Joe Picket returns, this time to the wilds of Yellowstone National Park. Deftly plotted and full of intrigue, Free Fire is C. J. Box's best novel yet.

Joe Pickett, having recently been fired from his job as a Wyoming game warden, is working on his father-in-law's ranch when he receives a call from the governor's office. Governor Rulon-a devious but down-home politico-has a special request, one Joe knows he can't refuse. For weeks, the headlines have been abuzz with the story of Clay McCann, a lawyer who slaughtered four campers in cold blood in a far-off corner of Yellowstone National Park. After the murders, McCann immediately turned himself in at the nearest park ranger station. It seemed like a slam-dunk case for law enforcement-except that the crimes were committed in a thin sliver of land with zero residents and overlapping jurisdiction, the so-called free-fire zone. McCann had taken advantage of a loophole in the law: neither the state of Wyoming nor the federal government can try him for his crime, so he walks out of prison a free man.

Governor Rulon, sensitive to the rising tide of public outrage over the McCann case, wants his own investigation into the murders. The governor will reinstate Joe as a game warden if he'll go to Yellowstone to investigate. Joe, happy to get his badge back, even under these circumstances, agrees. However, it quickly becomes clear to Joe that McCann is deeply involved with some illegal activity taking place in the park-something tremendously lucrative and unusually dangerous. As Joe and his partner Nate Romanowski search in the unlikeliest places to find the key to the murders, they find out that it may be hidden in the rugged terrain of the park itself.

Reader Reviews

Kay

(4/5)

Apr 27, 2024

Interesting story! This time Joe Pickett was asked to investigate four murders at Yellowstone National Park by Wyoming Governor. Shockingly there's an area of 50 square miles of the park in Idaho that purported a loophole in the US Constitution (Sixth Amendment) and you may get away with any crime and even MURDER. It's called "The Zone of Death". I never heard of this, it's actually true. What??!! read on wikiAs always this series has wonderful characters that continue to grow. We also learn mor...

Jim

Joe Pickett, recently fired from his job as a Wyoming Fish and Game Warden, has been working as the forman on his father-in-law's ranch when the governor stops by Saddlestring. He wants Joe to investigate four murders that took place in Yellowstone. In exchange Joe gets to be a game warden again. Not with his own district but more like a special projects game warden.Clay McCann killed four campers in a remote corner of Yellowstone then went to a ranger station and turned himself in. Then he walk...

Mike Penlington

(5/5)

I thoroughly enjoy C.J.Box's Joe Pickett series of fast-paced thriller stories following this Wyoming game warden, his family and his pal Nate (ex-special forces). Excellent storyline in this one which I rate as perhaps the best book in the series (#7) so far. So rounding up to a big fat 5 stars!

Joanne

After the events in the last novel, Joe is living and working for his father in law. A call from the Governor gives Joe the opportunity to get back to what he loves the most - being a Game Warden albeit it with a different agenda. Joe is on a mission to solve a possible murder. I love these books and I absolutely love the narrator. I really hope the television series eventually gets off the ground and that they do it justice.

John

C J Box box writes a decent crime novel around a the character of Joe Pickett, a game warden in Wyoming. The series is interesting in that it paints a picture of Wyoming and big game hunting that most of us have never been exposed to. Box's stories are what I call "Republican formulaic" in that organized law enforcement is always inept or corrupt, or both, and Pickett is the 'every man' succeeding from pure tenacity, luck and righteousness. Pickett's innocence requires being saved in each episo...

Henry

Joe Pickett books by C.J. Box never disappoint. Joe is not a superhero (he can't even shoot straight), just a good guy doing his job in books that are very well written. The Wyoming/Yellowstone setting is terrific in this installment.

Julie

Extremely interesting tale and Joe finally develops some balls and does not let any one run him over !!! Of course he still has his vehicle wrecked...Was glad to see Nate again too :)

Michael Richards

(3/5)

Quite an educational trip through Yellowstone National Park. And quite an exciting adventure for Joe and Nate.

Mike

Interesting story about the former Wyoming game warden, Mr. Pickett. He's approached by the governor's assistant to do some under cover investigating in Yellowstone Park. A lawyer has found a loophole to commit murder in a certain area that is not under normal rules. Good mystery, laughs and action.

Ron Wroblewski

This is one of his best so far. Solving murders in Yellowstone National Park. Especially since I spent the entire last summer in and around the Park. I was able to visualize where he was and what he was doing. Didn't realize that there was an area in the Park where a crime could be committed and a person could not be tried since there was no one living in the area and no jury could be made up, therefore no trial and the criminal could go free.

FREE FIRE (Licensed Investigator-Joe Pickett-Wyoming-Cont) – ExBox, C.J. – 7th in seriesPutnam, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780399154270First Sentence: A half-hour after Clay McCann walked into the backwoods ranger station and turned over his still-warm weapons, after he’d announced to the startled seasonal ranger behind the desk that he’d just slaughtered four campers near Robinson Lake, the nervous ranger said, “Law enforcement will be here any minute. Do you want to call a lawyer?”*** Joe Pic...

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Free Fire

Free Fire

Free Fire

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