C. J. Box's "LONG RANGE"
Book review by Dennis D. McDonald
The body count is not quite so high in LONG RANGE as it was in WOLF PACK. That’s sort of a relief.
Again we follow our guy Joe Pickett, Wyoming game warden, as he solidly follows up murder leads some of which are very close to home. We again see his dependence on his librarian wife for her contacts and research skills. Once again his state-issued pick up truck is damaged. Plus there’s the usual trek into the wild, the usual rich-people-acting-badly scenarios, and encounters with his falconer friend Nate. As always, loving attention to the operating features of exotic guns paints an interesting picture of Wyoming folks. And for good measure there’s a moose in Joe’s driveway when he comes home at night.
The store isn’t quite as far-fetched as WOLF PACK but Box does manage to cleverly incorporate characters and plot threads from previous Pickett novels. As usual we can visualize the Wyoming countryside and environs. If you have been there you know what I mean.
Sure there are coincidences galore; it’s hard to imagine how complex and convoluted things get in small-town Wyoming especially when the bullets start flying. But at least temporarily we can believe there are good and reliable guys like Joe helping to protect law and order in the world.
Review copyright (c) 2020 by Dennis D. McDonald
