Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Vicious Circle
- Author: C. J. Box
- Narrator: David Chandler
- Length: 10:21:45
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 21/03/2017
- Publisher: Recorded Books
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Horror, Detective Stories
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The first time I heard David Chandler’s gravelly narration of Vicious Circle, I was driving through the Wind River Range in Wyoming – a landscape as rugged and unpredictable as C.J. Box’s protagonist Joe Pickett. The way Chandler’s voice carried the tension reminded me of those Oaxacan evenings with Abuela’s stories, where every pause carried weight and every inflection revealed hidden layers. This is storytelling that doesn’t just describe the Wyoming wilderness – it makes you feel the bite of the mountain air and smell the pine sap on your hands.
Box’s 17th Joe Pickett novel finds our game warden hero facing his most personal threat yet – the vengeful Cates family circling back like wolves at the edge of firelight. What makes this audiobook special is how Chandler’s performance amplifies Box’s greatest strength: his ability to make the land itself a character. When Chandler describes the ‘snow and timber’ where those ominous figures move, you don’t just hear it – you’re transported there, boots crunching on frost, breath visible in the cold air. It’s the same immersive quality I cherish in great travel writing, where place becomes destiny.
The narration shines brightest in the tense standoffs, Chandler’s voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that had me gripping my steering wheel tighter on those mountain passes. His portrayal of Dallas Cates – all smarmy charm covering reptilian calculation – is particularly chilling. Yet he’s equally adept at capturing the quiet moments, like Joe’s tender interactions with his daughters, reminding us what’s truly at stake.
As someone who’s spent nights in remote ranger stations, I can attest to how perfectly Box (through Chandler) captures the isolation and vulnerability of wilderness law enforcement. There’s a scene where Joe watches headlights approach his darkened home that evoked visceral memories of my own nights in Patagonia, listening for puma sounds outside my tent. The audiobook format intensifies this atmospheric dread – you’re alone with Joe’s thoughts as the threat closes in.
Chandler’s pacing deserves special praise. He understands the Western cadence of Box’s dialogue, letting silences linger like snow piling on a fencepost. His delivery of Nate Romanowski’s lines – equal parts Zen and menace – makes the falconer-philosopher leap from the audio. The action sequences build with perfect rhythm, from the initial ominous circling plane to the explosive final confrontation.
If I have one critique, it’s that Chandler’s female voices occasionally blend together. But this is minor compared to his masterful handling of the book’s central theme: how violence begets violence in an endless cycle, like a forest fire jumping from ridge to ridge. His narration makes you feel the weight of every choice, every moral compromise.
For fans of Craig Johnson’s Longmire series or Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch novels, this audiobook offers a similarly rich blend of wilderness authenticity and human drama. But Box’s particular gift – amplified by Chandler – is making the natural world feel both breathtakingly beautiful and quietly lethal. Listening to Vicious Circle, I kept thinking of a grizzly I once watched from a safe distance – magnificent until the moment it decides you’re a threat.
The production quality is excellent, with crisp audio that captures every nuance. At just under 10 hours, it’s perfect for a long road trip through big country – though fair warning, you might find yourself checking your rearview mirror more often. Recorded Books has delivered another stellar production that honors Box’s gritty realism.
What stays with me most is how Chandler’s narration makes the land itself a moral force in the story. The Wyoming wilderness isn’t just a backdrop – it’s a judge, testing each character’s mettle. By the final chapter, you’ll feel like you’ve ridden every mile with Joe, your muscles sore from tension, your conscience weighed down by hard choices. That’s the mark of great crime fiction – and even better audiobook storytelling.
Until our next literary adventure, keep your boots dusty and your stories bold.
Marcus Rivera
