C.J. Box, OFF THE GRID

Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski are together again, at least eventually, in this recent effort from Wyoming crime writer C.J. Box. This is a thriller rather than a mystery, in which Joe and Nate gradually find themselves drawn down different avenues into the heart of a terrorist conspiracy.

A picky reader might find the plot a bit coincidental and consider prophetic dreams eerie rather than realistic. But the story is engrossing, and the action scenes are seat-of-the-pants exciting. One can admire the rugged individualism of Box’s protagonists but still find his demonizing of the federal government and eastern elites tiresome. Especially since it is the two entities that eventually save our heroes’ bacon.

When all is said and done, however, this is another fine story from a distinctly American voice.