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Virgil Flowers #10
Deep Freeze
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B01NBU65Z1
Class reunions: a time for memories—good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, sometimes deadly—in this "New York Times" bestselling thriller from John Sandford.
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 his view with more alarming news: a woman has 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-five years ago. It has a mid-winter reunion coming up. So, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into decades of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say - high school can be murder.
Class reunions: a time for memories—good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, sometimes deadly—in this "New York Times" bestselling thriller from John Sandford.
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 his view with more alarming news: a woman has 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-five years ago. It has a mid-winter reunion coming up. So, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into decades of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say - high school can be murder.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2017
About the author
John Sandford
211 books8,945 followersJohn Sandford was born John Roswell Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in the U.S. Army from 1966-68, worked as a reporter for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian from 1968-1970, and went back to the University of Iowa from 1970-1971, where he received a master's degree in journalism. He was a reporter for The Miami Herald from 1971-78, and then a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer-Press from 1978-1990; in 1980, he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, and he won the Pulitzer in 1986 for a series of stories about a midwestern farm crisis. From 1990 to the present he has written thriller novels. He's also the author of two non-fiction books, one on plastic surgery and one on art. He is the principal financial backer of a major archeological project in the Jordan Valley of Israel, with a website at www.rehov.org In addition to archaeology, he is deeply interested in art (painting) and photography. He both hunts and fishes. He has two children, Roswell and Emily, and one grandson, Benjamin. His wife, Susan, died of metastasized breast cancer in May, 2007, and is greatly missed.
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July 26, 2022
This is another hugely entertaining entry in John Sandford's series featuring Virgil Flowers, an agent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Flowers usually works in the small communities of the rural parts of the state, and this case takes him back to Trippton, which was the scene of one of his earlier investigations.
In this case, a wealthy divorced woman was murdered in the wake of a committee meeting at her home. The committee members had been planning the 25th reunion of the Trippton High School class of 1992, and in a tiny town like this, high school pretty much lasts for the rest of your life. The friends and enemies you made and the rivalries and antagonisms that developed during those years simply continue to endure, and the only people who escape them are the ones who have sense enough to leave town and live somewhere else.
The reader knows who the killer is from the opening pages. Unfortunately, though, Virgil doesn't, and the search for the perpetrator will force him to dig deeply into the relationships, licit and otherwise, that bind and divide the citizens of Trippton and the class of '92 in particular. It will be an interesting journey to say the least.
There's also a hilarious subplot in which Virgil is instructed to assist a female P.I. from California who's trying to stop a case of patent infringement violating the rights of the Mattel corporation. A woman named Jesse McGovern is reconfiguring Ken and Barbie dolls into XXX-rated adult toys and distributing them over the Internet. The company has traced the source of the problem to Trippton and has sent the detective to serve a cease-and-desist order on McGovern. The problem is that everyone in town denies knowing Jesse McGovern and they are doing everything they can to prevent the P.I. from serving the papers. Virgil is not especially anxious to assist in this matter, but orders are orders.
As always, the book is a lot of fun and there are several laugh-out-loud moments. I was struck by one thing, though: Years ago, Sandford wrote a book in the Prey series, titled Winter Prey. As the title would suggest, the book took place in the middle of winter and Sandford's description of the winter cold was so brilliantly done, that I was shivering through the whole book. Other readers have made the same comment, and years later, I still feel cold every time I think of the book.
Deep Freeze also takes place in the middle of a very cold winter, and people are constantly bundling up, shoveling snow, and otherwise enduring the winter weather. But you don't (or at least I didn't) get nearly the same sensation of being out in the middle of the cold weather the way you did in the Prey book. Perhaps that's because while this book is mostly humorous, the Prey book was extremely menacing and thus even the weather came through as menacing. In any event, unlike the earlier book, this one, its title not withstanding, did not make me desperate to go in search of a giant hot buttered rum.
In this case, a wealthy divorced woman was murdered in the wake of a committee meeting at her home. The committee members had been planning the 25th reunion of the Trippton High School class of 1992, and in a tiny town like this, high school pretty much lasts for the rest of your life. The friends and enemies you made and the rivalries and antagonisms that developed during those years simply continue to endure, and the only people who escape them are the ones who have sense enough to leave town and live somewhere else.
The reader knows who the killer is from the opening pages. Unfortunately, though, Virgil doesn't, and the search for the perpetrator will force him to dig deeply into the relationships, licit and otherwise, that bind and divide the citizens of Trippton and the class of '92 in particular. It will be an interesting journey to say the least.
There's also a hilarious subplot in which Virgil is instructed to assist a female P.I. from California who's trying to stop a case of patent infringement violating the rights of the Mattel corporation. A woman named Jesse McGovern is reconfiguring Ken and Barbie dolls into XXX-rated adult toys and distributing them over the Internet. The company has traced the source of the problem to Trippton and has sent the detective to serve a cease-and-desist order on McGovern. The problem is that everyone in town denies knowing Jesse McGovern and they are doing everything they can to prevent the P.I. from serving the papers. Virgil is not especially anxious to assist in this matter, but orders are orders.
As always, the book is a lot of fun and there are several laugh-out-loud moments. I was struck by one thing, though: Years ago, Sandford wrote a book in the Prey series, titled Winter Prey. As the title would suggest, the book took place in the middle of winter and Sandford's description of the winter cold was so brilliantly done, that I was shivering through the whole book. Other readers have made the same comment, and years later, I still feel cold every time I think of the book.
Deep Freeze also takes place in the middle of a very cold winter, and people are constantly bundling up, shoveling snow, and otherwise enduring the winter weather. But you don't (or at least I didn't) get nearly the same sensation of being out in the middle of the cold weather the way you did in the Prey book. Perhaps that's because while this book is mostly humorous, the Prey book was extremely menacing and thus even the weather came through as menacing. In any event, unlike the earlier book, this one, its title not withstanding, did not make me desperate to go in search of a giant hot buttered rum.
October 22, 2017
Well what can I say, this is Flowers!!! Two cases draw Flowers off his vacation, unwillingly as fans know how seriously Flowers takes his time off, which more often than not, he doesn't ever complete. A woman found dead, in the lake, a prominent member of the community, owner of the local bank, and Barbie and Ken dolls being altered in a sexual way. So we get the usual suspects of stereotypical type that seem to populate this place, people who are harboring secrets, and those who harbor or hide evidence, so that Virgil can't figure out if he is coming or going. We know from the beginning who committed both crimes, the draw is of course the detecting, following of clues, and discovering who is hiding what and why.
At this point it really doesn't matter what the case is, whether it attracts me not. These are just fun, rather quick reads, and the biggest draw is the dialogue, the lines, the funny situations and of course the trouble Flowers causes others and himself.
ARC from Netgalley
At this point it really doesn't matter what the case is, whether it attracts me not. These are just fun, rather quick reads, and the biggest draw is the dialogue, the lines, the funny situations and of course the trouble Flowers causes others and himself.
ARC from Netgalley
November 1, 2018
A while ago I expressed a view that Michael Connelly is the best storyteller in the crime fiction. Whilst I’m not looking to recant this view I will say that I think John Sandford runs Connelly very close. They both have their own way of telling a tale: Connelly typically shows you the crime and then documents the chase for an unknown criminal (the classic, most often adopted form); in Sandford’s books you not only see the crime but you nearly always get to meet the malefactor too – this way you get to see subsequent events from the point of view of the the chaser and the chased. Its different – and I like it.
This is the 10th book in the Virgil flowers series and to me it feels as fresh as ever. Here his vacation is interrupted by a request from his boss to return to the town featured in episode 8, Trippton, Minnesota. Last time around he managed to lock up the whole school board and run down a team of dogknappers. This time it should be more straightforward, a local resident has been murdered – surely he can wrap this up in a few days and get back to some serious relaxation. Or maybe not.
Flowers is an engaging character who likes to talk to people and share information around. He’s loose of lip and takes risks, but it often pays dividends as he regularly picks up snippets of information he can use. Everyone in the town has a view and Virgil listens to them all. He normally works alone, although this time around he’s assisted, part-time, by his fishing buddy Johnson Johnson, who lives in the town. As he kicks off his investigation a second issue is bubbling in the background, a private investigator is in town trying to smoke out one of the residents who has set up a small cottage industry sexing up Barbie dolls. Flowers has been told to assist where he can, and on the basis this instruction seems to be coming down from the State Governor he sees no way of avoiding getting entangled.
It’s all great fun and the story is, as always, brilliantly told. I love spending time with Sandford’s two, very different, crime stoppers. Lucas Davenport is all stomp, preen and bully, whereas Flowers adopts a very different - but no less effective - approach. I cant wait for the next offering.
My thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 10th book in the Virgil flowers series and to me it feels as fresh as ever. Here his vacation is interrupted by a request from his boss to return to the town featured in episode 8, Trippton, Minnesota. Last time around he managed to lock up the whole school board and run down a team of dogknappers. This time it should be more straightforward, a local resident has been murdered – surely he can wrap this up in a few days and get back to some serious relaxation. Or maybe not.
Flowers is an engaging character who likes to talk to people and share information around. He’s loose of lip and takes risks, but it often pays dividends as he regularly picks up snippets of information he can use. Everyone in the town has a view and Virgil listens to them all. He normally works alone, although this time around he’s assisted, part-time, by his fishing buddy Johnson Johnson, who lives in the town. As he kicks off his investigation a second issue is bubbling in the background, a private investigator is in town trying to smoke out one of the residents who has set up a small cottage industry sexing up Barbie dolls. Flowers has been told to assist where he can, and on the basis this instruction seems to be coming down from the State Governor he sees no way of avoiding getting entangled.
It’s all great fun and the story is, as always, brilliantly told. I love spending time with Sandford’s two, very different, crime stoppers. Lucas Davenport is all stomp, preen and bully, whereas Flowers adopts a very different - but no less effective - approach. I cant wait for the next offering.
My thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2022
I received a free advance copy from NetGalley for review.
I got sneak preview of this one last spring when I made a long drive to attend a John Sandford signing, and he told us about the current book he was fighting a deadline on that he was going to have to spend the evening working on when he got back to the hotel. All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but it makes John one of the best and most productive thriller writers on the bestseller list.
It’s another hard Minnesota winter in the small town of Trippton, but there’s a spot near the sewage treatment plant where the river doesn’t freeze. That’s where the body of the lady who owned the local bank pops up, and soon state cop Virgil Flowers is on the job. Virgil is familiar with Trippton because his fishing buddy Johnson Johnson lives there, and he also worked another case there just a few books back.
Complicating the murder investigation is the side gig his bosses want Virgil to help with that involves a ring of the locals adding sound chips to Barbie dolls that make it sound as if their having orgasms and selling them on the web. The Mattel corporation has no sense of humor about these aptly named Barbie-Ohs and has dispatched a private detective to serve cease-and-desist orders, but the hard boiled lady gumshoe is having no luck tracking down the people involved. Virgil isn’t happy about such a silly distraction, but he finds out the hard way that times are so tough in this struggling small town that the people involved are desperate to keep anyone from interfering with the income they make from selling the dolls.
This is pretty typical Sandford in a lot of ways. Virgil gets a case in a rural Minnesota town, and he tries to solve it using his sneakily low key way of chatting up people and tapping into local gossip. Like most of his books we know right from the start who the killer is, and the tension comes from the cat-and-mouse game between the cop and criminal. Sandford often holds back some info from the reader that is a critical part of how the bad guy will be found and figuring that out provides the mystery element to his books rather than a straight-up whodunit. He adds a new wrinkle to that in this one because while we know who killed the woman we also know that he left the body in her house after trying to make it look like an accident. One of the interesting aspects in this one is that the killer is as confused as we are as to how she wound up in the river.
There is also all the typical Sandford stuff about Virgil having funny conversations with people, and one of the better running gags in this one is that everyone he asks about the leader of the Barbie-Oh gang acts as if they’ve never heard of her though he knows damn good and well that every one of them knows exactly who she is.
There’s one potential problem here with a big unresolved plot point. Sandford doesn’t always wrap everything up neatly, but even if the cops don’t know everything by the conclusion the reader always does. It’s also possible that he’s leaving a loose thread for a future book, but that's not really his style so it’s odd that it isn’t even mentioned in the wrap-up as a loose end. It really does seem like something that Sandford just forgot to address, but his plotting is usually air tight so it really made me scratch my head at the oversight.
Overall, it’s still another satisfying thriller from a writer whose casual readability masks how intelligent, well conceived, and executed his books really are.
I got sneak preview of this one last spring when I made a long drive to attend a John Sandford signing, and he told us about the current book he was fighting a deadline on that he was going to have to spend the evening working on when he got back to the hotel. All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but it makes John one of the best and most productive thriller writers on the bestseller list.
It’s another hard Minnesota winter in the small town of Trippton, but there’s a spot near the sewage treatment plant where the river doesn’t freeze. That’s where the body of the lady who owned the local bank pops up, and soon state cop Virgil Flowers is on the job. Virgil is familiar with Trippton because his fishing buddy Johnson Johnson lives there, and he also worked another case there just a few books back.
Complicating the murder investigation is the side gig his bosses want Virgil to help with that involves a ring of the locals adding sound chips to Barbie dolls that make it sound as if their having orgasms and selling them on the web. The Mattel corporation has no sense of humor about these aptly named Barbie-Ohs and has dispatched a private detective to serve cease-and-desist orders, but the hard boiled lady gumshoe is having no luck tracking down the people involved. Virgil isn’t happy about such a silly distraction, but he finds out the hard way that times are so tough in this struggling small town that the people involved are desperate to keep anyone from interfering with the income they make from selling the dolls.
This is pretty typical Sandford in a lot of ways. Virgil gets a case in a rural Minnesota town, and he tries to solve it using his sneakily low key way of chatting up people and tapping into local gossip. Like most of his books we know right from the start who the killer is, and the tension comes from the cat-and-mouse game between the cop and criminal. Sandford often holds back some info from the reader that is a critical part of how the bad guy will be found and figuring that out provides the mystery element to his books rather than a straight-up whodunit. He adds a new wrinkle to that in this one because while we know who killed the woman we also know that he left the body in her house after trying to make it look like an accident. One of the interesting aspects in this one is that the killer is as confused as we are as to how she wound up in the river.
There is also all the typical Sandford stuff about Virgil having funny conversations with people, and one of the better running gags in this one is that everyone he asks about the leader of the Barbie-Oh gang acts as if they’ve never heard of her though he knows damn good and well that every one of them knows exactly who she is.
There’s one potential problem here with a big unresolved plot point. Sandford doesn’t always wrap everything up neatly, but even if the cops don’t know everything by the conclusion the reader always does. It’s also possible that he’s leaving a loose thread for a future book, but that's not really his style so it’s odd that it isn’t even mentioned in the wrap-up as a loose end. It really does seem like something that Sandford just forgot to address, but his plotting is usually air tight so it really made me scratch my head at the oversight.
Overall, it’s still another satisfying thriller from a writer whose casual readability masks how intelligent, well conceived, and executed his books really are.
November 1, 2017
There’s always a sense of humor to the Virgil Flowers series. Sometimes it’s dry, sometimes it’s laugh out loud funny. But it’s always there. This was a fun book to listen to. There more thinking than action, as Virgil tries to figure out who the murderer is. I liked Virgil’s thought process as he works through all the possible suspects. The whole Barbie-oh subplot is just a hoot.
October 17, 2017
“That f-----g Virgil Flowers,” a sobriquet used at least once by everyone who comes in contact with him. Ace investigator with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), wild-life writer and photographer, hunter, fisherman, and loyal friend, Virgil is pulled early from his vacation and send back to Trippton, Minnesota. In the recent past he arrested and charged with murder the entire school board and newspaper editor. Yep, Virgil sure makes an impression on folks.
This time he is asked to investigate the murder of a beautiful woman, president of the bank, town mover and shaker. The crime is confusing on many fronts, especially to the murderer. We know the murderer from the beginning, and to Virgil it is almost a ‘locked room’ mystery, but with way too many people in that ‘locked room’.
Life for Virgil gets more dangerous and complicated before he even reaches Trippton. First there is girlfriend, Frankie who gobsmacks him with a suggestion.
Then Virgil is tasked by the governor to help a CA private detective serve cease and desist papers to some women who are just trying to make a living in difficult times. Mattel ain't too happy with what these women are doing to Barbie and Ken dolls. But we sure are and can’t wait to see if they follow through with their planned Apple Ap.
This is all on top of the original murder he is traveling to Trippton to investigate.
What can I say? Sandford is a pro. I picture him sitting in front of his computer maniacally laughing as he writes the Barbie and Ken doll scenes.
But oh, what he does to Minnesota, a character in its own right. It doesn’t matter if he is writing about the wondrous summers or the harsh winter of this book; Sandford captures the beauty and poetry of the state.
Virgil is lucky enough to team up again with Johnson Johnson, one of his best buds, who balances out Virgil’s craziness by being crazier. Virgil is crazy like a fox, he likes that his surfer dude attitude is so misleading.
There is a great deal of humor in this book, but overall it is a dark story of rejection, violence and economic hardship.
No need to read the previous Virgil Flowers books, this one works great on its own. But then, why deprive yourself of the pleasure?
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of a fair and honest review.
This time he is asked to investigate the murder of a beautiful woman, president of the bank, town mover and shaker. The crime is confusing on many fronts, especially to the murderer. We know the murderer from the beginning, and to Virgil it is almost a ‘locked room’ mystery, but with way too many people in that ‘locked room’.
Life for Virgil gets more dangerous and complicated before he even reaches Trippton. First there is girlfriend, Frankie who gobsmacks him with a suggestion.
Then Virgil is tasked by the governor to help a CA private detective serve cease and desist papers to some women who are just trying to make a living in difficult times. Mattel ain't too happy with what these women are doing to Barbie and Ken dolls. But we sure are and can’t wait to see if they follow through with their planned Apple Ap.
This is all on top of the original murder he is traveling to Trippton to investigate.
What can I say? Sandford is a pro. I picture him sitting in front of his computer maniacally laughing as he writes the Barbie and Ken doll scenes.
But oh, what he does to Minnesota, a character in its own right. It doesn’t matter if he is writing about the wondrous summers or the harsh winter of this book; Sandford captures the beauty and poetry of the state.
Virgil is lucky enough to team up again with Johnson Johnson, one of his best buds, who balances out Virgil’s craziness by being crazier. Virgil is crazy like a fox, he likes that his surfer dude attitude is so misleading.
There is a great deal of humor in this book, but overall it is a dark story of rejection, violence and economic hardship.
No need to read the previous Virgil Flowers books, this one works great on its own. But then, why deprive yourself of the pleasure?
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of a fair and honest review.
August 6, 2023
Virgil Flowers #10
This book was a surprising treat!
Set in the snowy backdrop of Minnesota, BCA Agent Virgil Flowers is called back to the town of Trippton to solve the murder of a prominent women (Gina Hemming), known for her ruthless nature. There's a possibility the murder may be connected to the high school class of 92' ,as Gina Hemming was known to have more enemies than friends, so Virgil begins to dig deep into decades of bad blood and feuds.
While investigating the murder of Ms. Hemming, Virgil is also asked to assist in finding rogue citizens who are taking Barbie Dolls and making them into sex toys for wholesale. One thing is for sure, Virgil will not be taking his wanted vacation any time soon.
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I was initially drawn to this book at my local library for its hardback cover and large print (which I'm a sucker for!). This is the first book in this series that I've read. It's funny at times and made me long to go somewhere cold on this hot July day. I will definitely remember this author and series for further reads. 👍👍
This book was a surprising treat!
Set in the snowy backdrop of Minnesota, BCA Agent Virgil Flowers is called back to the town of Trippton to solve the murder of a prominent women (Gina Hemming), known for her ruthless nature. There's a possibility the murder may be connected to the high school class of 92' ,as Gina Hemming was known to have more enemies than friends, so Virgil begins to dig deep into decades of bad blood and feuds.
While investigating the murder of Ms. Hemming, Virgil is also asked to assist in finding rogue citizens who are taking Barbie Dolls and making them into sex toys for wholesale. One thing is for sure, Virgil will not be taking his wanted vacation any time soon.
---‐-------------------------------------------------------------------
I was initially drawn to this book at my local library for its hardback cover and large print (which I'm a sucker for!). This is the first book in this series that I've read. It's funny at times and made me long to go somewhere cold on this hot July day. I will definitely remember this author and series for further reads. 👍👍
October 4, 2017
I'd love to meet Virgil Flowers. There. I said it. He's long been a favorite character (this is, I believe, his 10th book). Actually, so is the author's other series hero, Lucas Davenport, but Virgil always won out (if only by a little bit). I'm not exactly sure why, except Virgil has that "bad boy" appeal - coupled with an irresistible offbeat - many would say irreverent - sense of humor.
But Virgil wasn't all that thrilled to get involved here, for a couple of reasons. First, he's still got a couple of days left on his week's vacation. Second, the case takes him back to Trippton, Minnesota, where a while back he dealt with members of a local school board who put a unique twist on the concept of education. Now, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent has been called in to help with the murder of a very wealthy, divorced businesswoman whose body literally was fished out of a mostly frozen river. On the suspected night of her death, she'd hosted a get-together of planners of their high school class's 20-year mid-winter reunion - and as Virgil somewhat reluctantly begins his investigation, he learns the planning committee members may have been closer to enemies than friends.
Then, along comes another investigation - this one at the insistence of the Minnesota governor - and Virgil is even more reluctant to get involved. Mattel, it seems, has paid a California lawyer to track down whoever's been buying up Barbie dolls - then modifying them to "talk" using, shall we say, very suggestive phrases and reselling them on the black market. Just for the record, being not even close to a fan of Barbies (Ken and Skipper? Not in this lifetime), I immediately gave the perps points for ingenuity despite realizing (of course) the gravity of the crime.
The Barbie-doll lawyer isn't the most pleasant of women (that she keeps bugging Virgil to work harder to catch the culprits while he's busy on the other murder case is one of her less endearing qualities). To make matters worse, that murder is followed by a second - and now Virgil really has his hands full; dealing with two issues at once really puts his nose out of joint. As usual, Virgil works everything out in the end, taking readers along for another fun ride.
Maybe it's just me, but I sense that Virgil seems to have mellowed a bit over the last couple of books (or at least, ever since he hooked up with girlfriend Frankie). Of course, no one can stay young and irresponsible forever, but I really do miss his feistiness. On the plus side, though, he's still got his chuckle-eliciting one-liners. When, for instance, Virgil is told that Amazon sells "sex toys" all of which are eligible for Amazon Prime, he doesn't miss a beat.
"That's a relief. I'd hate to wait for three days," he quips.
Virgil, my man, you've still got it (and if you'd like to discuss that over a cold Leinenkugel next time you're passing through my part of Ohio, give me a jingle - I'm buying). Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
But Virgil wasn't all that thrilled to get involved here, for a couple of reasons. First, he's still got a couple of days left on his week's vacation. Second, the case takes him back to Trippton, Minnesota, where a while back he dealt with members of a local school board who put a unique twist on the concept of education. Now, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent has been called in to help with the murder of a very wealthy, divorced businesswoman whose body literally was fished out of a mostly frozen river. On the suspected night of her death, she'd hosted a get-together of planners of their high school class's 20-year mid-winter reunion - and as Virgil somewhat reluctantly begins his investigation, he learns the planning committee members may have been closer to enemies than friends.
Then, along comes another investigation - this one at the insistence of the Minnesota governor - and Virgil is even more reluctant to get involved. Mattel, it seems, has paid a California lawyer to track down whoever's been buying up Barbie dolls - then modifying them to "talk" using, shall we say, very suggestive phrases and reselling them on the black market. Just for the record, being not even close to a fan of Barbies (Ken and Skipper? Not in this lifetime), I immediately gave the perps points for ingenuity despite realizing (of course) the gravity of the crime.
The Barbie-doll lawyer isn't the most pleasant of women (that she keeps bugging Virgil to work harder to catch the culprits while he's busy on the other murder case is one of her less endearing qualities). To make matters worse, that murder is followed by a second - and now Virgil really has his hands full; dealing with two issues at once really puts his nose out of joint. As usual, Virgil works everything out in the end, taking readers along for another fun ride.
Maybe it's just me, but I sense that Virgil seems to have mellowed a bit over the last couple of books (or at least, ever since he hooked up with girlfriend Frankie). Of course, no one can stay young and irresponsible forever, but I really do miss his feistiness. On the plus side, though, he's still got his chuckle-eliciting one-liners. When, for instance, Virgil is told that Amazon sells "sex toys" all of which are eligible for Amazon Prime, he doesn't miss a beat.
"That's a relief. I'd hate to wait for three days," he quips.
Virgil, my man, you've still got it (and if you'd like to discuss that over a cold Leinenkugel next time you're passing through my part of Ohio, give me a jingle - I'm buying). Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2022
Virgil Flowers is back at it in
'Deep Freeze,'
and it is fantastic thanks to the clever character driven storyline. Lots of riveting action brought to life for the listener by narrator Eric Conger who gives an A++ performance - providing every individual character with an easily distinguishable and autonomous voice - unique and independent of all others. Another bullseye performance.
November 19, 2017
Another good Virgil Flowers book. I started to get a little bored about ⅔ through. Sometimes I felt like there was one voice in this book and everyone was using it.
January 27, 2018
There is always some humor, albeit sometimes dark, in a Virgil Flowers novel and this was no exception. In this story Virgil returns to the town of Trippton, Minnesota. Readers of the series may remember the town from Deadline where Virgil tangled with a murderous school board, dognappers, and a meth lab.
Virgil is on vacation trying to get a photograph of an owl to sell to a magazine when he receives a phone call from his boss. A woman, Gina Hemming, has just been fished out of a frozen river. Can Virgil head over to Trippton and check it out? His boss promises to make up the interrupted vacation. Hemming was last seen at a meeting in her home to plan a 25th high school reunion. Virgil believes there is a connection.
Virgil checks in with his boss to let him know how the murder investigation is going when his boss tells him that he will soon be contacted by a private investigator on a separate problem. He is to assist. It seems that someone has been making modifications to Barbie (and Ken) dolls. Mattel is not appreciative and a private investigator has been sent with a cease and desist order. But she is not having much luck. The economy is bad and jobs are scarce. Virgil is ordered to assist. I found it rather funny picturing these Minnesotan's gathered together in a barn making the alterations to Barbie and Ken dolls.
I know Virgil Flowers is a fictional character but I would love to meet him if he weren't. I was first introduced to him when I started reading John Sandford's Prey series with Lucas Davenport. Virgil worked for Lucas who frequently referred to him as that "f___ing" Flowers. But he is the son of a minister and treats everyone with respect. Even the bad guy. He often forgets to bring a gun which sometimes gets him in trouble. He is an outdoors man and can handle tough situations. But he is also thoughtful and will sit down, or lay in bed at night, and think things through. One of my favorite characters in literature today. The only negative is now I will have to wait for the next novel in the series.
Virgil is on vacation trying to get a photograph of an owl to sell to a magazine when he receives a phone call from his boss. A woman, Gina Hemming, has just been fished out of a frozen river. Can Virgil head over to Trippton and check it out? His boss promises to make up the interrupted vacation. Hemming was last seen at a meeting in her home to plan a 25th high school reunion. Virgil believes there is a connection.
Virgil checks in with his boss to let him know how the murder investigation is going when his boss tells him that he will soon be contacted by a private investigator on a separate problem. He is to assist. It seems that someone has been making modifications to Barbie (and Ken) dolls. Mattel is not appreciative and a private investigator has been sent with a cease and desist order. But she is not having much luck. The economy is bad and jobs are scarce. Virgil is ordered to assist. I found it rather funny picturing these Minnesotan's gathered together in a barn making the alterations to Barbie and Ken dolls.
I know Virgil Flowers is a fictional character but I would love to meet him if he weren't. I was first introduced to him when I started reading John Sandford's Prey series with Lucas Davenport. Virgil worked for Lucas who frequently referred to him as that "f___ing" Flowers. But he is the son of a minister and treats everyone with respect. Even the bad guy. He often forgets to bring a gun which sometimes gets him in trouble. He is an outdoors man and can handle tough situations. But he is also thoughtful and will sit down, or lay in bed at night, and think things through. One of my favorite characters in literature today. The only negative is now I will have to wait for the next novel in the series.
January 31, 2018
Having just finished a book set in the desert of Arizona, I was ready for John Sandford’s Deep Freeze. Set in the fictional town of Trippton, Minnesota, it features agent Virgil Flowers, the Minnesota Bureau of Investigation’s Will Trent alter ego. Sort of. Or not.
When banker, Gina Hemming, is fished out a frozen river, Virgil is called down to Trippton to investigate. He’s no stranger to the little town, having previously solved a big, scandalous case involving the school board. It also gives him a chance to spend time with his pal, Johnson Johnson. (The guy’s dad named his sons after outboard motors and the name Evinrude was already taken.) That’s the kind of humor we get in these book, folks. Anyway, Virgil has his work cut out for him. He wonders if the death was accidental, and then the killer panicked and disposed of the body. But the stories of potential suspects just don’t add up.
To make matters worse for Virgil and more amusing for us readers, Virgil is ordered to assist a private detective from LA, Margaret S. Griffin, to shut down an illegitimate Barbie and Ken doll operation. These replicas, called “Barbie-O” dolls, are fitted with recordings that say things like “Oh, yes, oh yes!” You get the idea. Mattel wants the manufacturer served with a cease and desist order, and the Minnesota governor has pledged cooperation. Virgil has no choice but to go along. He is not pleased. This makes for some laugh-out-loud, silly fun. I wonder what Mr. Sandford was smoking when he wrote this. Of course, no one in town will admit knowing the person responsible because these people need the jobs. Really. Virgil sympathizes, but it is illegal, after all.
As a mystery, the story is okay. We know right off the bat who killed Gina, the girl voted “most likely to succeed.” But did that person dump her in the river? What’s the rest of the story? There are a lot of people who may or may not know things. John Sandford, AKA John Camp, was a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He knows Minnesota, and I’ll bet he knows about small-town life. He certainly understands Minnesota winter, with snowmobiles, ice fishing, bowling leagues, and gossip.
Virgil Flowers fans will love this book. There are some great one-liners. The Barbie-O story line is inane. Virgil is still Virgil. He gets himself in and out of trouble. He does seem to be mellowing just a bit. All in all, Deep Freeze will at least give you some good laughs.
3.5 stars
When banker, Gina Hemming, is fished out a frozen river, Virgil is called down to Trippton to investigate. He’s no stranger to the little town, having previously solved a big, scandalous case involving the school board. It also gives him a chance to spend time with his pal, Johnson Johnson. (The guy’s dad named his sons after outboard motors and the name Evinrude was already taken.) That’s the kind of humor we get in these book, folks. Anyway, Virgil has his work cut out for him. He wonders if the death was accidental, and then the killer panicked and disposed of the body. But the stories of potential suspects just don’t add up.
To make matters worse for Virgil and more amusing for us readers, Virgil is ordered to assist a private detective from LA, Margaret S. Griffin, to shut down an illegitimate Barbie and Ken doll operation. These replicas, called “Barbie-O” dolls, are fitted with recordings that say things like “Oh, yes, oh yes!” You get the idea. Mattel wants the manufacturer served with a cease and desist order, and the Minnesota governor has pledged cooperation. Virgil has no choice but to go along. He is not pleased. This makes for some laugh-out-loud, silly fun. I wonder what Mr. Sandford was smoking when he wrote this. Of course, no one in town will admit knowing the person responsible because these people need the jobs. Really. Virgil sympathizes, but it is illegal, after all.
As a mystery, the story is okay. We know right off the bat who killed Gina, the girl voted “most likely to succeed.” But did that person dump her in the river? What’s the rest of the story? There are a lot of people who may or may not know things. John Sandford, AKA John Camp, was a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He knows Minnesota, and I’ll bet he knows about small-town life. He certainly understands Minnesota winter, with snowmobiles, ice fishing, bowling leagues, and gossip.
Virgil Flowers fans will love this book. There are some great one-liners. The Barbie-O story line is inane. Virgil is still Virgil. He gets himself in and out of trouble. He does seem to be mellowing just a bit. All in all, Deep Freeze will at least give you some good laughs.
3.5 stars
April 11, 2024
Always love a good Virgil Flowers story. He is so down to Earth and has an interesting take on life. Plus he is rather funny. The people in his life are also funny and interesting while being pretty regular people. Although this town of Trippton seems to have some issues….again! And that ending. Oh boy! 😉
November 22, 2017
If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm in treatment. You see, I'm seriously addicted to these books. And unforgivably, John Sandford only writes one of them a year, which means I'll be shivering in a corner and slapping at invisible insects for the next eleven months.
See you all then.
See you all then.
November 9, 2020
First time I have not rated a Sandford novel at least four stars. Deep Freeze, though it has the same crisp, sparse writing, the same humor, the same quirky characters, the plot was so ordinary as to make it drag. Or perhaps because two out of three accolades on the cover claimed Deep Freeze was the best of the Flowers series; we all know that whatever feature the marketers claim is the most wonderful usually turns out to be the biggest detriment.
The problem with this plot could have been avoided, but perhaps not by Sandford. All his novels are structured as modern thrillers: we ride with the bad guys and see them commit the crimes, then we switch to the good guys who are working the investigation. The thrill comes from the bad guys plotting and committing new crimes while we cheer the good guys on to catch them before more innocents are victimized. So here, in the first chapter, we see the murderer commit the murder. It's an accident, the murderer isn't a bad guy, and he clearly feels remorse and is just a depressed ball of inaction, waiting for his inevitable capture. Thrilled yet? So we see Agent Flowers conduct his investigation. He talks to people who have no idea who could have committed the murder. A secondary, minor story is weaved through the investigation, and in some ways that's more interesting, because we don't have any feel for how close Flowers is to solving it. But solve it he does, and then the poor, pathetic murderer gives himself away and that's solved too. Meh.
The problem with this plot could have been avoided, but perhaps not by Sandford. All his novels are structured as modern thrillers: we ride with the bad guys and see them commit the crimes, then we switch to the good guys who are working the investigation. The thrill comes from the bad guys plotting and committing new crimes while we cheer the good guys on to catch them before more innocents are victimized. So here, in the first chapter, we see the murderer commit the murder. It's an accident, the murderer isn't a bad guy, and he clearly feels remorse and is just a depressed ball of inaction, waiting for his inevitable capture. Thrilled yet? So we see Agent Flowers conduct his investigation. He talks to people who have no idea who could have committed the murder. A secondary, minor story is weaved through the investigation, and in some ways that's more interesting, because we don't have any feel for how close Flowers is to solving it. But solve it he does, and then the poor, pathetic murderer gives himself away and that's solved too. Meh.
May 26, 2020
I have adored John Sandfords writing for years now. I'm a faithful reader of his Lucas Davenport series, and Virgil Flowers had been a character I enjoyed from the very beginning.
Deep Freeze was my first Virgil Flowers book.
What I love about the Prey series, is the recurring supporting cast, their camaraderie, the politics and his family. I think this is what's missing with Virgil, a supporting cast that is as hilarious and enjoyable as the main character.
Deep Freeze was captivating to a point. It didn't reach the heights of a Lucas Davenport novel. The case Virgil was asked to investigate had interesting moments but nothin shocking or outrages that would have made me sit on the edge of my seat.
I loved his way of detecting. Until the very end I wasn't sure if he was anywhere closer to finding the answer. His interviews lead him from one suspect to another. It's quite fascinating to see that everyone had some skeletons in the closet.
But at the end I felt a little let down. Maybe because there wasn't a big shootout à la Davenport.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed Deep Freeze, I just don't think this particular case was memorable enough for me to remember it in 2 month time. Nothing really stood out, like I said, it was missing the "shock me effect".
___________________________________
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Deep Freeze was my first Virgil Flowers book.
What I love about the Prey series, is the recurring supporting cast, their camaraderie, the politics and his family. I think this is what's missing with Virgil, a supporting cast that is as hilarious and enjoyable as the main character.
Deep Freeze was captivating to a point. It didn't reach the heights of a Lucas Davenport novel. The case Virgil was asked to investigate had interesting moments but nothin shocking or outrages that would have made me sit on the edge of my seat.
I loved his way of detecting. Until the very end I wasn't sure if he was anywhere closer to finding the answer. His interviews lead him from one suspect to another. It's quite fascinating to see that everyone had some skeletons in the closet.
But at the end I felt a little let down. Maybe because there wasn't a big shootout à la Davenport.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed Deep Freeze, I just don't think this particular case was memorable enough for me to remember it in 2 month time. Nothing really stood out, like I said, it was missing the "shock me effect".
___________________________________
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog.
Find me on Bookstagram.
September 4, 2017
Yea!! Virgil's back!
Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Group for this ARC.
I'm a long time fan of John Sandford's books. Good plots. Fast pacing. Wonderful escapist / rainy day reads. Oh and there's the usual cast of Sandford's stock characters. Smart detective, detective's comedic-relief side-kick, bumbling crook, wise woman and other assorted Minnesotains as needed (not to mention the Minnesota weather). But Sandford does a great job fleshing out his characters.
Deep Freeze is Virgil at his best - simple acceptance of the world he's in and master of the understatement.
Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Group for this ARC.
I'm a long time fan of John Sandford's books. Good plots. Fast pacing. Wonderful escapist / rainy day reads. Oh and there's the usual cast of Sandford's stock characters. Smart detective, detective's comedic-relief side-kick, bumbling crook, wise woman and other assorted Minnesotains as needed (not to mention the Minnesota weather). But Sandford does a great job fleshing out his characters.
Deep Freeze is Virgil at his best - simple acceptance of the world he's in and master of the understatement.
January 25, 2020
Just my second Virgil Flowers book, but I liked it a lot for a number of reasons. Being called to work out a murder in small town Minnesota must be the norm. Added to this murder investigation assignment is a request to assist a female PI from LA who is working on behalf of Mattel to discover who is behind creating sex toys out of Barbie dolls. Virgil resists, but the governor is adding his influence to get the job done. Virgil is badly beaten up by a female fearsome foursome determined to keep him out of efforts to stop their toy business. The beating is not the last of his challenges by these desperate folk as he is fired on until his truck gets the worst of it and burns.
Eventually he is able to concentrate on the original murder after another follows on its heels.
Virgil's friends add to the fun of these jobs.
There is plenty of Minnesota life portrayed realistically with midwestern humour thickly applied. Nowhere in this telling can any sense of "Minnesota Nice" be observed. A good read.
Library Loan
Eventually he is able to concentrate on the original murder after another follows on its heels.
Virgil's friends add to the fun of these jobs.
There is plenty of Minnesota life portrayed realistically with midwestern humour thickly applied. Nowhere in this telling can any sense of "Minnesota Nice" be observed. A good read.
Library Loan
November 12, 2017
OK, here's the mark of a great writer: a murder is presented to readers in Chapter 1, and yet we're strung along for hundreds of pages while Virgil ("that F'ing Flowers") tries to determine the perpetrator, using his tried and proven skill of socializing his investigation. Back in Trippton, where he arrested the school board for theft and murder in another book, he spends time with Clarice and Johnson Johnson and the Trippton High School Class of '92. Meanwhile, he is also asked to assist a PI track down a popular but elusive local businesswoman, who is making surgical adjustments to Ken and Barbie, much to the chagrin of Mattel. As the noose tightens, Virgil is never quite sure who is after him nor why. Enjoyable.
October 18, 2017
“Same old Flowers shit. You gotta ride with it."
For years, my favorite literary crime hero was James Patterson's Alex Cross. While I still faithfully read the Cross series, John Sandford's Virgil Flowers has recently ascended to the top spot. There's something about his eccentric investigative antics and never wavering moral compass that makes Flowers a must read. Like any long-running series, Virgil Flowers has had his highs and lows. The last two novels, both focusing largely on finding missing animals, have been true to form. Beyond his usual case studies, Flowers was allowed to truly evolve as a character in new and exciting ways. With Deep Freeze, the tenth installment in this series, John Sandford attempts to take his character to new heights by returning to a familiar setting.
The rough and tumble lady's man Virgil Flowers has been steadily dating his girlfriend Frankie for the last several books. Seeing the way Frankie interacts with her sons has started to cause Virgil think about potentially being a father one day, a role the three time divorcee never imagined he would even consider. The couple's vacation is cut short when Virgil is called by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to travel to Trippton, Minnesota. Virgil has a troubled history with the small town. The last time he was there, he encountered a dog smuggling ring and a corrupt and murderous school board.
This trip sees Virgil investigating the murder of a local banker who was pulled from a frozen river by a local fisherman. She was last seen alive at her home where she hosted a meeting of several other townspeople. They were gathered to plan their 20th high school reunion. As Virgil begins to interview the attendees of that meeting, he begins to see that each of these people may have had some incentive to murder the victim. What is it with this small town?!
As if things weren't already complicated enough, Virgil also receives a request directly from the governor's office. Mattel, maker of Barbie, has commissioned a lawyer from LA to present a cease and desist to a local woman who has been buying, altering, and reselling the dolls. She adds voice boxes to the dolls that cause them to spew suggestive and highly off-brand sounds that Mattel is eager to see stop. The problem is, the this seemingly insignificant operation puts food on the table to many struggling families within the Trippton community. Citizens are less than eager to assist in this particular investigation.
In this tenth novel in the Virgil Flower series, John Sandford continues to develop his character in ways that make this long-running series seem as fresh as ever. Virgil seems to be more calculated in his approach to investigation and takes less risks than he did in earlier novels. This can probably attributed to his relationship with Frankie. There's a couple close calls in this book that have him pleading with police to not inform Frankie of what happened. His concern for her well-being has definitely shifted his actions. Still, he continues to have the quick wit and keen ability to read between the lines of the people he interviews. I always marvel at Sandfords ability to reveal a killer from the start of a book and still hold my attention and create suspense out of an investigation that I know the answer to. Deep Freeze is no different. It is the perfect display of Sandford's writing prowess and the wonderful character he has created. Bring on the next Virgil Flowers adventure!
For years, my favorite literary crime hero was James Patterson's Alex Cross. While I still faithfully read the Cross series, John Sandford's Virgil Flowers has recently ascended to the top spot. There's something about his eccentric investigative antics and never wavering moral compass that makes Flowers a must read. Like any long-running series, Virgil Flowers has had his highs and lows. The last two novels, both focusing largely on finding missing animals, have been true to form. Beyond his usual case studies, Flowers was allowed to truly evolve as a character in new and exciting ways. With Deep Freeze, the tenth installment in this series, John Sandford attempts to take his character to new heights by returning to a familiar setting.
The rough and tumble lady's man Virgil Flowers has been steadily dating his girlfriend Frankie for the last several books. Seeing the way Frankie interacts with her sons has started to cause Virgil think about potentially being a father one day, a role the three time divorcee never imagined he would even consider. The couple's vacation is cut short when Virgil is called by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to travel to Trippton, Minnesota. Virgil has a troubled history with the small town. The last time he was there, he encountered a dog smuggling ring and a corrupt and murderous school board.
This trip sees Virgil investigating the murder of a local banker who was pulled from a frozen river by a local fisherman. She was last seen alive at her home where she hosted a meeting of several other townspeople. They were gathered to plan their 20th high school reunion. As Virgil begins to interview the attendees of that meeting, he begins to see that each of these people may have had some incentive to murder the victim. What is it with this small town?!
As if things weren't already complicated enough, Virgil also receives a request directly from the governor's office. Mattel, maker of Barbie, has commissioned a lawyer from LA to present a cease and desist to a local woman who has been buying, altering, and reselling the dolls. She adds voice boxes to the dolls that cause them to spew suggestive and highly off-brand sounds that Mattel is eager to see stop. The problem is, the this seemingly insignificant operation puts food on the table to many struggling families within the Trippton community. Citizens are less than eager to assist in this particular investigation.
In this tenth novel in the Virgil Flower series, John Sandford continues to develop his character in ways that make this long-running series seem as fresh as ever. Virgil seems to be more calculated in his approach to investigation and takes less risks than he did in earlier novels. This can probably attributed to his relationship with Frankie. There's a couple close calls in this book that have him pleading with police to not inform Frankie of what happened. His concern for her well-being has definitely shifted his actions. Still, he continues to have the quick wit and keen ability to read between the lines of the people he interviews. I always marvel at Sandfords ability to reveal a killer from the start of a book and still hold my attention and create suspense out of an investigation that I know the answer to. Deep Freeze is no different. It is the perfect display of Sandford's writing prowess and the wonderful character he has created. Bring on the next Virgil Flowers adventure!
February 16, 2018
Another high quality and interesting story by creative author John Sanford, featuring Virgil Flowers. 8 of 10 stars
April 21, 2018
This is the first book I've read of this series and I guess I just don't get the point. We know from the first chapter who the murderer is and the investigation didn't hold my interest so I didn't see a reason to continue reading. There is also a side plot about someone who is turning Barbie and Ken dolls into sex toys. I was not amused.
January 23, 2019
3-4 Read this a while back. Not my fav, but I enjoy Virgie.
January 17, 2018
This book is by far my favorite of all the Sanford's I've read. It has intrigue, humor, and very important is that it is probably the cleanest of all the Sanford books I've read. I was not at all offended by the foul language. Great Book!!!
I really enjoy John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series. Virgil Flowers was a supporting character in that series, but is now the lead in his own set of books. I really like Lucas, but have to say that Flowers is my favorite! The 10th (and latest) Flowers book is Deep Freeze.
Virgil is happily enjoying some time off when he's called back in and sent to Trippton, Minnesota - remember that murderous school board? Well, there's another dead body in town - this one's frozen. And the suspects are many - everything points to one of the Trippton graduating class of twenty years ago. Turns out they've got a reunion planned....Now, we the reader know who the culprit is. But the body isn't where he left it. So the killer is just as confused. Knowing what we believe to be the whodunit in no way detracts from being on the case with Virgil. My interest was held right through to the end. And there's one more thing his superiors want him to look into while he's in Trippton. Some locals are adding some, well, 'inappropriate' sound chips to Barbie dolls. Mattel would like them to 'cease and desist.'
Oh, Sandford's plotting is always great. In Virgil's cases, nothing is straight forward or 'normal'. And that's a huge part of the appeal of this series. But the real draw is of course Virgil. With his blond surfer boy looks, his laconic homey charm, his sense of humor and ability to fit right in with the locals, Virgil is not what you would expect of an Minnesota BCA Agent. The situations and dialogue assigns to Virgil are laugh out loud funny. One of the best supporting characters takes a larger role this time out. Johnson Johnson (nope, that's not a typo, that's his name) lives in the Trippton area, so he adds himself to the investigation. The banter between these two is great fun.
Sandford has moved things along in each new entry in the series. There's a fairly large development in Deep Freeze - I will be curious to see what the next book brings. Deep Freeze is the best of this entertaining series. RECOMMEND
I really enjoy John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series. Virgil Flowers was a supporting character in that series, but is now the lead in his own set of books. I really like Lucas, but have to say that Flowers is my favorite! The 10th (and latest) Flowers book is Deep Freeze.
Virgil is happily enjoying some time off when he's called back in and sent to Trippton, Minnesota - remember that murderous school board? Well, there's another dead body in town - this one's frozen. And the suspects are many - everything points to one of the Trippton graduating class of twenty years ago. Turns out they've got a reunion planned....Now, we the reader know who the culprit is. But the body isn't where he left it. So the killer is just as confused. Knowing what we believe to be the whodunit in no way detracts from being on the case with Virgil. My interest was held right through to the end. And there's one more thing his superiors want him to look into while he's in Trippton. Some locals are adding some, well, 'inappropriate' sound chips to Barbie dolls. Mattel would like them to 'cease and desist.'
Oh, Sandford's plotting is always great. In Virgil's cases, nothing is straight forward or 'normal'. And that's a huge part of the appeal of this series. But the real draw is of course Virgil. With his blond surfer boy looks, his laconic homey charm, his sense of humor and ability to fit right in with the locals, Virgil is not what you would expect of an Minnesota BCA Agent. The situations and dialogue assigns to Virgil are laugh out loud funny. One of the best supporting characters takes a larger role this time out. Johnson Johnson (nope, that's not a typo, that's his name) lives in the Trippton area, so he adds himself to the investigation. The banter between these two is great fun.
Sandford has moved things along in each new entry in the series. There's a fairly large development in Deep Freeze - I will be curious to see what the next book brings. Deep Freeze is the best of this entertaining series. RECOMMEND
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November 11, 2019
Audiobook - 10:02 Hours - Narrator: Eric Conger
3Stars - "I Liked It"
I quite liked this "F***ing Flowers" book - it was interesting enough, and a relatively light-hearted, "stay-up-late-to-finish" read for me🤭.
The language and the characters were suitably coarse; the 'twin' plots, if one could call them that, were revealed early in the book; the 'story-line' was about a bumbling Virgil Flowers taking way too long to work out who the bad protag was and even longer to nail the not-so-bad protag. The wrap-up was too detailed and too long and the narrator seemed to rely one just one vocal characterisation, his own, for the whole story.
If you read and enjoy John Sandford's "F...F..." or "Lucas Davenport" books, this will work for you, as it did for me, but this is more an observation than a recommendation.
3Stars - "I Liked It"
I quite liked this "F***ing Flowers" book - it was interesting enough, and a relatively light-hearted, "stay-up-late-to-finish" read for me🤭.
The language and the characters were suitably coarse; the 'twin' plots, if one could call them that, were revealed early in the book; the 'story-line' was about a bumbling Virgil Flowers taking way too long to work out who the bad protag was and even longer to nail the not-so-bad protag. The wrap-up was too detailed and too long and the narrator seemed to rely one just one vocal characterisation, his own, for the whole story.
If you read and enjoy John Sandford's "F...F..." or "Lucas Davenport" books, this will work for you, as it did for me, but this is more an observation than a recommendation.
March 31, 2018
I could not finish the book. I made it to Chapter 6. This book is boring.
May 21, 2021
4 Stars. In several Flowers novels, the reader is presented with many details of the crime upfront! Often not all the crucial details but, who dun-it and a few important circumstances are in full view. In "Deep Freeze," once again that's the case. The challenge for Virgil, and it's the enjoyable part for the reader, lies in the circuitous route to resolution, if such is possible. It's been 25 years since the class of 1992 graduated from Trippton High School, and eight of the graduates, including several of "The Populars," gather at the home of Gina Hemming to start planning a reunion. As President of the local bank, Hemming has lived up to the moniker she acquired years ago, "Girl Most Likely to Succeed." But she's still arrogant and condescending which David Birkmann, "The Class of 92's Funniest Man," quickly finds out. In this one, we learn a great deal about the hollowing of mid-America's economy, lost jobs, struggling businesses, and social consequences. There's an amusing subplot; a group of women are repackaging and selling Barbie and Ken dolls as sex toys. The Governor wants Virgil to help on that one, "you're in Trippton anyway." Ah Virgil. (April 2021)
March 20, 2018
4.5 stars
This is my 10th Virgil Flowers book and it is still a fun read! I listened to the audio book and, as usual, Eric Conger does a great job bringing Virgil and the colorful characters to life. Mr. Conger IS Virgil Flowers.
In this installment, it is winter in Minnesota (hence the title Deep Freeze) and Virgil is on vacation. Of course, Virgil gets a call about a murder in Trippton. One of the things I like about these stories is fishing is worked into the story. In this case, an 80 year old fisherman hauls in a body of a woman that manages float into an ice free pond by a power plant. When Virgil gets to Trippton, he also asked by his boss to help out a PI who is trying to track down the people who are making pornographic Barbie and Ken dolls. Virgil stays at a cabin owned by his friend Johnson Johnson (named after an outboard boat motor).
There is a whole cast of colorful characters, part of which, is the weather itself. Trippton is a town full of eccentrics with some unusual sexual tastes. After all, the winters are long and there is not much else to do. Virgil himself is not exactly your run-of-the-mill detective type. Virgil, the local color and a good whodunit makes for a great read. The story lags a little toward the end but not enough to ruin the story.
I'm a solid fan of John Sandford's Virgil Flowers books. I look forward to the next installment.
This is my 10th Virgil Flowers book and it is still a fun read! I listened to the audio book and, as usual, Eric Conger does a great job bringing Virgil and the colorful characters to life. Mr. Conger IS Virgil Flowers.
In this installment, it is winter in Minnesota (hence the title Deep Freeze) and Virgil is on vacation. Of course, Virgil gets a call about a murder in Trippton. One of the things I like about these stories is fishing is worked into the story. In this case, an 80 year old fisherman hauls in a body of a woman that manages float into an ice free pond by a power plant. When Virgil gets to Trippton, he also asked by his boss to help out a PI who is trying to track down the people who are making pornographic Barbie and Ken dolls. Virgil stays at a cabin owned by his friend Johnson Johnson (named after an outboard boat motor).
There is a whole cast of colorful characters, part of which, is the weather itself. Trippton is a town full of eccentrics with some unusual sexual tastes. After all, the winters are long and there is not much else to do. Virgil himself is not exactly your run-of-the-mill detective type. Virgil, the local color and a good whodunit makes for a great read. The story lags a little toward the end but not enough to ruin the story.
I'm a solid fan of John Sandford's Virgil Flowers books. I look forward to the next installment.
December 18, 2018
The Virgil Flowers series deals with a Minnesota law enforcement officer, usually working in remote, rural areas of the state. Virgil gets the tough, politically sensitive cases, assisting the local authorities. He can pull in the state crime scene folks, and has good luck crossing city and territorial lines.
In this one, a bank president has turned up in the warm waters downstream from a water treatment plant. The last folks who saw her were classmates planning a 25th year reunion.
The suspects - a husband and wife car dealership owners, the exterminator/donut shop owner, and her soon-to-be ex, contemplating a sex change and dating a chef.
A conversation including his friend, Johnson Johnson: "A friend of mine told me he was coming on to her daughter when the daughter was fifteen. He was thirty-four." "That's called statutory rape in Minnesota," Virgil said. Johnson:"You can't rape statues anymore?"
In a parallel story, Flowers assists a private investigator from L.A., looking for the housewife gang taking Barbie dolls and performing surgery on them, installing X-rated voice boxes and selling them on the internet. Weird...but enjoyable.
In this one, a bank president has turned up in the warm waters downstream from a water treatment plant. The last folks who saw her were classmates planning a 25th year reunion.
The suspects - a husband and wife car dealership owners, the exterminator/donut shop owner, and her soon-to-be ex, contemplating a sex change and dating a chef.
A conversation including his friend, Johnson Johnson: "A friend of mine told me he was coming on to her daughter when the daughter was fifteen. He was thirty-four." "That's called statutory rape in Minnesota," Virgil said. Johnson:"You can't rape statues anymore?"
In a parallel story, Flowers assists a private investigator from L.A., looking for the housewife gang taking Barbie dolls and performing surgery on them, installing X-rated voice boxes and selling them on the internet. Weird...but enjoyable.
September 21, 2017
I received a copy of this book to read and review from the publisher through NetGalley
DEEP FREEZE is the 10th book in the Virgil Flower series by author John Sandford, and finds Virgil back in the small town of Trippton in the dead of winter to investigate a murder of a local businesswoman who apparently was killed in her own home following a meeting with former-classmates for an upcoming high school reunion, and then later dumped into the frozen waters of the local river.
Virgil is also asked to look into an illegal operation on behalf of a request by the governor of Minnesota that involves altering Barbie and Ken dolls to X-rated novelties, thereby incurring the wrath of the manufacturer who may or may not be a contributor to the governor’s campaign funding.
Johnson Johnson (who like his brother Evinrude, is named after an out-board fishing boat motor by their father), Virgil’s best friend and cohort, is along to assist using his inside knowledge of the small community to get inside information needed to break both cases, and Virgil also works with an assigned female investigator from L.A. on the “Barbie-Oh!” doll case, who finds the winter in Minnesota not to her liking, but is a tough and relentless pursuant of the woman allegedly responsible for the black market dolls.
Facing strong opposition and personal safety issues from unknown locals on the doll case, and a seemingly hopeless search for clues on the murder case, Virgil’s lack of progress and cooperation from the local community begins to wear on him, and an attack resulting in injuries impedes his progress on both cases.
John Sandford created Virgil as a character first present in the highly successful “Prey” series with Lucas Davenport occasionally assigning him to difficult and unusual cases based on his knack for solving the case using his unconventional methods that differ from his own, but are also very effective.
Winter settings sometimes present in both the Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport books are a welcome change from the majority of books in the genre taking place in warm weather-urban settings, although often Sandford’s books often involve the Twin Cities as well.
Virgil is an interesting off-beat character who differs from Davenport as a somewhat laid-back investigator who’s success is often made possible by his non-threatening appearance, as he’s described as being good looking; somewhat like a “surfer dude” resulting in locals making the assumption that he’s not up to the task, only to regret their mistake much too late.
Several of the long running series that I read eventually struggle with an aging character maintaining an edge that appeals to readers of the earlier books, and I’ve found this seems to be a bit more difficult with Virgil as compared to Davenport based on his personality differences, since maintaining an edge based on Lucas’ well developed mean streak and ruthless pursuit is compatible with his getting older.
I’ll be interested to see how author Sandford handles Virgil’s character in upcoming books, and while I definitely enjoyed this one, I’m still waiting for a book that compares to the earlier books in the series like Bad Blood and Mad River, both highly recommended to readers interested in the series along with all the other previous ones starting with Dark of the Moon.
4 stars.
DEEP FREEZE is the 10th book in the Virgil Flower series by author John Sandford, and finds Virgil back in the small town of Trippton in the dead of winter to investigate a murder of a local businesswoman who apparently was killed in her own home following a meeting with former-classmates for an upcoming high school reunion, and then later dumped into the frozen waters of the local river.
Virgil is also asked to look into an illegal operation on behalf of a request by the governor of Minnesota that involves altering Barbie and Ken dolls to X-rated novelties, thereby incurring the wrath of the manufacturer who may or may not be a contributor to the governor’s campaign funding.
Johnson Johnson (who like his brother Evinrude, is named after an out-board fishing boat motor by their father), Virgil’s best friend and cohort, is along to assist using his inside knowledge of the small community to get inside information needed to break both cases, and Virgil also works with an assigned female investigator from L.A. on the “Barbie-Oh!” doll case, who finds the winter in Minnesota not to her liking, but is a tough and relentless pursuant of the woman allegedly responsible for the black market dolls.
Facing strong opposition and personal safety issues from unknown locals on the doll case, and a seemingly hopeless search for clues on the murder case, Virgil’s lack of progress and cooperation from the local community begins to wear on him, and an attack resulting in injuries impedes his progress on both cases.
John Sandford created Virgil as a character first present in the highly successful “Prey” series with Lucas Davenport occasionally assigning him to difficult and unusual cases based on his knack for solving the case using his unconventional methods that differ from his own, but are also very effective.
Winter settings sometimes present in both the Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport books are a welcome change from the majority of books in the genre taking place in warm weather-urban settings, although often Sandford’s books often involve the Twin Cities as well.
Virgil is an interesting off-beat character who differs from Davenport as a somewhat laid-back investigator who’s success is often made possible by his non-threatening appearance, as he’s described as being good looking; somewhat like a “surfer dude” resulting in locals making the assumption that he’s not up to the task, only to regret their mistake much too late.
Several of the long running series that I read eventually struggle with an aging character maintaining an edge that appeals to readers of the earlier books, and I’ve found this seems to be a bit more difficult with Virgil as compared to Davenport based on his personality differences, since maintaining an edge based on Lucas’ well developed mean streak and ruthless pursuit is compatible with his getting older.
I’ll be interested to see how author Sandford handles Virgil’s character in upcoming books, and while I definitely enjoyed this one, I’m still waiting for a book that compares to the earlier books in the series like Bad Blood and Mad River, both highly recommended to readers interested in the series along with all the other previous ones starting with Dark of the Moon.
4 stars.
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