Book Review: ‘Paradise Valley’ Is A Thrilling Look For A Killer

C.J. Box is back with his newest novel Paradise Valley (Minotaur Books; in stores Tuesday, July 25). A detective intent on getting a serial killer know as the Lizard King for the last four years may have her final chance to nail him.

Cassie Dewell has a lead on the Lizard King and sets a trap that should finally catch him. Unknown to her he’s figured out something is up and thwarts her plan and also gets her finance and other cops killed in the process. Cassie is soon forced out her job in a small North Dakota town.

Meanwhile two teenagers who have decided to take off and see the world and a wife have gone missing. No one is sure what has happened to them as their trails have gone cold. Well the Lizard King has them as well as a lot lizard her picked up. He has what he says is his new family. He controls them with shock collars loaded with c-4 explosives. He’s headed for a family area he use to go to when he was young at Yellowstone Park.

Cassie has been hired by one of the boys Kyle’s Grandmother to try and find him. She soon hits the road and then a body of a boy that could be Kyle’s friend is found. This leads Cassie to where the Lizard King grew up and and to a man that grew up there with the family of the Lizard King. His health is not the best but he’s able to give Cassie information and even volunteers to help lead a posse to where he might be. This all leads to the climax and the struggle to rescue the so called ‘new family’ and capture him once and for all.

A thrilling chase through small town America in the Northwest with compelling characters and a compelling bad guy in The Lizard King highlights this story of determination to capture a serial killer.