Free Fire by CJ Box

I spotted this box while at the library for a tutoring session and I hadn’t read a mystery in a while. This book was written by a Wyoming author and the book is based in Yellowstone. Figured it was worth looking at, so I checked it out and gave it a read.

The book is about Joe Pickett, a disgraced Wyoming game warden, who is approached by the Governor of Wyoming to do an unofficial investigation of a recent high profile murder that occurred in Yellowstone Park. The confessed murderer was allowed to walk free based upon a technicality. A West Yellowstone lawyer killed four people in the small piece of the park that lies in Idaho and turned himself in at the closest park ranger station. Turned out several quirks in the constitution and case law dictate that an accused has the right to a trial by a jury from the jurisdiction where the crime occurred. The small corner of the park has no permanent residents, so a jury could not be gathered from this jurisdiction. No jury, no trial and perpetrator goes free.

The book went into Joe’s investigation and what he learned. The book was pretty good because it introduced his personal history with the park and also went in to the geology of this area, microbiology and some of the uses for the microbes that only grow in the park’s hot pots and hot springs. The story was a bit predictable, but had a few twists that helped hold your attention. The author also left several loose ends that weren’t fully explained.

Generally, if you enjoy a mystery, especially one based in the outdoors and are willing to overlook a couple of slight oversights, this is a pretty enjoyable book. In fact, the author is on my list to look at his other books.