Snowed In

In addition to the loftier reading I often do, I also occasionally dabble in lighter reading. A case in point would be the mystery novels of Wyomingite C.J. Box. Set in fictional Twelve Sleep County, Wyoming, Box's books feature soaring landscapes and small town politics. His protagonist is a bumbling, but lovable Fish & Game Warden, Joe Pickett.

The third in Box's six-book Pickett series, this tale finds Pickett once again battling small town mentalities, as well as trigger-anxious federal authorities seeking revenge for the murders of a Forest Service officer and a Bureau of Land Management employee. Their target is a wacko millenialist group camping illegally on federal land in the Bighorn Mountains.

Pickett doubts the government's claim and fights to set the record straight before tensions rise and ignite another Waco, all while battling against the worst of Wyoming elements: a wicked, winter snow storm.

If you like an easy read, Box's books are good for settling in on a cold evening. No, this isn't heady intellectual reading and they aren't the classics, but if you don't want to think too much and you just want something different for a change, check out his Joe Pickett series. Out of five stars, I give this one a four.