LONG RANGE By C. J. Box

"Long Range" is number 20 in the Joe Pickett series by C. J. Box. Joe Pickett is a Wyoming Fish and Game warden stationed in Twelve Sleep County. At the beginning of "Long Range," Joe finds himself in Jackson Hole assisting Game Warden Mike Martin in locating the body of a hunting guide who was mauled to death by a bear while escorting an out-of-state hunter. Wardens Pickett and Martin, along with the hunter, are on horseback trying to get to the location of the bear attack to retrieve the body of the dead guide. Before they can reach the body, Joe is called back to Twelve Sleep County.

He arrives in Twelve Sleep County and discovers Judge Hewitt's wife, Sue has been tragically shot while in her kitchen. Sue and the Judge were just starting their evening meal. As Sue was bringing the food to the table, she was shot. She was standing beside the Judge, and as he leaned over, a shot came through their window and hit Sue. Who was the target, the Judge or Sue?

This is Joe's first official encounter with the newly elected Sheriff Brendan Kapelow. No one has a very favorable impression of the new sheriff. Kapelow has no interest in anyone's input into the investigation.

Joe turns to several people for help. First, he goes to his good friend, Nate Romanowski for some advice. The Romanowski's get a visit from a retired FBI Agent, Jeremiah Sanburg, who delivers disturbing news, and Nate finds himself fighting to keep his family safe. Joe then turns to his wife Marybeth, the town librarian, for important research into some of his hunches. Very quickly everything goes sideways.

"Long Range" is spellbinding and shows the reader why this series is such a long-running hit. "Long Range" is full of twists and turns and the unexpected conclusions that develop.