Breaking Point (A Joe Pickett Novel)
Box has always been adept at giving Joe Pickett, his old-school Wyoming game warden, modern issues to confront. Here, Joe finds himself tracking Butch Roberson, the father of his younger daughter’s best friend, after Butch seemingly kills two armed EPA agents and heads for the hills. Armed EPA agents? You read that right. In this nightmarish scenario, the EPA carries guns, the Forest Service has a SWAT team, and an unhinged administrator can target a fugitive with a missile-carrying drone. “Hell had broken open, and hundreds of bureaucrats were gushing out,” laments Pickett, wondering whether he can stand to wear his badge anymore. Should “war” break out between the government and the people, he knows whose side he would be on. His outrage is understandable, but, still, this is a far cry from the thoughtful, balanced takes of previous Picketts. And, despite a fiery, thrilling ending, it’s not as seamlessly structured as usual, either. But, whether you watch the skies for black helicopters or not, you’ll still have a hard time putting this one down and turning out the light. --Keir Graff