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Dark Of The Moon (Virgil Flowers #1)
Three murders in just as many weeks in the quiet rural town of Bluestream is unheard of. Its also no coincidence. And its not over: Detective Virgil Flowers is about to be pulled into the middle of a killers violent personal vendetta.
Paperback, 432 pages
Published
September 30th 2008
by Berkley
(first published 2004)
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Bethie Eaton
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Recommends it for:
fans of the Prey series by the same author
This book is pretty decent. Not as fast a read as the "Prey books". Lucas Davenport makes a few appearances in this one, but Detective Virgil Flowers with the BCS is the primary character. This one finds trouble wherever he goes. The story takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. It all begins with a murder and a fire to cover than murder. As the story progresses, more murders occur. I'll leave the review with that. I'm afraid I might give something away ...more
Fine John Sanford. What is fine John Sanford? Plain language tightly paced plot. Murder crime = homicide detective, now state bureau of criminal apprehension work to unravel and keep others from being killed. Winds up tighly towards the finish of the book. Not an overly amount of descriptive psychology, but some key, simple insights with the characters.
Now then, Dark of the Moon is Sanford's first in a so-far 2 book spin-off series with the chacter Virgil Flowers from Sanford's proli...more
Now then, Dark of the Moon is Sanford's first in a so-far 2 book spin-off series with the chacter Virgil Flowers from Sanford's proli...more
Good plot. Enough twists to keep it interesting. Sandford as usual does a good job of revealing the methodology of police work in this story. He seems to always have his main characters be larger than life. The characters that are just normal people are always secondary characters. Virgil Flowers, like his counterpart, Lucas Davenport, in another of Sandford's series, is a larger-than-life, superman-type hero. I guess we wouldn't enjoy reading his books if we were reading about ourselves. ...more
Dark of the Moon, by John Sanford, B-plus, narrated by Eric conger, produced by Penguin Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
This appears to be the first novel where Virgil Flowers is the main character. Although I haven’t read any of the Lucas Davenport series, Virgil seems to be a breakaway from the characters in that series. Davenport is Flowers’ supervisor at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, (BCA). Flowers is sent to a small Minnesota town called Blue Stem because a couple w...more
This appears to be the first novel where Virgil Flowers is the main character. Although I haven’t read any of the Lucas Davenport series, Virgil seems to be a breakaway from the characters in that series. Davenport is Flowers’ supervisor at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, (BCA). Flowers is sent to a small Minnesota town called Blue Stem because a couple w...more
Someone is killing people in Bluestem, Minnesota. And not in a nice way. In Dark of the Moon, Virgil Flowers, member of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), is called upon to investigate the murder of a doctor and his wife, but when a third brutal killing occurs, Virgil realizes there is a connection. As he investigates, and the bodies keep piling up, the evidence follows twisted roads in many directions and to every part of Bluestem, as the town itself becomes a critical part of his inve...more
i've read at least one other sanford, possibly more. this one from the back jacket: "three murders in a rural minnesota town plunge virgil flowers, an investigator for the bureau of criminal apprehension, into the middle of a killer's violent personal vendetta--one that's only just begun to take its toll."
just inside: "virgil flowers, introduced in...sanford's prey series, gets a chance to shine in his own....thrice-divorced "....little town of bluestem...
...more
just inside: "virgil flowers, introduced in...sanford's prey series, gets a chance to shine in his own....thrice-divorced "....little town of bluestem...
...more
With "Dark of the Moon" being my first ever John Sandford book, it took me a little bit to get used to his style of writing; but, once I started, I was hooked. Virgil Flowers is a member of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He is called in to Bluestem, MN to take a look at a murder that is a little bazaar. An elderly couple were shot in their home. The woman was killed while sitting on a coach in her living room, her husband was shot in the back and then shot in both eyes, and t...more
This was my first time "reading" Sanford and I thoroughly enjoyed this selection. Of course, when any story is set in a known local the reader tends to derive a bit more enjoyment from the story. This was no different and I had fun tracking the character's movements around Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities.
However, the gentlemen reading the story on the audio tape wasn't from Minnesota (or Iowa or South Dakota) and inadvertently mangled a couple of pronuciations. ...more
However, the gentlemen reading the story on the audio tape wasn't from Minnesota (or Iowa or South Dakota) and inadvertently mangled a couple of pronuciations. ...more
After reading as many Lucas Davenport novels as I can get my hands on, it was a no-brainer that I'd be interesting in reading about "That F***in' Flowers", a character that is at least mentioned (in that way) in each Davenport story I've read.
Virgil Flowers is not near the sleaze-ball that I thought he was from the other novels. It's not that I can recall him doing anything sleazy in the other stories, but that's the picture I had (probably something to do with "That ...more
Virgil Flowers is not near the sleaze-ball that I thought he was from the other novels. It's not that I can recall him doing anything sleazy in the other stories, but that's the picture I had (probably something to do with "That ...more
Virgil Flowers is every girl's dream cowboy cop - he's tall, lean, and wears band T-shirts. Brought in to the BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) by former colleague Lucas Davenport (of Sandford's Prey series) with the promise, "We'll only give you the hard stuff",he finds he excels at "the hard stuff".
In his first big case he finds himself in the small town of Bluestem, where everybody knows everybody. Arriving in town just in time to witness the biggest house i...more
In his first big case he finds himself in the small town of Bluestem, where everybody knows everybody. Arriving in town just in time to witness the biggest house i...more
This is the first in a series of crime procedurals starring the character Virgil Flowers. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it. I like the main character. The fact that he is a spinoff from another series that I haven't read doesn't detract from the story at all. I haven't read a crime novel in years and this was a good one with which to resume the genre. I'll definitely be continuing the series.
My only complaint is that I read this book in electronic format using Nook software from B...more
My only complaint is that I read this book in electronic format using Nook software from B...more
As a long-time fan of Sandford's Lucas Davenport, I was unsure how I would feel about picking up a spin-off series involving a character that had been marginally introduced in the Prey series. Often I find myself disappointed because the protagonists are too similar and it feels like I am reading a second rate story. This was not the case with Virgil Flowers. He is a dynamic stand alone character and his unique personality quirks make him entertaining throughout the book. The case that he is...more
Dammit, I was really hoping to just limit myself to the Davenport novels. But then I got a little taste for that f-----g Flowers in a couple of Prey novels and then the first four Flowers novels showed up on my doorstep and now I'm hooked. Flowers has just enough of Davenport in him to have obviously come from the same writer's mind, but is different enough that the novels aren't reruns of the Prey series.
This particular one was a fun twisting small midwestern town murder tale. Ty...more
This particular one was a fun twisting small midwestern town murder tale. Ty...more
I was inbetween books and picked this particular one as it was still by John Sandford however, it brought to life Virgil Flowers. Now, I am admittedly totally smitten by Lucas Davenport and I almost felt as though I was being unfaithful by spending time with Virgil Flowers. But what a WONDERFUL surprising time we shared. This book was so intense and I had a very hard time putting it down.
I know that there will be a lot more evening, weekends and secret stolen moments that Virgil a...more
I know that there will be a lot more evening, weekends and secret stolen moments that Virgil a...more
I have fallen in love with John Sanford's writing. This particular story introduces a new character, Virgil Flowers, who works along with Lucas Davenport for the Minnesota Bureau of Crime. I especially enjoyed this story because it takes place in Bluestem, Minnesota which obviously is very close to my own home because it is also near Worthington, Marshall and the famed Buffalo Ridge. I just wasn't aware of all the crime here in southwestern Minnesota! I liked the story, but at times was conf...more
i am not a sandford fan but read a good review of this title introducing a new series based on detective Virgil Flowers..couldn't get into it...when Virgil sees a pretty woman and comments to someone about her ass and "cupcakes" I had to quit. I mean really ...'cupcakes'? What kind of grown up talks like that? I am not interested in a character that hasn't grown up past the age of 13.... But then, maybe that's how the author talks about women as well - so who knows. There are lots of...more
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As much as I love Lucas Davenport, I think I love "that f*in' Flowers" even more. Virgil Flowers works for Lucas in the BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension...I think?) in the Twin Cities. It's great to see the same setting and characters from another point of view. Lucas is "seen" in bit parts, usually in the form of a phone call to send Virgil on some assignment or other, but these books are all Virgil. And through them, you find out why he's Lucas's "go-to" guy. ...more
After reading Sanford's most recent entry in the Virgil Flowers series, I simply had to start from the beginning with Dark of the Moon. It was, I'm happy to report, every bit as good as Shock Wave, the latest. From his offbeat T-shirts to his somewhat "country boy" demeanor, there's nothing not to like about Flowers. Better still, the plot is not so complex that it's hard to follow but complex enough to keep you guessing. Bottom line? There are three more left in the series I have yet ...more
Op zich vind ik het hoofdverhaal goed. Maar 2 dingen irriteren: op de eerste plaats is er opeens ook een grote shoot-out bij een ethanol-fabriek. Waarom? Wat heeft dat met het verhaal te doen?
En op de tweede plaats vind ik het irritant dat elke vrouw wordt beschreven als een sex-object. Hoe ze eruit ziet en of Virgil haar wel of niet wil in bed is irrelevant. Dat oudere vrouwen vroeger jong en wild waren vindt hij maar een raar idee. Dat maakt dit boek maar 2 sterren, terwijl de schrijfstij...more
En op de tweede plaats vind ik het irritant dat elke vrouw wordt beschreven als een sex-object. Hoe ze eruit ziet en of Virgil haar wel of niet wil in bed is irrelevant. Dat oudere vrouwen vroeger jong en wild waren vindt hij maar een raar idee. Dat maakt dit boek maar 2 sterren, terwijl de schrijfstij...more
When I picked this book (listened on CD), I didn't realize that this was the first Virgil Flowers book. I like him, and I'll read more of him. Dark of the Moon follows Flowers' investigation of several brutal murders linking back to one event that occurred decades ago - but at least two events could have triggered these murders. And Flowers must sort through suspects linked to each of these events and determine who he can trust. Well written, the characters were easy to follow and the plot twist...more
Narrated by Eric Conger
10 hrs and 22 mins
Publisher's Summary
Virgil Flowers kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First it was the army and the military police, then the police in St. Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport brought him into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff."
He's been doing the hard stuff for three years now, but never anything like this.
...more
10 hrs and 22 mins
Publisher's Summary
Virgil Flowers kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First it was the army and the military police, then the police in St. Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport brought him into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff."
He's been doing the hard stuff for three years now, but never anything like this.
...more
**Synopsis** Far from the usual cynical, borderline-depressed investigator, Virgil Flowers is a likable, hang-loose sort of sleuth who enjoys life and seems to relish handling the "hard stuff" for his boss, Lucas Davenport (Sandford's Preyseries hero makes a brief cameo). Flowers's assignment is to investigate several gruesome murders in a small town. Unlike the harder-edged Preyseries, Moonis more of an entertainment, allowing Flowers to supplement his determined quest for justice wit...more
I didn't like this book and I won't read any more of his. The mystery had potential but this guy needs a wife or a girlfriend or a Playboy- something. If the main character isn't having sex he's talking about sex or thinking about sex. Every female character in the story is either described as having sex with him or one of the other major players in the story (and of course those women are rated in order of their physical attributes- mostly centered on asses)and if she's not sleeping with one of...more
Sanford's new protagonist, Virgil Flowers, a free-wheeling, laid-back but persistent detective runs into a serial killer in a town down the road from the one he grew up in.
The whole story turns on who has the motivation to kill the people who are being murdered. There are certain ritualistic elements to each murder but they aren't easy to interpret. Virgil enlists the help of the local sheriff whom he knows from his high school days where they played on opposing baseball teams. He a...more
The whole story turns on who has the motivation to kill the people who are being murdered. There are certain ritualistic elements to each murder but they aren't easy to interpret. Virgil enlists the help of the local sheriff whom he knows from his high school days where they played on opposing baseball teams. He a...more
I think this is a very good book.
But.
I have read every one of Sanford's Lucas Davenport "Prey" novels at least once, some two or three times.
This book frustrated me a bit, right smack in the middle, as Davenport's Detective Virgil Flowers tries to solve a string of murders in a small town.
The story of a local preacher, introduced as an possible suspect, takes center stage, and now we've got the DEA involved, and there's this huge shooto...more
But.
I have read every one of Sanford's Lucas Davenport "Prey" novels at least once, some two or three times.
This book frustrated me a bit, right smack in the middle, as Davenport's Detective Virgil Flowers tries to solve a string of murders in a small town.
The story of a local preacher, introduced as an possible suspect, takes center stage, and now we've got the DEA involved, and there's this huge shooto...more
Virgil Flowers-tall, lean, late thirties, three times divorced, hair way too long for a cop's-had kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First, it was the army and the military police, then the police in St. Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport had brought him
into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff." He'd been doing the hard stuff for three years now-but never anything like this. In
the small town of...more
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First, it was the army and the military police, then the police in St. Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport had brought him
into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff." He'd been doing the hard stuff for three years now-but never anything like this. In
the small town of...more
I reserved, inadvertently, the large-print version of this book. I never read large-print versions of books. I return them to the library and re-reserve the normal-print version of books. Although I could read them without my reading glasses, I find large print books esthetically unappealing. They are arguably utilitarian but visually unattractive. I usually would prefer to wait for the normal-print version.
I did make it through this book, however--a first. I didn't notice it...more
I did make it through this book, however--a first. I didn't notice it...more
You can read the full review on my blog.<a/>
I have long been a fan of John Sanford's "Prey" series, featuring Lucas Davenport of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. In this book, Sanford focuses on a different member of the BCA, Virgil Flowers, with the same excellent results.
Virgil arrives in the tiny town of Bluestem in a rush of rain and fire - he's speeding through a driving rainstorm and his first stop is a massive blaze on the outskirts of...more
I have long been a fan of John Sanford's "Prey" series, featuring Lucas Davenport of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. In this book, Sanford focuses on a different member of the BCA, Virgil Flowers, with the same excellent results.
Virgil arrives in the tiny town of Bluestem in a rush of rain and fire - he's speeding through a driving rainstorm and his first stop is a massive blaze on the outskirts of...more
This book is a good start to John Sandford's new series featuring Virgil Flowers. I enjoyed the Flowers character in the last Prey novel. In this book, however, it was as if the reader was supposed to know all about him. As for the actual mystery, I like how it evolved until the end. It wrapped up quickly and predictably. This is not one of John Sandford's better books however for a first book in the series it is just ok. I guess the thing that I found troublesome was that in the acknowledgments...more
Virgil Flowers kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First it was the army and the miltary police, then the police in St Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport brought him ino the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff." He's been doing the hard stuff for three years now--but never anything like this. In the small town of Bluestem, a house way up on a ridge explodes into flames, its owner, a man named Judd, trapped inside...more
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John Sandford was born John Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in th...more
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