C.J. Box Books In Order

Publication Order of Joe Pickett Books

Publication Order of Joe Pickett Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Joe Pickett Collections

Publication Order of Cassie Dewell Books

Publication Order of Cody Hoyt Books

Publication Order of The Highway Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of The MatchUp Collection Books

Publication Order of Bibliomysteries Books

Chronological Order of Bibliomysteries Books

Publication Order of Lee Coburn Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

About C.J. Box:

C.J. Box is an American best-selling writer, author of seventeen novels and best known for his series of books, the “Joe Pickett” series. Born and raised in Wyoming, C.J. Box lives with his wife Laurie and three daughters, Becky, Roxanne and Laurie, just outside of Cheyenne. Distinguished for his relentless style of writing, action-packed and gripping stories and his trademark cowboy image, Box is a man of the outdoors, and is a rodeo enthusiast.

He has served as one of members of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo’s Board of Directors. During breaks from his writing, Box is a fisher, hunter, skier and hiker, excelling both in his literary and extra-literary pursuits. His novels have sold more than 3 million copies in the US and has been translated to 27 languages, including German, French, Japanese, Portugese, to name a few.

Personal Life

Box was born and raised in Casper, the oldest of his three siblings. He belongs in a clan of third-generation Wyomites. Being exposed to a world of letters at a young age, with his father being an elementary school principal and his mother teaching at the Wyoming School for the Deaf, Box developed an interest in reading despite their family having no bookshelves of any sort. His interest in writing brought him to his high school’s newspaper, in which he became the editor.

His presence in the paper led to the school paper winning national awards. After finishing his high school studies, he went to the University of Denver where he also entered the college newspaper. Aside from writing, Box was a ranch hand, fishing guide, and a surveyor. After concluding his formal education, he looked for agents to help him in pursuing a literary career, many of which led to disappointments.

He spent a few years as a small town newspaper reporter and sports editor for the Saratoga Sun. He and his wife then proceeded to start a tourism business, the Rocky Mountain International, which became a huge success because of their innovative ideas on promoting the Rocky Mountain area. He spends his time writing in a four-acre piece of land in Riverside, 20 miles south of Saratoga. His love for nature and wildlife is captured perfectly in his Joe Pickett character, going through adventures in the Mountain West, Yellow Stone, Big Horn Mountains, and a number of other settings.

Despite his interest in the dangers of nature and the fragility of human relations, he claims that he “want(s) to write about real people and different points of view.” His writing stresses the importance of research and the believability of his characters and the situations they find themselves in. 

Yet despite the action-filled nature of his stories, he is commended for his independent and fully-developed female characters and unstereotypical portrayal of Western male characters. Many of his male characters are fraught with contradictions and emotional problems, many of which they are only forced to face.

Writing Career

On 2001, he published Open Season under G. P. Putnam’s Sons, immediately capturing the interests of critics and readers alike. The novel got him three prizes, namely Anthony Award, the Gumshoe Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award for the Best Debut Novel of the year and was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. The same novel was also a New York Times Notable Book.

Inspired by the success of this first novel, Box decided to continue the book’s story as a series and devote his life to writing. He followed Open Season with Savage Run, published on 2002, continuing with Winterkill (2003), Trophy Hun (2004), Out of Range (2005), In Plain Sight (2006), and Free Fire (2007) 2008 was a big year for Box’s life and career. Box’s and his wife’s tourism marketing firm was getting bigger. Box was then awarded the “BIG WYO” Award from the state tourism industry Blood Trail was published, reviving the Joe Pickett series by enlarging the cast of characters and developing a lot of the previous characters and plots.

Eventually, the novel was nominated for IMPAC Dublin (Ireland) Literary Award . After Blood Trail was released, Box decided to write another novel that is not connected to the Joe Pickett series. The idea spawned Blue Heaven, a thriller-drama featuring a twelve-year old girl witnessing an execution-style murder. Blue Heaven revealed Box’s skill and versatility as a writer by writing on new subjects, displaying a fresh style and by dabbling with mystery fiction, a genre Box was not that known for before.

The book was then awarded Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery Novel of 2008. The following year, he released another addition to the Joe Pickett series, Below Zero. He then released another stand-alone novel, Three Weeks to Say Goodbye, another novel which starkly contrasts with Box’s other works. The Joe Pickett series continues with Below Zero, which was released on 2009, Nowhere to Run (2010), and Cold Wind (2011).

On 2011, he published Back of Beyond, another stand-alone work under St. Martin’s Minotaur. Box released Force of Nature (2012), which focused on the character of Nate Romanowski, and Breaking Point (2013) as the latest installment of the series. He also finished his latest stand-alone novel, The Highway, another explorative work by Box, which features him working with suspense-thriller elements. The said work was met with much praise for it sheds new dimension into Box’s writing style.

Despite this hint of experimentation, Box still maintains his definitive portrayal of Western life in The Highway. He also published three collections of short stories, Dull Knife (2005) (“A Joe Pickett Story,” The Master Falconer (2006) and le Sauvage Noble (2007), all of which are limited editions only.

Box recently announced in his website that he will be releasing a Joe Pickett book on March 2014 to be titled Stone Cold. Also, an anthology of Box’s published short stories will be published on July, 2014, to be titled Shots Fired. Blue Heaven is now being eyed for a feature film by the producers of About Schmidt, a 2002 New Line Cinema comedy. The project has already received financial support. and actors Joe Pesci, Jack Nicholson, and Alec Baldwin have already been talked with to participate in the film.

8 Responses to “C.J. Box”

1. Beverly Fildes: 1 week ago

   I love the Joe Pickett series…can’t get enough of the characters and the nicely wound plots with amazing visual descriptions and incredible detail. So imagine my surprise when reading “Vicious Circle” and saw a glaring error on page 144. Missy didn’t hang Bud Longbrake from the wind turbine…she killed her next husband, “The Earl”. There is also a small name confusion further back in the book. I’m sure I’m not the first Joe Pickett fan to notice that but it did surprise me since details always seem so incredibly accurate . How are books in a series like this edited in order to be sure that content tracks?

   Reply
2. David Hoy: 2 months ago

   Have read all 20 Pickett’s Dewell books twice this year. Characters are addictive and your environment descriptions create mind pictures that provides clarity to the mounting suspense of the plots. Truly 👍👍

   Reply
3. Carolyn Jolly: 4 months ago

   I love your books. Joe and Nate are some of my favorite characters of all time. Please keep up the good work.

   Reply
4. gene costantino: 5 months ago

   Read them all.Not a bad book in the bunch .I cannot wait for the sequal to dark Sky and the damage that Nate can bestow on the second meanest Falconer in the wild west.

   Reply
5. Loren Alexander: 6 months ago

   I read my first CJ Box book about 3 years ago. Since then I have read them all but the last one. Which I will read. I live in Montana and know and understand your descriptions of the areas mentioned in your box’s. I also really like Nate. When he gets involved you know things are about to happen. Keep on writing please.

   Reply
6. Thomas P Hoey: 9 months ago

   I became a fan about 4 years ago. I have read all of your books and consider you my favorite story teller. I have spent some time in Montana and wyoming and love them both. Im 80 and live in New Jersey. Spent my whole life in the sporting goods business Skied all over the u.s. and Europe Major windsurfer. Thank you for shareing your talent with us.

   Reply
7. Diane McCameron: 9 months ago

   Dear Mr. Box, I enjoy your books. I grew up in Texas and still have a cowgirl spirit even though I am older. I have enjoyed the mystery writers who are popular now, but I am getting picky. Our world has gotten so mean and cruel and polarized, I am hoping that your style of writing and others like you will influence our society to be more thoughtful and mild and loving. I am hoping to plant a seed in your mind. We need a change and you can help make it more positive. Thank you for sharing your talents!!!!

   Reply
8. Sandra Dever: 10 months ago

   I am a female, aged 75 and have been reading your Joe Picket series for years, as does my daughter.
   I just finished and loved “Dark Sky” but I want to find out what Nate is going to do. Please hurry with your next book.

   Reply