Beach book of the week
Box's follow-up to his first novel, Open Season, begins irresistibly: "On the third day of their honeymoon, infamous environmental activist Stewie Woods and his new bride, Annabel Bellotti, were spiking trees in the forest when a cow exploded and blew them up." By the time it stops raining prime rib, game warden Joe Pickett is on the case. He may be the next target of Stewie's killers, who are busily clear-cutting other environmentalists nationwide.
This fresh (and fresh-air) thriller skillfully balances issues of conservation vs. landowners' rights: Amid Box's lush descriptions of the great outdoors, the doe-eyed tree-huggers on several occasions discover that nature can be nastier than a chain saw. It also draws on Wyoming's rough-and-tumble history of gunslingers and Indian wars for some Rocky Mountain highs. In Pickett, Box creates a hero who is both credulous and slightly inept without ever being less than the right man for the job. As one of the assassins pursues him and two companions through the wilderness toward Savage Run—a gorge with no crossing except in a Native American legend—the suspense tears forward like a brush fire. (Putnam, $23.95)
Bottom Line: Make a date with an exploding cow
