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The Highway Quartet #4
Paradise Valley
For three years, Investigator Cassie Dewell has been on a hunt for a serial killer known as The Lizard King. He works as a long haul trucker. His prey are the "lot lizard" prostitutes who frequent truck stops. And she almost caught him...once. Working for the Bakken County, North Dakota sheriff's department, Cassie has set what she believes is the perfect trap and she has lured him and his truck to a depot. Standing by, ready to close the net are half a dozen undercover officers, including Cassie's fiance Ian. But the plan goes horribly wrong, and the blame falls to Cassie. Disgraced, she loses her job and investigation into her role is put into motion.
At the same time, Kyle Westergaard, a troubled kid whom Cassie has taken under her wing, has disappeared, telling everyone he is going on a long-planned adventure. Kyle's grandmother begs Cassie to find him and with nothing else to do, she agrees--all the while planning a new trap for The Lizard King. But Cassie is now a lone wolf. And in the same way that two streams converge into a river, Kyle's disappearance may have a more sinister meaning than anyone realizes. With no allies, no support, and only her own wits to rely on, Cassie must take down a killer who is as ruthless as he is cunning. But can she do it alone, without losing her own humanity or her own life?
At the same time, Kyle Westergaard, a troubled kid whom Cassie has taken under her wing, has disappeared, telling everyone he is going on a long-planned adventure. Kyle's grandmother begs Cassie to find him and with nothing else to do, she agrees--all the while planning a new trap for The Lizard King. But Cassie is now a lone wolf. And in the same way that two streams converge into a river, Kyle's disappearance may have a more sinister meaning than anyone realizes. With no allies, no support, and only her own wits to rely on, Cassie must take down a killer who is as ruthless as he is cunning. But can she do it alone, without losing her own humanity or her own life?
340 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2017
2922 people are currently reading
8827 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
110 books6,980 followersC. 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 Western Heritage Award for Literature by the National Cowboy Museum as well as the Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel by the Western Writers of America in 2017. The novels have been translated into 27 languages.
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
*
Box is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. They have three daughters. An avid outdoorsman, Box has hunted, fished, hiked, ridden, and skied throughout Wyoming and the Mountain West. He served on the Board of Directors for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Box lives in Wyoming.
--from the author's website
Series:
*
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,128 reviews
September 13, 2017
I have heard C.J. Box referred to as a writer's writer, as he is award winning, critically acclaimed, and admired by other authors. It's so easy to see why as his prose is sharp and evocative and his stories never slow.
Box is a resident of Wyoming and most of his books are set there but at times he wanders into Montana and North Dakota as he does in this fourth Cassie Dewell book.
This is the third book in the saga of the murderous Lizard King, but Box catches up the new reader to the series quite well.
Cassie is an investigator with the Bakken County Sheriff's Dept, in North Dakota. Or she is until her plan to trap the Lizard King goes horribly wrong and she is made a scapegoat who then has to resigns. She has moved from Montana to the oil fields of Bakken during the oil boom and has stayed in Bakken with her son, Ben and her mother Isabel during the oil bust. But now heartbroken and nearly broken, Cassie is on her own with her belief that the Lizard King still lives to torture and murder.
The Lizard King is an independent long distance truck driver who kidnaps women from truck stops, plays with them and then discards them; usually where their bodies are never found. But now like so many middle aged men, he just wants to retire and spend time with his family. Though in his case he has to make his own family and maybe he needs to be a bit of a disciplinarian.
Darn it, a man has a right to a quiet retirement. Cassie disagrees and so does her friend, Leslie Behaunek the prosecutor in North Carolina who had the Lizard King but lost him.
While Cassie is looking for a hint of the Lizard King, two young friends of her son have disappeared on a Huck Finn type adventure down the Missouri River. Cassie is hired by the grandmother of one of boys to find them. The first hint of the boys is in a tiny Montana town far from the Missouri River.
Cassie returns to Montana to investigate the boys' disappearance, realizing there may be a connection to the Lizard King when she discovers a small cluster of disappearances in Bakken the day of the tragic attempt to end the Lizard King's long reign of horror.
An old fashioned posse is formed with the help of a long retired, old outfitter Bull Mitchell, Sheriff Bryan Pederson of the Park County Sheriff’s Dept and three of his deputies. Hopefully Bull and the Sheriff will reappear in subsequent Cassie Dewell books as they are rough, tough, and ready to go. Did I happen to mention that Bull is also downright amusing and Pederson has intriguing possibilities?
With the formation of the posse and the trip in the mountains of Montana, Cassie finds her mojo again and becomes the tough decisive law officer she has always been.
As always the beauty of the landscape figures strongly in Box's novels.
He also has his usual say about the over regulation and interference by the government. Rarely is the government above the local level featured in any positive manner in Box's books. But then again, he is a Western writer.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest and fair review.
Box is a resident of Wyoming and most of his books are set there but at times he wanders into Montana and North Dakota as he does in this fourth Cassie Dewell book.
This is the third book in the saga of the murderous Lizard King, but Box catches up the new reader to the series quite well.
Cassie is an investigator with the Bakken County Sheriff's Dept, in North Dakota. Or she is until her plan to trap the Lizard King goes horribly wrong and she is made a scapegoat who then has to resigns. She has moved from Montana to the oil fields of Bakken during the oil boom and has stayed in Bakken with her son, Ben and her mother Isabel during the oil bust. But now heartbroken and nearly broken, Cassie is on her own with her belief that the Lizard King still lives to torture and murder.
The Lizard King is an independent long distance truck driver who kidnaps women from truck stops, plays with them and then discards them; usually where their bodies are never found. But now like so many middle aged men, he just wants to retire and spend time with his family. Though in his case he has to make his own family and maybe he needs to be a bit of a disciplinarian.
Darn it, a man has a right to a quiet retirement. Cassie disagrees and so does her friend, Leslie Behaunek the prosecutor in North Carolina who had the Lizard King but lost him.
While Cassie is looking for a hint of the Lizard King, two young friends of her son have disappeared on a Huck Finn type adventure down the Missouri River. Cassie is hired by the grandmother of one of boys to find them. The first hint of the boys is in a tiny Montana town far from the Missouri River.
Cassie returns to Montana to investigate the boys' disappearance, realizing there may be a connection to the Lizard King when she discovers a small cluster of disappearances in Bakken the day of the tragic attempt to end the Lizard King's long reign of horror.
An old fashioned posse is formed with the help of a long retired, old outfitter Bull Mitchell, Sheriff Bryan Pederson of the Park County Sheriff’s Dept and three of his deputies. Hopefully Bull and the Sheriff will reappear in subsequent Cassie Dewell books as they are rough, tough, and ready to go. Did I happen to mention that Bull is also downright amusing and Pederson has intriguing possibilities?
With the formation of the posse and the trip in the mountains of Montana, Cassie finds her mojo again and becomes the tough decisive law officer she has always been.
As always the beauty of the landscape figures strongly in Box's novels.
He also has his usual say about the over regulation and interference by the government. Rarely is the government above the local level featured in any positive manner in Box's books. But then again, he is a Western writer.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest and fair review.
August 19, 2017
The conclusion (it would seem) to what is being called The Highway Quartet. Yes, quartet would indicate 4 books, but you never know - I wouldn't be surprised to see Cassie Dewell back for another adventure.
I can't help but give this one 5 stars. I always enjoy Box's novels. They are suspenseful. The bad guys are usually super creepy and do spine chilling and terrifyingly twisted stuff. Also, I never get tired of the fact that his heroes get no respect until they save the day. Each satisfying conclusion when I can say, "Ha! They told you so!" is great!
Another bonus to Box is the locations of his stories. This one includes southern Montana (Gardiner, Bozeman, and Livingston) which is an area I lived in for several years so I can easily envision the locales.
If this review had intrigued you, don't read this book. Start with Back Of Beyond and read the whole quartet. If you like unlikely heroes, modern day cowboys, corrupt cops, evil baddies, all set it the Rocky Mountains and plains of the American West, you cannot go wrong with this series.
I can't help but give this one 5 stars. I always enjoy Box's novels. They are suspenseful. The bad guys are usually super creepy and do spine chilling and terrifyingly twisted stuff. Also, I never get tired of the fact that his heroes get no respect until they save the day. Each satisfying conclusion when I can say, "Ha! They told you so!" is great!
Another bonus to Box is the locations of his stories. This one includes southern Montana (Gardiner, Bozeman, and Livingston) which is an area I lived in for several years so I can easily envision the locales.
If this review had intrigued you, don't read this book. Start with Back Of Beyond and read the whole quartet. If you like unlikely heroes, modern day cowboys, corrupt cops, evil baddies, all set it the Rocky Mountains and plains of the American West, you cannot go wrong with this series.
December 23, 2022
5 Stars Paradise Valley: The Highway Quartet, Book 4 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by Christina Delaine.
Cassie Dewell has the Lizard King in her sights but he slips through her grasp in a spectacular way. She loses her job and ends up trying to track down a missing boy and just by chance she is back on the track of the Lizard King. This time she’s not going to let him get away.
Cassie Dewell has the Lizard King in her sights but he slips through her grasp in a spectacular way. She loses her job and ends up trying to track down a missing boy and just by chance she is back on the track of the Lizard King. This time she’s not going to let him get away.
April 12, 2024
Another excellent entry in the Highway series. Box finishes his Lizard King storyline in a tension filled, gripping read populated with a host of characters we’ve met in the previous Highway novels.
February 28, 2021
At the beginning of this last book in the Highway Quartet, we are certain Cassie is at last going to end the chapter of her life that has been overshadowed by the Lizard King. When the operation implodes, what will Cassie do next? Will she continue to channel her inner Cody Hoyt and finally remove the specter of the Lizard King once and for all? Because it looks like he is still out there and with local boys missing, there is more on the line than ever before. Many of our favorite characters return including Bull Mitchell, the cantankerous guide, and beloved Yellowstone National Park. Jump on the highway and listen to this audiobook. There is hope at the end of the journey.
February 8, 2024
If you decide to pick up this book then do not read the blurb on the back as it gives away the first 100 pages of the novel! You have been warned!
Chief Investigator Cassie Dewell continues her hunt for the killer known as the Lizard King & this time she travels to new places with the same grim determination she's always had.
Author CJ Box fills the novel with some wonderful characters, as well as taking the reader to some fascinating locations. I especially loved his description of the small town of Ekalaka, which brought this real place vividly to life.
I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes Cassie Dewell in the next novel in the series.
Chief Investigator Cassie Dewell continues her hunt for the killer known as the Lizard King & this time she travels to new places with the same grim determination she's always had.
Author CJ Box fills the novel with some wonderful characters, as well as taking the reader to some fascinating locations. I especially loved his description of the small town of Ekalaka, which brought this real place vividly to life.
I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes Cassie Dewell in the next novel in the series.
April 13, 2017
Thanks to the publisher and net-galley for providing me with a free review copy of the book.
Wow! I am a huge fan of C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series, and when I initially requested this book, I did it on his name alone, thinking it was a new Pickett. I was a little disappointed when I realized that it's actually the first book in a new series. Or at least, I thought it was the first book in a new series. Now that I've looked at it on GR, I realize that is actually the third book in a series, which means that I am going to have to go back and read the other two.
The first 1/3 of the book dragged a little bit, because the author needed to set things up and I was just getting to know the characters. Once it got moving, though, holy cow! Cassie is a great character - a total bad ass investigator with tenacity and heart. I absolutely loved her - although Box could ease up on her negative self-talk a bit. I also thought that Bull was a kick in the pants, and Sheriff Pederson has the potential to be a fine ongoing character.
All in all, I've realized that I will read anything that C.J. Box writes, right down to his grocery list, if he ever publishes them.
Wow! I am a huge fan of C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series, and when I initially requested this book, I did it on his name alone, thinking it was a new Pickett. I was a little disappointed when I realized that it's actually the first book in a new series. Or at least, I thought it was the first book in a new series. Now that I've looked at it on GR, I realize that is actually the third book in a series, which means that I am going to have to go back and read the other two.
The first 1/3 of the book dragged a little bit, because the author needed to set things up and I was just getting to know the characters. Once it got moving, though, holy cow! Cassie is a great character - a total bad ass investigator with tenacity and heart. I absolutely loved her - although Box could ease up on her negative self-talk a bit. I also thought that Bull was a kick in the pants, and Sheriff Pederson has the potential to be a fine ongoing character.
All in all, I've realized that I will read anything that C.J. Box writes, right down to his grocery list, if he ever publishes them.
August 21, 2017
Is this the conclusion? It is in a way, but what about the something something between Cassie and you know who I'm talking about. Maybe a spinoff in the future? It would have been a 6 stars if Cody is still here. I still can't get over it...
August 1, 2019
I think this may have been my favorite of this quartet! Action packed and a fab ending!!
September 2, 2022
Re-read on 9-1-22. Couple of thoughts to add to original review --
Even though I read this book back in 2017, I definitely remember the explosion! I appreciated the pack horse trip. Bull Mitchell was one of my favorite characters in an earlier story and I'm glad the author brought him back. Describing the outdoors is what CJ Box does best. The ending was pulse pounding.
North Dakota's Chief Investigator in the Sheriff's Department, Cassie Dewell, has finally set a trap for the Lizard King. This serial killer is an independent trucker who has killed multiple truck stop prostitutes and Cassie has been after him for years. She has lured him to a fake pick up at a manufacturing facility but the bust goes tragically awry resulting in deaths. Cassie resigns in the aftermath to protect the sheriff. Adrift, she accepts a job to find two teenage boys who went missing on the same day as the failed bust. Following up on a headless body, she travels to Montana where she can't believe she has picked up the trail of the Lizard King.
This series is almost as good as Box's Joe Pickett books. Box's writing is beautiful -- so visual. I love his depictions of the outdoors. Since she is no longer with the sheriff's department in North Dakota, I wonder where the author is going to take Cassie in the next book. Wherever it is, I plan to be there to enjoy.
Even though I read this book back in 2017, I definitely remember the explosion! I appreciated the pack horse trip. Bull Mitchell was one of my favorite characters in an earlier story and I'm glad the author brought him back. Describing the outdoors is what CJ Box does best. The ending was pulse pounding.
North Dakota's Chief Investigator in the Sheriff's Department, Cassie Dewell, has finally set a trap for the Lizard King. This serial killer is an independent trucker who has killed multiple truck stop prostitutes and Cassie has been after him for years. She has lured him to a fake pick up at a manufacturing facility but the bust goes tragically awry resulting in deaths. Cassie resigns in the aftermath to protect the sheriff. Adrift, she accepts a job to find two teenage boys who went missing on the same day as the failed bust. Following up on a headless body, she travels to Montana where she can't believe she has picked up the trail of the Lizard King.
This series is almost as good as Box's Joe Pickett books. Box's writing is beautiful -- so visual. I love his depictions of the outdoors. Since she is no longer with the sheriff's department in North Dakota, I wonder where the author is going to take Cassie in the next book. Wherever it is, I plan to be there to enjoy.
April 13, 2025
Woo Hoo! An overall spectacular end to a major event!
The narration from all sides of this one was exceptionally well done and engaging.
Cassie was a main figure but also melded seamlessly into the story as she tried to determine her next stages of life.
So much of this one took place where I grew up, and I have to give C.J. Box props for the train incident. This is a Livingston resident staple, and he definitely did his research. When we lived there, my father was a Fireman/EMT, and I sent him the book section about the train since I remembered a similar call with a train during his time with the Livingston Fire Department.
Overall, these books are great writing with an engaging story and characters that I enjoy reading about.
After this initial quartet, I hope the remaining books hold up to the same high quality.
5 stars!
The narration from all sides of this one was exceptionally well done and engaging.
Cassie was a main figure but also melded seamlessly into the story as she tried to determine her next stages of life.
So much of this one took place where I grew up, and I have to give C.J. Box props for the train incident. This is a Livingston resident staple, and he definitely did his research. When we lived there, my father was a Fireman/EMT, and I sent him the book section about the train since I remembered a similar call with a train during his time with the Livingston Fire Department.
Overall, these books are great writing with an engaging story and characters that I enjoy reading about.
After this initial quartet, I hope the remaining books hold up to the same high quality.
5 stars!
August 15, 2018
I like C.J. Box, and I used to like the mysteries he wrote. For some reason that gives me some sorrow, I find it difficult to keep my mind on these murders. There is too much detail, not enough detail, the murders are too grisly, they have too many corpses. I'm hard to please.
Let's just say that there is a sweet spot between logic and illogic and this missed several times. I finished, but was a little amazed that a large team of FBI on ATVs were blown up with C4 in the Montana wilderness and then not another word was said about that. What? Maybe in the next book...
Let's just say that there is a sweet spot between logic and illogic and this missed several times. I finished, but was a little amazed that a large team of FBI on ATVs were blown up with C4 in the Montana wilderness and then not another word was said about that. What? Maybe in the next book...
May 22, 2022
The best Cassie book yet. She's been trying to lure the Lizard King to Bakken County ND for a while and now he's finally taken the bait.
The trap is set. Just the matter of the Lizard King (a serial killer we met in the second book of the series) setting it off.
When the trap blows up in Cassie's face it costs her job. The same day Kyle (the boy saved in the previous book) disappeared with his best friend.
The bulk of the story is Cassie searching on her own for the missing boys.
The trap is set. Just the matter of the Lizard King (a serial killer we met in the second book of the series) setting it off.
When the trap blows up in Cassie's face it costs her job. The same day Kyle (the boy saved in the previous book) disappeared with his best friend.
The bulk of the story is Cassie searching on her own for the missing boys.
August 22, 2021
Readers of previous books in this series know that Cassie Dewell has been hunting for the Lizard King, a serial killer who preys on prostitutes who frequent truck stops, for three years. At the end of she and Leslie Behaunek, a North Carolina prosecutor, had a plan to lure him into a trap. Finally it looks like the Lizard King has taken the bait and will be coming to Grimstad, ND where Cassie is the Chief Investigator in the Sheriff's Department. But things go horribly wrong. Cassie is blamed for what happens and loses her job.
On the same day Kyle Westergaard, a troubled kid, and a friend disappear telling his grandmother, Lottie, they are going on an adventure. Like Huckleberry Finn. Lottie begs Cassie to help find him. Unemployed and with no prospects Cassie reluctantly agrees. Kyle is a friend of her son, Ben. As the investigation into the disappearance of the boys unfolds Cassie is shocked to find there may be a tie to Ron Pergram, aka the lizard King.
An old fashioned posse is formed with the help of a long retired outfitter, Bull Mitchell, Sheriff Bryan Pederson of the Park County Sheriff’s department, and a pair of his deputies. Bull and Pederson are characters introduced in .
In many ways this is a dark story about a very sick and evil psycho but what makes standout are the locations. The author has a way of making the locations, Montana; North Dakota; Yellowstone, come alive. The reader can visualize the mountains, rivers, wildlife, the wonders of this part of the country.
The ending was no great surprise. I had some idea what to expect having already read the next book in the series, . I like Cassie Dewell. She is a strong and tenacious. A bulldog as one of the characters describes her. And that is meant as a compliment. I also like Kyle Westergaard. He has had a tough life. There are many who don't take him seriously or feel sorry for him. He was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and has a speech impediment but he is smart. Like Cassie he is determined. When he sets out to do something nothing can stop him.
Over all a good story about a manhunt. Good vs evil. One of the things I find annoying is the constant references to Cody Hoyt who was introduced in and killed off in . For whatever reason the author keeps bringing him up in things he said or did. Other than that petty annoyance this an enoyable read.
On the same day Kyle Westergaard, a troubled kid, and a friend disappear telling his grandmother, Lottie, they are going on an adventure. Like Huckleberry Finn. Lottie begs Cassie to help find him. Unemployed and with no prospects Cassie reluctantly agrees. Kyle is a friend of her son, Ben. As the investigation into the disappearance of the boys unfolds Cassie is shocked to find there may be a tie to Ron Pergram, aka the lizard King.
An old fashioned posse is formed with the help of a long retired outfitter, Bull Mitchell, Sheriff Bryan Pederson of the Park County Sheriff’s department, and a pair of his deputies. Bull and Pederson are characters introduced in .
In many ways this is a dark story about a very sick and evil psycho but what makes standout are the locations. The author has a way of making the locations, Montana; North Dakota; Yellowstone, come alive. The reader can visualize the mountains, rivers, wildlife, the wonders of this part of the country.
The ending was no great surprise. I had some idea what to expect having already read the next book in the series, . I like Cassie Dewell. She is a strong and tenacious. A bulldog as one of the characters describes her. And that is meant as a compliment. I also like Kyle Westergaard. He has had a tough life. There are many who don't take him seriously or feel sorry for him. He was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and has a speech impediment but he is smart. Like Cassie he is determined. When he sets out to do something nothing can stop him.
Over all a good story about a manhunt. Good vs evil. One of the things I find annoying is the constant references to Cody Hoyt who was introduced in and killed off in . For whatever reason the author keeps bringing him up in things he said or did. Other than that petty annoyance this an enoyable read.
September 19, 2017
Let me say this. I love C.J. Box. I love Joe Pickett, I loved Cody Hoyt and I love Cassie Dewell.
That said, I think Box is kind of out of his element in this series. It's evidenced by the fact that the first book was originally labeled Cody Hoyt #1, then the second was Cody Hoyt #2/Cassie Dewell #1, the third was Cassie Dewell #2, even though it was the third in a series and now this is the 4th of "the Highway quartet".
And this book, while I did enjoy it, suffers from the same issue the second book did. Box gets lazy and re-uses old characters. In The Highway, two characters from the first book come into contact with a second crazed killer totally independent of the first crazed killer they meet in book one. Box could have easily given us some new characters and made the story just as good, if not better.
Just as in that story, Box recycles Kyle here. The odds of Kyle coming into contact with a second crazed killer in his entire life are almost 0. Add that to the odds of him randomly coming into contact with Cassie's nemesis, and this book never happens.
Putting that aside, pretending that Box gave us a new main character/victim, the story is solid. I like Cassie and feel good about her character's development here. This would easily be a 5 star book if I weren't so annoyed by the sloppy impossibility of the villain continually encountering children close to the main character totally by chance.
Granted, Joe Pickett's family get into hot water more than they realistically should, which annoys me as well, but at least there we have different villains not the same one who just so happens to keep running into the investigating cop's favorite young people.
That said, I think Box is kind of out of his element in this series. It's evidenced by the fact that the first book was originally labeled Cody Hoyt #1, then the second was Cody Hoyt #2/Cassie Dewell #1, the third was Cassie Dewell #2, even though it was the third in a series and now this is the 4th of "the Highway quartet".
And this book, while I did enjoy it, suffers from the same issue the second book did. Box gets lazy and re-uses old characters. In The Highway, two characters from the first book come into contact with a second crazed killer totally independent of the first crazed killer they meet in book one. Box could have easily given us some new characters and made the story just as good, if not better.
Just as in that story, Box recycles Kyle here. The odds of Kyle coming into contact with a second crazed killer in his entire life are almost 0. Add that to the odds of him randomly coming into contact with Cassie's nemesis, and this book never happens.
Putting that aside, pretending that Box gave us a new main character/victim, the story is solid. I like Cassie and feel good about her character's development here. This would easily be a 5 star book if I weren't so annoyed by the sloppy impossibility of the villain continually encountering children close to the main character totally by chance.
Granted, Joe Pickett's family get into hot water more than they realistically should, which annoys me as well, but at least there we have different villains not the same one who just so happens to keep running into the investigating cop's favorite young people.
August 23, 2017
Former Chief Investigator for the Grimstad, ND Sheriff's Office, Cassie Dewell heads back to Montana in a private search for a 12 year old Grimstad boy she thinks might have been kidnapped by the infamous "Lizard King". This heinous villain has for years kept one step ahead of law enforcement primarily because, as an independent long haul trucker, his 18 wheels are always moving faster than the wheels of justice. He's also a diabolically smart and vicious serial killer of prostitutes he kidnaps at truck stops. Author Box has created incredibly appealing western characters in a big sky part of the country I loved reading about. Cassie Dewell's character is an unforgettably sharp female investigator who needs to ride again in print!
This is the fourth and hopefully not the last book in this gripping thriller series. The Highway Quartet series, read as one extended book, is a modern day western epic that I found impossible to put down. Without question, CJ Box's best work to date.
This is the fourth and hopefully not the last book in this gripping thriller series. The Highway Quartet series, read as one extended book, is a modern day western epic that I found impossible to put down. Without question, CJ Box's best work to date.
June 5, 2018
This is the fourth and last book of this series. I enjoyed the book--so I say three good ones out of four is pretty good. Cassie Dewell is again the protagonist, and is still trying to arrest the truck-stop killer of women called the lizard King. Also the young boy, Kyle is again featured in the plot. Though Box's topic is, at times, pretty graphic, I like his writing. I plan to check out some of his other books
April 17, 2025
In C.J. Box’s fourth highway book “Paradise Valley” Cassie Dewell, Bakken County Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator and single parent, is about to have a bad day. A really bad day…
Over the last three years, and the previous two books in the series, Cassie Dewell has been on the hunt for Ron Pergram, a long-haul truck driver and serial killer known as the Lizard King, responsible for the deaths of many young women working truck stops around the country.
Cassie has been working with Leslie Behaunek, Wilson County Prosecutor, and her FBI Special Agent, Craig Rhodine, to find a way to capture the Lizard King. It’s been a long time coming as
Cassie has patiently put together a trap to catch the man responsible for the death of her former police partner and mentor, Cody Hoyt. The plan involves Ron Pergram making a pickup at a nearby depot where they can arrest him and put an end to his continuing crimes. Finally, the Lizard King has taken the bait and he's on the way.
That is… Until things go wrong. Horribly and painfully wrong…. For Cassie, her team, and others in support roles. Lives are lost and permanent injuries are suffered. Someone has to take the political blame so that law enforcement can save face, and that someone is Cassie, who faces an investigation and the loss of her job by a vengeful District Attorney.
On the very same day, Kyle Westergaard, a troubled youth that Cassie has been helping take care of and friends with her son, Ben, has disappeared along with another youth, Raheem Johnson. The story is the two of them had been planning an adventure down the Missouri river in a wooden boat that they had been fixing up.
Kyle’s grandmother, Lottie, immediately demands that Cassie help find him, just to make sure he’s safe, but not drag him back home. Lottie’s tried the police, but they are busy with the fallout of the Lizard King’s fiasco, they pay her no heed.
Since Cassie has been freed up, she feels a responsibility to find Kyle and make sure he’s okay. It doesn’t take long after her search gets started that she starts to get a scary feeling that Kyle and Raheem’s disappearance may somehow be connected to her own troubles with the Lizard King. The bigger problem is that she’s on her own without any law enforcement resources or backups to help her out this time. She is on her own, hunting down the most cunning and ruthless psychotic killer she’s ever known…
In my mind, this book serves as book three of a trilogy, concluding the ongoing storylines started in “The Highway” and continued in “Badlands”. “Paradise Valley” provides a great conclusion to those storylines and character arcs, as well as completely endearing me to Cassie Dewell. I love how she has both taken on certain investigative aspects of Cody Hoyt, while at the same time, maintaining her own code of behavior. She is her own person. One that doesn’t blame others and takes responsibility for her own actions and the members of her team. She keeps her promises, or will die trying to keep them.
Like C.J. Box’s most well-known character, Joe Pickett, Cassie is driven to do what she believes is right, even if her tactics are grayer than Joe’s. And she is most definitely willing to pull the trigger without thinking about it twice. And just like Joe struggles with his mother-in-law, Cassie struggles with her mother, but she needs her to help raise her son, Ben, causing a conundrum in their relationship and communications. And I am going to admit this out loud. Even though she ranges from 10 to 20 pounds overweight at different points in the series, I’ll be danged if I don’t find her attractive. There is just something about her that gets my attention and connects with me. Okay, enough of that.
C.J. Box hits all three key elements – plotting, character, and setting – like the masterful writer that he is. There are strong emotional costs and winning payoffs to the storylines that he’s built up over the three books. He delivered another winning blend of mystery and thriller that I thoroughly devoured, packed full of intense conflict and high-octane storytelling prose. As with previous books in this series, the plotting was masterfully crafted and delivered. Another tight-knit, thrill ride, adventure. The small town and small city settings, as well as the Yellowstone mountains also played key character type equivalent roles. C.J. Box finds creative and interesting ways to use those settings to create wild west type situations where investigating crime is its own untamed adventure.
As mentioned in my previous reviews of this series, C.J. Box continues his practice of using two points of view – that of Cassie Dewell (adult) and Kyle (young/teenage boy). Using both an adult character and that of a younger boy provides an interesting contrast in perspectives that serves the storylines very well. I found myself just as impressed with Kyle in this one as I was in the last one. C.J. Box uses a young person’s point of view to his advantage by demonstrating his lack of experience and maturity to distort what’s going on and not expecting him to figure everything out like an adult might be able to do. It certainly amplifies the tension and concern for Kyle’s ability to survive.
Overall, this was strong 4.5-star rating for me. The characters, plotting, and setting all came together to deliver a winning reading experience, especially since it was the culmination of storylines spread out over three books. I am already two chapters into the next Cassie Dewell novel – “The Bitterroots” – which shows how appreciative I am to have another C.J. Box series to binge on! Just like Joe Pickett, I cannot get enough Cassie Dewell…
Over the last three years, and the previous two books in the series, Cassie Dewell has been on the hunt for Ron Pergram, a long-haul truck driver and serial killer known as the Lizard King, responsible for the deaths of many young women working truck stops around the country.
Cassie has been working with Leslie Behaunek, Wilson County Prosecutor, and her FBI Special Agent, Craig Rhodine, to find a way to capture the Lizard King. It’s been a long time coming as
Cassie has patiently put together a trap to catch the man responsible for the death of her former police partner and mentor, Cody Hoyt. The plan involves Ron Pergram making a pickup at a nearby depot where they can arrest him and put an end to his continuing crimes. Finally, the Lizard King has taken the bait and he's on the way.
That is… Until things go wrong. Horribly and painfully wrong…. For Cassie, her team, and others in support roles. Lives are lost and permanent injuries are suffered. Someone has to take the political blame so that law enforcement can save face, and that someone is Cassie, who faces an investigation and the loss of her job by a vengeful District Attorney.
On the very same day, Kyle Westergaard, a troubled youth that Cassie has been helping take care of and friends with her son, Ben, has disappeared along with another youth, Raheem Johnson. The story is the two of them had been planning an adventure down the Missouri river in a wooden boat that they had been fixing up.
Kyle’s grandmother, Lottie, immediately demands that Cassie help find him, just to make sure he’s safe, but not drag him back home. Lottie’s tried the police, but they are busy with the fallout of the Lizard King’s fiasco, they pay her no heed.
Since Cassie has been freed up, she feels a responsibility to find Kyle and make sure he’s okay. It doesn’t take long after her search gets started that she starts to get a scary feeling that Kyle and Raheem’s disappearance may somehow be connected to her own troubles with the Lizard King. The bigger problem is that she’s on her own without any law enforcement resources or backups to help her out this time. She is on her own, hunting down the most cunning and ruthless psychotic killer she’s ever known…
In my mind, this book serves as book three of a trilogy, concluding the ongoing storylines started in “The Highway” and continued in “Badlands”. “Paradise Valley” provides a great conclusion to those storylines and character arcs, as well as completely endearing me to Cassie Dewell. I love how she has both taken on certain investigative aspects of Cody Hoyt, while at the same time, maintaining her own code of behavior. She is her own person. One that doesn’t blame others and takes responsibility for her own actions and the members of her team. She keeps her promises, or will die trying to keep them.
Like C.J. Box’s most well-known character, Joe Pickett, Cassie is driven to do what she believes is right, even if her tactics are grayer than Joe’s. And she is most definitely willing to pull the trigger without thinking about it twice. And just like Joe struggles with his mother-in-law, Cassie struggles with her mother, but she needs her to help raise her son, Ben, causing a conundrum in their relationship and communications. And I am going to admit this out loud. Even though she ranges from 10 to 20 pounds overweight at different points in the series, I’ll be danged if I don’t find her attractive. There is just something about her that gets my attention and connects with me. Okay, enough of that.
C.J. Box hits all three key elements – plotting, character, and setting – like the masterful writer that he is. There are strong emotional costs and winning payoffs to the storylines that he’s built up over the three books. He delivered another winning blend of mystery and thriller that I thoroughly devoured, packed full of intense conflict and high-octane storytelling prose. As with previous books in this series, the plotting was masterfully crafted and delivered. Another tight-knit, thrill ride, adventure. The small town and small city settings, as well as the Yellowstone mountains also played key character type equivalent roles. C.J. Box finds creative and interesting ways to use those settings to create wild west type situations where investigating crime is its own untamed adventure.
As mentioned in my previous reviews of this series, C.J. Box continues his practice of using two points of view – that of Cassie Dewell (adult) and Kyle (young/teenage boy). Using both an adult character and that of a younger boy provides an interesting contrast in perspectives that serves the storylines very well. I found myself just as impressed with Kyle in this one as I was in the last one. C.J. Box uses a young person’s point of view to his advantage by demonstrating his lack of experience and maturity to distort what’s going on and not expecting him to figure everything out like an adult might be able to do. It certainly amplifies the tension and concern for Kyle’s ability to survive.
Overall, this was strong 4.5-star rating for me. The characters, plotting, and setting all came together to deliver a winning reading experience, especially since it was the culmination of storylines spread out over three books. I am already two chapters into the next Cassie Dewell novel – “The Bitterroots” – which shows how appreciative I am to have another C.J. Box series to binge on! Just like Joe Pickett, I cannot get enough Cassie Dewell…
July 14, 2017
First Sentence: “The trap is set and he’s on his way,” Cassie Dewell said to Sheriff Jon Kirkbride.
Inspector Cassie Dewell has been hunting the Lizard King, a serial killer of truck-stop prostitutes, runaways, and of her former boss. Now, she hopes she has set up the perfect lure to get him to come to her. Yet she is also concerned about the disappearance of Kyle Westergaard, a young man with mild fetal-alcohol syndrome, and his friend Raheem.
Box does a very good job of explaining eh details of things; lot lizards, the way in which independent truckers work, etc. At the same time, he does it without disrupting the flow or making one feel as though he has dumbed-down the information.
The characters are very well drawn and developed. The rest of the cast are people one would like to know, one has been unfortunate enough to know, and those one hopes never to know. Cassie and Wyatt, in particular, are wonderful characters.
There are villains, and then there are villains! From the very first book in which the Lizard King appeared, “The Highway,” it was clear Box had created one of the most frightening villains there is, partly because the type of crimes he commits are actually happening across our interstate highways. That said, one needn’t have read the first three books, as Box also does a good job of catching up new readers.
Box is always such a pleasure to read. He is a wonderful wordsmith with a very visual style who creates excellent analogies—“…driving an 18-wheeler was like piloting a ship on the ocean. The captain of that ship had an entire blue-water sea in front of him and he could go anywhere on it.” In spite of this being his 24th book, plus some short stories, there’s no sign of them being formulaic or getting stale. Each is informative and very exciting. So much so that I often forget to make notes while reading
“Paradise Valley” is filled with excellent suspense, yet comes to a complete and satisfying ending.
PARADISE VALLEY (Pol Proc-Cassie Dewell, North Dakota, Contemp) – VG
Box, C.J. – 3rd in series
Minotaur - July 2017
Inspector Cassie Dewell has been hunting the Lizard King, a serial killer of truck-stop prostitutes, runaways, and of her former boss. Now, she hopes she has set up the perfect lure to get him to come to her. Yet she is also concerned about the disappearance of Kyle Westergaard, a young man with mild fetal-alcohol syndrome, and his friend Raheem.
Box does a very good job of explaining eh details of things; lot lizards, the way in which independent truckers work, etc. At the same time, he does it without disrupting the flow or making one feel as though he has dumbed-down the information.
The characters are very well drawn and developed. The rest of the cast are people one would like to know, one has been unfortunate enough to know, and those one hopes never to know. Cassie and Wyatt, in particular, are wonderful characters.
There are villains, and then there are villains! From the very first book in which the Lizard King appeared, “The Highway,” it was clear Box had created one of the most frightening villains there is, partly because the type of crimes he commits are actually happening across our interstate highways. That said, one needn’t have read the first three books, as Box also does a good job of catching up new readers.
Box is always such a pleasure to read. He is a wonderful wordsmith with a very visual style who creates excellent analogies—“…driving an 18-wheeler was like piloting a ship on the ocean. The captain of that ship had an entire blue-water sea in front of him and he could go anywhere on it.” In spite of this being his 24th book, plus some short stories, there’s no sign of them being formulaic or getting stale. Each is informative and very exciting. So much so that I often forget to make notes while reading
“Paradise Valley” is filled with excellent suspense, yet comes to a complete and satisfying ending.
PARADISE VALLEY (Pol Proc-Cassie Dewell, North Dakota, Contemp) – VG
Box, C.J. – 3rd in series
Minotaur - July 2017
May 11, 2023
I do not know what is coming over me. I try to never read a series out of order but lately impulse reading has affected me and I have succumbed to the books on display in the library. It is not a deal breaker but when there is reference to past events that took place in prior novels in the series it is not quite as rewarding. So I am going to step back and read the Highway Quartet series in order from now on. This was a very exciting novel that exhibited conflict in the readers mind and then supplied the reward of resolution to the point of cheering. If you enjoy this genre I suggest sitting in your favorite chair, sipping on your beverage of choice, starting from the beginning of the series and LET IT Ride!!!
December 21, 2020
C.J. Box is always a great read. This book is from a series about a police/private investigator named Cassie Dewell. These is series the TV show Big Sky is based on. The TV series is right now based on the first book, This is 4th book in the series and she's still chasing the same person. So, to me, this one was not as exciting as the first book because it was a little bit of "this already Happened". But I did enjoy reading it and love all the characters. Would definitely recommend if you like thriller type stories.
January 16, 2018
Wow! What a great story! The writing, characters and suspense are first-rate.
The last book where the Lizard King figured prominently in a Cassie Dewell story was . He's back once again in Paradise Valley. Cassie has been trying to track him down for quite awile but he manages to elude law enforncement. Until now. The Lizard King finally signs up to pick up a load in Grimstad, North Dakota where the County Sheriff's men and Cassie are waiting for him. In the meantime, Kyle and his pal Raheem decide to go on an adventure to float down the Missouri River in a boat like Theodore Roosevelt once did. The boys wind up missing and no one seems to have time to look for them. Cassie has time on her hands because the sting to arrest the Lizard King didn't quite go as planned. So Cassie decides to go looking for the boys....
"I’ve learned that whenever politicians get together in one place bad things happen.” - Sheriff Kirkbride
Mr. Box seems to capture in his characters certain attitudes and traits that adds a little extra color. When Cassie sits down to talk with Kyle's grandmother, here is how the scene starts off:
OVER HOMEMADE NORWEGIAN SNACKS of rolled-up lefse spread with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and baked apples with gjetost cheese, Cassie listened to Lottie Westergaard talk about Kyle.
That part still makes my mouth water. There's another character in the story from an earlier book, Bull Mitchell, tells Cassie about his truck:
“She’s a classic 1948 Dodge Power Wagon, the greatest ranch or mountain vehicle ever made. It’s a three-quarter-ton four-by-four perfected in World War Two."
Another thing I like about the writing is the landscape is almost like another character in the story.
The moon was as thin and pale as a fingernail clipping but the stars were bright and hard.
For me, this type of writing really captures my imagination and draws me into the story as if I was actually there. There are some more gruesome scenes that add gravity and darkness to the story. After all, the subject matter is tracking down a derranged serial killer.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the outdoorsy feel, color and suspense. If this sounds like your cup of tea, I highly recommend this book!
The last book where the Lizard King figured prominently in a Cassie Dewell story was . He's back once again in Paradise Valley. Cassie has been trying to track him down for quite awile but he manages to elude law enforncement. Until now. The Lizard King finally signs up to pick up a load in Grimstad, North Dakota where the County Sheriff's men and Cassie are waiting for him. In the meantime, Kyle and his pal Raheem decide to go on an adventure to float down the Missouri River in a boat like Theodore Roosevelt once did. The boys wind up missing and no one seems to have time to look for them. Cassie has time on her hands because the sting to arrest the Lizard King didn't quite go as planned. So Cassie decides to go looking for the boys....
"I’ve learned that whenever politicians get together in one place bad things happen.” - Sheriff Kirkbride
Mr. Box seems to capture in his characters certain attitudes and traits that adds a little extra color. When Cassie sits down to talk with Kyle's grandmother, here is how the scene starts off:
OVER HOMEMADE NORWEGIAN SNACKS of rolled-up lefse spread with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and baked apples with gjetost cheese, Cassie listened to Lottie Westergaard talk about Kyle.
That part still makes my mouth water. There's another character in the story from an earlier book, Bull Mitchell, tells Cassie about his truck:
“She’s a classic 1948 Dodge Power Wagon, the greatest ranch or mountain vehicle ever made. It’s a three-quarter-ton four-by-four perfected in World War Two."
Another thing I like about the writing is the landscape is almost like another character in the story.
The moon was as thin and pale as a fingernail clipping but the stars were bright and hard.
For me, this type of writing really captures my imagination and draws me into the story as if I was actually there. There are some more gruesome scenes that add gravity and darkness to the story. After all, the subject matter is tracking down a derranged serial killer.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the outdoorsy feel, color and suspense. If this sounds like your cup of tea, I highly recommend this book!
June 23, 2017
This book is a fitting end to this series. The first book I read by Mr. Box was The Highway. I absolutely fell hard for the author's writing. Since, than, I have read many other books from this author. Yet, this is probably my top favorite series.
The Highway is where I first was introduced to Cassie. She was just a rookie back than. Yet, she has come a long way since that book. Cassie is confident, intelligent, and the bad guys better be scared. This book nicely ties up everything in this series to come full circle.
Look no further for the perfect read than Paradise Valley! I inhaled this book. Literally, could not stop reading it. The Lizard King and Cassie play the ultimate game of cat and mouse for an great ending. Oh, there will be explosives.
The Highway is where I first was introduced to Cassie. She was just a rookie back than. Yet, she has come a long way since that book. Cassie is confident, intelligent, and the bad guys better be scared. This book nicely ties up everything in this series to come full circle.
Look no further for the perfect read than Paradise Valley! I inhaled this book. Literally, could not stop reading it. The Lizard King and Cassie play the ultimate game of cat and mouse for an great ending. Oh, there will be explosives.
May 1, 2022
Only one comment: the bathrooms in the grocery store in Gardiner, MT are in the front right of the store, not in the back.
Read it for the 2nd time, before reading book 5. The reign of the Lizard King has come to an end. Cassie is back in Montana, at places that are familiar to me - Livingston, Emigrant, Bozeman etc. She uses her great detective skills to track down and rescue a teen and a woman that were kidnapped in North Dakota.
Read it for the 2nd time, before reading book 5. The reign of the Lizard King has come to an end. Cassie is back in Montana, at places that are familiar to me - Livingston, Emigrant, Bozeman etc. She uses her great detective skills to track down and rescue a teen and a woman that were kidnapped in North Dakota.
June 14, 2020
I have enjoyed C.J. Box’s “Joe Pickett” series and found the earlier installments of this series, featuring Cassie Dewell, a nice change of pace.
And so, after a long hiatus from reading this author, I came across Paradise Valley in a neighborhood “library” box, and was looking forward to rekindling my connection with C.J.
The problem with reunions, however, is that people often change and evolve during the absences and can be disappointed by what they find when they reconnect. So, while I enjoyed this book, I couldn’t help but reflect on why I sort of moved on from Box to other authors. It has something to do with degree of skill & sophistication of the writing— and I found myself wishing for a little more of that here. This story is a continuation, so there is a natural limit to what can be done with a well-established character and plot-line. And Box does a great job making the villain creepy and despicable, and builds tension along the way as expected. From that perspective, this book delivers what any fan of the author could want.
I found the story a bit too predictable to be truly surprising or suspenseful. The ending incorporates a nice touch, but nothing compelling me to rush out for more. Linear and blunt stories can be very entertaining (e.g., Jack Reacher novels), but one expects that from those books. I think my complaint here is, perhaps, that Box used to offer me stories that had more meat on their bones than this, and though pleasing, this just missed being truly satisfying.
And so, after a long hiatus from reading this author, I came across Paradise Valley in a neighborhood “library” box, and was looking forward to rekindling my connection with C.J.
The problem with reunions, however, is that people often change and evolve during the absences and can be disappointed by what they find when they reconnect. So, while I enjoyed this book, I couldn’t help but reflect on why I sort of moved on from Box to other authors. It has something to do with degree of skill & sophistication of the writing— and I found myself wishing for a little more of that here. This story is a continuation, so there is a natural limit to what can be done with a well-established character and plot-line. And Box does a great job making the villain creepy and despicable, and builds tension along the way as expected. From that perspective, this book delivers what any fan of the author could want.
I found the story a bit too predictable to be truly surprising or suspenseful. The ending incorporates a nice touch, but nothing compelling me to rush out for more. Linear and blunt stories can be very entertaining (e.g., Jack Reacher novels), but one expects that from those books. I think my complaint here is, perhaps, that Box used to offer me stories that had more meat on their bones than this, and though pleasing, this just missed being truly satisfying.
December 26, 2023
There must be something about Wyoming law enforcement that appeals directly to me, in that C.J. Box & Craig Johnson have replaced John D. MacDonald as my favorite creators of popular fiction...or maybe it's their wonderful prose & insights into humanity & our relationships...This is the 4th of Box's "Highway Quartet" in which Cassie Dewell & the Lizard King match wits again...maybe the Lizard King has won, as Cassie is "scapegoated" for a failed sting that decimates the Bakken County Sheriff's Department...now as a civilian, "citizen" Dewell is engaged to look into the disappearance of a friend of her son that will intersect her again with her nemesis...until this novel, I've always looked upon these stories as the C.J. Box "B Team"...but I'm hooked & have been rewarded with a read as Meaningful & entertaining as any "Joe Pickett"...I'm sold...GREAT STUFF!!!
July 20, 2017
Edgar-award-winner C. J. Box is at the top of his game in Paradise Valley, the third book in the Cassie Dewell series, and fourth and final book in the Highway Quartet. Cassie Dewell has been looking for the serial killer known as the Lizard King for three years. He is finally within her sights, when everything goes terribly wrong, costing Cassie her job and leaving her on her own to continue the hunt.
Elegantly written, breathtaking and filled with suspense, Paradise Valley is an absolute must read. Five stars.
(Advance Reading Copy obtained by request from NetGalley.)
Elegantly written, breathtaking and filled with suspense, Paradise Valley is an absolute must read. Five stars.
(Advance Reading Copy obtained by request from NetGalley.)
September 28, 2020
This was my favorite of the series although as others have stated I do miss Cody. On the other hand Cody had some serious faults and other men have shown lots better qualities and maybe there will be another book with love interests that actually develop???? My favorite thing that C.J. Box does the best is getting across the small town mostly friendly feeling. There is nothing like the feeling of knowing everyone and belonging there.
September 27, 2021
Fans of books 2 and 3 in this quartet will definitely want to read this Cassie Dewell story that takes us back to Montana and includes past characters like Ronald and Kyle.
July 29, 2017
I used to think that the late Robert Parker had the greatest ability to write a completely believable woman lead character. I stand corrected. C.J. Box has created in Cassie a heroine who is not only believable but so real you can be sure you know her. This book was a terrific entry in her adventure. I sure hope we see more of Cassie.
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