"...intense...well-structured...a perfect choice..."

Heading into the Wyoming backcountry while responding to a hunting complaint, game warden Joe Pickett senses someone lurking in the woods. Rumors have been flying about this region ever since a world-class female runner disappeared here a few years ago. But it's not until Joe is ambushed and almost killed and staggers out of the forest talking about twin survivalist-type guys and a lone woman that things get really crazy. The runner's parents, the media, and mercenaries descend. Box's latest thriller (after Below Zero) is an intense story of multiple crimes that asks rhetorically how much government interference is mandatory when people just want to be left alone. Echoing themes from earlier books (Winterkill), Box views the quandary from all sides in this well-structured novel. VERDICT A perfect choice for fans of Nevada Barr's Hard Truth, which grappled with a similar topic, and readers who like political issues mixed in with their suspense, this title can be read as a stand-alone. However, series readers will enjoy Nate Romanowski's growing role as sidekick, much like Joe Pike in Robert Crais's Elvis Cole novels. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 12/09.]—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA
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