Honor & ...

Lee Coburn #1.5

by Sandra Brown, C.J. Box

For the next hour, Joe sat with his back to the wall and his shotgun across his knees, wishing the day had gone in an entirely different direction…

In this short story from the thrilling anthology MatchUp, authors Sandra Brown and C.J. Box—along with their popular series characters Lee Coburn and Joe Pickett—team up for the first time ever.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Short Stories, Novella, Contemporary

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[peachygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to know.
I HAD to know if Coburn and Honor get their well deserved happy ending.
Honor's name tattooed on his arm (and soon Emily's), their mundane conversations about throw pillows and curtains.. THIS IS ALL I EVER WANTED!!!
And Joe Pickett was amazing. C.J.Box, here I come!

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Matchup!

CJ Box and Sandra Brown collaborate on a new series called Matchup. Well...it’s not exactly new, just new to me.

Game Warden Joe Pickett is determining what the local elk hunters are up to, when he hears gunfire in the mountains.

While investigating, he comes across a dead body and a man named Lee Coburn. The men take an instant dislike to each other. And the show gets started.

Lots of suspense and an interesting matchup. At times very humorous.

Four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a romance or quite the epilogue-sequel I expected but still soothed something in my heart!
Lee, Honor and ♥️

I've always love-hated the cliffy-ish ending of Lethal.
There are times when I think of it as a masterstroke but what would I not give to actually read what we were denied - a scene where the two of them end up in his arms. :'(

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading through the Joe Pickett Series by C.J. Box and I read Lethal by Sandra Brown years ago. Having Joe and Lee as the characters in this short story is a real treat. Joe is at his taciturn and analytical best and Lee, well, he seems to have not changed much at all. At least Sandra Brown gives us some insight at to what happened to Honor and Lee Coburn since the end of "Lethal" was not a wrap up for them.

Joe Pickett is on patrol in the Jackson Hole area as a favor for a friend and meets up with Lee Coburn after discovering a body.

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed this! Anthologies and collaborations with other authors play havoc with my record keeping. But I'm thrilled I stumbled on this by accident. I'll be back with a review in a few.

Thirty minutes later -- and now I'm just a little disappointed. And wanting more for sure. I had forgotten how much I loved "Lethal" and what an irritable and grumpy character Lee Coburn was, or shall I say is! Glad to know that Honor and Emily are still in the picture -- because I remember how upset I was with that ending at the airport. I still haven't forgiven SB for that cheap shot!

Suspense-filled 30 pages with bad guys vs. an FBI agent and a game warden at the top of a mountain in a game of Whac-A-Mole! The added banter back and forth is amusing to say the least. Just two guys being guys trying to one-up the other. Although a little less than I had hoped for, still fun-to-read. I would say the Game Warden Joe Pickett won this round with his last little dig at Lee Coburn, one of the best characters Sandra Brown has ever written -- in my opinion.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want more of them 😭

[Beeg Panda]

😱Honor Gillette and Lee Coburn from Lethal are back! 👏🏼
Yassss…

[vio ｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to give a 4 stars but i didn't see Honor & Emily :'3 (the reason i wanted to read the book). Glad to know that Coburn's effort in order to see them has been paid off.

[missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only good thing I can say about this is that it gives a slight bit of closure, but boy or boy could I have used more. Was having Honor in the story really too much to ask?!

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story collaboration between Sandra Brown and C.J. Box. I had not read either of the two, although a couple C.J. Box stories are deep in my TBR pile. I had previously read another entry in this series, a collaboration between Lee Child and Kathy Reich. The short story was effective in introducing me to each authors character, and has made me more curious to read each. Apparently, these stories were originally published in on volume of crime collaborations. A lot of fun.

[Sheila Lord]

Good read

This is a great short story ....I've never read anything by C.J. Box but I'm a big Sandra Brown fan ..... I liked that she used used a character out of her book Lethal ,(Lee Coburn) along with one of his characters from one of his book .....would love to see this made into a longer story with both characters again

[Stephanie Jenkins Ortiz Cerrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.J. Box never disappoints and add in Sandra Brown makes it a win-win! An awesome short read! I love Joe Pickett books by C.J. Box and this short read did not disappoint! Pickett always manages to get himself into some dangerous situations considering he's a Game Warden and I love all the adventures he takes us on.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

CJ Box's Joe Pickett, Game Warden, meets Sandra Brown's Lee Coburn, FBI Agent in the wilds of Wyoming. Pickett attempts to arrest Coburn for a murder only to become the target of shooters out to kill Coburn.

A Thriller Short from the Anthology Match Up series.

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible short story. I was in need of a Joe Pickett fix and this one satisfied my craving.
Joe and Coburn were complete polar opposites with the same determination of righting wrongs.
Great book.

[jackie ambrosia Ambrosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

for those Sandra Brown fans that read lethal this will help explain the ending in Lethal that left us all wondering very short read

[As You Wish · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun short story about two guys on the right side of the law (maybe) fighting three guys on the wrong side. Even though I’m unfamiliar with these characters, the story drew me in immediately.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad we got a wrap up to Lee and Honor's story from Lethal after all. For those of you that missed that, this is only 99 cents right now. It was a good, action packed little short. Lee is as crabby bear as ever.

[Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed revisiting Brown's non-reoccurring character from her great novel Lethal. Nice to learn a little about Joe Pickett and Wyoming.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, entirely too short. The mentions weren’t enough. More like a HFN than a HEA which I hoped for. But good.

[Phyllis Garner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was NOT a book, just a tease to get you interested! What book comes next and is it a real book?

[Trevor Kettlewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Openly a novelty concept: a bunch of short stories pairing two popular writers collaborating to create a short story where their lead characters intersect.

A no-brainer for the legion of fans who already like both, but also a chance for one to maybe win over some of the readers of the other guy who’ll be lapping this up. Or for neutrals like myself who hope this is a nice smorgasboard to hopefully find someone worth pursuing. Whichever, this star-studded anthology sold voluminously.

I have read one Box before, but Brown is new to me. The initially adversarial meeting of their respective heroes is contrived but too attractive a prospect to move them from foes to reluctant allies. Likewise the highlighted contrasting of their personalities and methods. The mood was capably evoked, the crowd pleasing opportunities not missed. The story took me along, and I felt satisfied at the end.

Stepping back, there were a few things that started to niggle (spoilers):
- There is no reason for Coburn to be so adversarial and downright threatening at the initial meeting, and every reason for him to just come straight out to Pickett, explain what’s been happening and flash his FBI badge. Box and Brown might have found a way to justify this if Coburn had’ve been protecting his undercover profile, but by the time Pickett moseys in, that cover is blown. Like, seriously, blown. Coburn has just shot the supremacist leader in the head. The three others in the party have grabbed their guns, sought cover, and returned fire. There is no value in his repeated (manly, rebel, lone-wolf) Clint style posturing, “This is not your fight.” Well, it is whether Pickett wants it to be or not – a bunch of armed panicked ‘smash the state’ agitators have just had their leader shot – they’re not going to quietly step aside for a lawman – who’s just identified a very recent killing – to wander off. And just dumb (and Coburn is not supposed to be dumb) – that Coburn thinks that a cop will just go, “Sure, you just killed a guy, I don’t know who you are – I’ll just tootle off.”
- Moreover, what do we first find Coburn most wants to do? To get on a satellite phone and call in the cavalry. Who is the first person that will be called to the scene to give Coburn the backup he’s requesting? Ah, that’s right, the game warden currently patrolling exactly this area – Joe Picket. The guy that Coburn utterly inexplicably is currently trying to run off (and utterly irresponsibly not even warning him of the three lunatics currently armed, nearby, and thoroughly dangerous), and trying for no reason to hide his FBI status and the situation. All credibility is sacrificed for the fan-service of having a (totally unjustified) face-off between the two established franchise leads.
- There’s a detailed description of the sniper-rifle with flash concealing site underneath the body of the guy Coburn’s just shot – unlike Coburn’s revolver, the wrong weapon in short the short range exchange. But the perfect weapon (unlike the colt) for exchanging fire and/or planning a flanking manoeuvre once the range has expanded between the parties. But inexplicably the weapon is never mentioned again, and Coburn instead maintains regular fire (not sure where his seemingly inexhaustible supple of ammo is coming from) with his entirely inappropriate old school colt. I mean, cool (?), but why is he able to hit one of them with that and not the sniper rifle with telescopic sight?
- Coburn is bleeding out. He’s in pretty urgent need of medical attention. But once he’s blown away all threat, rather than Pickett (who’s been told what happened) quickly searching the bodies and the site to reunite Coburn’s phone and battery and call for immediate medical assistance via the chopper they know is available – they sit and have a friendly chat, fortunately later interrupted by the return of Pickett’s horse. And then use that phone.

So, yeah, the writing and fan-service must have been good enough to let me enjoy the initial ride. But these sorts of clangers mean this is hardly a classic.

[Bona Caballero · Rating 3 out of 5]

De Sandra Brown solo me quedaban por leer un par de colaboraciones con terceros, y este relato corto era una de ellas. Estaba en KU y no lo dudé. Sobre todo, porque es Lee Coburn #1.5... ¿Nos dirían cómo acabó su historia...?
«Honor &...» es un relato corto de una antología que emparejaba a una autora y un autor, normalmente romántica con suspense, mezclando personajes de cada uno de ellos. Aquí toman a Lee Coburn, de Lethal con Joe Pickett, un guarda de caza y pesca, una especie de agente forestal, protagonista de los libros de C.J. Box. Un incidente en las montañas llevará a Pickett a topar con un cadáver y luego con Coburn, aparentemente un asesino. Las cosas se complican antes de resolverse...
Pero lógicamente, el tema de suspense importa poco, muy poco. Aquí de lo que se trata es de saber si esto ocurrió antes o después que lo de Lethal, cuyo final a mí no me dejaba dudas, pero a algún lector sí de si había o no un HEA entre Lee y Honor.
... Y para saber la respuesta tienes que leerte esta historia. Merece la pena.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honor & … by Sandra Brown and C.J. Box, a story of Lee Coburn and Joe Pickett, is a short story from the Match Up anthology. For me, it was an introduction to both characters.

Sandra Brown is an author I have previously read a single book from and found it to be an enjoyable read, although it did not have me immediately diving into more. After reading this, though, I am curious about the Lee Coburn story. Likewise, C.J. Box left me eager to dive into their work, with the plan to start with the Joe Pickett books.

Honor & … was a nice introduction to both characters, allowing me to learn about them both while watching an interesting story play out. I will be honest and say I found it a little too quick and easy – there were some elements I wanted a bit more intensity from – but this was not enough to lessen my enjoyment.

Overall, an enjoyable quick read that will have me reading more from the authors.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little short story that pairs up Lee Coburn (from author Sandra Brown) and Joe Pickett (from author C.J. Box) who unexpectedly cross paths in the Gros Ventre Range near Jackson Hole, Wyoming in late-September.

Neither man is on home turf, as Coburn is there tracking some bad actors, while Pickett is helping out a fellow game warden before hunting season begins. But they end up having to band together to try and outwit some white supremacists trying to make sure both of them never leave that mountain range.

The story was entertaining enough, and it really did not take that long to breeze though. Fun read.

Although enjoyable, I personally would really like to see a “cross character mashup” with the likes of Joe Pickett and Sheriff Walt Longmire… both being from Wyoming, there is no reason they cannot have some sort of a scenario where they have to team up to take down an adversary.

[Pandora Elinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good short story. I read it, like many other people, to get a little glimpse at Lee Coburn's life after Lethal. The setting and atmosphere were very well described, it felt like being immersed in that world for a few pages. I'd never heard of Joe Pickett before, but his personality came across just as well as Lee Coburn's, and he seemed like a good person, secure without needing to be arrogant. His advice was sincere and kind, and their banter was frequently amusing. I loved the little glimpse at Coburn slowly sorting his shit out and that tattoo was adorable :) Jesus Coburn, stop getting yourself shot already!

[Marge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story published in the anthology, Match Up. This story was great! Joe Pickett was totally in character as sometimes bumbling and sometimes brilliant, but always honest. It was great to see a bit more of Lee Coburn, with a tiny bit of resolution from Lethal.

I actually read this in the Match Up anthology as a hardback book obtained from my library.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the next hour, Joe sat with his back to the wall and his shotgun across his knees, wishing the day had gone in an entirely different direction…

In this short story from the thrilling anthology MatchUp, authors Sandra Brown and C.J. Box—along with their popular series characters Lee Coburn and Joe Pickett—team up for the first time ever.

An OK short story but it didn't make we want to read a book starring either Lee Coburn or Joe Pickett. It's probably aimed at die-hard fans so failed to make much impression on me.

[Jennifer Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting Coburn to go home to Honor or something at the end. A bit disappointed at Honor and Emily not being involved, except there was a bit of a teaser of closure that they had continued to see each other and live together but he hasn't faced his insecurities about being in a relationship - especially one that's strong. I thought it was cute that Joe was like, "Get Emily tattooed on your arm.. and don't chicken out this time." It was good to see that he was will clearly in love with Honor and Emily.

[Janet Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love C. J. Box's Joe Pickett books almost as much as Sandra Brown's novels. This pairing was awesome.
Joe, a game warden in Wyoming, runs into a dubious character while covering someone else's territory.
The man standing over a dead body is Lee Coburn from Sandra Brown's Lethal. Despite people dying (only the bad guys) it is quite an amusing short story.
After Lee moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming he was joined by the love of his life. HONOR & refers to a tattoo on Lee. While held down by killers, Joe and Lee swap stories of their domestication by the females in their lives .