Virgil is back, with great supporting characters, especially jenkins and shrake. love their interactions! more please!
and we can see how virgil will be as a father. looking forward to reading the next installment!

I love Virgil and will keep reading his books but this one was just long and contrived. The villain came out of left field and it took forever to finally solve the crime. As usual, the banter between Virgil, Jenkins and Shrake is highly entertaining as well as the situations they find themselves in. Would recommend just not as focused as other John Sandford books. #HolyGhost #NetGalley

Book Review: Holy Ghost (Virgil Flowers #11) by John Sandford

Excellent light reading entertainment from the author of the "Prey /Lucas Davenport" series, which reminds us that a novel doesn't have to be unfunny to be taken seriously.

The plot is wicked, clever but seems a bit contrived; lots of killing without the prerogative gore, shock and trauma of murder; loads of hokum tongue-in-cheek small, backward town witticisms which at times are so corny, you could just laugh - or cry.

Guns and bullets galore, tedious details of a knowledgeable thriller writer, which just may be over the top for some readers.

Review based on an advance reading copy presented by NetGalley and Penguin Book Putnam.

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.

A killer is stalking Wheatfield, a miracle is seen at the local church and Virgil Flowers is on the case in Holy Ghost.

The mayor of tiny Wheatfield Minnesota was selected as a joke. However, he and his teenage partner come up with a con that might just save the town.

The Virgin Mary is appearing at the local church. The faithful are flocking into town. The general store recently opened by the con men is doing an excellent business. There is just one problem. Someone is shooting the faithful. Virgil Flowers, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent, is called in to track down the shooter.

While Holy Ghost is a good police procedural, I missed the craziness that usually follows Flowers around. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. The comedy of country scammers figuring out who the killer was ahead of Virgil and the police was priceless. I was utterly wrong about the killer’s identity but I don’t see a way anyone could have figured it out before the reveal.

While this isn’t the best of the series, Holy Ghost is still very good. While it will be frustrating to armchair detectives, it is recommended to thriller readers and fans of the series. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good read. John Sanford doesn't disappoint with this high octane book. I enjoyed the humor and the action. I look forward to reading about Virgil Flowers in the future.

Another great read by Sandford. Virgil f-ing Flowers is always entertaining and manages to get the job done in his own unique way. When dead bodies show up, he’s your man. Highly recommend.

Virgil Flowers, visitations by saints and chicken pot pies. What more could one ask for in a mystery? To reveal more would ruin the fun of this book. John Sandford never fails to deliver a solid story with a well plotted mystery and enough humor to make his books a delight to read! I read this in a matter of hours...it is a fast read and now cannot wait for the next Virgil Flowers adventure.

Holy Ghost, a Virgil Flowers book by John Sandford, is another excellent read! Virgil is really coming into his own and has become a beloved character separate from Sandford's Davenport. This book starts with a holy apparition in the dying town of Pinion, Minnesota and evolves into a serial sniper attack. As news of the apparition spreads, and more pilgrims travel to visit, its essential that Virgil quickly finds the murderer. Virgil is more of a contemplative detective then the usual and as the series continues, the reader really gets a sense of who he is. The series provides intrigue and mystery, coupled with humor. The Pinion towns people, while all suspect, are also an endearing group of people. I actually hope Sandford visits this group again.

Another home run for John Sandford. His books always move along fast and with authority.
This mystery had lots of clues and possibilities. Great read.

This book asks the ultimate question: How long can a man live eating only frozen chicken pot pies?

Wheatfield, Minnesota, is a dying small town until several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in an old church are captured on video by multiple people and posted on social media. Now Wheatfield is booming thanks to an influx of people hoping to see the vision for themselves. However, when a sniper wounds two people outside the church at different times it puts the brakes to Wheatfield’s new tourism trade. State investigator Virgil Flowers arrives and tries to figure out why someone would be randomly shooting people who are just hoping to catch a glimpse of Mary. Virgil begins pulling on multiple threads involving various townsfolk, and things quickly escalate.

Can Virgil find the sniper before he finds himself in the crosshairs? Or will he starve to death first since he can’t get a decent meal anywhere in town and has to subsist on chicken pot pies from the convenience store?

This is a pretty typical Virgil Flowers novel, and as a John Sandford fan that’s good enough for me. Once again we’ve got Virgil going to a small town to solve a mystery, and he relies on tapping into local gossip more than forensics or Sherlock Holmes style deduction to do it. There’s a lot of fun characters, and we get a welcome dose of Sandford regulars Shrake and Jenkins. Virgil also continues to see his personal life change and grow with a big event on the horizon.

The difference in this one is that it’s much more of a whodunit than most of Sandford’s other thrillers. Usually we get a lot from the villain’s perspective even if Sandford masks their identity in the writing, and the mystery usually comes from withholding a critical piece that turns out to be the way that Virgil or Lucas Davenport find the bad guy when they figure that out. This time we are completely in the dark as to who is doing the shooting and why until near the end except for one brief chapter in the middle which gives nothing away. When the answers come it’s the kind of logical and satisfying solution that I’d expect from the tight plotting that Sandford does.

The only really negative thing I can say about this is that it may have ruined pot pies for me. At least for a little while...

So, not only am I a Virgil (insert expletive here) Flowers fan, I’m a sucker for books about visitations by Saints. Oh, I’m the total skeptic. No, I don’t believe the Virgin Mary imprinted her face in your toast, but I’m fascinated by the psychology behind the phenomenon.

As a result, I went into this ready to be entertained, and boy was I.

(Insert expletive here) Flowers is…(Insert expletive here) Flowers. He’s funny and smart and likable.

The other characters are just the sort of quirky that entertains rather than annoys.

And our mystery was a good one!

This was an incredibly fat read for me, and I loved every minute of it!

*ARC Provided by Net Galley

3.5 Stars. Holy Ghost is #11 in the Virgil Flowers series but can easily stand alone.

A tiny Minnesota town is breathing it’s last breath when suddenly, a “miraculous” thing happens, an apparition of the Virgin Mary appears. Tourists and pilgrims flock to the tiny town, people that left come back home and business is booming. Until a series of shootings threatens to end it all.

Virgil Flowers, BCA investigator is called in. While he is investigating, the shootings continue and Virgil discovers a murder that went undetected for weeks. Virgil tries to figure out the motive so that he can stop these shootings.

In the style of this series, we follow Virgil and the other colorful characters through the investigation and are treated to glimpses of small town life. The interplay between the characters is funny and head-shakingly authentic at times.

While definitely not a whodunit, this series is a blend of howdunnit and cozy mystery set in Minnesota. It is a good series for light hearted mystery lovers.

Virgil Flowers started out as a bit of a joke side character in the Lucas Davenport series, but he’s really come into his own and he’s growing on me. His plot lines are a bit wackier than Davenport’s, a little more off-center in a refreshing way. Plus, he’s got great taste in music.

Another good Virgil Flowers novel. Virgil is up to his usual brand of investigation...getting the whole town involved.
Thank you John Sanford for this character. He is one of the best in the business.

If you've yet to read any of the Virgil Flowers novels, no worries about starting with this book. This is the type of series you can jump into at any time, without concern about missing backstory or not understanding characters' relationships.

You won't find nonstop action or edge-of-your-seat suspense in this story. Virgil simply doesn't work that way. The focus with Virgil Flowers is largely on the characters and the setting. In this story, Virgil is in a small town full of fun, wacky, unique, and memorable characters. Regardless of what was going on with the murder investigation, I just enjoyed hanging out with these people.

The pace moves at a steady pace, with the last quarter getting more intense and giving us some great twists.

Virgil is a thoughtful guy, and Sandford slips some intriguing content into the plot. These aren't the kinds of themes that wack you in the face or preach at you, but instead they're little nuggets that make you stop and think a little.

Virgil and his supporting cast always make me smile, even when they're investigating murder.

5 stars

Wheatfield, Minnesota was a small town in decline – until that it, the Virgin Mary appeared before a crowd of Mexican American and other citizens at St. Mary’s Catholic Church; people armed with cell phones. On the second appearance, there were television cameras there. Now there are thousands of pilgrims who need to eat, sleep and so on. Now, Wheatfield is booming. And the mayor, Wardell Holland has cashed in on it – big time. He and his friend Skinner have opened a little convenience store and are cashing in on the deal.

When two shootings happen in the little town, Wardell calls Virgil Flowers of the Minnesota BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension). The little town is only an hour away from his home in Mankato, so Virgil leaves his faithful dog, Honus and his pregnant girlfriend Frankie to make the drive and to investigate.

The sheriff, Karl Zimmer, knows Virgil and calls him, “…that f’kin’ Flowers.” (I love it!) He meets Skinner, a brilliant seventeen-year old who “thinks.” He has a keen eye and good communication skills. He and Virgil discuss the shootings. He witnessed the second shooting, and describes it to Virgil. (Skinner and Holland have a huge secret.) Virgil combs the town and its buildings to ascertain the point at which the shooter was.

Virgil gets a tip about a local landowner who runs an unofficial shooting range, Glen Andorra. He knows guns and shooting. Virgil drives out to the hard-to-find site and jaws with a couple of shooters. They too like the sheriff and Wardell mention a couple of wanna be Nazis. But they all agree that they are too dumb to be the shooter. Virgil decides to go up to the house when the men he talked to all agree that they haven’t seen Glen for a couple of weeks. He has a bad feeling about this. And he is right. Glen is dead – shot through the head. Virgil knows that this case is connected to the shootings in town.

Together with Zimmer, they investigate the case. It is clearly murder. There are some clues to follow. It looks as though he had a girlfriend, but no one Virgil speaks to knows who she is.

Virgil also meets Father George Brice, who was a witness to the first shooting. Father Brice is skeptical about the Marian apparitions, but has an open mind. He describes to Virgil the shooting of the first victim. He was a chaplain in the Iraq war so he knows his gunshots. Virgil takes a look around the church.

Then another person is shot. This time they are dead. Mrs. Margery Osborne was well-liked and a very kind and caring woman. Who would want to shoot her? Was this whole thing a cover up for shooting Mrs. Osborne? The other two people shot were from out of town – no one knew them. Or was the shooting of Glen the catalyst? Virgil enlists some more help from the BCA and they send down two more guys, Jenkins and Shrake. Holland and Skinner tell Virgil (more or less), about the goings-on in town regarding the apparitions and a trailer full of stolen Legos. Later, Virgil searches Janet “Jennie” Fischer’s house while she is in the hospital after receiving another beating at the hands of her ex-fiancé Larry Van Den Bergh. He makes an interesting discovery.

Virgil and Holland find a body in a cow pasture. It looks as though the man was shot with the same caliber of gun as the town shootings. The forensic team finds evidence both at the scene and back at Van Den Bergh’s home. Virgil sets himself up as a target, a somewhat questionable move on his part.
Something bad happens. When Virgil receives an extortion threat via Holland, they set up a trap.

Virgil and Jenkins keep interviewing witnesses and potential suspects. They get nowhere. Then the story reveals the identity of the killer, and the motive. Not long after that, Virgil and Jenkins figure out who is the killer. They don’t have any evidence though; not even enough for a search warrant. Finally getting the warrants, Virgil, Jenkins and Zimmer check out some things. Convinced that they have the right suspect, they move in. Then things go haywire.

This is an excellent novel. It keeps the reader guessing – right up until the end. The dialogue flows smoothly. Sanford is a master at crafting the engaging conversation between people. I like the sly way he interjects humor into the story. That f*ckin’ Flowers! This novel is both well written and plotted, as are all of John Sanford’s novels. I like the Virgil Flowers series better than the Lucas Davenport series. They are very readable and entertaining. I like Virgil. He is a great investigator, but sometimes has little drawbacks, which make him seem all the more human. He is not your know-it-all cop who has it figured out from the get go. He struggles with the answers and is very careful to draw his conclusions. I truly enjoy John Sanford’s book and will continue to read them whenever he publishes a new one. You gotta love that “f’ckin’ Flowers.”

I want to thank very much both NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

My first Sandford book ever which is surprising at how much he has written. In the Holy Ghost the Virgin Mary has been sighted and the towns fortunes take a sudden positive change. Very lighthearted and a quick read.

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

Holy Ghost is my first book to read by John Sandford. It is part of the Virgil Flowers series. I must say I am a fan. I love his writing style and the way he adds a touch of humor to a suspenseful story. I will be reading more of this series and all of Sandford’s books.

In this latest Virgil Flowers book, he investigates, of all things, a miracle. A few well-meaning inhabitants of a small and dying Minnesota town decide to draw tourists in by faking the appearance of a floating Virgin Mary image. So, what could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything. When a sniper makes an appearance and the body count rises, Virgil Flowers, from the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, is called in.

John Sandford has written another stellar book in this series. The dialogue, wicked-good humor and just plain great writing brings Virgil to life. The plots are always excellent and this book is no exception. I am a true John Sandford fan. I have read all his books – some more than once. He makes me laugh, he makes me think and he makes me appreciate the written word and the effect it can have.

Thank you, Mr Sandford, for giving me countless hours of reading enjoyment. Please don’t stop!

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.