Vicious Circle

This is the 16th C.J. Box book I have read and have enjoyed them all (some more than others) but this one feels a little weak to me. Maybe there comes a time for every formula writer when “it’s just time to crank another one out” for my publisher. It also includes a weak and unnecessary “red herring” sub-plot that gets wrapped up as a loose end at the very end of the book in a pretty lazy fashion. This book just kind of feels like it was “phoned in.” If you are looking for an introduction to the Joe Pickett character, start at the beginning of this series. C.J. Box has created a wonderful Western character with a creative supporting cast. This one is a letdown but only one strike out of sixteen at-bats is still a pretty good percentage.

C.J. Boxs Vicious Circle is excellent. This was my eighth C.J. Box novel, and my fifth in the Joe Pickett series. Consequently, Ive grown accustomed to the main characters in the story and could relate to them quickly.

A reader new to C.J. Box and to game warden Joe Pickett can read and enjoy this novel as a standalone, but Id recommend reading Endangered first since the incidents in Vicious Circle are best understood if you read Endangered (Its not absolutely necessary since C.J. Box briefly summarizes what happened in Endangered at strategic points in Vicious Circle). By reading Endangered first, however, youll have a better feel for the character of Joes semi-outlaw buddy, falconer Nate Romanowski; for the individual family members of the Cates family and why they absolutely hate Joe Pickett; and for the unique personalities Joes wife and three daughters have. Thatll add to your enjoying Vicious Circle.

Vicious Circle gets my five-star rating.

Dallas Cates has a score to settle. After he and his two buddies, Rory Cross and Randall Luthi, are released from prison, they head back to Wyomings Twelve Sleep County in search of game warden Joe Pickett. The shady trio are joined by a young woman with tattoos on her neck who likes to disguise herself by wearing a hoodie.
Dallas soon finds himself in court and needs an attorney to help his defense. A man named Marcus Hand suddenly appears, a fellow who Joe Pickett calls the most infamous defense lawyer in the state of Wyoming. Hands fees are VERY expensive and one of several mysteries arises regarding who is paying these fees. It also turns out that Marcus Hand is married to Joe Picketts mother-in-law, Missy Vankueren. (Hows that for a mother-in-law problem?) There is a clever bit of writing in a scene when Missy, Joes wife Marybeth and Joe are having a drink and Joe mentally interprets several of Missys declarations. For example, Missy talked about one of her husbands and how they had a whirlwind courtship. Joe interprets this as follow: She went to bed with him that night and left him begging for more with the tacit understanding that he wouldnt receive the pleasure of her intimate company again until an immunity deal was placed before her for her signature.
Marcus Hand works his legal magic and Dallas is again roaming the countryside stirring up trouble. Meanwhile, Joe Pickett has an opportunity to visit a nearby womans prison and interview Brenda Cates who is the mother of Dallas. Seems like the Cates family has call types of unsavory citizens.
The excitement builds as Joe recognizes that his family is in jeopardy. Marybeth and their two children move to a safe place but, while Joe is away from home on duty, his house is burned down and several of his animals are destroyed. Even though Joe is a only game warden he has plenty of law enforcement skills and experience to see that justice is finally achieved.

I have read my last Joe Pickett book, and I have read them all.
Maybe familiarity breeds contempt. It was just like the other ones but worse. The plot is strange. It seems to consist of incidents stitched together.
The book ends when Mr. Box has written enough pages to call it quits. If one has not read any of the Pickett books the characters are very thin.
There are loose ends in the plot. I fell sad that I am breaking up with Joe on such a down note but we are done.

Just starting this one. I’ll finish it, but it is a disappointment. It is badly in need of better editing. It’s like the author forgot what happened in previous books. First he mentions that Missy was accused of murdering her husband Earl Alden, then the next sentence says Bud was found hanging from his wind turbine. Later it implies the Bud was murdered, not Earl. He seems to have forgotten the agreement with Joe that she stay away forever in exchange for Joe not disclosing that she was the actual murderer. When Missy meets Dulcie, it is implied that another prosecutor tried Missy, when it was actually Dulcie, and Missy should have remembered her. There have been inconsistencies in the previous books, but this one is by far the worst yet.

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