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Blue Heaven
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A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder---four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and who know exactly where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her children’s fate. Retired cops from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the inexperienced sh
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Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
January 8th 2008
by Minotaur Books
(first published 2007)
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Box does great characters. That's all there is to it. Here he give us bad guys, good guys, morally lazy guys, incompetent guys, annoying+ guys & gals . . . essentially all the folks you need to populate a good mystery novel. But it's the kids, Annie & William, and the old-time rancher, Rawlins, who make the book. Oh, there's a plot, of course, the mystery of just who did what and when, the worries about who will come out of it alive (that would be the thriller angle), and a few messed up relatio
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Ok, so my library is doing this thing forValentines Day called "blind date" where they wrapped up a bunch of books in pretty paper and you don't know what book you checked out til you unwrap it. I figured it's good to read random books once in a while. This was my book. The teaser said there was a plot twist and just like any blind date, this was a bit of an exaggeration. Still it was a fun read and maybe I could go as high as 4 stars but I read another book by this guy and hated it so that has,
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A page turner stand alone thriller. Could've been 5 stars if wasn't for the poor conclusion. I was pretty pissed and needed to walk it off before I gave it an emotional 3 stars 😅.
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I read this book with a friend for a buddy read. This is a new author for me as well. I really enjoyed this book a lot especially with no idea what the book was going to be about. I have to say that I am glad that I read it and found a new author to enjoy. This is not a mystery but a thriller as there is not a "whodunit' to the story, well not to the reader anyway.
In this book we have two kids, Annie and William, bother and sister, who witnesses a murder. They were spotted by the murderers and a ...more
In this book we have two kids, Annie and William, bother and sister, who witnesses a murder. They were spotted by the murderers and a ...more

Sep 19, 2015
Thomas
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
thriller fans
Shelves:
us-rural-crime
I enjoyed reading this thriller and give it 4 out 5 stars. It was a library book and I am counting it for Idaho in my US state challenge. This is not a traditional murder mystery, because you know who the bad guys are right at the beginning of the book. Two children, ages 12 and 10, see 3 men murder a fourth man. The killers see them and try to kill them, but they escape.
The suspense builds as the killers, ex LAPD cops, volunteer to help the local sheriff in rural northern Idaho help search for ...more
The suspense builds as the killers, ex LAPD cops, volunteer to help the local sheriff in rural northern Idaho help search for ...more

With lots of twists and turns, this book has the action Ive come to expect from CJBox. I absolutely fell in love with Jess Rawlins. It is wonderful to know there are good men left in the world. And horrifying to know that you cant always trust the ones who should be above reproach. The last chapter made me cry.

Feb 21, 2009
Gina
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
suspense fans.
Recommended to Gina by:
Group Read
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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RATING: 4.5
Twelve-year-old Annie Taylor is pretty fed up with her mother, especially when her latest boyfriend, Tom, appears at breakfast one morning, just like he belongs there. In an effort to win over her 10-year-old brother, William, Tom has promised to take him fishing. When that doesn't happen, Annie decides to take matters in her own hands. Appropriating Tom's fishing rod, she takes William on a trek into the woods so they can fish on their own. Neither of them are prepared for what happe ...more
Twelve-year-old Annie Taylor is pretty fed up with her mother, especially when her latest boyfriend, Tom, appears at breakfast one morning, just like he belongs there. In an effort to win over her 10-year-old brother, William, Tom has promised to take him fishing. When that doesn't happen, Annie decides to take matters in her own hands. Appropriating Tom's fishing rod, she takes William on a trek into the woods so they can fish on their own. Neither of them are prepared for what happe ...more

Really enjoyed this book. This is my third book by C. J. Box. He does not disappoint.

This is a stand alone book and wow! It has the ability to stand alone, on its own two (or however many a book has) legs. This is one of the best of Mr. Box's books that I've read and I've read a lot with none being less than very good. It deals with corrupt cops and honest cops and how so many retired LAPD officers have moved to Idaho. It deals with cops who were involved in a robbery and the subsequent murder of several people and the attempt to murder a 12 year old girl and her 10 year old bro
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This is my first book by C. J. Box and I'm so thrilled a friend highly recommended this author! I will be reading more from this author since I foresee BOX being one of my favorite Mystery Thriller writers. It's easy to see why he has sold so many copies of his books and has won so many awards and acclaims. This novel is full of so many twists, turns and unexpected events that I did not want to put it down. This novel has good cops, bad cops, a sweet small town community in Idaho, murder, a lone
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4.5 stars. I've been reading books by C.J. Box for at least 20 years and don't know how I missed out on this one. In my opinion, his Joe Pickett series is one of the best ever. Now I've got a treat with this standalone from 2007.
In North Idaho, 12 year old Annie and her 10 year old brother William decided to go fishing. They witness 3 men shooting another man. Annie and William are spotted and must run for their lives. These men will stop at nothing.
Jess Rawlins owns a 3000 acre cattle ranch an ...more
In North Idaho, 12 year old Annie and her 10 year old brother William decided to go fishing. They witness 3 men shooting another man. Annie and William are spotted and must run for their lives. These men will stop at nothing.
Jess Rawlins owns a 3000 acre cattle ranch an ...more

I felt the author gave a true portrayal of what life is like in Idaho. The idea that Californian's should stay in California. They move to Idaho to get away from the chaos and then try to change and manipulate things to be more like California. Go figure. I also liked the fact that Box points out that Idaho is known for racists groups. Groups by the way “That we chased out of Idaho several years ago".
SIDENOTE: Racist groups whose leaders ironically came from California. (Carl Story and Vincent ...more
SIDENOTE: Racist groups whose leaders ironically came from California. (Carl Story and Vincent ...more

I finished this one in just 3 days. It's certainly a page-turner. But, to me, it's a formulaic thriller filled with good guys & bad guys & simplistic commentary on developments in ranching country in North Idaho. Also, there were implausible developments. Most notably, after the 2 kids at the center of the story witness a murder by 3 ex-cops, they are rescued by another coconsipirator, who for some reason shields the kids from discovery, then takes them to his home & calls the guys he just prote
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Box defends North Idaho from the bias of those who've never been there and adds a great child-witness escape story with a superb character in the pantheon of real cowboys, Jess Rawlins. It's not part of the Joe Pickett series but just as good.
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*Spoilers*
This was an enjoyable enough read although unrealistic at times. To make a long story short, two children come up missing. They were going fishing to a remote area in the woods. A busy body postal worker offered them a ride & took them to their destination. She asked them if it was okay with their mom. When they were reported missing, she bragged & boasted that she was the last person to “see them alive.” The mother never even confronted her. If I was their mom, I would have kicked the ...more
This was an enjoyable enough read although unrealistic at times. To make a long story short, two children come up missing. They were going fishing to a remote area in the woods. A busy body postal worker offered them a ride & took them to their destination. She asked them if it was okay with their mom. When they were reported missing, she bragged & boasted that she was the last person to “see them alive.” The mother never even confronted her. If I was their mom, I would have kicked the ...more

Another C.J. Box book on my To Read list that I finally got around to reading (actually listening to). A stand alone unlike his other novels. It was a good book, not Box's best, but never the less his character development is always among the best current day mystery authors. The characters in this book were no exception and the story itself was great, lots of suspense and mystery. One of his earliest novels. The main reason I gave it only 3 stars was the ending.
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This was a good story, however, I think that the newer Joe Pickett series stories are better. His newer novels have a smoother presentation. I enjoyed the characters and the unexpected ending. It was fun to read this on a buddy read.

"If twelve-year-old Annie Taylor had not chosen to take her little brother William fishing on that particular Friday afternoon [...], she would never have seen the execution or looked straight into the eyes of the executioners."
The first sentence of C.J Box's Blue Heaven (2007) illustrates the best thing about the novel that won the prestigious Edgar Award in 2009. The setup is mesmerizing and it is difficult to tear oneself off from the book for about 100 pages. Then the plot goes downhill to ...more
The first sentence of C.J Box's Blue Heaven (2007) illustrates the best thing about the novel that won the prestigious Edgar Award in 2009. The setup is mesmerizing and it is difficult to tear oneself off from the book for about 100 pages. Then the plot goes downhill to ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I raced through this novel from a few years ago, one of my finds at our book sale. Anything by C. J. Box is an automatic grab after all, and this one really had my heart pounding. It begins with two children, Annie and her younger brother William, witnessing a murder. Then one of the killers sees them and the chase is on.
The setting is a small town in Idaho that is in transition because a large number of retired cops have moved there from Los Angeles. They've brought money but even as they claim ...more
The setting is a small town in Idaho that is in transition because a large number of retired cops have moved there from Los Angeles. They've brought money but even as they claim ...more

Blue Heaven is a book familiar to me. It reminded me of some TV show or movie that I have watched but I couldn't name the titles. I guess because the characters seem somewhat stereotypical. An attractive 30-something single mom who doesn't have the best taste in men. Her two kids, a girl (Annie) and boy (William), could use a father in the house. The kids are smart and have an inner strength all their own. A recently elected Sheriff whose job before was a real estate agent. Good with people but
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BLUE HEAVEN (Suspense-Jeff Rawlins-Idaho-Cont) – Ex
Box, C.J. - Standalone
St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN; 0312365705
First Sentence: If twelve-year-old Annie Taylor had not chosen to take her little brother William fishing on that particular Friday afternoon in April during the wet North Idaho spring, she never would have seen the execution or looked straight into the eyes of the executioners.
When Annie and her brother William witness a murder they are on the run and don’t know w ...more
Box, C.J. - Standalone
St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN; 0312365705
First Sentence: If twelve-year-old Annie Taylor had not chosen to take her little brother William fishing on that particular Friday afternoon in April during the wet North Idaho spring, she never would have seen the execution or looked straight into the eyes of the executioners.
When Annie and her brother William witness a murder they are on the run and don’t know w ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Bookworm Buddies: Blue Heaven - C.J.Box | 17 | 20 | Aug 27, 2014 06:57PM |
C. J. Box is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels including the Joe Pickett series. He won the Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel (Blue Heaven, 2009) as well as the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, two Barry Awards, and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction. He was recently awarded the 2016
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