I’ve read all of the books in the Cassie Dewell series by C.J. Box up to now and I’ve read a few in his Joe Pickett series, too. But I enjoy Cassie Dewell more  I probably should read the Pickett books in order.

Treasure State
By C.J. Box 
2022 / 
Read by Christina Delaine 8h 20m
Rating – A++
#6 in the Cassie Dewell Series  

Cassie Delaine has established herself as a Private Detective with a small office in Bozeman, a small town not too far from the Anaconda Range of Montana. There she has set up a small office with flakey Mom as receptionist. One day she gets a phone call from a woman in Florida who says she wants a man found and brought to justice. It would seem this guy wined her and dined her then left along with all her money, millions of dollars.  She already hired another private detective, but he disappeared into Montana several days ago. The narrative begins at 18 days prior to the main chronology, so the backstory thread alternates with the current activity and the two strands catch up about 2/3 of the way through.  

Cassie takes up the chase for the handsome conman as well as for the first private eye. Oh, and by the way, the Sheriff has also been missing now for 3 or 4 days.  

In another thread a very rich but eccentric older man hid a serious treasure and whomever finds it can keep it according to a strange poem he attached to the original notice. He also offers a large reward to Cassie herself IF she can find him, the poet and hider of treasure.

Cassie is smart and funny and doesn’t shirk from dangerous situations. It’s a very good series but the prior three books are quite gritty. Those books are The Highway, Badlands and Paradise Valley.

I wasn’t too crazy about the reader on this one but I got used to her. The accent of a truck driver in Montana is spot if mellowed a wee bit.