Savage Run is the second novel by C.J. Box to feature Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett. It was first published in 2003. The caper starts off with a notorious environmentalist and his wife getting killed when a cow bomb is detonated. Yeah, a bomb tied to a cow is the means of murder. So that bit does seem rather ridiculous. however the overall novel is better than it sounds. Pickett has become a rather unusual protagonist in crime fiction because he does not seem to have any serious vices and has a stable family life. The environmentalist seems to have a past that intersects with Mrs. Pickett, so that is rather interesting.
There is a rather harrowing chase through the wilderness that takes up a good deal of the story. There are some pretty dastardly lawyers and politicians in the background as well, and they help keep Pickett rather busy as well.
This isn’t really a stand-out novel that should be lauded for its brilliance, but the setting is captured well, and Pickett remains a likeable enough hero, although not the most memorable, I suppose.
Even if Box falls short in stoking any major enthusiasm for his works, he does have my respect and just enough of my interest to have me wander back from time to time.
Next up, I am currently reading another murder mystery by Charles Todd. Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge learns the folly of A Divided Loyalty.
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