Blue Heaven

By: C. J. Box

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Blue Heaven is the break-out novel from C. J. Box, the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series.

A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother are on the run in the Idaho woods, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder—four men who know exactly who William and Annie are. And where their mother lives.

Retired policemen from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the local sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children. Now there's nowhere left for William and Annie to hide…and no one they can trust. Until they meet Jess Rawlins.

Rawlins, an old-school rancher, knows trouble when he sees it. He is only one against four men who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses. But in this thrilling mystery novel from C.J. Box, these ex-cops don't know just how far Rawlins will go to protect William and Annie…and see that justice is done.

Blue Heaven is the winner of the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

©2007 C.J. Box (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“John Bedford Lloyd's rich, distinctive voice brings a strong sense of power to his reading of Box's first stand-alone thriller…Lloyd's crisp, laconic delivery easily handles a multitude of characters, accents and shifting points of view, creating just the right tone for the material and drawing the listener deep into the action of the story. He portrays his villains (a band of dirty ex-cops) with just the right amount of ruthless menace without going overboard, and he perfectly captures the essence of the aging rancher, imbuing him with the quiet strength and dignity of an iconic western hero.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Blue Heaven is a non-stop thrill ride--a provocative suspense novel that has you rooting for the characters every step of the way.” —Harlan Coben, author of The Woods

“Blue Heaven is a relentless thriller. C.J. Box sucked me in with good cops, bad cops, and missing money, then blind-sided me with unexpected twists and surprises in this novel of clashing cultures and dark secrets. Box delivers the goods!” —Robert Crais, author of The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel

Solid Entry By Box

Rich and interesting characters are brought to life with a good narrator. The plot is propelled along with just enough action. I’m a new fan of this author. He really gets you to care about the characters and understand them....even the villains. It makes the reading go by quick...maybe too quick.

This story follows two siblings that witnessed a murder and the complications that arise. Even though you know the culprits, the fun is getting to know these great characters. The suspense is trying to figure out how it’s going to play out. Some of it you can probably guess, but some of it will surprise you.

Real storytelling

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Something I really like about C.J. Box is the way he (she?) uses language to tell a story. It's very listenable and I find my attention does not waver so much as it does with other authors.

What about John Bedford Lloyd’s performance did you like?

I thought the narrator was the perfect choice for this story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I was pleased not to have too many interruptions to my listening.

Jess

Loved it. Narrator was excellent ,heart beating thru out this story. Hero shouldn't die.

Edgar Award 2009, more accurately a 3.5 from me...

Was looking for something to keep my brain busy, and got exactly what I wanted. Plot premise was great, setting interesting and I liked the characters... but I had to suspend my disbelief repeatedly towards the end and it markedly diminished my enjoyment. A little bad language, a whole lot of violence, and just a couple low key sexual innuendos for those who wonder. Has the feel of a "John Wayne" western mixed with "Law and Order." It kept my attention fully, but it will be a while before I choose a rerun.

Way too long!!

I have read C. J Box before and enjoyed the books. This could have been much shorter and been a better story. I only finished because I already had so much time invested.

Kept me interested

What made the experience of listening to Blue Heaven the most enjoyable?

Good story, With the unlikely hero.

What other book might you compare Blue Heaven to and why?

Can't compare it to anything.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Didn't really like the narrator, at times, he made me feel like he was reading a story to a fifth grader. But the story, and most of the times, narration was good enough I kept listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, mainly because of the narrator.

Any additional comments?

I have listened to most of the Pickett books. I have also listened to other CJ Box books this was the best out of the Pickett series.

Best writer of really believable suspense

What made the experience of listening to Blue Heaven the most enjoyable?

Actually, I didn't want to be kept so very wide awake at night, but the book is a thriller.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The worse-than-you-could-imagine deceptions kept happening, and the setting and characters made it plausible.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sure.

Any additional comments?

C.J. Box kepts coming up with plots so bizarre that you "can't make this stuff up." I just hope he's making it up.

one of my favorites from CJ Box!

I have listened to 15 CJ Box novels and this one is easily my favorite. great story, greater narrator. I highly recommend this book!

Who needs Joe Pickett

What made the experience of listening to Blue Heaven the most enjoyable?

I am from the town where Mr. Box resides and revel in his local color. This storey is rich, diverse, and the characters are nicely developed. I found it difficult to turn off my MP3 player until the dust settled.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked the old rancher, of course, but little Annie and her mom became friends, and all the bad guys really got what they deserved.

Which character – as performed by John Bedford Lloyd – was your favorite?

To many were well done for me to pick a favorite. Just about every character mentioned was pretty thourghly developed and became recognizable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No but I quickly took sides with the good guys and found myself anxious to follow their fates.

Any additional comments?

a must read if intertainment is one of your goals.

Excellent Read

Absolutely loved the story. The narration....CJ Box is the best. Kept me on the edge of my seat.