‘Endangered’ Is Deeply Personal Tale In Joe Pickett Mystery Series

Like its predecessors, “Endangered” is set in the Black Hills, where Pickett is a game warden. The story revolves around the disappearance of his 18-year-old adopted daughter, whose body is found in a ditch and who remains in a coma.

Unraveling the story of what happened to her is Pickett’s emotional and professional duty, and every parent’s worst nightmare.

That Box’s lead character is an everyman, not a murky figure shrouded in detachment, is part of the appeal of the Joe Pickett novels, along with the plot lines.

In this week’s “Mystery Guest” segment on “City Lights,” crime fiction reviewer Michelle Ross examines the Box set, and explains why his prose draws readers in. “Box is a good enough writer,” Ross says, “to make you care enough about things you wouldn’t otherwise care about.”

In “Endangered,” she continues, “Box just gets everything right: The characters, the dialogue, the building of suspense.”

For those who can’t get enough of the Joe Pickett books, Box said a television series is in the works, and producers are looking for an outlet.