by C. J. Box
Part of Joe Pickett, book 9
First published 2009
Joe Pickett stares at his ringing phone. The voice on the other end claims to be April, his foster daughter who died six years ago. Someone is playing a cruel game with his family's grief. The calls keep coming from different locations across Wyoming. Joe traces each number and finds something disturbing. Every call originates near the site of a major environmental crime. Illegal dumping. Contaminated water. Poisoned wildlife. The pattern makes no sense, but the threat grows more personal with each message. Joe's wife Marybeth fears for their safety. Their remaining children ask questions he cannot answer. The caller knows intimate details about April's life and death. Joe must figure out who is behind the messages before his family pays the price. The investigation forces him to revisit the worst tragedy of his career and confront enemies who will kill to protect their secrets.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, personal-stakes
Setting: Wyoming
342 pages · Hardcover · Putnam Adult
Content warnings: death