Although the Joe Pickett series can feel a bit like a Western, with the dramatic mountains of Wyoming its constant backdrop, it really has all the crime fiction credentials you could wish for. The very first book, Open Season, won the Anthony, Mcavity, Gumshoe and Barry awards for best first novel back when it was published in 2001. At the time, CJ Box was a local journalist – today he’s loved around the world for his crime books, which have been translated into 30 languages.
The success of the series is no surprise to anyone who’s read a Joe Picket novel. There’s something beautiful, wild and primal about these stories, which take game warden Joe into the wilderness where man meets nature, where sometimes the dark side of human nature climbs to the surface. And Joe must deal with it.
Now, the 25th book in this magnificent series – Battle Mountain – has been announced. Released on 6 March, t’s a novel in which one of Joe’s allies, the falconer Nate Romanowski, takes centre stage and goes on a deadly mission, but there may be consequences for Joe as well. We’ve invited CJ to join us for a chat about his new novel, Joe Pickett and why wilderness noir appeals to so many crime readers.
What are crime fiction lovers going to love about Battle Mountain?
It’s the culmination of several threads that were established in earlier books, with Nate Romanowski seeking revenge on a man who destroyed his family. Joe Pickett is also on a mission that’s at first unrelated to Nate’s journey, but the narratives come together in the end.
Tell us a little about Joe, how you originally conceived him and how he’s developed over the years? Where’s he at now?
Joe Pickett is a 51-year-old game warden in Wyoming. He was 32 in the debut novel. Over the years, he’s watched his family and friends grow and mature. He’s still a bit of a do-gooder, but he’s developed a harder bark.
His buddy Nate plays a big role here. What’s the connection between these boys and what does he bring to the story?
Nate has appeared in most of the Joe Pickett novels, and he takes the lead in this one. Nate is an outlaw falconer with a special forces background, and he teams up with fellow falconer Geronimo Jones as they go after a very bad guy named Axel Soledad.
Who or what are they up against?
Axel is similar to Nate in his background, but he’s taken a very different path. Axel’s enemy is the US military/industrial complex, as well as the government as a whole. He’s recruited a bunch of like-minded individuals to carry out an audacious attack. Nate just wants to kill him for personal reasons.
This is book 25 – wow! And congratulations. Did you ever imagine the series would become so popular and have such longevity?
I never conceived of a long-running series of books. That was the publisher’s idea. To this day, I write each book as a standalone in my mind. It’s hard to believe there are so many.
What do you think draws readers to stories and characters on the fringes of the great wilderness out there?
I like to think readers are drawn to exotic and unique locations and the culture that springs up within it. I know I am when I read novels set in places I’m not intimately familiar with. I try very hard to honestly convey the place, the weather, the outlook and the people who exist in this rough but beautiful setting.
What was it like working on the Joe Pickett series for Paramount? Are there plans to adapt any more of your books for the screen?
There have been two television series based on my books: Big Sky which ran for three seasons and Joe Pickett which ran for two. I wasn’t intimately involved and I was happy to provide the source material. We think of both series as one-hour commercials for the books. As to additional adaptations, there are some things afoot that I can’t yet talk about.
Which other crime, western or other authors are you enjoying at the moment, and why?
I’m always a big fan of Michael Connelly, John Sanford, Adrian McKinty, Denise Mina and many others. At the moment, I’m reading The Oligarch’s Daughter by Joe Finder. I also read a lot of non-fiction and non-genre novels.
What’s next for CJ Box and for Joe Pickett?
I’m working on the 26th Joe Pickett novel right now. The tentative title is Ranch Gothic.
Check out our reviews of Three Inch Teeth and Vicious Circle, or order a copy of Battle Mountain with the buttons below. It’s published on 6 March.
