Shadows Reel is a good Joe Pickett story. This time a Nazis photograph book is a main character, Mary Beth, Joe Pickett's wife, has an important role, Nate, Joe's close friend is an important character and finally Thanksgiving is mentioned. Four stars were given in this review as it is difficult, looking at the the aforementioned characters, to tie all of them into a coherent story. Enjoy. ( )

Starting just a month after the end of the previous book in the series, we find Joe still not fully recovered from his injuries (but back to work already) and Nate on the road, chasing the man who stole his birds and terrorized his family. It is the Thanksgiving week and all 3 Pickett girls are coming home for the holiday. But before the family can get to its celebration, reality crashes the party - a man is found dead, a Nazi album is left at the library and before long, a second person dies. Which if you have been reading the series sounds just like a normal week for the Picketts. Add the bad guys' viewpoints (both the ones in Saddlestring and across the country in Nate's trip) and the novel quickly finds its pace. Except that it does not feel like a Joe Pickett novel.

Long series will often have a novel or 3 that simply seem forced into the series. I tend to consider them part of the experience of reading long series. But even like that, this one felt off - the series strength is in the wildlife and nature scenes and these are entirely missing. The new sheriff's inability to do his job is played up to almost a comic effect, the part of the novel that deals with Nate veers into current US politics (not that the series had never had that but it seems to get there a lot more than it used to) and even though the girls are back in town, they felt more like caricatures of themselves.

With this being said, the story in Saddlestring actually works - albeit being a bit predictable. Joe even manages to wreck another truck (which did feel like a Pickett novel and made me laugh). Nate's part of the story on the other hand was resolved by a character overhearing a bad guy who just then decided to spill his guts to his friend. Which is so much of a cliche in the genre that almost no author will go there anymore. And with Geronimo Jones coming back to Wyoming (at least for a bit), I suspect that the series is going to lean into the politics a lot more than it had before. I hope it will also returns to the nature and wildlife part of the novels. ( )

This is a series I occasionally visit. I'm not sure I've read all the books in the series.

Evil that lurks in the shadows seems to be attracted to Joe Pickett (and his family and friends). A call about a dead moose ends up turning into a murder investigation. A donation to the library ends up being an important part of World War II history with modern Hungarian implications. Nate's quest to regain his stolen birds embroils him with arms caches.

I want to learn more about Geronimo Jones and his wife and birds. I wonder if he will become a recurring character? ( )

Joe takes a backseat to let his wife, Marybeth, take the spotlight in this thriller. An old photo album gets dropped at the library anonymously. Marybeth gets a glimpse of the man who left it, and tells Joe. It seems to be an authentic album from Nazi Germany. While she is trying to decide what to do with it, two other people want it badly enough to kill for it. Wanting to protect her family from danger, Maribeth comes up with an idea to trap them before they can strike again. Meanwhile, Nate is off on his own mission: to track down the man who attacked his wife and stole his falcons. This installment is infused with suspense and action from beginning to end. It’s another great addition to this exciting series, and was especially nice to see Marybeth’s character take charge of the situation. ( )

Recovered from his latest wound and back at work, Joe's wife becomes a target when she receives a WW2 Nazi photo album. When two neighbors are murdered in quite violent fashion, Joe and family take charge to support the local but inept sheriff. Meanwhile, Nate pursues his stolen "Air Force" to support a murderous and anarchy-bound former military associate and commander. Lots of action on both fronts as they come to violent conclusions. Another smash ending for Joe. ( )