Review: The Disappeared by C.J. Box

Title: The Disappeared by C.J. Box
Joe Pickett Series Book 18
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has two lethal cases to contend with in the electrifying new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author C. J. Box.

Wyoming’s new governor isn’t sure what to make of Joe Pickett, but he has a job for him that is extremely delicate. A prominent female British executive never came home from the high-end guest ranch she was visiting, and the British Embassy is pressing hard. Pickett knows that happens sometimes–these ranches are stocked with handsome young cowboys, and “ranch romances” aren’t uncommon. But no sign of her months after she vanished? That suggests something else.

At the same time, his friend Nate Romanowski has asked Joe to intervene with the feds on behalf of falconers who can no longer hunt with eagles even though their permits are in order. Who is blocking the falconers and why? The more he investigates both cases, the more someone wants him to go away. Is it because of the missing woman or because he’s become Nate’s advocate? Or are they somehow connected? The answers, when they come, will be even worse than he’d imagined.

Review:

The Disappeared by C.J. Box is a perplexing mystery about a missing person’s case in Wyoming. Although this latest release is the eighteenth novel in the Joe Pickett series, it can easily be read as standalone.

Joe Pickett is uneasy when new Governor Colter Allen wants him to look into the still unsolved disappearance of Kate Shelford-Longden. The  high profile British ad agency CEO vanished on her way to the Denver airport after spending a week at upscale dude ranch outside of Saratoga.  Joe has an inside track at the Silver Creek Ranch since his oldest daughter Sheridan works there as a horse wrangler. He is also joined by falconer and friend Nate Romanowski, who is a bit of a maverick when it comes to staying within the confines of the law.

Joe has serious reservations about Allen’s motives for asking him to look into Kate’s disappearance but since his curiosity is piqued about what happened to fellow Game Warden Steve Pollock, he sets out for Saratoga.  The case file he receives is light on theories and information and DCI Agent Michael Williams is not exactly eager to discuss the investigation. Nevertheless,  Joe  has little choice but to commence with the governor ordered search for Kate.

Although the staff at the Silver Creek Ranch undergo rigorous vetting during the hiring process, the contractors who occasionally work for them are not. Farriers Brad and Ben Youngberg raise a few eyebrows due to their “work hard, play harder” attitude so they are definitely persons of interest. The father/son owners of the local fish farm also raise a few flags so they remain on the suspect list as well. Then there are curious nocturnal happenings that are occurring at the local mill owned by Jeb Pryor. His overnight employee Wylie Frye is earning extra money on the side but what exactly are the people who are paying him up to?

Because Joe is pressed for time, Nate is involved in questioning some of their suspects. Nate inadvertently finds himself at a wind energy farm that completely shocks him due to the vast number of wind turbines under construction.  Nate has a conspiracy theory that ties in with his initial reason for meeting with Joe and this discovery certainly does not cast any doubt on his supposition. But how does the Buckbush Wind Energy Project fit in with the disappearances of game warden Steve Pollock, Kate Shelford-Longden and the the odd goings-on at Jeb’s mill?

Taking place during a bitter cold and snowy Wyoming winter, The Disappeared is an engrossing mystery which also features intriguing environmental issues that are socially relevant in today’s world. Joe, Sheridan and Nate are intrepid amateur sleuths who methodically investigate Kate’s disappearance along with the curious other things they uncover along the way. With Joe’s future hanging in the balance, C.J. Box brings this latest addition to the Joe Pickett series to a gratifying conclusion that wraps up most of the novel’s dangling threads. Fans of the series and genre will definitely enjoy this latest mystery starring the lovable, straight arrow game warden.