Deep Freeze

Another Virgil Flowers story that was really great. I was quite surprised. I love the Davenport books, but this Flowers story was one that I would read again and recommend to all. Virgil goes to a small town to investigate a murder and then a second murder, along with Griffith who is trying to find makers of "souped up" Barbie dolls for Mattel. Mayhem is ensured, a few beatings and lots of investigating, until the killer is discovered, and then tricked into confessing. So the ending is a positive one all around, and I enjoyed the book immensely.

A big fat 5 stars! This book was fantastic I loved everything about it. The characters were likeable and the storyline was interesting enough to keep me engaged and wanting more. A hard book to put down. Really well written, a real page Turner.

Book blurb...
Class reunions: a time for memories – good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, deadly – in the thrilling new novel in the number one New York Times-bestselling series 

Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota, a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt – and as it turned out, homicidal – local school board, and now the town’s back in view with more alarming news: A woman’s been found dead, frozen in a block of ice. There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty years ago that has a mid-winter reunion coming up, and so, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into twenty years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say: High school is murder.



My thoughts…
I enjoyed reading Deep Freeze. The writing transported me to the small town of Trippton, a rather ‘interesting’ town and, ah, entrepreneurial population. I must say, I enjoyed the curious plot line and found myself having a giggle every now and then. Not something you’d expect in a murder mystery So 5 stars for originality!
There is a second crime committed in this small town. Is it connected to the original murder?
While I enjoyed the story, it was a little slow. But sometimes that’s okay as well.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Class reunions: a time for memories – good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, deadly – in the thrilling new novel in the number one New York Times-bestselling series
Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota, a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt – and as it turned out, homicidal – local school board, and now the town’s back in view with more alarming news: A woman’s been found dead, frozen in a block of ice. There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty years ago that has a mid-winter reunion coming up, and so, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into twenty years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say: High school is murder.

I know a lot of people love the Lucas Davenport "Prey" novels by John Sandford but don't really get into the Virgil Flowers books. Which is a shame because these books are very clever and deserve a place on the shelf next to Davenport.

Without talking about the plot, this is typical Flowers. He likes to talk to everyone, listens to them, learns what they may or may not know. He has some great lines of dialogue and his investigative ways are definitely different to Davenport. In this book, we break the "lone wolf" detective as he gets some help from his fishing buddy Johnson. Which was also a nice break from the norm.

It is a story to be devoured - like all of Sandford's crime fiction. He knows how to tell a good story - he knows how to get his characters to tell a story, I should say.

Recommended for sure!


Paul
ARH