You can always rely on C J Box for an exciting read.

Unfortunately, due to ill health, I couldn’t post a review before publication.

Joe Pickett is summoned when his daughter’s prospective fiancé is found dead – killed by a rogue bear. Around the same time, Dallas Cates is released from prison, and he is hell-bent on killing every person connected to having him convicted. Included in the list is Joe’s best friend Nate Romanowski and Joe himself.

This is an amazingly fast storyline which has the reader hooked from the first line to the last.

I love Joe Pickett, his family, and his work as a warden in a vast area of wilderness.

Bear attacks leads Joe Pickett to investigate how and why. Plenty of action and twists along the way. Characters are well realised. This thriller will keep you turning the pages. Love this series and this is no exception. Thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Three-Inch Teeth by C.J. Box

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Aries Fiction and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

A rogue grizzly bear has gone on a rampage—killing, among others, the fiancee of Joe’s daughter. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped lock up years ago, is released from prison with a list of six names tattooed on his skin. He wants revenge on the people who sent him the people he blames for the deaths of his entire family and the loss of his reputation and property.
    Targeted are a judge, the county prosecutor, his lawyer, a prison guard—and both Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett. Using the grizzly attacks as cover, Cates devises a method of violence identical to the bear killings and sets out to methodically check off his list.

My Opinion

This series is one of those that I am really enjoying reading. I started listening to this series as audiobooks originally but now I have caught up with the new releases I am reading them - both work well. By book 24 the characters are all well-developed and they all feel like old friends. An action packed book that will have you turning the pages.

Rating 4/5

I'm loving this series and this instalment it's entertaining, well plotted and gripping. Great characters and setting.
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.

I love this series of books, always well written with clear, defined characterisation. This latest episode with Joe Pickett is action packed, filled with tension and suspense and had me hooked right until the last page. There are a few different storylines, all skilfully woven together, the Wyoming setting is beautifully described and although it is a bit unbelievable in parts, I really enjoyed the read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

In the vast expanse of Wyoming's rugged terrain, trouble rears its menacing head early on, taking the form of a massive grizzly bear—an uncommon sight in the territory patrolled by game warden Joe Pickett. The bear's savage attack on a local landowner's son sends shockwaves through the community, igniting a frantic hunt to stop the beast before it claims another victim.

Meanwhile, whispers of Joe's old adversary, Dallas Cates, echo through the winds as the former rodeo champion is released from prison, accompanied by a band of followers bent on revenge against those who wronged him, with Joe and his close friend Nate Romanowski topping the list.

As the motives of Dallas's gang become clear, their unorthodox methods intertwine with the chaos of the grizzly bear's rampage, leaving Joe and his wife, Marybeth, on edge.

The narrative unfolds across various fronts—Joe and his team racing to thwart the grizzly's next attack, Dallas and his cohorts methodically working through their vendetta list, and Sheridan confronting unexpected challenges in her bird abatement duties. With chapters flipping between these gripping storylines, the pace quickens, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Well I wasn’t expecting that to be the start!! Gory, but brillant. I have previously read some of the authors standalone books, so I will definitely be starting this series from scratch. This can be read as a standalone, but I’m now slightly obsessed with Joe Pickett!

The concept of of using the bear attacks as a cover blew my mind, so clever!! The authors writing really pulls you in and I raced through this, and I need to get to know the characters more.

This is a must read.

My rating for this is really personal; I'm sure there are people out there who would enjoy this book and that's fine. But I found it ridiculous (in a bad way)! Perhaps I was naive going into this, but the premise of a serial killer mimicking the MO of a grizzly bear to hide his crimes sounded ridiculous in a good way! I just didn't expect it to be so pro-hunting, but unfortunately it is, and I fundamentally disagree with that. The main character's morals seem totally bizarre to me - he judges the animal activists and says that they don't understand how ruthless nature is, how the circle of life works. That makes no sense though - it certainly is not the circle of life, as he puts it, for him to hunt a bear (in its natural habitat!) with guns and other weapons. Honestly this is a small section of the book but I wasn't able to get over it. Besides, this pro-killing animals lens does permeate the whole novel, and the serial killer storyline is so farcical and surface-level that it does nothing to provide some much needed entertainment. I wish I stopped reading, but the writing was so childlike that it wasn't even that hard to speed through it without missing anything of importance.

Game warden Joe Pickett is on the hunt for a grizzly bear that is on the rampage.
At the same time unbeknown to him Dallas Cates has been released from prison and is seeking revenge against anyone that has wronged him, this includes Joe and his best friend Nate Romanowski.
Using the bear attacks as cover, Cates with a few unscrupulous friends create the ultimate nightmare for the people on his list and bodies start to drop. Can Joe and Nate survive the most dangerous enemy they’ve ever encountered?
I personally think this is the best book I’ve this year so far.
It’s hard-hitting, brutal and impossible to put down.
C.J Box really is a quite phenomenal writer, he hooks you in and doesn’t let go until the last page. Truly outstanding.

I was late to the Joe Pickett series - I only learned about them after watching the TV show (bad reader girl). However I am slowly catching up and reading the back catalogue!

Joe is back in action and when a bear mauling strikes close to home, he and the others of the PAT team are authorised to find the bear responsible. But as the story unfolds and we get to see the POV from other characters in the book, we learn that not all is what it seems!

Dallas is a complete piece of work! I'm not usually fan of capital punishment but this guy is slime in human form. Nate, Joe and several others have found themselves on his hit list and now that he's free he's taking revenge.

This is a tad darker than some of the others books in the series and the sheer planning and inventing that had to be done to get the contraptions ready was astounding. I loved learning more about bears and wildlife in general. I'm very much a UK city girl so this dragged me into cowboy country and out of my comfort zone!

This is told mainly in dual POV and with some time jumps to show some of the story out of the main timeline. Heartily enjoyed it and will be back for more.

This book was just amazing! The premise had me so intrigued and it ewally was genius. So well plotted out and the tension thst is built fron the multiple pov storytelling angel really gives the vibes of the hunter/ hunted and makes you really feel the tension building as the threat closes in. I started off somewhat hesitantly because I didn't quite understand how it'd all play out but I was soon completely invested and couldn't out it down. Amazing! It'll have every hair on your body standing on end

Rating of 4.5.

In the mood for a fantastic and over-the-top thriller that makes great use of an American wilderness setting? Then look no further than the latest awesome novel from bestselling author C. J. Box, Three-Inch Teeth.

As a new hunting season begins in the wilderness of Wyoming, game warden Joe Pickett prepares for a busy period of monitoring the excited hunters coming into his domain. However, he is unprepared for the savagery set to befall those closest to him as he encounters two very different killers. The first is a wild animal, a massive rogue grizzly bear that goes on a rampage, killing several people, including the prospective fiancé of Joe’s daughter. Desperate to stop the bear before it kills again, Joe and a team of expert hunters engage in an exhaustive hunt for it, which leaves Joe unprepared for a danger from his past to re-emerge.

Former champion rodeo star Dallas Cates has been released from prison. Filled with anger over everything he lost, including his land, his family and his stardom, Cates plots his revenge against the people he blames for ruining his life, including Joe, Joe’s best friend Nate Romanowski, the local judge, prosecutor and more. Spotting the chaos being caused by the enraged grizzly, Cates seeks a way to unleash similar attacks on those targets he wants dead.

Teaming up with a mechanical genius and another ghost from Joe’s past, Cates begins his deadly revenge plot, and soon all of Wyoming is in turmoil at the sudden upsurge in bear attacks. With the incidents hitting closer and closer to home, Joe works to find the apparent rogue bear before its too late. But is he ready to face Cates and his cohorts, or will his enemies finally get the best of him? Whatever the case, tragedy and death await all those who enter the bear-infested wilderness.

This was an extremely fun and exciting read from Box, who pulls together an epic and memorable novel. Three-Inch Teeth has a brilliant and addictive story behind it, and you will swiftly get drawn into this over-the-top book. It’s an amazing read that I really could not put down.

To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/02/16/three-inch-teeth-by-c-j-box/

For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/

I have once again been transported to the foot of the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming to check in on Joe Pickett, the local game warden of Twelve Sleep County and feel so much better for the experience. This time out, Joe’s up against a grizzly bear that appears to be on the rampage throughout the area, attacking people with enormous ferocity.

When a grizzly attacks a man who’s doing some fly fishing the alarm goes up and a specialist team of predator hunters are called in. Grizzly’s rarely make it to this part of Wyoming and Joe Pickett is ready to help his fellow game wardens track it down. But the fast-moving bear soon makes a second attack and this puts the entire county on edge with the locals afraid to leave their homes.

Dallas Cates has been released from prison. The former rodeo champion has had some significant run ins with both Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski and still blames them for his incarceration. While in prison his rage has built along with his physique and he now has, tattooed on his hand, a series of check boxes that represent the people he’s going to make pay. He’s out and he’s looking for vengeance.

Three-Inch Teeth is the 24th book in the Joe Pickett series and continues to provide fresh and interesting plots filled with tense confrontations and some downright dangerous situations. In fact, it felt to me as though the series has entered a far darker era with graphic violence becoming more frequent, the appearance of more vicious and indiscriminate killers and a few longer term characters from the series making sudden unexpected exits.

Devotees of the series will appreciate the appearances and references to some of the regular characters. In particular, Nate Romanowski is again on scene to add a gritty edge to proceedings. Also, the art of falconry is once again explored through the work of Joe and Marybeth’s eldest daughter Sheridan.

The majority of the story is narrated from the alternating viewpoints of Joe Pickett and Dallas Cates - good and evil, hunted and hunter. This technique ensures a heightening of the tension as we can see the danger growing ever closer. The pace is rapid as the action continues to pile one shocking scene on top of the next in a grim but compelling fashion.

Certainly, Three-Inch Teeth may be enjoyed as a stand alone thriller, but, with so many returning characters who have significant history with Joe, it will be far more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous books.

My thanks to Putnam via NetGalley for the digital uncorrected proof copy that allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.

Absolutely brilliant book. I was hooked right from the first page. The plot was pure genius. The way it all played out was fascinating. Great mix of characters all worked in well. The book was well written. Lots of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your chair. Will definitely be looking for this author again

I did not get into this immediately, but after the first chapter I was truly hooked. The characters are well drawn also, making this an excellent read.