Heat Lightning (The Virgil Flowers) Hardcover - 2008

by Sandford, John

Fresh from his 'spectacular' (Cleveland Plain Dealer)debut in Dark of the Moon, investigator Virgil Flowerstakes on a puzzling and most alarming case,in the new book from the #1 bestselling author.

John Sandford's introduction of Minnesota Bureau ofCriminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers wasan immediate critical and popular success: 'laser-sharpcharacters and a plot that's fast and surprising' (Cleveland PlainDealer); 'an idiosyncratic, thoroughly ingratiating hero' (Booklist).Flowers is only in his late thirties, but he's been around theblock a few times, and he doesn't think much can surprise himanymore. He's wrong.

It's a hot, humid summer night in Minnesota, and Flowersis in bed with one of his ex-wives (the second one, if you're keepingcount), when the phone rings. It's Lucas Davenport. There'sa body in Stillwater two shots to the head, found near a veteran'smemorial. And the victim has a lemon in his mouth.

Exactly like the body they found last week.

The more Flowers works the murders, the more convincedhe is that someone's keeping a list, and that the list could havea lot more names on it. If he could only find out what connectsthem all . . . and then he does, and he's almost sorry he did.

Because if it's true, then this whole thing leads down a lotmore trails than he thought and every one of them is booby-trapped.

Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliantsuspense that have always made his books 'compulsivelyreadable' (Los Angeles Times), this is vintage Sandford.