The superstore chain PyeMart has its sights set on a Minnesota river town, but two very angry groups want to stop it: local merchants, fearing for their businesses, and environmentalists, predicting ecological disaster. The protests don’t seem to be slowing the project, though, until someone decides to take matters into his own hands.
The first bomb goes off on the top floor of PyeMart’s headquarters. The second one explodes at the construction site itself. The blasts are meant to inflict maximum damage-and they do. Who’s behind the bombs, and how far will they go? It’s Virgil Flowers’s job to find out . . . before more people get killed.
I adore Virgil Flowers. He’s a cynical investigator who does his job while following his passion, fishing. Virgil shows up for every job with his boat firmly attached to his truck and an eye out for the best fishing spots. You just have to love that f***king Flowers. That’s what everyone who knows him calls Virgil. Most of the time his boss has to remind him to take his gun along on his investigations and not to leave it in the truck. Virgil really doesn’t like violence but it always seems to find him.
If you’re a fan of John Sandford’s Prey Series, this is a spin off with a lot of the same characters playing secondary roles. I just discovered Mr Sandford’s novels last summer and now I have them ALL. Where some novelists of a long running series seem to become stale the longer the series goes on, Sandford’s series just keep getting better and better. Reading the first of the Virgil Flowers Series, I wasn’t sure what to make of it but he more than grows on you, he attaches himself like a leech. Virgil is very smart, sexy and his humor is not to be missed. The more I read, the more I want.
It’s amazing to me how Mr. Sandford can write the Prey and Flowers series with such different styles but the characters lose nothing in the translation. Shock Wave is not a fun, fast read. Well, it’s fun but not fast. I always set aside a block of time to fully appreciate Mr. Sandford’s books. I actually find myself a willing participate in the novel. I get invested in the case and the characters and can’t help trying to guess the protagonist. There are twists and turns and roller coaster rides through the whole novel. His writing style is easy to follow and very descriptive. Be prepared to learn bunches about Minnesota and the surrounding area. Mr. Sandford is intimately familiar with the area.
John Sandford’s novels are on my automatic buy in hardcover list. While Shock Wave can be read as a stand alone novel, it will definitely increase your pleasure if you start this series at the beginning. There are references to earlier works but they don’t make the novel a complete mystery.
My rating: 4 Stars
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I’ve not read any of the Virgil Flowers books yet, but thios souns really good! Thanks Dolly!