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Joe Pickett #27
The Missing
Not yet published
Expected 23 Feb 27"C.J. Box owns the modern American frontier.” —Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Cry Havoc
“Raining here, but I’ve got a cup of hot tea and a Joe Pickett novel, so who has it better than me?” —Stephen King
When two children and their nanny vanish without a trace from an elk camp, Governor Rulon sends Joe Pickett to Afton, Wyoming, to investigate.
Still reeling from the after-effects of a near-fatal gunshot wound, Joe joins a state and federal task force and teams up with local game warden Roger McEniry to search camps and hunting parties—but Star Valley is a tight-knit community that doesn't give up its secrets easily.
Joe and Roger are stymied by powerful local elders who seem intent on steering the investigation, and even the children’s own mother appears ready to accept the worst. Suspicion soon falls on two dangerous misfits with motive, means and opportunity, but Joe may be the only one left who believes the children are still alive.
Back in Saddlestring, Sheridan Pickett and Sheriff Sondergard uncover an elk-poaching case that points to something darker. As the two investigations advance, Joe is pulled towards a reckoning with people who will do anything to keep the truth buried.
“Raining here, but I’ve got a cup of hot tea and a Joe Pickett novel, so who has it better than me?” —Stephen King
When two children and their nanny vanish without a trace from an elk camp, Governor Rulon sends Joe Pickett to Afton, Wyoming, to investigate.
Still reeling from the after-effects of a near-fatal gunshot wound, Joe joins a state and federal task force and teams up with local game warden Roger McEniry to search camps and hunting parties—but Star Valley is a tight-knit community that doesn't give up its secrets easily.
Joe and Roger are stymied by powerful local elders who seem intent on steering the investigation, and even the children’s own mother appears ready to accept the worst. Suspicion soon falls on two dangerous misfits with motive, means and opportunity, but Joe may be the only one left who believes the children are still alive.
Back in Saddlestring, Sheridan Pickett and Sheriff Sondergard uncover an elk-poaching case that points to something darker. As the two investigations advance, Joe is pulled towards a reckoning with people who will do anything to keep the truth buried.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 23, 2027
About the author
C.J. Box
112 books7,669 followersC. J. Box is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels including the Joe Pickett series. He won the Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel (Blue Heaven, 2009) as well as the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, two Barry Awards, and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction. He was recently awarded the 2016 Western Heritage Award for Literature by the National Cowboy Museum as well as the Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel by the Western Writers of America in 2017. The novels have been translated into 27 languages.
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
* Joe Pickett
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cjbox
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
* Joe Pickett
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cjbox
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Missing centers around a hair-raising, high-stakes search for two children and their nanny in the rugged wilderness of Wyoming when they vanish without a trace from a remote backcountry elk hunting camp. Joe Pickett is personally assigned by Governor Rulon to head to Afton, Wyoming, to investigate.
There was a lot going on in this book, along with quite a few truly despicable people who were easy to hate. It wasn't my favorite book in the series, maybe because it felt to me that there was a bit too much going on. Maybe the Sheridan/Sondergard subplot could have been left out? Was Biscuit (Joe's dog) even a part of the story other than being told constantly that he had to stay in the truck? Even throwing Nate in for a few pages felt like an afterthought.
That's certainly not to say that The Missing is not worth reading. I absolutely love the team Marybeth and Joe make. And towards the end of the book Joe was the hero I know and love.
I'm eager to see what the next book has in store for us!!
Thank you, #GPPutnamsSons, for providing this book for consideration and review via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Missing has an expected publication date of February 23, 2027.
#Mystery #Crime #Series
There was a lot going on in this book, along with quite a few truly despicable people who were easy to hate. It wasn't my favorite book in the series, maybe because it felt to me that there was a bit too much going on. Maybe the Sheridan/Sondergard subplot could have been left out? Was Biscuit (Joe's dog) even a part of the story other than being told constantly that he had to stay in the truck? Even throwing Nate in for a few pages felt like an afterthought.
That's certainly not to say that The Missing is not worth reading. I absolutely love the team Marybeth and Joe make. And towards the end of the book Joe was the hero I know and love.
I'm eager to see what the next book has in store for us!!
Thank you, #GPPutnamsSons, for providing this book for consideration and review via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Missing has an expected publication date of February 23, 2027.
#Mystery #Crime #Series
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This series is really one of the best out there. C, J, Box is a master at his craft as shown in this character driven read. When two children and their nanny are abducted, Joe is called by the governor to assist on the case. As usual. Joe does things his way. Even though he is still dealing with a brain injury, he gives his all. He has to deal with the politics of the area he was sent to plus the FBI agents who were called in. When evidence points to two losers and they get killed, the FBI heads for home assuming that they had killed the children. However, Joe can't let the questions he had go unanswered and turns the whole case on its ear when he finds surprising new evidence. He has a lot of help from his wife, Mary Beth, and he also gets his daughter involved into one of his cases that turns much more dangerous than anyone thought it would. This is a must read for thriller readers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
C. J. Box’s Joe Pickett series has always stayed on my radar, but the further it has gone in the series, the harder it has been for me to want to get into it. I finally bought the bullet with “The Missing”, the 27th book in the series.
Joe Pickett is sent with the task of finding when two children go missing from a hunting site. Not everyone has the best motives in the search for the children. This, along with federal involvement, leads to some clashes as Pickett is trying to find the children and the perpetrators.
Yes, there are battles between Pickett and the Feds. Has it been done to death? Also, yes. However, Box writes it in a way that actually adds to the story and keeps the enjoyment level going.
I loved the thought process of Pickett’s investigation. I also loved the interactions. Everything about this novel put a smile on my face. And that’s tough to do when reading a book about missing kids. This was a great job by the author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Joe Pickett is sent with the task of finding when two children go missing from a hunting site. Not everyone has the best motives in the search for the children. This, along with federal involvement, leads to some clashes as Pickett is trying to find the children and the perpetrators.
Yes, there are battles between Pickett and the Feds. Has it been done to death? Also, yes. However, Box writes it in a way that actually adds to the story and keeps the enjoyment level going.
I loved the thought process of Pickett’s investigation. I also loved the interactions. Everything about this novel put a smile on my face. And that’s tough to do when reading a book about missing kids. This was a great job by the author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I have read the entire Joe Pickett series. I only started in 2022 after looking for a new series. I'll be 100% honest and say I didn't like the first book. Just wasn't for me and didn't seem like the modern country western law enforcement mysteries I like. I still gave the second book in the series, Savage Run, a try. That one kicked everything off for me and I binged the series over the next two months.
There are 26 books in the series and The Missing is book #27. 27 books about a Wyoming Game Warden who keeps inadvertently stumbling into huge crimes. How can this series last? Doesn't it seem repetitive? No. Author CJ Box finds a way each book to not only keep the series going, but to fully entertain and enthral the reader. Going from early in Joe's career you not only get to see the evolution of his career, but of his friends, wife, and daughters. CJ Box has done a great way of making the reader care about and enjoy a great deal of characters in Joe's life.
This book picks up a year after The Crossroads where Joe wasn't even the main character; however, he had been shot in the head and was a focal point still. One year later, Governor Rulon is asking for Joe's assistance again when two young children go missing in the Wyoming Range wilderness. Did the children walk off? Were they kidnapped by their nanny? Where is the ransom? Is there possible child sex trafficking going on? Are the kids already dead? So many different thoughts and ideas run through Joe's head as he works with other Wyoming agencies and the FBI to find the children.
I'm a police officer and I still enjoy these types of books. CJ Box's writing has at times made me think about lateraling to a Wyoming agency or even transferring to my state game warden agency. I'm a thorough reader and at times I think I'm at a detective level (sadly, just a graveyard patrol sergeant) and have it all figured out. Still, CJ Box gets me everytime and this book did exactly this. Another stellar read which leaves me waiting for the next one.
If you already love Joe Pickett, you'll love this one as well. If you are a fan of the Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch or Craig Johnson's Longmire series---give this series a shot.
I have read the entire Joe Pickett series. I only started in 2022 after looking for a new series. I'll be 100% honest and say I didn't like the first book. Just wasn't for me and didn't seem like the modern country western law enforcement mysteries I like. I still gave the second book in the series, Savage Run, a try. That one kicked everything off for me and I binged the series over the next two months.
There are 26 books in the series and The Missing is book #27. 27 books about a Wyoming Game Warden who keeps inadvertently stumbling into huge crimes. How can this series last? Doesn't it seem repetitive? No. Author CJ Box finds a way each book to not only keep the series going, but to fully entertain and enthral the reader. Going from early in Joe's career you not only get to see the evolution of his career, but of his friends, wife, and daughters. CJ Box has done a great way of making the reader care about and enjoy a great deal of characters in Joe's life.
This book picks up a year after The Crossroads where Joe wasn't even the main character; however, he had been shot in the head and was a focal point still. One year later, Governor Rulon is asking for Joe's assistance again when two young children go missing in the Wyoming Range wilderness. Did the children walk off? Were they kidnapped by their nanny? Where is the ransom? Is there possible child sex trafficking going on? Are the kids already dead? So many different thoughts and ideas run through Joe's head as he works with other Wyoming agencies and the FBI to find the children.
I'm a police officer and I still enjoy these types of books. CJ Box's writing has at times made me think about lateraling to a Wyoming agency or even transferring to my state game warden agency. I'm a thorough reader and at times I think I'm at a detective level (sadly, just a graveyard patrol sergeant) and have it all figured out. Still, CJ Box gets me everytime and this book did exactly this. Another stellar read which leaves me waiting for the next one.
If you already love Joe Pickett, you'll love this one as well. If you are a fan of the Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch or Craig Johnson's Longmire series---give this series a shot.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Missing (G.P. Putnam 2027), 27th in the Joe Pickett series is another winner for Mr. Box. In this one, Game Warden Joe Pickett is still recovering from a gun shot to his head which he thinks is under control--well, except for the occasional stabbing pains to his head, the unexpected black outs, and the blurred vision that comes at will. As he pursues his usual game warden duties Wyoming Governor Rule calls him for one more of his special Range Warrior jobs. The type Joe rarely fails at because he doesn't understand the concept of quitting. This one involves two missing children and their nanny that could make the Wyoming hunting season look unsafe just when it needs to entice visitors. Joe ends up an unwilling member of a task force which includes the FBI, the local police, and another game warden. It stumbles along to its bitter end declared successful when the kidnappers are uncovered, without further thought by any for the lives of the missing. Except Joe Picket who--as I said--doesn't understand the concept of quitting. Without proof the children are or aren’t dead, Joe can't call the job done and continues to pull just one more thread. If you've read other books in this series, you know exactly what that means.
If you like this series or the TV series, you don’t want to miss this one.
If you like this series or the TV series, you don’t want to miss this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In the latest novel, Joe Pickett is emerging from recovery after being shot, but his stability is uncertain, adding tension. He’s back on the job, but rumors of hunters breaking the rules and poaching threaten to distract him. When two children go missing from nearby hunting land, the governor assigns Joe to coordinate with game wardens across Wyoming, heightening the stakes as they race to find the children. He leaves Sheridan to assist Sheriff Steve with the poachers.
When Joe arrives, he finds the trail has gone cold, and the FBI is too. While federal agents dismiss the danger, everyone knows the wilderness hides threats. It’s a tense race against time to find two small children lost in Wyoming's vast wilderness, stirring feelings of suspense and urgency.
CJ Box keeps you on the edge of your seat with this latest thriller, where you always keep your enemies close and your friends in sight. The relentless pursuit builds excitement and anticipation that thrill-seekers will appreciate.
Thank you to CJ Box and Putnam for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review
#TheMissing #libraryninja📚
When Joe arrives, he finds the trail has gone cold, and the FBI is too. While federal agents dismiss the danger, everyone knows the wilderness hides threats. It’s a tense race against time to find two small children lost in Wyoming's vast wilderness, stirring feelings of suspense and urgency.
CJ Box keeps you on the edge of your seat with this latest thriller, where you always keep your enemies close and your friends in sight. The relentless pursuit builds excitement and anticipation that thrill-seekers will appreciate.
Thank you to CJ Box and Putnam for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review
#TheMissing #libraryninja📚
October 25, 2026
Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this arc read in exchange for an honest review!
This is actually the first book I’ve read of the Joe Pickett series, and I’m seriously contemplating on starting from the beginning.
Joe is an honest man who is serious about his job and loves his family dearly. Working for the state as a game warden doesn’t bring in a lot of money, but he does it more for the protection of wildlife rather than a paycheck.
When Joe gets called to help another warden investigate & search for 2 missing children in another county, Joe doesn’t hesitate.
But as Joe experiences the FBIs system and how the case is being handled, he starts second guessing everything.
I loved the multiple point of views in this story, as it kept me interested regarding the flow. Sometimes thrillers can drag on and on to finally get to the point, but The Missing is written very well.
I would absolutely recommend this to my friends as well as buy it for myself to put on my book shelves.
This is actually the first book I’ve read of the Joe Pickett series, and I’m seriously contemplating on starting from the beginning.
Joe is an honest man who is serious about his job and loves his family dearly. Working for the state as a game warden doesn’t bring in a lot of money, but he does it more for the protection of wildlife rather than a paycheck.
When Joe gets called to help another warden investigate & search for 2 missing children in another county, Joe doesn’t hesitate.
But as Joe experiences the FBIs system and how the case is being handled, he starts second guessing everything.
I loved the multiple point of views in this story, as it kept me interested regarding the flow. Sometimes thrillers can drag on and on to finally get to the point, but The Missing is written very well.
I would absolutely recommend this to my friends as well as buy it for myself to put on my book shelves.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a longtime fan of C.J. Box, I've read all the Joe Pickett books, and I'm always eager to see what comes next. This series has consistently delivered great pacing, strong character development, and the kind of wilderness setting where danger seems to lurk around every corner. Unfortunately, this 27th installment fell short for me.
For whatever reason, I just couldn't connect with the story or get invested in what was happening. It had the familiar elements I've come to expect from Box, but something was missing this time around.
Not every book in a long-running series can be a standout, and this one simply didn't resonate with me.
That said, I'm still a fan of C.J. Box and Joe Pickett, and I'll absolutely be back for the next adventure.
Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
For whatever reason, I just couldn't connect with the story or get invested in what was happening. It had the familiar elements I've come to expect from Box, but something was missing this time around.
Not every book in a long-running series can be a standout, and this one simply didn't resonate with me.
That said, I'm still a fan of C.J. Box and Joe Pickett, and I'll absolutely be back for the next adventure.
Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Joe Pickett is back! In the book before this one he was shot in the head and almost died. In this one he is still fighting the after effects, experiencing sudden intense headaches and dizziness, that he keeps secret from wife Marybeth. But he's back on the job, investigating the disappearance of two young children in the Wyoming mountains. Most of the chapters follow Joe as he tries to fit in with an FBI led task force and find his way around the back roads and back deals of an unfamiliar county. There are also some chapters from the viewpoint of a six-year-old girl, taking care of her three-year-old brother while she plots and struggles to save them both. A survival story in the wilderness of Wyoming. A side story follows Joe's daughter, Sheridan, as she partners with the sheriff to bring down a large-scale poaching operation. Classic Joe Pickett.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As my very first novel by C.J. Box, this book completely exceeded my expectations and delivered an exceptionally fast-paced, edge of your seat experience. The storyline is uniquely compelling, setting itself apart from typical thrillers with its gripping plot. I was especially drawn to the atmospheric and immersive setting that envelops the mystery surrounding the missing children.
Overall, I am highly satisfied with this thrilling read and definitely recommend it to fans of suspense and mystery!
Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced readers copy to read and review.
Overall, I am highly satisfied with this thrilling read and definitely recommend it to fans of suspense and mystery!
Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced readers copy to read and review.
October 19, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I had a fun time with this one. I absolutely loved the characters and especially the MMC.
However I don’t think this particular premise was for me.. I enjoyed the trying to guess who did it, but I was not as invested in the story, and I think that is an issue on my side, not the author’s/or the story’s.
If you are a fan of thrillers I would recommend you check this one out!
I had a fun time with this one. I absolutely loved the characters and especially the MMC.
However I don’t think this particular premise was for me.. I enjoyed the trying to guess who did it, but I was not as invested in the story, and I think that is an issue on my side, not the author’s/or the story’s.
If you are a fan of thrillers I would recommend you check this one out!
October 10, 2026
Another amazing CJ Box book bringing us more Joe Pickett action! A fast-paced mystery that develops rapidly as the familiar family characters work together to solve several crimes. Romance is developing as well as betrayal on several fronts. An entertaining book!
Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews