Force of Nature

Author: C.J. Box

He never wanted to tell Joe Pickett about it, but Nate Romanowski always knew trouble was coming out of his past. Now it's here, and it may not only be the battle of his life--but of Joe's.

In 1995, Nate was in a secret Special Forces unit abroad when a colleague did something terrible. Now high up in the government, the man is determined to eliminate anyone who knows about it, and Nate knows exactly how he'll do it--by striking at Nate's friends to draw him out. The entire Pickett family will be a target, and the only way to fight back is outside the law. Nate knows he can do it, but he isn't sure about his straight-arrow friend--and all their lives could depend on it.

Force Of Nature (Joe Pickett, #12)


Reviews

Publishers Weekly (starred review):

Edgar-winner Box's breakneck 12th Joe Pickett novel (after 2011's Cold Wind) focuses on Joe's outlaw buddy, Nate Romanowski. Nate's been hiding in the foothills of Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains from cruel and powerful enemies, harmlessly communing with his falcons, except when assisting game warden Joe on a case. Unfortunately, Nate's sociopath former Special Forces commander, John Nemecek, a fellow falconer, comes after him with merciless efficiency and a crew of fanatical thugs, and Nate responds with measured but startling ferocity. When Nemecek begins interrogating—and eliminating—people connected to Nate, Joe's family members become targets, forcing Joe to decide how far he can go to help his friend. The struggle between loyalty and law has always been at the heart of this series, set far from big-city legal support systems, and it's especially impressive in this superior entry. 

 

Booklist (starred review):

This is a very different Pickett novel, more a pure thriller and much more violent. Fans who love the books for their thoughtfulness may find this one a bit bloody, but those who love Box's stunning set pieces will be in heaven. And, as a way to keep the series fresh, it's an excellent idea—we all need to let our ids off the leash once in awhile.

 

Library Journal (starred review):

Edgar-winner Box has written an exquisitely designed, six-act mystery that uses falconry for its central metaphor without ever losing the necessary thrust to make this an absolutely riveting read. This is the best Box I’ve ever read, and I've read them all. 

 

The New York Times Book Review:

A violent, bloody, quite satisfying thriller set in the Bighorn mountains of Wyoming. An excellent wilderness adventure. 

 

The New York Times Sunday Book Review:

One never knows what might happen when a writer lets his inner imp out of the bottle. C. J. Box does just that with Force of Nature, an excellent wilderness adventure. 

 

Kirkus Reviews:

Moves like greased lightning.

 

Daily Mail:

This is a thriller of the highest class. I've raved about Box before, but if you've never sampled his muscular writing, his supreme sense of place, his strong characters and narrative drive now is the time to start.

 

The Associated Press:

Another amazing thriller from C.J. Box. Box's readership will only increase with his latest page turner. 

 

Providence Journal:

Force of Nature is, simply stated, brilliant in every respect. Box is a force to be reckoned with and his Force of Nature is not to be missed.


Denver Post:

Force of Nature proceeds at warp speed toward a showdown between good and evil. Box fans will not be disappointed by this latest Joe Pickett adventure.


San Jose Mercury News:

C.J. Box's Joe Pickett novels have always been enjoyable, but Box has been getting better as a writer as he goes along, and Force of Nature is perhaps the best in the series.

It's the 12th Pickett book and the 15th Box novel overall, and Box's writing has gotten stronger and more solid he has evolved. It's nice to see an author continuing to work at his craft, and not just coast along for the royalties.

 

Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

[An] outstanding wilderness noir series. 

 

Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Joe, one of mystery's most likeable and real good guys, is Nate's perfect friend and counterpoint.

 

Bookreporter:

C. J. Box is one of those few authors whose work from book to book is reliably brilliant. His primary character, Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, is a modern-day haphazard, gentle warrior of a sort, whose proneness to error and accident is more than counterbalanced by an overriding sense of decency in goodness in a place where such qualities are viewed more often than not as a weakness. It is Pickett's ability to manifest those qualities as a winning strength that have helped to shoulder these novels to the forefront of the modern western, creating new interest in an established genre that at one time was considered all but finished, while cementing it firmly in the minds of the thriller readership.

For those who have never encountered Box's work, his latest effort will be an experience never to be forgotten.