Paranormal portents within a far-fetched plot.

I have enjoyed the entire series of mysteries/thrillers about game warden Joe Pickett, sometimes involving his iconoclastic friend Nate Romanowski. The novels have been characterized by a realism about the relationship between humans and the natural environment, with respect for wildlife while allowing hunting and fishing within limits, with a balanced attitude toward the carrying and use of firearms. Set amid the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, the series has been filled with interesting, believable characters, both good and bad. Consequently, I was shocked by this latest addition to the series, resorting to paranormal portents appearing in the dreams of not one but two normally rational protagonists. Cartoonish characters run the gamut from stereotypical terrorists to radical leftists to antisocial rightists. Both the good guys and the villains are engaged in completely unbelievable scenarios, and I am not talking about the usual suspension of disbelief common to the genre. While some may say that it resembles recent terrorist incidents the world over, it does not. It's hard to believe this was written by the same author as previous episodes. Were it not for the usual terrific narration by David Chandler as well as my past familiarity with Joe and Nate, I probably would not have finished listening.

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32 people found this helpful

I love this series! I have to admit,

I have to admit that David Chandler started off a little 'off'from his usual narration. It only took me a few minutes to get back engaged in the Joe Pickett series that I have missed so much. Surprisingly, this entire Series has become a companion to me that I have listened to repeatedly. Not being the type of person who listens to anything twice, it's surprised my husband and family to know that I was listening to the series again, as I felt that it was a ' friend' was missing from my life. I think CJ box and David Chandler for another companion that has engaged and entertained me for hours. I continue to fantasize about visiting Wyoming, and I look forward to the next book in the series.

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15 people found this helpful

Totally unbelievable...

Narrator is great as usual. The writing is good. The story is TERRIBLE! Dream premonititions?Terrorist master falconer in Wyoming? The number of coincidences necessary to put all of the characters in the middle of nowhere is staggering. Suspend disbelief....what happened to a game warden investigating game warden stuff?

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15 people found this helpful

A disappointment

What disappointed you about Off the Grid?

The story was completely unbelievable. Had nothing to do with the premise of the Joe Pickett series. The book should have been called book #1 of the Nate Romanowski series because Joe didn't even play a significant part in the story until the last two chapters. Sheridan's part in the book was minimal and insignificant; she could have been used as a foil. Instead she was left to cower behind rocks with the rest of the non-characters.Box is a good writer, he just isn't a good writer about Islamic terrorism, electromagnetic pulse technology (what is described is a HERF-high energy radio frequency cannon-not EMP and I am sure some of the billions spent on the NSA's UT data center was spent shielding it from terrestrial sources of HERF/EMP) or how the Posse Comitatus Act would have prevented the Apache attack helicopters from showing up. Not to mention the absurdity of anyone in the government sacrificing an intelligence asset such as the UT data center to keep it from being used by politicians in an election year and managing to keep it all secret.Pickett is a game warden, not a government agent who chases people with high energy weapons through the desert and withstands assaults from truckloads of sociopaths.

Has Off the Grid turned you off from other books in this genre?

Probably not. I'll give Box the benefit of the doubt that this was just an 'off' effort. If the book had not been written by Box, I doubt I would have finished it.

What didn’t you like about David Chandler’s performance?

Probably the worst of any of Chandler's performances I've listened. A lot of it had to do with the material he had to work with, which wasn't very much. However, his voice characterizations are becoming cliche as he is limited to around 5 different ones total. His changes in tone, to me, are almost 100% predictable and therefore boring.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Off the Grid?

The part between the beginning of their sojourn into the Red Desert and the part in the Homeland Security building in Cheyenne. There was no story. Not much of it made any sense. It was technically inaccurate. The motivations of all the players-esp. Joe-are extremely thin and largely unbelievable. A group of "6 year seniors" college students manage to build a piece of cutting edge technology not even the government can figure out in an abandoned and burned out ghost town in the middle of the desert and no one actually sees them do anything?

Then the government allows this same group of people to destroy a $4 billion asset and hopes everyone will keep their mouths shut about it? All of them would have been shut up by being sent to jail for the rest of their lives for aiding and abetting a terrorist organization. Or for all the stuff they stole or swindled for their project.

Any additional comments?

Hopefully, Box's next Joe Pickett book will be within the parameters and premise of all the other Joe Pickett books.

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13 people found this helpful

Tight writing. Strong characters. Good plot

I've now read several in the series by C. J. Box. They are always a good read. Always worth the credit.

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10 people found this helpful

Another Solid Joe Picket Read

An interesting, creative plot with old friends Joe and Nate. Vivid descriptions of Wyoming. Character development continues. Narrator does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. One of the best in this series.

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6 people found this helpful

Never a Doubt

I am a fan of Joe and Nick and this book confirmed why. Great story! I can't wait until the next!

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5 people found this helpful

Nate, Joe and the NSA?

Seems an unlikely scenario, but C. J. Box did a great job. As usual. This is a series well worth reading, and this is one of the better books.

C. J. Box has the ability to mix a wildly disparate cast of characters and make it believable. Even make you understand every one and like most of them.

This is one author I wish would break out of his box (western mystery/action) to do something more. He'd be good at it.

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5 people found this helpful

C.J. Box Does Not Disappoint

Many of the wonderful characters are back to enjoy. So good to have Nate involves again

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5 people found this helpful

Disappoining because of unbelievable descriptions.

Narration is great, but SKIP this C.J. Box book and go on to his excellent next book "Wolf Pack." This story just does not allow one to believe the coincidences and actions of the characters. Too many false juxtapositions, actions, and reactions.

Box also employs the supremely unrealistic and INFURIATING trite female reaction to killing a man who is trying to kill her. When an evil man tries to murder a woman who then defends herself and kills him instead, there is a RIDICULOUS and oft-repeated-in-novels scene in which the woman is bereft with guilt over killing him. Totally silly and UNBELIEVABLE. As a woman, I am so tired of seeing this silly reaction written up almost every time a woman kills a truly damaged and evil man who had been trying to kill her.

Again, skip this one.

I appreciate C. J. Box's description of landscape and sense of place, but it is just not enough in this book to invest your time or money.

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4 people found this helpful