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raeanneth's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
minneapolismerk's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Though the crimes in this book were particularly unpleasant, Virgil is a great character and I always enjoy his investigative methods. As always with this series, the plot was compelling and the rural Minnesota setting well described. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by Eric Conger who has really improved since the first book and now adds to the experience.
gbdill's review against another edition
4.0
Overall, a good read. Detective Virgil infiltrates a centuries old cult and discovers many egregious acts in order to solve a cold murder case and several new ones. Easy to read, fast paced, well written. Looking for an entertaining easy read? Try Bad Blood out by John Sandford.
kgentry4's review against another edition
3.0
This one was borderline upsetting as far as story line goes. It was interesting, but almost "too much" on the shock value scale.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
1.0
It's one star because of the topic.
It's one star because of the secondary plot--Coakley & Virgil--tastelessly running parallel to the main plot.
Again, overly long and stunning that it takes law enforcement this long to figure it out.
Also, I know I'm not the only one to notice the dropping of name brands.
Edit 12/30/23: Well, I've just learned that all of these witty "dedications" are to collaborators, not mere friends. I am sorely disappointed. How much of this is actually Sandford's work? Not very much. Sandford (Camp) admits in this article that the tonesof the novels are set by his collaborators, who also invent the characters and lay out the "fundamental part."
https://www.twincities.com/2012/09/29... (less)
It's one star because of the secondary plot--Coakley & Virgil--tastelessly running parallel to the main plot.
Again, overly long and stunning that it takes law enforcement this long to figure it out.
Also, I know I'm not the only one to notice the dropping of name brands.
Edit 12/30/23: Well, I've just learned that all of these witty "dedications" are to collaborators, not mere friends. I am sorely disappointed. How much of this is actually Sandford's work? Not very much. Sandford (Camp) admits in this article that the tonesof the novels are set by his collaborators, who also invent the characters and lay out the "fundamental part."
https://www.twincities.com/2012/09/29... (less)
dotorsojak's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
Not the best Virgil Flowers, but a good one. The who, what, when, how of the first murders are all answered in the first few chapters, which is kind of cool.
The daughters of one of the murdered men are secondary or even tertiary characters, yet they are drawn well and I wished I could've heard more about them. The widow, their mother, is less interesting. Lots of religion here and one almost expects JS (Sandford) to draw the connection between the religious nuts in this book and the Church of Latter Day Saints, but he never does. Along this line of speculation I wondered in reading if JS's basic idea for the bad guys was influenced by the Oneida Community, the 19th century group with the unusual sexual practices.
This is a disturbing portrait of religion and sexuality (and violence). I'm not sure the obligatory violent ending really does justice to some of the issues JS raises. The bad people here are really, really bad, and the creation of villains is undoubtedly something JS excells at. On the other hand, even though the villains get theirs, I'm not sure the condign revenge works best for this novel. For example, Flowers doesn't usually solve his cases with guns, but here he does. Hmmm.
Not the best Virgil Flowers, but a good one. The who, what, when, how of the first murders are all answered in the first few chapters, which is kind of cool.
The daughters of one of the murdered men are secondary or even tertiary characters, yet they are drawn well and I wished I could've heard more about them. The widow, their mother, is less interesting. Lots of religion here and one almost expects JS (Sandford) to draw the connection between the religious nuts in this book and the Church of Latter Day Saints, but he never does. Along this line of speculation I wondered in reading if JS's basic idea for the bad guys was influenced by the Oneida Community, the 19th century group with the unusual sexual practices.
This is a disturbing portrait of religion and sexuality (and violence). I'm not sure the obligatory violent ending really does justice to some of the issues JS raises. The bad people here are really, really bad, and the creation of villains is undoubtedly something JS excells at. On the other hand, even though the villains get theirs, I'm not sure the condign revenge works best for this novel. For example, Flowers doesn't usually solve his cases with guns, but here he does. Hmmm.
bmangum's review against another edition
4.0
This book was hard to put down, but some of it was hard to get through. The horrible sex acts mentioned I could of gone without reading but the story overall is told extremely well!
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
This is not for the faint-hearted. Superbly disturbing and excellently told. Not my first John Sandford novel, but my first Virgil Flowers mystery. It won't be last, I know that. He stays the course when it comes to an investigation. He sort of eases around corners to get the job done and I like how he thinks, but I feel for him on this investigation.
He does meet an intriguing sheriff who works well with him. Virgil can be a bit rough around the edges when it comes to women. He made less than fab choices with his three wives, so he's taking a breather from commitment. But there's something about this sheriff. She doesn't take any crap. I like the way they are together.
I don't think it's key to read the books in order, but I will go back to the first one, DARK OF THE MOON.
The subject matter is grim and heart-breaking, but the story is excellent. Definite recommend.
He does meet an intriguing sheriff who works well with him. Virgil can be a bit rough around the edges when it comes to women. He made less than fab choices with his three wives, so he's taking a breather from commitment. But there's something about this sheriff. She doesn't take any crap. I like the way they are together.
I don't think it's key to read the books in order, but I will go back to the first one, DARK OF THE MOON.
The subject matter is grim and heart-breaking, but the story is excellent. Definite recommend.
lauconn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5