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The Highway Quartet #1
Back of Beyond
The Edgar® Awardwinning and New York Times bestselling author delivers a thriller about a troubled cop trying to save his son from a killer in Yellowstone.Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who’s fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend’s death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he’s in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody’s determined to find his killer. When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park—a pack trip that includes his son Justin—Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an awkward but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous. In a fatal cat and mouse game, where it becomes apparent the murderer is somehow aware of Cody’s every move, Cody treks into the wilderness to stop a killer hell bent on ruining the only thing in his life he cares about. Back of Beyond is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Mysteries title.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2011
4,742 people are currently reading
13.1k people want to read
About the author
C.J. Box
105books6,808followersC. 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 1,922 reviews
August 30, 2014
Another interesting C.J. Box mystery. In my opinion, this novel may have been even more intricately crafted that some of the previous C.J. Box stories I have read. It was suspenseful and gritty and, while I had my suspicions, I was not entirely sure where it was going until the very end. I think this is a good choice for those who are interested in Box's work, but are not quite ready to get into the whole Joe Pickett series.
November 20, 2017
3.5� rounded up
“Throughout his life his friends, lovers, and colleagues wondered aloud what made him tick. As if he were like Churchill’s description of Russia, a ‘riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,� when really it was so damned simple. So damned simple. Cody was born damaged. His Maker had flinched when soldering his hard wires together, and they would always short out or overheat at the wrong time.
. . . but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognize and revere goodness, and he’d do anything—anything—to protect those blessed with clean, unimpeded wiring. . . Like Justin, his miracle son, who he had to save.�
Cody Hoyt is his very own good cop/bad cop, self-sufficient, needs nobody. Yeah, right. He wishes. He’s split with his wife, whom he still clearly cares for (but who’s remarried, well above his station), and he sees less than he’d like of his teen-aged son, Justin, who seems like a nice kid (and the only thing in his life Cody is proud of).
So . . . good cop for investigating skills, bad cop for temper and temperance. When he finds his AA sponsor burned up in what he’s sure is a murder, he falls off the wagon with quite a thud. Following up some leads with the help of an old pal in the force, he discovers a possible connection to a Yellowstone back country pack trip outfit.
And wouldn’t you know it? They’ve already packed up and headed to the back of beyond with a full complement of tourists on horseback, out of radio range, as we used to say. Not only that, Justin and His Richness, as Cody refers to Justin’s step-father, are on the trip as a bonding exercise.
Possible pairing of people thickens the plot � the rugged cowboy outfitter, his younger, sexy female wrangler/companion, a lone mysterious man, a lone mysterious woman, a single dad with two young daughters, one in her teens (well, helloooo, Justin!), and the step-father. Plus a fit couple in their 60s, CEO husband, society wife, seemingly scratchy with each other.
The younger daughter, Gracie, is a smart cookie having fun, loving horses, and watching the dynamics spark. Danielle, on the other hand, is horrified to discover what out-of-range really means and can’t believe anyone would actually pay to do this. (Where's the nail salon?)
�’There’s nothing better for a girl than to have two sets of parents competing for your affection, and buying you things to make you like them more, you know?�
Gracie looked at her sister with disgust.
’What planet are you from, anyway?�
‘Planet Danielle,� her sister said with a lilt. ’It’s a good and happy place. And it has hot showers and cell phone service.��
Danielle does find fun with Justin, the lone woman raises some eyebrows (as do all the adults, really), and the outfitter lectures them all on the dangers of the wild � bears, wolves, and the ease of getting lost forever - and there's some question as to who sleeps in whose tent.
Meanwhile, Cody is frantic, trying to battle the bottle, his demons, the loss of his badge, a surprise attack in the night, and the possibility his son may be a target and out of reach. As people start to drop like the proverbial flies (attracting the aforementioned wildlife), my suspicions went all over the place! Always a good sign.
Good Wyoming tale of secrecy and greed. I’ve not read before, so it’s time I had a look at his Joe Picket series, I think.
I do have a small grammatical bone to pick, but I’ll tuck it away so as not to sound petty about what is, after all, an entertaining read.
“Throughout his life his friends, lovers, and colleagues wondered aloud what made him tick. As if he were like Churchill’s description of Russia, a ‘riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,� when really it was so damned simple. So damned simple. Cody was born damaged. His Maker had flinched when soldering his hard wires together, and they would always short out or overheat at the wrong time.
. . . but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognize and revere goodness, and he’d do anything—anything—to protect those blessed with clean, unimpeded wiring. . . Like Justin, his miracle son, who he had to save.�
Cody Hoyt is his very own good cop/bad cop, self-sufficient, needs nobody. Yeah, right. He wishes. He’s split with his wife, whom he still clearly cares for (but who’s remarried, well above his station), and he sees less than he’d like of his teen-aged son, Justin, who seems like a nice kid (and the only thing in his life Cody is proud of).
So . . . good cop for investigating skills, bad cop for temper and temperance. When he finds his AA sponsor burned up in what he’s sure is a murder, he falls off the wagon with quite a thud. Following up some leads with the help of an old pal in the force, he discovers a possible connection to a Yellowstone back country pack trip outfit.
And wouldn’t you know it? They’ve already packed up and headed to the back of beyond with a full complement of tourists on horseback, out of radio range, as we used to say. Not only that, Justin and His Richness, as Cody refers to Justin’s step-father, are on the trip as a bonding exercise.
Possible pairing of people thickens the plot � the rugged cowboy outfitter, his younger, sexy female wrangler/companion, a lone mysterious man, a lone mysterious woman, a single dad with two young daughters, one in her teens (well, helloooo, Justin!), and the step-father. Plus a fit couple in their 60s, CEO husband, society wife, seemingly scratchy with each other.
The younger daughter, Gracie, is a smart cookie having fun, loving horses, and watching the dynamics spark. Danielle, on the other hand, is horrified to discover what out-of-range really means and can’t believe anyone would actually pay to do this. (Where's the nail salon?)
�’There’s nothing better for a girl than to have two sets of parents competing for your affection, and buying you things to make you like them more, you know?�
Gracie looked at her sister with disgust.
’What planet are you from, anyway?�
‘Planet Danielle,� her sister said with a lilt. ’It’s a good and happy place. And it has hot showers and cell phone service.��
Danielle does find fun with Justin, the lone woman raises some eyebrows (as do all the adults, really), and the outfitter lectures them all on the dangers of the wild � bears, wolves, and the ease of getting lost forever - and there's some question as to who sleeps in whose tent.
Meanwhile, Cody is frantic, trying to battle the bottle, his demons, the loss of his badge, a surprise attack in the night, and the possibility his son may be a target and out of reach. As people start to drop like the proverbial flies (attracting the aforementioned wildlife), my suspicions went all over the place! Always a good sign.
Good Wyoming tale of secrecy and greed. I’ve not read before, so it’s time I had a look at his Joe Picket series, I think.
I do have a small grammatical bone to pick, but I’ll tuck it away so as not to sound petty about what is, after all, an entertaining read.
November 25, 2024
Back of Beyond is a novel beloved by a lot of readers but not by me.
January 19, 2021
“Keep in mind this is Yellowstone. Anything can happen here and plans always go wrong. It’s just the nature of the place.�
� C.J. Box, Back Of Beyond
Cody Hoyt is the polar opposite of Joe Pickett. He is a troubled cop with a history. He is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety. He has returned to his childhood home in Montana where the sheriff has hired him despite his history. The story opens with him out driving around. This is what he does with his time now that he can't sit in a bar and have a beer or a bourbon or both. And smoke a cigarette. Then he gets a call from the dispatcher of a report of a body found in a remote cabin. He knows where it is because it belongs to his A.A. sponsor, Hank Winters.
Others think it was an accident or suicide. There was a bottle found near the body. Winters fell off the wagon and killed himself. But Cody knew Hank. He had been sober for fourteen years, worked hard to maintain his sobriety and was always willing to help another alcoholic. He would drop whatever he was doing to help Cody or another alcoholic. Hank didn't have a slip. This was not suicide and it was not an accident. Someone killed him. Hank may not have fallen off the wagon but Cody does.
It doesn't take long for Cody's drinking and erratic behavior get him suspended. If you're drunk and shoot the coroner that should not come as a surprise. Cody doesn't just sit at home watching television or drive around killing time. He continues to investigate Hank's death and he discovers clues that point to an outfitter that is about to take tourists on a multi-day horseback trip into the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. The back of beyond. A trip that his teenage son, Justin, just happens to be on. Cody is too late to get to the outfitter and tourist group before they set off on their trip so he follows them into the remote wilderness of Yellowstone.
The tourist group is filled with several diverse characters � an older couple whose marriage appears to be on the rocks, three Wall Street buddies, a mysterious and suspicious single man, Justin and his stepdad, a single and attractive woman, and a father and his two daughters. One of the daughters is fourteen year old Gracie Sullivan who may be an awkward teenager but is pretty smart. She picks up on things quickly. It doesn't take her long to realize that something is wrong in this group.
The story alternates between the tourists in the backcountry of Yellowstone, cut off from everyone and Cody desperate to find them and stay sober. The bodies pile up. The question throughout the story is why. Why did someone kill Hank Winters and the other victims? What is the connection to a horseback trip into the remote corner of Yellowstone. The last part of the story is intense as Cody catches up with the group in the back of beyond. How many people will die? Who? No one is safe in this story.
� C.J. Box, Back Of Beyond
Cody Hoyt is the polar opposite of Joe Pickett. He is a troubled cop with a history. He is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety. He has returned to his childhood home in Montana where the sheriff has hired him despite his history. The story opens with him out driving around. This is what he does with his time now that he can't sit in a bar and have a beer or a bourbon or both. And smoke a cigarette. Then he gets a call from the dispatcher of a report of a body found in a remote cabin. He knows where it is because it belongs to his A.A. sponsor, Hank Winters.
Others think it was an accident or suicide. There was a bottle found near the body. Winters fell off the wagon and killed himself. But Cody knew Hank. He had been sober for fourteen years, worked hard to maintain his sobriety and was always willing to help another alcoholic. He would drop whatever he was doing to help Cody or another alcoholic. Hank didn't have a slip. This was not suicide and it was not an accident. Someone killed him. Hank may not have fallen off the wagon but Cody does.
It doesn't take long for Cody's drinking and erratic behavior get him suspended. If you're drunk and shoot the coroner that should not come as a surprise. Cody doesn't just sit at home watching television or drive around killing time. He continues to investigate Hank's death and he discovers clues that point to an outfitter that is about to take tourists on a multi-day horseback trip into the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. The back of beyond. A trip that his teenage son, Justin, just happens to be on. Cody is too late to get to the outfitter and tourist group before they set off on their trip so he follows them into the remote wilderness of Yellowstone.
The tourist group is filled with several diverse characters � an older couple whose marriage appears to be on the rocks, three Wall Street buddies, a mysterious and suspicious single man, Justin and his stepdad, a single and attractive woman, and a father and his two daughters. One of the daughters is fourteen year old Gracie Sullivan who may be an awkward teenager but is pretty smart. She picks up on things quickly. It doesn't take her long to realize that something is wrong in this group.
The story alternates between the tourists in the backcountry of Yellowstone, cut off from everyone and Cody desperate to find them and stay sober. The bodies pile up. The question throughout the story is why. Why did someone kill Hank Winters and the other victims? What is the connection to a horseback trip into the remote corner of Yellowstone. The last part of the story is intense as Cody catches up with the group in the back of beyond. How many people will die? Who? No one is safe in this story.
July 14, 2013
Cody Hoyt is everything Joe Pickett (Box's primary series character) is not. Alcoholic. Smoker. Divorced. Unethical. Self-loathing. Arrogant. And one or two things that Joe Pickett is. Loving father. Dedicated law enforcement officer. He's also maybe a little smarter. Not that that keeps him out of trouble. No sirree Bob. Lands him there quicker in fact. You do like Hoyt, even if you're not entirely sure why. But you don't admire him, like Pickett. The main strength of this book is the complex interpersonal relationships Box manages to squeeze into a fast-paced thriller with a high body count. It's really good.
September 6, 2022
2 Stars for Back of Beyond: Highway Quartet, Book 1 (audiobook) by C. J. Box read by Holter Graham.
This was really disappointing for me. I’ve enjoyed the Joe Pickett Series and I was looking forward to a new adventure. I just can’t stand the main character and the story seams so convoluted. And I just didn’t like the ending too.
This was really disappointing for me. I’ve enjoyed the Joe Pickett Series and I was looking forward to a new adventure. I just can’t stand the main character and the story seams so convoluted. And I just didn’t like the ending too.
June 25, 2023
Cody Hoyt is a cop and an alcoholic. He has been sober for the last two months and is struggling to remain that way. When his AA Sponsor is found dead in a house fire, it is determined that his death was either an accident or suicide. Cody isn't buying it. He thinks someone killed Hank and he starts investigating Hank's death. Cody finds a clue that points to a company that takes tourists on horseback into the far reaches of Yellowstone National Park. Cody believes the murderer may be among the group. Time is of the essence as he tries to catch up with them, especially when he learns that his teenage son is also on the trip.
It took a little while to get into the story, but by the time Cody started tracking the group through the National Park, I was totally hooked. There were many suspects to weed through. I kept changing my mind about the identity of the killer. There was also a lot of suspense since a handful of the people in the group had secrets. I enjoyed this mystery and I loved the twist at the end of the story.
This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Holter Graham who does a superb job. My rating: 5 Stars.
It took a little while to get into the story, but by the time Cody started tracking the group through the National Park, I was totally hooked. There were many suspects to weed through. I kept changing my mind about the identity of the killer. There was also a lot of suspense since a handful of the people in the group had secrets. I enjoyed this mystery and I loved the twist at the end of the story.
This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Holter Graham who does a superb job. My rating: 5 Stars.
November 9, 2020
Cody Hoyt is a hot mess and he knows it. When his AA sponsor dies, Cody also knows it is no accident. His attempts to investigate meet many obstacles. The plot includes a group out on an adventure tour in Yellowstone. I love this part of the country, so this book was overall a very entertaining read. I am definitely invested in the Highway Quartet series. Be warned there is a high body count. There narrator is excellent, but listening on audio will make the foul language more prominent.
October 29, 2021
Though he’s a good cop, Cody Hoyt’s alcoholism has made him less-than-popular with his coworkers. However, when his sponsor appears to have committed suicide after falling off the wagon, Cody doesn’t buy it. He knows Hank too well and thinks this might have been something more sinister.
Further investigation leads Cody and his partner to believe this was in fact murder, and the murderer is somehow linked to an outfitter in Yellowstone who is about to lead a group for a multi-day trip through the remote wilderness of Yellowstone Park—and, of course, Cody’s son just happens to be on the trip.
Cody goes after the group—who had a big head start—trying to stop the murderer before s/he strikes again.
I enjoyed the pacing and plotting of this novel.
Further investigation leads Cody and his partner to believe this was in fact murder, and the murderer is somehow linked to an outfitter in Yellowstone who is about to lead a group for a multi-day trip through the remote wilderness of Yellowstone Park—and, of course, Cody’s son just happens to be on the trip.
Cody goes after the group—who had a big head start—trying to stop the murderer before s/he strikes again.
I enjoyed the pacing and plotting of this novel.
July 11, 2017
Great mystery, love the plot and the narrator did a wonderful job. Most importantly, Cody Hoyt is such a great character.
November 15, 2021
C. J. Box, in an interview following the audio version of this book, talks about his love of the Montana/Wyoming/Idaho area and how important setting is for him in books he reads, as well as those he writes.
And he does a fine job of bringing the Yellowstone wilderness to life for us. The terrain, the wildlife, the remoteness create an environment that becomes a character in its own right - stunning and terrifying at the same time.
The plot is something of an amalgamation. It begins with that oh-so-tired trope of an alcoholic, badly behaved cop with an ex-wife and a kid he can't connect to. I was thinking about abandoning it, but then the next element kicked in.
This seemed to be taken in no small part from a 1988 movie called Shoot to Kill, starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger and Kirstie Alley. A heinous killer has joined a backpacking expedition in a remote mountain area; a lawman and a guide, one of whom has a relationship with an innocent person in the group, take out after them. This story is more complex, but the bones are remarkably similar.
And there is also a bit of Treasure of the Sierra Madre thrown in, and not just the inclusion of a character named Cody.
With multiple POVs, the pace is brisk and there are sufficient red herrings to keep a reader involved and curious about how it will all work out. Nevertheless, the body count of innocent bystanders is a bit too high for my tastes, and I never really warmed up to the protagonist. I doubt I'll read any more in the series, but this wasn't bad. 3.5, rounded up because that's what I do.
And he does a fine job of bringing the Yellowstone wilderness to life for us. The terrain, the wildlife, the remoteness create an environment that becomes a character in its own right - stunning and terrifying at the same time.
The plot is something of an amalgamation. It begins with that oh-so-tired trope of an alcoholic, badly behaved cop with an ex-wife and a kid he can't connect to. I was thinking about abandoning it, but then the next element kicked in.
This seemed to be taken in no small part from a 1988 movie called Shoot to Kill, starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger and Kirstie Alley. A heinous killer has joined a backpacking expedition in a remote mountain area; a lawman and a guide, one of whom has a relationship with an innocent person in the group, take out after them. This story is more complex, but the bones are remarkably similar.
And there is also a bit of Treasure of the Sierra Madre thrown in, and not just the inclusion of a character named Cody.
With multiple POVs, the pace is brisk and there are sufficient red herrings to keep a reader involved and curious about how it will all work out. Nevertheless, the body count of innocent bystanders is a bit too high for my tastes, and I never really warmed up to the protagonist. I doubt I'll read any more in the series, but this wasn't bad. 3.5, rounded up because that's what I do.
January 24, 2012
A group of tourists makes its way on horseback into the most remote parts of Yellowstone National Park. Each person has an agenda and one of them is a killer.
This book follows the usual C.J. Box formula of long, slow buildup, followed by 50 to 75 pages of unrelenting, page turning suspense, violence, and mayhem. Though a good adventure, this one requires an extra large serving of "suspension of disbelief". Just sit back and enjoy it. Don't think about it too much, or you'll find yourself saying, "Yeah, right!" and "Hey! Wait a minute..."
This book follows the usual C.J. Box formula of long, slow buildup, followed by 50 to 75 pages of unrelenting, page turning suspense, violence, and mayhem. Though a good adventure, this one requires an extra large serving of "suspension of disbelief". Just sit back and enjoy it. Don't think about it too much, or you'll find yourself saying, "Yeah, right!" and "Hey! Wait a minute..."
April 24, 2016
I read my first CJ Box () some months ago, and really enjoyed it so decided to go back to the beginning of the Cody Hoyt series and read/listen to it in order. I am pleased I did.
In this, the first of the series, we meet Cody Hoyt, a pig-headed disgraced cop, divorcee, alcoholic; a man who has few friends and who is disliked by many.
Cody has fallen off the wagon when the body of his AA sponsor and one of his only friends, Hank Winters, is found in his burnt out cabin. Cody refuses to believe that Hank would have fallen off the wagon and into an alcoholic stupor while his cabin burned around him. He is sure Hank has been murdered and is determined to track down the killer.
Using the meagre clues he finds, he sets off to follow the killer on a 'wilderness adventure' in Yellowstone Park, the same adventure his son is on, accompanied by the man who is hoping to become Justin's stepfather.
But someone seems to be aware of Cody's every move and is doing everything possible to prevent Cody from reaching his target.
This is a suspenseful read with many twists and turns. Box's writing is descriptive (I feel as though I have been on a horse trek in Yellowstone), yet almost brusque. Like most back woodsmen, he doesn't like to waste words.
At the end of this recording was an interview with CJ Box which I am glad I didn't skip. It was the icing on the cake.
Will I be reading more of C.J. Box? Definitely.
In this, the first of the series, we meet Cody Hoyt, a pig-headed disgraced cop, divorcee, alcoholic; a man who has few friends and who is disliked by many.
Cody has fallen off the wagon when the body of his AA sponsor and one of his only friends, Hank Winters, is found in his burnt out cabin. Cody refuses to believe that Hank would have fallen off the wagon and into an alcoholic stupor while his cabin burned around him. He is sure Hank has been murdered and is determined to track down the killer.
Using the meagre clues he finds, he sets off to follow the killer on a 'wilderness adventure' in Yellowstone Park, the same adventure his son is on, accompanied by the man who is hoping to become Justin's stepfather.
But someone seems to be aware of Cody's every move and is doing everything possible to prevent Cody from reaching his target.
This is a suspenseful read with many twists and turns. Box's writing is descriptive (I feel as though I have been on a horse trek in Yellowstone), yet almost brusque. Like most back woodsmen, he doesn't like to waste words.
At the end of this recording was an interview with CJ Box which I am glad I didn't skip. It was the icing on the cake.
Will I be reading more of C.J. Box? Definitely.
April 18, 2013
I have read all of C.J.
Box's Joe Pickett series and have liked them all. This book features a new character-
Cody Hoyt. For the first couple of chapters I wasn't likening Cody as much as Joe. It then took off like a rocket! I can't wait for the next one in the series! This book confirms that C.J. Box is one of my favorite authors.
Box's Joe Pickett series and have liked them all. This book features a new character-
Cody Hoyt. For the first couple of chapters I wasn't likening Cody as much as Joe. It then took off like a rocket! I can't wait for the next one in the series! This book confirms that C.J. Box is one of my favorite authors.
May 18, 2023
This was my first time reading C.J. Box and overall it was quite an entertaining experience.
'The sky was a bright smear of stars she’d never known existed before, and the busy sky above and the absolute darkness of everything beyond the fire made her feel smaller than she’d ever felt.'
I do love a good quality mystery thriller and this was exactly that. This story transported me into a world that I am not very familiar with and was a welcome breath of fresh air compared to my usual reading material.
Cody Hoyt is by no means your typical hero. He is a recovering alcoholic, a rule-breaker, and a troublemaker. But he is also a brilliant detective who has a knack for finding clues and solving cases. In this book, he embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue his nephew and his friends from a group of killers in the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. Along the way, he faces many challenges and risks in his life and career.
The book is full of twists and turns, suspense and action, and many vivid descriptions of the stunning Yellowstone scenery. I enjoyed following Cody's journey and seeing how he overcame his personal demons and professional obstacles. The author did a great job of creating a realistic and compelling lead character who kept me hooked until the end.
I felt that my enjoyment of this book was diminished slightly because I'm not familiar with Yellowstone and I have very little interest in guns and horses. They were mentioned too often for my taste. Also, I felt the pacing was a little off at times which led to a slightly bloated page count.
This was a thrilling and satisfying read that I would recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery thriller.
'The sky was a bright smear of stars she’d never known existed before, and the busy sky above and the absolute darkness of everything beyond the fire made her feel smaller than she’d ever felt.'
I do love a good quality mystery thriller and this was exactly that. This story transported me into a world that I am not very familiar with and was a welcome breath of fresh air compared to my usual reading material.
Cody Hoyt is by no means your typical hero. He is a recovering alcoholic, a rule-breaker, and a troublemaker. But he is also a brilliant detective who has a knack for finding clues and solving cases. In this book, he embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue his nephew and his friends from a group of killers in the wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. Along the way, he faces many challenges and risks in his life and career.
The book is full of twists and turns, suspense and action, and many vivid descriptions of the stunning Yellowstone scenery. I enjoyed following Cody's journey and seeing how he overcame his personal demons and professional obstacles. The author did a great job of creating a realistic and compelling lead character who kept me hooked until the end.
I felt that my enjoyment of this book was diminished slightly because I'm not familiar with Yellowstone and I have very little interest in guns and horses. They were mentioned too often for my taste. Also, I felt the pacing was a little off at times which led to a slightly bloated page count.
This was a thrilling and satisfying read that I would recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery thriller.
November 15, 2023
C.J. Box is a good writer, but I didn’t like the protagonist of this book combined with an ending I was not fond of means I might not move on to the next book.
August 16, 2022
C.J. Box is at the top of my favorite authors. I love his Joe Pickett series but I almost forgot he writes another one. This book, published in 2011, is the first of a series.
Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Dept Detective Cody Hoyt receives a call from dispatch to go to the scene of a burned out cabin in the Big Belt Mountains - with a dead body inside. The body belongs to Cody's AA sponsor Hank. That's why Cody is not buying the theory that Hank got drunk and started an accidental fire.
Cody was 2 months sober - main emphasis on was because this event causes him to get blitzed. Cody sets a trap for the killer. Maybe he shouldn't have done this while drinking because he shoots the coroner instead. Uh oh.
Cody's son Justin, who lives mostly with ex-wife Jenny, just left for a week-long wilderness pack trip to Yellowstone. A dozen people have paid for the trip along with their two guides. Cody is convinced that the killer is on that trip so he heads out after them.
Aw, give me a flawed character and Cody Hoyt appears. He simply can't seem to stay sober. But when he's on a case, he's like a bulldog on steroids. I liked his fellow detective Larry. He's a sharp cop.
I can't even ride a horse so I was fascinated by the pack trip. I enjoyed reading about all aspects of the Yellowstone park ecosystem and scenery. Got to see bison, mouse, eagles, fillets, snakes, elk, coyotes, wolves, and grizzlies. Is anybody on this trip going to survive?
I liked Gracie's spunk and I even liked spoiled sister Danielle. I'm ready to catch up on the next book in this series very shortly.
Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Dept Detective Cody Hoyt receives a call from dispatch to go to the scene of a burned out cabin in the Big Belt Mountains - with a dead body inside. The body belongs to Cody's AA sponsor Hank. That's why Cody is not buying the theory that Hank got drunk and started an accidental fire.
Cody was 2 months sober - main emphasis on was because this event causes him to get blitzed. Cody sets a trap for the killer. Maybe he shouldn't have done this while drinking because he shoots the coroner instead. Uh oh.
Cody's son Justin, who lives mostly with ex-wife Jenny, just left for a week-long wilderness pack trip to Yellowstone. A dozen people have paid for the trip along with their two guides. Cody is convinced that the killer is on that trip so he heads out after them.
Aw, give me a flawed character and Cody Hoyt appears. He simply can't seem to stay sober. But when he's on a case, he's like a bulldog on steroids. I liked his fellow detective Larry. He's a sharp cop.
I can't even ride a horse so I was fascinated by the pack trip. I enjoyed reading about all aspects of the Yellowstone park ecosystem and scenery. Got to see bison, mouse, eagles, fillets, snakes, elk, coyotes, wolves, and grizzlies. Is anybody on this trip going to survive?
I liked Gracie's spunk and I even liked spoiled sister Danielle. I'm ready to catch up on the next book in this series very shortly.
August 7, 2020
As a resident of Wyoming, Mr. Box always gives us a fresh scene for his books. This one is set primarily in Yellowstone National Park, and if you have ever been in that sort of country, you can almost smell the dust, sweat, vegetation and horses from his vivid descriptions.
This is a very straightforward murder mystery complicated by our hero's struggle with alcoholism and the fact his own son is in grave danger.
The praise for Mr. Box's work on the back cover ranges from Booklist, Kirkus, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe and Cleveland Plain Dealer. He is a solid thriller storyteller.
I listened to this July 31 to August 2, 2020 and was as impressed by the sights, sounds, smells and weather as I was nine years ago.
This is a very straightforward murder mystery complicated by our hero's struggle with alcoholism and the fact his own son is in grave danger.
The praise for Mr. Box's work on the back cover ranges from Booklist, Kirkus, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe and Cleveland Plain Dealer. He is a solid thriller storyteller.
I listened to this July 31 to August 2, 2020 and was as impressed by the sights, sounds, smells and weather as I was nine years ago.
May 25, 2023
Book on CD narrated by Holter Graham
3.5*** (rounded up)
This is the first book in a new series by C J Box, who is perhaps best known for his mystery series starring Joe Pickett.
Cody Hoyt is an alcoholic and a former big-city cop who is barely hanging on to his job as an investigator with the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Department. He’s two months into his latest effort at sobriety when he and his partner come across the remains of Hank Winters, burned in his remote cabin. It seems like a clear case of an accidental fire, exacerbated by the deceased’s drinking. But Cody isn’t buying it. He knows Hank and he knows Hank has been sober for years; then he discovers that a key item familiar only to other alcoholics is missing from Hank’s cabin. Before long he is convinced there is a serial killer at work, but the question is why? One clue points him in the direction of Yellowstone Park and a week-long “back of beyond� adventure outfitter. And Cody about loses it when he realizes that his son is on this same camping trip with his soon-to-be-stepdad. Can he get there in time?
This is a fast-paced thriller with some twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Box moves back and forth from the perspective of Cody and his partner, Larry, to the perspective of the people on the “back of beyond� tour. I particularly liked the way Box wrote Gracie Sullivan; she’s a smart girl, a keen observer, and quick-thinking.
Cody is a seriously flawed person. He likes to operate outside the rules and his drinking is not at all controlled. He is self-destructive with a capital S. But he’s a determined investigator and I like the way he puzzles things out and arrives at his conclusions. He’s got every reason to distrust those around him, as they are bound to distrust him. But in a tight spot, I think I’d want Cody Hoyt in my corner.
Holter Graham does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and gives the many characters sufficiently unique voices to allow the listener to discern who is speaking.
3.5*** (rounded up)
This is the first book in a new series by C J Box, who is perhaps best known for his mystery series starring Joe Pickett.
Cody Hoyt is an alcoholic and a former big-city cop who is barely hanging on to his job as an investigator with the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Department. He’s two months into his latest effort at sobriety when he and his partner come across the remains of Hank Winters, burned in his remote cabin. It seems like a clear case of an accidental fire, exacerbated by the deceased’s drinking. But Cody isn’t buying it. He knows Hank and he knows Hank has been sober for years; then he discovers that a key item familiar only to other alcoholics is missing from Hank’s cabin. Before long he is convinced there is a serial killer at work, but the question is why? One clue points him in the direction of Yellowstone Park and a week-long “back of beyond� adventure outfitter. And Cody about loses it when he realizes that his son is on this same camping trip with his soon-to-be-stepdad. Can he get there in time?
This is a fast-paced thriller with some twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Box moves back and forth from the perspective of Cody and his partner, Larry, to the perspective of the people on the “back of beyond� tour. I particularly liked the way Box wrote Gracie Sullivan; she’s a smart girl, a keen observer, and quick-thinking.
Cody is a seriously flawed person. He likes to operate outside the rules and his drinking is not at all controlled. He is self-destructive with a capital S. But he’s a determined investigator and I like the way he puzzles things out and arrives at his conclusions. He’s got every reason to distrust those around him, as they are bound to distrust him. But in a tight spot, I think I’d want Cody Hoyt in my corner.
Holter Graham does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and gives the many characters sufficiently unique voices to allow the listener to discern who is speaking.
January 28, 2024
When I first started the book I thought, great another detective struggling with alcoholism, like this hasn’t been done to death, but I was quickly sucked into the mystery and the depth of the characters. The remoteness of Yellowstone provides added dread and tension to the twists and turns the plot takes. Highly recommended for fans of crime and suspense and I’m eagerly looking forward to continuing the series.
August 11, 2022
I didn’t like you much at first, Cody Hoyt. In fact I didn’t even like you half way through the story. But damn, if you didn’t grow on me. And you sure did redeem yourself in the end. I sure hope it sticks 😁. This was a great mystery with a gorgeous and wonderful setting. I spent a fair amount of time in Yellowstone as a kid. We lived in Wyoming for several years and I had a horse but I never had the privilege of riding her in Yellowstone. I would have been just like Gracie and eaten that trip right up. Beautiful, wild and rugged country that still has my heart to this day. See you next time, Cody. ☺️
March 24, 2022
I listened to this as an audio book. It is an "older" book by Box featuring Cody Hoyt, an alcoholic cop struggling with sobriety. When a friend turns up dead in a remote mountain cabin, it looks like suicide, but of course it is much more complicated. The book is narrated by Holter Graham who does an excellent job with the multiple voices and the complex emotions of the story.
January 3, 2025
Tough for me to give C.J. Box less than 5 stars since he’s one of my favorites. This was a very good story with intriguing characters and great setting.
🤠
It fell a little short on the pacing and tension level. Then again, the author raises the bar high with the Joe Pickett series this is so probably not an equal comparison. It has more developed, descriptive characters which I’ve enjoyed and will continue to enjoy. Would still recommend Back of Beyond if you’re a fan of the genre.
🤠
It fell a little short on the pacing and tension level. Then again, the author raises the bar high with the Joe Pickett series this is so probably not an equal comparison. It has more developed, descriptive characters which I’ve enjoyed and will continue to enjoy. Would still recommend Back of Beyond if you’re a fan of the genre.
August 24, 2012
Cody Hoyt seemed to have a death wish! He was a cop who was great at his job, but was an alcoholic, recently divorced, with a son, Justin, who was the best thing that had ever happened to him. His ex-wife Jenny, was a wonderful person, and he still loved her dearly, but his life had spiralled out of control…his young life was against him, with a drunk for a father, mother and uncle!
When Cody’s good friend and mentor, Hank Winters, was found burned to death in his little cabin, the signs all said suicide. But Cody knew better…Hank had too much to live for, and he would prove it!
With a reluctant Larry (his partner) at his side, Cody set out to find his best friend’s killer. Larry also believed it was suicide, but Cody was convincing, knowing things about Hank that weren’t obvious to the police. When Cody found himself suspended, without his badge and gun, he decided to go undercover and continue his search. And when clues pointed to Justin being in danger, there was no stopping him.
When Yellowstone National Park beckoned, Cody headed that way…a wild adventure trip for a group of raw tourists heading up into the wilderness of the Park, and to his horror, Justin was amongst the group! Could Cody catch up with the them before the killer struck again? And how was it that someone dangerous was aware of where he was at all times, when only one person knew…a person he trusted? Or did he?
With the bodies accumulating, the danger escalating, and Cody’s desperate need for a drink threatening his slim control, the action is fast paced and vivid! An extremely suspense-filled thriller with loads of action. Highly recommended.
When Cody’s good friend and mentor, Hank Winters, was found burned to death in his little cabin, the signs all said suicide. But Cody knew better…Hank had too much to live for, and he would prove it!
With a reluctant Larry (his partner) at his side, Cody set out to find his best friend’s killer. Larry also believed it was suicide, but Cody was convincing, knowing things about Hank that weren’t obvious to the police. When Cody found himself suspended, without his badge and gun, he decided to go undercover and continue his search. And when clues pointed to Justin being in danger, there was no stopping him.
When Yellowstone National Park beckoned, Cody headed that way…a wild adventure trip for a group of raw tourists heading up into the wilderness of the Park, and to his horror, Justin was amongst the group! Could Cody catch up with the them before the killer struck again? And how was it that someone dangerous was aware of where he was at all times, when only one person knew…a person he trusted? Or did he?
With the bodies accumulating, the danger escalating, and Cody’s desperate need for a drink threatening his slim control, the action is fast paced and vivid! An extremely suspense-filled thriller with loads of action. Highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2019
There's gonna be a rant a-comin' out of me later about this book. If I'd bought a physical copy of it instead of a Kindle copy, I'd send it to the back of beyond...
Full review:
Yep, that spoiler tag is there for a reason. Click only if you don't care if major plot points are revealed to you.
So as I gain wisdom and perspective in my advanced age, I question more and more whether there really is such a thing as "good" literature or "bad" literature. This is a big advancement for me, as I was once one of those people who firmly believed literature could be separated into "good" and "bad" categories. I've been an active ŷ member for many a year now, and the more books I read and the more I look at other readers' reviews, the more I realize that "good" and "bad" are very subjective and relative terms. There are plenty of books I've vehemently, viscerally disliked that others readers have loved, and vice versa. I mean, sure, I think most of us can agree that books should, at a minimum, have as few typos as humanly possible, and that basic grammar and punctuation are important. However, because I've become increasingly convinced it's far too simplistic to try to divide books into "good" and "bad" because taste is so subjective, I try to keep this in mind when I review. I'll tell people why I liked or disliked something, but that I think others might have a different opinion.
However, some things are so clearly bad to me in books that I make no qualifications, and this book is one that contained multiple things that push my buttons, including sexism and fat shaming. Click past that tag at your own risk to read more details.
This is my first and last C.J. Box book.
Full review:
Yep, that spoiler tag is there for a reason. Click only if you don't care if major plot points are revealed to you.
So as I gain wisdom and perspective in my advanced age, I question more and more whether there really is such a thing as "good" literature or "bad" literature. This is a big advancement for me, as I was once one of those people who firmly believed literature could be separated into "good" and "bad" categories. I've been an active ŷ member for many a year now, and the more books I read and the more I look at other readers' reviews, the more I realize that "good" and "bad" are very subjective and relative terms. There are plenty of books I've vehemently, viscerally disliked that others readers have loved, and vice versa. I mean, sure, I think most of us can agree that books should, at a minimum, have as few typos as humanly possible, and that basic grammar and punctuation are important. However, because I've become increasingly convinced it's far too simplistic to try to divide books into "good" and "bad" because taste is so subjective, I try to keep this in mind when I review. I'll tell people why I liked or disliked something, but that I think others might have a different opinion.
However, some things are so clearly bad to me in books that I make no qualifications, and this book is one that contained multiple things that push my buttons, including sexism and fat shaming. Click past that tag at your own risk to read more details.
This is my first and last C.J. Box book.
November 14, 2017
A great mystery/thriller to listen to while exercising. Cody Hoyt, the main character and recovering alcoholic police detective, is divorced with a son and early on finds his AA sponsor is dead. He thinks there's something more to his death and of course this begins the book. He begins investigating and I started to wonder how a whole book was going to be based on trying to find out what had happened to his sponsor and then a whole new storyline opens up with some great characters who are taking a pack trip through Yellowstone. Ok, national park, and I'm in. Lots of intricacies in the story and characters that made me want to get back to sitting around the fire in Yellowstone and hop on a horse with them, although as it turns out, I'm glad I was reading this one and not on this particular trip.
April 27, 2019
In my view, Back of Beyond was not Box's best effort. Perhaps I just missed the familiarity of Joe Pickett, the Wyoming Game and Fish Warden in all of the other CJ Box books that I have read.
With a completely new cast of characters, Back of Beyond follows two different paths that, as one would expect, converge in the end of the book - this isn't very surprising because Cody Hoyt, recalcitrant lawman was searching for his son who he believed to be on a horseback trip into the backwoods of Yellowstone (the other thread).
Some of Cody's decision were so bad that, as a character, he lost some credibility. In addition, some of the things that took place were so unlikely that one's eyebrows involuntarily raised in a "holy shit, are you kidding me" kind of expression. Nonetheless, there was enough there that I read until the end.
Box is one of my favorite writers and that fact made Back of Beyond all the more disappointing. If you are inclined to read one of books and have not yet done so, I would strongly recommend a Joe Pickett novel. If you, like me, have read a number of his books and love Joe Pickett, you might pass on this one.
The end
With a completely new cast of characters, Back of Beyond follows two different paths that, as one would expect, converge in the end of the book - this isn't very surprising because Cody Hoyt, recalcitrant lawman was searching for his son who he believed to be on a horseback trip into the backwoods of Yellowstone (the other thread).
Some of Cody's decision were so bad that, as a character, he lost some credibility. In addition, some of the things that took place were so unlikely that one's eyebrows involuntarily raised in a "holy shit, are you kidding me" kind of expression. Nonetheless, there was enough there that I read until the end.
Box is one of my favorite writers and that fact made Back of Beyond all the more disappointing. If you are inclined to read one of books and have not yet done so, I would strongly recommend a Joe Pickett novel. If you, like me, have read a number of his books and love Joe Pickett, you might pass on this one.
The end
May 30, 2021
3.5 stars. As someone who watches Big Sky, I was curious to read one of the books from the series that inspired it. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel with its cast of characters who embark on a mule/horse back trip into Yellowstone's back country. Can Cody Hoyt figure out who on the trip is murdering random people across the country? How many deaths will there be before the murderer is found?
Fans of mystery and detective stories will definitely want to give a read.
Fans of mystery and detective stories will definitely want to give a read.
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 30, 2024This is another one that has been on my to-read list for a long time (Jan2021). It’s the second book that I have attempted to read with Cody Hoyt. The first one, I DNFed at around the 40% mark because the story was just so stupid and while Cody was just a minor character in the story, I didn’t really like him; he was a dirty cop who was also an active alcoholic. However, I’ve read a lot of 4-5star reviews that said this was a really good story. So, I thought I would give Cody Hoyt another tried. Mistake!!! I can’t stand Cody!!! DNFed it in less than an hour. Enough said.
July 29, 2019
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Joe Pickett series and this was just as good! Although Joe and Cody Hoyt are polar opposites. This had a dark energy in it that kept it moving and had some snarky humor that had me smirking more than once.
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