Blue Heaven reads like a good suspense movie

By JC Patterson
Madison County (MS) Herald
January 5, 2008

All Annie Taylor wanted to do was take her brother William on a fishing trip. Too bad the kids had to witness an execution-style murder deep in the north Idaho woods. Now, they're running for their lives in C.J. Box's Blue Heaven (St. Martin's Press, $24.95), the tightly-paced stand-alone thriller from the best-selling creator of the Joe Pickett Wyoming game warden series.

For maximum enjoyment, Blue Heaven should be read over a weekend. It's a crime to put this superb real-time adventure down, if only to grab a warming tea or a bite of sustenance. Every page screams: MOVIE!

When their mother's negligent boyfriend forgets to take young William Taylor fishing, big sis Annie decides to cheer the kid up and venture into the Kootenai Bay woods. Shots ring out. A body lies inert. Annie locks eyes with one of the killers. Now they're the targets. Too bad the villains are ex-L.A. cops, living the high life in Blue Heaven, North Idaho's nickname for its high populace of retired policemen. While mom frets, the killers decide to protect their secrets and do their civic duty: they form a command center to find those poor helpless children.

Annie and William are rescued by Oscar Swann, a hog farmer, yet another retired L.A. cop. Coincidence? Nope. Not knowing who to trust, the kids flee further into the woods, this time encountering luckless rancher Jess Rawlins. Jess is on the verge of losing his homestead, thanks to his swindling ex-wife. Should he believe the Taylor's tall tale and keep them hidden or risk another double homicide?

At one of Kootenai Bay's banks, a nervous V.P. meets retired California lawman Eduardo Villatoro; he's in town on some "unfinished business." The trail might just lead to a certain command center.

The coverup continues with bloody results. Paths cross. Cultures clash. Alliances shift. Guilt creeps in. And the hogs are getting hungry. While the nation tunes in, Annie, William and Jess plan their next move. The shadow of Eduardo Villatoro hovers closer to his prey, but the rogue cops plan to wipe their mistakes clean.

It's gonna be a long night in Blue Heaven, with a rugged western shootout reminiscent of a Sam Peckinpah film. C.J. Box treats readers to real heroes who keep fighting even when they're down and villains who blend right in to the scenery. Visit the picturesque wilds of Blue Heaven, but be sure to bone up on your survival instincts.

JC Patterson is a literary critic and is active in local theater productions.

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