A high-octane action thriller by Wilbur Smith, first published in 2013. It is the second novel in the Hector Cross series, continuing the story that began in Those in Peril. Combining military action, terrorism, revenge, and international intrigue, the novel delivers the fast-paced adventure for which Smith is renowned.

Former SAS officer and private security expert Hector Cross has finally found happiness with his wife, Hazel Bannock, and they are expecting their first child. That peace is shattered when Hazel is the target of a brutal assassination attempt, leaving Hector convinced that enemies from his past have returned to destroy everything he loves.

Driven by grief and vengeance, Hector reunites his elite Cross Bow Security team and embarks on a globe-spanning hunt for those responsible. As the investigation unfolds, he discovers the conspiracy is even darker than he imagined. Old enemies, ruthless terrorists, and dangerous figures connected to the Bannock family converge in a deadly plot that stretches from London to the Middle East and deep into Africa. What begins as an act of revenge soon becomes a desperate mission to protect his infant daughter and prevent a far-reaching criminal empire from achieving its goals.

Packed with military operations, firefights, survival sequences, and exotic locations, Vicious Circle is one of Wilbur Smith's most action-oriented modern novels. While the book is known for its relentless pace and cinematic set pieces, it also contains scenes of extreme violence and brutality that may not suit all readers.