Private Investigator Cassie Dewell goes after her most elusive adversary yet in this must-read thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author C.J Box.
Following the events of The Bittertroots (2019), Cassie Dewell’s successful Private Investigative firm continues to thrive. This time around, she’s chasing two separate cases. First up is Candyce Fly, a widow living in Boca Grande, Florida who was cheated out of her life savings by a man named Marc Daly. In a twist, though, Fly doesn’t want Cassie to find the man who swindled her, but rather to help locate J.D. Spengler, another investigator shed hired to locate Daly and return her small fortune. Twenty-four hours prior, Spengler had informed Fly that he was hot on Daly’s heels, after tracking the man to Montana. Now, the PI is missing, having seemingly disappeared without a trace. Or so Cassie is told.
And then there’s the case of a mysterious poem that promises treasure . . .
The story-inducing treasure hunt originated in a local bar where someone left a clue-laden poem about buried riches, prompting many to try and decipher its content in hopes of scoring a big payday. Some have already died looking for it, in fact, but that isn’t what brings Cassie to the case. Instead of looking for buried riches herself, the man claiming to have been the mysterious force behind the treasure hunt hires Cassie to try and find him. With the man’s identity a complete mystery, it would seem the author of the poem would like to keep it that way, and in order to protect his whereabouts, he needs to make sure his identity and cover are bullet-proof. To test his own security provisions, the man promises Cassie $25,000 if she can figure out who he is, and where he’s hiding.
As both cases heat up, leading Cassie down two intersecting paths, it doesn’t take her long to realize that not only are things not quite what they seem, but that her clients haven’t been completely honest with her.
C.J. Box might be the greatest storyteller alive today, and Treasure State might just be his most brilliantly plotted adventure so far. This book has it all then some. Action, intrigue, jaw-dropping twists and reveals, and even a cameo from his other series. Without giving that last tidbit away, Box officially canonizes the fact that both Cassie Dewell and Joe Picket, the protagionist for which he is best known for creating (and the star of twenty-two books, including Shadows Reel), exist in the same world. I won’t say who, but fans of the Joe Pickett franchise are in for a treat when a cast member from that series crosses paths with Cassie. Beyond that, constant misdirection and foreshadowing make this one nearly impossible to put down, and even after Box reveals who is behind some of the chaos, a finale-setting showdown emerges as Cassie races to put everything together once and for all.
A perfect fit for anyone in search of a finely crafted mystery wrapped in a thriller, C.J. Box’s Treasure State is as good as it gets. Trust me, you won’t find a better book hitting stores this fall than this one.
Book Details
Author: C.J. Box
Series: Cassie Dewell #6
Pages: 288 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1250766966
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: September 27, 2022
Real Book Spy Rating: 8.75/10
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and co-hosts the ThrillerTalk podcast when he’s not streaming and hanging out with his growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” comes out on September 6, 2022. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook.