Reviewed by: Gayle Williams
People often find themselves at a metaphorical crossroads in life. In The Crossroads by C. J. Box, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is found at a literal one — slumped over the wheel of his pick-up truck with a bullet through his head. Three roads run out from that lonely junction, each leading to a ranch owned by one of three powerful families-the Thompsons at the Double Diamond Ranch, sisters Lisa and Lainie McElwee at McElwee Land and Cattle and John and Shelby Bucholtz of the Bucholtz Cattle Company. Which one was Joe heading toward? All three hold grudges, and all three have made it clear they don’t want him anywhere near their land. So is one of them responsible for the shooting, or is the truth hiding somewhere else entirely?
As Joe fights for his life in hospital, his devoted wife Marybeth keeps vigil at his bedside while their adult daughters — Sheridan, April, and Lucy — take it upon themselves to uncover who hated their father enough to try to kill him. Reluctantly aided by Twelve Sleep County’s new sheriff, Steve Sondegard, the girls begin asking questions. But someone out there doesn’t want those questions asked, and the danger quickly shifts toward them.
The story unfolds through a dual‑timeline narrative, beginning in the present when the unconscious Joe is discovered at the crossroads. Tension builds steadily as the flashback chapters follow Joe’s visits to each of the three ranches, giving the reader room to speculate about motive. All three families are hiding something — but which secret is dark enough to lead to murder? In the present‑day timeline, chapters follow Sheridan, April, and Lucy as they each attempt to question the ranchers and uncover the truth, even as it becomes clear that someone is determined to keep those secrets buried. As the story progresses, the overarching question is, of course, does Joe survive?
The novel also features a cameo from Private Investigator Cassie Dewell of Box’s Cassie Dewell series. As April Pickett’s boss, Cassie makes a brief but memorable appearance, stepping in just long enough to give the impulsive April some professional advice.
Wyoming with its isolated ranches and long stretches of empty road makes the perfect backdrop for Joe Pickett’s work as a game warden. It appears to be a place where people guard their land, their privacy, and their grudges.
I particularly enjoyed the vocabulary tied to Wyoming’s geography and ranching life. Always happy to learn new words, I occasionally found myself looking up their meanings.
The Crossroads is the latest instalment — and the twenty‑sixth novel — in C. J. Box’s Joe Pickett series. Yet it stands perfectly well on its own, entirely enjoyable even for readers like me who haven’t read the previous twenty‑five books. I will, however, be tracking them down.
The Crossroads
by C J Box
Bloomsbury Publishing
Paperback
ISBN: 978 1 0359 1884 3
$32.99; 352pp