Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. This was a very anticipated read for me! C.J. Box writes beautifully and has a way of immersing you in the story! I was totally engaged and will of course be reading more from this author in the future!

Box is at his best in the fourth of this continuing series. The Bitterroots has everything: a plot that keeps the reader guessing until the end, wonderful characters, and a setting that comes alive even when choked with ash from the blazing forest fires ripping through the forests of Montana. I read the book in a single sitting while flying from Scotland to Chicago and finished it with time to spare. I literally couldn’t put it down. I doubt that most readers won’t be able to either.

I've read several books by CJ Box and have enjoyed them all. This one was no different. Fast paced read and easy to get interested in. I recommend this book.

Box at his best. Propulsive plot, deepening of our relationship of the protagonist, and just enough of his journalistic background flavoring the tale. I wouldn't say Joe Pickett's at risk of being pushed aside by Cassie Dewell, but I'm more than fine with the characters taking turns for as long as Box's still game to tell their stories, especially this well.

I just loved this Cassie Dewell book. Once again, Box writes such compelling characters and his Kleinsasser family puts the fun in dysfunctional. Can’t wait to put this into my customers’ hands.

CJ Box brings back Cassie Dewell. Cassie has solved the Lizard murder case but that doesn't mean she isn't still endangered. A new evil has come to her part of Montana. An uncle has been accused of raping his niece and it is up to Cassie to uncover the truth.

In this continuation of the Cassie Dewell series, The Bitterroots, Box gives his detective the authentic voice of a woman in a man's world. Like many of his books. Box incorporates information about the energy industry embedded in a mystery. Placing the detective in danger from nature as well as the villains, this book keeps the reader glued until the resolution. Recommended for those who like Westerns and mysteries and don't mind if not every character gets the ending he might deserve.

In the author’s fourth Cassie Dewell novel, the protagonist has left her career as a police officer in North Dakota to open her own private investigation firm in Bozeman, Montana. She had tires of the bureaucracy of law enforcement and the misogyny of her co-workers, and needs to work through the PTSD of killing the “Lizard King”, a long-haul trucker and mass murderer. But starting a new business in a new location brings challenges of its own. So when a local female attorney wants to hire her to investigate a rape by a wealthy, over barring man from the adjacent county, Cassie has little choice but to agree.
The accused, Blake Keinsasser is the oldest son of a prominent ranching family in Lochsa County. After three generations, the family business has prospered but has developed a hold over people and politics in the county to preserve their interests. The first day Cassie begins to ask questions about her client, she is stopped by a deputy and jailed on bogus charges. Not intimidated by the tactics, Cassie pushes her way into the family only to have her life threatened again. Still not giving up she finds a former employee of the ranch who fills her in on the family’s history. Now she knows why she’s in danger but how can she persevere?
C.J. Box does it again with The Bitterroots. He writes an intriguing story about a fearless, code bound protagonist that you can’t put down, all the while weaving in modern day issues… misogyny, climate change, law enforcement behavior. An excellent read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance look.

As much as I love the Joe Pickett books, I think this book has become my all time favorite book of his.

Cassie Dewell, a former sheriff investigator is now working as a private detective. She gets asked to look into a case where the eldest son of a rural Montana family is accused of raping his niece. She does not want to do this but she owes his lawyer a favor.

Cassie drives up to this remote area of Montana where the family seems to control everyone and everything. CJ Box does an amazing job of writing about just how creepy this all is. There are run ins with the sheriff, weird and scary family members which puts Cassie in danger many times. There really are no happy endings in this book except Cassie survives.

The Bitterroots by C.J. Box.
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 right at the top of his game 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.

Big sky and big problems in this Montana story of ranchers who dominate a northern Montana county. The ranchers are pretty dislikable, and the chances that the protagonist takes with them are pretty frightening. But it's not a story to warm the heart or make you want to visit Montana. C.J. Box tells the tale well, but it's one that will likely be forgotten soon after finishing it.

Awesome! C. J. Box does it again! He always writes a great story with even greater characters that keeps you intrigued and honestly makes you feel smarter reading him. I can't wait to read his next book.

C.J. Box is an accomplished author on all things
Western. Another fun read by him. Well paced and full on interesting tidbits about Montana and western life.
Hope to see more and more from him.

As usual, another amazing book by CJ Box, a continuation in the series. I cannot put these down. If you have not read the first Cassie book (featuring the Lizard King), I'd recommend reading that first. This was a great follow-up. Thanks for the advanced copy.

Had to shower after this one. C.J. Box takes us into the underbelly of a family that has no limits. We always wonder what would you do for money. For the Kleinsasser’s we find out. It had me from the beginning and kept me til the end. I got to know the characters a little too well and they scared me. Montana sounds like a beautiful, enchanting place I would love to visit.....but....stay out of Lochsa County.

I’ve really enjoyed the Cassie Dewell series, especially the first one where she was chasing the Lizard King as well as the second one were she was after him again. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that this book was quite as good. Maybe it’s because I thoroughly despise police corruption in small American towns, but I just didn’t quite get into this book as much as I hoped I would. It’s definitely not one of C.J.’s best for sure and I do really, really love him as an author. A bit disappointing ☹️

THE BITTERROOTS by C.J. Box is the follow-up to Paradise Valley the fourth book in “The Highway Quartet” series that began with the late Cody Hoyt (still mad at the author about his demise!), and continued with Cassie Dewell, a strong and capable woman who is able to excel in her position despite having to withstand the “good ole’ boys” prevalent in both the law enforcement agencies and pretty much everywhere in the wild rugged Montana region she works within.

Cassie is a single mother with a teenage son Ben, and is recovering from PTSD after finally bringing down the “Lizard King”, a long distance trucker and serial killer that preyed on “lot lizards” at truck stops primarily, and his reign of terror ran far and wide until Cassie outlasted him in the end.

Rachel Mitchell is a defense attorney that Cassie owes a previous debt to, and now that she is no longer with the Sheriff’s department but is a private investigator, she is bound to work on a case at Rachel’s request with an understanding that this is a one-off and all debts are paid in full.

Blake Kleinsasser is a wealthy man from a prominent ranching family who turned his back on his family’s business to get an education and find success on his own; something his family will never forgive him for.

Blake, in spite of his education and riches, is pretty universally thought of as a despicable individual, which doesn’t help him out very much once he’s accused of raping his 15 year old niece Franny .
Seemingly a slam-dunk case, Cassie loathes the thought of working on behalf of Blake and assumes his guilt; until investigation into his family reveals financial reasons the family could benefit from his conviction of that particular crime.

Can Cassie find it within herself to stay with the case, or will her dislike for Blake and working on behalf of a defense attorney prove to be more than she can accept?

C.J. Box has written another strong novel involving Cassie that was pretty much a “pick it up and read straight through” novel like the others in both this series and the Joe Pickett books.

I’d recommend this to all fans of the author’s previous work, and while this book follows up on others previously written, this would still be a good starting point for those unfamiliar with the author’s previous novels.

5 stars.

A great book by a prolific author. I have been meaning to get around to reading CJ Box for a while now but always seem to find other books to read instead. I was glad to get a chance to sit down with this book. It is the story of Cassie Dewell, a private investigator, who is investigating a case for the defense that appears to be a slam dunk for the prosecution. In Montana, all is not what it seems. She runs against a way of life that seems to loathe outsiders but her tenacity keeps pushing forward. A really good read and I plan on reading a lot more by the author. Thank you Netgalley, C.J. Box, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC for my honest opinion.

C.J. Box. Has done it again with another book in this series although I always do prefer the Joe Pike series Cassie is a refreshing hero and I love the fact that she is human and makes mistakes