Out of Range

Joe Pickett #5

by C.J. Box

Game warden Joe Pickett returns in a twisting, action-packed tale of greed, power, and murder.
Joe Pickett is attempting to enjoy-all right, survive-his mother-in-law's wedding to a local big-shot rancher when he receives some disturbing news: Will Jensen, a fellow Wyoming game warden and a good friend, has killed himself. And Joe's been picked to temporarily run Jensen's Teton district.
Jackson, Wyoming, is a far cry from Joe's hometown of Saddlestring-it's the epicenter for many environmental extremists and an elite playground for the rich and powerful-and Joe quickly finds himself in over his head. Yet despite the pressures of his new job, he can't get his friend's suicide out of his mind. By all accounts, Will had changed in the last few months, becoming violent and unpredictable.
The closer Joe comes to the truth about Will's death, the more his own life spirals out of control-and he realizes that if he's not careful, he may end up as Jackson's next victim. "Out of Range" proves once again that C. J. Box is one of the most original and entertaining voices in mystery fiction.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Westerns, Crime, Audiobook, Suspense

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2005

About the author

C. 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

Reviews

[Suzzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one a lot. This plot and set of characters were beyond intriguing. This one moved at such a fast pace and I ended up staying up most the night to finish this installment of the Joe Pickett series. Big upgrade from the Trophy Hunt that had a bit of a woo woo feel. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not as if I read a ton of crime fiction, yet I hear the word “original” when it comes to C.J. Box and his Joe Pickett series. True dat, I say. (An old friend said those words, “true dat”, one time and we harassed him for weeks – lol.) Back to the point now, it's the setting that makes Pickett most original. The beautiful mountainous terrain of Wyoming. More wildlife than animals. You put humans and guns together though, and things are bound to happen. Add in the quest for land...and money. Explosiveness. It's what people seem to do. Joe is and remains the down-to-earth person we expect and hope for. Outside of his element for this Book 5, surrounded by the influence of weightier power and money in the land of Jackson Hole, he feels even more vulnerable. No less than 4 stars in my opinion, however this one had a truncated feel to it. A bit shorter, and quicker to the resolution. The good part: as some avenues close, others seem to be opening.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for Out of Range: Joe Pickett Series, Book 5 by C. J. Box read by David Chandler.

Another great Joe Pickett story. It was an interesting mix of politics and high end development. Fortunately the Wyoming game warden came to town to set things straight.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn’t as good as the previous in the series but it was still a great addition. I love how Box writes his characters as human with obvious human flaws that we all have. The relationships and interactions seem more real than a lot of similar series. While the characters were great in this the mystery just didn’t grab me quite so much this time. Overall still a great read.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was somewhat a three star for me. Joe and Marybeth seems to drift apart a bit while Joe was called to another town where another Game Warden committed suicide. Joe didn't buy it and investigates. Some side story about environmental extremists and we meet the jerk sheriff again. Sweet ending!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was debating between 3 and 4 stars and wound up in the middle but since Goodreads doesn't provide the ability to use half stars I am rounding up.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is temporarily assigned to the Teton district after the game warden there commits suicide. Teton is a far cry from Saddlestring. Teton is the big league ... there are old time ranchers and outfitters, environmentalists, and the rich and famous. Politicians, businessmen, movie stars. Lots of pressure from all sides.

Joe also starts looking into the death of his friend and colleague, Will Jensen. Will was larger than life. He loved his job. He was a role model for a game warden. Joe cannot believe he would commit suicide. But apparently Will had changed in the last six months. What brought about the change?

It doesn't take long before Joe starts feeling the pressure of being in Teton. As game warden he is in the middle between the many different sides. He has encounters with a group of animal rights advocates, a legendary outfitter, a developer, and the local sheriff who is afraid Joe is going to try and reopen the suicide of Will Jensen. It doesn't help that his wife, Marybeth, is back in Saddlestring with their daughters, Sheridan and Lucy. Tensions in the marriage surface. Between Joe's job, telephone problems, Sheridan's behavior issues (she is a teenager now), and anonymous phone calls being made to the the Pickett home the strain is showing.

Something is going on with Joe too. He is having trouble sleeping, feels like he might be coming down with something. Something is off but he is not sure what is happening to him. Is he coming down with something? Or is he succumbing to the pressures that come with the Teton territory?

There are a couple of different story lines going on and several different characters to figure out. It isn't too difficult to separate the good guys from the bad guys. In the end of course Joe figures out the circumstances surrounding Will Jensen's death. The big question left for the reader is about Joe's friend, Nate Romanowski. Will he be returning?

[Karolyn Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I love about reading is discovering a book you love by an author you've never read before. C. J. Box is one of those authors. (Ann Patchett is my other new favorite author.) I've never read his work even though I had seen his books in bookstores. Out Of Range is a great story. I picked it up because the story takes place in Jackson, Wyoming (where my WIP takes place. I wanted to read how a Wyoming native wrote about the same location).

Box is a storyteller, in the best sense of the word. His writing is pure and never gets in the way of the story. Specifically, the hero Joe Pickett (this is apparently his fifth Pickett novel) is a fully developed, complicated man. He seems authentic and yet relateable, even for someone who's never personally dealt with a game warden. But my favorite element of this novel is the number (at least five, maybe seven) of "bad guys" in the story. Box kept me turning the pages because so many of his characters made me nervous - I was anxious to find out who did what, and what they were going to do next.

I read this book in a couple days, and I'm very glad I did. I might even read another C. J. Box novel in the near future. I can't give it five stars because it seems a little cookie-cutter, but believe me when I say: I love cookies.

Four stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the Tetons and Jackson itself. Having spent time there as a kid, it brought back some great memories. And even a funny memory about my Mom and the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. 😉 The hardest part of this story, as some others mentioned, was the tension between Joe and his wife. It seemed like they were both going to screw things up. I am glad it didn’t go that far. Joe steps in a lot of crap as always. He is really, really good at it. But the bad guys got what they deserved in the end. I will breathe a sigh of relief until the next time Joe ties me up in knots.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Joe Pickett! He is the most annoying in his simple unaffected ways and everyone always underestimates him. It's just fantastic to see how he uses that to get the baddies. C.J. Box must have a teenager in his life because he writes 13-year-old Sheridan perfectly. A girl becoming a young woman wanting to be a separate identity from her family but not knowing how to do that without annoying everyone. Lots happening in this book and Joe comes face to face with issues that plague all marriages.

When the game warden, Will Jensen, from Jackson, Wyoming is found dead, Joe is temporarily assigned to that jurisdiction, leaving Marybeth and the girls behind in Saddlestring. the Teton district is a much higher profile assignment and Joe is warned not to muck it up. Joe is reeling from the death of a friend and as he gathers more information, he is convinced that Will was murdered.

Environmentalists, developers and normal folk all have a piece in this playground for the rich and famous. But finding out why Will died is Joe's priority, even with the pressure on to make everyone happy. The deeper Joe digs the more questions he has and the developer of a development that Will was against is putting pressure on Joe for approval. Will had changed in recent months, his wife left, and Will was acting depressed and erratic. He was not the Will that Joe knew and admired.

Joe is caught up in the scene that is Jackson and finds the only person he can trust is a woman Will also trusted and that may not be a good thing for Joe when he begins to experience mysterious symptoms and doesn't know who he can really trust.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is almost a 4 star book. I have issues with some of the bad guys conveniently disappearing. On the other hand I like the fact this marriage isn't made in heaven and is normal :) Also the children aren't Wally and Beaver Cleaver. Maybe one day the Missie will conveniently disappear. That would be a 5 star book for sure!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon and I took turns to read the paperback version out loud as we didn't have access to the audiobook version. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I loved the descriptions of the area of natural beauty around the Tetons and my heart ached for Joe and Marybeth, as they face individual crises without the comfort of the nearness of each other.

At the beginning of the book we learn of how difficult it is for Joe and Marybeth to even talk on the phone and I found my thoughts musing on the years when Simon travelled internationally and invariably some issue would pop up at home that I would have to tackle alone. I think C. J. Box was very thoughtful and insightful in writing the scenes where Joe and Marybeth each are dealing with their emotions separately.

The story itself drew me right in and I found I was really interested in learning about the migratory paths of animals. Also, I felt like I got at least a peak into the pressures of the job of being a park ranger - it's a whole lot more work than I realized, and I was fascinated by how Joe thoughtfully uses his communication skills to approach people in a diplomatic and calming way when he has to confront them with bad news. I am truly loving this series.

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book so far, which is a bit depressing since the last book was my favorite.

For me I think it was the martial stress in this book. I know in a series that involves a married couple it is to be expected, but I didn't like it. For me Joe Pickett is the good guy with moral standards that happens to enjoy beauty in women. Who doesn't? My husband tells me when he thinks girls are hot and I never fail to point out the good looking guys. It's a good thing in a relationship. But good guy Joe Pickett almost strays from his beautiful wife after an encounter with a married women who isn't afraid show how little she cares. I'm still pretty sure he got duped, I guess we'll find out later or not at all.

Any who to get to my point, I know CJ Box doesn't pull punches... and I just hate to see the Pickett family fall apart...


This is why I read romance novels too, nobody wants to deal with marital problems while they're reading... at least I don't

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pickett books by Box keep getting better. I love the fact that he is economical with both story and words. Just like Pickett himself as I think of it now.

This story and mystery grabbed me from the beginning and Box delivered well. No big surprises and none were necessary. I like the possibility of Jackson Hole as it would provide Box with plenty new storylines to explore. We’ll see what happens. Joe was even more human, more vulnerable there. The whole family was impacted as usual. Can’t wait to see where we get to go from here.

[Bill Lancaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Authors such as Craig Johnson, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke and Bill Pronzoni and others have set the bar for mysteries that take place in the contemporary rural American West. C.J. Box is not yet ready to join them. Despite having written a slew of novels about Wyoming game warden, Joe Pickett, this novel lacked pace, believeable characters and a compelling plot.

Though reading about the beauty of Wyoming was engaging, I felt that the writing was average and most of the characters outside of Joe Pickett himself were two-dimensional.

As to the writing, here he describes a major female character:
"While she said that she was looking for authenticity, she had chosen the life of pretense – married to a man who possibly hated her and living with him in the resort town of Jackson Hole. He wondered what kept her there and why she had chosen Will. Had it been merely an attraction to a man in a uniform? Joe didn't think so. It was more, much more. Almost as if she had passively accepted being categorized by others because of her beauty and circumstances (whatever they had been) and was only now realizing that she could change them. When Will died, she found her replacement in Joe or so it seemed."

And it goes on like that. Writing without a spark.

The secondary characters are caricatures of themselves: the short tempered developer, the mean-spirited sheriff who has been voted out of office, the strident animal-rights activist. The list goes on.

If I were to recommend a mystery that takes place in the American West, I would surely choose a Walt Longmire novel by Craig Johnson over a novel by C.J. Box.

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay.. so my work, housekeeping, and sleep are suffering. My favorite Joe Pickett adventure so far! This is my 8th or 9th book in the series. I started with "Off the Grid", became fascinated with Nate, picked out a couple of others out of order, the went back to Joe Pickett number one and am reading the rest in order. Love Mr. Box's writing style which keeps me wanting to see what happens next, the wonderful characters, the background topics based in current events and of course the wonderful descriptions of the wilds and scenery of Wyoming. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the page-turning drama of the characters' (who are as normal, well except for Nate, as my best friends) adventures. This is the first review I have ever written, and I give five stars to each I've read... so far!! Thank you, thank you, Mr. Box! Now I need to get some things accomplished around here before I get sucked in to the next Joe Pickett adventure!!

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Pickett fills in for an officer who has committed suicide. It is in the busiest district for hunting in Wyoming, Jackson Hole. The elk herd from Yellowstone migrates through the area and hunters abound. His nemesis are actually three, an old hunting guide, a developer, and a gorgeous married woman that is attracted to him. Joe deals with all three in his own way and it leads to an interesting conclusion.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

CJ Box hit another one out of the park in Out of Range. Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett takes a temporary duty assignment to the Jackson area, where his colleague and good friend Will Jensen worked until his recent suicide. A whole range of issues confronts Joe as he attempts to settle into the job, not the least of which is the grasp of the rich and powerful in the area.

[Mike Finn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the Joe Pickett series but I found myself struggling with this one.

Some of it was the change in setting. Joe is pulled away from his sleepy part of Wyoming to the millionaire playground that is Jackson Hole. I've been there a couple of times and although the Grand Tetons and Lake Janet are truly spectacular, I didn't like the atmosphere in the town, which seemed like a theme park for the entitled. Joe doesn't like Jackson much either but I still missed being in Saddlestring.

Then there was Joe himself. I usually see Joe as part of his family. This time he's alone and partially estranged from his wife and when I took a good look at him, I saw someone I didn't much like. Apart from a stubborn refusal to let go of a problem even when it brings him into conflict with authority, I barely recognized Joe.

Then there's the shadow of adultery. You'd think that in a book filled with killings, a little adultery wouldn't take centre stage but it does, mainly because Joe is corrosively dishonest about what he wants.

As the book went on, I found there were some plot-based explanations for his aberrant behaviour but not enough to stop me seeing Joe very differently. What I disliked most was the shabby coyness of the will-they-won’t-they-commit-adultery theme. I almost abandoned the book at this point.

There were some good scenes: Nate in the Stockman's Bar, Joe out at the State Cabin confronting an outfitter, but they were the exception.

The plot was more elaborate than in the previous books. It was clever and original. It seemed to me the book lagged a little in the middle but the ending was crisp and tied things up nicely.

I'm hoping the next book takes me back to people and places that I like better than the ones I met in "Out Of Range".

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big C.J. Box and Joe Pickett fan. Joe is a game warden in Wyoming. He is married with 2 daughters. Joe struggles with feelings of inadequacy as a bread winner: game wardens are very poorly paid. But, he loves his job. Joe is very independent and often rubs authority the wrong way; but he is highly principled and follows his own moral compass. In this book Joe is being asked to temporarily work in another district because of the suicide of the game warden there. He leaves his family and goes. While he has a good marriage, in this book they are struggling, as all married couples do. His wife wants him to take the assignment, but is resentful of being left to manage without him. Joe finds the new district disturbing and the suicide of his friend inexplicable. Politics, environmentalist, wealthy ranchers, and renegade hunters all figure into a harrowing experience for Joe. He is tempted by a land developers wife, he is attacked, he is forced to shoot someone, he is lonely and scared. I love the layers of complexity of the emotions in this series juxtaposed with the rugged environment of the area.

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really getting attached to C J Box books - especially those involving game warden Joe Pickett. Spending the summer at Yellowstone National Park helps me visualize these novels based on Northern Wyoming. Joe has to protect wildlife while dealing with hunters and developers - some honest others not. Really brings out the life of game wardens and the dangers they face while only getting a low salary. I will continue reading the Joe Pickett series.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably three stars, but for me I remembered a working/vacation/visit to Acme, Wy. in 70's, to visit a good friend. On the return trip I went West thru Yellowstone and then down thru Jackson Hole, on my way back to what has now become "The Socialist Republic of California".
The different location helps the series continue.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed parts of this book and I really disliked other parts.

All the characters in this story were really well done. The story could have been better; it seemed like trying to put too much into it.

Not a fan of how our main characters interacted with each other.

[Joanne Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of Range is a fine example of CJ Box at his best. Box does not hold back when writing about uncomfortable issues such as suicide, divorce and marital unrest.
As per normal we get a really fine Mistry for Joe to unravel.
I listen to to this series and the narrator is amazing.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, quick read but not up to par with the former books in this series. Some parts were a little unbelievable. I like Joe Pickett and his family. I hope the next book is better.

[Chuck Karas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all the Joe Pickett novels...a REALLY nice guy who stumbles into all these bad situations and bad characters when all he really wants to do is catch poachers and go home at night to his family. And he's a lousy shot as well. At times Joe Pickett almost seems bewildered by the nasty people and corrupt bureaucrats around him. A refreshing change from the hard-core, know-it-all detectives and private eyes one encounters in this genre. I also enjoy his long-suffering wife and feisty kids! Loved the twists and turns in this book.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUT OF RANGE (Game Warden-Wyoming-Cont)- Ex
Box, C.J. – 5th novel in series
Putnam, 2005 – Hardcover
Joe Pickett has been called to Jackson Hole for temporary duty. The previous game warden has just committed suicide. Joe's reputation precedes him, and he's immediately caught up in local struggles between the old ways and new. At home, Joe's wife is trying to hold things together at home, but she's receiving anonymous phone calls.
*** Box excels at sense of place and creating interesting characters. This book has the classic elements of drama and suspense. But there is much more to it than that. This is a book about conflict on many different levels. It's intriguing, dark, and honorable and made me think. It is, I believe, Box's best book so far.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

In heavy reread mode with this series as I'm absolutely in love with the Joe Pickett series...the honorable man to whom "black and white" exists, but whom lives in a gray world...as one reviewer stated a "Dudley Do-Right"...Pickett is transferred to Jackson and deals with higher profile issues, including high-powered developers with political clout...Joe successfully navigates through these troubling issues to return to "kith and kin" back in Saddlestring...Fun as always!!!

[J Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly enjoyed this book. Definitely new ground taken in this story for the main character and the author CJ Box's details. . New Town, New conflicts(internal and external) and a list of new characters I hope Joe runs into in the future.

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a wild ride! My favorite of the series thus far! Out of Range has it all - suspense, dirty case, danger and even trouble on the home front for Joe Pickett and his family. This one solidifies the series in my eyes making it impossible for me to stop or slow down in listening to the series. I started with one a month, but am now keeping them going one right after the other in my ear. Excellent narrator and fantastic series!

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot itself was alright. Certain elements also worked - the stress of what land developers want, what politicians want, what guides want, want forest service workers are paid and what they are asked to do.

What didn't work is how radically he shifted the natures of both Joe and Mary Beth. Are both under stress? Yes. Is the nature of Joe's work and temporary relocation a stress on their relationship? Yes. Would both of them turn as self centered and unsympathetic to the other's situation AS WELL AS getting emotionally entwined with someone who is not their spouse? No, at least not so suddenly and severely. It was just so ham handed, and definitely off-putting.