The scene where the Lizard King decided to want an actual home comes from Box’s trucker experiences. This couple literally had two weeks a year, living in their actual ‘home.’” As we went across the US Northwest I saw what a fascinating, unique and individualistic lifestyle truckers have where the Interstate system is basically their home. I decided to go on a ride along with this married trucker couple. The nuts and bolts of the truck information are all realistic.

The decision to have truck stops as an important aspect to the plot came to Box, “after my youngest daughter was driving back and forth from college to home, and had to deal with all the trucks on the road. Having a plan to trap him, it goes incredibly wrong where she loses her job as an investigator for the Bakken County, North Dakota sheriff’s department. For three years, she has been hunting for this serial killer whose stalking grounds are the highways and truck stops, going after runaways and prostitutes. In this installment, Cassie is out to capture the Lizard King as she seeks restitution for the victims and revenge for what he did to her friend, Cody. He is assigned by the Governor to find three English women who have vanished after leaving a dude ranch.” In fact, my next book called THE DISAPPEARED, will be a Joe Pickett story. I never intended to have two series running at the same time, and for this to be a long running series. When I finished this book I thought how this series is over, but I am still deciding. Box has come full circle ending in the same setting that it all began in, Paradise Valley with Cassie driven by events that happened in THE HIGHWAY.īox is “debating internally if I will bring Cassie and Company back. In the next book of the series, THE HIGHWAY, he becomes the mentor of his rookie partner Cassie Dewell as they battle the serial killer the Lizard King. Each book is interconnected starting with BACK OF BEYOND that introduces former sheriff Cody Hoyt. Boxis the final in the Highway Quartet Series. PARADISE VALLEY: Highway Quartet Series Book 4

Paradise Valley by C.J. Box