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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
A good mystery and I'm always look forward to reading a Virgil Flowers book. I don't think this one was his best, but his characters are always so unique and real. Now, I want me some chicken pot pie.
‘Honest to God, what is the world coming to?’
Wheatfield, Minnesota, is one of those small towns teetering on the edge of oblivion. A small town with a declining population, probably down to around 650, located off the main highway. Why would anyone need or want to visit? But then a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared at St Mary’s Catholic Church in front of the congregation of worshippers, some of whom take photographs. And when the Virgin appeared a second time, well Wheatfield was on the map. Religious tourists descended on the town. Accommodation was at a premium, business was booming.
What could possibly go wrong? How about a series of shootings followed by several murders? Wardell Holland, the Mayor, whose successful campaign slogans included ‘I’ll Do What I Can’, calls in Virgil Flowers from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Shootings and murders were not part of his plan for putting Wheatfield back on the map.
So, who is behind the shootings and murders, and why? It seems like plenty of people have both the equipment and the opportunity, but motive? And where are the clues that usually help an investigator solve such crimes? In his search for answers, Virgil Flowers has some humorous conversations with some very interesting characters.
Virgil Flowers is an unorthodox crime investigator, he’s quite happy to speculate about what might be happening as part of his information gathering. He’s also happy to involve the locals if this might help him flush out the criminals. Unconventional, but ultimately effective. There’s some great dialogue, some interesting characters (meet John Jacob Skinner), and more than I need to know about the awfulness of diner food and chicken pot pies.
This novel held my attention from beginning to end. This is the eleventh novel in John Sanford’s Virgil Flowers series. It is the first I’ve read (and it reads fine as a standalone novel), but I’ll be looking out for some of the earlier ones.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Wheatfield, Minnesota, is one of those small towns teetering on the edge of oblivion. A small town with a declining population, probably down to around 650, located off the main highway. Why would anyone need or want to visit? But then a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared at St Mary’s Catholic Church in front of the congregation of worshippers, some of whom take photographs. And when the Virgin appeared a second time, well Wheatfield was on the map. Religious tourists descended on the town. Accommodation was at a premium, business was booming.
What could possibly go wrong? How about a series of shootings followed by several murders? Wardell Holland, the Mayor, whose successful campaign slogans included ‘I’ll Do What I Can’, calls in Virgil Flowers from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Shootings and murders were not part of his plan for putting Wheatfield back on the map.
So, who is behind the shootings and murders, and why? It seems like plenty of people have both the equipment and the opportunity, but motive? And where are the clues that usually help an investigator solve such crimes? In his search for answers, Virgil Flowers has some humorous conversations with some very interesting characters.
Virgil Flowers is an unorthodox crime investigator, he’s quite happy to speculate about what might be happening as part of his information gathering. He’s also happy to involve the locals if this might help him flush out the criminals. Unconventional, but ultimately effective. There’s some great dialogue, some interesting characters (meet John Jacob Skinner), and more than I need to know about the awfulness of diner food and chicken pot pies.
This novel held my attention from beginning to end. This is the eleventh novel in John Sanford’s Virgil Flowers series. It is the first I’ve read (and it reads fine as a standalone novel), but I’ll be looking out for some of the earlier ones.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Great Sanford story. Amazing that Flowers is every bit as good as Davenport. Smart, fun mystery. Loved it.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy of this book. I am a big fan of this series, and appreciate not needing to wait for a copy, which I surely would get when available.
What I love most about the Virgil Flowers series are the characters, especially Virgil himself., a lawman from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The humor in their banter makes the actual plot less important; it's almost just there to provide a vehicle for the character's interactions. But in this one, the plot seems to be more upfront and involved. But don't despair - there's plenty of the banter, too.
A new character, a local 17 year old high-school kid named Skinner who is too smart for the small town, provides a lot of interest and humor to the story; I hope he returns in later episodes. He didn't like cops too much to start with because of a local cop from a few year previous who used to give him a hard time; the cop would pull him over every time he was out driving with a girlfriend, yank him out of his car, and yell at him. At first, Virgil felt sorry for the kid, until he found out Skinner usually had an open beer.... and he was twelve at the time.
Skinner is definitely no dummy, though. He comes up with a way to make money for himself, his buddy the mayor, and the town as a whole during a steady decline in the town's prosperity, such as it is. He and the mayor, whose favorite past-time is shooting flies in his trailer, fabricate a Virgin Mary sighting at the local church, which brings in a lot of outsiders hoping to catch sight of her.. This actually works out well until people start getting shot outside the church, and this is what brings Virgil into the story. The Mayor and Skinner are especially motivated to solve the case, as it promises to spoil their money-making scheme. And so, this sets up the story and gives lots of opportunities for humor as Virgil, the mayor, and Skinner all work together to solve the mystery.
I have really come to love this series, after reading all of the available books. I will beg, borrow, or steal any of the series, and might even read some twice. If you've ever seen the TV series "Justified" and liked it, you will probably like this series, too.
What I love most about the Virgil Flowers series are the characters, especially Virgil himself., a lawman from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The humor in their banter makes the actual plot less important; it's almost just there to provide a vehicle for the character's interactions. But in this one, the plot seems to be more upfront and involved. But don't despair - there's plenty of the banter, too.
A new character, a local 17 year old high-school kid named Skinner who is too smart for the small town, provides a lot of interest and humor to the story; I hope he returns in later episodes. He didn't like cops too much to start with because of a local cop from a few year previous who used to give him a hard time; the cop would pull him over every time he was out driving with a girlfriend, yank him out of his car, and yell at him. At first, Virgil felt sorry for the kid, until he found out Skinner usually had an open beer.... and he was twelve at the time.
Skinner is definitely no dummy, though. He comes up with a way to make money for himself, his buddy the mayor, and the town as a whole during a steady decline in the town's prosperity, such as it is. He and the mayor, whose favorite past-time is shooting flies in his trailer, fabricate a Virgin Mary sighting at the local church, which brings in a lot of outsiders hoping to catch sight of her.. This actually works out well until people start getting shot outside the church, and this is what brings Virgil into the story. The Mayor and Skinner are especially motivated to solve the case, as it promises to spoil their money-making scheme. And so, this sets up the story and gives lots of opportunities for humor as Virgil, the mayor, and Skinner all work together to solve the mystery.
I have really come to love this series, after reading all of the available books. I will beg, borrow, or steal any of the series, and might even read some twice. If you've ever seen the TV series "Justified" and liked it, you will probably like this series, too.
mysterious
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This is an audio book that kept me entrons my road trip.
Excellent!
One if the best Virgil Flower novels, IMHO...
Complexly plotted, great dialog, and very real characters.
I swear to God I don't know what I'm going to do if Sandford ever retires!
One if the best Virgil Flower novels, IMHO...
Complexly plotted, great dialog, and very real characters.
I swear to God I don't know what I'm going to do if Sandford ever retires!