Book Review: Paradise Valley by C.J. Box

Published in 2017. Mystery. After four years, Cassie Dewell is close to catching the Lizard King. She finally knows where he is and has lured him to a warehouse not far away in North Dakota. He’s gotten away with murder for too long, and Cassie knows she can stop him this time. But events go awry, and the Lizard King gets away once more. Cassie is fired from her job as investigator for the Sheriff’s department, and so is the local sheriff for supporting her.

As Cassie stops at the office to pick up her belongings, she’s approached by Lottie, an old acquaintance. Lottie reports that her grandson Kyle has been missing for a month, and thus far, the sheriff’s department has done little to find him. She asks Cassie for help. Now a private citizen, Cassie can’t come up with a reason not to, but only offers to gather the information since she’s no longer law enforcement. She will take it to the authorities when she has enough. Lottie agrees and pays her to do the job as an unlicensed private investigator.

This is the book that explains Cassie’s transition from cop to private investigator. And I enjoyed reading it. I’ve read several books by this author, and thus far, have liked them all. He writes well, and none of his plots have been repetitive. His stories take place in the North Dakota-Montana-Wyoming area with lots of great scenery, ornery people, and mystery.