I enjoy this new series featuring Cassie Dewell. The story lines are interesting but I miss the outdoors and wildlife in the Joe Pickett novels. No matter who the characters are I f it’s a CJ Box book, I’ll be reading it.

C.J.Box is a truly gifted author and every book just gets better. The writing is fantastic. The characters are well developed and the storyline is entertaining.

Bozeman-based PI Cassie Dewell is hired by a defense attorney to mostly verify the facts turned over during discovery. Dewell, being a former cop, doesn't really care for defense lawyers but takes on the job for a variety of reasons. She still doesn't like it, though. And that that corner of the state is in the midst of its largest wildfire in recent memory.

Blake Kleinsasser, the oldest of 3 sons born into a family that controls a small county up near the Bitterroot mountains. He's accused of abduction and rape of his niece and the evidence against him is formidable. Blake was in a blackout drunk when the alleged rape occurred. The lawyer wants the evidence verified so she can talk Blake into a plea deal. Family issues and the line of succession for the 70,000 acres of the Iron Cross ranch mean that should Blake be convicted, he would be cut out of any passing along of family assets.

When Cassie arrives to essentially dot i's and cross t's, but runs into wall after wall after wall. She's getting fed up with being stonewalled, was even tossed into jail for a night, her Jeep was burned, her motel room bugged, and threatened most every day. Only once she tracks down a former employee of the ranch does this morass of dominoes start to organize and fall into place, which also has a tentacle to her son's interest in a new student in school back in Bozeman.

While CJ Box is well known for his Joe Pickett novels, this, his 4th Cassie Dewell book, is equal to the task. Box is more than just Joe Pickett. It's his stories and how he develops them that sets Box apart from the rest of the numerous pretenders. So go ahead and start reading CJ Box for Joe Pickett, but stick with him as he develops Cassie Dewell. You will not be disappointed.

This was my first C.J. Box title - and I loved it! I found differing information on whether or not this title is part of a series. If it is though - I didn't have any issues with not having read any of the other Cassie Dewell titles. I decided to give this genre a try after getting hooked on the TV show 'Yellowstone". It was definitely worth it!

This is the 2nd C.J. Box book I’ve read and I am loving this author. Box’s descriptions of the Northwest, Montana and the surrounding valleys and mountains with the backdrop of fires burning through timbered areas are simply stunning.

Cassie, a former cop, now a private detective, is uncomfortable working for aggressive defense attorneys. She is investigating an assault/rape in a small town where one family is in control of the entire valley. Cassie still sees things from the perspective of a police officer and wants to validate investigative due diligence and that evidence is properly obtained. There are unscrupulous people trying to intimidate and force her to back down. Many twists and turns and a great plot.

*I will post to online venues closer to publication. LOVED this book!

Another great C.J. Box read!! The Bitterroots is an engrossing read that will keep you captivating and turning the pages until the final one.

This is 4th in the series. I didn't read the previous books and I do feel I missed something by not having the background story as well. A nice enough book though

Opening up a C. J. Box book is like turning on your favorite movie.
The intense anticipation is one of a kind, one you know you’ll be pulled in and held captivated until the final scene.
Now that she has her own Private Investigative Company, Cassie Dewell is trying to piece her and Ben’s lives back together after the harrowing ordeal with a serial killer, The Lizard King, a notorious long haul truck driver who wrecked havoc across the country’s highways and truck-stops.

However, her peace of mind may be cut too short.
Cassie has taken on a case up in The Bitterroots Mountains, a case that will lead her into an evil cliquish territory.

C. J. Box has created an amazing plot, intertwined with a nail-biting conclusion, which will raise the hair on the back of his reader’s necks.

I received an arc copy of Bitterroots in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

An old friend calls in a debt, and Cassie Dewell leaves the comfort of her new business as a PI in Helena, Montana, to look into the circumstances surrounding the arrest of a member of an influential family in a small, rural community. After the intensity of her previous job in law enforcement, her business conducting investigations for insurance companies and car dealerships feels like a breath of fresh air. As she heads into the Bitterroot mountains, where a fire is raging, that fresh air disappears both literally and metaphorically. The family of the accused is the worst kind of dysfunctional, and there’s a trucker who seems bent on killing Cassie and her family, harkening back to her stressful days chasing a serial rapist and murdering trucker. After a slow start filling in Cassie’s history, Box shifts into high gear, pulling the plot lines together while writing lyrically of the western landscape.

C. J. Box can always be counted on to give us a thrilling, edge of your seat book. Bitterroots is one of the best, especially enjoy the character Cassie Sewell.

I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it. The plot was a bit predictable, but there was a twist at the end that I liked. I will recommend it to some friends.

I am a huge fan of CJ Box and was excited to get this review copy. I loved this book. Kept the series fresh but brought back elements of previous stories. There was plenty of twists and things to keep you guessing. I'm starting to like Cassie better than Joe - oh no! Maybe someday they will meet up.

When Cassie investigates the case of a child molester for an old friend, she does not expect to do more than validate known facts to put the perpetrator behind bars. But while she is asking questions the people involved act peculiar, and someone seems to be very adamant to scare her off, even going as far as threatening her life. Instead of retreating Cassie stubbornly stays on the case.
Fast paced and entertaining story, well written page turner, highly recommended!

This is not a Joe Pickett novel but one featuring a lesser Box protagonist, Cassie Dewell, an investigator now working in Montana who has a teenaged son. She is caught in a family feud pitting one son against his parents and brothers. It is dangerous and nasty because the hugely wealthy ranching family involved has power over local politicians and law enforcement. As always, Box sharply delineates how family members can hate and love one another but also how they present a front to outsiders. Nevertheless, Cassie just does not resonate with me the way Pickett does.

What could be better than starting the month off with not only a new C.J. Box mystery, but with a new female protagonist ? Cassie is a single mother, an ex-cop who has started her own private investigation firm. She has a teen age son, a hippie mother who is supposed to be a help and a female defense attorney who ensures Cassie in a case with an immoral defendant . The plot thickens and winds from here. Great fun to read; this is a book that will keep you up all night!

This is a highly addictive book to read as it is very atmospheric and provides the reader with an insight of a small town in rural Montana. Cassie Dewell is one of those private detectives I love,. She never backs down and is determined to reveal the truth even if it might kill her.
In my opinion C.J. Box is at the top of his writing career with this novel. It has great twists and turns that will keep the reader turning the page. CJ Box is easily at the same level as Lee Child and Michael Connelly with this book. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. C. J. Box doesn't disappoint. We know early on who the bad guys are but the fun in the story is the how and why.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. I recently started reading C. J. Box and love him. The Bitterroots involves a former sheriff’s investigator Cassie Dewell who is now a private investigator. Cassie helps a friend who wants Cassie to help investigate a man, from an wealthy family accused of assaulting his niece.

The Kleinsassers have ruled the Bitterroots of Montana for decades, and the Iron Cross Ranch is their fortress.. They want to see Blake Kleinsasser, the accused, put away forever for the assault. Cassie tries to uncover the truth, but she is threatened, jailed, and assaulted herself. But Cassie will stop at nothing to find the truth. Cassie is another great C.J. Box character who is diligent and focused as well as very entertaining.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the chance to review this book.


A five star review feels like it should be a special rarely seen type of book, However the best praise I can think of is Yep... Its a C.J. Box book. You have a beautiful western location, A honest main character who wants to do whats right, And there is always more to the story than it seems. All in all it is a classic C.J. Box story that you will enjoy throughout. 5 Star

The author of the Joe Pickett novels has written the first in a series with a female Private Investigator. Cassie begins by investigating a rape of a 15 year old Franny. Kleinsassers has already confessed to the rape. Cassie must make sure his confession is true by following the statement of the girl. But everyone is Lochsa County is in the pocket of the Kiensassers family, from the sheriff down. They are a vicious and dishonest family doing everything to make Cassie's life horrible.

C.J. Box has written an intriguing and twisty story, every bit as good as his Joe Pickett novels..
Definitely recommended.