What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Crossroads
C.J. Box · Book
If you loved The Crossroads, start with Joe Pickett (John Erick Dowdle, 2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 1 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Crossroads across media.
What hooked you in The Crossroads was the way small-town corruption forces families to confront dangerous, hidden criminal underworlds.
Films on the same thread
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson · Film · 2025
Explores: Class Conflict, Deception, Moral Ambiguity.
Just as the Pickett family uncovers dark secrets in The Crossroads, this mystery forces you to navigate deceptive, small-town secrets where nothing is as it seems.
No Country for Old Men
Joel Coen · Film · 2007
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Fate vs. Free Will, Existentialism.
If the moral ambiguity and violent consequences in The Crossroads gripped you, this neo-Western offers a similar exploration of fate and the harsh reality of crime.
Winter's Bone
Debra Granik · Film · 2010
Shares a thread with The Crossroads: Family Loyalty.
The Crossroads shares a deep focus on family loyalty with this story, as both narratives follow individuals forced to confront local criminals to protect their kin.
Crime 101
Bart Layton · Film · 2026
Explores: High-stakes, Redemption, Obsession.
Much like the desperate search for truth in The Crossroads, this heist thriller centers on characters whose personal obsessions lead them into dangerous, high-stakes criminal territory.
Series on the same thread
Joe Pickett
John Erick Dowdle · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with The Crossroads: Family Loyalty.
Since you enjoyed the rural setting of The Crossroads, this series provides more of the same tension found when navigating secrets in a collapsing small town.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
Explores: moral ambiguity, social justice, human behavior.
The Crossroads explores the complex nature of wrongdoing, a theme this investigative podcast mirrors by diving deep into the human behavior behind various legal and criminal anomalies.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
If the rural noir atmosphere of The Crossroads was your favorite element, this podcast offers an equally compelling look at how tragedy disrupts the rhythm of provincial life.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Crossroads the first book in the Joe Pickett series?
No, The Crossroads is the 26th book in the Joe Pickett series. It follows Joe Pickett and his daughters as they investigate the person responsible for the gunshot wound he sustained to the head.
What happens to Joe Pickett in The Crossroads?
In The Crossroads, Joe Pickett survives a gunshot wound to the head. The plot centers on his daughters as they attempt to identify and find the person who shot their father.
Should I read other Joe Pickett books before The Crossroads?
Since The Crossroads is the 26th installment in the series, you may want to read the preceding books to understand the established history of Joe Pickett and his family before starting this specific entry.
Who investigates the shooting in The Crossroads?
The investigation into who shot Joe Pickett is conducted by his daughters. They take on the search for the culprit after Joe is incapacitated by a gunshot to the head in The Crossroads.