If you love western mystery, CJ box Joe Pickett books in order will be your favorite collection. Joe Pickett is the leading character who investigates the crime scenes. It has immense suspense and action, making you think of what happens next.
In this article, we will discuss each Joe Pickett series in order. You will get the main story behind each book, which will help you understand it more clearly.
How to Read CJ box Joe Pickett Books in Order
You must read the Joe Pickett series in order to get the most out of it. These books have exceptional crime scenes with critical suspense. The readers are addicted and eager to read the next book after completing the previous one.
1) Open Season (2001)
Open Season is the first one of CJ box Joe Pickett books in order. CJ has introduced Joe Pickett as a protagonist in this series. Joe is a game warden in Wyoming investigating a murder due to his connections. The hunters don’t like his personality of ordinance and honesty.
2) Savage Run (2002)
The person who was murdered was an environmental activist. In this book, Joe starts investigating the murder to dig into the actual truth about it. Meanwhile, his wife was receiving some anonymous calls and messages to trigger him.
3) Winterkill (2003)
Joe’s foster daughter was kidnapped, and it became personal for him to take revenge on the murderer. He faces a harsh winter and finds himself helpless in the village of Saddlestring.
4) Trophy Hunt (2004)
Joe was enjoying summers with his children in his hometown. He found out a moose was killed and the head was missing. He found something suspicious and asked the Police about it.
The Police reported that the wounds were due to the attack of a bear. Joe has confirmed the uncertainty by seeing the same wounds on two dead men.
4.5) Dull Knife (2005)
In Dull Knife, Joe Pickett investigates the murder of a native American man who is named “dull knife.” It is one of the most complex cases to find the murderer because many people were missing at that time, so Joe can’t manage to point anyone out.
5) Out of Range (2005)
Joe’s close friend, Will Jensen, was found dead. After listening to the death, Joe quickly takes charge of the investigation in his hands. He got to know that Will had committed suicide, which was not true. He starts the investigation and finds clues that the truth is something else.
6) In Plain Sight (2006)
Plain Sight has another suspicious murder of a local ranch owner. She had two sons, and they kept fighting with each other to get the million-dollar property of his mother. Joe has a strong feeling that one of her sons has murdered her.
6.5) The Master Falconer (2006)
The story depicts the mysterious kidnap of a master falconer, Tom. When Joe starts digging into the case, he finds that Tom illegally trades rare birds. He further investigated him to bring responsible justice.
7) Free Fire (2007)
The government hires Joe Pickett to handle a new case in this story. Attorney Clay McCann has admitted the murder of four campers in a free-fire zone where no one lives. Joe has to investigate and find the reason behind these brutal murders.
8) Blood Trail (2008)
Joe was on a search-and-found mission for an elk. Instead, he found a man hanging, and his head was missing. He was murdered in the same fashion as the previous ones. He must stop the serial killer; otherwise, he will keep collecting the dead bodies.
9) Below Zero (2009)
Someone was pretending to be Joe’s foster daughter, who was killed six years ago. He keeps receiving voicemails from the areas where all the crimes happened. He was out of his mind when the imposter kept him calling.
10) Nowhere to Run (2010)
When the temporary job of Pickett has ended, he has some other mysterious cases to resolve. He first thought to leave all of them aside and go home but he is motivated to resolve them. These cases were the toughest ones of his life, and he couldn’t manage to crack them.
11) Cold Wind (2011)
Joe’s mother-in-law, Missy, was found guilty in his husband’s murder case. Her husband was brutally murdered and tied to a turbine. He is in one of the toughest situations where there is his wife on the one side and the sheriff on the other. It is extremely difficult for Joe to investigate this case because all the clues point to Missy.
12) Force of Nature (2012)
Nate Romanowski, one of Joe's closest friends, was an Ex-Covert Special Forces unit. Someone wants to murder him because he knows too many secrets during his journey. Joe is the only one that can encourage him and his family to live again.
13) Breaking Point (2013)
This book is about the murders of two employees. After the murder, Joe found out that Butch Roberson (a local business owner) and his friend’s father are missing from his home. The family said he was searching for an elk on the mountain. At the same time, Joe has a complete clue that he is on the run.
14) Stone Cold (2014)
Joe starts cracking that the disappearance of people is increasing day by day. He noticed it was happening since two new millionaires came to the town. He knows both of them, one is a murderer and the other one has a suspicious story.
14.5) Shots Fired (2014)
This story concerns land disputes and personal vendettas between the ranch owner and environmental activists. He has acted on the shot fired and uncovers the truth behind it.
15) Endangered (2015)
Joe’s eighteen-year-old daughter, April, has gone with Dallas Cates. April was found in a ditch and couldn’t properly breathe. Joe doubts Cates when he reports that April has run away from him. Now, he has some clue about another man he must investigate.
16) Off the Grid (2016)
Nate Romanowski is recovering from his previous thoughts. The secret agents want to help Nate Romanowski initiate a mission to kill the terrorists in the Red Desert. In exchange they were promising to remove all his criminal records. In contrast, Joe strongly feels that there is something fishy behind it.
17) Vicious Circle (2017)
Dallas Cates was out of prison after being sentenced to 2 years. Joe alerts himself and protects his daughter at any cost because he will surely take revenge on him.
18) The Disappeared (2018)
Joe was in Saratoga village, where he got the news of missing British officials. He was getting pressured by the British embassy to find their executives. Meanwhile, he was on another mission with his friend Nate, and both cases seemed connected.
19) Wolf Pack (2019)
Joe found multiple reports of animal killings through the drone. He investigated and found it was a rich and strange businessman who was responsible for that. Joe could not stop him because the FBI didn’t let Joe take the businessman down. He was feared by the wolf pack, a group of four killers.
20) Long Range (2020)
This was one of the toughest stages for Joe. Joe reported that someone had started firing on the judge from a distance. The judge’s wife was injured while he was fine. While investigating, Joe finds out that the blame is on his friend, Nate. Now, he must prove Nate innocent and find the real criminal.
21) Dark Sky (2021)
Joe was given the order to be with the billionaire hunting an elk. Meanwhile, on the journey, they encountered a deadly hunter.
22) Shadows Reel (2022)
Joe was preparing for the Thanksgiving festival. Marybeth works in a library, and she received a package without any sender’s name on that day. There is a photo album in the parcel that belongs to the Nazis, and a new mystery begins. They must solve the mystery before anyone hurts them.
23) Storm Watch (2023)
Storm Watch is another Joe Pickett series in order, and he investigates a university professor in it. At the same time, the Governor and other agents don’t let him initiate the investigation.
24) Three-Inch Teeth(2024)
The Three-inch Teeth is one of the finest CJ box Joe Pickett books in order, but it hasn’t been published yet. People are eagerly waiting to read this new thriller.
FAQ about Joe Pickett's books
1. How many Joe Pickett books are there?
There are 24 CJ box Joe Pickett books in order, but the last one hasn’t been published yet. It will be published in a few months because of higher demands from enthusiasts.
2. Do you have to read the Joe Pickett series in order?
Yes, you must read CJ Box Joe Pickett books in chronological order because all of them are connected. If you choose any book from the middle, you can’t identify the characters and the main lead.
3. What book is the Joe Pickett series based on?
The CJ box books in order by Joe Pickett are based on thrillers, crimes, suspense, and mystery that fans like the most.
Conclusion
We have summarized all the books and given you a walkthrough of CJ Box Joe Pickett books in order. If you haven’t watched the series yet, this article will help you increase your interest and gain knowledge about the series.