The Bitterroots: A Novel

Cassie Dewell owes someone a favor. She is now working as a private investigator after leaving the police force, and, although this is a paying assignment, she would not take it on except for being in debt to Rachel Mitchell, a defense attorney. Cassie is especially put off when she finds the client is accused of child rape and is a member of a rich, entitled family. But Rachel assures Cassie the job really is to check the prosecution evidence to see that everything is in order, not to try to clear the client. Cassie drives to Lochsa County, Montana, where forest fires rage and the Kleinsasser family lives, and two things are soon clear: they run things, and they don’t want Cassie nosing around. Checking the evidence soon turns into trying to survive.

C. J. Box has written another thriller that will have readers racing through the book. Box’s characters are patently real, the story is incredibly compelling, and the writing is superb. Although this is book five of the Cassie Dewell novels, it stands nicely on its own. Box refers to prior novels but ties things up neatly for the reader. Don’t miss this one.