In #1 New York Times bestseller C.J. Box’s electrifying new thriller, THE CROSSROADS (Putnam; On Sale February 24, 2026), Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett lies near death after a brutal ambush at a remote junction where three ranches meet—and every path leads to danger. As his wife and daughters race to uncover who shot him and left him for dead, they find themselves caught in a deadly web of greed, secrets, and betrayal that reaches far beyond their small town. It’s a literal and moral crossroads for every character—from corrupt ranchers to the Pickett daughters, who must decide how far they’ll go for justice.
Marybeth Pickett gets the call she’s always dreaded: Joe is in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. He was found in his pickup at Antler Creek Junction, a crossroads connecting three ranches—each home to a dangerous family with a grudge against the local game warden. Marybeth and the new sheriff suspect one of them is responsible, but Joe never said where he was going—or why.
With Joe unconscious and fighting for his life, his daughters—Sheridan, April, and Lucy—take the lead, each investigating a different family. Their paths diverge across the rugged Wyoming landscape, forcing them to navigate danger in their own way and prove that grit runs deep in the Pickett family.
THE CROSSROADS is a gripping, family-centered mystery for both loyal fans and newcomers. Readers love Joe Pickett—a likeable, dogged hero who always tries to do the right thing—and this time, his three daughters share the spotlight. Set against the fierce beauty of the modern West, where energy empires, cartels, and powerful families vie for control of the land, Box delivers a timely, emotionally charged thriller about family, loyalty, and the cost of standing for what’s right in a world where corruption runs deep.
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The Reviews Are Coming In…
“The Crossroads proves why C.J. Box owns the modern American frontier. Joe Pickett is down but not out—and every page cuts deeper than the last. Loyalty, justice, and survival collide in a story that hits with the force of a .30-06 round across the Wyoming plains.”
—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Cry Havoc
"Everything hangs in the balance in CJ Box’s The Crossroads—life and death, lawlessness and justice. But under the dangers, the bonds of family provide the beating heart to this riveting thriller. I devoured this book in a single, breathless sitting."
–Megan Miranda, NYT Bestselling author of You Belong Here and All the Missing Girls
“C.J. Box doesn’t just raise the bar with The Crossroads—he vaults over it… Nobody writes the modern American West—or the moral battles waged within it—like C.J. Box, whose latest offering isn’t just a great thriller, it’s a masterclass in character, tension, and storytelling. Fans won’t just read this book—they’ll feel it…Box proves once again why he’s the reigning king of the modern Western thriller. Absolutely unputdownable.”
-The Real Book Spy
“Warning: don’t open THE CROSSROADS if you’ve got a busy week. Once you start it, there’s no walking away. Box’s writing is like a porcupine quill. It hooks into you and won’t let go.”
—Steven Rinella, MeatEater
“The terrific C.J. Box shifts into overdrive with The Crossroads, which opens with Joe Pickett’s life hanging in lethal jeopardy. His wife Marybeth rushes to his side, and his three daughters Sheridan, April, and Lucy jump into the breach to bring to justice whoever tried to take their father down. They prove themselves as fully capable as their father, each in her own way, and the Pickett family fills this riveting thriller with heart as big as the American West.”
—Lisa Scottoline, #1 Bestselling Author of The Unraveling of Julia
“The Crossroads, by C.J. Box, drops readers into a high-stakes world of deceit and danger in the wilderness of Wyoming, where every moment counts. Box delivers yet another riveting Joe Picket thriller that explores the unbreakable bonds of family amid a backdrop of action and treachery. This one is a smashing read!”
— Mark Greaney #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Hard Line, a Gray Man novel