Table of Contents
Originally Posted September 2015 Updated and Revised May 2026
Badlands – (Highway Quartet #3)
After finishing Windigo Island, I read Badlands from C.J,Box. Box is the author of the Joe Pickett series, another of my favorite series.During his career Box has written several outstanding standalone thrillers A while back The Highway one of the standalones features Detectives Cody Hoyt and Cassie Dewell. and a terrific villain the Lizard King, A long-distance trucker who preys on the women who service long distance truckers a rest stops along the nation’s highway. The women are known as “lot lizards”. Badlands is book two in the Cassie Dewell series and while I wished that there was more about the Lizard King in the storyline, the rest of the storyline made up for it.
The Story
Grimstad, North Dakota – a place people used to be from, but were never headed to – has struck oil. As pipelines snake across the prairie, oil flows out and men and money flow in. And with them, comes crime. North Dakota’s new oil capital has a serious law and order problem and newly qualified detective Cassie Dewell has just been assigned as its deputy sheriff…..
….With the temperature dropping to 30 below and a gang war heating up, Cassie fears she might be in over her head but the key to it all will come in the most unlikely form: an undersized boy on a bike who keeps showing up where he doesn’t belong. Read More
My Thoughts
I enjoy C.J.Box’s books because of his ability to create believable characters that you want to root for. like Joe Pickett, and his family and Nate Romanowski. Of course there are also some you want to root against like Joe’s Mother-in-law Missy. In Cassie Dewell Box has created another one to root for, a war widow with a young son, who does her job with grit, and determination and some empathy for the people she serves.
And You Should
Since Box’s last Joe Pickett novel Endangered just came out in March of this year, I guess we have a little while to wait for Joe’s next adventure so it would be a good time to pick up Open Season the first of the 16 Joe Pickett books. Or maybe just Back of Beyond the first Cody Hoyt book or a standalone like Three Weeks to Say Goodbye. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!!
About C J Box
Charles James Box Jr. is an American author of more than thirty novels. Box is the author of the Joe Pickett series, as well as several standalone novels, and a collection of short stories.
And You Should Pick Up One of these…
You won’t be sorry…….
Open Season – Joe Pickett #1 – The one that started it all, introducing a game warden who values the truth over his own safety.
Back of Beyond — Cody Hoyt #1 – A raw, high-stakes introduction to a detective battling his own demons while hunting a killer in the wilderness.
Three Weeks to Say Goodbye — A standalone nail-biter that proves just how far a parent will go when their family is threatened by a powerful enem
2026 Update – The latest from C J Box The Crossroads was released in early 2026. It sits waiting on my TBR shelves…..
