Mad River
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
The sixth Virgil Flowers novel by internationally bestselling author John Sandford
Bonnie and Clyde, they thought. And what's-his-name, the sidekick. Three teenagers with dead-end lives, and chips on their shoulders, and guns.
The first person they killed was a highway patrolman. The second was a woman during a robbery. Then, hell, why not keep on going? As their crime spree cuts a swath through rural Minnesota, some of it captured on the killers' cell phones and sent to a local television station, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers joins the growing army of cops trying to run them down. But even he doesn't realize what's about to happen next.
* * * Praise for John Sandford and the Virgil Flowers novels * * *
‘Along the way to the satisfying ending, Virgil displays the rough humor and rough justice that make him such an appealing character’ Publishers Weekly on Deep Freeze
‘A knowing portrait of small-town life layered into a very well plotted mystery. Virgil understands that, in small towns, no one ever outgrows high school... One of the very best novels in a superior series’Booklist (starred review) on Deep Freeze
‘Add a gripping storyline, a generous helping of exquisitely conceived characters and laugh-out-loud humor that produce explosive guffaws, not muted chuckles, and you’re in for the usual late-night, don’t-even-think-of-stopping treat when Flowers hits town’ Richmond Times-Dispatch on Deep Freeze
‘An outstanding novel’ Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Escape Clause
‘Perfect entertainment’ Kirkus Reviews on Escape Clause
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this high-octane thrill ride, bestseller Sandford s fifth novel featuring Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Virgil Flowers (after 2011 s Shock Wave), Lucas Davenport, Virgil s boss (and star of his own series), dispatches Virgil to a remote corner of the state to deal with a bad one. Four people are dead: a married couple in Shinder, another two in nearby Bigham. The gang responsible armed and dangerous teens Jimmy Sharp, Tom McCall, and Becky Welsh have already murdered one woman during a robbery, and Virgil soon suspects them in these other crimes. Fearful that the killing spree hasn t run its course, Virgil pulls out all the stops to get inside the minds of his quarry while he sorts through all the possible motives for the spate of deaths. Virgil s penchant for wisecracking, which in less skilled hands could have been annoying, serves to deflate the tension, and his backstory is simple enough to allow new readers to easily keep up.
Customer Reviews
Natural born losers play Bonny & Clyde
Mad River is John Sandford's best Flowers novel so far. The beautifully rendered bleakness of the Minnesotan country lifestyle perfectly reflects the setup for the bloody rampage that detective Virgil Flowers is so desperate to stop.
This is a well crafted tale; sullen, violent and bleak, but with a couple of nice little sub-plots and the occasional flash of humour to lift the mood of murder.
Sandford has started to draw a real distinction between Flowers and his other creation, Lucas Davenport, from the Brilliant 'Prey' series. Virgil is a reflective and less calculating personality than Davenport, but when the chips are down, he shoots with the best of them.
Highly recommended.