Blue Heaven

Blue Heaven

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel. 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. “A thriller with a heart.” ― The Boston Globe “One of the best thrillers of the year. It kept me up most of the night, the way few books have ever done. C.J. Box owes me a night's sleep!” ―Tess Gerritsen “A first-rate thriller, peopled by complex characters and unpredictable action. Don't miss it.” ―T. Jefferson Parker “A first-rate, edge-of-your seat read.” ― Omaha World-Herald “A non-stop thrill ride--a provocative suspense novel that has you rooting for the characters every step of the way.” ―Harlan Coben “An unusual, intelligent thriller that resonates long after the last page is turned.” ―George Pelecanos “A suspenseful tour de force.” ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Relentless. 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 C. J. Box is the author of more than thirty books, including the Joe Pickett series and the Cassie Dewell series, and a story collection. His books have been translated into twenty-seven languages. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, and Barry Awards, as well as the French Prix Calibre .38, and has been a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist. A Wyoming native, Box has also worked on a ranch and as a small-town newspaper reporter and editor. He’s an executive producer of ABC TV’s Big Sky , which is based on his Cody Hoyt/Cassie Dewell novels, as well as executive producer of the Joe Pickett television series for Spectrum Originals. He lives with his wife on their ranch in Wyoming. Blue Heaven By C.J. Box Minotaur Books Copyright © 2009 C.J. Box All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312614836 BLUE HEAVEN (Chapter 1) FRIDAY, 4:28 P.M. If twelve-year-old Annie Taylor had not chosen to take her little brother William fishing on that particular Friday afternoon in April during the wet North Idaho spring, she never would have seen the execution or looked straight into the eyes of the executioners. But she was angry with her mother. Before they witnessed the killing, they were pushing through the still-wet willows near Sand Creek, wearing plastic garbage bags to keep their clothes dry. Upturned alder leaves cupped pools of rainwater from that morning, and beaded spiderwebs sagged between branches. When the gray-black fists of storm clouds pushed across the sun, the light muted in the forest and erased the defining edges of the shadows, and the forest plunged into a dispiriting murk. The ground was black, spongy in the forest and sloppy on the trail. Their shoes made sucking sounds as they slogged upstream. Annie and William had left their home on the edge of town, hitched a ride for a few miles with Fiona, the mail lady, and had been hiking for nearly two hours, looking in vain for calm water. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” ten-year-old William said, raising his voice over the liquid roar of the creek, which was angry and swollen with runoff. Annie stopped and turned to William, looking him over. A long fly rod poked out from beneath the plastic he wore. He had snagged the tip several times in the branches, and a sprig of pine needles was wedged into one of the line guides. “You said you wanted to go fishing, so I’m taking you fishing.” “But you don’t know anything about it,” William said, his eyes widening and his lower lip trembling, which always happened before he began to cry. “William …” “We should go back.” “William, don’t cry.” He looked away. She knew he was trying to stanch it, she could tell by the way he set his mouth. He hated that he cried so easily, so often, that his emotions were so close to the surface. Annie didn’t have that problem. “How many times did Tom tell you he was going to take you fishing?” Annie asked. William wouldn’t meet her eyes. “A bunch,” he said. “How many times has he taken you?” He said sullenly, “You know.” “Yes, I know.” “I sort of like him,” William said. Annie said, “I sort of don’t.”