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cpalisa's review
5.0
4.5 stars...maybe a smidge lower, but I love Virgil so it's hard to critique! This one took me a little longer than usual to get in to, but once I did, I loved it. It kept you guessing for quite a while and, as always, was full of clever dialogue. Plus, Jenkins and Shrake! Yay!
elfington's review
4.0
About as heartwarming as a John Sandford murder mystery can get. Virgil continues to think about religion as he falls asleep while a fake Virgin Mary sighting saves a town from the fate of most small, rural towns who the freeway has passed by. But of course there's a dark side, which manifests in a series of shootings.
Less an edge of your seat who-done-it, more of a slice of life in a small town with "that fucking Flowers" in the middle as usual. Four stars for the readability and the series over all, not necessarily for the mystery.
Less an edge of your seat who-done-it, more of a slice of life in a small town with "that fucking Flowers" in the middle as usual. Four stars for the readability and the series over all, not necessarily for the mystery.
nsa101's review
3.0
When writing a review, a wise woman once told me to review the book you read, not the book you wish the author had written. I am a huge John Sanford fan and have been along for the ride with Virgil Flowers. That f****** Flowers is still the laid back, go with the flow detective that we have grown to know and love. He still ropes in Jenkins and Shrake when the going gets tough and has finally started to settle down with Frankie.
What was lacking for me throughout the book was fast paced plot line. Virgil finds himself in Wheatfield, MN investigating a series of shootings. This is a small town with not a lot going on and although we are introduced to some interesting characters, not a lot happens until the later half of the book. I can usually fly through a John Sanford novel in one or two days, but I found myself getting distracted easily. I rated it a 3 (probably could be (3.5 stars) and I will continue to keep up with Virgil in the next book that comes out but this one was just OK for me.
What was lacking for me throughout the book was fast paced plot line. Virgil finds himself in Wheatfield, MN investigating a series of shootings. This is a small town with not a lot going on and although we are introduced to some interesting characters, not a lot happens until the later half of the book. I can usually fly through a John Sanford novel in one or two days, but I found myself getting distracted easily. I rated it a 3 (probably could be (3.5 stars) and I will continue to keep up with Virgil in the next book that comes out but this one was just OK for me.
sci_mom's review against another edition
2.0
I love John Sandford. I love Virgil Flowers. Unfortunately, it didn't feel like either Sandford or Flowers were present for the telling. There were several holes in the plot and chicken pot pies were used as filler. This is the first Sandford book I've read that I gave less than 3 stars, so I'll keep reading them, but this one was not worth the time or effort.
trash_reader_'s review against another edition
medium-paced
3.5
I don't think listening to the audiobooks is a very good idea for me. This was such an interesting story but I feel like I would have been more invested had I been reading the physical copy. There was just so much going on. This is another one I'll have to visit again in the future.
sde's review against another edition
2.0
This was not my favorite Virgil Flowers book, but maybe because I was anticipating too much. A story that began with a Virgin Mary apparition in small town Minnesota was a great premise, but it was a really cursory part of the story. I would have liked more description of who was attracted to the town due to the apparition and how it changed the town. All the visitors in town could have led to more twists in the story than there were.
The story was a bit plodding and too many rather annoying male characters who were often ogling women. The side story crime of
The story was a bit plodding and too many rather annoying male characters who were often ogling women. The side story crime of
Spoiler
someone stealing a trailer of Legos worth a million dollars was a lot of fun, though.whiskers_and_lipstick's review against another edition
3.0
"That F***ing Flowers!"
A harmless scheme to revive a small town leads to 4 murders and multiple injuries. No worries, Flowers, Jenkins, and Shrake are on the case. And our favorite MN BCU agents are joined by a motley crew of nosey locals to solve a string of shootings seemingly connected to a sighting of the Virgin Mary at a church in Wheatfield, MN.
One of my favorite aspects of the VF series was the intricate mysteries that seem only suited for small-isolated towns and a brilliant (albeit accidentally) protagonist. Holy Ghost delivers on much of what you would expect from a longstanding crime procedural: consistent format, characters that you are connected with, and an easy read. Fans of the series can expect the essence of Flowers, the ease with which he can connect with the people in the towns he works, and the lightheartedness and humor that doesn't fit in a Lucas Davenport novel to shine in this next installment.
What is lacking is the plot. What presented as such an interesting concept ended up being an afterthought. Holy Ghost lacks the creativity and pull of previous novels in the series and left me feeling like Flowers is running out of steam.
Final Opinion: The VF series may be creeping towards its close, but the 11th installment is a solid quick read.
A harmless scheme to revive a small town leads to 4 murders and multiple injuries. No worries, Flowers, Jenkins, and Shrake are on the case. And our favorite MN BCU agents are joined by a motley crew of nosey locals to solve a string of shootings seemingly connected to a sighting of the Virgin Mary at a church in Wheatfield, MN.
One of my favorite aspects of the VF series was the intricate mysteries that seem only suited for small-isolated towns and a brilliant (albeit accidentally) protagonist. Holy Ghost delivers on much of what you would expect from a longstanding crime procedural: consistent format, characters that you are connected with, and an easy read. Fans of the series can expect the essence of Flowers, the ease with which he can connect with the people in the towns he works, and the lightheartedness and humor that doesn't fit in a Lucas Davenport novel to shine in this next installment.
What is lacking is the plot. What presented as such an interesting concept ended up being an afterthought. Holy Ghost lacks the creativity and pull of previous novels in the series and left me feeling like Flowers is running out of steam.
Final Opinion: The VF series may be creeping towards its close, but the 11th installment is a solid quick read.
bookhawk's review
5.0
John Sandford is my favorite author. He does such a great job creating interesting likable characters, building a mystery and adding humor to a story. It is so disappointing that more people have not discovered him. He is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa where I live but so many people from here or Iowa generally have not heard of him.
The Virgil Flowers series continues to be excellent. If you like Micheal Connelly, you will enjoy Sandford and this book. Highly, highly recommended reading.
The Virgil Flowers series continues to be excellent. If you like Micheal Connelly, you will enjoy Sandford and this book. Highly, highly recommended reading.