Breaking point

C.J Box has done it again, another novel I could not put down. Being a game warden is a tough job and Joe Pickett is the right man for the job. But being tough may not be enough as Joe is thrown into battle with the EPA. Drone attacks, forest fires, and catapulting elk are only a few of the

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obstacles that wind their way through this must read story for anyone who loves a mystery/thriller.

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Another fast paced Joe Pickett novel by C.J. Box. Joe runs into his daughter's friend's father in the wilderness. Although Butch acts strange, Joe sees nothing amiss and goes about his business after a few minutes. When he finds out Butch is wanted for the killing of two EPA agents, he helps with

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the investigations so he can keep an eye on the blood thirsty Feds. When the Feds catch the forest on fire, Joe decideds to go after the trio stranded in the woods and get them out. I always thoroughly enjoy CJ Box novels. They keep your interest and are quick reads.

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Butch and Pam Roberson planned to build a retirement home in an established sub-division outside of Saddlestring, Wyoming. Having secured all of the necessary permits, Butch, a self-employed contractor, began moving dirt. Within three days, two women from the EPA and one from the Corps of Engineers

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showed up and issued an order that they stop moving dirt and return the area to its previous grassy state within two days. If they did not, fines at the rate of $70,000 per day would be accessed. Lest the reader think that this is a wild fantasy story, be warned that the true version actually happened in Idaho to Mike and Chantel Sackett. (The U.S. Supreme court recently ruled in their favor.) In the fictional version, Butch Roberson shoots two EPA agents who show up later to enforce the order. He flees, and game warden Joe Pickett stumbles onto him in the wilderness, not realizing that he has encountered a fleeing felon. He lets him go, and within a few hours all hell breaks loose as the feds launch an all-out manhunt for Roberson. What follows is a roller-coaster ride with Joe Pickett at the center of all of the action. One wonders how C.J. Box manages to keep churning out such stunning stories, but he has perfected the art of wilderness adventure writing. If there were more stars available, I would give them to this book!

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Spoiler-ey toward the end. A bit.

Box is a new author for me and I’m on the fence about continuing with the series. On the fence because as good as the story was in terms of action, description and good guys v. bad guys, I didn’t bond with Joe all that much and his family not at all. I am

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intrigued about Nate though. He seems like quite the philosophical badass and I might just have to pick up the book or books that deal with his story. Quite a bit of it was aluded to and I have to hand it to Box for making me interested in that bit of history without bogging the story down with it. Overall I think he did that well, long-time readers will be reminded of things they already know, but new readers oriented enough so that they’re not lost. Too many writers try to appease one group while ignorning the other. Well done. There is a lot of resolution in this book though and maybe it’s not the best one to start with. Joe ends in a big transitional position and old enemies are now dead and gone, so even if I do go back to read a few, if I get hooked, I might just move forward instead of back. Knowing exactly how McLanahan ends up might take the edge off.

Game warden as lead character is different and reminds me a lot of the Anna Pigeon series in the way it connects the reader to the outdoors. More than connects; through the eyes and attitudes of the lead characters we come to feel the passion they do for wild places. I completely understood how even in while he was in great danger running the river, Joe could pick out, and have the presence of mind to appreciate, the beauty and awe of his surroundings. I enjoyed the descriptions and the setting. The US West has always made my jaw drop and my set my sense of wonder and gratitude free.

Writing-wise I found a few things that bugged me. Box puts in little phrases as descriptors that I’m sure he thinks fills in detail to make things crystal-clear for the reader, but I found them extraneous and imagination-quashing. Like on page 8 - “Oh, all right,” Baker said with a groan, opening his door to get out.” Really? He opened the car door to get out? I thought he was going to toss some litter or spit. And another on page “Joe looked around, twisting at his waist.” So what? I can imagine him twisting in the saddle just fine without that. Again on page 200 - “Underwood’s satellite phone burred with vibration on his chest.” Eh. Burred would have been enough. Box already told me he was wearing it around his neck and so the vibrating chest bit is info I don’t really need to know. Others may disagree, but these little flourishes bugged me. I did like that Butch had some Evans Williams with him, but was bummed when Joe noticed some hieroglyphics on the canyon walls. Sigh.

At the heart of the plot is a family being persecuted by the EPA. Box says the book is based on the true story of the Sackett family who took their EPA prosecution all the way to the US Supreme Court where they won in a verdict 9 to 0. I don’t know the particulars of that case, but in the book the Robertsons are targeted because of an old jealousy. Now in a position of power, an old flame uses all of it to get revenge. None of what he does is warranted, legal or documented. He just goes off. As a villain, he’s drawn well if superficially and the hard-core emotion evoked is powerful, but contained. The deception and conspiracy just aren’t illustrated enough to keep the emotion burning hot in the reader’s gut. It does at times, but not enough to let Butch off for what he’s taking responsibility for. Which, by the way is obvious. I knew pretty early on that he was covering for someone and it had to be Hannah or Pam. Judging by Pam’s behavior, it wasn’t her. So Joe’s bit of deduction was really just a vindication for the observant reader. Nice touch on Box’s part, but not exactly a big shock if you know what I mean.

So if you’re an outdoorsy person and like books that move like wildfire (ha! I couldn’t resist), this is a good series to check out. I may dip into it a bit more to find out more about Nate the badass falconer and I hope that there’s more for me to like about Joe. Maybe Box can hook me then.

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Ok, CJ Box has me again, Force of Nature was somewhat slow for me and not focused on Joe Pickett but this book brings me right back to why I love this series. The writing of nature and the elements where Joe Pickett lives and works is wonderfully written. I suggest anyone just picking up this

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series start with number one if you can, but this book was very good and it might be hard to wait!

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C.J. Box's last book or two were something of a let down, but in Breaking Point, I feel like Box really cares about the main character (Game Warden Joe Pickett) and the story again. It was nice to see Joe be a hero and behave in a more than competent way, which is something that had been sidelined

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in recent books. He is a game warden (#21!) and not a Keystone Cop; that schtick was getting irritating and thin. The plot was complex yet all too believable and the interaction between Joe and his wife was solid and believable. I hate to give a summary instead of a review but if you dont know much about the series, it is basically the life and times of Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett and his community; this is number 13 in the series. I strongly suggest starting at the beginning if you have not read them before.
This was a good book on many levels --plot, character, theme, even some surprises-- and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Joe Pickett has grown and matured along with the author, C.J. Box, and the series just keeps getting better. Pickett is drawn into a murder investigation and search almost by accident, not only because he encountered the suspect, because the suspect's daughter is visiting his daughter, but also

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because the suspect will trust no one but him. Besides, who else knows the secrets of the Bighorn Mountains outside Saddlestring? Box has a habit of engaging current political debates and it should be no surprise that a drone plays a role in Breaking Point. Box takes us back to Savage Run, the scene of an early Pickett adventure that hooked me on the series years ago. I remain a big fan of Joe Pickett and C.J. Box.

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After complaining inprevious reviews that Mr. Box writes erroneously again and again that there are wild antelope in North America he finally, very early in the book, writes of Pronghorn antelope! Yeah! He should have called them just Pronghorn, but thanks CJ!
Like all of his work this is an

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excellent novel. While not necessary to read his previous novels to appreciate this one I like his brief references to things and people who have gone before.
The novel is based on a true story which makes it even more chilling. I am enjoying the political bent of his last two books.
This is a page turner, read it!

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Another great Joe Pickett novel by C.J.Box. Joe winds up trailing an a friend that is wanted for the murder of two federal agents, (EPA). He has to fight people, fires and white water and ends up quitting the game warden position. It has an unexpected surprise ending with the help of old friend

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Nate Romanoski.

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I've read everyone of CJ Box's now 12 books in the Joe Pickett series and have loved them all. This one was no exception, other than it may be one of his best! I could not turn the pages fast enough. Box had me so mad at the federal agents and the abuse of power, vacillating on if I was for or

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against the fugitive Butch Roberson, and hanging on by the seat of my pants that Joe's daring escape. Many old characters reappeared in this installment to make it all come together. When I read these books I think of Saddlestring as my vacation home, I seem to know it so well. And I can't wait until I can come back and visit again.

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This is the latest in a mystery series I enjoy very much, about a hero who is a game warden in Wyoming. As always, the mystery is solid and intriguing (and occasionally very graphic) and the depiction of life in Wyoming very evocative. Our hero's constant conflicts with those above him in the chain

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of command, and the way bureaucrats who can't ride horses are always untimigatedly evil, are getting a little repetitive, but I still didn't stir from the couch until I finished this book.

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Another great book by C.J. Box. If you take out the graphic detail when he deals with nature and the language, the book would be absolutely wonderful! The plot is great and will keep you interested till the end. The main character of the book, Joe Pickett, will make you fall in love with him and

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his family. This book will take you through twists and turns, literally and figuratively. The books ends with a twist that will blow you away! I recommend this book, if you don't have a weak stomach, which I do, but I skipped over those details, and just read over the foul words. I am very curious to see what the future holds for the endearing Joe Pickett. What job will he hold? Read the book to see what I'm talking about!

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This is the first book I have read from this author. I loved mysteries and this book started out by catching my interest in the 1st chapter. I cannot wait to read his previously written books. I would recommend this author to everyone.

I really wish some of these reviewers would not retell the entire story of the books they are reviewing. Just tell us how you liked it and why, or why not. That being said, as I have with all the C.J. Box novels I have read, I loved this book. I was caught up in the plot from the very beginning,

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and it makes me want to visit Wyoming.

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My first by C. J. Box but from what I see there's plenty more for my summer reading. Once I started I could not put it down. Great story from beginning to end which surprised me as I had someone else pegged for the crime. Now to order more from half.com.

This latest installment in the story of Joe Pickett and his family and friends does not disappoint. Box does a good job bringing Pickett into current issues- in this case, the misuse of government authority for private reasons- but tells a good story and uses great characters in the process. The

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setting in wilderness Wyoming is well described, the politics plausible if a bit stretched. It is hard to tell much without spoilers, but if you have not yet read any of this series, you should start. There is some merit in beginning at the beginning of the series, but it is not really necessary - this would be a good place to start.

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I started reading Box after I had the pleasure of listening to him speak at a state librarian seminar I attended last fall. Two months later I had read all of his books, I became a very devoted fan.
In his book Breaking Point, Joe Pickett and family are back in another compelling and fascinating

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story. I love the characters and their viewpoints and at times flawed outlooks. Joe has matured as the series has grown and the government seems to of gotten worse and more under-handed as well. I was very happy the Nate is back and is doing alright. I cannot wait for Box’s next book to come out! Will be waiting patiently.

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Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett knows local construction company owner Butch Roberson, knows he is a very enthusiastic hunter, so he believes his story when he finds him on foot on federal land. Butch says he is scouting locations for the upcoming elk season, and while something feels off to Joe,

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he has no reason to question what the man says.

That is until Joe gets back to his truck and hears all the radio chatter.

It seems two EPA agents have been shot and the number one suspect is the man he just saw pick up his pack and gun and walk off deeper into the woods, Butch Roberson.
Two dead Feds bring down the wrath of the federal government and before you can hit a fly with your cowboy hat, a virtual army descends on the area, led by the quite distasteful EPA regional director Juan Batista. This is a man on a mission and his mission is to bring Roberson in, dead or alive. Yes, it does seem extreme, especially since there hasn't been a trial or even a full investigation yet. But for all their manpower and equipment, no one knows this forest and mountains better than Joe, who is ordered to guide a group on horseback into the dense forest to capture the fugitive. So against his wishes and his better judgement, once again Joe Pickett is going to be right in the middle of a bad situation

A great twist in the plot at the very end, and a change in Joe's life that may take future books on a new path makes for a fun and exciting read right to the very last page.

Now, I will warn you that some of the plot, especially when the Feds are involved, verges on being over the top. In fact, maybe it actually goes headlong over the verge. Box paints a grim picture of the possibilities involved when power is abused and you would almost think it is impossible that something like what happened to Butch and his wife could really take place. Until you realize it is based on a true story that ended up in front of the Supreme Court. So I guess it is not totally improbable ...well, except maybe for that Stinger missile which I doubt was in the actual case.

But if can roll along with that, you are in for a good ride. As fans of the series will know, Joe Pickett is a great character..I love the glimpses of his family...and you can not beat the fabulous Wyoming setting, one of my favorite part of Box's books.

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Joe Pickett is a Wyoming State Game and Fish warden and does most of his patrolling on horseback. He's generally laid back and easy going, knows his land and his people, but hard-headed when it comes to the senseless slaughter of wildlife for fun.

The cold-blooded murder of two EPA agents on the

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property of a local family uncovers hidden and destructive evil at the hands of the Federal Government. For no apparent reason, the EPA has declared Butch Roberson's dream property a federally protected wetlands area and begun fining him $70,000 dollars per day for destruction (laying a foundation) of that property. No paper work, no explanation.

An over the top invasion by the law enforcement side of the EPA is surrealistic and violent. Joe Pickett is forced into working with them by his new boss, which puts him totally at odds with his conscience.

The story is actually based upon a similar and true story about the Sackett's in Idaho.

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I found this on the sale shelf at my local library and thought it looked interesting. I've not read any of the Joe Pickett stories that came before this one, and I will admit it is odd to jump in at book 13 (I didn't realize that when I bought it.) but I wasn't lost so the author does a good job of

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making the novel one that can stand alone.

I liked that this novel didn't have the seemingly-obligatory-to-the-genre sex scene(s). That's not to say that there aren't some "sins" represented. There's murder and extortion just to name a couple bad things.

I'm not overly familiar with Wyoming and the people who live there, but it seems fishy that someone would believe a verbal threat (supposedly from a government agency) with the threat of a large daily fine that wasn't backed up with paperwork. Apparently, the threat was enough to stop the Robersons for a year, but when the promised paperwork never showed, Butch Roberson went back to the land they planned to build a house on.

I still have no idea if Kim Love was in on the scandal and knew to stay away from the serving of the paperwork or suspected the wrongdoing and didn't want to be part of serving the compliance order or if he truly didn't feel well and just got lucky. (His character kind of disappears from the plot early on and is never heard from again.)

I like Joe Pickett. He seems to be a man who cares about his community and wants to uphold the laws, though he's willing to bend a little if there's a good reason behind it (such as poaching because you need food for your family vs. poaching just to get a trophy). He's got a decent relationship with his wife and family. I didn't like that he was pulled into the machinations of the federal troops.

Butch Roberson seems like a decent sort of man too in his own way. He's true to his wife and only wants to give her the house of her dreams in the location she desires. He loves his daughter (you'll see why I say this if you read the book.) He spares Farkus (though he allows the Feds to think he was killed). He even tries to save the former sheriff who'd hunted him down in the hopes of getting the reward and showing the townspeople he's the better choice for sheriff in the next election, when they're caught in the forest fire. I don't condone what he did, but by the end of the novel, I do understand it better.

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Another excellent addition to the Joe Pickett series. I have to admit, halfway through I scanned the rest of the book looking for Nate Romanowski's name! He's definitely my favorite among the continuing characters.

As with other books in the series, BREAKING POINT makes a compelling case in favor

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of environmentalism, and a strong case against ineffective/corrupt government bureaucracy. These aren't the most subtle points of the story, but whether you agree or disagree with Box' political views, the people carry the story. The characters are distinctively written, easy to understand (though not always easy to admire), and bring the story to life in a way that seems chillingly real, or at least possible.

I had only one criticism of the storyline. Without giving spoilers: The main character chose a difficult and high-risk solution to a problem when a much simpler and almost foolproof, low-risk solution was available. I wondered why, as I read about his decision, and also wondered why none of the other characters suggested it. Soon I realized this implausible choice was necessary to get to the rest of the story.

One of the most rewarding things about following a series is that the continuing characters and locations become familiar. A one-sentence reference to a past event, or to a person not in the present story, evokes a memory of another whole book. In this way, each book gets better and richer with the accumulated history of the series.

[These comments apply to an "uncorrected proof for limited distribution" received from the publisher through Library Thing's Early Review Program.]

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Wow! What a page turner for a book about Wyoming, the EPA, ranch land, Forest land, and fire. C.J. Box has accomplished magic with his story of Joe Pickett and friends facing up to the federal government and their power-driven bullies. Running from fire and standing his moral ground, tough Joe

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Pickett again intuits the right solutions in this western suspense tale of family, gunplay, and government misdeeds.

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I enjoyed this book featuring Joe Pickett. In the past, I tried this series, but I liked this one enough to go back to the beginning.

Even though he hinted at it in other books, it is the surprising twists and turns in this book that have finally pushed Joe Pickett over the edge. As usual, Box does a great job of storytelling and keeping the reader going, wondering what lies around the next riverbend or when the twist will

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happen. And he does not disappoint in this book, revealing a twist very few will see coming at the end.

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