"...vividly evokes life in the West..."

The events at the center of Box’s fourth novel featuring game warden Joe Pickett make the fate of the Donner Party look like a square dance. First a moose, then several head of cattle and finally gruesome flayed human bodies are found in Saddlestring, Wyo. Before you can say “last roundup,” the tiny town has turned into one big crime scene. Inspired by a series of mysterious cattle killings in the 1970’s, Box has concocted a narrative with a little of everything thrown in: crop circles, an escaped grizzly bear, Native American mysticism. Although the plot feels overstuffed, the characters are compelling. As usual, corrupt Sheriff Barnum tries to stymie likable Joe’s involvement in the investigation, and hermit falconer Nate Romanowski lends Joe a hand. Box does a good job of keeping the reader off balance, hinting that otherworldly elements may be responsible for the spate of violence. (As Nate cryptically remarks, “Sometimes, the laws are broken and things spill over from one level to the next.”) Box vividly evokes life in the West, and the surprises he springs keep you guessing right to the end – and a little beyond. Reviewed by Edward Karam