The Highway: A Novel

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Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the New York Times bestselling author of Back of Beyond and Breaking Point and the creator of the Joe Pickett series is back. "If CJ Box isn't already on your list, put him there." – USA Today When two sisters set out across a remote stretch of Montana road to visit their friend, little do they know it will be the last time anyone might ever hear from them again. The girls—and their car—simply vanish. Former police investigator Cody Hoyt has just lost his job and has fallen off the wagon after a long stretch of sobriety. Convinced by his son and his former rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, he begins the drive south to the girls' last known location. As Cody makes his way to the lonely stretch of Montana highway where they went missing, Cassie discovers that Gracie and Danielle Sullivan aren't the first girls who have disappeared in this area. This majestic landscape is the hunting ground for a killer whose viciousness is outmatched only by his intelligence. And he might not be working alone. Time is running out for Gracie and Danielle…Can Cassie overcome her doubts and lack of experience and use her innate skill? Can Cody Hoyt battle his own demons and find this killer before another victim vanishes on the highway ? ** From Booklist Reviewing Back of Beyond (2011), we wrote that Box’s short-fused Montana cop, Cody Hoyt, had series potential. Well, he’s back, along with other characters from that book, for a creepy thriller about a serial killer whose job as a long-haul trucker provides the perfect cover for his crimes. Cody has just been fired for planting evidence, and it was his own partner, Cassandra Dewell, who caught him. But then teenagers Danielle and Gracie Sullivan—the same girls he helped rescue the last time out—are abducted en route to a Thanksgiving reunion with Cody’s son, Justin. Can Cody and Cassie work together to find the girls in time? Box’s Joe Pickett series has, over 13 installments, been nearly perfect. But his stand-alones have been a mixed bag, from the stellar Blue Heaven (2008) to the forgettable Three Weeks to Say Goodbye (2009). This one’s somewhere in the middle: Box handles his large cast of characters capably, but, despite the chilling and timely scenario, the usually sure-handed author never quite gets our hearts racing. --Keir Graff Review “Filled with believable characters and hard, realistic dialogue, [this] perfectly paced novel offers a suspenseful story laced with more than a few shockingly unexpected plot twists.” ― Publishers Weekly Signature Review “A violent, tension-packed, well-written thriller spiced with Box's vivid portrayal of the Western landscape that he loves.” ― Associated Press “A nonstop, action-filled race against time. Rolling down the superhighway of suspense, this thriller will leave readers breathless.” ― Library Journal (starred review) “Be warned: This is one scary novel.” ― Toronto Globe and Mail “ The Highway is the summer's most terrifying novel...Prepare to be scared.” ― Orlalndo Sun Sentinal “A fast-moving, edge-of-your-seat page-turner. I really couldn't put it down.” ― Criminal Element “Get off the genre interstate and take The Highway .” ― Billings Gazette