Savage Run starts off on a note worthy of Carl Hiaason - a cow explodes and blows up Stewie Woods, environmental extremist, and his bride. The book ends with a good dose of Zane Grey as the protaganist and his companions are chased to an impassable canyon by a deranged killer. In between, two serial killers take out several well-known treehuggers in particularly humiliating ways. All in all, an entertaining concept for a mystery.

What I did not like about this book was the writing, which I thought needed polish. The author seems most interested in portraying the earnest game warden Joe Pickett, a good guy but prone to costly mistakes. The serial killers are well developed also. But many characters have been drawn straight from central casting - the bad guy lawyer, the sheriff who wants to write off the crime and be done with it, the pretty wife who throws a hissy fit and stamps off to her room. In addition, parts of the book are thoroughly predictable. Will Joe forget to take the evidence and later find that it's disappeared? Is the wife upset because she was involved with Stewie in the past? You could answer without reading the book.

Another problem for me was the descriptions of the crime scenes. Although they include glaring clues, Box expects the reader to accept them as unsolvable. Whether you go along depends upon your tolerance for the highly improbable. Such as authorities wondering if the charred victim set the fire himself. Yeah. First he died, then he poured the gasoline and lit it.

Although I finished this book, I felt it didn't live up to its hype. Mine is a minority opinion though; the other members of my book club loved it.

C.J. Box's debut novel Open Season was so good I immediately looked for the sequels. Savage Run the next in the Joe Pickett series although a little bit predictable in parts maintains the high quality of the original masterpiece. The Carl Hiaasen style characters continue in Savage Run with extreme environmentalists, arrogant trophy hunting rich ranchers who have politicians and officials in their pocket and surreal criminals.

In Savage Run environmental guerrilla warfare against developers, ranchers, loggers and hunters organisation One Globe leader Stewie Woods is continuing his vandalism and destructive ways against those pilfering the environment when he is blown up along with his new wife by a bomb strapped to a cow. The cow is one of Jim Finotta's an arrogant rich and powerful rancher who as Joe finds out when he visits him is not opposed to shooting game out of season, cutting off their heads as a trophy and leaving the rest of the animal to rot in the wilderness. Soon other environmental lawyers, activists and other prominent pro wilderness people's deaths join Stewie Woods on the obituary list. An organisation long thought to have died out called The Stockman's trust has hired two killers to restore the world to the way they think it should be.

If you haven't already done so read Open Season. In fact it is a good idea to read that novel before this one as parts of that story are given away in Savage Run. Also if you haven't done so check out Carl Hiaasen novels which are similar to Box's but set in Florida instead of Wyoming.

Is there no limit to the perfidy possible in remote Idaho? Box continues to please, writing of an unusually average joe in an underpaid government job up against poachers and notorious unlicensed fisherpersons. His job is way too political, his day too lonely and his daily grind seems to fill rapidly with extradordinary situations that test credibility. But, and it's a big but, the author never pushes too hard. The everyday hero has no superskills except devotion to his family and a tenacious work ethic that demands ethical behavior of the people he encounters. There may be a few too many really, really bad guys in a state half-filled with Mormons, but some of them get their just desserts, some pols get what's coming to them, and quite a few animals die in spectacular fashion. There is danger, romance, quiet reflection and a strong theme that average working stiffs do make a difference in this world. If you can, read the series in the order they were written, as some elements of the story do build. And I eagerly await the next volume to see what will befall Joe and Marybeth Pickett, their horses and little girls, and the myriad wild animals and forests that surround them. And, I can't wait to see if Mr. Box's editor learns the difference between "farther" and "further", a mistake that rankles me.

Joe Pickett, Box's OPEN SEASON hero, returns in the action packed adventure SAVAGE RUN. Joe, a Wyoming Game warden, takes his job seriously and quite often he angers locals who fish and hunt out of season or overzealously. Pickett has no idea when he is called on to check out the explosion of several cows that he will be launched into a hair-raising life or death adventure. This is a modern day tale of a new style "Range War," pitting rich ranchers against right wing ecoterrorists. C J Box's talent as a writer is his ability set readers into the midst of his narrative. If you enjoy thrillers that drip with reality, you won't be disappointed with C J Box's "Savage Run."
Beverly J Scott author of RIGHTEOUS REVENGE and RUTH FEVER

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett meets Sheriff Barnum and Deputy McLanahan to head up the mountain to determine what the explosion was that a fire lookout reported. Part of the way they have to ride their horses. They find a large crater. It appears that a cow exploded and killed a woman and a man. It turns out to be environmental activist Stewie Woods and his new bride.

The cattle belonged to ranch owner Jim Finotta. When Joe goes to notify him of the death of approximately 10 of his cattle, he notices an elk head on Finotta's wall. Joe determines that Finotta killed it out of season and left the meat to rot. He tries everything he can to prosecute Finotta, but he is so well connected that Joe is stopped at every turn.

Unbeknownst to Joe, his wife, Marybeth, knew Stewie many years ago. His death stirs up her memories and puts them in danger as well.

Then more environmental activists die in bizarre accidents. Joe knows something is going on, but can't quite put his finger on it. More things begin happening, and the next thing he knows, he is being hunted. Will he ever get home in one piece to his family?

I like Joe. He is a great guy. He always tries to do what is right. Quite often that ticks other people off and makes his job harder.

This series is a step out of my normal genre. I usually only read cozy mysteries (little sex, violence and cussing). This goes over that line, but because I like Joe Pickett and Mr. Box's writing style, I read this series. I do want to mention that this book is a bit violent and graphic. I found I had to skip over some of those parts.

I recommend this book. This is one series that you will want to read. The suspense keeps you guessing and the pace moves quickly.