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Bloody Genius

(Virgil Flowers #12)

John Sandford

4.25 · Rating details · 16,158 ratings · 1,300 reviews

Virgil Flowers will have to watch his back--and his mouth--as he investigates a college culture war turned deadly in the latest thriller from #1 New York Times-bestseller John Sandford.

At the local state university, two feuding departments have faced off on the battleground of PC culture. Each carries their views to extremes that may seem absurd, but highly educated people ...more

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Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published October 8th 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons (first published October 1st 2019)

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The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

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Oct 15, 2019 David Putnam rated it liked it

Alas, this one did not do for me. Sanford is my favorite, my go-to author that has never let me down.
There is still much to like in this book, the characters, the relationships. But the story...Yikes. In the very beginning where the conflict is set I even heard it in my head, oh, "The professor was killed in the library with a laptop computer," the Clue Game reference. (this isn't a "true" spoiler, it happens in the first pages).
I think what was also missing in this book was the jeopardy. Sanfo ...more

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Sep 24, 2019 Maureen Carden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: police, netgalley, mau-s-challenge, thriller, amusing

The Lothario, hunter, fisher, writer, photographer and ace investigator of the upper Midwest returns in Bloody Genius . The advent of girlfriend Frankie soon to be delivered of twins has kept him closer to home and has put paid to Virgil Flowers' roaming.
Unfortunately, the position of being one of the governor’s golden haired boys (one sided as Virgil does not return the affection) still exists and results in the governor sending him to Minneapolis to solve a particularly vicious murder. Virgil The Lothario, hunter, fisher, writer, photographer and ace investigator of the upper Midwest returns in Bloody Genius . The advent of girlfriend Frankie soon to be delivered of twins has kept him closer to home and has put paid to Virgil Flowers' roaming.
Unfortunately, the position of being one of the governor’s golden haired boys (one sided as Virgil does not return the affection) still exists and results in the governor sending him to Minneapolis to solve a particularly vicious murder. Virgil, an investigator for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, once inadvertently did the governor a great favor. No good deed goes unpunished and so Virgil has to put his boat up, avoid serious farm chores, and head to the Twin Cities.
The victim is a wealthy, well-respected professor and brilliant researcher at the University of Minnesota. Virgil suspects it is the wealthy part that has attracted the Governor's attention.
In two weeks, the well regarded MPD’s homicide unit has had no luck in solving the crime even though suspects abound; ex-wives, fellow researchers, students, a whole other university department and of course, the famous “some other guy”. Of course Virgil is warmly welcomed by MPD’s homicide unit, especially the lead detective, Margaret Trane whom the media has characterized as being ‘baffled’. No really, would I lie?
Eventually Trane and Virgil come to an accommodation when she realizes Virgil does not want any credit for solving the case whereas Trane and her unit need the solve after the drumming they have received from the press. They quickly established an easy work relationship which is a change from the usual ‘competitive partnership until the last moment’ trope found in so many books.
As Virgil pokes around he quickly makes a few discoveries that put the stalled investigation back into gear.
I have always thought books with the easiest readability might be the hardest to write.
Sandford excels as making his books rewarding with well thought out stories, some quirky characters and uncommon settings. Who ever thought the U of Minn. would be a great setting for a murder, except maybe for the students of the University of St Thomas?
Virgil Flowers-nope not gonna say it-has long been known for his charm, his womanizing (formerly), his band tees and his astute insight into the men and women he meets, but his defining characteristic is his innate decency. Virgil must have demanded his own series from author John Sandford after being a part of the Lucas Davenport series. I don’t want to forget Virgil’s toughness. As easy-going as he can be, he is nobody’s fool and won’t be played for one.
Now I’m going to spoil the gushing a bit by saying there was one distasteful moment when Virgil visualized a suspect’s “hair spread out on a pillow and her legs wrapped around his neck.” Just too jarring with Virgil in love with the mother of his twins; the woman he is planning to marry. Not to mention a very unprofessional view of a woman who might have committed a very brutal murder.
I like that Virgil has no problem talking about his cases to people he meets. His smart view is that it is surprising the information or insights he gains. Toward the end of the book we are treated to Flowers trying to waffle out of admitting to an acquaintance that he was wrong about an important aspect of the investigation. Too funny.
Bloody Genius is a terrific continuation of the Virgil Flowers series. It is hinted Virgil might take some time off to write his own novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more

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Oct 24, 2019 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it

Thoughts soon.Hi Virgil,

I think it's been about a year since I've last written. Many changes, seems they've managed a better way to keep track of you, so some of your excuses will no longer fly. Your dress sense though, that hasn't changed, those t-shirts are so you, glad you seldom bow to convention.

A new case, one that sends you back to college. A murder of a well renowned, research Professor, with few apparent clues. I have to say you do work will with others when you want too, you were more ...more

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Dec 19, 2019 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio

John Sandford is one of my go to authors for audio books, especially perfect for when hubby is with me on a road trip. Great humor, fun characters and a mystery that isn’t easy to solve.

Virgil Flowers is sent to help with an investigation into the murder of a college professor. There are plenty of suspects - three ex-wives, another professor he was feuding with and all her acolyte and his estranged daughter. And that’s not counting the possibility of a hooker.

This one made the hours pass quick ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Tim rated it it was amazing

I always enjoy listening to a Sandford novel to and from work. It's just like floating along to another awesome story! 9 of 10 stars ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 James Thane rated it liked it

I've been a huge fan of the Virgil Flowers series from the very beginning, and I always eagerly await a new entry. Unfortunately, though, I don't think that Bloody Genius measures up to many of the other, better, books in the series. That's certainly not to say that I thought it was a bad book--I genuinely enjoyed reading it--but only that it didn't meet the high expectations that I have for this author and this series.

As the book opens, a wealthy and distinguished professor at the University of I've been a huge fan of the Virgil Flowers series from the very beginning, and I always eagerly await a new entry. Unfortunately, though, I don't think that Bloody Genius measures up to many of the other, better, books in the series. That's certainly not to say that I thought it was a bad book--I genuinely enjoyed reading it--but only that it didn't meet the high expectations that I have for this author and this series.

As the book opens, a wealthy and distinguished professor at the University of Minnesota is murdered late one night while sneaking into one of the university's libraries in the company of an unidentified woman. It appears that the professor may be using his private carrel in the library for a little late night clandestine "research" when he encounters an intruder. The intruder smacks the professor over the head with the professor's heavy laptop computer, leaving him dead on the floor. The professor's female friend hides in the stacks, hoping that the killer won't discover her and then, once the killer is gone, she hightails it out of the library without bothering to call the police.

As a practical matter, there are no clues and the police are completely baffled. The professor has been involved in a battle with the members of another department--one of those conflicts that could only seem important within the confines of academia--but there's little evidence to suggest that this brouhaha is the cause of his murder. The professor's family is well-connected politically and so, with the case stalled, the governor reaches out to the Minnesota BCA and has Virgil Flowers assigned to the case. Virgil joins the lead detective on the case, Margaret Trane, and spends a couple of weeks poking around, asking questions and trying to find a solution to the case.

As always, it's great fun to watch Virgil in action, and the interactions between Virgil and the other characters are often very witty and amusing. But that's par for the course in these books. The problem, at least for me, is that this case really doesn't seem worthy of Virgil's attention. Also, there's not nearly as much danger and tension in this book as there is in most of the others in the series. This case seems more like a parlor game of sorts, or maybe an old Agatha Christie whodunit, and there's not nearly as much at stake as there is in most Flowers novels.

As readers of the series know, a few books ago, Sandford decided to have Virgil settle down with a woman named Frankie who is now pregnant with twins. Up until then, one of the great pleasures of reading these books was watching Virgil flirt and otherwise interact with the attractive women who often populate these books. Sometimes these interactions led to something and sometimes they didn't, but they were always a lot of fun to read. Virgil is now effectively neutered, though, because he's not the sort of guy who would cheat on a woman to whom he has made a long-term commitment. There are at least a couple of women in this book who are attracted to Virgil and with whom, in earlier novels, he might have developed some chemistry. But we know from the jump that while Virgil might admire them, he's not going to pursue them and, for me at least, it feels like readers are being cheated out of one of the most enjoyable aspects of the earlier books.

Sandford has indicated that he's going to be taking a break from the Flowers novels if not abandoning the character altogether, save for an occasional appearance in a Lucas Davenport novel. If that's true, perhaps it's just as well to leave Virgil settled and about to become a father. I wish he had gone out at the end of a more interesting case, but I take comfort in the fact that I have a shelf full of great Virgil Flowers novels that I can always go back to and enjoy. ...more

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Sep 27, 2019 Kemper rated it really liked it

Shelves: whodunit, arc, crime-mystery, 5-0, 2019, virgil-f-flowers

I received a free advance copy of this from NetGalley for review.

If a dead body was found in a library I’d assume that he must have had some serious overdue fees. Those librarians don’t play around.

A professor who does high end medical research is found murdered in a college library so Minnesota state investigator Virgil Flower is assigned to help out when the local Minneapolis cops hit a dead end. As Virgil digs into the case his problem isn’t that there aren’t any clues, it’s that there are f I received a free advance copy of this from NetGalley for review.

If a dead body was found in a library I’d assume that he must have had some serious overdue fees. Those librarians don’t play around.

A professor who does high end medical research is found murdered in a college library so Minnesota state investigator Virgil Flower is assigned to help out when the local Minneapolis cops hit a dead end. As Virgil digs into the case his problem isn’t that there aren’t any clues, it’s that there are far too many. Sex, drugs, blackmail, lawsuits, ex-wives, an estranged daughter, and a bitter academic rivalry are all angles that come up. Sifting through the noise and finding the killer’s motive is the key to cracking the case, but the more Virgil digs into it, the less sense the entire thing makes.

This is a crackerjack of a whodunit. Sandford’s usual MO is to let the reader know the villain is from the jump, or at least give us their point of view. His books are generally a cat-and-mouse game between the cop and the bad guy so his stuff is often more thriller than traditional mystery although detective work always plays a major role. He has done a few where the reader is completely in the dark as to the killer and their motives, and this is one of his best pure head scratchers.

We’ve got an intriguing scenario with plenty of viable red herrings so that I was as stumped as Virgil for the entire time. When the killer’s identity is revealed it’s a very satisfying answer because Sandford plays fair, and the clues were all there the entire time.

There's also a good tense situation built up at the end that plays into Sandford’s strength of building momentum in action scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat. Virgil continues to be a strong lead character with his laid back persona making for a nice change of pace from your typical thriller heroes. There’s a little less humor in this one than the last couple of Flowers books, but still some good chuckles that make this a touch lighter than the Prey series.

Overall, it’s a very nice piece of crime writing with a solid mystery and a great ending. ...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Tim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wrote an earlier review that's either missing or part of a different edition. Perhaps Goodreads could combine all additions for reviews, please. 9 of 10 stars ...more

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Sep 23, 2019 Monnie rated it it was amazing

It's no secret that I love Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Virgil Flowers - he long ago earned a forever spot on my Top 10 list of favorite book heroes. But it's also no secret that I'm not thrilled that he's in a serious relationship with a woman - Frankie - who in fact is close to delivering a set of twins she and Virgil concocted seven months or so ago. Somehow, he'd turned into a kinder and mellower Virgil - and in the process lost a bit of the edge that endeared him to me.

Well, after It's no secret that I love Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Virgil Flowers - he long ago earned a forever spot on my Top 10 list of favorite book heroes. But it's also no secret that I'm not thrilled that he's in a serious relationship with a woman - Frankie - who in fact is close to delivering a set of twins she and Virgil concocted seven months or so ago. Somehow, he'd turned into a kinder and mellower Virgil - and in the process lost a bit of the edge that endeared him to me.

Well, after reading this, the 12th book in the series, I'd say he's still a little mellow and his language is, for the most part, more like a tricycle salesman than a truck driver. But overall, he's got that edge back - and for sure he's kept that irreverent sense of humor alive and well, as evidenced by my chuckles throughout, to-wit:

"You know how to kill any earworm? You hum that Walt Disney thing, 'It's a Small World.' It'll kill anything, but it's such a miserable song...it won't stay in your head on its own."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

But I digress. This story begins as Virgil is called in when a big-shot medical doctor and University of Minnesota professor is murdered in an upper-level, usually locked library room on the campus - a place he's really not supposed to be. Especially since he's for the most part an unlikable jerk, there's no shortage of suspects, from his research team colleagues to members of a rival research team to his own daughter. Most of the characters are quirky, to say the least (well, this is a university campus, after all). And early on, it appears the good doctor just might be living a secret life that involves illicit drugs and blackmail.

As is customary in these books, Virgil touches base with his former boss, Lucas Davenport (the subject of another popular series by this author and another of my love-to-read-about characters, BTW). A couple of his old friends get to help out, as does a scrappy female officer from the local police who gives Virgil a good run for his money in the sarcasm department.

Problem is, all of those above-mentioned suspects have what appear to be iron-clad alibis. Clearly, it will take a goodly amount of sleuthing to uncover the motive and catch the killer. All that is accomplished in fine Virgil style, making this another must-read book for fans like me. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Bloody good!
...more

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Oct 24, 2019 Truman32 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The thing that is great about John Sandford isn’t that he writes great thrillers (though he does). It is not that he habitually churns out high-quality work like he is some kind of mystery-writing Honda production line (though he consistently publishes two novels each year). It is not even his ability to stuff 18 hard boiled eggs into his mouth at one time (though this majestic feat has won Sandford globe-spanning accolades as well as audiences with everyone from John Stamos to the Pope). No, no ...more

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Sep 18, 2019 Janet Newport rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, netgalley, 2019-reads

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam for this arc.

Gotta love that f**cking Flowers. Virgil is back! And he doesn't have his boat! He's come in from the backcountry and into the city for this story (without his boat). He's sent to Minneapolis to the university by the governor to help out on a two week old murder the city's investigation has stalled on. Naturally, the city detective resents his presence and well, Virgil wasn't wild about the assignment either. He does however manage to cha ...more

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Dec 27, 2019 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller, books-read-2019

3.5 stars Rounding up to 4 because of the (dark) humor

Virgil Flowers is back! The body of Professor Barthelemy Quil is found in his library carrel at the University of Minnesota. He was murdered but this is about all that the Minneapolis police know. The professor's wealthy and connected sister makes a phone call to the governor. The governor calls someone else, who calls someone else, etc., etc. At the bottom of the chain that f#*king Flowers is told to head to Minneapolis to assist and he bett ...more

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Feb 17, 2020 Andrew Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I’ve always enjoyed the way John Sandford has his two crime fighters, in his parallel running series, go about solving their cases in very different ways. Lucas Davenport is all action, he can be gruff with people and isn’t averse to getting physical. Virgil, on the other hand, is inclined to gather information and complete his arrests through more benign means, he talks his way to a solution. When on a case he will chat to all and sundry, soaking up the input from everyone as he slowly pieces t I’ve always enjoyed the way John Sandford has his two crime fighters, in his parallel running series, go about solving their cases in very different ways. Lucas Davenport is all action, he can be gruff with people and isn’t averse to getting physical. Virgil, on the other hand, is inclined to gather information and complete his arrests through more benign means, he talks his way to a solution. When on a case he will chat to all and sundry, soaking up the input from everyone as he slowly pieces things together, his gun safely locked away in his truck. He’s on first name terms with everyone and consequently they open up to him.

In this episode, we witness the crime (the murder) in the opening scene. We don’t yet know whodunit but we do know what happened. When Virgil picks up the case he initially has a good deal less information than the reader, and in fact it remains this way for much of the book. It’s a way of telling a story that appeals to me and it’s a trick the author uses quite often. In fact, sometimes we even get to know who the perpetrator is from the start of the book and subsequently follow both the chaser and the chased as the narrative plays out, enabling the reader to get a sense of when the investigator is off-track and also get a feel for when they are starting to reel the criminal in.

Flowers operates in the lower third of the state of Minnesota. It’s a mainly rural area which suits him well as he can sneak off and fish when he’s not actively investigating a case - or sometimes when he is. In this instance he’s instructed to assist the investigation following the killing of a professor who has been slain in a room he had exclusive use of in the university library. The event occurred at around midnight, an hour you wouldn’t expect him or anyone else to be there. There appears to be no witnesses and there is no DNA evidence. It’s quickly ascertained that there is no obvious motive for the murder, in fact there’s nothing that leads the investigators in any particular direction. In consequence Virgil does what he always does, he talks to people. His charm, informal nature and his habit of sharing more information than you’d expect from a lawman usually has the effect of drawing out useful leads, but it just doesn’t seem to be getting him any closer to the killer this time.

I’ve seen quite a few critical reviews of this book, I think this is because it doesn’t flow in the way of a standard crime fiction novel. And to some extent I do get the frustration of some readers in that it does drift along with lots of talk, little action and a good many dead ends. But then there’s a clever moment when light bulbs go on in Virgil’s head and I think this scene justifies, or at least compensates for, the lack of action that’s gone before. The thing is, I really enjoyed the journey to this moment: the dialogue is well executed, the characters we meet are interesting and the denouement when it comes is exciting too. I didn’t mind what went before, I lapped it all up.

I’m always happy to spend time with Sandford’s characters. In my view he’s close to top of the class when it comes to this type of fiction and though this may not be him on his very best form it still ain’t half bad. ...more

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Oct 27, 2019 Erin rated it did not like it

As someone who's read every book John Sandford has written, I'm actually angry at how terrible this one is. The pacing is abysmal, which I get; it’s hard to maintain a solid pace when literally nothing happens in the entire book. The character work is lazy and insulting, frankly; Virgil comes off as annoyingly hokey with too many try-hard quips, and enough with the boots and stupid tee-shirts, already, we get it.

Sandford's female characters could've stepped out of a Stuart Woods novel in 1991: As someone who's read every book John Sandford has written, I'm actually angry at how terrible this one is. The pacing is abysmal, which I get; it’s hard to maintain a solid pace when literally nothing happens in the entire book. The character work is lazy and insulting, frankly; Virgil comes off as annoyingly hokey with too many try-hard quips, and enough with the boots and stupid tee-shirts, already, we get it.

Sandford's female characters could've stepped out of a Stuart Woods novel in 1991: their only purpose is to provide sexual fodder for the male characters. Describing a female professor: "tidy breasts under a pale blue blouse who'd look great with her head on a pillow and her legs wrapped around his neck, in Virgil's humble opinion." Another character about the same professor: "after I get my degree, I'd like to turn her upside down." About another female character, a prostitute because of course she is: "She was wearing a mid-thigh green satin dressing gown that showed off her legs, her best feature."

This goes on and on and on. I won't even get into the over-the-top and unnecessary sexually graphic descriptions of Quill's daughter. I guess Detective Trane may be exempt but it hardly matters since she's basically on the phone during this entire stupid novel. Haha, just kidding, of course Trane's not exempt, no woman is exempt: "...when you got out of Maggie Trane's bed, you definitely knew you'd been in bed with Maggie Trane. I lost about five pounds that first night."

One of the hallmarks of a good Sandford novel is the quick natural dialog, and boy are we missing that here. The dialog is stilted and trying way too hard; again, think Stuart Woods thirty years ago:

"Shake asked, 'If she's here, which I doubt, you wanna go in hard?'
'Semi-hard,' Virgil said.
'Last time I heard that phrase, I was in bed with a woman from the county recorder's office.' Shrake said.”

Good one. I also enjoyed the joke about the cop dating a 14-year-old, that was hilarious.

Antiquated misogyny aside, this book is still a failure. There's no depth and no subplot-- gone are the more sophisticated layered plots of past books that built suspense and kept the reader engaged, here Sandford just drags us headlong through a one-dimensional and unconvincing story full of unlikeable people and implausible answers.

I don't think John Sandford wrote this, I think he's gone the way of so many popular writers before him and he's sold his name to the highest bidder. For the last five or so years I've preordered his upcoming books and looked forward to reading them the day they hit my Kindle, and those days are definitely over. If you're a fan of Sandford's and a fan of this series, you can skip this one and be better for it. ...more

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Sep 21, 2019 Joyce rated it it was amazing

5 stars

That effing Flowers is on the trail of a killer once more. This time he must go to the city – reluctantly – of Minneapolis to investigate the murder of a brilliant college professor and doctor who specializes in neurosurgery and microsurgery for those who are disabled.

With a host of suspects, including two ex-wives and one about to be ex, an estranged daughter, her two weird friends and an ongoing feud with another department at the college he and his Minneapolis detective partner have t ...more

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Sep 26, 2019 Lesa rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-series, crime-fiction, police

John Sandford is a bloody genius. I wish I could tell you how he messed up my book review for Bloody Genius, the twelfth Virgil Flowers novel, but it would spoil the book. In fact, that's what happened. I had an opening sentence all set after I read the first five pages, and then the conclusion preempted my opening. How would I know my opening sentence would have been a spoiler for the end of the book?

After Professor Quill's body is found in his library carrel at the University of Minnesota, the ...more

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Dec 17, 2019 Sandy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, detectives, suspense, series, tackling-mt-tbr

3.5 stars

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Oct 04, 2019 Carol Jean rated it it was amazing

As usual, Sandford writes an excellent, entertaining mystery. Secret sex in a library, murder, theft of intellectual property, money money money -- he doesn't miss a trick!

Bloody Genius is so entertaining I ordered the four books of the Kidd series to slake my reawakened appetite for Sandford!
...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Jeff Dickison rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A good murder mystery for Flowers in this one. Not quite as bizarre as most of the Flowers' books. Sanford is beginning to domesticate Virgil who is rapidly becoming a one woman man and who appears to want to turn to a farming lifestyle. Tell me ain't so, Joe. Next thing you know he'll be wearing Beatles and Stones t-shirts. ...more

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Dec 16, 2019 Jenny Baker rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, audiobooks, mystery-thrillers

3.5 stars

I work in an academic library, so when I saw that this was about a murder that takes place in one, I knew I had to read it. It's great introduction to John Sandford novels. ...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Skip rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-detective, series-in-progress

With the Minneapolis PD investigation into the murder of wealthy, politically-connected university professor (Barthelemy Quill) going nowhere, the governor asks Virgil (that fucking) Flowers from the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to help. Facing obvious resentment from the local detective sergeant (Maggie Trane), he slowly wins her over with his easy going, I don't want the credit attitude, especially when he begins to find overlooked clues. With ex-wives, a slacker daughter with a ver ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 Kay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, thriller, audiobook, library-r, crime, libby

Always fun to read a Virgil Flowers novel. I love it all except the perp in the end felt too convenient.

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Sep 04, 2019 RachelW (BamaGal) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

A good read that had the potential of being a great read until it lost its way and got a little sloppy towards the end. Virgil is investigating a murder in a Minneapolis suburb dominated by a college campus and its environs; armed with nothing but some odd, random clues. This was a refreshing break from the last few books, which had revolved around small town politics, gossip, and some ‘friendly’ backstabbing.

The story was a solid murder investigation, pretty straightforward and interesting. Aro ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 CoachJim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mysteries

Bloody Genius
by John Sandford

I suppose like most people, I read different genres for different reasons. I enjoy reading History and Biography to learn about times and people. I read Historical Fiction to satisfy some intellectual curiosity, but good mysteries are just pure enjoyment.

Most of John Sandford stories take place in the Twin Cities in Minnesota where I have lived for most of my life. Reading about events that happen in places you are familiar with adds enjoyment to the story.

Virgil Flo Bloody Genius
by John Sandford

I suppose like most people, I read different genres for different reasons. I enjoy reading History and Biography to learn about times and people. I read Historical Fiction to satisfy some intellectual curiosity, but good mysteries are just pure enjoyment.

Most of John Sandford stories take place in the Twin Cities in Minnesota where I have lived for most of my life. Reading about events that happen in places you are familiar with adds enjoyment to the story.

Virgil Flowers is called up to the Twin Cities to help investigate a murder at the Wilson Library on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. In this story he mentions Minnehaha Creek in South Minneapolis, someplace I lived for a decade, he mentions a bookstore next to Breadsmith and Jamba Juice in St. Paul, a bookstore I frequent and have bought many books, and a major arrest in the story takes place in Eagan, where I currently live.
But you don’t need to live in the Twin Cities to enjoy this book.

This story has the usual lineup of interesting characters. The characters are well developed and you have no problem recognizing them as they reappear. The mystery develops slowly but consistently as it unravels. There is the usual slam bang finish that gets your pulse beating. There are some tangents and false leads, for instance, the arrest in Eagan is not connected to the murder Flowers is investigating, but these are also intriguing stories.

A further note, Sandford writes about 2 characters — Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. Generally he releases a new Davenport book in the Spring and a new Virgil Flowers book in the Fall. Virgil and Lucas are good longtime friends. In this book Virgil visits Davenport and during the visit Davenport gets a phone call from a Senator in Washington DC about an issue that needs to be investigated. I am betting the Davenport book next Spring involves this phone call. There is also a hint that Virgil might be considering a career change. That would be disappointing. Many people I have talked to that read Sandford seem to favor the Virgil Flowers books. Unlike Lucas, Virgil’s fashion comments center on the band t-shirt he is wearing.

A very exciting read. ...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Val rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, crime, fiction, series, mystery

I always enjoy reading how Virgil Flowers's mind works as he follows a crime from clue to clue to clue, and Bloody Genius was no different. The humor in this series makes it lighter fare, which is always fun to read. Flowers is hilarious but is also a first-rate investigator, which is definitely required in this book as this particular investigation includes prostitutes, students, crooked lawyers, a CEO of an up and coming company, scam artists, and the victim's past wives. Whew!

I very much lik ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 Randal White rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-police-corrections-drugs, netgalley, fiction

Another fantastic book by Sandford! How does he keep putting out these incredible page-turners?
This one is another story in the Virgil Flower's timeline. A murder in the library of the University of Minnesota. An initial dearth of suspects, giving way to the Sandford technique of finding lots of suspects. Which Flowers has to weed through, one by one. And in the end, managing to surprise the reader with the identity of the killer.
I've come to love these books. Not for any amazing detective sto ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 Bicky rated it it was amazing

Hallelujah! John Sandford is back. His previous book Neon Prey was so boring that one wondered whether the author had changed somehow. But this book shows Sandford at his best. Virgil Flowers is as endearing as ever, the humor laugh out funny and the plot while taut and fast is also a proper detective mystery with clues and all. ...more

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Dec 26, 2019 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3series, 1audio, 2fiction, mystery-thriller

Another excellent addition to the series. It's a typical Flowers novel, although I was wondering when he'd finally be called by his normal name. Not until halfway through, but then they made up for lost opportunities. He really did blow the doors off a stalled case. Best is one of the regulars in a bar who knows all about murder investigations from watching NCIS. Great for one of many laughs in this murder mystery. Very well narrated & recommended, but do read them in order. ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Virgil Flowers is mixed up again in murder that winds up all over the place, as he usually is and it's complicated and fun. I have a fear here about Flowers though and that's" run with it," when you read it you'll understand. ...more

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Jun 27, 2020 Richard rated it liked it · review of another edition

Virgil did not do it for me this time out. His impending fatherhood has clipped his wings and he is acting some grown up. He still wears the band tees, though, but he has lost his edge. It must be hard to keep up the extraordinary quality of work in every book you write, pleasing such a wide variety of fans.

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Play Book Tag: Bloody Genius by John Sandford - 4 stars	1	11	Oct 16, 2019 02:53PM
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About John Sandford

John Sandford

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See also John Camp

John Sandford was born John Roswell 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 Univer ...more