by C. J. Box
Part of Joe Pickett, book 23
First published 2023
Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett tracks a wounded elk through his district as an epic spring storm builds overhead. He discovers a University of Wyoming professor's abandoned vehicle on a remote mountainside, then finds the professor's frozen and mutilated corpse. When Joe tries to investigate the mysterious death, federal agents block his efforts. Governor Colter Allen and extreme environmentalists also obstruct his work. Meanwhile, his friend Nate Romanowski rebuilds his falconry business while mining cryptocurrency with Geronimo Jones. A shadowy group of militant activists approaches Nate with a dangerous proposition. They want Wyoming to secede from the United States by force and demand Nate join their cause. Nate questions whether he can trust them or if they plan to betray him. The professor's death connects to a secret high-tech facility that powerful forces want to protect. As the storm intensifies around them, Joe and Nate face the crisis from different angles and may find themselves on opposing sides for the first time.
Genres: adventure, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Wyoming, University of Wyoming
Period: Contemporary
353 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons