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    Back of Beyond: A Cody Hoyt Novel
    Back of Beyond: A Cody Hoyt Novel
    Back of Beyond: A Cody Hoyt Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Back of Beyond: A Cody Hoyt Novel

    Written by C.J. Box

    Narrated by Holter Graham

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    The Edgar® Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author C. J. Box delivers a thriller in Back of Beyond about a troubled cop trying to save his son from a killer in Yellowstone.

    Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who's fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend's death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he's in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody's determined to find his killer.

    When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park—a pack trip that includes his son Justin—Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an awkward but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous.

    In a fatal cat and mouse game, where it becomes apparent the murderer is somehow aware of Cody's every move, Cody treks into the wilderness to stop a killer hell bent on ruining the only thing in his life he cares about.

    C. J. Box's Back of Beyond is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Mysteries title.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateAug 2, 2011
    ISBN9781427211354
    Author

    C.J. Box

    C. J. Box is the author of over 30 novels including the Joe Pickett and Cassie Dewell series. He has won Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe and Barry Awards, as well as numerous other US and international awards for literature. Two television series based on his novels have been produced (Big Sky on ABC/Disney+ and Joe Pickett on Paramount+) and he is an Executive Producer for both series. He and his wife Laurie live on their ranch in Wyoming. Follow C.J. Box on @cjboxauthor and cjbox.net

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    Reviews for Back of Beyond

    4/5

    237 ratings22 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great twists and turns! I loved the reader and all his voices.
    • 5/5
      Great story lots of twists! Kept my interest. Love it
    • 4/5
      Back of Beyond, the first book in C.J. Box's Cody Hoyt series is an action packed crime thriller that pulled me right into the story from the start. Fast paced books are one of my addictions and this one really sated my cravings! Cody is a dark hero and comes face to face with his addictions while on a manhunt to save his son. I liked how the plot kept me guessing with lots of twists and turns, taking me on a wild ride as our hero slowly discovers the truth.

      There was a lot to like about this book. Set in the rugged back country of Yellowstone Park, the unforgiving environment becomes a character in itself, creating multiple challenges for all of the characters. On a side note, I'm a die hard horse person who spends weekends camping and trail riding my horse with friends and family. Having the characters on a western adventure via horseback was very appealing to me. It brought back memories of special rides in remote places...well...minus the dead bodies.

      I also enjoyed the characters, good and bad, even though I didn't feel like I got to know them very well. It's hard to really bond with a protagonist in a first of series book. Box had the added challenge of a large cast of characters, too, which I thought he handled nicely. Gracie stole the show from Justin (Cody's son) as a secondary character, but it made sense. I hope we will hear from her family again.

      I'm sold on the series and look forward to jumping into book 2!
    • 4/5
      C.J. Box has written a stand-alone book, Back of Beyond. It features a cop who goes rogue, Cody Hoyt. That action takes place in Yellowstone Park, which seems to be a favored setting for Box. He briefly reinforces the worry about the level of thermal activity that takes place in the park and how much of the continent will be destroyed whenever it blows. (It is 62,000 years overdue!) Anyway, a murder occurs, and Hoyt undertakes to solve it, after getting himself suspended from the sheriff's department in his county. The action moves to Yellowstone where a group of well-heeled clients are going on a wilderness expedition. Cody's son, Justin, is among the group, and Cody is sure that the murderer is there, too. The group has a head start, and Cody must catch up. This book is a little rougher than the normal Box book with lots of dead bodies and great use of the f work in the first half of the book. It's a good read that makes the time pass very quickly, always a good indicator in my book. So, if killing and foul language do not bother you, read it and enjoy.
    • 5/5
      This is the first story of this series. It is a modern western with an alcoholic detective with the DT's stumbling through his case. When I finished the first chapter, I knew I was in for a good story. I was not disappointed. It's a real page turner, with a good amount of suspense and mayhem. A suitable replacement for the Pickett series.
    • 2/5
      I knew this author was popular so I started listening to his book The Highway. Shortly into it, I realized this book, Back of Beyond, was a precursor, so I put aside The Highway so I could get the backstory from this book. I wasn't crazy about it. The protagonist, Cody Hoyt, was an unlikable loose cannon. Was he effective? Yes. Did he go by the law? No. He was a one-man vigilante team, if there can be such a thing. He was not a man to emulate or admire. Still, unlikable characters can be interesting, and he was, to a degree. But way too ridiculously macho. The story itself was fairly compelling. The author says he likes to bring up controversial subjects but doesn't like to preach (my word, not his) but his views come across anyway, even though the reader isn't hit over the head with a hammer by them. I suspect he and I would not agree on several subjects. Still, I can see how this book would appeal to some. After I finished this book, I returned to The Highway and finished it, and I liked it even less than this one. The narration on both was very good.
    • 5/5
      I listened to audio which was well done. The story is super, very engaging with mystery and human interest. Lots of great characters both the evil and the good as well as the rather messed up folks--all are very real and grab the attention. I enjoyed the ride the author took us on in Yellowstone on horseback. I definitely did not always approve of Cody Hoyt's behavior, but I'll be looking at his future in the next book.
    • 4/5
      Cody Hoyt it the very antithesis of Joe Pickett, a chain smoking, alcoholic with anger problems, but also a gifted and relentless cop like Boix's other law hero. The staged suicide of his AAA sponsor sends him searching for reasons someone would have murdered the man. Other similar killings suggest there is someone hidden connection to the deaths. His search causes him to believe that his son is in danger while on a camping trip in Yellowstone Park. He sets off in pursuit and things get very exciting as members of the camping party are killed and their bodies left to nature for disposal.Another good tale and an interesting series from C.J. Box.
    • 4/5
      A friend who shares my interest in John Sandford's Virgil Flowers mysteries recommended I check out the novels of C. J. Box. BACK OF BEYOND is the first one I read, and I had mixed feelings about it. The character development and plot were pretty good, but some of the twists and turns (particularly the final one) simply felt contrived.Still,, I plan to read more of Box's work.
    • 3/5
      In spite of a very unlikable main character and implausible plot twists and turns, this still manages to be a page turner. A wilderness trip gone awry and an alcoholic cop on leave for his erratic actions are combined with parents wanting to bond with their kids, and a bunch of damaged relationships. Many too many characters are murdered before the crimes are solved.
    • 3/5
      Back to the beginning. That is where I wanted to go. Back to see how Cody Hoyt got his beginning as I have enjoyed Mr. Box's latest books featuring Hoyt. Hoyt is rough around the edges but I liked that about him. He moved to his own beat, while stumbling along the way; showed that he was human. Although, I found that this book to lack the intensity that I have gotten familiar with from Mr. Box. Yeah, the characters were great and the storyline good but at times it felt like the story slowed from a lack of action and more talking. Not as strong a showing as the later books. Yet, I am still a fan of Mr. Box's work.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in the Cody Hoyt series.

      Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who's fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend's death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he's in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody's determined to find his killer.

      When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park - a pack trip that includes his son Justin - Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an quirky but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous.

      This story made me want to do some hiking in beautiful Yellowstone National Park. ...without all the dead bodies of course.
    • 4/5
      Action packed crime thriller right in the middle of Yellowstone park. Of course, there's more to the plot than first meets the eye. Characters were well developed: I especially enjoyed the author's capture of teen aged humor: "Hell stone" vacation. My fist C. J. Box book and I think that I'll have another.
    • 4/5
      C.J. Box is an author that I enjoy reading. I know I will be taken along on a journey that will keep me entertained and guessing. The books are well written with complex characters whose flaws and good points make them more real to the reader.
      Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who’s fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend’s death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he’s in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody’s determined to find his killer.

      When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park—a pack trip that includes his son Justin—Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an awkward but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous.

      In a fatal cat and mouse game, where it becomes apparent the murderer is somehow aware of Cody’s every move, Cody treks into the wilderness to stop a killer hell bent on ruining the only thing in his life he cares about.
    • 3/5
      This is a suspense/mystery that features Cody Hoyt, a very flawed hero. The setting is primarily Yellowstone Nat'l Park in Montana. Cody is suspended from the police force when he insists that his friend's death in a house fire is homicide not suicide or misadventure. While suspended he learns that his son is going on a wilderness trip with Cody's ex's fiance and the killer of the aforementioned friend may also be on that wilderness trip. Much suspense ensues and the body count is pretty high by the time the story ends. We listened to it in the car on a road trip.
    • 3/5
      Not that good. Too many plot stretches, too much "strong man vs weak man" talk. Also a less than kind reviewer called David (below) spoiled the main plot element for me. Well done David, next time think a tiny bit more before writing or not hiding your spoilers yeah?
    • 3/5
      I was drawn to this book because I am in the very early stages of planning a Yellowstone pack trip, and this book takes place on a Yellowstone pack trip. But I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. I really disliked the main character, there was a lot of lead-in before it got to the pack trip part, and there were so many killings it was just absurd. But it was in the backcountry, with horses, and there was one character I enjoyed, so it wasn't a total loss.
    • 4/5
      Cody Mitchell's AA mentor dies under suspicious circumstances. He and his partner Larry uncover a pattern and a threat to the Yellowstone horse pack trip of which his son is a participant. Before he can get there, an attempt is made on his life. Cody loses trust in just about everyone including his partner. The author does a good job building the tension in this installment. The characters are vividly drawn. The setting is well-depicted. While there is background to this story in the first novel in the series, readers can appreciate this second installment without having read the first. There was overuse of profanity in the opening and concluding portions of the book, but the heart of the story is relatively free of cursing. I listened to this one via audiobook.
    • 4/5
      Cody Hoyt, a policeman in Montana, tracks suspect(s) to Yellowstone to solve the murder of his AA sponsor and to find out if and why his son is being stalked. This was a tight mystery with only one minor stretch of credibility (after committing a showy and heinous murder, would you stick around to use the victim's computer to do something you could do from any laptop or cellphone?) Other than that my husband and I thought this novel was terrific. I learned through an interview that the author's background is in promotion of travel in the Wyoming/Montana area. My husband and I plan to seek out another C J Box title hoping to get even more of a sense of the area.
    • 1/5
      This is Hallmark meets Quentin Tarentino. Way too many deaths...10? I started running out of fingers. Unnecessarily graphic. Cody searches a recently murdered man's body for a cigarette. When he finds one, though it has a fleck of fresh blood, he greedily lights up. Over the top self-indulgence on Box's part. I WAS a fan. Very disappointing.
    • 4/5
      C.J. Box has written a stand-alone book, Back of Beyond. It features a cop who goes rogue, Cody Hoyt. That action takes place in Yellowstone Park, which seems to be a favored setting for Box. He briefly reinforces the worry about the level of thermal activity that takes place in the park and how much of the continent will be destroyed whenever it blows. (It is 62,000 years overdue!) Anyway, a murder occurs, and Hoyt undertakes to solve it, after getting himself suspended from the sheriff's department in his county. The action moves to Yellowstone where a group of well-heeled clients are going on a wilderness expedition. Cody's son, Justin, is among the group, and Cody is sure that the murderer is there, too. The group has a head start, and Cody must catch up. This book is a little rougher than the normal Box book with lots of dead bodies and great use of the f work in the first half of the book. It's a good read that makes the time pass very quickly, always a good indicator in my book. So, if killing and foul language do not bother you, read it and enjoy.
    • 3/5
      CJ Box mysteries are a fun and entertaining way to learn about the great outdoors of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. In Back of Beyond he highlights the less traveled paths of Yellowstone. His descriptions of both the wilderness and how his characters react to the setting provide a rich and immersive experience. I've never been to Yellowstone and when I do eventually go, it will be all about day trips to the well know tourist areas. Box makes me feel like an arm chair traveler to places I'll probably never see.The plot on this stand-alone (or at least not in his usual Joe Pickett series) is a bit of a stretch but the characters are well drawn and interesting. The protagonist, Cody Hoyt, is complicated and a bit difficult (more true to life than a stereotypical white knight hero). I wouldn't mind future Hoyt books - it would be great to see this character develop over time!Bottom line: if you like mysteries with a strong sense of place or are already a CJ Box fan, Back of Beyond is worth picking up.