Rating: 
Summary: Game Warden Detective
Review: This is an interesting series, and Open Season was an interesting first novel. One question I had then was how long the author would be able to sustain the series with some believability, given that the main character is a Game Warden in rural Wyoming. It's not every day that a Game Warden gets involved in a shootout with nasty bad guys who are out to kill someone, out in the wilderness.This time around, Joe Pickett, Game Warden, has been lying low, dealing with his job and the aftermath of his debut book, Open Season. In the opening sequence, a radical environmentalist and his ditzy new bride are blown up by a bomb attached to a cow (sounds strange, but actually it sort of makes sense in the story) and Joe is called to help with the investigation. When it's discovered that no wildlife was killed, he goes on his way, and nothing seems to come of the explosion. Radical environmentalists aren't that well liked in the wilderness: their politics often mean unemployment and poverty for the locals. Then things go kind of sideways, when a local rancher who's a retired personal injury lawyer appears to have poached an elk. Meanwhile, there's a legendary Stock Detective, a descendant of Tom Horn, in deed if not blood, roaming the country with an assistant killing radical environmentalists, like the one he blew up with the cow. As if things aren't complicated enough, the guy blown up by the cow might not be dead, and reporters are questioning Joe Pickett's wife, because she apparently dated the guy in High School. There are other assorted characters wandering in and out of the story. This is a good novel, though the ending is a bit anti-climactic. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Great suspense and action but a bit violent
Review: Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett meets Sheriff Barnum and Deputy McLanahan to head up the mountain to determine what the explosion was that a fire lookout reported. Part of the way they have to ride their horses. They find a large crater. It appears that a cow exploded and killed a woman and a man. It turns out to be environmental activist Stewie Woods and his new bride. The cattle belonged to ranch owner Jim Finotta. When Joe goes to notify him of the death of approximately 10 of his cattle, he notices an elk head on Finotta's wall. Joe determines that Finotta killed it out of season and left the meat to rot. He tries everything he can to prosecute Finotta, but he is so well connected that Joe is stopped at every turn. Unbeknownst to Joe, his wife, Marybeth, knew Stewie many years ago. His death stirs up her memories and puts them in danger as well. Then more environmental activists die in bizarre accidents. Joe knows something is going on, but can't quite put his finger on it. More things begin happening, and the next thing he knows, he is being hunted. Will he ever get home in one piece to his family? I like Joe. He is a great guy. He always tries to do what is right. Quite often that ticks other people off and makes his job harder. This series is a step out of my normal genre. I usually only read cozy mysteries (little sex, violence and cussing). This goes over that line, but because I like Joe Pickett and Mr. Box's writing style, I read this series. I do want to mention that this book is a bit violent and graphic. I found I had to skip over some of those parts. I recommend this book. This is one series that you will want to read. The suspense keeps you guessing and the pace moves quickly.
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