This is the seventh book in author C.J. Box’s series about Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett. There are a lot of events preceding this one that I think make understanding the story easier, so I wouldn’t recommend starting the series here. That said, it is an awesome entry in the series, possibly the best one I’ve read so far.

At the end of In Plain Sight, Joe was fired from his position as Wyoming Game Warden in Twelve Sleep County by an annoying bureaucrat named Randy Pope. However, Joe’s integrity caught the notice of the Governor of Wyoming. Joe is working as a foreman at his father-in-law’s ranch when the Governor comes calling. He wants to rehire Joe as a sort of special agent, appointed to investigate different places when needed. The case that has come up involves an area known as the “Zone of Death” in Yellowstone Park.

Clay McCann, a local lawyer in the area of Yellowstone, exits the woods and tells the nearest park ranger he murdered four campers but can’t be tried for the crime. The crime occurred in this “Zone of Death,” and because of a loophole in the Constitution, there is no place where he can be legally tried. The Governor sends Joe up there to take the lay of the land and report back.

Joe and MaryBeth plan a family vacation. The season is winding down, so the park will be closing soon, and the crowds have dropped off. It’s the perfect time to bring their family to Yellowstone for the first time. Joe goes ahead to handle his business, and MaryBeth and the girls plan to follow in a couple of days. Joe also contacts his friend, Nate Romanowski, to back him up since he has no idea what he’s getting into.

Along with Judy Demming, a park ranger, Joe begins his investigation. He’s soon thankful that Nate followed him and has stayed out of sight. After talking to several people, Joe has an idea that McCann is involved in something illegal in the park that he’s trying to keep a secret, something he would kill to protect. When there’s another murder in the park, Joe knows he has to watch his step. He tries to prevent his family from coming up, but they are already on the way.

This was a great story. It was fast-paced while taking place over the course of several days. I loved the descriptions of the geological features of Yellowstone. I think I would like to visit the park in September or October, just at the end of the season when there are fewer people there. C.J. Box definitely whetted my appetite for a trip out west!

The mystery unfolds nicely. I knew there was something dangerous and illegal going on, but just who was involved was unknown for most of the book. Box gives a lesson in biomining, which I had never heard of before reading this. It’s an interesting idea, and, in fact, biomining in Yellowstone helped in creating the PCR tests for COVID-19. There’s a bit of science involved in the book, but it wasn’t overwhelming to me. Box did a great job explaining the concept in easy to understand terms.

There were a number of times things were foreshadowed a little too obviously. Joe finds his long-lost father living at Yellowstone. Joe isn’t thrilled, as his memories of him are of a violent alcoholic. Still, when Joe gave him and a friend the keys to his hotel room, I knew what was going to happen. The ending was also like this and involved Nate Romanowski. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen, even if I didn’t see exactly how it was going to play out.

The audiobook is narrated by David Chandler, who has narrated all of the audiobooks in this series that I’ve listened to so far. He is a great narrator, although when he’s narrating the voice of a “bad guy” he has a tendency to want to make them sound too much like a cartoon-villan, such as by exaggerating negative or annoying traits in their voice. Still, I enjoy him quite a bit and Free Fire is no exception.

This seventh book is the best in the series so far, in my opinion. Maybe untethering Joe from Twelve Sleep County will help give him a variety of new adventures going forward.

Oh, and he finds a new and creative way to destroy another government vehicle.

Previous book in the series:

Next book in the series: