Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThriller set in WYOMING
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2016
Off The Grid is the 16th book in the hugely successful Joe Pickett series by C J (Chuck) Box. The book was launched in March this year in the States and went straight to No 1 in the New York Times best sellers list… Joe is a Wyoming Game Warden and, in Off The Grid, is asked by the State Governor to search for an acquaintance called Nate Romanowski whom the Governor believes has been despatched in somewhat strange circumstances to the desolate Red Desert area of Wyoming to check out a possible Jihadi plot. Nate is on the run from justice and was tracked down by two very secretive US intelligence agents who promised him immunity, and the wiping of his criminal record – if he cooperated… He was chosen largely because of his falconry expertise and the skills necessary to survive in the wilderness… one of the key suspects believed to be operating in the desert, Muhammad Ibraaheem (Ibby), is also a keen falconer. Joe was in turn promised that the large medical expenses for his daughter following her hospitalisation would be met by the State if he assisted in the way the governor asked. Both men have the same more than scary dream of what is about to happen – a sort of Butch Cassidy stance against overwhelming force.
Joe and Nate (who actually know each other) embark, separately – but ultimately together – on a fast moving and thrilling adventure in the desert. Joe’s daughter, Sheridan, is also in the wasteland – innocently involved in the plot, but also in grave danger. The action is dramatic, a real page turner, and builds to a terrifying and violent conclusion.
In one sense the plot is far fetched, but in another it is quite believable. The weapon the terrorists are planning to use (an EMP – no more for fear of a spoiler…) is truly frightening in its implications. The scheduled impact, as Nate says, was more major than 9/11.
Off The Grid is a real treat for TripFiction readers. The glorious wildlife and natural beauty of Wyoming (the smallest US State in population terms) come through loud and clear – from tracking a grizzly bear in the Bighorn National Forest to the initially desolate, but ultimately teeming with life, Red Desert. Chuck is a proud inhabitant of Wyoming and his love of the State is quite apparent – he is also a member of the Tourist Board. All the locations in the book ring true.
I guess that after 16 books in the series, you might expect another Joe Pickett thriller to be a little tired and formulaic – but Off The Grid is absolutely not. It is a great read for anyone who loves a really good thriller written by a master of the art.
Over on our blog we chat to the author: [...]
