The Crossroads by C.J. Box

THE CROSSROADS by C.J. Box is the latest (#26) in the long-running series featuring game warden Joe Pickett. Set amid harsh conditions in Wyoming, this story centers on finding out why (and by whom) Pickett was ambushed near a fork in the trail that splits off towards three different ranches.  There are questions related to cartels and drug smuggling, to possible kidnapping, and to just plain greed and social standing. It takes a while to determine the possible motives, particularly as it is Pickett’s three grown daughters (Sheridan, April, and Lucy) leading the chase while their Dad is hospitalized in the hopes of recovering from a brain injury. The perpetrators are ruthless, and multiple deaths occur as the action accelerates towards a fitting ending. A larger role for the daughters was a bonus in this puzzling, often violent, whodunit.