"Great first mystery"

This is a FABULOUS first book. Typically I only read cozy mysteries -- those with very little sex or violence. This goes over that barrier but does not contain as much sex and violence as a hard core mystery.

It stars Joe Picket who is a game warden in Wyoming, his wife Marybeth who is pregnant with their third child and their two girls, Sheridan and Lucy. Joe recently replaced Vern Dunnegan as game warden and the locals still can't get used to that fact.

Sheridan tells her dad of her dream of a monster coming into their backyard. Joe discovers that Sheridan wasn't dreaming. Ote Kealey was found dead and bloody on their woodpile out back. Ote had been camping up on Wolf Mountain. Joe is perplexed as to why Ote would come to his house. To protect his family, Joe has them check into a local motel, then he sets out with Wade, another game warden, to discover what was going on up on Wolf Mountain.

This thrusts Joe into a race to try to save not only an endangered species, but to figure out a mystery that will threaten his life and his family.

I don't know much about game wardens and it is not a profession I would think would be interesting for a book, but it is in this series. I felt I got to know a little about the profession and the problems and joys of that profession.

I HIGHLY recommend you read this first book.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Posted October 4, 2002