The Joe Pickett books in order follow C.J. Box’s Wyoming game warden through murder investigations, land disputes, political pressure, family trouble, and backcountry danger. Each novel has its own case, but Joe’s career, family life, and larger conflicts build across multiple books, so the series works best when you begin with Open Season and move forward from there.
Below, you’ll find the full Joe Pickett reading order, with the main novels and optional short fiction placed by publication date. If you only want the novels, skip the entries marked as short story or collection. I also cover how the TV adaptation connects to the books and a few quick questions about the series.
Jump to:
- Joe Pickett Books in Order
- Do You Need to Read the Joe Pickett Books in Order?
- Joe Pickett TV Series
- Joe Pickett Books FAQ
Joe Pickett Books in Order
The Joe Pickett books follow a Wyoming game warden whose cases rarely stay simple for long. What starts with Joe trying to do his job in the small town of Twelve Sleep quickly turns into a series built on murder investigations, political pressure, backcountry danger, and the kind of moral stubbornness that keeps getting him into trouble.
It all begins in Open Season, when Joe finds a local outfitter dead near his home and refuses to accept the easy explanation. That same sense of duty carries through the rest of the series, with Joe pushing forward whenever something feels off, no matter how much pressure comes from locals, law enforcement, or powerful people who would rather he back down.
This list includes the main Joe Pickett novels plus optional short stories and collections where they fit by publication date. The non-novel entries are labeled, so you can skip them easily if you only want the core series.
- Open Season (2001)
- Savage Run (2002)
- Winterkill (2003)
- Trophy Hunt (2004)
- Dull Knife (2005, short story collected in Shots Fired)
- Out of Range (2005)
- In Plain Sight (2006)
- Free Fire (2007)
- Blood Trail (2008)
- Below Zero (2009)
- Nowhere to Run (2010)
- The Master Falconer (2011, short story collected in Shots Fired)
- Cold Wind (2011)
- Force of Nature (2012)
- Breaking Point (2013)
- Stone Cold (2014)
- One-Car Bridge (2014, short story in Shots Fired)
- Pirates of Yellowstone (2014, short story in Shots Fired)
- Shots Fired (2014, short story collection)
- Endangered (2015)
- Off the Grid (2016)
- Vicious Circle (2017)
- Honor & … (2017 in MatchUp; single-story ebook 2019, crossover short story with Sandra Brown’s Lee Coburn)
- The Disappeared (2018)
- Wolf Pack (2019)
- Long Range (2020)
- Dark Sky (2021)
- Shadows Reel (2022)
- Precious Cargo (2022, audio short story from Birds of Prey)
- Storm Watch (2023)
- Three-Inch Teeth (2024)
- Battle Mountain (2025)
- The Crossroads (2026)
- The Missing (2027)
The short stories are optional, but I include them where they fall because completionist readers usually find that more useful than a novels-only list. Several of the stories are collected in Shots Fired, so treat that entry as the collection rather than a separate Joe Pickett novel. It’s also a great way to save so money buying the collection versus individual stories, even if they’re sold separately.
This page focuses on Joe Pickett. If you want Box’s full author bibliography, including Cassie Dewell, Cody Hoyt, and the standalones, use my C.J. Box books in order guide.
Do You Need to Read the Joe Pickett Books in Order?
You don’t have to read the Joe Pickett books in order to follow the individual mysteries, but publication order is still the best way to read the series. Joe’s family life, career, and relationships evolve over time, and those changes carry from one book to the next.
Each story does wrap up its main case, but the larger character development continues across the series. Reading in publication order also helps recurring characters, ongoing tensions, and long-term story threads land the way they’re supposed to.
Reading out of order can also spoil major developments from earlier books. Starting at the beginning gives you the clearest picture of Joe’s world and the strongest payoff as the series goes on.
Joe Pickett TV Series
The Joe Pickett TV series stays true to the spirit of C.J. Box’s books, even though it doesn’t follow the novels in strict publication order. C.J. Box served as an executive producer, which helps explain why the show still feels recognizably like Joe Pickett instead of a loose reworking of the source material. The series premiered in December 2021 and ran for two seasons, with Michael Dorman starring as Joe, Julianna Guill as Marybeth, and Mustafa Speaks as Nate Romanowski.
Rather than adapting the series one book at a time, the show pulled from different parts of the Joe Pickett timeline. Season one drew from Open Season and Winterkill, while season two centered on Blood Trail, so readers who want the full progression of Joe’s story should still start with the books in publication order.
Joe Pickett Books FAQ
What is the first Joe Pickett book?
The first Joe Pickett book is Open Season by C.J. Box. It introduces Joe as a Wyoming game warden and sets up the world, tone, and recurring characters that shape the rest of the series.
Are the Joe Pickett books standalones?
Each Joe Pickett novel has its own central case, so you can follow the main mystery in any one book. Still, the series works best in publication order because Joe’s family life, career, and long-running relationships develop over time.
Is Joe Pickett based on a true story?
Joe Pickett is a fictional character. That said, the series feels grounded because C.J. Box draws heavily from the culture, landscape, and political tensions of Wyoming.
Who is Nate Romanowski in the Joe Pickett books?
Nate Romanowski is one of the most important recurring characters in the series. He’s a falconer, survivalist, and close ally to Joe, and he becomes a major presence as the books go on.
Where are the Joe Pickett books set?
The Joe Pickett books are set in Wyoming. The setting is a huge part of the series, since the wilderness, local politics, and land-use conflicts all shape the stories as much as the crimes themselves.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.
4 thoughts on “Joe Pickett Books in Order by C.J. Box: Full Series List”
I will have to start from the beginning of the Joe Pickett series. I know I’ve read most of them but reading through in chronological order I think will be so worth it. I read my first Joe Pickett novel (also my first of any CJ Box book) when traveling alone to the beach. I grabbed the paperback in the airport gift shop and started reading on the plane. This started my foray into the life of Joe Pickett and family. I love CJ Box’s books!
That’s so cool! I love discovering new authors and series.
The casting of Nate was way
off…Everyone that I have talked to and who have read every one of the series, some multiple
times, were not happy with the choice of actor that played the part. Not tall enough, not broad
enough, hair too short and the wrong nationality was the real upset. I have no desire to watch anymore with the same cast.
I have read all of your books and loved everyone!
MJN
Love the C.J. Box / Joe Pickett books he is one of my favorites books to pick up. But I agree the TV series was all wrong, the casting person did not do the books justice. The Joe actor made him look like a bumbling idiot, and Nate should have had more appeal, with a dark energy alittle. I hope they remake.