Publication
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2019]
Collection
Call number
Fiction B
Physical description
404 p.; 20 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
The good news is that Joe Pickett has his job back, after his last adventure in The Disappeared. The bad news is that he's come to learn that a drone is killing wildlife--and the drone belongs to a mysterious and wealthy man whose son is dating Joe's own daughter, Lucy. When Joe tries to lay down the rules for the drone operator, he's asked by the FBI and the DOJ to stand down, which only makes him more suspicious. Meanwhile, bodies are piling up in and around Joe's district in shocking numbers. He begins to fear that a pack of four vicious killers working on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel known as the Wolf Pack has arrived. Their target seems to be the mystery man and everyone--including Joe, Nate, and others--who is associated with him. Teaming up with a female game warden (based on a real person, one of the few female game wardens at work in Wyoming today) to confront these assassins, Joe finds himself in the most violent and dangerous predicament he's ever faced.--… (more)
Subjects
Series
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member cmt100
Not my favorite entry in this good series
LibraryThing member earthwind
Small towns in the wilderness do not ordinarily face complex criminal situations. C.J. Box has brilliance in the ability to imagine unique situations with absorbing details that are threats to surroundings most modern civilization is not in tune with. I dare you to read this book in one sitting.
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You will be chaffng for the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
This series continues at its very high level. Saddlestring remains bucolic but lively as Joe and his family settle into the heir new Ranger's house. Then all hell breaks loose as first mysterious strangers, the FBI and a cartel hit team arrive with some lethal agendas. Lots of collateral damage
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before Joe and Nat can end the invasion. Show Less
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Joe Pickett is back in his 19th adventure in the series, the plot is very familiar--Joe gets in trouble, Nate gets him out...trouble with the FBI and the Sheriff. Only MIssy and Sheridan don't get to play. Nate seems to be tamed. Bad Jersey boys haunt Joe's district, hunted by a hit squad. C.J Box
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shows no sign of letting up with this new entry in the series. Couldn't put it down. Show Less
LibraryThing member terran
I like every book in the Joe Pickett series and this is another great one, although darker than other entries. Joe is back on the job as a ranger and his family is safe in a new home. He even has a new pickup and it is still in one piece at the end of the book. Nate Romanowski and his falcons play
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an important part in the solution of the problem of a drone operator spooking wild game and running them to exhaustion or death. The other issue involves a New Joisey bad guy who is in the Witness Protection program and has a human wolf pack on his trail. Show Less
LibraryThing member maneekuhi
HEY BOX, THE BAD GUYS ARE THE WOLF PACK, NOT THE FBI !!
Why did I decide to tread “Wolf Pack” (WP) by C J Box? It’s the 19th in his series on Wyoming Wild game warden Joe Pickett, I had read the first in the series and reviewed if favorably back in 2002, and hadn’t read another since. I
Though I rate WP a 4 on Amazon I think that’s a bit inflated and I will score a 3 ½ on LibraryThing. WP has a lot of very strong positives, but also some negatives that really turned me off. So, much like the scenery of Wyoming, a lot of peaks and valleys. Let’s start with the pluses. A lot of good description of the background with real name places, locales you can look up on Bing and Google Maps and explore yourself a bit even if you’re 2000 miles away. A very good plot. A mysterious family has settled in the area, bringing with them a rather extraordinary level of security. Most readers will tumble to the reason why faster than any of the good guys in WP though. Some interesting scenes involving drones and what they can do to/for wildlife. A very interesting cast of bad guys, very credible, horrifying. An excellent climax, really well done. The tension amps up very nicely throughout the second half of the book, and the extended climax is one of the few I have read that is not dragged down by a series on mini climaxes. Sounds like 5 stars so far, even as I write this, but….
One of the problems I have with a setting like this one can best be illustrated by some of the very popular BBC mysteries we are blessed with. A current favorite of my household is Midsomer Murders. Great stories every week, typically 3-4 victims in every 90 minute show. The problem is that the setting is a village somewhere or the other in England where everyone knows each other, patronizes each other’s businesses, and kills each other. If anyone were keeping a tab, I think the whole town would be gone by season 3 or so, much like Christie’s “10 Little Indians”, perhaps redone as “200 Little Brits”. Ok, so you have to suspend reality a bit, I get that, but still. Secondly, I’m not crazy about Joe, he sorta comes in a plain vanilla wrapper, but when you open the package, what’s inside is plain vanilla. Joe seems best in this story at just keeping out of the way. Sorry, but I prefer heroes. My third and last knock is a bit political, and upfront I must say I have no idea of the author’s politics nor his intent here, I can only comment on my reaction. There are two FBI characters (and later a third but to a lesser degree) in WP that are over the top. Obnoxious, pushy, bullying, lying, intimidating, entrapping, non-cooperative, unprincipled, and ten more such adjectives. I understand that polls will tell you that many US citizens have that perception of the FBI, particularly in red states. There is a bit of a defense of the two characters approach offered by others but its lame. I am sure there are some that would suggest the author might be pandering to his audience, or in his defense is only re-emphasizing locals’ views of Federal Government in general. My bottomline is that I thought it was a poor decision to do this now, given all the internal attacks on our intelligence services over the past two years.
Why did I decide to tread “Wolf Pack” (WP) by C J Box? It’s the 19th in his series on Wyoming Wild game warden Joe Pickett, I had read the first in the series and reviewed if favorably back in 2002, and hadn’t read another since. I
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usually read a lot of crime fiction, bios, and history and was looking for something different. I love the West (reside on the East Coast), but in my humble opinion the pickin’s are slim in terms of modern day writing talent.Though I rate WP a 4 on Amazon I think that’s a bit inflated and I will score a 3 ½ on LibraryThing. WP has a lot of very strong positives, but also some negatives that really turned me off. So, much like the scenery of Wyoming, a lot of peaks and valleys. Let’s start with the pluses. A lot of good description of the background with real name places, locales you can look up on Bing and Google Maps and explore yourself a bit even if you’re 2000 miles away. A very good plot. A mysterious family has settled in the area, bringing with them a rather extraordinary level of security. Most readers will tumble to the reason why faster than any of the good guys in WP though. Some interesting scenes involving drones and what they can do to/for wildlife. A very interesting cast of bad guys, very credible, horrifying. An excellent climax, really well done. The tension amps up very nicely throughout the second half of the book, and the extended climax is one of the few I have read that is not dragged down by a series on mini climaxes. Sounds like 5 stars so far, even as I write this, but….
One of the problems I have with a setting like this one can best be illustrated by some of the very popular BBC mysteries we are blessed with. A current favorite of my household is Midsomer Murders. Great stories every week, typically 3-4 victims in every 90 minute show. The problem is that the setting is a village somewhere or the other in England where everyone knows each other, patronizes each other’s businesses, and kills each other. If anyone were keeping a tab, I think the whole town would be gone by season 3 or so, much like Christie’s “10 Little Indians”, perhaps redone as “200 Little Brits”. Ok, so you have to suspend reality a bit, I get that, but still. Secondly, I’m not crazy about Joe, he sorta comes in a plain vanilla wrapper, but when you open the package, what’s inside is plain vanilla. Joe seems best in this story at just keeping out of the way. Sorry, but I prefer heroes. My third and last knock is a bit political, and upfront I must say I have no idea of the author’s politics nor his intent here, I can only comment on my reaction. There are two FBI characters (and later a third but to a lesser degree) in WP that are over the top. Obnoxious, pushy, bullying, lying, intimidating, entrapping, non-cooperative, unprincipled, and ten more such adjectives. I understand that polls will tell you that many US citizens have that perception of the FBI, particularly in red states. There is a bit of a defense of the two characters approach offered by others but its lame. I am sure there are some that would suggest the author might be pandering to his audience, or in his defense is only re-emphasizing locals’ views of Federal Government in general. My bottomline is that I thought it was a poor decision to do this now, given all the internal attacks on our intelligence services over the past two years.
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LibraryThing member labdaddy4
Easy, fast paced, but predictable read - not too much suspense or surprises. The author seems be writing his novels darker and more violent.
As yarns go it is “OK” but just that. You kind of know where this is going from the start.
As yarns go it is “OK” but just that. You kind of know where this is going from the start.
LibraryThing member lewilliams
Wolf Pack has its share of violence and body count, however, the plot is tight, action packed, and there is a definite line between the good and evil characters.
LibraryThing member jeanbmac
Another grand read from C. J. Box. He never disappoints.
LibraryThing member usuallee
Solid, not as excellent as the last couple of books, but definitely entertaining as always. Great series.
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Book 19 in the Joe Pickett series was as exciting as every other book I've read or listened to in this series! They are really good on audio but keep me up too late at night listening! Going on to request book 20! Always recommended!
LibraryThing member Okies
I don't normally give such a low score to an audiobook I finish. I picked this up for a change from my current romantic comedy addiction. I'd read a few C.J. Box a few years ago and found them an easy read.
This one demanded nothing of me except to put up with the extreme violence of the bad guys!
I
Joe Pickett is a smart likeable family man, an his demeanour seems almost at odds with the story he finds himself in.
Making wild generalisations, this type of book doesn't depict the sophistication in human relationships I am always seeking. Of course, I read a lot that doesn't meet this lofty ambition ... but still. That's the goal!
This one demanded nothing of me except to put up with the extreme violence of the bad guys!
I
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can't resist something with a cover like this - a horse, snow, and a cowboy hat. But it wasn't enough to counter the meaninglessness of the story and violence.Joe Pickett is a smart likeable family man, an his demeanour seems almost at odds with the story he finds himself in.
Making wild generalisations, this type of book doesn't depict the sophistication in human relationships I am always seeking. Of course, I read a lot that doesn't meet this lofty ambition ... but still. That's the goal!
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LibraryThing member lbswiener
Wolf Pack is a book about a group of people who are murderers for the Fentanyl leaders. It takes place in Joe Pickett's area. He was doing his job catching a man who had scare some animals to death while trying to photograph them with his fancy drone. There were many violent deaths that occurred in
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Arizona and Wyoming that were related to this man. The book was well written, easy to imagine the entire story. Four stars were given in this review. Show Less
Language
ISBN
9780525538219
Other editions
Wolf pack : a Joe Pickett novel by C. J. Box (Paper Book)