This is an interesting series! You can read Treasure State as a standalone but the series is pretty good! The characters are fun and I like the mysteries!

"Treasure State" by C.J. Box is a captivating mystery set against the backdrop of the rugged Montana landscape, featuring Box's trademark blend of compelling characters, vivid descriptions, and intricate plots.

Business is on the rise for private investigator Cassie Dewell and she now finds herself working two different cases simultaneously.

First is the case of the hidden treasure. Taking the nation by storm is the account of a millionaire who claims to have buried a chest full of treasure worth a million dollars or so. To find the location, would-be treasure hunters must decipher the clues in a poem. Currently, five people have died trying to find this treasure in remote, dangerous places in the Montana and Wyoming area.

Cassie isn't trying to find the treasure ... she's been hired by the man purporting to be the author of the poem and the man who buried the treasure. He's hired Cassie to see if she can figure out his identity. His reasoning is that if someone were to discover his identity, they might be able to deduce, from his past and his writings (ah ha! he's an author!) where the treasure is buried and he really wants somone to find it based on his clues. Cassie's not a fan of the treasure hunt, given that some have already died trying to find it, and a young man she knows, Kyle Westergaard, is searching for it - putting aside all else to search, likely in vain, for a hidden treasure.

The other job that Cassie is working on is a little more in-line with her typical work. A woman from Florida has hired her to find a man who swindled her out of millions of dollars. Another P.I. had been hired and was last reported in Anaconda, Montana on a strong lead and then all reports from the other P.I. stopped. What Cassie discovers is that the woman from Florida is not the only one who's been swindled so. A small handful of older woman have had the same problem, likely from the same man. Even knowing the kind of man he is, Cassie must consciously restrain herself from his charms when she engages him.

This was a really fast read. Despite the two plots, the treasure hunt rather book-ending the novel, Cassie goes straight-ahead without much time spent doing the boring work, like research. There's a little bit of danger and suspense when Cassie encounters the truly bad guy - the enforcer behind the swindle scam, but even this threat is put aside pretty easily when necessary.

The writing is direct and fast, keeping the reader turning pages. It's a classic best-seller style novel. A beach read or a winter fire read. You won't get bogged down in details, just lots of juicy action.

I am a little disappointed at how much 'convenience' comes in to play during the big show-down. One person happens in to cause problems and then another happens in to fix the situation. Whew... isn't Cassie lucky? Yes she is. Because the cavalry she arranged for was delayed and she'd have been a goner if luck wasn't on her side. This bit did make me roll my eyes.

Convenience also solves the book-end mystery of the treasure hunt. I mean ... SERIOUS stroke of luck.

This kind of writing will sell a lot of books because you know what you're going to get when you pick it up. Standing at a bookshelf in an airport? Want the known excitement or something that could equally be really good or really bad? Chances are you're going to pick the known thriller, warts and all. And this one definitely has some warts.

Looking for a good book? Treasure State is a Cassie Dewell mystery thriller by C. J. Box. Two storylines that come and go so quickly you might not even notice.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommend! This book was a really fun read, full of twists and turns and a great heroine, Cassie Dewell. All six books are fun to read and all six are equally good.

Another great series by CJ Box. I like that this book isn’t as gruesome as the Lizard King storyline. Cassie Dewall is a former cop turned PI. She is tracking a private investigator that seems to have disappeared and left his client hanging. She is also following up on a poem that promises someone buried treasure. Her client is supposedly the person who wrote the poem. This is another engaging book by CJ Box.

TREASURE STATE is the 6th novel in “The Highway Quartet” series featuring Cassie Dewell, who formerly had been a partner with Cody Hoyt in law enforcement, a highly effective investigator who was plagued by alcoholism and could often be his own worst enemy (for those who haven’t read other books in this series the excellent “BACK OF BEYOND” is the 1st book in the series and is well worth reading).

Cassie has a history of solving difficult cases, and often had to overcome discrimination by male law enforcement peers and supervisors in doing so, including the case of “The Lizard King”.

Having accomplished solving her most difficult case, Cassie decides she’d rather work on cases as an independent private investor as she’s had her fill of male opposition and the restraints she’s forced to deal with in her law enforcement career.

TREASURE STATE is a novel that involves Cassie being contacted by an anonymous person who is supposed to be behind a missing treasure that includes hints being displayed on the chalkboard of a local restaurant, that results in an unknown number of treasure hunters searching to locate the elusive buried treasure, thereby causing death and injury to several who’ve been obsessed with finding it.

Can she find the clues that will help her in her search for information on who the anonymous person is behind all of this, thereby ensuring the end of the danger posed to the treasure hunters?

Cassie is the leading character in this novel and the series who is somewhat unusual in that she’s not a beauty queen; rather she’s a woman who struggles with her weight and is a single mother to a teenage son, and who has to deal with having the “support” of her critical mother ( who only adds to her insecurities).

I’d recommend this book and all others in the series to fans of C.J. Box, and to any who have (or haven’t) read his other excellent books in the “Joe Pickett” series.

4 stars.

This CJ Box book is also popular with my patrons. It goes out weekly and a fast read. Thanks Netgalley for letting me preview the book for our little libraY! Bought and is being enjoyed!

I'm a fan of C.j. Box, and presumably this series is an attempt to cultivate a female following to complement his existing base. It works pretty well. For my part, I prefer the Joe Pickett series, perhaps because of my Y chromosome, but I enjoyed this novel and think it'll make an excellent series.

I've read so many CJ Box books and enjoy the Cassie Dewell series almost as much as Joe Pickett, but he remains my favorite.

Cassie's challenges as a female character in a male law enforcement world are a great addition to his series. She's a strong woman character without losing her femininity - which is good. She is smart and thinks fast. I have read 3-4 in the series. This story was very entertaining -- especially with recurring serial killer character - the Lizard King.

In this 6th in the series, Cassie (now a Montana PI) hunts for both a con man and for buried treasure.

She has been hired by a wealthy widow in Florida to track down a con man who stole millions from her. The trail takes Cassie to a former copper mining town - Anaconda, Montana.

Another case is even more strange. Adventurers are seeking a buried treasure, based on a poem circulating online.

Cassie comes up against a very charming con man and a very cold killer, yet all's well that ends well and the treasure is ultimately found.

Treasure State is the 6th book in the Highway Quartet series by C. J. Box. Released 27th Sept 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in second quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Cassie Dewell is a 40 something single mom and PI based in Bozeman Montana. This story turns on a dual plot - a buried treasure hunt and a high flying charming con man who steals from rich women. The author is both gifted and experienced with pacing, setting, and dialogue. It's exciting, fast paced, and readable.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 20 minutes and is capably narrated by Christina Delaine. She has a warm and smoky deep contralto and handles the western accents believably. I alternated between the electronic and audio formats and didn't find her narration intrusive at all.

Four stars. The mystery and solution are self-contained, but there are interactions with returning characters which will be spoiled to some degree by being read out of order. With 6 books extant in the series (5 of which chiefly feature Cassie in a central role), it would be a good choice for a series binge read.

Highly recommended for fans of modern PI stories, especially westerns. Really enjoyable.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
I have heard so much about C.J. Box, but have never had the opportunity until now to read one of his books. This new book is from his Highway series and features Cassie Dewell, a PI in Montana. Even though this is the 6th book of the series, I had no trouble with jumping in. Box uses enough references to some of the other books in the series so that all makes sense. Here Cassie is working on two different cases. One involves finding the identity of a man who began a Treasure Hunt for a huge chest of gold and hid clues in a poem. In addition she is trying to track down a missing Florida PI, and help this clients recover the money that a man swindled from them. A good plot and believable characters. I enjoyed this book and want to read more of the authors other works.

I love C. J. Box books but have not become a fan of the Cassie Dewell stories. Bitterroots was good but there is much time in between and one forgets the characters. Private Investigator Cassie Dewell’ is looking for a con man who’s disappeared somewhere in Montana. A wealthy Florida widow has accused him of stealing money, and wants Cassie to find him and get it back. But things are not what they seem in Anaconda. Cassie is also working to discover whether a poem that promises buried treasure to one lucky person has led to five deaths among treasure-hunters. But Cassie’s client doesn’t want the treasure; he wants Cassie to try to find him. I thought the stories were very complicated and didn't mess well.

I am loving where CJ is taking us readers with Cassie. She is a character I can get behind. She knows her flaws. She knows her strengths. She knows how to survive.

This book brought a whole new element to the characters we already know. And added some new characters we should hope to see again.

Once again, Cassie is on a mission to solve multiple crimes but also maintain her relationship with her now teenage son. Old friends reappear, along with old nemises. New devils pop up. And Cassie is up to the task.

This book was a good paced, interesting, and fun read. I am hoping this isn't the end of road for this series. I am enjoying the ups and downs for Cassie and her posse.

A twist on the true story of Forest Fenn's treasure with Cassie Dewell tracking down the anonymous author of the treasure "map". Who doesn't love a treasure hunt!? Cassie apparently but that doesn't stop her from doing her job. She also is following up tracking down a Florida PI's hunt for a man conning single, wealthy women out of their millions when he mysteriously disappears in a small Montana town.

Well-paced with lots of action to keep the pages turning. An a surprise crossover character to bring a smile to CJ Box fans.

Many thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing me with an copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cassie Dewell is a private investigator in Montana with a successful business. Her company has been hired by Candyce Fly, a widow who gave much of her fortune to a man who then took off with it. She wants Cassie to find this con man and hopefully her money as well. Cassie has also been hired by Sir Scott to find Sir Scott. Treasure hunters have been searching for his treasure, aided by a clue-filled poem left by Sir Scott, and he wants to see if Cassie can discover his true identity. Not only will these cases keep Cassie busy, that will keep her on her toes if she hopes to survive; people will do dangerous things to keep their secrets buried. 

Treasure State was a novel that was just okay in my opinion. I liked that I did not feel lost, even though this is the sixth book in the The Highway Quartet series, and that Cassie is a tough intelligent woman, but it also felt almost like this was the type of book that follows a repeated formula; I could almost anticipate what would happen next at various times. Box used a nonlinear timeline to reveal relevant plot points, but most of the revelations did not surprise me. This book did not really do it for me.

I've read many books by CJ Box and have enjoyed them all. This one was no different. Fast paced, and easy to follow along with characters I've come to know and love. I highly recommend this book.

Cassie's business was is booming and the case She is tending to next deals with a con man. A wealthy widow from Florida has implicated the man, saying he stole her fortune. She wants him found and would like all her money returned. Cassie ends up in Anaconda, Montana a place where blending in is easy. She soon realizes that her client might not have been forth coming with all the information she needs to find this con man. Meanwhile she has another case that is really up there on the strange meter. She is being pulled in two directions and wonders if she will be able to solve either case. Follow along.as she follows the clues in hopes of finding a con man and at the same time a man of mystery. Can she solve the cases before something bad happens?

basically two mysteries, one being multi-pronged. Cassie has gotten a call from a woman in Florida who has lost her private investigator and would like to hire Cassie, not to find him, but to pick up where he left off. Candyce Fly was a woman of a certain age, and she was wealthy. Well, she had been, until a man had bilked millions out of her. She had hired a man named Spengler to locate the scum, but he had disappeared, too. She wanted Cassie to find the gigolo and bring him to justice. If she found Spengler, too, well, that would be just fine. Cassie called Spengler’s office in Florida and sweet-talked the researcher there to send her all Spengler’s file on this case. He had done a lot of work. It turns out there were other women, too. This man had stolen millions. Her second case was to find the man who had written the poem which potentially held clues to finding a $3 million dollar treasure. He wanted to to hire her to find him. He was taunting her. It was very odd. Well, she could do two things a once.

Obviously there is a lot of nuance to both of these cases. There are other people involved. It actually was fairly easy for someone with Cassie’s skills and contacts to solve both mysteries. But, while doing it she put herself and others in danger. She did save at least one life, though, probably two. They were complex mysteries, well-plotted, and well-communicated as each one played out for the reader. Cassie is good, but even she misses things. She has a gut that works well and leads her to solutions. She is an excellent character and this was a good book.

I was invited to read an e-ARC of Treasure State by Minotaur, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Minotaur #CJBox #TreasureState

C.J. Box always, always spins a great story and this is no exception. I am a fan of the Joe Pickett series but had not read any of the Highway Quartet Series. Cassie Dewell as a P.I. is clever and daring and her capabilities make sense. She has more than one puzzling case to solve. The novel opens with a break in at her new office, a call from a mysterious man who claims to have written "the" poem that started hundreds looking for the treasure he hid two years earlier, and a frantic call from an upper class woman in Florida who was conned out of her fortune. Thrown in the mix is the inexplicable disappearance of the first PI the woman hired.

Cassie is a former police office, with a past that complicates her relationship with police and sheriff's offices. She travels to Anaconda, a former copper mining town, with abandoned mines. This was the last place the missing PI was seen and there is some reason to believe the con man lives in Montana. Through persistence, research, interviews, the ability to talk people into things and knowing when to get help, Cassie works through her various tasks, turns over lots of rocks, takes risks she shouldn't take. A well written story with the usual parade of interesting characters resolves in some surprising and some predictable ways but all in a manner that gives pleasure.

I get a kick out of Cassie's mother Isobel, an MSNBC watching hippie who serves as a receptionist for the business and is jealous of the new intern, April. I am Isobel. I root for her while her daughter stresses out over Isobel's loose lips, late arrival and pettiness. On that flip side, I am a bit turned off by some of the pandemic language in the book showing Cassie thinks it's pretty much BS when she challenges the beliefs of a guy who is hyper quarantining and worrying about new strains when everyone else is out and about. That's me too. Sort of. But, these characters serve as stereotypes to make points here and there and Cassie is a fully wrought character who goes after corrupt cops, who seeks justice and who is raising a son and moving through life as a complex and successful human being. If she has a quality or two I don't like, well, she ought to. I plan to go back and read more of this series. There are hints of a major Cassie Dewall case that includes a character in Treasure State who is really interesting, Kyle Westergaard, a young man with some developmental issues who she met during a very scary time. His story is one of my favorites in Treasure State.

Box's writing style is a favorite, capturing Montana scenery and the humanity of even a passing character. You just want to go there after reading his novels. Highly recommend.