Series: Virgil Flowers
(#3)
Publisher: Putnam
Adult
Publication Date: September 29, 2009
Publication Date: September 29, 2009
Review: A small resort town in northern Minnesota gets a shock when one of its
guests, Erica McDill, is shot in the head during a kayaking outing. McDill is a
prominent advertising executive, from the Twin Cities, whose death precedes a
large transition in her company that would make her the largest stockholder.
Virgil Flowers is fishing with a friend when he
receives a call from his boss, Lucas Davenport. With that, his vacation comes
to an end and he makes his way to the scene of McDill's murder. You see, Virgil
is an investigator for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) who only
tackles "the hard stuff". He doesn't fit the investigator
stereotypes. Rather, he keeps his blond hair long, wears t-shirts with logos of
obscure bands, and finishes off the ensemble with blue jeans and boots. Despite
his unusual appearance, Virgil is known for getting results.
The investigation takes an unusual turn when
Virgil learns that the resort is an all women's establishment. His fears are
confirmed when boot tracks, from an expensive women's shoe company, are
discovered in the mud near the murder site. Quickly, Virgil is immersed into
the small town and its lesbian subculture. With the possibility of past murders
connecting to the death of McDill, and the ever growing threat of more
violence, Virgil struggles to keep his own emotions in check as he searches for
the mysterious killer.
I've been a fan of John Sandford's Virgil
Flowers series since reading the first book, Dark of The Moon. There is
something very appealing about Virgil's oddball behavior and fantastic instincts.
As always, Sandford keeps his writing simple and accessible. More so than the
previous novels, however, Rough Country felt a little slower and less important
than the other two. The opening portion in particular seemed a bit overlong.
How long can you really wander through the woods before losing your audience.
Fortunately, just as I was wondering when the book would pick up, Sandford
introduced a new thread to the mystery that propelled the novel to a solid
ending. The plot of this story doesn't allow as much time to spend learning
about this interesting character, but the mystery itself is strong enough to
make Rough Country worth the read and to make me eager to continue this series.
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