Blue Heaven

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.

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From Publishers WeeklyAt the start of this overly complicated thriller from bestseller Box, his first stand-alone, siblings Annie and William Taylor, ages 12 and 10, witness a gruesome murder in the woods outside the small Idaho town of Kootenai Bay, nicknamed Blue Heaven for its abundance of retired LAPD officers. Annie and William make a run for it after they're spotted by the killers, a group of crooked LAPD cops who retired to Idaho eight years earlier after pulling a complicated heist in California that left a man dead. Rancher Jess Rawlins becomes the children's only hope of survival after they take refuge in his barn. Jess must stay one step ahead of the killers, who have volunteered to help the local authorities investigate the children's disappearance. Annie and William's mother is frantic, as the scheming officers try to persuade her the children are gone for good. A subplot involving a retired California detective pursuing the original robbery case adds too many extra characters and undercuts the suspense. Readers expecting the same brisk story lines as the author's Joe Pickett crime novels (Free Fire, etc.) will be disappointed. *100,000 first printing; author tour. (Jan.) * Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review“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

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“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