Monday, September 26, 2022

Treasure State by C. J. Box

 
First Line: Private investigator J.D. Spengler of Tampa Bay, Florida, was taking the highway exit from I-90 West onto Montana State Highway 1 when he was blinded by the setting sun and he ran over something big enough on the road that he nearly lost control of his rental car.
 
When private investigator Cassie Dewell gets a phone call from a woman in Florida, she's really not interested in taking the case... until she gets a few more details. The woman was conned out of millions of dollars, and the trail of the man who did it leads right to Anaconda, Montana-- an old mining town not far from Cassie's office. It's not going to hurt to take a preliminary look, is it?

In the meantime, Cassie has a very odd case. A poem left in the bar of a Montana town purports to be a treasure map leading to millions of dollars. The poet reassures Cassie that the treasure is real; all he wants her to do is to check his anonymity. He doesn't want anyone to be able to find him through any clues he might have left in his poem.
 
As Cassie works on both cases, she realizes that both clients have been selective with the facts they've chosen to give her. This may make her work more difficult, but she's beginning to find the information she needs to solve them both. She can't quit now, even though she's walking straight into danger.

~

Whether reading about game warden Joe Pickett or private investigator Cassie Dewell, C.J. Box knows how to spin a tale that makes readers keep turning the pages. Although I like Joe, I have to admit that I have a special fondness for Cassie, and watching her solve the two cases in Treasure State was a real treat.

Cassie shines in Treasure State, but so do the secondary characters: her new intern, April Pickett; her annoying mother Isabel; the young Kyle Westergaard who's determined to find the treasure no matter how hard Cassie tries to stop him; even the Lothario who roams the country stealing as much money from women as he can-- all these characters keep readers fully engaged in the story.

Both cases Cassie is investigating are gems, and I love watching her mind work as she pieces things together. She always works hard to be one step ahead of the bad guys in order to keep herself and all those she cares about safe. It's refreshing to have the main character go out of her way not to do anything stupid.

Having spent many happy hours out in the middle of nowhere (and closer afield) locating old mining towns in the mountains and deserts of Arizona and learning their fascinating histories, I soaked up everything Box had to say about Montana's mining past, in particular, the town of Anaconda, a town long considered to be the heart of the American labor movement. 

Characters, mysteries, history-- Treasure State was downright fun to read, and I can't wait to see what Cassie Dewell gets up to next.
 
Treasure State by C. J. Box
eISBN: 9781250768032
Minotaur Books © 2022
eBook, 320 pages
 
Private Investigator, #6 Cassie Dewell mystery
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley

24 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It's #6 in the series, so I wouldn't say it's exactly new.

      Delete
    2. Somehow I didn't remember seeing other reviews.

      Delete
    3. You keep track of a lot of different books. It's only natural that some would slip through the cracks.

      Delete
  2. I may have to meet Cassie, myself, Cathy. I do like the Joe Pickett series, and the standalone stuff of Box's that I've read. But I've not (yet) started this series. It does sound good!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Joe Pickett and even identify with him as a former state employee, but I haven't met Cassie yet. It sounds like I should.

    ReplyDelete
  4. An old mining town...and a treasure...this book sounds like a lot of fun! I haven't ever read this author, but I've been meaning to try one of his Joe Pickett novels. Guess now I need to try this Cassie Dewell mystery. :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've already got a hold request on this title at the library. Your review makes me more impatient to get my turn!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I didn't realize C.J. Box had another series other than Joe Pickett. This sounds interesting, and a woman protagonist is a good sign.

    ReplyDelete
  7. So now I'm reading this and enjoying it. About to look up Anaconda, especially about the labor movement. I like Cassie, and from what you have written, there are no TSTL moments about a woman detective, which drive so many of us nuts. I think I'm more like Isabel without the caftans and the long gray hair and haranging people. But an aging hippie who pushes animal rights and health and watches MSNBC all of the time does fit my profile. We'll see what develops. This is my first book with Cassie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you continue to enjoy your visit with Cassie, Kathy.

      Delete
  8. I will. I think that the plot development is interesting and I'm researching Montana now and its labor history. But from what I'm reading, C.J. Box and I have different world views. But if it's a good enough story I can just set aside those issues. And we always like to see a strong woman protagonist who stands up to bullies and gets things done despite the obstacles.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I wrote something else but it vanished. It said that I probably disagree with C.J. Box's world view that if he writes an interesting plot with a good woman protagonist, then I can put aside the differences until the book is finished.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It didn't vanish; it ran up against one of my spam blockers. If anyone comments on an older post, it's put in limbo until I approve it. Since Tuesdays are a very busy day of the week for me, I didn't get to sit down at the computer to take care of business until after midnight.

      Delete
  10. Good. Well, Box is a contradiction. Some readers at Goodreads complained that a character makes fun of people wearing masks to protect them from COVID and does social distancing. On the other hand, he does point out the prominence of Anaconda in the history of the labor movement. So, it's complicated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes there's a danger in assuming a fictional character's behavior mirrors the author's own beliefs.

      Delete
    2. Finished this book. Very well-done detective investigation. I I like Cassie Dewell. A few stereotypes about women, but not many and not enough to turn me off to this character or series. It was very satisfying, and I satisfied my craving for a good detective story. I will revisit her. And I did like the respect for the miners' labor movement in Anaconda. I will read further.

      Delete
    3. I'm glad you enjoyed the book, Kathy.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!