Not exactly a forgotten book since C.J. Box's BLUE HEAVEN won the Edgar
in 2009. But I have been meaning to read it and since I did, here is my
review. This is a masterful book that manages to tell a fairly complex
story in a completely lucid way. There is no fat in the story. It takes
place over 48 hours and you can feel those hours ticking by at breakneck
speed.
Two kids in northern Idaho watch the murder of a man, see that they've
been spotted, and are immediately on the run. They are lucky enough to
find the barn of Jess Rawlins, a rancher who is one of the
few good men left in his neck of the woods. He is also a hard-luck guy
who has lost almost everything. But Jess must hide the kids, figure out
if their story is true, and determine just who the murderers are and
why. Can he trust that what they think they saw really happened. And is
it fair to keep the kids away from their worrying mother.
Blue Heaven is a term for the part of northern Idaho that is now a haven
for ex-policeman. And some of those ex-policemen have taken over Jess's
town for their own purposes. The is an exciting read and a nice
introduction to this part of the country. Not a false step in the story
and Box creates great villains and great heroes. Not an easy thing to
do
( From the archives)
6 comments:
Oh, I like C.J. Box's work, Patti. You've reminded me that he can do an excellent standalone novel besides his Pickett series. Thanks
Like you and Margot, I've enjoyed C. J. Box's work. The stack with Box's books keeps growing!
I've always meant to read his series, but so far all I've read is his collection of short stories, which I liked quite a bit.
Will have to look for that.
The concept of “a rancher who is one of the few good men left in his neck of the woods” annoys me, with the implication, or worse flat statement that most people are bad. It’s hard enough to find positives in the world these days without the author setting up such a sorry, hopeless world in which to place struggling characters. I wouldn’t read it.
Happy Halloween, Patti.
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