A few weeks ago I reported that C.J. Box’s seventeenth Joe Picket novel would be titled Vicious Circle and that it was slated to hit bookstores on March 21, 2017. However at that time all I could do was speculate on the plot details, as no official details had been announced. That has since changed!
It wasn’t hard to see where the next Pickett novel was headed, as a strong clue was given in the final pages of this year’s Off The Grid. My educated guess, along with many others, was that the mention of Dallas Cates meant he would be returning next year. Add to that the title, Vicious Circle, and things seem to make sense.
It had always seemed inevitable that things with the Cates would come full circle eventually, most likely is a vicious fashion.
But again, until recently, that was all just speculation. Now those assumptions have been confirmed, as official details from the publisher reveal just enough to keep fans on edge until next March.
From Amazon:
“The plane circled in the dark. Joe Pickett could just make out down below a figure in the snow and timber, and then three other figures closing in. There was nothing he could do about it. And Joe knew that he might be their next target.
The Cates family had always been a bad lot. Game warden Joe Pickett had been able to strike a fierce blow against them when the life of his daughter April had been endangered, but he’d always wondered if there’d be a day of reckoning. He’s not wondering any longer. Joe knows they’re coming after him and his family now. He has his friend Nate by his side, but will that be enough this time? All he can do is prepare . . . and wait for them to make the first move.”
Oh. Heck. YES! So it would appear the no-good, dirty rotten Cates family will once again be a thorn in the flesh of Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski. I think I speak for fans everywhere when I say that it’s definitely time to Dallas to get what he deserves.
For those who don’t remember, Dallas Cates was introduced a few books back. He’s the bull rider that April Pickett ran off with, and his family goes absolutely Ape crap in Endangered (2014).
If you’re new the series and want to get up to speed just enough to really enjoy Vicious Circle, grab copies of Endangered and Off The Grid, and you should be good to go for next March. Also, for those needing a refresher, I’ll be recapping Off The Grid as part of our “When We Saw Them Last” segment right here on The Real Book Spy.
If you’re not currently reading Box’s Joe Pickett series, start. Seriously, this is one of the finest fiction franchises in print today, and a must-read for the fans of thrillers or crime novels. If you’re looking to start from the very beginning, order your copy of Open Season here.
Lastly, Vicious Circle is already available for pre-order, so make sure to reserve your copy today!