Series: Virgil Flowers
(#2)
Publisher: Putnam
Adult
Publication Date: September 23, 2008
Publication Date: September 23, 2008
Summary: Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliant
suspense that have always made his books "compulsively readable" (Los Angeles Times), this is Sandford
writing at the top of his game.
Review: Someone is killing Vietnam War Veterans. Each time, the deceased man is
left at a veteran's memorial with a lemon in his mouth. After two of these
murders, it is clear to Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator,
Lucas Davenport, that there is a connection. Unable to devote his own skills,
(Davenport is featured in Sandford's "Prey" series), he calls in the
only man who can clean up the mess. It is time to call in the man he hired to
solve "the hard stuff".
Enter Virgil Flowers, the thirty something
detective, whose quirky, off the cuff reputation is as well known as his
ability to solve the cases that no one else can. To say Flowers doesn't fit the
standard law enforcement mold would be an understatement. He keeps is blond
hair at shoulder length, wears rock band t-shirts and cowboy boots,
occasionally writes for national outdoors magazines, and keeps in contact with
various women and ex-wives, all of whom he has fallen in love with. Despite all
of this apparent baggage, Flowers gets the job done, and he does it well. As he
begins investigating the deaths of the veterans, he realizes that they are
being killed professionally, as if they are each being checked off of a list.
When he discovers the connections, he is immersed in a global conspiracy dating
back to the time of the war.
There is no denying Sandford's ability to
create riveting mysteries with relatable characters. He writes with an urgency
that keeps the plot moving, never allowing the suspense to ease. As I read, I
continued to be sucked deeper into the mystery as each twist and turn was
unveiled. Virgil Flowers has a charismatic everyman charm that forced me to
root for him. It has been almost a year since I read the first Virgil Flowers
novel, and I forgot how much I enjoyed the world that Sandford has provided.
There is a kind of timelessness to the story that will surely appeal to any
mystery fans. With two solid novels, this series is quickly becoming my new
favorite!
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