Blue Heaven is the break-out novel from C. J. Box, the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series. A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother are on the run in the Idaho woods, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder—four men who know exactly who William and Annie are. And where their mother lives. Retired policemen from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the local sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children. Now there's nowhere left for William and Annie to hide…and no one they can trust. Until they meet Jess Rawlins. Rawlins, an old-school rancher, knows trouble when he sees it. He is only one against four men who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses. But in this thrilling mystery novel from C.J. Box, these ex-cops don't know just how far Rawlins will go to protect William and Annie…and see that justice is done. Blue Heaven is the winner of the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Novel.
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"This was the first CJ Box novel I read, but it won't be the last. Box is now on my "must read" list. The characters he created made me cheer for the heroes and hiss at the villains. I found myself so emotionally involved in all that was happening to the great detriment of my housework! "
— Barb (5 out of 5 stars)
Blue Heaven is one of the best thrillers of the year, and it kept me up most of the night, the way few books have ever done. C.J. Box owes me a night's sleep!
— Tess Gerritsen, author of The Mephisto ClubBlue Heaven is a relentless thriller. C.J. Box sucked me in with good cops, bad cops, and missing money, then blind-sided me with unexpected twists and surprises in this novel of clashing cultures and dark secrets. Box delivers the goods!
— Robert Crais, author of The Watchman: A Joe Pike NovelBlue Heaven is a non-stop thrill ride--a provocative suspense novel that has you rooting for the characters every step of the way.
— Harlan Coben, author of The Woods“John Bedford Lloyd's rich, distinctive voice brings a strong sense of power to his reading of Box's first stand-alone thriller…Lloyd's crisp, laconic delivery easily handles a multitude of characters, accents and shifting points of view, creating just the right tone for the material and drawing the listener deep into the action of the story. He portrays his villains (a band of dirty ex-cops) with just the right amount of ruthless menace without going overboard, and he perfectly captures the essence of the aging rancher, imbuing him with the quiet strength and dignity of an iconic western hero.
— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review" another Wray Wreader..... stopped reading about page 20.. too much profanity. Disappointing because the story was great so far! "
— Rachel, 2/18/2014" Four-and-a-half stars. Excellent, excellent book. Great, easy flowing story, identifiable characters, compelling ending. Possibly my favorite read of the year. "
— Andrew, 2/8/2014" Predictable and anticlimactic. The ending is unnecessarily ambiguous. "
— Clay, 2/8/2014" This book came to me through a mail book club of friends etc. So far, I'm not too crazy about the author's writing style, yet am unable to stop reading since I want to find out how it ends. "
— Kelli, 2/7/2014" Read this book. Check out the other CJ Box novels. Great suspense Crime story. "
— Mike, 2/6/2014" Very easy reading because it kept you wondering the entire book. This is the first C. J. Box book I've read, and I will be reading more. I like his style; mystery, intrigue, some humor. "
— Ron, 2/3/2014" C.J. Box is a master writer and I liked this much better than the Joe Pickett novels - and I like the Joe P. novels very much. ** I come from a Western state with many of the same attitudes. (Those receiving federal aid & benefits hate government the most.) "
— Bcoghill, 2/2/2014" Local author who wrote an interesting mystery. "
— Doneen, 1/28/2014" Just your typical cop book...but enjoyable to listen to for the car ride. It had an excellent ending though! "
— Laurie, 1/13/2014" Audio Book. The hero is an old man, and he dies in the end. Usually that would mean I wouldn't like it but, it was a pretty good book. "
— Jake, 9/16/2013" A linear mystery of bad cops in Northern Idaho. A fun read. "
— George, 8/25/2013" A friend recommended this, as it was the first time that I had read this author I wasn't sure what to expect. Really enjoyed it, a real thriller which kept me reading even though I had lots that I should be doing. "
— Shirley, 7/8/2013" First book by this author. A mystery about retired L.A. cops retiring in northern Idaho. Enjoyable and a nice change from sad book I had read previously. "
— Pat, 6/4/2013" Interesting, fast-paced story. Loved the North Idaho location. Would have been a 4 or 5 but for the over-the-top violence. Rated R for violence. Cannot really recommend because of it. "
— Elizabeth, 5/29/2013" Very good. Quite the page turner. "
— Diana, 5/5/2013" Two children witness a murder in Idaho and disappear. A retired California police officer investigate an old race track robbery. Several retired LA cops are up to no good and the local banker has a guilty conscience. All are tied together. I enjoyed this book. "
— Fredrick, 11/19/2012" I really enjoyed this, wonderful build up to an excellent crescendo. "
— Iain, 10/19/2012" Two parallel investigations collide in Spokane, Idaho. A place retired cops call Blue Heaven. About the first third of the book was slow. Once you learn all the characters and the action begins, it picks up. I will not give away anything but I did not like the ending. "
— Theresa, 10/12/2012" First Box - good -although i am not a fan of good cop gone bad theme. "
— Ruth, 10/9/2012" Nice departure from his series. But what made it great was imagining Robert Redford as the main character. It just seemed to be written for him! "
— Ellen, 9/21/2012" Mildly interesting, but in the end, I was just reading to finish the book. I wish I had that Saturday afternoon back. "
— Jen, 9/15/2012" Relly liked this author. It is a page turner read. "
— Toni, 4/16/2012" Great book, grabs you from the start. "
— Annette, 3/25/2012" A very special book - it has made me cry both times I have read it. "
— Liz, 2/26/2012" Well written right up to the end, where it falls apart. Your editor was supposed to tell you not to run off the rails at the end of the story. And a few too many telegraphed punches along the way. One more pass would've done it. "
— Phil, 10/1/2011" This one is in the category of, couldn't put it down . . . a very good read. "
— Mary, 6/11/2011" Good book. Not part of the Joe Pickett series, but just as good! "
— Janne, 6/8/2011" I believe I like C.J. Box's non-Joe Pickett books better than the ones for which he is so famous. "
— Rita, 5/9/2011" Audio Book. The hero is an old man, and he dies in the end. Usually that would mean I wouldn't like it but, it was a pretty good book. "
— Jake, 5/6/2011" Great book! Suspenseful and quick moving. No down time in this one! Read it in two days! "
— Vickie, 4/28/2011" Excellent story. A little slow at the start and it was kind of hard keeping the people straight. However, really fast moving with lots of suspense. I did hate / love the ending. "
— Sheila, 4/18/2011" Good "airport" mystery. Those are books I buy in airports. Guilty reading "
— Adrienne, 4/1/2011" Interesting, fast-paced story. Loved the North Idaho location. Would have been a 4 or 5 but for the over-the-top violence. Rated R for violence. Cannot really recommend because of it. "
— Elizabeth, 3/14/2011" It read like a TV movie with Tom Selleck as the tough rancher. Not as developed as I'd hoped. "
— Cynthia, 3/13/2011" Outstanding book by a great author--a real page turner! "
— Hawley, 3/12/2011" Great book, grabs you from the start. "
— Annette, 3/5/2011C. J. Box is the New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series, six stand-alone novels, the Cody Hoyt series, the Cassie Dewell series, and a story collection. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, and Barry Awards, as well as the French Prix Calibre .38, and the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction. He has also been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His novels have been translated into twenty-seven languages. A Wyoming native, he has worked on a ranch and as a small-town newspaper reporter and editor. He is an executive producer of ABC TV’s Big Sky, which is based on his Cody Hoyt/Cassie Dewell novels, as well as executive producer of the upcoming Joe Pickett television series for Paramount TV.
Henry Leyva, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is a classically trained actor with extensive work in theater, television, film, and radio. He has appeared off Broadway and in regional theaters across the country in many plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and Street Car Named Desire. He has also performed in audio dramas for the Syfy Channel and National Public Radio
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.