“If twelve-year-old Annie Taylor had not chosen to take her little brother William fishing on that particular Friday afternoon in April during the wet North Idaho spring, she would never have seen the execution or looked straight into the eyes of the executioners. But she was angry with her mother.”
Thus began “Blue Heaven,” the 2008 mystery novel by C. J. Box, this year’s choice for the second annual Dallas County Reads One Book. Box has a knack for blending the tiny details of ordinary, everyday life with murderous violence, which for most people is thankfully remote from their ordinary, everyday experience.
The second paragraph begins, “Before they witnessed the killing, they were pushing through the still-wet willows near Sand Creek, wearing plastic garbage bags to keep their clothes dry.”
Box’s book won the 2009 Edgar Award for best novel. The plot of his thriller, whose action spans a short 48 hours, offers vivid characters and ticking-clock suspense, according to fans of the novel. The book’s moral message is also edifying, with battered ideals winning in the end against relentless greed and the enduring values of family overcoming the challenges of modern relations.
The Perry Public Library, in conjunction with the 11 other library-members in the Dallas County Library Association, hosted the all-county reading.
Box came to Perry Thursday afternoon for a 5:30 p.m. reception at the Hotel Pattee. Chatting over hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments, the 48-year-old Box signed copies of his novels and spoke about them and himself with about 75 visitors over the course of 90 minutes.
Following the reception, Box gave an hour-long public lecture at the Perry High School Performing Arts Center, followed by an additional book signing. In his lecture, he discussed some of his writing techniques and told how he got started as a novelist.
Box has sold more than four million copies of his works in the U.S. and been translated into 27 languages. He rose to fame with his series of novels about a Wyoming game warden named Joe Pickett. He has also written several stand-alone mysteries. The Wyoming native lives in Cheyenne with his wife and three daughters.
Local readers seemed pleased with this year’s Dallas County Reads One Book selection.
“Superb action, intense suspense, well-developed love-to-love and love-to-hate characters, incredible descriptions of what seems like a beautiful and relaxing place on earth together with a tear-jerker ending — this was my first experience with C.J. Box,” said one reader at the Hotel Pattee. “I can say with complete honesty it won’t be my last.”
A fan at the Perry Performing Arts Center also gave two thumbs up to “Blue Heaven.”
“I adored the children,” she said. “For a 12-year-old, Annie turns out to be a brave and mature young lady. She does what’s necessary to protect her brother, right down to convincing Jess to teach her how to load and shoot a gun.”
