BOX, C. J.

PERSONAL: Born in Casper, WY; married; wife's name, Laurie; children: Molly, Becky, Roxanne. Education: University of Denver, 1981.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—Rocky Mountain International, PO Box 5031, 1815 Evans Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82003.

CAREER: Wyoming Travel Commission, former manager of travel development; Rocky Mountain International Corporation, CEO, and president. Worked briefly as a ranch hand, exploration survey-crew member, fishing guide, and newspaper reporter and editor.

AWARDS, HONORS: Notable Book Award, New York Times, for Open Season, 2001; Edgar Award for Best First Novel, Mystery Writers of America, for Open Season; Gumshoe First-Novel Mystery Award.

WRITINGS:

Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho Travel-Smart, John Muir (Santa Fe, NM), 1998.

Open Season, G. P. Putnam (New York, NY), 2001.

Savage Run, G. P. Putnam (New York, NY), 2002.

Winterkill, G. P. Putnam (New York, NY), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: C. J. Box, a native of Wyoming, is president and chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain International, a company that promotes tourism to Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Idaho from Europe. According to the C. J. Box Web Site, Box "knows Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West intimately, and writes from that perspective."

Box's Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho Travel-Smart is a guidebook for visitors to Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Box offers tips on sightseeing, recreation, lodging, dining, nightlife, and more. Also included are suggested itineraries.

Box's first novel, Open Season, was named a New York Times Notable Book in 2001 and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best first novel. In Open Season Wyoming game warden and family man Joe Pickett investigates the murder of three hunters. One hunter, who appeared to be delivering something to Pickett before his death, was found in Pickett's yard. The other two were found at their hunting camp along with the murderer, who was apparently killed in a gunfight with the hunters. Pickett finds himself investigating a mystery involving the murders, an oil company, and the endangered animals he tries to protect. "Wyoming first-novelist Box remains square on target throughout this superb debut," praised Bill Ott in a Booklist review.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is back in Box's second novel. In Savage Run Stewie Woods, a famous radical environmentalist, and his new wife are spending their honeymoon in Wyoming. After driving spikes into trees to discourage loggers, they are blown up by an exploding cow while cutting through a field. Soon, more radical environmentalists are turning up dead through a string of similar murders. A PublishersWeekly contributor noted, "This fine follow-up reinforces Box's status as a first-class talent." Book Browser contributor Harriet Klausner commented, "Box is a talented writer who takes his audience out of the typical suspense thriller box."

Box's third Joe Pickett mystery, Winterkill, was released in 2003.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Bloomsbury Review, September, 1998, April Leo, review of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho Travel-Smart, p. 25.

Booklist, May 1, 2001, Bill Ott, review of OpenSeason, p. 1622.

Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2002, review of Savage Run, p. 614; April 15, 2003, review of Winterkill, p. 573.

Library Journal, April 15, 2003, Rebecca House Stankowski, review of Winterkill, p. 130.

Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2001, Eugene Weber, review of Open Season, p. 9.

People, July 1, 2002, Edward Karam, review of Savage Run, p. 41.

Publishers Weekly, May 20, 2002, review of SavageRun, p. 50; April 7, 2003, review of Winterkill, p. 49.

Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), July 22, 2001, review of Open Season, p. 3.

Washington Post Book World, July 29, 2001, Katy Munger, review of Open Season, p. 13.

online

BookBrowser,http://www.bookbrowser.com/ (August 28, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of Savage Run.

Booklist Online,http://www.ala.org/ (August 28, 2002), Bill Ott, review of Savage Run.

BookPage.com,http://www.bookpage.com/ (August 28, 2002), Bruce Tierney, "Mystery Is a Home on the Range with Wyoming Writer C. J. Box."

Deadly Pleasures,http://www/deadlypleasures.com/ (August 28, 2002), Russ Isabella, review of Open Season.

Denver Post,http://www.denverpost.com/ (August 28, 2002), Leslie Doran, "A Hero for Game Wardens."

Mystery Ink,http://www.mysteryinkonline.com/ (August 28, 2002), review of Open Season.

New York Times on the Web,http://www.nytimes.com/ (August 27, 2002), Charles Wilson, "Savage Run: The Mystery of the Exploding Cow."

Offıcial C. J. Box Web site,http://www.cjbox.net (August 28, 2002).

Overbooked,http://www.overbooked.org/ (August 28, 2002), Pam Spencer Holley, review of Savage Run.

Star Tribune,http://www.startribune.com/ (August 28, 2002), John Freeman, review of Savage Run.

Watermark Books Web site,http://www.watermarkbooks.com/ (August 28, 2002), Bruce Jacobs, review of Open Season.*