by C. J. Box
Part of Joe Pickett, book 14
First published 2014
Game warden Joe Pickett receives an unusual assignment from the governor. He must investigate a wealthy rancher whose massive property sits in Wyoming's remote Black Hills. Nobody visits the ranch. The owner's fortune may come from murder. Rumors swirl about secret charitable giving, a private landing strip, and unexplained vanishings. The women who share his home remain silent about their host's activities. Pickett travels to the isolated ranch expecting to uncover financial crimes. Instead he finds two other men living there. One is a professional killer who takes an immediate hatred to Pickett. The second man is someone from Pickett's past. The killer doesn't worry Pickett much. The familiar face terrifies him. What started as a routine investigation becomes a personal nightmare. Pickett must survive long enough to learn which rumors about the ranch are true and which are deadly lies.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, personal-nightmare
Setting: Black Hills, Wyoming
370 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons