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- Title: Savage Run
- Author: C. J. Box
- Narrator: David Chandler
- Length: 08:51:01
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 25/02/2011
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Horror, Detective Stories
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
It’s not every day you stumble across a tale that feels like it’s chasing you through the wilderness, heart pounding as the wind whips through the pines. That’s exactly what I found in C. J. Box’s “Savage Run”, narrated by the steady, gravelly voice of David Chandler. This audiobook experience unfolds like a rugged trail through Wyoming’s backcountry – full of twists, breathless moments, and that unmistakable scent of danger lingering in the air. As a travel writer who’s spent more nights under the stars than I can count, I couldn’t help but feel a kinship with Joe Pickett, the Wyoming game warden at the heart of this mystery-thriller. There’s something about his dogged determination that reminds me of a time when I was trekking through Patagonia, chasing a story about a gaucho who’d vanished into the wilds – only to find the truth was far more tangled than the landscape itself.
Let me set the scene: “Savage Run” is the second installment in Box’s acclaimed Joe Pickett series, and it’s a pulse-pounder from the start. Joe’s investigating a string of bizarre murders – gruesome deaths that seem tied to the land as much as the people on it. Before long, he’s on the run, dodging a relentless tracker across terrain that’s as beautiful as it is treacherous. You can almost hear the crunch of boots on pine needles, taste the dry dust in the air, and feel the weight of the stakes pressing down. Box’s prose, lauded by “Library Journal” for its ‘picturesque detailing’ and ‘agitating suspense,’ paints Wyoming with a vividness that rivals the best travelogues I’ve penned. It’s a love letter to the West, wrapped in a detective story that keeps you guessing.
Listening to this audiobook took me back to a memory I’ll never shake – driving through Chile’s Atacama Desert, the surreal expanse stretching out like a dreamscape. I had Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” playing through the speakers, the narrator’s voice weaving magic into the barrenness. David Chandler’s performance in “Savage Run” has a different flavor, but it’s just as compelling. His delivery is grounded, with a no-nonsense timbre that suits Joe Pickett’s everyman grit. There’s a quiet intensity to his pacing – perfectly timed pauses that echo the way a hunter might stalk prey, or how I once listened to a Oaxacan grandmother spin tales under a flickering lantern. Her silences were as powerful as her words, and Chandler captures that same intimacy here. He brings out the humanity in Joe, the frustration, the stubborn hope, making you root for him even when the odds stack higher than a Rockies peak.
The story itself digs into themes that hit close to home for me – nature versus man, the cost of standing up for what’s right, and the hidden histories lurking in wild places. Joe’s flight across the wilderness isn’t just a physical chase; it’s a reckoning with a world where greed and violence threaten the land he’s sworn to protect. Box weaves in environmental undertones that resonate with my own travels – think of the deforestation scars I’ve seen in the Amazon, or the quiet resilience of communities fighting to preserve their way of life. Yet, this isn’t a sermon; it’s a thriller that keeps you on edge, with a villain whose menace feels all too real.
Chandler’s narration elevates the experience, turning Box’s prose into something you can feel in your bones. The audio quality is crisp, immersive – every creak of a branch or distant howl pulls you deeper into the Wyoming wilds. At just over 8 hours, the runtime flies by, though I’ll admit there were moments where I wished for a touch more depth in the secondary characters. Stewie Woods, the eccentric activist, bursts onto the scene with promise, but his arc feels clipped short. Still, the focus stays tight on Joe, and Chandler’s voice carries that weight effortlessly.
If I’m being honest, “Savage Run” isn’t flawless. The plot leans hard into action, occasionally sacrificing quieter beats that could’ve fleshed out Joe’s inner world. As someone who’s sat around campfires swapping stories, I craved a few more pauses to breathe, to let the stakes simmer. But for fans of mystery and suspense, this is a minor quibble – the adrenaline rush delivers, and then some. Compared to Box’s debut, “Open Season”, this sophomore effort dials up the tension and stakes, cementing Joe Pickett as a detective worth following. It’s got shades of Tony Hillerman’s Navajo mysteries, too, though Box trades desert sands for mountain trails.
Who’s this audiobook for? If you love a good detective story with a side of outdoor adventure, this one’s calling your name. It’s perfect for long drives – like that stretch of Route 66 I once took, windows down, letting the narrator’s voice mingle with the hum of the road. And here’s the kicker: you can snag this audiobook free through certain platforms like Audiobooks.com with a trial. That’s a steal for a listening experience this rich.
Reflecting on “Savage Run”, I’m struck by how it mirrors the journeys I’ve taken – both on the page and off. There’s a moment in the story where Joe pauses, catching his breath, and I couldn’t help but think of a night in Oaxaca, listening to that grandmother’s voice fade into the dark. The best stories, whether spoken or written, leave you changed. This one left me itching to hit the trail again, to chase the next tale the wind might carry my way.
Until our paths cross on the next adventure, amigos,
Marcus Rivera
