by C. J. Box
Part of Joe Pickett, book 1
First published 2001
Joe Pickett serves as the new game warden in Twelve Sleep, Wyoming, where hunters dominate the population and honest wardens make few friends. Joe refuses bribes and enforces regulations strictly. One morning he discovers a local hunting outfitter's corpse sprawled across the woodpile behind his state house. The outfitter had clashed with Joe before, making the backyard location feel deliberate. Local police quickly solve what newspapers call the "outfitter murders" after finding two additional bodies, but Joe remains suspicious of their simple explanation. His investigation reveals the dead man left behind more than blood. An endangered species, presumed extinct, now lives in Joe's woodpile. The discovery threatens InterWest's billion dollar natural gas pipeline project planned across Wyoming's mountains and forests. The multinational company needs the species to stay hidden. Joe's search for truth behind the murders, the rare animal, and InterWest's involvement puts his family and career at risk. Every answer leads him closer to losing what matters most.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, uncovering-conspiracy
Setting: Twelve Sleep, Wyoming
278 pages · Paperback · Putnam