Off
The Grid by
C. J. Box brings back Nate Romanowski, the beloved rugged
individualist. This book delves into a number of themes, some
of which Box has become known for: getting the Federal government
to acquiesce to the States, a contemporary Western, a solid
description of the western landscape, and the issues facing
western states. But, beyond that he explores the possibility
of how terrorists can use technology to harm Americans, the
vulnerability of the US communication systems, and the overzealous
government surveillance. It might seem that a lot of issues
are covered in the novel, but Box has a knack for brilliantly
intertwining everything.
The plot begins with Nate and his girlfriend, Liv, living
in obscurity on a remote Wyoming ranch, enjoying hunting and
his falcons. Some rogue Federal organization finds Nate, because
Liv decides to telephone her ill mother. A deal is made to
destroy Nate’s criminal record for his help in locating
a terror cell in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Nate's master
falconer skills are needed to give him an "in" with
the Muslim, Ibby, who is also a master falconer. Meanwhile,
game warden Joe Pickett is asked by the Wyoming Governor to
stop the tracking of a grizzly bear and instead track down
his friend Nate. Coincidentally the bear, Nate, and Joe converge
at the Red Desert. Also there is Joe’s daughter Sheridan
who has decided to go on a weekend camping trip. All unite
in an attempt to thwart the terrorists before they can destroy
the US electrical infrastructure.
The idea for the story came to Box after hearing the FBI Director
John Comey say there are terrorists being tracked in all fifty
states. Box got the idea “After a homeland terrorist
attack, national security comes to the forefront, but as time
passes we put it on the back burner. I think that a terrorist
plot happening in far-flung Wyoming is not as crazy as it
sounds. I started to think about Wyoming, what could potentially
happen here, and what would be the target. Nobody in the US
should feel immune. Attacks will not always happen in New
York or Washington. I put a lot of the information in the
book on how every electronic device can be killed by an EMP,
if in the vicinity of the pulse. It would be a devastating
attack.”
The title, Off The Grid, is very apropos since it
represents two plot lines. Literally, the terrorists are attempting
to destroy the electrical grid that would incapacitate the
US, and figuratively as Nate attempts to become a hermit,
to be left alone in peace. He has been living “off the
grid,” having no electronics, credit records, bank records,
or tax records. Nate is content to live deep in the wild,
flying his falcons and avoiding contact.
Anyone wishing for the return of Sheriff Matt Dillon will
enjoy this storyline. The gunfights with the terrorists are
taken right out of any Western battle. Even the weapon used
is an “Apache” Helicopter. One scene in the book
has Nate shooting out the trucks, which represent horses being
shot out from the villains. Readers can vividly picture the
gun battle as the shoot out occurs behind covered rocks. Even
Joe’s “cowboy” hat is affected by this gunfight,
being ridden with bullets.
As with all his novels Box is informative about western culture.
In this case he gives insight into the western setting, grizzly
bears, and falcons. His vivid descriptions of the harsh and
remote, but beautiful environment, allow the reader to feel
as if they are there.
Box noted, “Nate was based on someone I grew up with.
This guy was a Falconer who went into a Special Forces Unit
of our military. I made Nate part falcon because his qualities
are similar to those birds. He is definitely the ultimate
Falconer. He is described as a libertarian homicidal folk
hero. Based on his moral code, he will murder first and ask
questions later. In all of my books with Nate I put something
about falcons. In this one I had in the book how “Nate
had the ability to go as still as one of his hooded falcons.”
I also compared in the book how falcons identify, attack,
and kill their target, to what Nate did with the terrorists.”
He also commented, “There is a theory that the more
the grizzly is studied and thus, comes into contact with people,
the more likely they will lose their fear of humans. The number
of grizzly bear attacks has grown. I read about this one bear
that traveled 1000s of miles and even slept in an elementary
school playground. I decided to put it in the book. Also true,
is that grizzlies have been known to actually track hunters.
Sometimes it appears the researchers tracking the bear seem
more worried about the health and welfare of the bear than
the hunter being tracked.”
Off The Grid is a warning of sorts in that it shows
how US national security is vulnerable to a terrorist attack.
It is not only informative, but challenges peoples’
minds as they learn about western culture. To date this might
just be one of Box’s best.
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