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Joe Pickett #19
Wolf Pack
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett encounters bad behavior on his own turf--only to have the FBI and the DOJ ask him to stand down.
The good news is that Joe Pickett has his job back, after his last adventure in The Disappeared. The bad news is that he's come to learn that a drone is killing wildlife--and the drone belongs to a mysterious and wealthy man whose grandson is dating Joe's own daughter, Lucy.
When Joe tries to lay down the rules for the drone operator, he is asked by the FBI and the DOJ to stand down, which only makes him more suspicious. Joe discovers that the man is in the witness relocation program, as he is in possession of knowledge about dangerous people. Soon, Joe comes across a pack of four killers working on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel to find the man in the WITSEC program--and Joe realizes his actions might expose the man.
Teaming up with a female game warden (based on a real person, one of the few female game wardens at work in Wyoming today) to confront these assassins, Joe finds himself their prey--along with Lucy and her boyfriend.
The good news is that Joe Pickett has his job back, after his last adventure in The Disappeared. The bad news is that he's come to learn that a drone is killing wildlife--and the drone belongs to a mysterious and wealthy man whose grandson is dating Joe's own daughter, Lucy.
When Joe tries to lay down the rules for the drone operator, he is asked by the FBI and the DOJ to stand down, which only makes him more suspicious. Joe discovers that the man is in the witness relocation program, as he is in possession of knowledge about dangerous people. Soon, Joe comes across a pack of four killers working on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel to find the man in the WITSEC program--and Joe realizes his actions might expose the man.
Teaming up with a female game warden (based on a real person, one of the few female game wardens at work in Wyoming today) to confront these assassins, Joe finds himself their prey--along with Lucy and her boyfriend.
371 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
6562 people are currently reading
4468 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
111 books7,174 followersC. J. Box is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels including the Joe Pickett series. He won the Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel (Blue Heaven, 2009) as well as the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, two Barry Awards, and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction. He was recently awarded the 2016 Western Heritage Award for Literature by the National Cowboy Museum as well as the Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel by the Western Writers of America in 2017. The novels have been translated into 27 languages.
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
* Joe Pickett
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cjbox
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
* Joe Pickett
http://us.macmillan.com/author/cjbox
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,694 reviews
March 5, 2019
5 stars
Joe Pickett is back in his 19th adventure in the series, and C.J. Box shows no signs of slacking off even the slightest bit. Wolf Pack is an outstanding addition to the series, and Pickett tackles dual issues as he frequently does – one timely (often environmental) issue and one more straightforward mystery. The current issue in Wolf Pack is the use of drones to herd animals, sometimes to harass them and other times to lead them to their slaughter. When Joe identifies the drone operator and attempts to halt the drone usage, he is met with resistance from the FBI and the DOJ. Frustrated and unhappy, Joe tries to determine why the drone operator is being granted immunity; unfortunately, his persistence places him directly in the path of a Mexican cartel searching for a man that has joined the Witness Protection Program. All hell breaks loose in Saddlestring, and it will take a while for the town to recover from the events that are unleashed in Wolf Pack. This book is fantastic, and I look forward to many more of Joe Pickett’s adventures.
Joe Pickett is back in his 19th adventure in the series, and C.J. Box shows no signs of slacking off even the slightest bit. Wolf Pack is an outstanding addition to the series, and Pickett tackles dual issues as he frequently does – one timely (often environmental) issue and one more straightforward mystery. The current issue in Wolf Pack is the use of drones to herd animals, sometimes to harass them and other times to lead them to their slaughter. When Joe identifies the drone operator and attempts to halt the drone usage, he is met with resistance from the FBI and the DOJ. Frustrated and unhappy, Joe tries to determine why the drone operator is being granted immunity; unfortunately, his persistence places him directly in the path of a Mexican cartel searching for a man that has joined the Witness Protection Program. All hell breaks loose in Saddlestring, and it will take a while for the town to recover from the events that are unleashed in Wolf Pack. This book is fantastic, and I look forward to many more of Joe Pickett’s adventures.
March 13, 2019
Well, that went fast. Probably Box's best written. Very tight and smooth.
Not sure what I can say about the content without spoilers. Maybe a couple of teases: there are two eponymous wolf packs, and only one is of gray wolves. Nate Romanowski's birds play a key role. And Joe and and Marybeth's last daughter remaining at home, Lucy, is in the line of fire.
If you're a fan, you'll like it a lot. So will you if you're new and it'll probably start you on the whole series.
Not sure what I can say about the content without spoilers. Maybe a couple of teases: there are two eponymous wolf packs, and only one is of gray wolves. Nate Romanowski's birds play a key role. And Joe and and Marybeth's last daughter remaining at home, Lucy, is in the line of fire.
If you're a fan, you'll like it a lot. So will you if you're new and it'll probably start you on the whole series.
May 25, 2025
3.5 stars
In this 19th book in the 'Joe Pickett' series, the game warden is after lawbreakers who seem to think they're invulnerable. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
Wyoming Fish and Game Warden Joe Pickett has his own way of doing things, which led to him being fired for insubordination. No one less than the former Governor of Wyoming rose up to defend Joe, and he now has his job back, as well as a new green pickup and a new house.
Joe is adamant about enforcing Fish and Game laws in Twelve Sleep County, so when he gets a call from Warden Katelyn Hamm, who polices the region on the other side of the mountain, Joe takes notice.
It seems someone is using a drone to harass elk and mule deer, which resulted in the death of several animals. When Katelyn tried to shoot down the drone, it flew over to Joe's district, and Katelyn wants Joe to find the culprit.
Joe is investigating another misdemeanor as well. An illegal trapper has been putting out animal traps, and not returning to check them. This causes unnecessary suffering for creatures who get caught and aren't retrieved. The lawbreaker apparently isn't too clever, because his name and address are on the traps: Tom Kinnison, 224 Elkhorn Drive, Winchester, Wyoming.
As things play out, trapper Tom Kinnison and the owner of the illegal drone, a man named Bill Hill, reside at the same address. When Joe drives over to 224 Elkhorn Drive to hand out citations, he finds an isolated, well-protected compound housing several gun-toting men who aren't happy to see Joe.
Joe learns that trapper Tom Kinnison is away, and drone-flyer Bill Hill is arrogant and entitled about flying the aircraft. In fact Hill insinuates he has some kind of protection, and says Joe better back off if he wants to stay out of trouble.
Joe won't back off....but there's a complication. Bill Hill's son Justin is the high school boyfriend of Joe's 18-year-old daughter Lucy.
It turns out Bill Hill isn't delusional about being unassailable, because FBI agents from Washington DC show up in Wyoming. The agents try to pressure Katelyn Hamm and Joe Pickett to go easy on Hill and his cohorts, hinting at some VERY important reasons. Of course Joe has no intention of cooperating with the FBI agents, who - besides being autocratic and cocky - appear to be operating without authorization from Quantico.
In the meantime four assassins from the Mexican Sinaloa cartel - who call themselves the Wolf Pack - have murdered three people in Arizona and are on their way to Wyoming to 'finish the job.'
Joe's friend Nate Romanowski sees the four Hispanic visitors when they arrive in town, gets a bad vibe from them, and tells Joe about their presence. Readers familiar with the series know that Nate is a former special ops agent who's the cleverest, most capable, and toughest outdoorsman in the country. (I think of Nate as a sort of 'Jack Reacher of the mountains', a man you can always count on to do the job.)
Nate, who's now a falconer among other things, helps Joe in his attempt to stop the drones and round up the bad guys.
The story is action packed, with plenty of murder and mayhem - some of it at the hands of a beautiful 'honeypot' cartel assassin, who lures men to their demise.
Though some scenes are hard (for me) to stomach, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to fans of the Joe Pickett series and readers who enjoy thrillers.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
March 20, 2019
This is the 19th in the author's series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, and having read them all, it's one of the best, I think. Granted, it leans a bit more toward the dark side with some really nasty characters, but the story was so intriguing - and moved along so quickly - that I kept pushing to get to the conclusion as fast as I could.
After losing his job at the conclusion of the previous book, Joe is back in the saddle again, this time out in the wilds investigating leg hold traps that have been set but not retrieved - a no-no in this territory where wild animals are supposed to roam free. Usually, it's not easy to determine who the traps belong to, but in this case, the owner's initials are on the trap. Before he can do much about it, though, he's called by another nearby ranger, Katelyn Hamm, who has spotted a drone swooping down and scaring the bejesus out of herds of deer.
As it turns out, the drone belongs to the grandfather of the young man Joe's daughter Lucy is dating (she's the last of the three daughters still in the cozy nest of Joe and his librarian wife, Marybeth). Even Joe's old friend Nate Romanowski gets in on the action; an experienced falconer and outdoorsman with a shady past, he watches until the next time the drone takes to the skies, encourages his birds to do likewise (with a bang-up result).
But when Joe finally locates the old man in a remote hideaway that doesn't even show up on his GPS, the reception is far from cordial. Confounding matters is that when he and Kate start to take steps that would charge the old guy with breaking the law, the law inexplicably fights back. That sets Joe to wondering: Why on earth is the FBI protecting the man?
Meanwhile, four extremely skilled killers - three men and a woman - start showing up in the area, and dead bodies start showing up as well. It's thought that the killers, dubbed the Wolf Pack, are working for a cartel - apparently trying to find the old man who's in the Witness Protection program to keep him safe until he can testify against other cartel bigwigs.
Needless to say, Joe isn't one to back down; but all too soon, he discovers that putting himself in between the killers and their intended prey might not be the smartest thing he's ever done - and it could even cost him, and his family and friends, their lives. Bodies keep piling up right to the exciting end (which, of course, I won't reveal). All I'll say is this one is a don't-miss, especially for diehard followers like me. Well done!
After losing his job at the conclusion of the previous book, Joe is back in the saddle again, this time out in the wilds investigating leg hold traps that have been set but not retrieved - a no-no in this territory where wild animals are supposed to roam free. Usually, it's not easy to determine who the traps belong to, but in this case, the owner's initials are on the trap. Before he can do much about it, though, he's called by another nearby ranger, Katelyn Hamm, who has spotted a drone swooping down and scaring the bejesus out of herds of deer.
As it turns out, the drone belongs to the grandfather of the young man Joe's daughter Lucy is dating (she's the last of the three daughters still in the cozy nest of Joe and his librarian wife, Marybeth). Even Joe's old friend Nate Romanowski gets in on the action; an experienced falconer and outdoorsman with a shady past, he watches until the next time the drone takes to the skies, encourages his birds to do likewise (with a bang-up result).
But when Joe finally locates the old man in a remote hideaway that doesn't even show up on his GPS, the reception is far from cordial. Confounding matters is that when he and Kate start to take steps that would charge the old guy with breaking the law, the law inexplicably fights back. That sets Joe to wondering: Why on earth is the FBI protecting the man?
Meanwhile, four extremely skilled killers - three men and a woman - start showing up in the area, and dead bodies start showing up as well. It's thought that the killers, dubbed the Wolf Pack, are working for a cartel - apparently trying to find the old man who's in the Witness Protection program to keep him safe until he can testify against other cartel bigwigs.
Needless to say, Joe isn't one to back down; but all too soon, he discovers that putting himself in between the killers and their intended prey might not be the smartest thing he's ever done - and it could even cost him, and his family and friends, their lives. Bodies keep piling up right to the exciting end (which, of course, I won't reveal). All I'll say is this one is a don't-miss, especially for diehard followers like me. Well done!
January 7, 2022
A re-read. One of Box's best featuring Joe Pickett.
The Game Warden has just been reinstated and with new car and new home. Initially he encounters drone activity scaring the animals. Then come the Dept of Justice and the FBI asserting themselves in his county.
Definitely one of Box's best in this series.
Unputdownable
The Game Warden has just been reinstated and with new car and new home. Initially he encounters drone activity scaring the animals. Then come the Dept of Justice and the FBI asserting themselves in his county.
Definitely one of Box's best in this series.
Unputdownable
January 30, 2022
This newest edition to the Joe Pickett series is one my top favorites of the series thus far. Many exciting changes taking and/or took place with several of the main characters. - 'Wolf Pack' is a genuine action-packed mystery/thriller delivered in top form by C.J. Box and narrator David Chandler. #DynamicDuo.
August 1, 2022
The 19th book in this series and perhaps the best one yet!
March 27, 2022
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is happy. At the end of The Disappeared he had lost his job. Now, with the help of the former governor he not only has his job back but he has a new home and truck. Things are looking good. For now.
The story opens in April opens with neighboring Wyoming game warden Katelyn Hamm out on patrol. Her section is on the other side of the Big Horn mountains from Joe. She spots a drone that is harassing elk and mule deer that are weak from the winter weather. The drone panics the animals and causes them to run to their death. Then the drone takes off for the other side of the Big Horn mountains. Joe's section. She calls him to find out if he knows anyone who flies drones. She wants this guy. So does Joe.
Joe is able to figure who the drone owner is. It is a mysterious and wealthy man who happens to be the father of the boy his daughter Lucy is dating. He basically laughs off Joe's warning and tells him he won't pay any citations. Katelyn and Joe begin preparing their case to bring charges when they are warned off by the FBI and DOJ.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, three people are killed by a team of four persons known as the Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack works for the Sinaloa cartel. They were looking for someone. They got their answer and after dismembering and disposing of the bodies they head to Saddlestring, Wyoming. Straight for Katelyn, Joe ... and Nate. Things are about to get real Western.
Before long the bodies start piling up. Among them innocent people. The Feds, as often occurs in a C.J. Box novel, play the heavies. They do things their own way and don't work with the locals. They threaten and intimidate. The result is not good. It will be up to Joe and Nate to clean up the mess they brought to Saddlestring.
The story opens in April opens with neighboring Wyoming game warden Katelyn Hamm out on patrol. Her section is on the other side of the Big Horn mountains from Joe. She spots a drone that is harassing elk and mule deer that are weak from the winter weather. The drone panics the animals and causes them to run to their death. Then the drone takes off for the other side of the Big Horn mountains. Joe's section. She calls him to find out if he knows anyone who flies drones. She wants this guy. So does Joe.
Joe is able to figure who the drone owner is. It is a mysterious and wealthy man who happens to be the father of the boy his daughter Lucy is dating. He basically laughs off Joe's warning and tells him he won't pay any citations. Katelyn and Joe begin preparing their case to bring charges when they are warned off by the FBI and DOJ.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, three people are killed by a team of four persons known as the Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack works for the Sinaloa cartel. They were looking for someone. They got their answer and after dismembering and disposing of the bodies they head to Saddlestring, Wyoming. Straight for Katelyn, Joe ... and Nate. Things are about to get real Western.
Before long the bodies start piling up. Among them innocent people. The Feds, as often occurs in a C.J. Box novel, play the heavies. They do things their own way and don't work with the locals. They threaten and intimidate. The result is not good. It will be up to Joe and Nate to clean up the mess they brought to Saddlestring.
March 17, 2019
4.5 ⭐️
Almost perfect! Great thriller, the hunt was exciting on different levels. The final showdown was a bit disappointing to me and was sketchy of how ill prepared they were against the Pack.
Almost perfect! Great thriller, the hunt was exciting on different levels. The final showdown was a bit disappointing to me and was sketchy of how ill prepared they were against the Pack.
March 26, 2019
I think I've read almost all of CJ Box's books, which is a talented author that I really enjoy.
He has only one big weak point: the credibility of his stories is sometimes at the limit of the acceptable, he has from time to time recourse to the facility of happy chance. And, more rarely, CJ Box gratifies us with an incongruous story, which defies logic.
Wolf Pack is the perfect example of this bad side of CJ Box.
From the beginning we know that it will not be a great Joe Pickett: the story is scattered in several points of view, we guess everything that happens ten chapters before the protagonists. But if not great, it's quite pleasant to read, as usual.
Then, at two-thirds of the story, the plot crashes with ridiculous hazards and incomprehensible decisions of the characters.
I do not know how a publisher can let something like that go by without doing anything.
It's sad.
The book ends as a bad action TV movie. (I feel very polite, other words, bad ones, could suit.)
The only good news is that every bad Joe Pickett is usually caught by an excellent Joe Pickett in the months that follow.
The next one is going to be great!
He has only one big weak point: the credibility of his stories is sometimes at the limit of the acceptable, he has from time to time recourse to the facility of happy chance. And, more rarely, CJ Box gratifies us with an incongruous story, which defies logic.
Wolf Pack is the perfect example of this bad side of CJ Box.
From the beginning we know that it will not be a great Joe Pickett: the story is scattered in several points of view, we guess everything that happens ten chapters before the protagonists. But if not great, it's quite pleasant to read, as usual.
Then, at two-thirds of the story, the plot crashes with ridiculous hazards and incomprehensible decisions of the characters.
I do not know how a publisher can let something like that go by without doing anything.
It's sad.
The book ends as a bad action TV movie. (I feel very polite, other words, bad ones, could suit.)
The only good news is that every bad Joe Pickett is usually caught by an excellent Joe Pickett in the months that follow.
The next one is going to be great!
June 22, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Crazy, fast pace read! One of my favorite in the series so far. I couldn’t read it fast enough and even let laundry pile up today to read because the suspense of the Hill family was something I could not wait for the reveal. Bug changes in the end for the character landscapes and I am interested in seeing where Box takes it after Lone Range. Very good read!
Crazy, fast pace read! One of my favorite in the series so far. I couldn’t read it fast enough and even let laundry pile up today to read because the suspense of the Hill family was something I could not wait for the reveal. Bug changes in the end for the character landscapes and I am interested in seeing where Box takes it after Lone Range. Very good read!
April 7, 2019
First Sentence: For Wyoming Game Warden Katelyn Hamm, April really was the cruelest month.
Game Warden Joe Pike has his job back, a new house, and another new truck. He and neighboring game warden Katelyn Hamm also have a big problem with someone using a large drone to kill herds of animals. It becomes more complicated when Joe learns that Lucy, one of his daughters is dating the son of the very wealthy man named Hill who owns the drone, and when Joe receives orders from above to leave Hill alone. The drone is the least of the problems when it is suspected that four killers, known as the Wolf Pack, of the Sinaloa cartel, are in the area, and are after Hill and anyone who gets in their way.
One always learns new things when reading Box. It's fascinating to know about the value of antlers and the horrible damage to a herd of deer caused by unscrupulous antler collectors. It's an industry with regulations of which we would not otherwise know.
Box creates such fascinating characters. Certainly, there are the recurring characters of Joe, his family, falconer Nate Romanowski and his now pregnant fiancé Liz, but it's extra nice to have the female game warder of Katelyn. Joe is such a well-constructed character. That he and his wife Marybeth have such a strong relationship and partnership where she, at times, provides Joe with informational assistance, gives further dimension to both characters. Although Nate may refer to him as "Dudley-Do-Right," Joe is no one's fool. Underestimating him is a mistake and things can get " Western" very quickly. On the other side, the head of the Wolf Pack is as nasty a character as nasty can get.
From the very start, Box creates a sense of threat. The plot is as one is on a roller-coaster ride. There are fairly gentle rises and falls, then huge escalations, heart-stopping drops, flat runs for relief, and then we're off again. Box knows how to plot. He's an expert at linking aspects of the story together in ways one doesn't expect. Even seemingly innocent scenes have an overlay of danger to them. The escalation of tension is palpable to the point where one may even mutter "No, don't go." as if watching a movie. One is definitely never bored.
"Wolf Pack is a high-energy, edge-of-seat book. There is divine retribution and an ending that is very emotional and somewhat bittersweet. Fair warning that this book is more violent, with more bodies, than some of the past books in the series, but it's an excellent read.
WOLF PACK (LicInv/Game Warder-Joe Pike-Wyoming-Contemp) - Ex
Box, C.J. – 19th in series
G.P. Putnam's Sons – March 2019
Game Warden Joe Pike has his job back, a new house, and another new truck. He and neighboring game warden Katelyn Hamm also have a big problem with someone using a large drone to kill herds of animals. It becomes more complicated when Joe learns that Lucy, one of his daughters is dating the son of the very wealthy man named Hill who owns the drone, and when Joe receives orders from above to leave Hill alone. The drone is the least of the problems when it is suspected that four killers, known as the Wolf Pack, of the Sinaloa cartel, are in the area, and are after Hill and anyone who gets in their way.
One always learns new things when reading Box. It's fascinating to know about the value of antlers and the horrible damage to a herd of deer caused by unscrupulous antler collectors. It's an industry with regulations of which we would not otherwise know.
Box creates such fascinating characters. Certainly, there are the recurring characters of Joe, his family, falconer Nate Romanowski and his now pregnant fiancé Liz, but it's extra nice to have the female game warder of Katelyn. Joe is such a well-constructed character. That he and his wife Marybeth have such a strong relationship and partnership where she, at times, provides Joe with informational assistance, gives further dimension to both characters. Although Nate may refer to him as "Dudley-Do-Right," Joe is no one's fool. Underestimating him is a mistake and things can get " Western" very quickly. On the other side, the head of the Wolf Pack is as nasty a character as nasty can get.
From the very start, Box creates a sense of threat. The plot is as one is on a roller-coaster ride. There are fairly gentle rises and falls, then huge escalations, heart-stopping drops, flat runs for relief, and then we're off again. Box knows how to plot. He's an expert at linking aspects of the story together in ways one doesn't expect. Even seemingly innocent scenes have an overlay of danger to them. The escalation of tension is palpable to the point where one may even mutter "No, don't go." as if watching a movie. One is definitely never bored.
"Wolf Pack is a high-energy, edge-of-seat book. There is divine retribution and an ending that is very emotional and somewhat bittersweet. Fair warning that this book is more violent, with more bodies, than some of the past books in the series, but it's an excellent read.
WOLF PACK (LicInv/Game Warder-Joe Pike-Wyoming-Contemp) - Ex
Box, C.J. – 19th in series
G.P. Putnam's Sons – March 2019
April 22, 2020
The last of the sun was ballooning over the western horizon before sliding behind the mountains. It infused the light with a soft bronze glow that painted the street as well as the sides of buildings.
Wolf Pack is the nineteenth in the series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, based in the small town of Saddlestring, loving husband of Marybeth and proud father of 3 daughters, the youngest, Lucy, about to leave the nest. It is late April, a time of unsettled weather, and the Pickett’s are joined by long-time friends Nate Romanowski, former Special Forces soldier and now a commercial falconer, with his partner Liv, and district attorney Dulcie, to celebrate Lucy’s birthday. Joe is distracted by an irresponsible trapper leaving behind a trap that allowed an animal to die in needless pain, and the reports of a drone spooking herds of deer weakened by hunger following the harsh winter.
There are two Wolf Packs involved, the animal kind - reintroduced and raising concern among ranchers - and the human kind, a killer squad of 4 Hispanics – three men and a younger woman – hired by a Sinaloa cartel to take out elements of the drug trade who turned evidence against them, standing out like Prairie Oysters in that environment.
Author CJ Box captures the townships and dramatic landscapes, the descriptions of the sky and trees, both in Wyoming and at Scottsdale and the Tonto National Forest outside Payson, Arizona. This one was darker than usual for a Joe Pickett; but retains the inevitable environmental message, legal v illegal hunting, the warm and fuzzy family/friends relationships, Nate Romanowski’s almost hypnotic effect on birds and wild beasts. Missing is Joe’s mother-in-law, the many-times married Missy Vankueren Hand, who tried to get Joe dismissed from his job.
The storyline reveals an over-reliance on technology in a rugged area which places limits on cell phones, GPS, and yes, a drone. I found the Wolf Pack - supposedly professionals - linear in their thinking; slitting throats and spraying bullets everywhere, leaving a trail of carnage and innocent victims in their wake. Straight out of “Pulp Fiction”. Throw in a pair of FBI special agent stooges who abide by their own rules, which brought to mind a parody on the Gestapo "vee vill ask zee kvestions".
This is the third Joe Pickett I have read, and as with the earlier ones it is the finer detail that lets it down: when does a black Mercedes magically turn white? At 40 degrees below zero, who turns off their engine and gets out of a vehicle to have a chat? And where was Daisy the Labrador during the gunfight?
Verdict: a reasonable read.
Wolf Pack is the nineteenth in the series featuring Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, based in the small town of Saddlestring, loving husband of Marybeth and proud father of 3 daughters, the youngest, Lucy, about to leave the nest. It is late April, a time of unsettled weather, and the Pickett’s are joined by long-time friends Nate Romanowski, former Special Forces soldier and now a commercial falconer, with his partner Liv, and district attorney Dulcie, to celebrate Lucy’s birthday. Joe is distracted by an irresponsible trapper leaving behind a trap that allowed an animal to die in needless pain, and the reports of a drone spooking herds of deer weakened by hunger following the harsh winter.
There are two Wolf Packs involved, the animal kind - reintroduced and raising concern among ranchers - and the human kind, a killer squad of 4 Hispanics – three men and a younger woman – hired by a Sinaloa cartel to take out elements of the drug trade who turned evidence against them, standing out like Prairie Oysters in that environment.
Author CJ Box captures the townships and dramatic landscapes, the descriptions of the sky and trees, both in Wyoming and at Scottsdale and the Tonto National Forest outside Payson, Arizona. This one was darker than usual for a Joe Pickett; but retains the inevitable environmental message, legal v illegal hunting, the warm and fuzzy family/friends relationships, Nate Romanowski’s almost hypnotic effect on birds and wild beasts. Missing is Joe’s mother-in-law, the many-times married Missy Vankueren Hand, who tried to get Joe dismissed from his job.
The storyline reveals an over-reliance on technology in a rugged area which places limits on cell phones, GPS, and yes, a drone. I found the Wolf Pack - supposedly professionals - linear in their thinking; slitting throats and spraying bullets everywhere, leaving a trail of carnage and innocent victims in their wake. Straight out of “Pulp Fiction”. Throw in a pair of FBI special agent stooges who abide by their own rules, which brought to mind a parody on the Gestapo "vee vill ask zee kvestions".
This is the third Joe Pickett I have read, and as with the earlier ones it is the finer detail that lets it down: when does a black Mercedes magically turn white? At 40 degrees below zero, who turns off their engine and gets out of a vehicle to have a chat? And where was Daisy the Labrador during the gunfight?
Verdict: a reasonable read.
April 22, 2019
Whew! What a book!! This novel's murderous wolf pack is two-legged kind. Joe finds himself in the most violent and dangerous predicament he’s ever faced. I don't want to write anything that would give the plot of this book away so I'll leave it at that.
I have to say that reading one of Box’s new books and following Joe, Marybeth, and Nate Romanowski, is like catching up with old friends one hasn't seen in a while.
I highly recommend this book AND this series!!
I have to say that reading one of Box’s new books and following Joe, Marybeth, and Nate Romanowski, is like catching up with old friends one hasn't seen in a while.
I highly recommend this book AND this series!!
December 9, 2018
In Wolf Pack (G.P. Putnam 2019), C.J. Box's nineteenth in the wildly-popular Joe Pickett series, Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett is back to work patrolling the beautiful loneliness of the Wyoming wilds thanks to the legal efforts of the former Wyoming governor and the ineptitude of the new one.
"...cold hard rain to Winchester with dark storm clouds pressing down on him and obscuring the mountains."
"The stream had jumped the banks, and water pooled within stands of willows and around the trunks of pine trees. Large branches and even entire trees had come down from above and were wedged into hazardous deadwood dams that diverted the flow and changed the banks."
As part of the settlement (read about that drama in Book #18), he has a new house, a new car, and his old seniority number. But instead of wild herds and hunters, he runs into a drone, herding the natural herds, frightening them so badly, they run themselves to death trying to escape.
"The pilot was destroying winter-weakened mule deer by running them until they collapsed."
Working with another game warden, he begins to hone in on where the drone is coming from and who controls it, thanks in no small part to his long-time friend, Nate Romanowski. Nate trains falcons for lots of interesting jobs but most recently, to take down drones by grabbing them from underneath--the non-propeller side. Fighting drones is new territory for Joe but anyone who has read earlier books in this series knows that no problem frightens Joe away. He may bend the rules and break new territory, but he'll figure out how to protect the lives of his beloved wild animals. The other piece of investigating that he's good at--really good--is connecting the dots. Joe often sees what no one else does and pulls that thread. Again, despite drones and falcons, he does just that but not without a strange group of hard folks visiting his town and the murder-suicide of a couple who seemed to have lots to live for and the zest to do just that.
And the last ten pages--you don't want to miss those.
"...cold hard rain to Winchester with dark storm clouds pressing down on him and obscuring the mountains."
"The stream had jumped the banks, and water pooled within stands of willows and around the trunks of pine trees. Large branches and even entire trees had come down from above and were wedged into hazardous deadwood dams that diverted the flow and changed the banks."
As part of the settlement (read about that drama in Book #18), he has a new house, a new car, and his old seniority number. But instead of wild herds and hunters, he runs into a drone, herding the natural herds, frightening them so badly, they run themselves to death trying to escape.
"The pilot was destroying winter-weakened mule deer by running them until they collapsed."
Working with another game warden, he begins to hone in on where the drone is coming from and who controls it, thanks in no small part to his long-time friend, Nate Romanowski. Nate trains falcons for lots of interesting jobs but most recently, to take down drones by grabbing them from underneath--the non-propeller side. Fighting drones is new territory for Joe but anyone who has read earlier books in this series knows that no problem frightens Joe away. He may bend the rules and break new territory, but he'll figure out how to protect the lives of his beloved wild animals. The other piece of investigating that he's good at--really good--is connecting the dots. Joe often sees what no one else does and pulls that thread. Again, despite drones and falcons, he does just that but not without a strange group of hard folks visiting his town and the murder-suicide of a couple who seemed to have lots to live for and the zest to do just that.
And the last ten pages--you don't want to miss those.
March 19, 2019
I've been waiting on this latest book to come out for a year and I am not disappointed!
Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett has been re-instated in his job since the last book with a raise, a new state residence and a new pickup truck. For those who follow Joe, let me reassure you that he doesn't wreck the truck in this book. Give him time.
The neighboring game warden Katelyn Hamm spots a drone herding mule deer into a frenzy and alerts Joe that the pilot headed in his direction. Katelyn makes some inquiries and is told by FBI agents to stand down. Joe doesn't take this type of direction very well. He is doubly concerned though when the drone's owner turns out to be the father of his daughter Lucy's boyfriend.
A gang of killers known as the Wolf Pack has come to Joe's neck of the woods for some unknown reason. The group is composed of three men and one woman, all stone cold killers. The woman is the alpha of the bunch. People start dying.
This is one of my all time favorite series and I savored every page. I love the descriptions of the outdoors and the wildlife -- antelope, elk, mule deer, wolves, and bobcats. I liked the black alpha wolf Joe spotted. I always enjoy Joe's family with wife Maryanne and daughter Lucy featured in this one. The books are always made much better with the help of Joe's best friend Nate. Spenser has Hawk, Joe has Nate. Nuff said.
The ending is wowzadooza!
Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett has been re-instated in his job since the last book with a raise, a new state residence and a new pickup truck. For those who follow Joe, let me reassure you that he doesn't wreck the truck in this book. Give him time.
The neighboring game warden Katelyn Hamm spots a drone herding mule deer into a frenzy and alerts Joe that the pilot headed in his direction. Katelyn makes some inquiries and is told by FBI agents to stand down. Joe doesn't take this type of direction very well. He is doubly concerned though when the drone's owner turns out to be the father of his daughter Lucy's boyfriend.
A gang of killers known as the Wolf Pack has come to Joe's neck of the woods for some unknown reason. The group is composed of three men and one woman, all stone cold killers. The woman is the alpha of the bunch. People start dying.
This is one of my all time favorite series and I savored every page. I love the descriptions of the outdoors and the wildlife -- antelope, elk, mule deer, wolves, and bobcats. I liked the black alpha wolf Joe spotted. I always enjoy Joe's family with wife Maryanne and daughter Lucy featured in this one. The books are always made much better with the help of Joe's best friend Nate. Spenser has Hawk, Joe has Nate. Nuff said.
The ending is wowzadooza!
May 7, 2020
Another great tale by C.J. Box. Amazing his 19th book in the series and he has not let us down yet as so many authors do. Sadly, the next book will be missing some of my favorites. RIP
April 20, 2024
Wolves Do What Wolves Do
This story begins with Game Warden Katelyn Hamm, someone whose life and job wasn’t so different from Joe Pickett. She had a husband and two boys and she took her job of game preservation seriously. When she saw a drone harassing the hungry and weakened elk herds, some of them beyond their ability to survive, Katelyn was angry and called Joe Pickett who was the closet game warden on her border. They both called Nate who helped to bring down the drone. Before Katelyn knew what was a happening two federal agents were threatening her about the drone case and using her husband’s past.
Joe couldn’t contact Katelyn and didn’t understand why until those same federal agents came to threaten him. This not being Joe’s first rodeo, it played a little different with him.
Before Saddlestring County could get their boots on there had been multiple homicides as well as a few missing persons. Dangerous people have been living among them and no one ever had any idea, and even more dangerous people were prowling in the shadows and only Nate ever saw them.
This was a brutal and sad chapter in the Joe Pickett saga, but that’s how it is when you live among wolves. Five stars.
This story begins with Game Warden Katelyn Hamm, someone whose life and job wasn’t so different from Joe Pickett. She had a husband and two boys and she took her job of game preservation seriously. When she saw a drone harassing the hungry and weakened elk herds, some of them beyond their ability to survive, Katelyn was angry and called Joe Pickett who was the closet game warden on her border. They both called Nate who helped to bring down the drone. Before Katelyn knew what was a happening two federal agents were threatening her about the drone case and using her husband’s past.
Joe couldn’t contact Katelyn and didn’t understand why until those same federal agents came to threaten him. This not being Joe’s first rodeo, it played a little different with him.
Before Saddlestring County could get their boots on there had been multiple homicides as well as a few missing persons. Dangerous people have been living among them and no one ever had any idea, and even more dangerous people were prowling in the shadows and only Nate ever saw them.
This was a brutal and sad chapter in the Joe Pickett saga, but that’s how it is when you live among wolves. Five stars.
March 14, 2019
"...the wolf, which hunts in a pack, has a greater chance of survival than the lion, which hunts alone. - Christian Lous Lange
I love this series and I love this author. I've read almost everything written by him, including all of this lengthy series, and he never disappoints (and I'm working on catching up on the couple of books I've missed after I finish this review). Wyoming happens to be one of my favorite states too so that adds a lot of appeal.
This is book #19 in the Joe Pickett series about Game Warden Joe Pickett of the Wyoming Fish and Game Department. Joe has his job back (after losing it temporarily in book #18) with the help of former Wyoming Governor Rulon acting as his attorney. And actually he gained some great benefits during the process.
In this tale, Joe ends up working with a female game warden from the next District over trying to track down an illegal drone operator who is harming wildlife. They get help from his falconer best friend Nate Romanowski.
Added into the mix are the FBI, the DOJ and some dangerous out-of-towners.
If you've enjoyed Box's other books, you'll surely love this one. Box is a consistently fine author and I highly recommend this latest book.
I'm off now to read SHOTS FIRED, a collection of ten short stories based in Joe Pickett's world, that I somehow missed before this.
I love this series and I love this author. I've read almost everything written by him, including all of this lengthy series, and he never disappoints (and I'm working on catching up on the couple of books I've missed after I finish this review). Wyoming happens to be one of my favorite states too so that adds a lot of appeal.
This is book #19 in the Joe Pickett series about Game Warden Joe Pickett of the Wyoming Fish and Game Department. Joe has his job back (after losing it temporarily in book #18) with the help of former Wyoming Governor Rulon acting as his attorney. And actually he gained some great benefits during the process.
In this tale, Joe ends up working with a female game warden from the next District over trying to track down an illegal drone operator who is harming wildlife. They get help from his falconer best friend Nate Romanowski.
Added into the mix are the FBI, the DOJ and some dangerous out-of-towners.
If you've enjoyed Box's other books, you'll surely love this one. Box is a consistently fine author and I highly recommend this latest book.
I'm off now to read SHOTS FIRED, a collection of ten short stories based in Joe Pickett's world, that I somehow missed before this.
April 16, 2019
I can't review a Joe Pickett or a Walt Longmire without mentioning both as favorites of mine...I gotta hand it to Craig Johnson and C.J. Box...They have created marvelous characters, both primary and secondary, that provide delicious mystery thrillers that encompass some of the most beautiful areas of the US without the backdrop of the "gritty' urban environment we associate with this genre...Wyoming law enforcement has never been more exciting...In this Joe Picket, Twelve Sleep County is disrupted by a mix of former hoods, now in WITSEC, Federal authorities, a Sinaloa Cartel hit team and the usual cast of local characters...Great Stuff!!!
February 5, 2024
A mediocre effort by C J Box, Wolf Pack, the 19th Joe Pickett novel was OK, but I've come to expect so much more and so was disappointed. The story had all the regular ingredients, Joe & Nate and the regular cast of characters, aong with a new group of very evil bad guys and some obnoxious and interfering feds. It just didn't have that certain something that Box is usually able to bring so I only gave it 3 stars.
June 29, 2022
Fun read but was spoiled by the "professional" hit team who mistakenly killed the 4 wrong people because all people from Wyoming and Colrado look alike.
April 14, 2019
Wow!! Each of these books is more wonderful than the others!! This story is riveting.
July 6, 2019
WOLF PACK is the 19th book in the “Joe Pickett” series by author C.J. Box, and begins with a female game officer in an area that borders the one managed by Joe experiencing a drone operated by someone unknown who is terrorizing game with it that leads to the death and destruction of several of them, whereupon she consults with Joe to enlist his aid in her investigation.
Joe is offered the services of Nate Romanowski, his lifelong sworn protector of both Joe and his family with a past in special ops and other forms of employment that require his specific skill set, which is at times useful to Joe even when he has an opposition to the extreme methods used by his best friend.
Nate, a falconer devises a method to bring down the drone making it possible to locate the owner, and while he succeeds in capturing the drone, the owner is spooked and retreats before his identity is revealed. Although this is a setback, Joe uses information gained to eventually track down the owner, only to learn that he is protected through the witness protection program, and efforts to prosecute are met with threats from the feds, which Joe resents and is resistant to comply with.
Investigation into the drone and its owner is not Joe’s only concern at this time, but also the dangerous presence of a group of skilled and effective killers hired by a cartel making their way into his territory, requiring him to determine who they are targeting and hopefully stopping them as bodies begin to stack up in their wake.
Since she can’t seem to just go away, Joe’s mother-in-law Missy, the often widowed manipulative opponent of Joe seems to be back in the picture to once again attempt to separate her daughter from Joe as he doesn’t fit in to Missy’s philosophy of “marrying up”, with intentions of finding an upgrade in partners suitable for her daughter’s future financially and otherwise.
Will Joe be able to prosecute the owner of the drone to protect the wildlife in his district in the face of thinly veiled threats by a few FBI agents, and will he be able to locate the killers hired by the cartel to end their efforts to locate and murder their intended targets?
WOLF PACK is one of the better novels in this series, and the action specifically with the ruthless cartel killers is gripping, as they make a challenging opponent for Joe and his associates.
5 stars.
Joe is offered the services of Nate Romanowski, his lifelong sworn protector of both Joe and his family with a past in special ops and other forms of employment that require his specific skill set, which is at times useful to Joe even when he has an opposition to the extreme methods used by his best friend.
Nate, a falconer devises a method to bring down the drone making it possible to locate the owner, and while he succeeds in capturing the drone, the owner is spooked and retreats before his identity is revealed. Although this is a setback, Joe uses information gained to eventually track down the owner, only to learn that he is protected through the witness protection program, and efforts to prosecute are met with threats from the feds, which Joe resents and is resistant to comply with.
Investigation into the drone and its owner is not Joe’s only concern at this time, but also the dangerous presence of a group of skilled and effective killers hired by a cartel making their way into his territory, requiring him to determine who they are targeting and hopefully stopping them as bodies begin to stack up in their wake.
Since she can’t seem to just go away, Joe’s mother-in-law Missy, the often widowed manipulative opponent of Joe seems to be back in the picture to once again attempt to separate her daughter from Joe as he doesn’t fit in to Missy’s philosophy of “marrying up”, with intentions of finding an upgrade in partners suitable for her daughter’s future financially and otherwise.
Will Joe be able to prosecute the owner of the drone to protect the wildlife in his district in the face of thinly veiled threats by a few FBI agents, and will he be able to locate the killers hired by the cartel to end their efforts to locate and murder their intended targets?
WOLF PACK is one of the better novels in this series, and the action specifically with the ruthless cartel killers is gripping, as they make a challenging opponent for Joe and his associates.
5 stars.
November 3, 2019
Wolf Pack is another fine book by CJ Box, one of the most consistently good mystery/thriller writers out there - out where?, hell, I dunno, there!
As I have said before, Box's stories are set in the mountains of Wyoming but could well have occurred in San Francisco, the Everglades or Paris. They are such well-written stories that the setting is truly irrelevant.
Wolf Pack is the 19th in the Joe Pickett series. Joe, a Wyoming fish and game warden, is joined by recurring characters, his wife Marybeth, his youngest daughter Lucie, the local DA and his good buddy, falconer, probable ex-CIA agent, thorn in the FBI's side and all-around good guy, Nate Romanowski. They are joined by a fish and game warden in an adjoining territory, his husband, a couple of abusive FBI agents from Washington, a recalcitrant and secretive neighbor and a group of killers called the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Pack, beginning in Arizona, questions a retired couple about the whereabouts of a fellow named Ernie Mecca and ultimately, does away with them and a man who happens to be at their home at the minute. Heading up to Wyoming to find Ernie, their primary objective, they ultimately encounter the good guys. Mayhem ensues, including lots of death.
The characters ring true and the plot is engaging and fun, in a dark kind of way. About the only complaint that I would have (and complaint might be too harsh a word) is that CJ's editor may have told him to expand his vocabulary a bit. The result is that he uses words including hectoring and archly, as adjectives and repair as a verb - very different from previous books and, to my mnd, a bit stilted. Nonetheless, I would strongly recommend this book to any Joe Pickett fan as well as those who have not yet read any of the Pickett books, however, this series is best enjoyed, in my opinion, by reading it in sequence.
The End.
As I have said before, Box's stories are set in the mountains of Wyoming but could well have occurred in San Francisco, the Everglades or Paris. They are such well-written stories that the setting is truly irrelevant.
Wolf Pack is the 19th in the Joe Pickett series. Joe, a Wyoming fish and game warden, is joined by recurring characters, his wife Marybeth, his youngest daughter Lucie, the local DA and his good buddy, falconer, probable ex-CIA agent, thorn in the FBI's side and all-around good guy, Nate Romanowski. They are joined by a fish and game warden in an adjoining territory, his husband, a couple of abusive FBI agents from Washington, a recalcitrant and secretive neighbor and a group of killers called the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Pack, beginning in Arizona, questions a retired couple about the whereabouts of a fellow named Ernie Mecca and ultimately, does away with them and a man who happens to be at their home at the minute. Heading up to Wyoming to find Ernie, their primary objective, they ultimately encounter the good guys. Mayhem ensues, including lots of death.
The characters ring true and the plot is engaging and fun, in a dark kind of way. About the only complaint that I would have (and complaint might be too harsh a word) is that CJ's editor may have told him to expand his vocabulary a bit. The result is that he uses words including hectoring and archly, as adjectives and repair as a verb - very different from previous books and, to my mnd, a bit stilted. Nonetheless, I would strongly recommend this book to any Joe Pickett fan as well as those who have not yet read any of the Pickett books, however, this series is best enjoyed, in my opinion, by reading it in sequence.
The End.
April 5, 2019
High Body Count
Open items from the last book in the series where how Joe was going to deal with his overbearing mother-in-law and her buddy the governor and his obnoxious chief aide.
Well, offscreen the the governor succumbs to #metoo issues, the aide high tails it back to Washington, and the mother-in-law goes on a world cruise.
That leaves the plot clear for some Mexican cartel enforcers to come through and overflow the morgue with witness-in-protection targets along with the collateral damage of slaughtered local government employees, FBI agents, the town drunk, ranch hands, innocent tourists, pet dogs, and a couple elk.
However, no wolves and falcons were harmed during the production of this book.
Open items from the last book in the series where how Joe was going to deal with his overbearing mother-in-law and her buddy the governor and his obnoxious chief aide.
Well, offscreen the the governor succumbs to #metoo issues, the aide high tails it back to Washington, and the mother-in-law goes on a world cruise.
That leaves the plot clear for some Mexican cartel enforcers to come through and overflow the morgue with witness-in-protection targets along with the collateral damage of slaughtered local government employees, FBI agents, the town drunk, ranch hands, innocent tourists, pet dogs, and a couple elk.
However, no wolves and falcons were harmed during the production of this book.
April 24, 2019
C.J. Box has done it again. This is another great work from one of my favorite authors. To my big surprise Joe Pickett kept his vehicle intact. I really like how the characters evolve through this series although I think the falconer is getting kind of soft... The title and the twist within it is such a masteroiece I didn't see it coming. For those that follow me and still haven't tried this author it's about time you do so. Strongly recommended.
March 19, 2021
Box uses Wyoming to exhibit whats going on in American culture. Rationally it's a "hit or miss" according to the knowledge and interests of the reader. For me, he hits right on about the American govt. not being able to handle crime. Unions should never been allowed to take over public service jobs.
One more and I've caught up with the author.
One more and I've caught up with the author.
February 16, 2020
Not my favorite Joe Picket. Really not even believable. Entertaining only but just some what.
March 10, 2022
One of the best Joe PIckett novels yet. Covers drones being used illegally, the witness protection program, Mexican drug cartels and their enforcers. The man Joe wants to arrest is in the WPP and the FBI is interfering with Joe's arrest. Then the Wolfpack arrives intent to kill the man who testified against the cartel. The book has continuous action and Joe's daughter Lucy is featured as dating the son of the man whose identity has been changed. Book shows how the government can make someone disappear and even change GPS addresses of those they are protecting.
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