• Cold Wind

  • A Joe Pickett Novel
  • By: C. J. Box
  • Narrated by: David Chandler
  • Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,651 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Cold Wind  By  cover art

Cold Wind

By: C. J. Box
Narrated by: David Chandler
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.56

Buy for $22.56

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

C. J. Box's newest best seller, Cold Wind, marks his 11th visit to the popular Joe Pickett series. When we are first introduced to the world of Cold Wind it seems to be this wide expanse of big Wyoming emptiness. The events and characters look to be products of small town thinking and petty local politics. Yet you quickly learn that there's much more going on here. Wind turbines are coming to dominate the landscape and the economy. Unlikely new players are amassing huge fortunes and influence. Where you have money and power in play, you've got just the elements you need for conflict, mystery, and murder. It's against this backdrop that Joe Pickett works as a ranger. Ostensibly his job involves counting wildlife and keeping an eye on the local hunters, yet his role also allows him unique leeway to act both as the law as well as outside the law.

David Chandler has now narrated 10 of the Joe Pickett books, so he's very familiar with the New West tone and feel for the series. He has a bit of challenge with the number of characters here, but Joe’s friend Nate stands out. Nate plays counterpoint to Joe they're two sides of the same coin. Where Joe is the thoughtful family man, Nate is the badass wild card unfettered by society and living by his own moral code. You see this particularly in Chandler's voicing of the characters. Where Joe is the everyman voice of reason, Nate is the low menacing whisper of raw emotion and animal drives.

In many ways Cold Wind is reminiscent of an old established genre of storytelling that's populated Western literature for generations. It used to be the promise of the gold rush, then conflicts over cattle, then it was the oil boom; now the next big thing shaping the Western provinces is wind power. With Cold Wind, C. J. Box helps continue this proud American tradition of individualism and justice. Cleo Creech

Publisher's summary

When Earl Alden is found dead, dangling from a wind turbine, it's his wife, Missy, who is arrested. Unfortunately for game warden Joe Pickett, Missy is his mother-in- law, a woman he dislikes heartily, and now he doesn't know what to do - especially when the early signs point to her being guilty as sin.

But then things happen to make Joe wonder: Is Earl's death what it appears to be? Is Missy being set up? He has the county DA and sheriff on one side, his wife on the other, his estranged friend Nate on a lethal mission of his own, and some powerful interests breathing down his neck. Whichever way this goes... it's not going to be good.

He's game: solve another mystery with Joe Pickett.
©2011 C.J. Box (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about Cold Wind

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,662
  • 4 Stars
    770
  • 3 Stars
    164
  • 2 Stars
    30
  • 1 Stars
    25
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,569
  • 4 Stars
    512
  • 3 Stars
    98
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    14
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,344
  • 4 Stars
    645
  • 3 Stars
    142
  • 2 Stars
    30
  • 1 Stars
    24

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

my favorite Pickett yet

What did you love best about Cold Wind?

I loved that this story involved Joe's wife and mother-in-law, and that once again Nate is front and center. Recently the crimes Joe has investigated took him away from home which also meant that the people in his life -- Mary Beth, Sheridan. Lucy, April, Nate and his mother-in-law are peripheral. But without them, Joe has less depth. I like that these novels involve a lead character who is real -- flawed, imperfect and authentic. However, when his loved ones are further from the story I find that Joe is more caricature than character.

This volume took Joe home and made this fan happy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Never changes. My favorite character will always be Nate. Mr Chandler's ability to give Nate life is absurd -- it is that good.

Any additional comments?

The crime investigated in this installment was surprising. I always like when a mystery book author can bring in an element of shock, and Mr Box accomplished that here.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My first Joe Pickett book by C J Box

What made the experience of listening to Cold Wind the most enjoyable?

I liked it that Joe was just a regular guy doing a regular job, not some exotic fast gun stereo-type. I liked it that Joe Pickett was a family man in all ways. I liked it that things that happened seemed realistic.

Which character – as performed by David Chandler – was your favorite?

Nate Romanisky

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

This was the first Joe Picket character book I listened to. After listening to this one, I went and got all of the Joe Pickett series from 1 to 14 now. I am on 14 now, having listened to all of them in sequence, and this book twice, first and again in sequence. Have to admit I understood a lot more things in the book when listened to it in sequence. Each of C J's books seems an improvement over the last if that is possible. As I listen to them, I find myself saying to myself, this book is better than the previous ones. Each book seems to explain things that may have been left open in the previous book. Finally in book 14, I find a tie to my home state of Texas, Joe has a bottle of Shiner Bock beer. This is a wonderful beer from a small central Texas town and small Texas Spotzl Brewery. Thank you C J. Nice of you to notice something close to my heart. I would expect Joe Pickett to attend my church if he lived here.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another great Joe Pickett

Good to the very end, gonna be real sad when I catch up and have to wait on Mr. Box to write another

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Read

The ending was the most surprising. I love this series! I won’t review the number of words, inane!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thanks

After listening to this a number of times Each time getting more into the story. Thanks again John.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Review for Joe Picket book

Good as always. I enjoy all the books in this series. Looking forward to the next one

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The plot was amazing. Loved the readers presentation

Liked everything about it. Characters are well developed and the readers voice and intonations keep the listener engaged and on the edge of their seat.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorites -

Have to admit I didn't see the twist at the end. A favorite Joe Pickett for me?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story with lots of unexpected twists and

turns. I had trouble putting this book down. Another amazing journey with Joe Picket and family.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Such a fun Joe Pickett book!

I've enjoyed despising Missy for the entirety of this series, so it is fun to see her in the hot seat as the major suspect in her husband's murder. The end is so satisfying and made me VERY excited to read the next installment, because it looks like Nate will have a large plot line coming up really soon. Missy's part of the story is great but Nate is one of the best parts of the series.

My husband and I have been working through this series together since the first book, which is a lot of fun for us both. David Chandler's narration is top-notch, especially the personality he gives Nate Romanowski's character.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!