In a huge departure from his previous work, C.J. Box in his ninth novel, "Blood Trail," changes perspective by opening with a first- person narrative by a skilled and ruthless hunter. This approach offers readers a unique view into the intimate thoughts of a determined killer.

"Blood Trail" continues Joe Pickett's and his family's unpredictable and event-filled lives. Joe is a former Wyoming game warden who lost his job because of long- standing animosity between him and department supervisor Randy Poe.

Since losing the job he loved, Joe worked for his father-in-law on the Longbrake Ranch until he received an amazing phone call from Wyoming Gov. Rulon Spencer. Spencer's offer to work as a "freelance" warden/investigator answering only to his office is one Joe can't refuse. The misgivings he does have go back to the fact he will still have interactions with Poe.

Joe's and wife Marybeth's life has changed dramatically since leaving his regular state employment. For their entire married life they have lived in state-owned houses then afterward in a homey log cabin on the Longbrake Ranch. Now, for the first time, they have bought a home and live within the town limits of Saddlestring. As Joe discovers, with home ownership comes a whole new set of challenges.

Living with close neighbors has been an adjustment for the whole family as well. Sheridan, 16 and a sophomore in high school, misses seeing the local wildlife while 10-year-old Lucy, a true girly girl, loves being in the middle of all the action and close to her friends. With Joe's unpredictable schedule, being in town makes it easier for Marybeth to run her management company, MBP, and take care of the family while Joe travels around the state.

When the book's action starts, Joe doesn't have to go far to be smack in the middle of it. Apparently a hunter has been killed and left hanging and gutted, displayed like a field-dressed trophy elk. Thus the desperate search for a new kind of hunter begins in earnest before more bodies pile up. Soon Joe realizes that this is the third hunter killed, so he has a serial killer to catch — and soon.

Box weaves into the story yet another controversy facing the "new" West. Hunting is a big issue and big business, especially in Wyoming where the sport brings in $400 million in revenue a year. If some crazed person is stalking and killing hunters, this could keep hunters away and greatly affect many economically.

As the trail of human bodies increases, Klamath Moore, a national spokesman for an anti-hunting organization, comes to town with his committed followers and complicates the investigation. Moore is a charismatic speaker with a web- only presence that boasts a large nationwide base of supporters of extreme animal-rights proponents. Protesters arrive in town shouting "Save the wildlife" and "Governor Bambi killer" protesters.

Meanwhile the FBI has been investigating Klamath's organization, and when it looks like it might be involved, Joe has to work with an agency he no longer trusts. After hiring a master tracker doesn't help catch the stalker, the FBI reluctantly releases Joe's incarcerated friend, Nate Romanowski, into his custody. Things get worse as Joe suffers a grievous personal loss and gets into deep trouble again with Poe and, no surprise, his job is in jeopardy and this time jail time looms as a credible threat.

Box has again fashioned a gripping tale with more twists and turns than a high-rise roller coaster ride. The mystery in this intense drama is the identity of the stalker and the motivation for such brutal mayhem. Box infuses the drama with fascinating information, including little-known details about tracking and hunting.

"Blood Trail" draws the reader in, not in a gradual inviting manner but by the throat with a yank, and doesn't let go until the last drop of blood is shed during the final pages. This mystery is not for the faint of heart but for the adventurous soul who recognizes a call to arms. Joe Pickett is an everyday hero whose continued stories beg to be read.

http://www.denverpost.com/books/ci_9844203

Leslie Doran is a freelance writer in Durango.