Blue Heaven by C.J. Box (English) Mass Market Paperback Book

Description: Blue Heaven by C.J. Box A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of northern Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder - four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her childrens fate. FORMAT Mass Market Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of northern Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder - four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her childrens fate.The kids soon find they dont know whom they can trust among their L.A. transplant neighbors, including hundreds of retired Southern California cops whove given the area its nickname: Blue Heaven." As a group of dirty cops spearhead the search for William and Annie, one false move will stop these children from ever finding their way home.With true-to-life, unforgettable characters, C.J. Box has created a thriller that delves into issues close to our heart: the pervasiveness of greed, the banality of evil, and the truth about what constitutes a family. In a story where unlikely heroes find themselves at the cross- roads of duty and courage, "Blue Heaven delivers twists and turns until its last breathtaking page. Back Cover "A non-stop thrill ride " --Harlan Coben A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother are on the run in the Idaho woods, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder--four men who know exactly who William and Annie are. And where their mother lives. "Grade A...dont miss it."-- Rocky Mountain News Retired policemen from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the local sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children. Now theres nowhere left for William and Annie to hide...and no one they can trust. Until they meet Jess Rawlins. "A thriller with a heart."-- Boston Globe Rawlins, an old-school rancher, knows trouble when he sees it. But he is only one against four men who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses. What these ex-cops do not know is just how far Rawlins will go to protect William and Annie...and see that justice is done. Author Biography C. J. Boxs stunning debut, Open Season, was a New York Times Notable Book and won the prestigious Anthony Award, as well as nominations for the Edgar Award and the L.A. Times Book Award. His second novel, Savage Run, scored high praise from the New York Times Book Review, People, and USA Today. He is also the president and CEO of Rocky Mountain International Corporation. Review "A non-stop thrill ride - a provocative suspense novel that has you rooting for the characters every step of the way." - Harlan Coben" Prizes Winner of Edgar Allan Poe Awards: Best Novel Category 2009 Review Quote Relentless. C.J. Box sucked me in with good cops, bad cops, and missing money, then blind-sided me with unexpected twists and surprises in this novel of clashing cultures and dark secrets. Box delivers the goods! Excerpt from Book BLUE HEAVEN (Chapter 1) FRIDAY, 4:28 P.M. If twelve-year-old Annie Taylor had not chosen to take her little brother William fishing on that particular Friday afternoon in April during the wet North Idaho spring, she never would have seen the execution or looked straight into the eyes of the executioners. But she was angry with her mother. Before they witnessed the killing, they were pushing through the still-wet willows near Sand Creek, wearing plastic garbage bags to keep their clothes dry. Upturned alder leaves cupped pools of rainwater from that morning, and beaded spiderwebs sagged between branches. When the gray-black fists of storm clouds pushed across the sun, the light muted in the forest and erased the defining edges of the shadows, and the forest plunged into a dispiriting murk. The ground was black, spongy in the forest and sloppy on the trail. Their shoes made sucking sounds as they slogged upstream. Annie and William had left their home on the edge of town, hitched a ride for a few miles with Fiona, the mail lady, and had been hiking for nearly two hours, looking in vain for calm water. "Maybe this wasnt such a good idea," ten-year-old William said, raising his voice over the liquid roar of the creek, which was angry and swollen with runoff. Annie stopped and turned to William, looking him over. A long fly rod poked out from beneath the plastic he wore. He had snagged the tip several times in the branches, and a sprig of pine needles was wedged into one of the line guides. "You said you wanted to go fishing, so Im taking you fishing." "But you dont know anything about it," William said, his eyes widening and his lower lip trembling, which always happened before he began to cry. "William …" "We should go back." "William, dont cry." He looked away. She knew he was trying to stanch it, she could tell by the way he set his mouth. He hated that he cried so easily, so often, that his emotions were so close to the surface. Annie didnt have that problem. "How many times did Tom tell you he was going to take you fishing?" Annie asked. William wouldnt meet her eyes. "A bunch," he said. "How many times has he taken you?" He said sullenly, "You know." "Yes, I know." "I sort of like him," William said. Annie said, "I sort of dont." "You dont like anybody." Annie started to argue, but didnt, thinking: He may be right. "I like you enough to take you fishing even though I dont know how to fish. Besides, how hard can it be if Tom can do it?" An impudent smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, I guess," he said. "Look," she said, raising her plastic bag to show him she was wearing Toms fishing vest. She had taken it without asking off a peg in their house. "This thing is filled with lures and flies and whatever. Well just tie them to the end of your line and throw em out there. The fish cant be much smarter than Tom, so how hard can it be?" "… if Tom can do it," he said, his smile more pronounced. That was when they heard a motor rev and die, the sound muffled by the roar of the foamy water. The betrayal occurred that morning when Tom came downstairs, asked, "Whats for breakfast?" Annie and William were at the table dressed for school eating cereal-Sugar Pops for William, Frosted Mini-Wheats for her. Tom asked his question as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but it wasnt. Tom had never been in their home for breakfast before, had never stayed the night. He was wearing the same wrinkled clothes from the night before when hed shown up after dinner to see their mom, what he called his fishing clothes-baggy trousers that zipped off at the thigh, a loose-fitting shirt with lots of pockets. This was new territory for Annie, and she didnt want to explore it. Instead, she found herself staring at his large, white bare feet. They looked waxy and pale, like the feet of a corpse, but his toes had little tufts of black hair on their tops, which both fascinated and disgusted her. He slapped them wetly across the linoleum floor. "Wheres your mom keep the coffee?" he asked. William was frozen to his chair, his eyes wide and unblinking, his spoon poised an inch from his mouth, Sugar Pops bobbing in the milk. William said, "On the counter, in that canister thing." Tom repeated "canister thing" to himself with good humor and set about making a pot of coffee. Annie bored holes into the back of his fishing shirt with her eyes. Tom was big, buff, always fake-friendly, she thought. He rarely showed up at their house without a gift for them, usually something lame and last-minute like a Slim Jim meat stick or a yo-yo he bought at the convenience store at the end of the street. But shed never seen him like this-disheveled, sleepy, sloppy, talking to the two of them for the very first time like they were real people who knew where the coffee was. "What are you doing here?" she asked. He turned his head. His eyes were unfocused, bleary. "Making coffee." "No. I mean in my house." William finally let the spoon continue its path. His eyes never left Toms back. A drip of milk snaked down from the corner of his mouth and sat on his chin like a bead of white glue. Tom said, "Your house? I thought it was your mothers house." All jolly he is , she thought angrily. "Is this it for breakfast?" Tom asked, holding up the cereal boxes and raising his eyebrows. "Theres toast," William said, his mouth full. "Mom makes eggs sometimes. And pancakes." Annie glared at her brother with snake eyes. "Maybe Ill ask Monica to make me some eggs," Tom mumbled, as much to himself as to them. He poured a cup of coffee before it filled the carafe. Errant drips sizzled on the hot plate. So it was Monica , not your mother , Annie thought. He came to the table, his feet making kissing sounds on the floor, pulled out a chair, and sat down. She could smell her mother on him, which made her feel sick inside. "Thats Moms chair," she said. "She wont mind," he said, flashing his false, condescending smile. To him they were children again, although she got the feeling Tom was just a little scared of her. Maybe he realized now what hed done. Maybe not. He pointedly ignored Annie, who glared at him, and turned to William. "School, eh?" Tom said, reaching out and tousling the boys hair. William nodded, his eyes wide. "Too bad you cant take the day off and go fishing with me. I really got into some nice ones last night before I came over. Fifteen-, sixteen-inch trout. I brought a few to your mom for you guys to have for dinner." "I want to go," William said, swelling out his chest. "Ive never gone fishing, but I think I could do it." "You bet you could, little man," Tom said, sipping the hot coffee. He gestured toward the cluttered mudroom off the kitchen where hed hung his fishing vest and stored his fly rod in the corner. "Ive got another rod in my truck you could use." Suddenly, William was squirming in his chair, excited. "Hey, we get out of school early today! Maybe we could go then?" Tom looked to Annie for clarification. "Early release," Annie said deadpan. "Were out at noon." Tom pursed his lips and nodded, his eyes dancing, now totally in control of William. "Maybe Ill pick you up and take you after school, then. Ill ask your mom about it. I can pick you up out front. Dyou want to go along, too, Annie?" She shook her head quickly. "No." "You need to ease up a little," Tom told her, smiling with his mouth only. "You need to go home," she replied. Tom was about to say something when her mother came down the stairs, her head turned away from the kitchen and toward the front door. Annie watched her mother walk quickly through the living room and part the curtains, expecting, Annie thought, to confirm that Toms vehicle was gone. When it wasnt, her mother turned in horror and took it all in: Tom, Annie, and William at the kitchen table. Annie saw the blood drain out of her mothers face, and for a second she felt sorry for her. But only for a second. "Tommmmm," her mother said, dragging his name out and raising the tone so it was a sentence in itself meaning many things, but mostly, "Why are you still here?" "Dont you need to get to work?" her mother finally said. Tom was a UPS driver. Annie was used to seeing him in his brown uniform after work. His shirt and shorts were extra tight. "Yup," Tom said, standing so quickly he sloshed coffee on the table. "I better get going, kids. Ill be late." Annie watched Tom and her mother exchange glances as Tom hurried past her toward the front door, grabbing his shoes on the way. She thanked God there was no goodbye kiss between Details ISBN0312365713 Author C.J. Box Short Title BLUE HEAVEN Pages 373 Publisher Minotaur Books Language English ISBN-10 0312365713 ISBN-13 9780312365714 Media Book Format Mass Market Paperback DEWEY FIC Year 2008 Publication Date 2008-12-31 Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Alternative 9781427202680 Edition 1st Imprint St Martins Press Residence Cheyenne, WY, US DOI 10.1604/9780312365714 Audience General/Trade UK Release Date 2008-12-02 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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