WINTERKILL

Joe Pickett, the righteous Wyoming game warden, returns. Faced with inexplicable murders, vindictive government officials, antigovernment survivalists, and his foster daughter's return to her real mother, Pickett is pulled in every possible direction. Eventually, he faces a Waco-esque standoff with a group of "Freemen" and must take justice into his own hands. WINTERKILL is gripping, as is Ray Gautreau's style, which varies from low-key to intense. Gautreau captures Pickett's emotional roller coaster with a calm tone, but when it comes to other characters, such as psychotic Forest Service bureaucrat Melinda Strickland, Gautreau increases the intensity. Gautreau also avoids stereotyping the supporting characters, who turn out to be far more than one-dimensional gun-loving misfits. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]