Small Plains, Kansas, January 23, 1987: In the midst of a deadly blizzard, eighteen-year-old Rex Shellenberger scours his father’s pasture, l...
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Feb 22, 2008
Joann
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On going to the library to find another book, I picked this book up at the suggestion of the library web page. This book was a sleeper. I mean I would have never thought it would be good. It was easy to read. It caught you in the first chapter. This is a story of a small town with grownups who were devious. I young boys life was altered severely because of their sins. Nancy Pickard is an author I would read again. I read mysteries often, but I did not figure it out until the plot was lai
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Mar 27, 2008
Jenna
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Eh, it was okay. I guess I could never forgive the book for it's first 30 pages. Ugh, awful. Teenage sexual angst is weird to begin with but when it's poorly written it's just downright uncomfortable. I felt like my mom wrote it, not quite remembering those teen feelings.
Then, Blammo! Page 30! Things get exciting!
So, I read and read and read but...the excitement drops off. Sigh. I put the book down for a week. Pick it up again, things get exciting! Then...well, repeat. More...
Then, Blammo! Page 30! Things get exciting!
So, I read and read and read but...the excitement drops off. Sigh. I put the book down for a week. Pick it up again, things get exciting! Then...well, repeat. More...
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Jan 16, 2009
The Virgin of Small Plains, by Nancy Pickard. A. Produced by BBC Audio Books America and purchased from Audio Editions. This is for discussion.
Abbie, who is 16, is very much in love with Mitch, who is 18 and getting ready to graduate from highschool in Small Plains, Kansas, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Abbie sneaks Mitch into her room where they are getting ready to make love for the first time, both of them still virgins. But Mitch doesn’t have a condom. So Abbey sends him More...
Abbie, who is 16, is very much in love with Mitch, who is 18 and getting ready to graduate from highschool in Small Plains, Kansas, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Abbie sneaks Mitch into her room where they are getting ready to make love for the first time, both of them still virgins. But Mitch doesn’t have a condom. So Abbey sends him More...
Jan 05, 2012
Christina Marie
rated it: 
This book is a mystery but not a detective piece. It is a small town full of deceit. Nancy Pickard does some interesting stuff with flashbacks. She has a knack for knowing exactly when to travel back to 1987 to reveal a smidgen of what really happened that we don't hear from our characters in present day.
The one thing that aggravated me was the character Abby's pet birds. I'm not an animal person, true, but usually I can read about characters who own dogs and cats and pigs and any More...
The one thing that aggravated me was the character Abby's pet birds. I'm not an animal person, true, but usually I can read about characters who own dogs and cats and pigs and any More...
May 21, 2011
Jennifer
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Brief Description: During a blizzard in a small Kansas town in January 1987, the body of a naked young woman is discovered. No one knows her identity, and she is buried in a simple grave. Over the years, she becomes known as the “Virgin of Small Plains,” and legend has it that visiting her grave can heal the sick. Long-time Small Plains resident Abby has never really questioned the story of the Virgin; she was more affected by the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend Mitch Newquist on the s
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Nov 05, 2010
Kristal
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On a cold, snowy night in January 1987, a series of events unfold that will forever change the lives of a whole town. A young girl is found dead in a pasture, with no one able to identify her. And her death remains unsolved for 17 years. Her death however brings a mystery upon the town and people from miles around drive to visit her grave, believing she can bring miracles to them from beyond the grave.
But the people who were teenagers at the time of her death are now adults and a se More...
But the people who were teenagers at the time of her death are now adults and a se More...
Feb 27, 2009
Samantha
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What a page turner! This book reads just like an episode of CBS' Cold Case, which I happen to love! In 1987 the body of a young woman is found naked and half buried in the snow on a farm. No one in town knows her and everyone pitches in and buys her a tombstone and the whole town gives her a proper funeral. In 2004, her grave has become legend and people from all across the country are traveling to see the woman's grave, now known as The Virgin. The Virgin is said to cure people from life-threat
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Feb 07, 2012
Jeannine
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All in all I enjoyed this book. The characters were pretty two-dimensional, but I wanted a good mystery, and a quick one, and usually the character development is limited in stories like these. I was ok with that. I choose books depending on my mood, and if I want an epic historical novel or a fast paced mystery will depend on how I am feeling.
I felt the pacing was perfect. The mystery of an unidentified girl found dead in a snow storm 17 years prior to the books opening set the fa More...
I felt the pacing was perfect. The mystery of an unidentified girl found dead in a snow storm 17 years prior to the books opening set the fa More...
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Jan 15, 2011
skein
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This is one of those fucking books in that new-ish fucking style what attempts to, I don't fucking know, take a goddamn murder mystery and make it EXCITING and FAST-PACED by totally screwing with the narrative linechanging p-o-v rapidly and skipping back-and-forth in time. And pretending to give you clues about whodunit that turn out to be not clues at all, haha, and weren't you a fool for thinking the psychopathic son did it?
That's got nothing to do with being a foolish, naive reader, go More...
That's got nothing to do with being a foolish, naive reader, go More...
Oct 25, 2009
Phair
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Only had a short time to read this before a f2f mystery discussion group so skimmed a lot of the second half. Went into it with low expectations as I hadn't thought much of the previous Pickard book I'd read- Secret Ingredient Murder. That one was a cozyish mystery based on a character originated by Virginia Rich. We had read it because of the Rhode Island setting and I felt Pickard had really missed the mark on describing Rhode Island. It was all surface name-dropping and no real feeling for
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Apr 20, 2009
Nikki
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As part of my A Mystery for Every State project, I picked up THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS by Nancy Pickard. I must be the last mystery reader who hadn't already read this terrific book -- even my daughter, who normally reads only mysteries with knitting or vampires, raved about it -- and there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. It definitely satisfied my standards for a great regional mystery -- besides fascinating characters and a plot full of surprises, there is a real feel for
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Jan 15, 2011
Dora
rated it:
Google Books recommended this to me because I just finished Gillian Flynn's novel, and they both are about characters revisiting a cold-case murder that happened in Kansas in the 80s. The books had similar themes, but in my opinion, Pickard's book demonstrates exactly what makes Flynn such a superior writer.
Virgin of Small Plains was a great murder mystery, it kept me thinking and intrigued until the end. But the writing was kind of boring and the characters were completely flat. I'm s More...
Virgin of Small Plains was a great murder mystery, it kept me thinking and intrigued until the end. But the writing was kind of boring and the characters were completely flat. I'm s More...
Jan 10, 2009
Emily
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The book is about an event that happened in a small town seventeen years ago and then modern day. The chapters go back and forth between times, but start with dates so you understand what time you are reading about. The story revolves around the discovery of a dead body in a field and how the three main families in the story are effected by this discovery. After the evening of discover Mitch disappears from town and doesn't return until seventeen years later the other part of the book. Being reu
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Jun 12, 2009
Kani
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I chose this because it takes place on the plains of Kansas; in fact, in one of the few Tall Grass Prairie plains areas still extant, and loved the descriptions of that special kind of country wilderness. And that dramatic open grasslands weather which, if you didn't know better, would sound like literary convention; but let me assure you can be and has been truly depicted in its mercurial violence. The story itself was somewhat annoying in our characters' collective inability to speak out and
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Nov 10, 2010
Micah
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This book surprised me with its twists. It opens with a teenage boy, Mitch, hiding in his girlfriend's dad's medical closet as he witnesses grown men beat a murder victim's face with a bat so that she will never be identified. The next day, Mitch disappears, rushed out of town by his father who fears what will happen to him if anyone discovers he witnessed this crime...
Then the twists start coming, and they start coming fast. 17 years later, it seems that everyone but Mitch knows the gi More...
Then the twists start coming, and they start coming fast. 17 years later, it seems that everyone but Mitch knows the gi More...
Apr 11, 2010
Judy
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I read Nancy Pickard's mystery series featuring Jenny Cain years ago, and really liked the writing and the characters. I picked this book up because I like her writing so much, and was happy to discover that it has matured and deepened.
This is the story of something that happened in the past, in a small town, and how it affected some of the people in it. Although the second part of the title is "A Novel of Suspanse," I think that's misleading. You could call it a myster More...
This is the story of something that happened in the past, in a small town, and how it affected some of the people in it. Although the second part of the title is "A Novel of Suspanse," I think that's misleading. You could call it a myster More...
Jul 26, 2011
Stacy
rated it:
I enjoyed this book. Do I think it was a literary masterpiece? No. But, do I think it was something to be consigned to the ash heap? No. I thought that the story was well told, I liked how it switched back and forth from 1986/1987 to 2004. I liked the way it wrapped up and I liked that there was an element of suspense to it. I did figure out some of the ending well before the book finished, and I felt like through a fair amount of the book, I was just waiting for them to get to the ending and to
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Oct 10, 2010
Stina
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Book #18 for 2010. Having grown up in the rural KC area and been 16 in early 1987, I felt like I was being transported back in time while reading this book! The timeline transitions really were handled beautifully, as were the shifts in perspective. It really gave me a lot to wonder about, thinking back on how I perceived my world in 1987 and what I might discover if I decided to explore them in today's world.
For the most part, this is a cold case mystery, but Pickard has imbued it More...
For the most part, this is a cold case mystery, but Pickard has imbued it More...
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Feb 11, 2011
Crystal
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I have been looking forward to reading this book for quit a while. I had not read anything written by Nancy Pickard before, but the short synopsis on the back sounded so intriguing,. In addition, the book is a group read for my book club, 1001 Five Star Books.
It turns out I enjoyed the book very much. The Virgin of Small Plains is a story about how often people residing in a small community live in fear and can lock secrets in for their entire lives all for the sake of protecting t More...
It turns out I enjoyed the book very much. The Virgin of Small Plains is a story about how often people residing in a small community live in fear and can lock secrets in for their entire lives all for the sake of protecting t More...
May 09, 2011
Julia
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Virgin of Small Plains is filled with an ensemble small town cast that can both keep secrets and have long memories. Seventeen years earlier, the body of a young woman is found out in the snow. Unidentified, the town raises money for a funeral and gravestone. People say that in her gratitude, the virgin performs miracles who come to her grave. Childhood friends Abby Reynolds, Rex Schellenberger and Mitch Newquist are reunited when Mitch returns to town a few months after his mother's death. His
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Jun 01, 2010
Susan
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I loved Nancy Pickard's Marie Lightfoot series (and was disappointed there weren't more than three! Publishing is a screwy business!), so I was anxious to read THE VIRGIN OF THE SMALL PLAINS. I knew it had garnered lots of awards and nominations in the mystery world; and, with her latest, THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING, being a B&N book club pick, I figured I'd better get to reading VIRGIN before I read SCENT. I normally don't like multiple viewpoints, which is how this book is told, but it
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Feb 26, 2009
Darla
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Again, another Book Club read. This my first time reading Pickard, I have met her and she is a sweetie. I really wanted to like this book. I was able to relate to the description of the Kansas plains and the small town feel. I was so looking forward to reading a book set in Kansas, but...the story. Oh my. It had more romance than I expected and less character development than I needed. A very tidy ending, all's well and perfect in the end. Don't get me wrong, I like a good ending as much a
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Mar 10, 2011
Donna
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This was my second book by Nancy Pickard. It was a mystery of sorts going back and forth between 1987 and the discovery of a young girls dead body in a frozen field to 2004 and the resurfacing of the event when an older woman is found dead in a frozen cemetery. I liked the author's character development with uncovered details appearing suddenly to keep you reading. I thought I had figured out the details at different times, thinking that this person or that person was responsible for the youn
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Jan 06, 2011
Jen
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I thought this book had a lot of really high points but a couple of low points. I thought the mystery around this story was very well written, using varying points of view to gradually unlayer the truth of the story. I liked being able to see how differently each of the characters looked at what was going on and I have to admit, I didn't guess the outcome of the book until the author wanted me to, though I think I came close a few times.
On the other hand, I thought some of the descript More...
On the other hand, I thought some of the descript More...
Jul 04, 2010
Vicki
rated it:
First of all, judging by the extreme weather in the book, I am never going to Kansas....
This is the second book I have read by Nancy Pickard, I absolutely loved The Scent of Rain and Lightning. Like that one, The Virgin of Small Plains is a small town mystery that kept me guessing throughout the whole book. Set in Small Plains Kansas, 17 years after a woman is found dead in the snow, the crime is revisited. The buried past emerges and the lives of several people will be changed fo More...
This is the second book I have read by Nancy Pickard, I absolutely loved The Scent of Rain and Lightning. Like that one, The Virgin of Small Plains is a small town mystery that kept me guessing throughout the whole book. Set in Small Plains Kansas, 17 years after a woman is found dead in the snow, the crime is revisited. The buried past emerges and the lives of several people will be changed fo More...
Dec 06, 2010
Jeanne
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I recently read The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard. I enjoyed that, so I looked for other books by the author. Like Scent of Rain and Lightning, this is a book about a cold case. In 1987 the nude body of a beautiful young woman is found in a pasture during a blizzard. This event changes the lives of several people in the town of Small Plains, Kansas. The body is never officially identified and is buried in a grave with no name. The town confers the qualities of a saint on this
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Jan 20, 2010
Briana
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The Virgin of Small Plains had the potential to be a great story, but did anyone else find it rather predictable? While it could have been a great story, I felt that it only fell into the "good" category since you could see (in my opinion anyway) who the guilty party was long before the end. Not that that is a problem if the author has other tricks up their sleeve to keep the reader entertained. But something about this just fell flat. I got the impression that the author was tryin
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Oct 04, 2010
In January,1987 an event happened in a small town that changed the lives of 3 friends from three families.Life in a small town allows little privacy ,rumors begin and grow to almost become fact inviting the public to visit the shrine of "The Virgin" seeking miracles.After seventeen years that myth is about to be challenged when Rex Shellenberger comes back to set things straight,regain his reputation,and shake up Small Plains.Debunking the myth is dangerous and someone is about to die
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May 09, 2010
Erin
rated it:
Solid suspense novel. Nothing overly exceptional, but it kept me interested in the mystery, which was this: who is the young girl found dead and naked in the Kansas snow back in 1987? And why is it that the people who can identify her choose not to, leaving her unidentified and simply known for 18 years as The Virgin of Small Plains, thought by many to be a guardian angel? The book cuts between the night the Virgin is found dead to 18 years later when the answers start coming to light. There
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Nov 27, 2009
Diane
rated it:
It's not among the most beautifully written books I have ever read, but it IS a compelling story that kept my interest right up to the end. When Rex and his father and brother find a dead girl in their pasture, and a cover-up follows, life in Small Plains, Kansas is never quite the same. The day after the gruesome discovery, Mitch, Abby's high school sweetheart, unexpectedly leaves town and doesn't return for 17 years. Many prominent townspeople are involved in keeping secrets about the death
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