C.J. Box is best known for his mega-popular Joe Pickett series. In fact, the latest novel featuring Box’s fictitious Wyoming game warden, Off The Grid, was a #1 New York Times bestseller earlier this year.
But Box is far from a one-trick pony and has consistently released a standalone novel (from a different publisher than his Pickett series) every two years in addition to writing a new Joe Pickett novel each year.
2017 will be a two-book year, as both Vicious Circle (Joe Pickett #17) and Paradise Valley are scheduled to hit bookstores. While Joe is set to return on March 21st, Paradise Valley, which we only just learned about, won’t hit bookstores until July.
Because of Box’s publishing deal, I knew next year would bring multiple books. So a few weeks ago I reached out to his editor (at Minotaur Books), who confirmed to me that he’d have a book coming out at the “end of July.” Nobody, though, could have possibly known that Box was actually writing another Cassie Dewell novel until he broke the news himself on Twitter.
1/2 Sent off VICIOUS CIRCLE (JP#17) to NYC today. 2017 will be a two-book year: VICIOUS CIRCLE in March and PARADISE VALLEY …
— C.J. Box (@cjboxauthor) September 14, 2016
2/2 … (Cassie vs. Lizard King) in July. Proud of both of them. See, I wasn’t just fishing!
— C.J. Box (@cjboxauthor) September 14, 2016
Though the author only identifies the character of the second book as “Cassie,” I think it’s safe to assume that he’s referring to Cassie Dewell, who first appeared in Box’s 2013 novel, The Highway.
The Highway is about two girls who set out on a road trip, only to vanish. Former police officer Cody Hoyt, who was recently fired, lends a hand to his former rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, to help find the girls. But as they investigate, the two discover that these aren’t the first girls to go missing in that area of Montana. At least one predator is on the loose, and it’s up to Cody and Cassie to stop them.
Cassie then goes on to star in Badlands (2015), another fantastic mystery novel, this time set in North Dakota.
Paradise Valley will be the third novel to feature Cassie, and there are, literally, no other plot details at this time. Nothing else is known about the story. No official pub date has been set, we haven’t seen the cover art, and as of right now it’s not even available for pre-order anywhere. So check back often, because I’ll be sure to update this article just as soon as we know something…anything…about the book.
In the meantime, Off The Grid is available right now, and Vicious Circle can be pre-ordered by clicking here. If you’re not already reading Box’s Joe Pickett series, now is the perfect time to start!