BY OLINE H. COGDILL, The Associated Press
July 26, 2017
“Paradise Valley” reaches the same level of frightening realism that made C.J. Box’s “The Highway” so terrifying. “Paradise Valley” makes an excellent conclusion to Box’s gripping Highway Quartet novels that have evolved into a hunt for a serial killer who works as a long-haul trucker.
The realistic fright factor soars, because Box uses the FBI’s highway serial killer task force as a base for “Paradise Valley” and “The Highway.”
In “Paradise Valley,” Cassie Dewell, chief investigator in the Bakken County, N.D., sheriff’s department, is obsessed with finding Ronald Pergram, an independent trucker who preys on truck stop prostitutes. When a sting operation to entrap Pergram goes horribly wrong, Cassie is forced to resign. But Cassie holds firm to her mission of arresting Pergram, who is nicknamed the Lizard King.
The disappearance of three people where Pergram has been seen leads Cassie to believe that Pergram has kidnapped them. One of those missing is Kyle Westergaard, a troubled child for whom Cassie feels responsible. Working on her own, Cassie follows her instincts to track down Pergram.
Box keeps “Paradise Valley” taut, with twists that are as suspenseful as they are believable. Terrifying scenes at a truck stop, at a remote cabin and on a hilltop are not easily forgotten. Although Box never allows sympathy nor empathy for Pergram, Box does show a glimmer of humanity that remains in this killer.
Box has become one of the best purveyors of stories about the new American West. He vividly recounts how this part of North Dakota has gone from a boom town to a near bust. As “Paradise Valley” moves to Montana, Box shows that the best travel writing delves into a region’s environs.
Box, winner of the Edgar Award, again proves his superior storytelling skills in “Paradise Valley.”
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