Joe Pickett, now working on his father-in-law's ranch in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains after having lost his position as a Wyoming game warden, is called back into service by Wyoming's governor to help investigate a murder which took place in a zone inside of Yellowstone National Park for which the federal government nor Wyoming has clear jurisdiction. It is a small strip which lies in Idaho. It appears that Clay McCann, an attorney who was aware of the loophole in the law, will walk away a free man even though he has admitted to the brutal murders of 4 employees of the company who manages the parks hotels, cabins, and restaurants. Joe calls his old friend Nate who has an unconventional sense of justice about him, although I think is a way that many out west think. Joe realizes that there's a lot more to this mystery than meets the eye. Author C.J. Box does a tremendous job describing the areas around the Big Horn Mountains and around Yellowstone. Having been to both, I was easily able to follow both and was able to relive some memories. This was the first novel by this author that I have read, but it will not be the last. I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was reminiscent of a cross between Tony Hillerman and Nevada Barr. ( )

Free Fire is the seventh book in C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series. In this installment, Joe is working on his father-in-law's ranch when the Governor of Wyoming offers him a job back with the game wardens. Only this time he won't have an assigned district to cover, he'll be going to Yellowstone National Park to investigate a multiple homicide case that was committed in the "Zone of Death." A lawyer figured out that a small strip of land overlapped jurisdictions, the free fire zone, and therefore no one was able to prosecute him and he escaped Scot free on four murders. Joe heads out to find out what actually happened in Yellowstone and all hell begins to...erupt.

Free Fire was an enjoyable book; I appreciate Box's choice of setting in this novel. I learned quite a bit about Yellowstone National Park. And a non-urban setting is always a nice change. A few of the murders in this book were rather unique as well; gruesome, but unique.

The characters in this series don't really overwhelm me. Nate is a decent character, but maybe a part of me thinks the rebel sidekick has been done enough and I would like to see something more unique - like Box's settings. There are many times that Joe strikes me as indifferent more than anything. ( )

7th in the Joe Pickett series.

With this installment, Box returns to form with a fascinating novel that takes place in Yellowstone National Park. The “mystery” part of the plot is good though nothing unusual—typical good workmanship on Box’s part. But crucial to the story are several unique aspects about Yellowstone, one geological and the other legal.

The legal oddity is that in the strip of the park that is within Idaho’s boundaries, no felony can be prosecuted. Therefore, you can literally get away with murder in what is called the Zone of Death, thanks to the weirdness of constitutional law that requires that a jury be drawn from the district in which the felony takes place. Since no one lives in that particular district, there can be no jury trial and therefore no prosecution.

The other aspect is Yellowstone’s unique geology; the Earth’s crust is the thinnest in the Yellowstone caldera, the origin of the many geysers and other geothermal features—and the potential exists for a massive volcanic explosion that would wipe out all life within a 200 mile radius. These have occurred, and there is evidence that a) the next one is overdue and b) pressure is building up for one now—the crust in the caldera has risen 5” over the past 10 years.

In all but one of his previous books, Box has worked in New West issues. He returns to that in this book, exploring the issue of licenses for bio-mining of thermophiles within Yellowstone, allowing companies to “mine” various types of microbes for huge commercial profit.

Another bonus is that Box’s writing continues to improve. He also has a great one-time character in this book, who adds enormously to the interest. Nate Romanowski is back again with his unique concept of justice (a good deal like Win Lockwood of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series although less entertaining than Win).

But where Box excels in his loving descriptions of the West in general and the high mountain landscapes in particular. He has the ability to evoke the exact sense of a cold, clear night and the refreshing beauty of early morning against the backdrop of some of the loveliest scenery on earth. he continues to do so in this novel, with the extra added attraction of having historical buildings in Yellowstone such as Mammoth Lodge be an necessary part of the plot, giving him a great excuse to describe them, employing them with ingenuity. Box also does an excellent job of portraying the tensions between the Park Service and the employees of the concessionaire that runs the park services, such as the lodges.

Unfortunately, Box continues to use danger to Joe’s family as a plot device, and that’s getting very, very old. However, it’s clear that Box is well acquainted with teen and pre-teen girls—Joe’s daughters ring true.

Interestingly enough, since the book was written, steps have been taken to deal with the legal anomaly of he western section of the park, and with the issue of licenses within the National Park system.

Highly recommended, if only for the information about Yellowstone. ( )

Like the rest of the series about Joe Pickett, this is well done albeit violent and a trifle bleak. Contains lots of detail about Yellowstone including a legal detail about the park that underlies the mystery in the book. ( )

Another excellent book by C.J. Box. His characters remain real and interesting. The relationships also have strong elements of truth to them as well. The premise of a death zone, an area not covered by federal or state law is unusual and provides the perfect setting for Joe Pickett to deal with some old ghosts from his past and do what he loves most - be outdoors. ( )