Three-Inch Teeth

Predators are on the loose in Joe Pickett’s world

Let’s begin with the bottom line: C.J. Box is tried and true and I’m a fan. I devoured Three-Inch Teeth in two days, and it was a tasty treat.

This is book number 24 in Box’s Joe Pickett series. I’ve listened to most but read the physical book this time. Fun fact: the first audiobook I ever listened to was by C.J. Box. If you’re new to the series, Joe’s a Wyoming game warden now in his 50s. He’s a rule follower, most of the time. But if you threaten him or his family it’s likely that “things are about to get Western.”

Joe and his wife Marybeth are empty nesters. Sheridan is their oldest daughter and she lives in town, working for their good friend Nate Romanowski. Nate’s a master falconer and a former military guy with a healthy disregard for authority. He’s softened a bit, with a wife, baby daughter and legitimate business, but trouble is never far from Nate’s door.

Sheridan has been one of my favorite Picketts since the first book, Open Season. She’s always been strong-willed, independent, and an animal lover. As she grew up in the books I wondered if she would follow in her dad’s footsteps. But it was Nate who mentored her when she took an interest in falconry and now she works for his bird abatement business, managing an ‘air force’ of falcons and other birds of prey. Sheridan is like her father in some ways but she’s definitely not a female version of Joe Pickett. I enjoyed her side story and hope she gets her own standalone novel soon.

Learning about interesting things like using birds of prey to handle problem birds is one of the reasons I like to read C.J. Box. I love the West he describes: the mountains, the animals, the people, the guns. All that land and sky… Box also stays on top of trends, technology and culture. This isn’t the first book that features animal rights activists, and he handles them with a bit of respect and a little amused contempt.

The parallel plots in Three-Inch Teeth revolve around grizzly bear attacks. Joe and a special SWAT team are hunting a murderous bear whose most recent victim happened to be Sheridan’s boyfriend. More victims follow but things get complicated and don’t feel right to Joe. Could it have something to do with the recently released Dallas Cates, former rodeo star and all-around terrible person? He has a hit list tattooed on his body – such is his commitment to dealing with the people he hates – and Joe and Nate are on the list.

This book ranks among my favorites in the series. The plot strikes a balance between farfetched and believable, it’s incredibly violent, and there’s plenty of humor – dark and light. But Box’s writing is the key, and he keeps refining his spare / cowboy noir style. The dialog gets tighter and tighter with each book, especially in the conversations between Joe and Nate. There are plenty of choice moments between them to savor in Three-Inch Teeth.

I realize I’ve written more about the series in general vs. this book specifically. The newest Joe Pickett is always going to be a must-read for me. If you’re already a fan, you get it. If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pickett, give Three-Inch Teeth a try. You might find that you want more of the Wyoming game warden / investigator, just like I did three years and twenty four books ago.