Virgil Flowers investigates a miracle–and a murder–in the wickedly entertaining new thriller from the master of “pure reading pleasure” (Booklist)Pinion, Minnesota: a metropolis of all of seven hundred souls, for which the word “moribund” might have been invented. Nothing ever happened there and nothing ever would–until the mayor of sorts (campaign slogan: “I’ll Do What I Can”) and a buddy … slogan: “I’ll Do What I Can”) and a buddy come up with a scheme to put Pinion on the map. They’d heard of a place where a floating image of the Virgin Mary had turned the whole town into a shrine, attracting thousands of pilgrims. And all those pilgrims needed food, shelter, all kinds of crazy things, right? They’d all get rich! What could go wrong?
When the dead body shows up, they find out, and that’s only the beginning of their troubles–and Virgil Flowers’–as they are all about to discover all too soon.
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What do a sighting of the Virgin Mary, a shooter, Legos. and more pot pies than anyone should have to eat have in common? Maybe nothing at all, but it’s up to Virgil to find out. This 11th Virgil Flowers book is full of everything I’ve come to expect from Sandford. We get terrific characters, a fast-paced story with a few twists along the way, and a small town where almost everyone is a suspect. We don’t get as much from the bad guy in this one, and what little we do get from that perspective doesn’t give anything away. Instead, we’re left as much in the dark as Virgil and company, trying to piece it all together as he listens to town gossip and throws out some red herrings to catch his killer. We also get a healthy dose of Jenkins and Shrake, two of my favorites from both the Prey series and this one. Anytime these two are in the mix, there’s a guaranteed laugh or two coming. All in all, another winner from this author, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting what’s next for Virgil Flowers – from the way this one ended, he just might have his hands full.
Another great Virgil Flowers novel. I enjoy this series so much. John Sanford writes a fantastic story that has you not wanting to put the book down. There were lots of plot twists and turns. I also enjoy where Frankie and Virgil’s relationship is going. Well done!
Holy Ghost is the eleventh book in John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series. Wardell Holland is the mayor of Wheatfield, Minnesota. A town with a population of just seven hundred residents, a town suffering hard times. But Wardell has a get rich scheme that will change all that. With the help of a young entrepreneur, the Blessed Virgin Mary makes an unexpected appearance at St. Mary’s Catholic church. Suddenly all sorts of folks want to go to Wheatfield and spend money. Things seem to be going great up until the random shooting, and another, and suddenly, – enter Virgil Flowers. Of course in a town of 700, there’s only Mom’s Cafe. So Virgil is living on frozen chicken pot pies as he works to close the investigation and get back to his pregnant girlfriend, Frankie. A wonderfully entertaining read.
Love the Virgil Flowers spin off but didn’t think this was one of the better ones. There was a fair amount of misdirection which is always a good thing in a mystery, but I’m not a fan of stories where the antagonist comes out of left field towards the end of the book and you have no idea who this person even is.
I credit the Virgil Flowers series with keeping me (reasonably) sane during COVID, and this is my favorite to date.
How can you not fall in love with that f***ing Flowers? A preacher’s son turned state cop, he looks like a surfer dude, wears cowboy boots and vintage band tees, forgets to carry his gun, and talks to God each night.
I love the way he works with the community on every case and now has an unlikely family–with a dog who adopted him and a partner with a dubious past.
The dialogue, as always, is snappy and brilliant. The enterprising mayor and his teen sidekick, who come up with a sighting of the Virgin Mary to save their failing town, almost steal the story from Virgil. Almost. As the murders pile up, Virgil shines, and you have to read through to the end.
#Virgil4Eve
What a pleasure to read. Both the story and writing flow well.
Multiple assaults with both rifle and bow. Several dead bodies plus two injured. Multiple culprits, caught in the end.
The more I read about Virgil, the more I like him.
There was a section that mentioned intersecting streets but the word that showed up in print was “interesting”.
That f**king Flowers does it again. This time in the small town of Wheatfield, Minnesota, with only frozen pot pies to eat! This is a crazy story with the usual suspects of liars, killers, and thieves. Mr. Sandford’s wit and dry humor kept me chuckling as I turned the pages to see who was going to do what to who next. I love it that Virgil is a bad-ass with a heart. Entertaining and fun.
Love anything with Virgil Flowers
Since I am from St. Paul/Mpls. MN. and John Sandford is also from there I have ready every book he has written in the different detective series he has written because they all take place in the Twin Cities and Minnesota so I can readily and enjoyably visualize all of the places he mentions in these novels therefore making is a great reading experience for me rather than also reading books that take pplace in D.C. or Seattle or Texas etc.
That F&@*!@# Flowers! This was an amazingly funnier episode of Flowers, Shrake and Jenkins yet. Lots of twists, bumbling, and GOSH, pot pies! Read it! You won’t be disappointed!
Another good Virgil Flowers read
Listened to the audio book. This is one of the better one of late. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
In Holy Ghost, Book 18 in the Virgil Flowers series, we find a tamer, more politically correct Virgil? Frankie is pregnant; Virgil is behaving himself; the “me too” movement has penetrated even John Sandford. However, this book is just as hilarious and action-packed as any of them, and is one of Virgil’s more inpenatrable mysteries. I enjoy the entire series because John Sandford doesn’t take himself, or the human race, too seriously. It’s easy to relate to the small town humor and the characters that make it so. And there is plenty of action to keep me turning the pages. Virgil rocks!
This is one of John Sandford’s best. He brings interesting characters to life, beginning with the mayor of Wheatfield, who opens the book shooting flies in his metal trailer with his pellet gun. Virgil Flowers is an intelligent, but flawed investigator. He’s joined by police officers Jenkins and Shrake — recurring support characters with daring spirits and smart minds. The mystery dominates the first half or so of the book, then it evolves into pursuit and capture.
Typical Flowers
No matter what type of crime Mr. Sandford creates, it’s going to be a hum-dinger. His characters are as colorful as a comic book and as tension inducing as today’s headlines.
He just does not write fast enough for me because I can sail right through his books, often rereading them every year or so, gleaning new aspects from the book.
John Sandford is an absolute master at the crime thriller. Holy Ghost is a compelling read In his Virgil Flowers spin off series.
This was a fun book to read. Virgil is investigating shootings surrounding a town where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have occurred. Now, the apparitions are a back story and murders are about money.
The characters are charismatic. The writing is witty. A good setting and really good story.
Great book
Ah, Virgil Flowers; gotta love him! Even though Davenport and family have moved on and Virgil now has a dog and a baby on the way with Frankie, Virgil is still as smart, grass-roots, irreverent and fascinating as he’s ever been. He’s still up in Minnesota trying to flush out the bad guys. I wonder how John Stanford manages the keep Vigil from becoming timeworn, but he sure does so; cozy up for a fun ride , yet again !