Dark of the Moon (Virgil Flowers Series #1)

Best of John Sanford

I have always been first in line for all Lucas Davenport books for a long time. I haven't read the plot outline on the jacket for the last 15 books, just take for granted it will live up to my expectations. When I realized this book was about another character, Virgil Flowers, I didn't hesitate but jumped right in. Of course this novel proved to be another score for Sanford. I really like Virgil and his cool, laidback approach to law inforcement. Can hardly wait for the next in this exciting series.

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

I loved this book!

I thought that this book was worth the read. I found it thoroughly entertaining and looked forward to reading the whole thing. I am excited to finish the series!

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

To look at him nobody would believe that Virgil Flowers is a police officer one of Lucas Davenport¿s best (see INVISIBLE PREY for the case in which Flowers assisted the Minnesota Bureau of Crime Apprehension Chief). He wears casual clothing, has long hair, looks younger than his years and has a breezy amiable manner which enables him to make friends easily. He is on his way to Bluestem, Minnesota to investigate the deaths of the octogenarian Gleasons, who apparently knew their killer.----------------- As he enters the town he sees a house belonging to the recently deceased wealthy Bill Judd. The sheriff asks Virgil to help him with the Judd murder another eighty-something year old person killed in a horrendous fashion. Judd scammed the townsfolk with a pyramid scheme making millions so he had plenty of enemies. In a town where murder almost never occurs three in a short period of time doesn¿t strike Flowers as coincidental especially the age of the victims. When another couple also in their eighties is killed, Flower is certain that there is a methodical organized sociopath killer hiding in plain sight. During the course of his investigations he discovers a meth lab, a mole in the police department, and a church dealing with criminals. For one independent police officer he finds himself involved with a serial killer, townsfolk, the sheriff, a lover and the dead all lead him to the killer if he is clever to find the link.-------------- John Sandford¿s latest protagonist is an adrenaline junkie living on the edge but within the rules of an excellent police officer. Flower deserves his own series because his style and methods is as good as his boss Lucas Davenport even though there are ying and yang. There are many different mysteries that tie into the storyline and they are easy to follow although the reader will be perplexed until the very last page of a very fine and exciting police procedural.----------- Harriet Klausner

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Dark of the Moon by John Sandford

You cannot go wrong when you choose any of John Sandford's books. His 'Prey' series is without a doubt one of the best crime novel series I have ever read. Dark of the Moon presents Virgil Flowers as the pursuing investigator and is equally as riveting in character development, plot and edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting moments. I highly recommend this book as a must read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

After reading 1-19 of the "Prey Series" by J.S. ...

I've just finished reading 1-19 of the "Prey Series", switched to the Virgil Flowers series & found a different kind of J.S. hero. Virgil is more down-to-earth, seems to live a life less "on-the-edge" & relies more on relentless detective work than Lucas Davenport whose keen insight seems to guide him. BUT that's all part of Virgil's charm & why you so easily connect w/him.

The setting contrast made me wonder if it might be a constant in the Virgil series - the rural country cowboy cop vs the big city & often beset by politics cop - 2 types of law enforcement. It seems likely such a contrast would change the pace of the stories, but the always exciting J.S. pace wasn't lacking. The villians seemed less evil (psychotic), but that hardly feels like a valid point w/the number of dead bodies piled up around Virgil.

Time read on so I can stop speculating & comparing Virgil to Lucas ...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Dark of the moon

Very suspenseful..held my interest all throught the booki

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

New Detective Shines

I really liked the unusual setting of this mystery: a small town in southeastern Minnesota. Virgil Flowers is the type of anti-hero detective who's hard not to like. A stunning description of a shootout at a rural drug lord's house is definitely a highlight.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very good book

J.G. did it again. Hard put down and the story was well written.

One of Sanford's best. Check it out.

I love the Virgil Flowers series. If you read one...you will want the entire series. You will not be disappointed.

great

Don't stop here . Read 'em all!

Another Hit for John Sandford

John Sanford has been great with his Prey series following Lucas Davenport through his trials and tribulations. Now his sidekick Virgil Flowers takes center stage with this new series. Sandford develops this new main character from the prey series and gives the right tieback to the prey series while fully developing this new series. It's a great read, with good character development and an intriguing plot. If you like the prey series, you'll like this one too.

Great Reading

This is not part of his Prey series, but the writing is just as brilliant andstands out as an example of why John Sanford sells so many books every time he writes one.

As a fan of mystery/thriller novels, I am always looking for gre

As a fan of mystery/thriller novels, I am always looking for great new series to read. Despite numerous recommendations, I have never read a novel by John Sandford. To date, he has published 21 novels in his popular "Prey" series, but I decided to begin with his more recent series, featuring Virgil Flowers.

Flowers is not your run of the mill detective. He keeps his blonde hair at a surfer length, wears "band" t-shirts, and has a kind of bad boy reputation. Despite these quirks, Virgil Flowers knows how to get the job done. Three years ago, he was hired by Lucas Davenport of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to help solve "the hard stuff". When he gets sent to the small town of Bluestem to investigate the gruesome murder of a local doctor and his wife, he is thrust into the center of the "hardest" one he has ever faced.

Upon his arrival, Virgil witnesses the home of Bill Judd Sr. explode into flames, killing the local business man and leaving Flowers to believe that the apparent arson, now murder, is connected to the town's other recent events. With the assistance of the young Bluestem Sheriff, Jim Stryker, who is desperately seeking the approval of the town for reelection, Flowers uncovers a decades old conspiracy of financial fraud, lustful infidelity and a possible drug operation that threatens to rock the sleepy town. Add to all of this a psychotic serial killer, and you've got one exciting novel.

John Sandford seems to have found the perfect balance of plot, character, and setting that makes his novel compulsively engaging. In Virgil Flowers, Sandford has imagined an oddball protagonist that you can't help but root for. Sandford's simple prose keeps the story moving while still providing enough description to give the reader a sense of the small town setting. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but the clever twists and interesting characters make this novel worth reading. I look forward to encountering this character in the other four novels in this series. After reading this, I have to agree that John Sandford produces strong thrillers. Perhaps I will try to tackle the 21 volume "Prey" series in the near future.

John Sandford and Virgil Flowers.....WhooHoo!

Virgil Flowers is one strange cop dude who knows how to solve the big puzzles. Good read, good action. John Sandford knows how to write a thriller.

Silverfern

I'll come, Artemis. *gets to her paws and pads into the woods*

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

?

Hey is there someone here named rosekit?

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Intriguing

The small town mystery is full of twists and turns, but the hero, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Virgil Flowers, makes this novel a great read. I can't wait to see where Sandford takes Flowers next.

check it out

Virgil Flowers is a great character, This is a good buy if you like detective/ mystery novels,

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

5 stars - highly recommended

This is a book by an author who was very highly recommended to me. I love mysteries and especially ones with recurring characters. I'm glad I started with the Virgil Flowers series #1, and will continue to read more!
It's an easy read, and entertaining to boot.

one in a series -

i love series - love mysteries am reading Sandford series now and enjoy it -
main character is very smart and clever -