devices and fighting to stay alive in the mountain wilds with snow - and a potential killer - at just about every turn.
Meanwhile, Joe's former special forces friend, Nate Romanowski, has troubles of his own. Joe's daughter Sheridan, who's in training with Nate to learn the art of falconry, discovers empty nests that indicate there's a raptor thief at work. Incensed, Nate sets out to find the culprit and - just like the guy and the tech CEO - do anything to take him out of commission permanently.
Another no surprise: The two plots do come together - but not before both keep readers on the edge of their seats. And the end, while satisfying, isn't complete; there's at least one wrong still to be righted, which presumably will happen in the next installment. As always, I look forward to reading it!
August 31, 2022
Sometimes I struggle between giving 3 or 4 stars and occasionally I hesitate between ratings of 4 & 5-stars. Book #21 in the series is an easy 5-star rating for me.
🐎
Fast paced story and interesting backstories, same great characters fans have grown to enjoy and the ending leaves you wanting more. I finished in two sittings despite intentionally slowing down.
🏔
In hindsight I’m glad to have started the series several years after it began because it allows for some prime time binge reading 🤓
🐎
Fast paced story and interesting backstories, same great characters fans have grown to enjoy and the ending leaves you wanting more. I finished in two sittings despite intentionally slowing down.
🏔
In hindsight I’m glad to have started the series several years after it began because it allows for some prime time binge reading 🤓
August 21, 2023
I love all these Joe Pickett stories. And since I've been watching the series on TV, I feel that I know the family and all the characters even better and I enjoy them all, especially Joe's family. All the stories are about Joe as the game warden and everything he gets into, not just with animals but with people also. I have a great love for all animals and so I love reading about this. This story is about Joe being asked by the governor of his state to take some tech genuises from CA on a elk shoot and many things happen on this outing and Joe and one of the men barely come out alive, the rest of them don't make it. This is a very quick read and very interesting. Definitely recommend.
December 26, 2021
Okay, so let me start off by saying that I am a big fan of this series, and after an annoying period where Joe's family was always being endangered, to a ridiculous degree, it's been pretty enjoyable. This is a solid entry in terms of the story and the characters, and I liked it. Mostly.
That said...I have a real bone to pick with Mr Box about making a poacher, psychotic murderer & animal abuser someone who uses his ill-gotten gains to "finance growing antifa movements in Denver, Portland, and Seattle" and the guy's stupid sidekick as someone "who was arrested for assault at an antifa rally in Denver". Come on, man. I knocked a star off for perpetuating these idiot Qultist lies about people who are against fascism (which hello, we all should be) being paid and funded by evil elites.
That said...I have a real bone to pick with Mr Box about making a poacher, psychotic murderer & animal abuser someone who uses his ill-gotten gains to "finance growing antifa movements in Denver, Portland, and Seattle" and the guy's stupid sidekick as someone "who was arrested for assault at an antifa rally in Denver". Come on, man. I knocked a star off for perpetuating these idiot Qultist lies about people who are against fascism (which hello, we all should be) being paid and funded by evil elites.
March 22, 2025
A California mogul has announced his intention to build a new green energy venture somewhere in the US. The governor tasks Game Warden Joe Pickett as the man's elk hunting guide, to woo him into choosing Wyoming. Why pick the most taciturn man in the state for this job? Why not, says CJ Box! Vengeful men are on the hunting party's trail, looking to kill the industrialist.
I never got into this one; the whole premise was silly and dull. The only part I liked was when Nate and Sheridan finally go after Joe (of course).
Next up will be #22, Shadows Reel.
I never got into this one; the whole premise was silly and dull. The only part I liked was when Nate and Sheridan finally go after Joe (of course).
Next up will be #22, Shadows Reel.
January 28, 2021
I'm almost ashamed to admit that this is the first C. J. Box novel I've read. I've heard of him, of course, and friends have recommended him to me but having grown up in Wyoming where the novels are set I was afraid I'd be too busy nitpicking the setting descriptions to enjoy the stories. I'm happy to have found that's not the case. Box is spot-on with his setting descriptions with the single exception of not having the wind constantly whipping around as is the case in most parts of the State. Once I got over my preconceived ideas of what the novel would be like, I got into the story and characters and thoroughly enjoyed this book. So much so, that I purchased BACK OF BEYOND so I can start reading that series from the beginning.
In this twenty-first outing in the Joe Pickett series, Joe finds himself coerced by the Governor into leading an elk hunting expedition for a Silicon Valley tech mogul who wants the experience of securing his own food. Joe's secondary mission is to convince the billionaire to build a server farm in Wyoming. The mogul, nicknamed Steve-2--because Steve Jobs will always be the first tech Steve--and his entourage arrive amid piles of high-tech equipment so Steve-2 can document his experience on his social media platform ConFab. Little do they know that the hunters will quickly become the hunted. It's up to Joe with his back-country knowledge to outwit the men seeking revenge against Steve-2.
I'm so glad I put my misgivings aside and finally read a C. J. Box novel. He not only nails the wildness of Wyoming, but the type of person drawn to live there. Joe Pickett could be any number of men I grew up with--including my own father. Box writes from the heart and this story is so compelling I read it in just a couple of sittings. Even though this is twenty-first novel in the series, Box gives enough background to make the reader familiar with the characters without giving away too much of the plots of previous books. I'm looking forward to my next Box novel--even if it does make me a little homesick.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. It will be published on March 2, 2021.
In this twenty-first outing in the Joe Pickett series, Joe finds himself coerced by the Governor into leading an elk hunting expedition for a Silicon Valley tech mogul who wants the experience of securing his own food. Joe's secondary mission is to convince the billionaire to build a server farm in Wyoming. The mogul, nicknamed Steve-2--because Steve Jobs will always be the first tech Steve--and his entourage arrive amid piles of high-tech equipment so Steve-2 can document his experience on his social media platform ConFab. Little do they know that the hunters will quickly become the hunted. It's up to Joe with his back-country knowledge to outwit the men seeking revenge against Steve-2.
I'm so glad I put my misgivings aside and finally read a C. J. Box novel. He not only nails the wildness of Wyoming, but the type of person drawn to live there. Joe Pickett could be any number of men I grew up with--including my own father. Box writes from the heart and this story is so compelling I read it in just a couple of sittings. Even though this is twenty-first novel in the series, Box gives enough background to make the reader familiar with the characters without giving away too much of the plots of previous books. I'm looking forward to my next Box novel--even if it does make me a little homesick.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. It will be published on March 2, 2021.
December 31, 2020
They say that "all politics is local", but can the same be said about murder and revenge? In DARK SKY we are forced to ask ourselves very simple questions. How would I respond? What would I do?
When a social media mogul and his entourage come to his valley for an elk hunt, Joe Pickett is tapped to guide the group. Faced with political pressure from the highest levels in the state and countless colleagues depending on him for their livelihoods, Joe is thrust into the uneasy position of deciding whether frontier justice reigns supreme in Wyoming or not. All the while his friend Nate Romanowski pursues his own form of retribution against a Falconer who has broken the unwritten rules of their profession.
C.J. Box does an exquisite job of crafting two concurrent storylines that had me openly rooting for opposing philosophical stances based on which character was doling out justice. Only a true master of his craft can achieve that.
DARK SKY is a wild ride of survival and self reflection that forces its readers to determine who has the moral high ground when the modern world meets the traditions of our past.
This is a must read in 2021!
When a social media mogul and his entourage come to his valley for an elk hunt, Joe Pickett is tapped to guide the group. Faced with political pressure from the highest levels in the state and countless colleagues depending on him for their livelihoods, Joe is thrust into the uneasy position of deciding whether frontier justice reigns supreme in Wyoming or not. All the while his friend Nate Romanowski pursues his own form of retribution against a Falconer who has broken the unwritten rules of their profession.
C.J. Box does an exquisite job of crafting two concurrent storylines that had me openly rooting for opposing philosophical stances based on which character was doling out justice. Only a true master of his craft can achieve that.
DARK SKY is a wild ride of survival and self reflection that forces its readers to determine who has the moral high ground when the modern world meets the traditions of our past.
This is a must read in 2021!
April 12, 2021
First Sentence: Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett stood on the edge of the tarmac with his hands thrust into the pockets of his parka and his gray Stetson clamped on tight against the cold wind.
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has been ordered by the Governor to take Steven "Steve-2" Price, a Silicon billionaire, bow-hunting for elk. While Joe is helping Steve stalk a bull elk, Earl Thomas and his sons are stalking Price intent on killing him. Joe's daughter, Sheridan, works for Nate Romanowski. In checking falcon nests, she discovers someone has been stealing and killing the birds. Nate and Sheridan learn Joe is in trouble, and immediately go to help. When Soledad, a falcon thief destroys Nate's birds and threatens his family, all bets are off.
Box's descriptions bring the locations and characters to life—"the last rays of the sun lit up the face of the rock formation and threw dark shadows into its folds and cracks. A single raven hugged the rim of the wall and flew in lazy, ever-widening circles." Where he excels is in suspense; in knowing who, but not the why. Violence comes hard and fast in the story. Seeds of distrust and suspicion are cleverly planted, and things escalate quickly as Joe is left without any communications or weapons but must protect another.
This is a two-pronged story, with the effectiveness and intensity of each being equal to the other. "Steve-2" is clearly based on Steve Jobs; the character even cites him as an idol. He exemplifies the very worst of the 1%, who created a product that enables the narcissism and bullying sadly found today. This is contrasted by the innate morality of Joe. Through Nate and Sheridan, one learns more about falcons and the illegal bird trade. It is also a thread that leads directly to the next book.
The intensity of suspense and action tend to keep one reading into the night. Although completely different, one may make a small comparison between Box and Agatha Christie in their high body count. The coming together of the three segments; Joe and Price, Nate and Sheridan, and Thomas and his sons, is cataclysmic—"Gee," she said to Nate, "I think we have enough guns along." "Bite your tongue," Nate said. One never has enough guns."-- but provides an unexpected revelation that doesn't excuse but explains how actions can lead to devastating results. Joe may now be 51, but he hasn't lost those attributes that one admires, and that make him who he is.
"Dark Sky" is a wild ride of non-stop tension. It is violent, but thought-provoking as it deals with many important issues of our times. This may be Box's best book yet.
DARK SKY (LicInv-Joe Pickett-Wyoming-Contemp) - Ex
Box, C.J. – 21st in series
G.P. Putnam's Sons, Mar 2021, 349 pp.
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has been ordered by the Governor to take Steven "Steve-2" Price, a Silicon billionaire, bow-hunting for elk. While Joe is helping Steve stalk a bull elk, Earl Thomas and his sons are stalking Price intent on killing him. Joe's daughter, Sheridan, works for Nate Romanowski. In checking falcon nests, she discovers someone has been stealing and killing the birds. Nate and Sheridan learn Joe is in trouble, and immediately go to help. When Soledad, a falcon thief destroys Nate's birds and threatens his family, all bets are off.
Box's descriptions bring the locations and characters to life—"the last rays of the sun lit up the face of the rock formation and threw dark shadows into its folds and cracks. A single raven hugged the rim of the wall and flew in lazy, ever-widening circles." Where he excels is in suspense; in knowing who, but not the why. Violence comes hard and fast in the story. Seeds of distrust and suspicion are cleverly planted, and things escalate quickly as Joe is left without any communications or weapons but must protect another.
This is a two-pronged story, with the effectiveness and intensity of each being equal to the other. "Steve-2" is clearly based on Steve Jobs; the character even cites him as an idol. He exemplifies the very worst of the 1%, who created a product that enables the narcissism and bullying sadly found today. This is contrasted by the innate morality of Joe. Through Nate and Sheridan, one learns more about falcons and the illegal bird trade. It is also a thread that leads directly to the next book.
The intensity of suspense and action tend to keep one reading into the night. Although completely different, one may make a small comparison between Box and Agatha Christie in their high body count. The coming together of the three segments; Joe and Price, Nate and Sheridan, and Thomas and his sons, is cataclysmic—"Gee," she said to Nate, "I think we have enough guns along." "Bite your tongue," Nate said. One never has enough guns."-- but provides an unexpected revelation that doesn't excuse but explains how actions can lead to devastating results. Joe may now be 51, but he hasn't lost those attributes that one admires, and that make him who he is.
"Dark Sky" is a wild ride of non-stop tension. It is violent, but thought-provoking as it deals with many important issues of our times. This may be Box's best book yet.
DARK SKY (LicInv-Joe Pickett-Wyoming-Contemp) - Ex
Box, C.J. – 21st in series
G.P. Putnam's Sons, Mar 2021, 349 pp.
April 28, 2022
When the hunter becomes the hunted...
It's interesting how some books feel like a slog and yet other books with the same number of pages fly by. Dark Sky SOARED!!
On orders from the governor, Joe Pickett must lead a Silicon Valley tech multibillionaire into the Bighorn Mountains to hunt elk. Steve-2 is the creator of a wildly successful Facebook-like social media app called ConFab, and he wants to experience NATURE!!! He wants to harvest his own meat, using only a bow and arrows. And he pretty much never stops talking.😂 Traipsing through the rugged mountains with a chatterbox who feels he MUST document his every move on ConFab as he experiences nature definitely isn’t on Joe’s bucket list, but the governor doesn’t give him much choice. The governor wants Steve-2 to choose Wyoming as the site of the world's largest server farm. Joe can lose the attitude or lose his job. When trouble stalks them in the mountains and people begin to die, Steve-2 must face the reality that Joe Pickett is his only hope of getting back to civilization alive.
Meanwhile, Joe's pal Nate Romanowski (a former special forces soldier who is now a commercial falconer) has trouble of his own. Someone has been stealing his falcons, and if Nate ever gets his hands on him, blood will be spilled. (Well, of course! Nate IS Nate, after all!)
I think this is my favorite Joe Pickett, ever, so I'm willing to overlook the fact that it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. (At least Joe didn't destroy one of the park ranger trucks in this one.😉)
It's interesting how some books feel like a slog and yet other books with the same number of pages fly by. Dark Sky SOARED!!
On orders from the governor, Joe Pickett must lead a Silicon Valley tech multibillionaire into the Bighorn Mountains to hunt elk. Steve-2 is the creator of a wildly successful Facebook-like social media app called ConFab, and he wants to experience NATURE!!! He wants to harvest his own meat, using only a bow and arrows. And he pretty much never stops talking.😂 Traipsing through the rugged mountains with a chatterbox who feels he MUST document his every move on ConFab as he experiences nature definitely isn’t on Joe’s bucket list, but the governor doesn’t give him much choice. The governor wants Steve-2 to choose Wyoming as the site of the world's largest server farm. Joe can lose the attitude or lose his job. When trouble stalks them in the mountains and people begin to die, Steve-2 must face the reality that Joe Pickett is his only hope of getting back to civilization alive.
Meanwhile, Joe's pal Nate Romanowski (a former special forces soldier who is now a commercial falconer) has trouble of his own. Someone has been stealing his falcons, and if Nate ever gets his hands on him, blood will be spilled. (Well, of course! Nate IS Nate, after all!)
I think this is my favorite Joe Pickett, ever, so I'm willing to overlook the fact that it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. (At least Joe didn't destroy one of the park ranger trucks in this one.😉)
June 10, 2021
I'm a fan of the Joe Pickett series. It's easy to like the values that are front and center: honesty, hard work, family life, friendship, and nature. This book didn't deviate from those values.
Another ever-present attribute is overcoming adversity. Joe Pickett and his friend Nate Romanowski frequently have a plate full of bad guys, horrible weather, and just plain bad luck. But this book is over-the-top with bad guys, bad weather, bad luck, and primadonnas. Even the wolverines give Joe a hard time.
Another ever-present attribute is overcoming adversity. Joe Pickett and his friend Nate Romanowski frequently have a plate full of bad guys, horrible weather, and just plain bad luck. But this book is over-the-top with bad guys, bad weather, bad luck, and primadonnas. Even the wolverines give Joe a hard time.
April 30, 2021
top of the line Joe Pickett! and you KNOW the next book is gonna be good as Nate is PEEVERED...
March 12, 2021
I will say at the beginning of this review that, at 21 books in, I will keep reading this series.
Having said that, I think that Joe Pickett may have come to the end of the road. Having apparently exhausted all potential Wyoming based, reasonable plausible story lines, the last four or five Joe Pickett books have reached well outside the borders of Wyoming to set up increasingly laughable scenarios where Joe Pickett is in mortal peril and must save everyone (with the help of Nate Romanowski - and now Sheridan, too).
This one is possibly the most ridiculous plot of all of them (although the drug cartel plot was pretty ridiculous, albeit entertaining). Annoying billionaire tech bro who is a combination of Mark Zuckerberg + Elon Musk randomly decides that he is going to provide all of his own food for a year. Decides to go on an elk hunt. Governor of Wyoming picks Joe Pickett to go with him on the elk hunt (never mind that this makes NO SENSE AT ALL. NONE. ZERO. Joe Pickett is a grumpy motherfucker who dislikes politicians and rich people equally, so why anyone would think that pairing him up with a dilettante tech bro who is surgically attached to his smart phone would be a good idea beggars belief.)
A spoiler tag before I continue.
This story line also makes very little sense, but whatevs, we aren't looking for verisimilitude here, we're looking for Joe to be Joe and save the day in his usual upright Dudley-Do-Right fashion.
Which he does.
The End.
Well, not quite the end. Because Joe and Marybeth might be rich now. Stay tuned! I know I will.
Oh, and there's also a falconry side plot of dubious interest.
Having said that, I think that Joe Pickett may have come to the end of the road. Having apparently exhausted all potential Wyoming based, reasonable plausible story lines, the last four or five Joe Pickett books have reached well outside the borders of Wyoming to set up increasingly laughable scenarios where Joe Pickett is in mortal peril and must save everyone (with the help of Nate Romanowski - and now Sheridan, too).
This one is possibly the most ridiculous plot of all of them (although the drug cartel plot was pretty ridiculous, albeit entertaining). Annoying billionaire tech bro who is a combination of Mark Zuckerberg + Elon Musk randomly decides that he is going to provide all of his own food for a year. Decides to go on an elk hunt. Governor of Wyoming picks Joe Pickett to go with him on the elk hunt (never mind that this makes NO SENSE AT ALL. NONE. ZERO. Joe Pickett is a grumpy motherfucker who dislikes politicians and rich people equally, so why anyone would think that pairing him up with a dilettante tech bro who is surgically attached to his smart phone would be a good idea beggars belief.)
A spoiler tag before I continue.
This story line also makes very little sense, but whatevs, we aren't looking for verisimilitude here, we're looking for Joe to be Joe and save the day in his usual upright Dudley-Do-Right fashion.
Which he does.
The End.
Well, not quite the end. Because Joe and Marybeth might be rich now. Stay tuned! I know I will.
Oh, and there's also a falconry side plot of dubious interest.
December 2, 2020
In this 21st book of C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series, Dark Sky (G.P. Putnam 2021), Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett is hornswoggled into taking the owner of a Facebook-like social media platform on an elk hunt so he can experience the wild outdoors. Joe would have skipped this but his love-hate with the Wyoming governor makes it clear if he refuses, he'll probably lose his job. And, if he fails to show this wanna-be outdoorsman a successful hunt would be another reason Joe loses his job. What starts as simply an annoying task quickly turns into a dangerous one when one of the thousands of users of Price's platform decides to kill him because he blames him for a personal tragedy. Joe and Price end up fleeing for their lives and become stranded in the wild with no food, no weapons, and clothing inadequate to the approaching snow storm. Thankfully, Joe's wife contacts Nate Romanowski, former special forces outdoorsman and a friend of Joe's who will stop at nothing to save him. If you've read earlier stories that include Nate, you'll realize that this is where the fun starts.
This is not only the next in the series, a well-paced story that never slows but probably one of the best so far. If you like survival stories about the great outdoors, you will love this one.
This is not only the next in the series, a well-paced story that never slows but probably one of the best so far. If you like survival stories about the great outdoors, you will love this one.
February 12, 2021
WOW, First of all, WOW. I have enjoyed some time in Wyoming, reading C.J. Box latest Joe Pickett story Dark Sky. I love this series and the author is one of the best out there. Once again Joe gets a summon from the governor that he needs to babysit an IT-company director and hopefully get some business to Wyoming. What could possibly go wrong? The mortality rate in Twelve Sleep is nothing to worry about. In this book we have two parallel problems, one concerning social media and the other falconry. It is non stop action all the way. We get to meet all the usual suspects including Nate with his hand cannon. I have to thank #PenguinPublishingGroup #GPPutnamsSons and #Edelweiss for letting me have this advance copy.
April 4, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really entertaining installment to the Joe Pickett series. This one had a heck of a plot with a subplot that sets up the next book to keep fans waiting for its arrival. This was a one sitting read thanks to the fast moving plot and cast of characters readers have come to enjoy so much!
Really entertaining installment to the Joe Pickett series. This one had a heck of a plot with a subplot that sets up the next book to keep fans waiting for its arrival. This was a one sitting read thanks to the fast moving plot and cast of characters readers have come to enjoy so much!
July 4, 2023
A friend told me this wasn't her favorite in the series, but I really liked it. I listened at 1.3X speed. David Chandler is a fantastic narrator for the series, I couldn't imagine anyone else as Joe Pickett!
January 7, 2023
C.J. Box continues the great Joe Pickett series. Terrific. I love these novels.
April 24, 2022
The plot was good but (as usual with CJ Box books i've read) the bad guys were over the top. Their vile dispositions make Bond villians, who have some couth, seem tame. Seems the story could have been told without the wanton nature of some characters.
May 9, 2021
Dark Sky is the 21st book in C. J. Box's Joe Pickett series and it is one of the best, although I have not yet read one that was just okay - Box is just, in my not at all humble opinion, a superb writer.
Pickett is a Game and Fish Warden in Wyoming who has been tasked, by the scumball governor (is that redundant?) of the state with guiding a social media gazillionaire on an elk hunt. The governor hopes that the gazillionaire will build a large data center in Wyoming providing tons of jobs. As it turns out, there is a man who, along with his two ne'er do well sons wants the gazillionaire dead.
The story was masterfully told, the characters were typical of Joe Pickett books and, all in all, the book was a delight. I heartily recommend it to those who have enjoyed Joe Pickett books. For those who have not, start at the beginning of the series, although each can be read as a stand-alone, they are more enjoyable when read in order because they portray the development of a man, a family, a town, etc.
Over and Out
Pickett is a Game and Fish Warden in Wyoming who has been tasked, by the scumball governor (is that redundant?) of the state with guiding a social media gazillionaire on an elk hunt. The governor hopes that the gazillionaire will build a large data center in Wyoming providing tons of jobs. As it turns out, there is a man who, along with his two ne'er do well sons wants the gazillionaire dead.
The story was masterfully told, the characters were typical of Joe Pickett books and, all in all, the book was a delight. I heartily recommend it to those who have enjoyed Joe Pickett books. For those who have not, start at the beginning of the series, although each can be read as a stand-alone, they are more enjoyable when read in order because they portray the development of a man, a family, a town, etc.
Over and Out
February 26, 2025
In C.J. Box’s 21st Joe Pickett novel - “Dark Sky” - the game warden of Twelve Sleep County, Wyoming, is in trouble again. This time a forced public relations assignment turns into a desperate fight for the death in the mountains…
It starts when under fire Governor Colter Allen delegates to Game and Fish Department Director, Rick Ewig, and assignment given to Joe that promises only trouble and even more trouble. Pickett is tasked with personally escorting, Steven “Steve-2” Price, Silicon Valley billionaire and CEO of Aloft, and principal behind the social media site ConFab, on an elk hunting trip. The Governor is hoping that having a good experience will help Price be persuaded to build his new server farm, a multibillion-dollar renewable energy venture in his state, and if Joe cannot deliver on that, it will give the Governor a good excuse to fire Picket again.
However, as Joe reluctantly leads their hunting trek into the mountains, he’s not aware that Price has enemies trailing close behind them with the intent that the billionaire will not leave the wilderness alive, and that includes eliminating all potential witnesses.
At the same time, Joe’s wife, Marybeth is trying her hardest to convince the new interim county prosecutor, AnnaBelle Griffith, to get the potential charges of assaulting the previous sheriff against Nate Romanowski dropped, but it’s not going well…
As for Nate, he Is back to living off the grid with his wife, Liv, and thirteen-month-old daughter Kestrel, while training Joe and Marybeth’s oldest daughter, Sheridan, who is his falconry apprentice. Everything was going well until Sheridan discovered traps set around their existing falcon nests, which is against the Falconers code about encroaching on another falconer’s territory, and the penalty is fierce. When Sheridan suggests they let her father handle it as a Game Warden, Nate is adamant that Falconer’s take care of their own business.
But just when Nate’s on the hunt and closing in on the falcon thief himself, he gets urgent texts from Sheridan, Marybeth, and Liv demanding his help because Joe’s gone missing…
I must be on a role now, because my positive comments about the books in this series are definitely repeating themselves – “this was another winner from C.J. Box!”. But it’s the truth. These books are so dang enjoyable, full of gripping mysteries and the highest level of suspense. Nothing less than must-read experiences as the Lee Child blurb on the cover promises. It sure doesn’t hurt to have the creator of the excellent “Reacher” novels promote your books. What makes it even better is that Child is spot on in his assessment of how “Solid gold” the Joe Pickett novels are.
It seems to me that C.J. Box has created a winning formula by combining two key ingredients together in a masterful recipe that delivers an awesome escapist reading experience. The first comes from his writer’s tool box. He fills “Dark Sky” with challenging conflicts, strong characters, and emotional family elements. The old adage of plotting, characters, and setting and are presented and accounted for in this one.
The second comes from how he takes real life events, political issues, environmental matters, and social problems and inserts them into his stories in practical ways that challenge the reader and make us think about the impact of them in our daily lives. C.J. Box does a good job of representing both sides of the coin on complex issues in which there are no simple answers. He paints a vivid picture of real-life issues and shares both the positive and negative aspects, impacts, and outcomes of those matters. He lets his characters provide different perspectives, arguing and defending their views, including their own biases, and wraps them into the storylines facing Joe, Nate, their family members, and the citizens of Saddlestring, Wyoming.
I understand that some readers appreciate how these issues are sprinkled in, while others are less enamored by some of those references, especially the ones of a political nature. To be fully transparent and honest, I don’t get too bogged down or bothered by them. I take them all with a grain of salt as part of the political climate of the geographic setting and mindset of the various characters. If they align with my thinking, fine. If they don’t align, I think of them as something to consider with an open mind, or let them go and keep on reading. Overall, I just don’t worry about them keeping me from having an awesome reading experience.
Let me share a couple of other personal thoughts with this one. As much as Joe’s plotline is at the center of this book, there are strong scenes with Nate, as well as key scenes featuring Marybeth and Sheridan. It was cool to see Marybeth assert herself and play such a proactive role when she’s scared for Joe. Her scene with the Sheriff at 2:30 am was golden.
It was also rewarding to have Sheridan play a stronger role. She’s been absent for several books and inserting her back into a primary role and partnering with Nate is a winning combination for the reader. Nate is a wise choice to be her mentor, and even more importantly, we see that Sheridan can carry herself, relying on him when she needs to, but pushing back when it’s appropriate. Although she is still young and unexposed to a lot of the violence that her father and Nate have experienced, she is smart, independent, and self-reliant. Watching her develop and grow into adulthood and its influence on her closest relationships (father, mother, and Nate) has provided a personally enriching experience for me.
It is clear to me that C.J. Box does not only know how write strong male characters, he also understands how to create strong women like Marybeth, Sheridan, Liv, and especially Marybeth’s mother, who’s on a level of her own.
Overall, this was a strong 4.5-star rating for me, which is the same rating as I gave the last three or four books in the series. For me, C.J. Box has hit a real rhythm and flow with the Joe Pickett series as he’s gotten deeper into them. I only have four left and I will be all caught up on them, and that includes the new one – No. 25 “Battle Mountain” – which is officially released today. As much as I want to plow through them like a hurricane, part of me is whispering to slow down and cherish each of those last four like a favorite dessert. What a good internal fight to have with myself… Either way, I can’ lose.
If this isn’t enough for you to consider taking a chance on this series, I don’t know what else is. Like Lee Child, I promise it will be worth it. Find out for yourself…
It starts when under fire Governor Colter Allen delegates to Game and Fish Department Director, Rick Ewig, and assignment given to Joe that promises only trouble and even more trouble. Pickett is tasked with personally escorting, Steven “Steve-2” Price, Silicon Valley billionaire and CEO of Aloft, and principal behind the social media site ConFab, on an elk hunting trip. The Governor is hoping that having a good experience will help Price be persuaded to build his new server farm, a multibillion-dollar renewable energy venture in his state, and if Joe cannot deliver on that, it will give the Governor a good excuse to fire Picket again.
However, as Joe reluctantly leads their hunting trek into the mountains, he’s not aware that Price has enemies trailing close behind them with the intent that the billionaire will not leave the wilderness alive, and that includes eliminating all potential witnesses.
At the same time, Joe’s wife, Marybeth is trying her hardest to convince the new interim county prosecutor, AnnaBelle Griffith, to get the potential charges of assaulting the previous sheriff against Nate Romanowski dropped, but it’s not going well…
As for Nate, he Is back to living off the grid with his wife, Liv, and thirteen-month-old daughter Kestrel, while training Joe and Marybeth’s oldest daughter, Sheridan, who is his falconry apprentice. Everything was going well until Sheridan discovered traps set around their existing falcon nests, which is against the Falconers code about encroaching on another falconer’s territory, and the penalty is fierce. When Sheridan suggests they let her father handle it as a Game Warden, Nate is adamant that Falconer’s take care of their own business.
But just when Nate’s on the hunt and closing in on the falcon thief himself, he gets urgent texts from Sheridan, Marybeth, and Liv demanding his help because Joe’s gone missing…
I must be on a role now, because my positive comments about the books in this series are definitely repeating themselves – “this was another winner from C.J. Box!”. But it’s the truth. These books are so dang enjoyable, full of gripping mysteries and the highest level of suspense. Nothing less than must-read experiences as the Lee Child blurb on the cover promises. It sure doesn’t hurt to have the creator of the excellent “Reacher” novels promote your books. What makes it even better is that Child is spot on in his assessment of how “Solid gold” the Joe Pickett novels are.
It seems to me that C.J. Box has created a winning formula by combining two key ingredients together in a masterful recipe that delivers an awesome escapist reading experience. The first comes from his writer’s tool box. He fills “Dark Sky” with challenging conflicts, strong characters, and emotional family elements. The old adage of plotting, characters, and setting and are presented and accounted for in this one.
The second comes from how he takes real life events, political issues, environmental matters, and social problems and inserts them into his stories in practical ways that challenge the reader and make us think about the impact of them in our daily lives. C.J. Box does a good job of representing both sides of the coin on complex issues in which there are no simple answers. He paints a vivid picture of real-life issues and shares both the positive and negative aspects, impacts, and outcomes of those matters. He lets his characters provide different perspectives, arguing and defending their views, including their own biases, and wraps them into the storylines facing Joe, Nate, their family members, and the citizens of Saddlestring, Wyoming.
I understand that some readers appreciate how these issues are sprinkled in, while others are less enamored by some of those references, especially the ones of a political nature. To be fully transparent and honest, I don’t get too bogged down or bothered by them. I take them all with a grain of salt as part of the political climate of the geographic setting and mindset of the various characters. If they align with my thinking, fine. If they don’t align, I think of them as something to consider with an open mind, or let them go and keep on reading. Overall, I just don’t worry about them keeping me from having an awesome reading experience.
Let me share a couple of other personal thoughts with this one. As much as Joe’s plotline is at the center of this book, there are strong scenes with Nate, as well as key scenes featuring Marybeth and Sheridan. It was cool to see Marybeth assert herself and play such a proactive role when she’s scared for Joe. Her scene with the Sheriff at 2:30 am was golden.
It was also rewarding to have Sheridan play a stronger role. She’s been absent for several books and inserting her back into a primary role and partnering with Nate is a winning combination for the reader. Nate is a wise choice to be her mentor, and even more importantly, we see that Sheridan can carry herself, relying on him when she needs to, but pushing back when it’s appropriate. Although she is still young and unexposed to a lot of the violence that her father and Nate have experienced, she is smart, independent, and self-reliant. Watching her develop and grow into adulthood and its influence on her closest relationships (father, mother, and Nate) has provided a personally enriching experience for me.
It is clear to me that C.J. Box does not only know how write strong male characters, he also understands how to create strong women like Marybeth, Sheridan, Liv, and especially Marybeth’s mother, who’s on a level of her own.
Overall, this was a strong 4.5-star rating for me, which is the same rating as I gave the last three or four books in the series. For me, C.J. Box has hit a real rhythm and flow with the Joe Pickett series as he’s gotten deeper into them. I only have four left and I will be all caught up on them, and that includes the new one – No. 25 “Battle Mountain” – which is officially released today. As much as I want to plow through them like a hurricane, part of me is whispering to slow down and cherish each of those last four like a favorite dessert. What a good internal fight to have with myself… Either way, I can’ lose.
If this isn’t enough for you to consider taking a chance on this series, I don’t know what else is. Like Lee Child, I promise it will be worth it. Find out for yourself…
July 6, 2021
C J Box just seems to get better with every book. I've read all his work and Joe Picket and his family are my favourite. I imagine that not too many people will be starting the series with this book. After all there are over 20 that come before it. But this is really good and, to my mind, the best of the lot so far. I had a job to stop reading it once I'd started. There is going to be another because the ending is left on something of a cliff edge. I can't wait. Highly recommended to all C J Box fans.
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