by C. J. Box
Part of Joe Pickett, book 16
First published 2016
Nate Romanowski lives off the grid in Wyoming, staying hidden while FBI agents hunt him down. Federal operatives find him anyway and make an offer he cannot refuse. They need him to evaluate a terror threat in the Red Desert. In exchange, they promise to erase his criminal past. Nate knows these agents will betray him, but his freedom depends on cooperation. Joe Pickett receives different orders from Governor Rulon. He must travel south to investigate mysterious crimes along Interstate 80. Federal activity has increased in the area, and someone needs answers. Both men follow separate paths into the same destination. The Red Desert spans 9,000 square miles of harsh, unforgiving landscape. Something dangerous waits in that wilderness, a secret that could destroy them both. Joe and Nate will discover that some threats cannot be escaped, even in the most remote places on earth.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Wyoming, Red Desert, Interstate 80
Period: 21st-century
371 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: violence