CJ Box Books in Order
The official reading order for CJ Box’s books, including the Joe Pickett series and the Highway Quartet, with summaries and publication history.
Last updated: December 11, 2025
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Publication Order
32 books
Treasure State
by CJ Box
2022
Cassie Dewell investigates a con man who swindles wealthy widows, while also looking into the mystery of a buried treasure that has attracted ruthless hunters to Montana.
Shadows Reel
by CJ Box
2022
Marybeth finds a Nazi photo album left at the library, sparking a mystery with roots in World War II. Meanwhile, Nate tracks down the man who stole his falcons, leading both Picketts and Romanowski into danger.
Dark Sky
by CJ Box
2021
Joe is tasked with guiding a Silicon Valley billionaire on an elk hunt. The trip turns into a nightmare when they are ambushed by a specialized kill squad, forcing Joe to use all his skills to keep them alive.
Long Range
by CJ Box
2020
A judge is shot at from an impossible distance, and Nate Romanowski is arrested for the crime. Joe must clear his friend’s name while dealing with a rogue grizzly bear that is terrorizing the area.
Wolf Pack
by CJ Box
2019
Joe discovers a drone killing wildlife, which leads him to a Mexican cartel operating in the Wyoming wilderness. The cartel sends a team of assassins—the "Wolf Pack"—to eliminate the game warden who stumbled onto their operation.
The Bitterroots
by CJ Box
2019
Now a private investigator, Cassie is hired to help a man accused of rape. The investigation takes her to a remote county controlled by the powerful Kleinsasser family, who will do anything to protect their secrets.
The Disappeared
by CJ Box
2018
The governor tasks Joe with finding a missing British female executive who vanished from a high-end guest ranch. At the same time, Nate Romanowski questions his future as he tries to rebuild his life without falcons.
Vicious Circle
by CJ Box
2017
Dallas Cates returns from prison seeking revenge against Joe Pickett and his family. With the help of his ruthless family, Cates initiates a violent plan, forcing Joe and Nate to prepare for a final showdown.
Paradise Valley
by CJ Box
2017
Cassie Dewell sets a trap for the "Lizard King," the truck-driving serial killer who has evaded her for years. The plan goes wrong, and Cassie must go rogue to finish the hunt before he kills again.
Off the Grid
by CJ Box
2016
Nate Romanowski is offered a pardon if he helps federal agents track a domestic terror cell in the Red Desert. Joe joins the mission, but they soon realize the government’s plan is far deadlier than they were told.
Endangered
by CJ Box
2015
Joe’s foster daughter, April, is found beaten and left for dead in a ditch. Joe suspects her rodeo cowboy boyfriend, Dallas Cates, and embarks on a personal crusade for justice that threatens to cross the line.
Badlands
by CJ Box
2015
Cassie Dewell moves to Grimstad, North Dakota, a boomtown rife with oil, money, and crime. She finds herself in the middle of a gang war while trying to solve a cold case involving a young boy.
Stone Cold
by CJ Box
2014
Joe is sent undercover to a massive, secretive ranch owned by a wealthy recluse. Rumors suggest the ranch is a front for an assassination ring, and Joe finds himself cut off from help in a place where human life is cheap.
Shots Fired
by CJ Box
2014
A collection of short stories set in the American West, including four Joe Pickett tales. The stories range from a historical mystery involving a lost photo album to a tense standoff on a one-lane bridge.
Pronghorns of the Third Reich
by CJ Box
2014
In this novella, a disillusioned lawyer and two ex-cons trek to a remote ranch to uncover a bizarre Nazi scheme involving pronghorn antelope. The journey reveals a hidden library and a dark secret from World War II.
The Highway
by CJ Box
2013
When two sisters vanish on a lonely Montana highway, investigator Cassie Dewell takes on the case. She uncovers a terrifying network of serial killers who use the nation’s truck stops as their hunting grounds.
Breaking Point
by CJ Box
2013
A local business owner and family friend goes on the run after two EPA employees are murdered. Joe believes the man was pushed too far by federal overreach, but the manhunt reveals a conspiracy deeper than simple revenge.
Force of Nature
by CJ Box
2012
Nate Romanowski’s dark past in the Special Forces catches up with him. A powerful enemy from his former unit arrives in Wyoming to wipe out anyone who knows his secrets, putting the entire Pickett family in the crosshairs.
Cold Wind
by CJ Box
2011
When Joe’s mother-in-law finds her husband’s body hanging from a wind turbine, all signs point to murder. Joe’s friend Nate Romanowski is the prime suspect, forcing Joe to investigate a complex web of wind energy politics.
Back of Beyond
by CJ Box
2011
Cody Hoyt, an alcoholic cop, investigates the death of his sponsor in a remote cabin. The trail leads him to a wilderness pack trip in Yellowstone, where his own son is among the tourists being stalked by a killer.
Nowhere to Run
by CJ Box
2010
While checking a remote area, Joe stumbles upon twin brothers who have been living off the grid and running a criminal operation. Cut off from support, Joe must survive a high-altitude game of cat and mouse.
Three Weeks to Say Goodbye
by CJ Box
2009
Jack and Melissa McGuane’s joy over their adopted baby girl turns to terror when the biological father, a teenager with a powerful federal judge for a father, demands her back. They soon realize the judge will stop at nothing to reclaim the child.
Below Zero
by CJ Box
2009
Joe’s daughter Sheridan begins receiving text messages from a number belonging to her deceased foster sister, April. The messages lead Joe on a cross-country hunt to uncover a massive environmental crime cover-up.
Blue Heaven
by CJ Box
2008
A twelve-year-old girl and her brother witness a brutal execution in the North Idaho woods and flee for their lives. Their pursuers are retired LAPD officers who have turned the local area into their own corrupt sanctuary.
Blood Trail
by CJ Box
2008
A killer is targeting big-game hunters, skinning them and displaying them like trophy animals. Joe is assigned to the case alongside a mysterious "man tracker," but he soon realizes he needs Nate Romanowski’s help to survive.
Free Fire
by CJ Box
2007
A lawyer confesses to four murders in a remote section of Yellowstone but claims a legal loophole makes him immune to prosecution. The governor asks Joe to go undercover and find the truth before the killer walks free.
In Plain Sight
by CJ Box
2006
Ranch matriarch Opal Scarlett vanishes, sparking a vicious war between her sons. Meanwhile, Joe Pickett becomes the target of a series of violent pranks that suggest someone from his past has returned for revenge.
Out of Range
by CJ Box
2005
Joe is temporarily assigned to the wealthy enclave of Jackson Hole after a fellow warden’s apparent suicide. He finds himself navigating a world of rich developers and environmental extremists while questioning if his friend really killed himself.
Trophy Hunt
by CJ Box
2004
Local ranch animals and wild moose are being found mutilated in bizarre ways. While some suspect a bear or even supernatural causes, Joe Pickett discovers a human killer who is far more dangerous than any animal.
Winterkill
by CJ Box
2003
Joe’s supervisor is found murdered, pinned to a tree with arrows. The investigation leads Joe into the snowy mountains and a confrontation with a radical survivalist group that has a connection to his foster daughter.
Savage Run
by CJ Box
2002
When a massive explosion kills an environmental activist, Joe Pickett is called to investigate. He uncovers a deadly plot involving a pair of cold-blooded assassins who are systematically eliminating targets across the state.
Open Season
by CJ Box
2001
New game warden Joe Pickett discovers the body of a local poacher on his own woodpile. As he investigates, he unravels a conspiracy involving an endangered species that could threaten the livelihood of the entire valley.
Where should I start?
If you want the definitive game warden mystery: Open Season → Savage Run → Winterkill.For a dark, fast-paced thriller about a serial killer: The Highway → Badlands → Paradise Valley.If you prefer a high-stakes standalone story: Blue Heaven.
Author bio
C.J. Box is the distinguished #1 New York Times bestselling author recognized globally for his distinctive brand of crime fiction set against the rugged backdrop of the American West. A native of Wyoming, he infuses his narratives with an undeniable authenticity, a quality derived from his own eclectic background. Before rising to literary fame, he worked variously as a ranch hand, a surveyor, a fishing guide, and a small-town newspaper reporter. These experiences provided him with a deep understanding of the land and its people, allowing him to vividly capture the cultural clashes of the "New West"—a landscape where energy booms, environmental conservation, and wealthy outsiders often collide with the traditional ways of local ranchers and hunters.
He is perhaps most celebrated for creating the iconic Joe Pickett series, which launched with the award-winning debut Open Season. The series centers on Joe Pickett, a principled and often underestimated Wyoming game warden stationed in the fictional town of Saddlestring. Unlike the invincible super-spies or hard-drinking detectives common in the thriller genre, Pickett is a relatable family man who lives in a state-owned house with his sharp-witted wife, Marybeth, and their daughters. He is frequently outgunned and under-equipped, relying on his dogged integrity, his knowledge of the high-country terrain, and the lethal assistance of his outlaw friend, Nate Romanowski, to solve complex crimes that drift into his jurisdiction. The popularity of these novels has led to a television adaptation, bringing the sweeping vistas and moral dilemmas of Pickett's world to a broader audience.
Beyond the Wyoming wilderness of the Pickett saga, C.J. Box has demonstrated remarkable range with the Highway Quartet. This darker, more adrenaline-fueled series features the tenacious investigator Cassie Dewell and explores the seedy underbelly of long-haul trucking and serial crime across the Great Plains. The books, including The Highway and Badlands, served as the inspiration for the hit ABC television series Big Sky. In these thrillers, the author shifts gears from the atmospheric mystery of the mountains to high-stakes, race-against-the-clock suspense, showcasing his ability to terrify readers as effectively as he enchants them with nature writing.
C.J. Box is also a master of the standalone novel. His works such as Blue Heaven—a relentless chase story set in North Idaho—and Three Weeks to Say Goodbye focus on ordinary people suddenly thrust into extraordinary, life-threatening situations. His writing is widely praised for its cinematic pacing and tight plotting, qualities that have earned him a trophy case full of major industry honors. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Gumshoe Awards, a rare feat that cements his status as a titan of the modern western thriller. Today, he continues to live in Wyoming, serving as an executive producer on the adaptations of his work and crafting new stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats.
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