An old enemy is out to exact deadly retribution on game warden Joe Pickett and his family in Vicious Circle. As the attacks progress, he's still unsure of exactly who is behind them - and how they're being funded.

Though I've read and thoroughly enjoyed C.J. Box's standalone thrillers, this is my first venture into his Joe Pickett series - great to discover that there are 16 earlier books to enjoy!

C. J. Box never puts a foot wrong. I really enjoyed Vicious Circle and I know our patrons will as well. This one is a must-buy for our library.

I love C.J. Box and not just because we went to the same college; go Pioneers! This is #17 in the life of game warden Joe Pickett. This time the past has come back to haunt, not only him, but his entire family. The Cates family won't give up easily and are steadfast in their need for revenge. Plenty of action and twists solidify this as a Box must-read.

I read and really enjoy a wide range of mystery series, and C. J. Box’s Joe Pickett series is at the very top of my list. Each installment is outstanding and unique, and The Vicious Circle (the 17th in the series) is no exception. I am not usually a fan of retribution stories so I was a little concerned that this book might not appeal to me as much as some of his others, but thankfully The Vicious Circle is fast-paced, a page-turner, and does not get bogged down in the retribution story line. I read it in a day and a half and loved how the story unfolded.

Joe Pickett encountered the Cates family in his earlier book, Endangered, when Dallas Cates messed with Joe’s daughter April. The Cates family didn’t fare well in Endangered, and Dallas returns in The Vicious Circle to exact revenge on Joe and his family. The book opens with Pickett and two others in a small airplane searching for a missing hunter. Right after the group thinks they have found the hunter below on the ground, they witness his shocking murder, and the pace of the book never slows down. There are plenty of surprises and clever twists and turns, and the usual characters make appearances including Marybeth’s mother Missy who is always trying to create more trouble for Joe and Marybeth. There is also a small plot line about some stealthy poachers that C.J. Box wraps up very nicely. Box continues to create credible, entertaining tales that are so much fun to read, and this addition is no exception. Pickett is a highly likeable, realistic protagonist, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the progression of his own story as the books continue.

I relished coming across a couple of shout-outs that Box threw in to his story including a reference to Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series and a reference to the Broadway show Hamilton (his daughter Lucy is singing “My Shot”) which is an obsession in my own household.

I highly recommend The Vicious Circle to anyone who likes a good mystery. Thanks to G. P. Putnam’s and Sons and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is so much fun to follow game warden, Joe Picket through his cases and the Cates family has certainly put him to the test. This story had a great twisty plot that I snapped to just about the same time Mary Beth did her research.

While I hate to see bad things befall the Pickett family I do like that C J Box keeps things interesting in that way.

I'd never read one of Box's books until two years ago and now I've read a great many in this series. I would hate to miss any new cases now that I've become a friend of the family.

C.J. Box is still going strong with the seventeenth in his Joe Pickett series. I'm waiting for someone in Hollywood to finally figure out how to turn this into a series. If they can do it with Craig Johnson, surely they can do it again!

This series revisits some old bad blood between the Pickett family and the Cates family, covered in the book "Endangered" (15 in the series). After Joe tangled with the Cates, some of them were dead and some were in prison. In this book, Dallas Cates, ex-rodeo star, gets out of prison with a score to settle. At this point, the series has been around long enough that there are some long-standing relationships, alliances, and grudges in the little Wyoming mountain town of Saddlestring. Many of these relationships come into play here, and it will probably be a bit confusing to a new reader.

There's a murder to investigate, one that Joe witnesses with his own eyes in the stunning opening scene of the book. There's a stalker after his family. There's a case that goes off the rails in the courtroom. Nate Romanowski makes an appearance. Joe's mother-in-law appears to torment him yet again. C.J. Box can write an action scene as well as he ever has, and his characters feel "lived in", like real people we're tuning in to hear about. If you're a Joe Pickett fan, this book will not disappoint.

Joe Pickett and his family are involved in many different and terrible dangerous situations throughout this book. Though every thing works out at the end of the story I had trouble reading the book. Their was to much death and destruction for me. Others may like it but I prefer stories with less violence and more interesting characters.

Haven't missed a CJ Box and never will. In his books you pretty much know who the good guys and bad guys are, but you never know how it will all end. So glad to have Nate and Joe back together again. Already looking forward to the next Joe Pickett novel.

C. J. Box keeps getting better and better. How can one possibly do justice to such a fine writer/ The series will certainly be enjoyed by readers of Craig Johnson's Longmire series. Good books by two good authors.

Joe Picket is is looking for a missing man. He doesn't know why he left his camp site leaving all the food, beer and guns behind. But he knows it must be serious. Someone must be after him. When he goes up in a plane with a heat sensor and other officials, they find the man a long ways from camp. Unfortunately they lead his killers directly to his location...

Penguin Group let me read this book for review (thank you). It is being published March 21st.

There's a family in town that Joe has had trouble with before. The youngest one has just gotten out of jail and he's pretty sure the dead man overheard something in the bar they were in that got him killed. If he didn't know for sure, the death of the bartender tends to confirm the fact that he and his friends were up to something. That something is to get revenge on Joe.

This is like a family of rattlesnakes. They feel unjustly accused, take everything as a slight and believe that Joe killed in cold blood even if it was self-defense. Nothing will stop them from the vicious circle they travel in.

With a crooked cop, someone running the show from far away, a meth head killer and more, there's plenty of action. It amazed me that more people didn't get killed before this story was over. They attempted to kill Joe's daughters and wife, burned his house down, and were after Joe himself.

There's tension all through the story. You aren't sure how it's going to turn out or who will be still be standing but you keep reading. I hope the next book in this series is a bit calmer. I hate holding my breath while reading.

very good installment in the Joe Pickett series, this one revisits the Cates family and their plot for revenge. Joe finds himself deep in the revenge plot and fights to keep his family safe, with the help of Nate at times. fun and easy reading makes this a must read for Pickett fans.

I have read all the Joe Pickett books. With Vicious Circle - it was another adventure that I wished would never end. They continue to be books that you simply can't put down!