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    Shots Fired
    Shots Fired
    Shots Fired
    Audiobook7 hours

    Shots Fired

    Written by C. J. Box

    Narrated by David Chandler

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From C. J. Box, the New York Times -bestselling author of the Joe Pickett novels, comes a thrilling book of suspense stories about the Wyoming he knows so well-- and the dark deeds and impulses that can be found there. Over the course of eighteen books, C. J. Box has been consistently hailed for his brilliant storytelling and extraordinary skills at creating character, suspense, and a deep sense of place. All of those strengths are in the ten riveting stories-- three of them never before published-- that make up Shots Fired . In " One-Car Bridge," one of four Joe Pickett stories, Pickett goes up against a " just plain mean" landowner, with disastrous results, and in " Shots Fired," his investigation into the radio call referred to in the title nearly ends up being the last thing he ever does. In " Pirates of Yellowstone," two Eastern European tough guys find out what it means to be strangers in a strange land, and in " Le Sauvage Noble," the stranger is a Lakota in Paris who enjoys playing the " noble savage" for the French women-- until he meets Sophie. Then he discovers what " savage" really means.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJul 15, 2014
    ISBN9781490618715
    Shots Fired
    Author

    C. J. Box

    C.J. Box is the New York Times bestselling author of fifteen novels including the award-winning Joe Pickett series. Box has won the Edgar Award for Best Novel as well as the Anthony, Macavity, Barry, and Le Calibre .38 awards. His novels have been translated into twenty-five languages. Box lives outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

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    Reviews for Shots Fired

    4/5

    122 ratings28 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Good stories. Too much gratuitous foul language. Otherwise, it's OK
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed these short stories by C.J. Box. Joe Pickett is featured in several of them. Every story held my interest, there wasn't a clunker in the bunch.
    • 4/5
      The subtitle may sound a bit misleading - while of the stories are set in Wyoming (or are related to it in some way), only 4 of the 10 are actually set in the Joe Pickett series. The collection opens with One-Car Bridge which deals with one of the absentee-owner's huge farms in Wyoming. Except that this owner has his own ideas of what is possible - and does not care about anyone else but himself. Joe Pickett's attempts to help the manager of the ranch... and that ends up in a way noone expects. Pirates of Yellowstone shows what happens when people are tricked into moving halfway across the world and left without a job.The End of Jim and Ezra gets us back in time with two beaver trappers who get trapped into the mountains by the snows and need to share a cabin for the winter. Having roommates is never easy... try it when you cannot leave the room. The Master Falconer is the second Pickett story although as the title makes it clear if you had read the series so far, it is really a Nate Romanowski story. When the Saudis show up in the mountain to try to convince Nate to help them with something, Nate is not amused - either by them not accepting the 'no' or by what follows next. The end of the story made me laugh - Nate is always an interesting character. Every Day Is a Good Day on the River starts as a nice fishing story which ends up being anything but - guides may be seen as part of the river but they are people and people had pasts (and sometimes futures).Pronghorns of the Third Reich is one of the stories based on a real story. Back in 1936, a Wyoming photographer captures and put a few pronghorn antelopes on a plane and takes them to zoos around the country, including sending a few on the Hindenburg to the Berlin Zoo. Apparently this did happen. Box takes that story creates a story around it by swapping who actually distributed the animals - a man who used to have a partner but decided to do this one thing on his own. The result was one very wealthy man and one who ended up in poverty. Now, years later, the descendant of the cheated man decides to get even - and things get out of control quickly.In Dull Knife Joe Pickett decides to do whatever it takes to try to find justice for a woman who is found dead in a frozen lake - especially when he finally learns who left her there. Let's just say that falling on the ice while naked in temperatures under 0 is never a good idea. Le sauvage noble (The Noble Savage) is the only story that does not take place in the state of Wyoming - it takes us to Paris where the Wild Wild West show in Disneyland had hired real Indians. Add women who fall for the exotic and the clash of cultures and things get a bit complicated. In his introduction Box mentions that you may want to take a shower after reading this story and he is not off mark on that - humanity can be really really weird sometimes and noone in this story comes out as a nice person - or anywhere near a good person.On the other hand, Blood Knot, the shortest story in the collection, is all about the passing of generations and the love for Nature - and exactly because it is so short, it works. It is sweet and heartbreaking and if you have good memories with or about your grandparents and it does not make you think of them, I will be very surprised. The closing story, Shots Fired: A Requiem for Ander Esti, is the last Joe Pickett story and we also see another character we had met before - Bryce Pendergast (the guy who was sprayed with bear spray by Joe in "Breaking Point" when the warden was attacked). But even if Bryce becomes important for the story, the main character is really Ander Esti, the Basque sheepherder who everyone likes to hire - and who everyone likes. Until one day he shoots at a car out of nowhere and Joe goes to investigate and ends up in trouble as usual. Overall an enjoyable collection even though there no really outstanding stories - they are mostly good stories though. If you are reading the series of Joe Pickett novels, you can skip this collection and if you had never read the author, the collection is probably not a good place to start - I like his style in the longer works more.
    • 3/5
      This one was somewhat uneven for me. Some of the stories really held my attention (Le Sauvage Noble in particular) but others just felt too flat for me. Interestingly, I've never read any of his Joe Pickett novels...and those stories were the ones I liked least. Is Pickett always so preachy of a character? Because, especially in the last story, he just comes across as holier than thou towards the "bad guys" which I could see grating in a longer format.
    • 4/5
      An excellent collection of short stories-- many of them centered around C.J. Box's main character Joe Pickett. Nate Romanowski is the main focus of “The Master Falconer” though Joe Pickett does make a brief appearance....my favorite story of the collection. Nate gets mad and he gets even. Other stories are fantastic, too.
    • 4/5
      C.J. Box does it again. Shots Fired was one of her best. Is is mr Pickett at his best. I could not put this book down. a+
    • 4/5
      Kind of a CJ BOX light book. A nice introduction to CJ Box's writing. Without all the commitment of a full novel.Nice short stories. The story "Blood Knot" is a real gem! It is about 5 pages and delivers a great impact. The story "The End of Jim and Ezra" is a perfect story for anyone about get a roommate. If in doubt pick up a copy and read "Blood Knot" it will only take you 3 or 4 minutes. You won't regret.
    • 5/5
      I don't usually read short stories, but CJ Box is one of my favorite authors and these stories were mostly centered around his main character, Joe Pickett. Wonderfully written...wonderfully readable. Look forward to the next book from Mr. Box.
    • 4/5
      Box has released a volume of western short stories, all but three of which were written for other publications. (Some were never actually published, however.) Game warden Joe Pickett appears in several of them, and bad boy Nate Romanowski puts in an appearance in one story. Like any short story collection, the quality varies although all are very readable. The book will make a change of pace for Box's legion of fans.
    • 4/5
      While I don't generally enjoy short stories, I found this collection of Box's very engaging, with the high quality writing that I've come to expect from his novels. There is some nice variety besides the Joe Pickett/Nate stories including one that ends in Paris. Most however, are set in the North American West that Box knows and loves and his love for the wilderness shines through as always.
    • 3/5
      This is a collection of short stories, some of which feature Joe Pickett. Many of these stories tend to focus a little more on the darker reality of human nature.Vividly described scenery helps add to the atmosphere of the narrative. Characters are flawed, detailed, and varied.Overall, an interesting read.
    • 4/5
      I love the Joe Pickett books and was looking forward to this collection of short stories. I find that I enjoy the development of characters in the novels - something a short story does not have time to do. That being said this collection is full of quirky characters and curious situations. It's fun to have around when time is short but you still want to be entertained.
    • 4/5
      Review based upon advanced reviewers copy from the publisher.This book of short stories has Box's usual markings... good characters, believable story lines and good vs. evil. Generally I don't care for the short story but Box does a good job getting a lot of detail in a short amount of words. While there's always a dark undertone, I felt that these were darker than typical, with a few exceptions. Blood Knot was the one that has stuck in my head the longest, nearly a week later.
    • 5/5
      What a great beach book. I took it along on vacation because it was a collection of short stories. Two stories stand out in this collection. The End of Joe and Ezra tells of two trappers getting snowbound in the wilderness and what cabin fever can do. I could picture these two guys bickering. No spoilers here.The second story was the One-Car Bridge. It stirs emotion before you reach the end. Question: what would you have done?I wish there were more short story collections. It is a great art to be able to write a complete story, with character development and plot in less than 30 pages.
    • 4/5
      This is a good collection of western stories from Box, including some centered on his popular character, Joe Pickett. The stories that featured Pickett seemed a little abrupt to me, probably as I'm used to reading about him in full novel length. All of the stories were entertaining and usually had some interesting plot twists.
    • 4/5
      After a brief disappointment that all of the stories aren't about Joe Pickett or Nate Romanowski, I enjoyed a hugely varied collection of suspenseful and surprising tales. In just a few pages, the author takes the reader to other centuries, other continents, and into the twisted minds of some very unusual characters. In general these stories were a good bit darker than Box's usual novels. Short stories usually aren't my cuppa tea, as I prefer more character depth and plot complexity, but Box did a great job of highlighting one or two very human characteristics in each of his main characters, which sustained my interest without a lot of background development.
    • 4/5
      I’d never read anything by C.J. Box before, so really didn’t know what to expect. These ten short stories held my interest and were a pleasant excursion into the world of Joe Pickett and others in the Mountain West. What I liked: Box paints vivid pictures of the settings for these stories in a few well-chosen words. This isn’t a blank canvas that his characters inhabit, but one that is fully detailed. (There’s one exception to this, “Le Sauvage Noble,” set in France, has very little feel for the location.) What I didn’t like: the outcome of most of these stories was pretty obvious from the outset, which is a hazard of the short story – in order to set up the plot, you have to bring the culprit into the story quickly, so the reader knows that if a fugitive is mentioned on page one, he’ll be dealt with on the last page. Box’s characters lean toward the scumbag side of the spectrum: meth addicts, phonies, bigots and losers. Like Box says in the introduction, “You might need to take a shower…” after reading some of the stories. I found the book a fine bedside companion for the week.
    • 4/5
      I requested this book to review and did not realize it was short stories. I really dislike them, but since I agreed to review the book I read it. I found that I really enjoyed most of them. I think CJ Box has a very interesting way of writing and have read most of his other novels. This is a good book for a busy person who doesn't have time to get into a big novel.
    • 3/5
      Interesting collection of short stories. Some Joe Pickett, a Nate, but mostly other characters. All enjoyable and entertaining. Nice break from a full length novel, but I prefer more depth.
    • 3/5
      It's a good feeling to have a free ER book arrive, particularly one you've been looking forward to reading. I'm a fan of the Joe Pickett mystery series, featuring Wyoming game warden Joe, who's honest when few want to be, has a nose for the off-kilter detail that reveals wrongdoings, and is stubborn to the point of bravery (not what he'd call it). Most importantly, he can grab and twist the horns of a runaway crime, then wrestle it to the ground. All while letting us armchair travel through Wyoming's gorgeous mountains and countryside.Shots Fired is C.J. Box's new collection of short stories "from Joe Pickett country". He's in some but not all of them. In "One-Car Bridge', a domineering rich rancher doesn't want Joe's bad news, but things may get worse because of that bridge. "Dull Knife" involves the possible murder of an Indian women's basketball star whose life has gone south, and Joe's need to overcome local racism to get some answers. The title story has Joe nearly fatally surprised when a shepherd's wagon isn't what it appears to be. "The Master Falconer" features popular character Nate Romanowski, Joe's Special Forces-trained friend who's a falconer. Nate's in trouble when he resists a rich Arab's demand that Nate obtain falcons for him, but with the help of Joe and local Indians, he finds a fitting solution.The non-Joe stories are good, too. Two Czechs trying to get jobs at Yellowstone are taken for dupes, but one turns the tables in "Pirates of Yellowstone." My least favorite story, "Every Day is a Good Day on the River', has a peculiar tension on a fishing trip turn deadly. Other stories feature a battle over a rich deceased man's homestead ("Pronghorns of the Third Reich"), Indians in a Wild West Show in Paris being novel sex objects, with a tragic consequence ("The Noble Savage"), and two long-time partner trappers in 1835 driving each other crazy when snowbound in a cabin ("The End of Jim and Ezra"). My favorite of these was "Blood Knot", a simple story in which a teenage girl connects with her grandfather while fishing in a way the rest of the family cannot.Fans of the series will enjoy the Joe Pickett stories, and appreciate the others for the strong storytelling, featuring Box's clean and direct style, along with alluring descriptions of the Wyoming landscape. Those new to the series would be better off starting with Open Season, the first novel. This collection could be an introduction, but, IMO, the main attraction of it is knowing the characters and Joe Pickett country from the novels. Three stars.
    • 4/5
      This book of short suspenseful stories is a great introduction to the Joe Pickett series. Joe, game warden, with his dog, Daisy, investigates crimes and accidents in Wyoming. In one story, he finds lights from a submerged car below the ice. When Joe hikes across the lake to investigate, he finds a former basketball star frozen with her arm in the ice above the lights. He is sorrowful that young adults with great potential throw their lives away on drugs and alcohol. Other short stories include a young girl who loves her grandfather and appreciates the fishing lessons he gives her; and a couple of criminals who think they will become rich stealing rare microorganisms from another criminal who has illegally collected the bio-samples from Yellowstone Park
    • 1/5
      To start off, I am a C.J. Box/Joe Pickett fan and an avid short story fan. I collect Tobias Wolff. The only short stories I enjoyed in this book were the Joe Pickett stories and that's because I know him so well. My advice to Mr. Box is to stick to writing novels about Joe Pickett. Mr. Box is no short story writer. It seems like the Pickett stories in this book were the beginnings of novels that never got off the ground. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love C. J. Box and his novels. I have them all and have read more than half of them so far and I intend to read on. He's great, but just not a short story writer.
    • 5/5
      SHOTS FIRED by C J BoxThis collection of short stories shows off Cox’s expertise in creating characters. BLOOD KNOT, a extremely short story, gives us insight into six different characters while delivering a satisfying ending. Joe Pickett, a Box character in 14 novels, makes an appearance in several tales including One-Car Bridge, the opening story that delivers a punch of an ending. If you already are familiar with Box you will like these quick reads. If you have never read his stories before, these will have you eager for more. You will find humor in PIRATES OF YELLOWSTONE, evil in EVERY DAY IS A GOOD DAY ON THE RIVER and political incorrectness with a helping of retribution in LE SAUVAGE NOBLE (THE NOBLE SAVAGE).5 of 5 stars
    • 5/5
      My first time reading anything from this author and I have to say I'm very glad that I won this book!The author caught and kept my attention in all the stories. Many of them had the same main character (Joe Pickett) but were all stand alone stories which I think is the best way to make a series so the reader don't have to worry about missing one in the lineup.The characters were well developed in the little time presented in each story. Given that this book was all short stories it was all in all an interesting book.I've already started looking for more books by this author.
    • 4/5
      "Shots Fired" by CJ Box is an engaging series of short stories with mostly familiar characters from the Joe Pickett series. It appears as though the author enjoyed having the freedom of creating quick stories without the necessity of developing a long involved plot. Readers of the Joe Pickett novels will have an advantage of knowing more background about some of the characters but this is a good stand alone read as well. Box does a nice job of imparting the feel for the high mountain areas and almost all the stories are satisfying with sufficient depth. My biggest complaint is that it is too fast of read and I would have liked to have read more of the types of stories about Joe's interactions with the local characters. Nevertheless I did enjoy this book and am certain that CJ Box fans will too.
    • 4/5
      C. J. Box writes a great novel. I enjoy the Joe Pickett novels. They convey so much about the territory and environment that I've fallen in love with a part of the country I haven't actually been to. And he keeps his characters complex (like humans are) but true to their character. You don't see someone do something and then have that little annoying thought "they would never do that" since you've spent several books getting to know them. These short stories have to do all of that in a much shorter format. They hold up. I enjoyed the stories about Nate and Joe Pickett, characters we know well from the novels. But I enjoyed even more the different stories, with new characters to introduce and develop enough for the story to work. Good reading.
    • 5/5
      C. J. Box is an excellent teller of stories. As he demonstrates in this anthology, his skills as a novel writer translate well into the short story world. He knows the territory and its denizens well and creates crisp, interesting stories that are often ironic, always well crafted and frequently surprise you with the ending. If you like the Joe Pickett series, you will much enjoy their little gems. If you are not familiar with the series, this would be a great place to start.
    • 5/5
      C.J. Box put together a delicious mix of well-written, clever short stories set in “Joe Pickett Country” - Montana, Yellowstone, Wyoming.Short stories are not easy to write well. In just a few pages you have to create, evolve and complete an interesting plot; introduce and develop characters; grab the reader’s attention; and leave the reader satisfied. Box does this brilliantly in “Shots Fired.”Nothing predictable here. Surprise endings are tucked into this great collection of stories. Box even throws in some obscure historical fiction in “Pronghorns of the Third Reich.”Even if you've never read anything from Box, you will enjoy “Shots Fired.” This is a book that I will share with my favorite people, so they can share the fun.