by C. J. Box
Part of Joe Pickett, book 26
First published 2026
Joe Pickett lies unconscious in a hospital bed, a bullet lodged in his skull. The Wyoming game warden was discovered in his truck at Antler Creek Junction, where three ranch roads meet like spokes on a wheel. Each ranch houses a family with reason to hate Joe. Each family represents a potential killer. Marybeth Pickett receives the phone call every law enforcement spouse dreads. Her husband clings to life while she maintains her vigil. The new sheriff believes one of the three ranching families ambushed Joe, but Joe never told anyone his destination that day. With their father unable to speak, Sheridan, April, and Lucy Pickett take matters into their own hands. The sisters divide the investigation between them, each targeting a different suspect family. They race against time as Joe's condition remains critical. The daughters must uncover which family pulled the trigger before their father dies from his wounds or the shooter strikes again.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: race-against-time, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Antler Creek Junction, Wyoming
338 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons