Out of Range

I've enjoyed all the Joe Pickett novels...a REALLY nice guy who stumbles into all these bad situations and bad characters when all he really wants to do is catch poachers and go home at night to his family. And he's a lousy shot as well. At times Joe Pickett almost seems bewildered by the nasty people and corrupt bureaucrats around him. A refreshing change from the hard-core, know-it-all detectives and private eyes one encounters in this genre. I also enjoy his long-suffering wife and feisty kids! Loved the twists and turns in this book.

I'm a fan of the Joe Pickett series but I found myself struggling with this one.

Some of it was the change in setting. Joe is pulled away from his sleepy part of Wyoming to the millionaire playground that is Jackson Hole. I've been there a couple of times and although the Grand Tetons and Lake Janet are truly spectacular, I didn't like the atmosphere in the town, which seemed like a theme park for the entitled. Joe doesn't like Jackson much either but I still missed being in Saddlestring.

Then there was Joe himself. I usually see Joe as part of his family. This time he's alone and partially estranged from his wife and when I took a good look at him, I saw someone I didn't much like. Apart from a stubborn refusal to let go of a problem show more even when it brings him into conflict with authority, I barely recognized Joe.

Then there's the shadow of adultery. You'd think that in a book filled with killings, a little adultery wouldn't take centre stage but it does, mainly because Joe is corrosively dishonest about what he wants.

As the book went on, I found there were some plot-based explanations for his aberrant behaviour but not enough to stop me seeing Joe very differently. What I disliked most was the shabby coyness of the will-they-won’t-they-commit-adultery theme. I almost abandoned the book at this point.

There were some good scenes: Nate in the Stockman's Bar, Joe out at the State Cabin confronting an outfitter, but they were the exception.

The plot was more elaborate than in the previous books. It was clever and original. It seemed to me the book lagged a little in the middle but the ending was crisp and tied things up nicely.

I'm hoping the next book takes me back to people and places that I like better than the ones I met in "Out Of Range". show less

This series continues to entertain. Pickett is evolving as a character, which is necessary in a serial detective series.

The setting changed a bit for this book and took him to the larger town of Jackson Hole, which is miserable with money, politics, and celebrities. Like Joe, my inner reaction to it is oh, hell, no. Except that Joe takes the temporary job. And we wouldn't have a book if things didn't fall apart for him. So it goes. Fun for us, not so fun for Joe.

For me a Joe Pickett mystery is always a sure thing. I can count on enjoying the vivid descriptions of Wyoming and its wildlife, a cast of colorful characters, and, of course, the mystery itself. Joe’s homelife - his wife, two daughters, and his friend Nate - is usually one of those sure things too but in this one not so much. Getting all that straightened out will probably keep Joe busy for another installment or two and I’m looking forward to finding out how he does it.

I didn't care for this one as much as the prior entries in this series, in part because, both of the plotlines felt a little unfinished. I don't think they needed much added to them but both could have benefited from about 10 more pages a piece to flesh out the details and build to a more satisfying conclusion. That said, I did like the ground work this book laid for potentially exploring the impacts long hours and low pay can have on a marriage in future installments.

I love the character of Joe Pickett so, so much but there are a couple of things in this one that annoyed me.

1. The setting. Joe knows his own territory like the back of his hand. He's responsible for the section of Wyoming that contains the small town of Saddlestring, where he calls home, and lots of remote backcountry. When Joe relocates to the busier Jackson, he notices that Jackson is full of ultra-wealthy people, and the town has become far more "hippy" than he is used to. The mystery in this book involves the suicide death of the previous game warden-Joe doesn't believe that Will Jensen would take his own life, so what really happened and why does it look like he did? As he begins to uncover the truth about Will's death, Joe is show more faced with political and environmental issues that have the potential to disturb the local wildlife. He also comes across some unusual local activist activity and becomes caught up with the followers of the good meat movement. Joe thinks both of these things are strange.

2. The relationship between Joe and his wife, Marybeth. I don't like Marybeth under the best of circumstances. I think she's prickly and sometimes a little cold, where Joe really deserves better for how hard he works and how he loves his family. But an extended time spent away from one another puts more strain on their already-sometimes-stressful marriage, and I don't like some of the decisions Marybeth and Joe made. No spoilers, but I wanted to yell at both of them multiple times. I can't believe they didn't work harder to stay connected while they were separated by Joe's job. I'm also perplexed at most of Joe's daughter Sheridan's behavior throughout the entire story, and Marybeth's inability to seem to be able to handle her young daughter.

As usual, the mystery was good, and there were plenty of moving parts that kept me glued to the pages. But I just didn't feel swept away by the nature and the terrain like I normally do when Joe patrols the Big Horn Mountains, and I absolutely hated the tension between Joe and Marybeth.

Even so, Joe is GOOD and his goodness is what makes him interesting. Though flawed, he is one of the most honest ones in law enforcement.

This wasn't my favorite of the series, but I'm sticking around for more and I hope things move a little closer to normal with Joe in the next book. Also, I'm following Joe's 13-year-old daughter Sheridan closely, as well as his friendship with falconer Nate Romanowski.

Audiobook Notes: This may be my very favorite audiobook series and it all comes down to the way that David Chandler narrates these characters. He has the perfect voices for Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski. This audiobook series has my very highest recommendation.

However...the chapters that are listed in the audiobook do not match the actual chapters of the book. So Chapter One of the audiobook had multiple chapters in it, for example. When I wanted to read some of the book in print and then pick back up with the audiobook later, I had to search for my place in the audio and I don't like that. The previous books in this series haven't been like that, and I'm hoping they go back to the audio chapters matching the actual chapters with the next installment.

Title: Out of Range by C.J. Box
Series: Joe Pickett #5
Narrated by: David Chandler
Publisher: Recorded Books
Length: 9 hours, 11 minutes, Unabridged show less

Joe Pickett may have bitten off more than he can handle in this novel! He is temporarily stationed in Jackson Hole, the swankiest of swanky location for a game warden. One of his best friends has died and it is his place that Joe is taking.

Immediately the situation turns odd. Joe feels weird, people don't like him (putting it mildly!), he thinks his friend was murdered, not suicidal and the town's main developer's wife has her eye on Joe.

Meanwhile, Marybeth and the girls are having issues of their own and it all boils down to who do you trust.