Game warden detective

In The Disappeared, C.J. Box's 2018 Joe Pickett novel, the Wyoming game warden gets assigned by the new governor to investigate the disappearance of a prominent British businesswoman from an exclusive dude ranch in another part of the state. Because his eldest daughter, Sheridan, works at the ranch, Joe welcomes the assignment, yet wonders why a missing person case should be a game warden's responsibility.

Kate's disappearance was months ago, and other investigations have gone nowhere. The fact that the game warden in that part of the state also disappeared at the same time adds to the mystery. Then there is the mystery, which readers learn about long before Joe Pickett does, about someone paying bribes to burn something in the middle of the night in a sawdust burner. And why does the fire those nights smell something like burning flesh?

Box juggles these and other elements of the plot with great skill, leaving readers guessing all the while. Unfortunately the guessing must continue even after the last page, for Box leaves some questions unanswered. Such as, will Joe, fired by the governor midway through the novel, get his job back? I hate having to read series novels in the proper order to get the whole story.