Cold Wind by C.J. Box

Joe Pickett investigates a murder that hits close to home in this thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. “I would say that C. J. Box is at the top of his form, but the top just keeps moving ever upward...A nonstop thrill ride not to be missed!”—Bookpage When Earl Alden is found dead, dangling from a wind turbine, his wife, Missy, is arrested. Unfortunately for Joe Pickett, Missy is his much-disliked mother-in-law, and he’s not sure what to do—especially since it looks like Missy is guilty as sin. But then things happen to make Joe wonder: Is Earl's death what it appears to be? Is Missy being set up? He has the county DA and sheriff on one side, his wife on the other, his estranged friend Nate on a lethal mission of his own, and some powerful interests breathing down his neck. Whichever way this goes, it’s not going to be good...

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick-takes catch up post. The point is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness..
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Wow. There's a lot going on in this one. The events of the Nate story were horrible, but Box pulled it off in a way that will be good for the character/series long-term.

Killing Missy's husband Earl on the other hand...well, like Joe himself, I'm not crazy about any time we spend with Missy, so making her a focal point of a novel isn't going to make me thrilled with it. But, I ended up really liking this one, too.

These books don't inspire a lot of thought or writing from me—and maybe they should—but I do consistently enjoy them. Chandler's narration is solid as ever. At this point, I don't think I can switch to the print version of the series—I need his voice for Joe and the gang.

Another standard jaunt around Joe Pickett's world. No real criticisms. CJ Box knows what's he's doing.

My only real beef when it comes to books like this are when the sleuths (or those around them) start doing superhuman stuff, or dealing with things that would have multiple arms of the extended government crashing down on them.

The B-story with Nate Romanowski was compelling in this one, but a little over-the-top.