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Joe Pickett #15
Endangered
New York Times–bestselling writer C. J. Box returns with a thrilling new novel, featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett.
She was gone. Joe Pickett had good reason to dislike Dallas Cates, even if he was a rodeo champion, and now he has even more—Joe’s eighteen-year-old ward, April, has run off with him.
And then comes even worse news: The body of a girl has been found in a ditch along the highway—alive, but just barely, the victim of blunt force trauma. It is April, and the doctors aren’t sure if she’ll recover. Cates denies having anything to do with it—says she ran away from him, too—and there’s evidence that points to another man. But Joe knows in his gut who’s responsible. What he doesn’t know is the kind of danger he’s about to encounter. Cates is bad enough, but Cates’s family is like none Joe has ever met before.
Joe’s going to find out the truth, even if it kills him. But this time, it just might.
She was gone. Joe Pickett had good reason to dislike Dallas Cates, even if he was a rodeo champion, and now he has even more—Joe’s eighteen-year-old ward, April, has run off with him.
And then comes even worse news: The body of a girl has been found in a ditch along the highway—alive, but just barely, the victim of blunt force trauma. It is April, and the doctors aren’t sure if she’ll recover. Cates denies having anything to do with it—says she ran away from him, too—and there’s evidence that points to another man. But Joe knows in his gut who’s responsible. What he doesn’t know is the kind of danger he’s about to encounter. Cates is bad enough, but Cates’s family is like none Joe has ever met before.
Joe’s going to find out the truth, even if it kills him. But this time, it just might.
369 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2015
2898 people are currently reading
4485 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
111 books7,176 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 1,519 reviews
March 27, 2017
Another great Joe Pickett novel! Western justice, creepy and despicable bad guys, corrupt government officials, good guys crossing to the wrong side of the law in pursuit of what is right, revenge - basically, so much awesomeness! I sped through the last 50 pages or so holding my breath as the suspense was great.
I cannot recommend this series enough – if you like mysteries, you really should check it out.
Now, please don’t start with this book. There is so much back story in this series that, while you may enjoy Endangered without any points of reference, you would miss SOOOOO much based on the history of all the characters. What you should do is go back to Open Season and work through the series. Some of the books are better and more memorable than others, but all of them are great and the series as a whole is a home run!
I cannot recommend this series enough – if you like mysteries, you really should check it out.
Now, please don’t start with this book. There is so much back story in this series that, while you may enjoy Endangered without any points of reference, you would miss SOOOOO much based on the history of all the characters. What you should do is go back to Open Season and work through the series. Some of the books are better and more memorable than others, but all of them are great and the series as a whole is a home run!
August 22, 2020
I actually picked this book up in a library sale - four books for a dollar. I had vaguely heard of the author so thought I would give it a try and I am very glad I did. I discovered later that it was #15 in the Joe Pickett series but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book.
Joe is a wonderful character and so refreshingly different from the usual Detective or PI who takes the lead in most crime stories. I liked his common sense, his attitude to life and the fact that he has a normal family life. It was left to other characters in the book to be outrageous in their behaviors and opinions, and they certainly were!
There are really three loosely linked stories in this book which overlap occasionally. I enjoyed the ending with its sense of retribution and good conquers evil. It was all very entertaining and I now must go look for #1 and start at the beginning.
Joe is a wonderful character and so refreshingly different from the usual Detective or PI who takes the lead in most crime stories. I liked his common sense, his attitude to life and the fact that he has a normal family life. It was left to other characters in the book to be outrageous in their behaviors and opinions, and they certainly were!
There are really three loosely linked stories in this book which overlap occasionally. I enjoyed the ending with its sense of retribution and good conquers evil. It was all very entertaining and I now must go look for #1 and start at the beginning.
May 30, 2015
Not too many series get better after 14 books, but the Joe Pickett does! I have enjoyed the series from the beginning, but I am loving it now. The last two in the series I have given 5 stars. For you Joe Pickett fans, get a copy ASAP! If you haven't read this series,start at#1. You have a lot of enjoyable and entertaining reading ahead of you.
March 30, 2022
Another good book in the Joe Pickett series. Luckily for me, this book was continuation of last book I read by this author, so it made it that much more enjoyable that I knew everything that was going on.
C.J.Box is a really good author who helps you care a lot about his characters as you learn more ande is more about them. Joe is one of my favorite fiction characters and there now seems to be a TV series based on this character. Can't wait to be able to watch it.
C.J.Box is a really good author who helps you care a lot about his characters as you learn more ande is more about them. Joe is one of my favorite fiction characters and there now seems to be a TV series based on this character. Can't wait to be able to watch it.
February 19, 2022
At the end of Stone Cold Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett and his wife, Marybeth, had returned home to find that their foster daughter, April, had taken off with Dallas Cates on the rodeo circuit. Joe doesn't like any of the boys who pay attention to his daughters but he has good reason not to like Cates. He was suspected in the assault on another girl in the past but nothing could be proved.
When this story opens Joe is out in the field investigating the slaughter of sage grouse when he gets the phone call every parent dreads. Sheriff Mike Reed calls him to inform him that one of his deputies has found a girl on the side of a road. She has been beaten and her condition is so bad the deputy is not waiting for EMT and is taking her to the hospital in his car. He thinks it is April. Joe calls Marybeth and they head to the hospital where they identify the girl. It is April.
Meanwhile Joe's friend, Nate Romanowski, who has been sitting in federal custody is offered a deal that will get him released. The deal has several restrictions including he has to get a job, he can't possess a weapon, and he cannot have contact with Joe. Basically the Feds want to use him as bait to capture Wolfgang Templeton. Nate relunctantly agrees. He gets a job as a falconer and on his very first job he is ambushed.
Dallas Cates had been injured in a rodeo and was going back home. His injuries appear to be so severe that he could not have attacked April. There may be another suspect. April is in a coma and cannot speak to identify her attacker. We meet the entire Cates family and they are a strange family. So who attacked April and will she recover? The reader is left to wonder until the very end of the story. We also learn what was behind the attack on Nate and it is not what it appeared to be.
When this story opens Joe is out in the field investigating the slaughter of sage grouse when he gets the phone call every parent dreads. Sheriff Mike Reed calls him to inform him that one of his deputies has found a girl on the side of a road. She has been beaten and her condition is so bad the deputy is not waiting for EMT and is taking her to the hospital in his car. He thinks it is April. Joe calls Marybeth and they head to the hospital where they identify the girl. It is April.
Meanwhile Joe's friend, Nate Romanowski, who has been sitting in federal custody is offered a deal that will get him released. The deal has several restrictions including he has to get a job, he can't possess a weapon, and he cannot have contact with Joe. Basically the Feds want to use him as bait to capture Wolfgang Templeton. Nate relunctantly agrees. He gets a job as a falconer and on his very first job he is ambushed.
Dallas Cates had been injured in a rodeo and was going back home. His injuries appear to be so severe that he could not have attacked April. There may be another suspect. April is in a coma and cannot speak to identify her attacker. We meet the entire Cates family and they are a strange family. So who attacked April and will she recover? The reader is left to wonder until the very end of the story. We also learn what was behind the attack on Nate and it is not what it appeared to be.
June 6, 2015
At the top of his form in this 15th of his mystery series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett. At the beginning three events are set in motion. Joe has come on the scene of the slaughter of a bunch of sage grouse, a politically hot event because of its current review as an endangered species and the huge economic havoc that status would cause. His work is interrupted when he gets word that his adopted daughter April, who run away with a rodeo bull rider, shows up on a roadside bludgeoned into a coma. The third event we are witness to, but not Joe, is an ambush of his bad-boy friend Nate not long after release from federal custody over suspicion of his role in vigilante justice activities.
The plot has Joe trying to hold his family together (a wife and two other daughters) while working on the sly to try to solve April’s attack and, when he learns about it, Nate’s attack and disappearance of his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the Governor, who uses him for undercover work, puts pressure on him over the grouse infraction. A lot of his efforts keep bringing him into conflicts with a particularly nasty family of trailer trash led by a colorful and viscous matriarch, who operate a variety of criminal enterprises near the site of the grouse slaughter. Bringing on these threads together in surprising ways makes for a fun adventure with a lot at stake. As usual, the wild weather and dangers of life in the beautiful outdoors of the Rocky Mountain West play a significant role in the action.
My one caveat is that when the good guys start to win in the end, they take some special pleasure in the gruesome fate of some of the bad guys. One can accept that our seeming Boy Scout Joe Pickett has his share of vengeful attitudes on the way to bringing about justice, but it went too far in this tale. Still, if you haven't read Box, you owe yourself the treat, and the sequence, to me, doesn't matter.
The plot has Joe trying to hold his family together (a wife and two other daughters) while working on the sly to try to solve April’s attack and, when he learns about it, Nate’s attack and disappearance of his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the Governor, who uses him for undercover work, puts pressure on him over the grouse infraction. A lot of his efforts keep bringing him into conflicts with a particularly nasty family of trailer trash led by a colorful and viscous matriarch, who operate a variety of criminal enterprises near the site of the grouse slaughter. Bringing on these threads together in surprising ways makes for a fun adventure with a lot at stake. As usual, the wild weather and dangers of life in the beautiful outdoors of the Rocky Mountain West play a significant role in the action.
My one caveat is that when the good guys start to win in the end, they take some special pleasure in the gruesome fate of some of the bad guys. One can accept that our seeming Boy Scout Joe Pickett has his share of vengeful attitudes on the way to bringing about justice, but it went too far in this tale. Still, if you haven't read Box, you owe yourself the treat, and the sequence, to me, doesn't matter.
June 4, 2020
I am thoroughly entranced with these Joe Pickett novels. They are so quick to get into and just get completely into. I am going to try to read them more in order but honestly it’s not interfering with the enjoyment of the books. This one was great!
August 12, 2015
4.5☆ really but I rounded up to 5☆ because I love all of C. J. Box's books and the little twist at the end was like one of those slapshots from just inside the red line that flutters like a knuckle ball and befuddles the poor goalie. Ya I missed it too!
First a bit of housekeeping: I LOVE C. J. Box! I really do – what a terrific storyteller. I’ve been drawn to all of Box’s novels not only by the remarkable stories filled with intriguing and captivating characters but also because each story is set in the Big Sky western states of Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Idaho. I can’t get enough of the great outdoors and the natural world and Box’s description of these wide open spaces, snow covered mountains, ranches and farm land, majestic sunrises and picturesque sunsets within his novels is so hypnotic and alluring to me. Throw in the politics, passion and contentiousness of conservation and preservation, unfettered land use and Federal oversight and the stage is set for some pretty lively, engaging and at times catastrophic interactions between the locals and law enforcement.
************************************************************
Shotgun blasts have decimated Lek 64 in the district of Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, about six months after being named “Special Liaison to the Executive Branch” by WY state governor Rulon. Rulon is especially interested in preserving the “prairie chicken” population ... the politics of conservation and land use are in play!
Sage Grouse
noun
Definition of SAGE GROUSE
: either of two large grouses (Centrocercus urophasianus and C. minimus) of the dry sagebrush plains of western North America that have mottled gray and buff plumage above with a contrasting black belly
![]()
Roughly 40% of the remaining sage grouse population that once included all of the western United States and Canada resides in Wyoming and keeping them OFF the endangered species list is critical to Wyoming’s future economic well-being and prosperity. Endangered species status would entail land use restrictions from any type of energy development – oil, gas, wind or solar – and mandate off-limit zones that would impact ranchers, developers and regular citizens. The constant tension between Washington regulators and federal agencies and the western state governors and local politicians is palpable and omnipresent, even toxic!
It’s mid-March and these birds were “on the lek”, the annual gathering of these rare game birds where the males strut, puff and thump to attract females. Someone knew that! They hide in plain sight. How could an entire lek of sage grouse be annihilated when their natural defense is to hide in plain sight? Somebody knew that too!
![]()
Don’t be fooled. This story is about far more than birds. Joe’s pursuit of the Lek 64 perpetrator comes to an abrupt halt when the call comes in. Pickett’s adopted daughter April had been found in a roadside ditch, nearly beaten to death! This has become way more than a law enforcement issue, this is personal! And Joe has a very good idea who is responsible.
The destruction of Lek 64 and the subsequent investigation by Joe Pickett and members of ISGTF (Interagency Sage Grouse Task Force) is just the tip of the iceberg of a fantastic, page turning story as the sage grouse investigation intersects with the case of the near fatal blunt force trauma inflicted upon April Pickett.
Joe has very deep rooted and personal reasons to strongly suspect the local pro rodeo star from Saddlestring is the culprit. But assumptions during criminal investigations and failure to notice what’s in plain sight can cause an isolated incident like unlawful hunting to escalate into kidnapping, murder and exposure of deep dark family secrets and parental psychosis.
How does the decimation Lek 64 relate to three brutal deaths, two severe beatings, a gunshot wound to the head, a jail cell suicide and a crippling fall? Very tangentially but effectively I promise! I can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling the story for you but suffice it to say that assumptions, biases, misunderstandings and misinterpretations combine with some deeply entrenched and bizarre mental illness to precipitate some intense and ugly outcomes.
And possibly a new direction for C. J. Box - does Nate Romanowski get his own series???
In addition to experiencing a wonderful story, with each Box installment of the Joe Pickett series I gain a better understanding and appreciation of the lives of the folks who call these magnificent western states home and their constant struggle between leveraging the vast natural resources and the seemingly heavy hand of the Federal government. Box so adeptly articulates the careful balancing act of local law enforcement officials between empathizing and sympathizing with their friends and neighbors and enforcing the Federal laws of these wide open spaces. Joe Pickett is an expert at navigating this very thin line.
Not quite sure about C. J. Box and his wild west adventures? Check him out at http://www.cjbox.net
BTW – The Sage Grouse never made it to the endangered species list!
![]()
First a bit of housekeeping: I LOVE C. J. Box! I really do – what a terrific storyteller. I’ve been drawn to all of Box’s novels not only by the remarkable stories filled with intriguing and captivating characters but also because each story is set in the Big Sky western states of Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Idaho. I can’t get enough of the great outdoors and the natural world and Box’s description of these wide open spaces, snow covered mountains, ranches and farm land, majestic sunrises and picturesque sunsets within his novels is so hypnotic and alluring to me. Throw in the politics, passion and contentiousness of conservation and preservation, unfettered land use and Federal oversight and the stage is set for some pretty lively, engaging and at times catastrophic interactions between the locals and law enforcement.
************************************************************
Shotgun blasts have decimated Lek 64 in the district of Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, about six months after being named “Special Liaison to the Executive Branch” by WY state governor Rulon. Rulon is especially interested in preserving the “prairie chicken” population ... the politics of conservation and land use are in play!
Sage Grouse
noun
Definition of SAGE GROUSE
: either of two large grouses (Centrocercus urophasianus and C. minimus) of the dry sagebrush plains of western North America that have mottled gray and buff plumage above with a contrasting black belly
Roughly 40% of the remaining sage grouse population that once included all of the western United States and Canada resides in Wyoming and keeping them OFF the endangered species list is critical to Wyoming’s future economic well-being and prosperity. Endangered species status would entail land use restrictions from any type of energy development – oil, gas, wind or solar – and mandate off-limit zones that would impact ranchers, developers and regular citizens. The constant tension between Washington regulators and federal agencies and the western state governors and local politicians is palpable and omnipresent, even toxic!
It’s mid-March and these birds were “on the lek”, the annual gathering of these rare game birds where the males strut, puff and thump to attract females. Someone knew that! They hide in plain sight. How could an entire lek of sage grouse be annihilated when their natural defense is to hide in plain sight? Somebody knew that too!
Don’t be fooled. This story is about far more than birds. Joe’s pursuit of the Lek 64 perpetrator comes to an abrupt halt when the call comes in. Pickett’s adopted daughter April had been found in a roadside ditch, nearly beaten to death! This has become way more than a law enforcement issue, this is personal! And Joe has a very good idea who is responsible.
The destruction of Lek 64 and the subsequent investigation by Joe Pickett and members of ISGTF (Interagency Sage Grouse Task Force) is just the tip of the iceberg of a fantastic, page turning story as the sage grouse investigation intersects with the case of the near fatal blunt force trauma inflicted upon April Pickett.
Joe has very deep rooted and personal reasons to strongly suspect the local pro rodeo star from Saddlestring is the culprit. But assumptions during criminal investigations and failure to notice what’s in plain sight can cause an isolated incident like unlawful hunting to escalate into kidnapping, murder and exposure of deep dark family secrets and parental psychosis.
How does the decimation Lek 64 relate to three brutal deaths, two severe beatings, a gunshot wound to the head, a jail cell suicide and a crippling fall? Very tangentially but effectively I promise! I can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling the story for you but suffice it to say that assumptions, biases, misunderstandings and misinterpretations combine with some deeply entrenched and bizarre mental illness to precipitate some intense and ugly outcomes.
And possibly a new direction for C. J. Box - does Nate Romanowski get his own series???
In addition to experiencing a wonderful story, with each Box installment of the Joe Pickett series I gain a better understanding and appreciation of the lives of the folks who call these magnificent western states home and their constant struggle between leveraging the vast natural resources and the seemingly heavy hand of the Federal government. Box so adeptly articulates the careful balancing act of local law enforcement officials between empathizing and sympathizing with their friends and neighbors and enforcing the Federal laws of these wide open spaces. Joe Pickett is an expert at navigating this very thin line.
Not quite sure about C. J. Box and his wild west adventures? Check him out at http://www.cjbox.net
BTW – The Sage Grouse never made it to the endangered species list!
January 5, 2015
I've never heard of C.J. Box, author of "Endangered" (Putnam 2015). I picked the book because it got good reviews and is the fifteenth in the Joe Pickett series. More importantly, Lee Child recommended it--'one of today's solid-gold, A-list, must-read writers.' I wasn't about to argue with Jack Reacher's right hand man.
Now I have to read the rest, it was that good.
Joe Pickett is an easy-going, easy-to-know Wyoming game warden and family man. He takes his job seriously and has a reputation for solving mysteries rather than settling for the easy answer. Joe never is bigger than life, but he's always true to life. In this story, he's in the middle of mystery dealing with poachers who killed an entire Lek (community) of sage grouse when his 18-year-old daughter is found unconscious in a ditch, beaten and left for dead by her assailant like so much trash. While Pickett tries to unravel this mystery while working on who killed the sage grouse, he finds himself at odds with one of the nastiest local families you'd ever want to meet. For them, anything is fair game if they can get away with it.
This is not a hard-charging, fast-paced thriller with a complex plot that constantly whips you around like a roller coaster. The wonder of this book is the author's voice, through the character of Joe Pickett. He's kind and non-judgmental, but strong and firm in his beliefs. He's natural and uncomplicated, the type of person you'd want for a friend. The power of his personality drives the story, tinges every action, and kept me turning pages. Through Box's magnificent pen, I got to not only know Joe Pickett but understand his motivations. I've already ordered the rest of the series.
Now I have to read the rest, it was that good.
Joe Pickett is an easy-going, easy-to-know Wyoming game warden and family man. He takes his job seriously and has a reputation for solving mysteries rather than settling for the easy answer. Joe never is bigger than life, but he's always true to life. In this story, he's in the middle of mystery dealing with poachers who killed an entire Lek (community) of sage grouse when his 18-year-old daughter is found unconscious in a ditch, beaten and left for dead by her assailant like so much trash. While Pickett tries to unravel this mystery while working on who killed the sage grouse, he finds himself at odds with one of the nastiest local families you'd ever want to meet. For them, anything is fair game if they can get away with it.
This is not a hard-charging, fast-paced thriller with a complex plot that constantly whips you around like a roller coaster. The wonder of this book is the author's voice, through the character of Joe Pickett. He's kind and non-judgmental, but strong and firm in his beliefs. He's natural and uncomplicated, the type of person you'd want for a friend. The power of his personality drives the story, tinges every action, and kept me turning pages. Through Box's magnificent pen, I got to not only know Joe Pickett but understand his motivations. I've already ordered the rest of the series.
April 6, 2022
I listened to the audio book at 1.2X.
I can not believe I have never read a Joe Pickett book before. I've read C.J. Box and enjoyed the story, but it wasn't with Game Warden Joe Pickett (and I can't remember the story). I bought this to listen on my morning walk because it was discounted; now I have to go and buy up all the Pickett books or audio books. I loved it. Great characters, great setting, suspenseful and fun story, and I'll admit while I had pretty much figured out what was going on, there was a small twist I didn't see coming related to Dallas Cates. But even though I figured things out, the story was just wonderful, and the narrator terrific (again 1.2X speed ... I usually listen at 1.1X for most narrators.) Sometimes, male narrators don't do female characters justice (they either sound condescending or bitchy or snobby) ... but David Chandler is the best male narrator I've listened to.
Well worth the read (or listen!)
I can not believe I have never read a Joe Pickett book before. I've read C.J. Box and enjoyed the story, but it wasn't with Game Warden Joe Pickett (and I can't remember the story). I bought this to listen on my morning walk because it was discounted; now I have to go and buy up all the Pickett books or audio books. I loved it. Great characters, great setting, suspenseful and fun story, and I'll admit while I had pretty much figured out what was going on, there was a small twist I didn't see coming related to Dallas Cates. But even though I figured things out, the story was just wonderful, and the narrator terrific (again 1.2X speed ... I usually listen at 1.1X for most narrators.) Sometimes, male narrators don't do female characters justice (they either sound condescending or bitchy or snobby) ... but David Chandler is the best male narrator I've listened to.
Well worth the read (or listen!)
November 10, 2025
What do Joe Pickett and Stephanie Plum have in common? They both have their vehicles destroyed on a regular basis. They also always get the baddie. I devoured this book. The story literally leaped off the page, vivid, stark and menacing. Joe is everything a man should be, and he knows what right and wrong are and they sometimes are not exactly how the law sees them. This is a fantastic series, and I love how C.J. Box can tell a story and how David Chandler enacts that story. They are a great combination.
From the moment that his daughter, April Pickett, brought Dallas Cates home Joe Pickett knew this was going to be trouble. Ever since April left home with Dallas to follow the rodeo circuit Joe was just waiting for the call that finally came on cold spring morning. At least April was still alive. But the damage done to her might be permanent. Proving who beat and dumped April shouldn't be a problem, but not everything was as clear cut as it was to Joe. Dallas had a lot of people willing to lie for him and proving what Joe knew in his heart was going to be difficult. Joe also has no idea of what the Cates family would do in order to protect Dallas.
From the moment that his daughter, April Pickett, brought Dallas Cates home Joe Pickett knew this was going to be trouble. Ever since April left home with Dallas to follow the rodeo circuit Joe was just waiting for the call that finally came on cold spring morning. At least April was still alive. But the damage done to her might be permanent. Proving who beat and dumped April shouldn't be a problem, but not everything was as clear cut as it was to Joe. Dallas had a lot of people willing to lie for him and proving what Joe knew in his heart was going to be difficult. Joe also has no idea of what the Cates family would do in order to protect Dallas.
April 7, 2024
Internal Affairs
Joe’s daughter April was found beaten almost to death along a country road had to be put into a coma to save her from brain damage or death. She had left with a rodeo star and he was one of the suspects in her terrible beating. Nate Romanowski was released by the Feds with the agreement he would be bait in a Federal sting dealing with a dangerous man, but permitted no weapon and was shot twice with shotgun blasts. Nate ended up in the same hospital on the same floor as April.
Meanwhile Joe has his own mission going for the Governor because an entire flock of an endangered species of grouse had been slaughtered. Experts were sent by Joe’s immediate boss in a political move and they’re breathing down his neck.
This was another fine mess that Joe finds himself into and eventually out of, because that’s why we pay C. J. Box the big bucks and dole out five stars for his stories. This was one of my favorites so far.
Joe’s daughter April was found beaten almost to death along a country road had to be put into a coma to save her from brain damage or death. She had left with a rodeo star and he was one of the suspects in her terrible beating. Nate Romanowski was released by the Feds with the agreement he would be bait in a Federal sting dealing with a dangerous man, but permitted no weapon and was shot twice with shotgun blasts. Nate ended up in the same hospital on the same floor as April.
Meanwhile Joe has his own mission going for the Governor because an entire flock of an endangered species of grouse had been slaughtered. Experts were sent by Joe’s immediate boss in a political move and they’re breathing down his neck.
This was another fine mess that Joe finds himself into and eventually out of, because that’s why we pay C. J. Box the big bucks and dole out five stars for his stories. This was one of my favorites so far.
January 18, 2015
I have to admit that I read Endangered as a sort of experiment. You see, I haven't read past book five in C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series, and book five was a long time ago. Even though I enjoyed those five books, I had to ask myself if I was ever going to get the chance to catch up. Since I didn't believe I could, short of shoving everything else to the side and reading the series straight through, I decided to jump in here at book fifteen. A lot of things have happened to Joe and his family in those ten books I didn't read, but Box gave me enough information to fill in the blanks so I didn't feel hopelessly lost. In fact, I almost felt as if I'd never left-- and that's got a lot to do with the author's creation of such a strong character.
There are three storylines on the move in Endangered. There's what happened to all those sage grouse for starters. Most people probably don't think of the ramifications of placing animals on the endangered species list, but Box makes it quite clear what could happen if those birds are, and he weaves the information into the narrative seamlessly. This storyline also adds a lot of tension and stress to Joe's life at a time when he certainly doesn't need it. The "sage grouse twins" Annie Hatch of the Bureau of Land Management and Revis Wentworth of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seem to go out of their way to push Joe over the edge.
The second storyline involves Nate Romanowski, who just might be released from federal custody as along as he agrees to jump through all the hoops that FBI agent Dudley has set up for him. Dudley ranks right up there with the sage grouse twins in being adept at making people lose their tempers. This storyline is a quiet one, but longtime readers know Nate will make his presence known.
The third storyline is the most important: the identity of the person responsible for what happened to April Pickett. It has Joe treading the fine line between being a father and being a law enforcement officer. Box has created one of the best dysfunctional families in fiction with the Cates. From the quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Eminem at the very beginning of the book to warnings given to Joe by the sheriff, readers know from the start that Brenda Cates is the Ma Barker of Wyoming. She is the one person in that violent family that Joe has to be most careful of. Knowing that, does it mean that there are no surprises in this storyline? Don't believe that for a second!
I'm so glad I decided to head back to Wyoming to visit a spell with Joe Pickett. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Box's intricately woven plots, fast pacing, and well-drawn characters. As the chapters flew by, I became convinced of one thing: no way am I going to let another ten books go by before I read another one. Joe Pickett's simply too good to neglect. Shame on me!
There are three storylines on the move in Endangered. There's what happened to all those sage grouse for starters. Most people probably don't think of the ramifications of placing animals on the endangered species list, but Box makes it quite clear what could happen if those birds are, and he weaves the information into the narrative seamlessly. This storyline also adds a lot of tension and stress to Joe's life at a time when he certainly doesn't need it. The "sage grouse twins" Annie Hatch of the Bureau of Land Management and Revis Wentworth of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seem to go out of their way to push Joe over the edge.
The second storyline involves Nate Romanowski, who just might be released from federal custody as along as he agrees to jump through all the hoops that FBI agent Dudley has set up for him. Dudley ranks right up there with the sage grouse twins in being adept at making people lose their tempers. This storyline is a quiet one, but longtime readers know Nate will make his presence known.
The third storyline is the most important: the identity of the person responsible for what happened to April Pickett. It has Joe treading the fine line between being a father and being a law enforcement officer. Box has created one of the best dysfunctional families in fiction with the Cates. From the quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Eminem at the very beginning of the book to warnings given to Joe by the sheriff, readers know from the start that Brenda Cates is the Ma Barker of Wyoming. She is the one person in that violent family that Joe has to be most careful of. Knowing that, does it mean that there are no surprises in this storyline? Don't believe that for a second!
I'm so glad I decided to head back to Wyoming to visit a spell with Joe Pickett. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Box's intricately woven plots, fast pacing, and well-drawn characters. As the chapters flew by, I became convinced of one thing: no way am I going to let another ten books go by before I read another one. Joe Pickett's simply too good to neglect. Shame on me!
June 25, 2018
Endangered is another very solid effort by C. J. Box. It is the 15th novel about Joe Pickett, a straight-arrow, tough-minded, down-to-earth Game Warden in Wyoming. The book is well plotted, well written and has excellent characters.
The Joe Pickett novels don't have to be read in sequence but doing so adds to the back story and will, in all likelihood, enhance your appreciation of the book and some of its characters.
There isn't a need to say any more because you'd almost certainly not be considering the 15th book in the series if you didn't really like Box's writing. I often read a Box book after I have been disappointed by another book since Box is so consistently good.
The End
The Joe Pickett novels don't have to be read in sequence but doing so adds to the back story and will, in all likelihood, enhance your appreciation of the book and some of its characters.
There isn't a need to say any more because you'd almost certainly not be considering the 15th book in the series if you didn't really like Box's writing. I often read a Box book after I have been disappointed by another book since Box is so consistently good.
The End
July 14, 2024
5 Stars for Endangered: Joe Pickett, Book 15 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by David Chandler.
Two people very close to Joe Pickett end up fighting for their lives in the hospital and ultimately it seems that one family is responsible for putting them there.
Two people very close to Joe Pickett end up fighting for their lives in the hospital and ultimately it seems that one family is responsible for putting them there.
March 4, 2015
First Sentence: When Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett received the call every parent dreads, he was standing knee-high in thick sagebrush counting the carcasses of sage grouse.
When Joe Pickett receives a call about the body of a girl being found in a ditch by the highway, it is suspected to be his ward, April, who had taken off with rodeo champion Dallas Cates. Cates’ family gives him an alibi, and there’s evidence pointing to someone else. But Joe isn’t convenience and is determined to learn the truth…one way or another.
There’s no question but that C.J. Box knows who to write a completely compelling book. He’s the type of author whose story you start at page one, and find yourself in exactly the same spot several hours later when you’ve finished the book.
Pickett is such a wonderful, fully-dimensional character. You know who he is and for what he stands. He is moral and principled, as well as determined to find the truth, particularly when it impacts his family. Don’t for a second, however, think that makes him perfect or boring. He is the sort of person you’d want on your side. The balance between Joe and his wife, Marybeth, rings absolutely true, with each playing to their strengths. The same also applies to his relationship with his daughters. And then there’s Nate. Followers of the series fear not. Nate is there exactly when it matters.
On the other hand, Box does create some villains who will make your skin crawl. They’re not over the top, but they are definitely not someone you’d ever what to know.
“Endangered” is a plot-driven story, with great characters and excellent suspense. Box is always a great read.
ENDANGERED (Lic Invest/Game Warden – Joe Pickett- Wyoming/Montana-Contemp) -Ex
Box, C.J. – 15th in series
G.P. Putnam’s Sons – March 2015
When Joe Pickett receives a call about the body of a girl being found in a ditch by the highway, it is suspected to be his ward, April, who had taken off with rodeo champion Dallas Cates. Cates’ family gives him an alibi, and there’s evidence pointing to someone else. But Joe isn’t convenience and is determined to learn the truth…one way or another.
There’s no question but that C.J. Box knows who to write a completely compelling book. He’s the type of author whose story you start at page one, and find yourself in exactly the same spot several hours later when you’ve finished the book.
Pickett is such a wonderful, fully-dimensional character. You know who he is and for what he stands. He is moral and principled, as well as determined to find the truth, particularly when it impacts his family. Don’t for a second, however, think that makes him perfect or boring. He is the sort of person you’d want on your side. The balance between Joe and his wife, Marybeth, rings absolutely true, with each playing to their strengths. The same also applies to his relationship with his daughters. And then there’s Nate. Followers of the series fear not. Nate is there exactly when it matters.
On the other hand, Box does create some villains who will make your skin crawl. They’re not over the top, but they are definitely not someone you’d ever what to know.
“Endangered” is a plot-driven story, with great characters and excellent suspense. Box is always a great read.
ENDANGERED (Lic Invest/Game Warden – Joe Pickett- Wyoming/Montana-Contemp) -Ex
Box, C.J. – 15th in series
G.P. Putnam’s Sons – March 2015
September 6, 2023
Box is heavily preserved bread his stories never go stale. He is such a literary comfort.
Take a little Joe Pickett, Wyoming game warden. Throw in his wife, his 3 daughters, his dog, Daisy, and his best friend Nate Romanowski - master falconer. Now bring on the Cateses, the nastiest little family since Ma Barker, and you have a gripping mystery that won't let go. In a previous Joe Pickett story, Joe's adopted daughter, April, runs off with world class bull rider Dallas Cates.
Now she's back: found beaten, bloody, and unconscious in a ditch outside Saddlestring, Wy. Joe is certain the person who did this to her is Dallas Cates. But an anonymous tip and all the evidence points to Tilden Cudmore, a survivalist and conspiracy theorist. Still, Joe thinks Dallas has something to do with it. The Cateses, an old hunter and outfitter, his three nasty sons, and the ruler of them all, Brenda - wife and mother and brains of the operation, are as vicious a bunch of backwoods rattlers you can find.
Now April is in a coma in a hospital in Billings, Nate Romanowski has been ambushed and lies near death in the same hospital, and Joe is determined to find out who did it. I almost never say this, but I couldn't put it down.
Take a little Joe Pickett, Wyoming game warden. Throw in his wife, his 3 daughters, his dog, Daisy, and his best friend Nate Romanowski - master falconer. Now bring on the Cateses, the nastiest little family since Ma Barker, and you have a gripping mystery that won't let go. In a previous Joe Pickett story, Joe's adopted daughter, April, runs off with world class bull rider Dallas Cates.
Now she's back: found beaten, bloody, and unconscious in a ditch outside Saddlestring, Wy. Joe is certain the person who did this to her is Dallas Cates. But an anonymous tip and all the evidence points to Tilden Cudmore, a survivalist and conspiracy theorist. Still, Joe thinks Dallas has something to do with it. The Cateses, an old hunter and outfitter, his three nasty sons, and the ruler of them all, Brenda - wife and mother and brains of the operation, are as vicious a bunch of backwoods rattlers you can find.
Now April is in a coma in a hospital in Billings, Nate Romanowski has been ambushed and lies near death in the same hospital, and Joe is determined to find out who did it. I almost never say this, but I couldn't put it down.
March 14, 2024
I'm hopelessly hooked - there's nothing more to say!! I hate it took me so long to jump on the Joe Pickett bandwagon, but there's no stopping now! Endangered is mesmerizing...page burning...couldn't put it down! I'm so in love with Box's work that I've also started working my way through his other series beginning with the Highway Quartet series. These are stunning reads. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2015
Quite a few books ago, I discovered this series because the last name of Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is the same as my maiden name. It's unusual enough that I simply had to check out the books - and quickly, Joe made my list of Top 10 favorite heroes. This is the 15th book in the series, and author C.J. Box remains at the top of his game - and yes, Joe is still on that list. And in this one, I found yet another personal tie-in; one of the characters, it seems, shares my March 21 birthday.
The book opens as Joe gets a call from local authorities saying they've found a near-dead young girl along a highway; she's been severely beaten, and it's suspected she's April, the adopted daughter of Joe and his wife Marybeth. Not long ago, the headstrong 18-year-old ran off with champion rodeo cowboy Dallas Cates, upsetting Joe, his wife and daughters Sheridan and Lucy.
Meantime, Joe's old friend and isolationist falconer, Nate Romanowski, has been freed from prison on the condition that he help the FBI track down Wolfgang Templeton, a billionaire who fled the country with Marybeth's mother after running afoul of the law. Nate's been warned to stay away from Joe, but as the story unfolds, the two are drawn close as seemingly unrelated events begin to interconnect (including the near murder of Nate that puts him in the same hospital as April and the disappearance of Nate's girlfriend, Olivia - the one with whom I share a birthday).
Angry over what's happened to April and Nate, upset by an apparently unrelated wholesale slaughter of potentially endangered wild birds and believing that April's rodeo cowboy is responsible for her beating, Joe sets out to find the truth - a truth that puts him in the crosshairs of an unbelievably nasty family and nearly costs him his own life.
This is another winner in the series, which I highly recommend. If possible, I think it's best to start at or near the beginning (Open Season, I believe, is the first, written in 2002), but readers of this one alone should be able to get enough of the background so as to not be lost.
The book opens as Joe gets a call from local authorities saying they've found a near-dead young girl along a highway; she's been severely beaten, and it's suspected she's April, the adopted daughter of Joe and his wife Marybeth. Not long ago, the headstrong 18-year-old ran off with champion rodeo cowboy Dallas Cates, upsetting Joe, his wife and daughters Sheridan and Lucy.
Meantime, Joe's old friend and isolationist falconer, Nate Romanowski, has been freed from prison on the condition that he help the FBI track down Wolfgang Templeton, a billionaire who fled the country with Marybeth's mother after running afoul of the law. Nate's been warned to stay away from Joe, but as the story unfolds, the two are drawn close as seemingly unrelated events begin to interconnect (including the near murder of Nate that puts him in the same hospital as April and the disappearance of Nate's girlfriend, Olivia - the one with whom I share a birthday).
Angry over what's happened to April and Nate, upset by an apparently unrelated wholesale slaughter of potentially endangered wild birds and believing that April's rodeo cowboy is responsible for her beating, Joe sets out to find the truth - a truth that puts him in the crosshairs of an unbelievably nasty family and nearly costs him his own life.
This is another winner in the series, which I highly recommend. If possible, I think it's best to start at or near the beginning (Open Season, I believe, is the first, written in 2002), but readers of this one alone should be able to get enough of the background so as to not be lost.
March 19, 2015
This is real C. J. Box. Someone beat Joe Pickett’s adopted daughter, April, nearly to death and dumped her along a highway. Someone else shotgunned Nate Romanowski, Joe’s best friend, immediately after he’s released from federal custody. And Joe is investigating the massacre of sage grouse. He can't help but wonder if any, or all, of this is connected. You know he won't stop short of the truth, even if it kills him.
A loner railing against “jack-booted thugs” during his arrest, the judge who threatens to “light him up” (pointing the gun he would do it with), rodeos, a family of devil-spawn dimensions, and a plan to drown Nate’s girlfriend in raw sewage. You now have the basic mix. Can’t say more without spoilers.
C. J. Box puts everything in straight-faced, would-you-believe-it, story-telling. It is not easy to scare you and make you smile at the same time but Box does it as sharply as a skinning-knife. I did put this down, to get something to drink.
A loner railing against “jack-booted thugs” during his arrest, the judge who threatens to “light him up” (pointing the gun he would do it with), rodeos, a family of devil-spawn dimensions, and a plan to drown Nate’s girlfriend in raw sewage. You now have the basic mix. Can’t say more without spoilers.
C. J. Box puts everything in straight-faced, would-you-believe-it, story-telling. It is not easy to scare you and make you smile at the same time but Box does it as sharply as a skinning-knife. I did put this down, to get something to drink.
March 18, 2015
Investigating the slaughter of an entire flock of rare birds, Wyoming Fish & Game Warden Joe Pickett learns that his daughter April has been assaulted and left in a ditch on the side of the road. Joe immediately suspects her rodeo cowboy boyfriend, Dallas Cates. At the same time, Nate's outlaw friend Nate Romanowski is gunned down in an ambush and left for dead on the floor of a barn. Joe tries to piece together a plausible connection to what happened to his daughter and Nate. Meanwhile, Dallas Cates has a solid alibi and is supported by his malevolently violent family. All roads lead to one destination for one of my very favorite protagonists, Joe Pickett. I very much like his family as well and how they relate to each other in the context of big sky Wyoming. Very highly recommended.
January 28, 2015
Another instant classic read. I have not really gotten to know Joe Pickett but the little bit that I am familiar with I am enjoying. I really felt like I connected with him in this book. I like that the father side of him really came out. He was not just sheriff but a father who like any loving father you do not want to mess with when his daughter is hurt. Quick reading with high intensity. I could not stop reading. Mr. Box is a great storyteller. He brings life to his stories and characters as if they really were people. Not much of a surprise when it came to the responsible party. However still fun to read how it would all end. Which it did end and with a big bang in a good way. Can't wait to read the next book by this author.
February 7, 2025
This one grabbed me from the get-go: one of Joe's daughters and Joe's BFF are both on death's door.
At the end of the last book, Joe's 17yo adopted daughter, April, ran off to Las Vegas with rodeo cowboy Dallas Cates. Three months later, Sheriff Reed comes over the radio to ask Joe to meet him on an isolated stretch of road. A young woman matching April's description has been reported lying in a ditch, and she's been beaten so badly that she's barely alive.
Meanwhile, Nate's brief incarceration is ending after turning state's witness against the leader of a murder-for-hire ring. He and love interest Liv have a plan to turn Nate's falconry hobby into a business, using the birds to naturally eradicate pests like mice and invasive species (sounds like a stretch to me, but whatever.) On their very first job, property caretakers escort Nate into an old barn where he's ambushed and shot in the chest!
Suddenly Mary Beth, Sheridan and Lucy are spending lots of time at the big hospital over in Billings, Montana. Joe calls to check on April and Nate because he's too busy hunting down the bastards who did all this.
The way things came together seemed far-fetched and weird. The idea that anybody could get the jump on Nate is hard to believe, much less the dumbasses who did. I also hated what happens to Liv in this plot, but she showed grit and determination. The bad guys involved in the attempted murders didn't get nearly enough comeuppance, but up until the climax, I was totally hooked on what was going on and how it would all turn out! The ending was disappointing - and why the hell did CJ Box even bother with that stupid Sage Grouse storyline? - but at least the Pickett crew will return to fight another day. Next up is Off the Grid.
At the end of the last book, Joe's 17yo adopted daughter, April, ran off to Las Vegas with rodeo cowboy Dallas Cates. Three months later, Sheriff Reed comes over the radio to ask Joe to meet him on an isolated stretch of road. A young woman matching April's description has been reported lying in a ditch, and she's been beaten so badly that she's barely alive.
Meanwhile, Nate's brief incarceration is ending after turning state's witness against the leader of a murder-for-hire ring. He and love interest Liv have a plan to turn Nate's falconry hobby into a business, using the birds to naturally eradicate pests like mice and invasive species (sounds like a stretch to me, but whatever.) On their very first job, property caretakers escort Nate into an old barn where he's ambushed and shot in the chest!
Suddenly Mary Beth, Sheridan and Lucy are spending lots of time at the big hospital over in Billings, Montana. Joe calls to check on April and Nate because he's too busy hunting down the bastards who did all this.
The way things came together seemed far-fetched and weird. The idea that anybody could get the jump on Nate is hard to believe, much less the dumbasses who did. I also hated what happens to Liv in this plot, but she showed grit and determination. The bad guys involved in the attempted murders didn't get nearly enough comeuppance, but up until the climax, I was totally hooked on what was going on and how it would all turn out! The ending was disappointing - and why the hell did CJ Box even bother with that stupid Sage Grouse storyline? - but at least the Pickett crew will return to fight another day. Next up is Off the Grid.
December 26, 2023
Joe Pickett’s daughter ran off with a bull riding champion, and then she gets beaten and left to die in a ditch. Left in a coma in the hospital,
Joe is dead set on proving it was her no good boyfriend.
The perfect quick mystery for those crime junkies! CJ Box writes quick, fast-paced chapters to keep readers engaged. The characters were psychotic and Joe Pickett is such a fun character who literally barrels into situations and gets your heart-pounding! Some schemes may be a bit over the top with it comes too realistic events but I thought it was action-packed fun! I do wish there was more mystery or plot twists involved but other than that I would highly recommend to those who love murder mysteries with a crime focus.
Joe is dead set on proving it was her no good boyfriend.
The perfect quick mystery for those crime junkies! CJ Box writes quick, fast-paced chapters to keep readers engaged. The characters were psychotic and Joe Pickett is such a fun character who literally barrels into situations and gets your heart-pounding! Some schemes may be a bit over the top with it comes too realistic events but I thought it was action-packed fun! I do wish there was more mystery or plot twists involved but other than that I would highly recommend to those who love murder mysteries with a crime focus.
April 2, 2017
One of the best books from this ever-reliable series about game warden Joe Pickett. The game warden part of his life was only a minor part of this story as his adopted daughter was found beaten and abandoned in a ditch, months after leaving home to live with a local hero rodeo rider. This story is much more about chasing down the bad guys and protecting family - Joe Pickett at his best.
June 23, 2019
I had lost track of this series for awhile and recently went back to it. So now I’ve been reading a few of the ones I missed along the way. This is a great series that always sucks me in from the first page. Joe Pickett is a favorite character of mine.
September 28, 2019
Another great one from C J Box. !!!!
May 6, 2022
Maybe this was the best Pickett book. I guess I think that after I finish most of them. The Cates family proved to be a great foe for all of Box’s characters. It was light and lightning fast. What a fun read! I love this series.
February 15, 2022
A lot of long series either fluctuate or deteriorate in quality with age. Joe Pickett is the rare exception. Each book gets better and better. This installment was outstanding.
December 29, 2021
You know those books you don't expect to love? Wow, this one is thoroughly entertaining. I'm not the sort of girl who reads stories about game wardens or Wyoming, but this story intrigued me from the first chapter. It's my first one by C.J. Box, but it will not be my last.
Box masters the art of "showing" and not telling his stories. I can see the characters and the setting, smell the smells, and hear the machinery. Great style, to the point but not flat. Some twists and turns, but not so many that the book becomes farcical.
You'll root for the game warden and his family. You'll want to slap the villains. They all become so real. Don't miss out on this one.
Box masters the art of "showing" and not telling his stories. I can see the characters and the setting, smell the smells, and hear the machinery. Great style, to the point but not flat. Some twists and turns, but not so many that the book becomes farcical.
You'll root for the game warden and his family. You'll want to slap the villains. They all become so real. Don't miss out on this one.
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