Endangered by C.J. Box

Blood is thicker than water. Joe Pickett has good reason to dislike Dallas Cates, rodeo champion. Now he has even more reason – Joe's eighteen-year-old foster daughter, April, has run off with him. And then comes even worse news: the body of a girl has been found barely alive in a ditch along the highway. It is April, and the doctors don't know if she'll recover. Cates denies having anything to do with it – says she ran off from him, too – but Joe knows in his gut who's responsible. The problem is there's no proof. Joe's going to find out the truth, if it kills him. And this time, as he confronts the ruthless Cates clan, it just might.

BLUF: Great book. Great standalone. The story is not suspenseful for the most part, but it is captivating. I highly recommend.

While solving a case regarding endangered species, Forrest Ranger Joe Pickett receives news that they found a girl badly beaten on the side of the highway. They aren't sure, but she resembles his daughter. Joe takes us on a journey to find out what happened to the girl and the endangered species.

Really, the summary does not give this book any justice. CJ Box hooks readers from the start and does not let go. By weaving the multiple vantages into one story, CJ Box will leave you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, I cannot say much about this book without giving anything away! Characters are realistic, writing is wonderful, storyline draws you in, and this can be read as a standalone. Only thing I had a problem with in this book is that I don't know Western terms – but there were few are far between.

I will definitely be reading more from CJ Box!

I received this book as part of GoodRead's First Read program

I've been working my way through CJ Box's catalog for a while. I enjoy his work a lot, but it's not pressing for me. I like Joe Pickett, but some of his decisions frustrate me. The family dynamic is compelling, though, and with Endangered, Box proves that an old dog can sometimes have new tricks. It is, by far, one of the best books in the Joe Pickett series.

Joe's daughter, April, ran away with a cowboy at the end of the previous book, and in the first chapter of this one, Joe receives word that April has been found beaten severely, unconscious, and near death. The likely suspect is the cowboy she ran off with, Dallas Cates.

Those of you who know Joe know that if you mess with his family things are like to get a little Western...

The mystery of who really hurt April comes together nicely, and there's a subplot with the enigmatic Nate Romanowski, of course. The story twists and turns well until it arrives at a climax that merges all the loose ends into a well-written knot.

Dallas Cates's family, particularly his mother, Brenda, are an interesting nest of vipers, and Box allows that to shine through.

This is a worthy entry in the Pickett series. Well worth the time.