Game Warden Joe Pickett is living in a purgatory of his own making. He has made enemies while protecting the environment of Saddlestring, Wyo. His boss hates him and wants to get rid of him. Joe has also fallen afoul of the richest family in the town, and they've hired an ex-con to kill him. What else could happen to this easygoing, good-hearted public servant? It gets worse when Joe's children are kidnapped. A hundred-years' rain complicates his search for them through mud, blood and rising waters. Sixth in a successful and satisfying series, In Plain Sight has more violence than C.J. Box's other novels and shows the ethical changes in his detective from a bumbling but happy professional to a man with a lot on his conscience.

Laurie Trimble writes about mysteries and crime fiction for The Dallas Morning News.