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The “Virgil Flowers” series is written by prolific and highly-acclaimed thriller author John Sandford. He published the first book in the ever-growing series in 2007, and the 9th installment of the books is expected to be published sometime in 2016. These books revolve around the titular character, Virgil Flowers, who was originally brought to life as a character in Sandford’s enormously popular “Prey” series of books of which there are currently 26.
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Order of Virgil Flowers Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark of the Moon | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Heat Lightning | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Rough Country | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Bad Blood | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Shock Wave | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Mad River | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Storm Front | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Deadline | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Escape Clause | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Deep Freeze | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Holy Ghost | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Bloody Genius | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Ocean Prey | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | Righteous Prey | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Judgment Prey | 2023 | Description / Buy |
Virgil Flowers is a decidedly unconventional member of the force at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This congenial and occasionally overly straightforward cop is not what you would expect to find on any police force. His methods and performance on the job may be questioned by some, but he certainly gets results.
The first book in the “Virgil Flowers” series is “Dark of the Moon.” Flowers finds himself on the Bureau after a long career working for military police branches, as well as a stint on the police force in St. Paul, Minnesota. He likes to sink his teeth into the tough crimes, and really tackle interesting investigations, and the series certainly sees him doing just that.
When Virgil Flowers is assigned to investigate a heinous crime in the small town of Bluestem, he could not possibly have imagined the web of crimes that would unfold before him as he investigates. He has to unravel the mystery quickly, or else he may risk becoming tangled in it himself.
VIRGIL FLOWERS AWARDS:
With all of the excellent and hugely popular books he writes, it is no wonder that Sandford is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Besides his illustrious work in the fiction genre, John Sandford is an alias for Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist John Camp. As a reporter, Camp’s stories garnered him a great deal of attention, and several Pulitzer Prize nominations. Eventually, Camp’s work as a reporter led him to win the Pulitzer in 1986 for stories he wrote covering the problems facing Midwestern farmers at the time.
VIRGIL FLOWERS BOOKS INTO MOVIES:
Although the “Virgil Flowers” series by John Sandford has yet to be developed into movies, Sandford has seen some success with his books translating into movies. During his career, Sandford watched two of his “Prey” book be adapted into TV movies. Both “Mind Prey” and “Certain Prey” were developed for the small screen in 1999 and 2011 respectively. Sandford also lent his insight into the criminal mind to a 2005 television documentary entitled, “THS Investigates: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer.”
BEST VIRGIL FLOWERS BOOKS:
While it is hard to single out just a few books to recommend in this outstanding series, there are a few shining examples of Virgil Flowers books.
Unquestionably, readers rave about the fourth book in the series “Bad Blood,” the seventh installment “Storm Front” is a solid choice and a #1 New York Times bestseller, and the most recent book “Deadline” was yet another gripping story.
“Bad Blood” is a twisting tale that involves both crime and family. The events he sees and the secrets he uncovers shocks even Virgil Flowers, despite how much he has experience and the frankly terrible things he has seen over the course of his career. These jarring events set against a small-town backdrop make for another winning chapter in the career of reader’s favorite Minnesota police officer.
“Storm Front” sees Virgil Flowers getting embroiled in a very intricate investigation that unexpectedly arises during an archaeological dig. This story is a fascinating melding of both ancient mysteries and contemporary drama, and is sure to keep the reader engaged and excited with every page.
Meanwhile, “Deadline” sees Virgil Flowers looking into yet another unexpected small-town Minnesota crime with potentially deadly consequences. When a school board meeting takes a stunningly murderous turn, it is up to Flowers to investigate.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE:
If you find that you enjoy the Virgil Flowers series, you may also be a fan of Sandford’s “Prey” series, which revolves around the main character Lucas Davenport. Davenport is a rouge lieutenant currently working on the Minneapolis Police force whose stories of crime, drama, and intrigue will engross thriller fans with each installment.
If you are interested in looking into similar authors in the thriller genre, then you may want to try the highly-regarded “Jack Reacher” series by Lee Child. This series follows Jack Reacher after he has exited his military career, but he just can never seem to shake his insatiable urge to investigate and protect.
What Is The Next Book in The Virgil Flowers Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Virgil Flowers Series. The newest book is Judgment Prey and was released on October, 3rd 2023.
Ocean Prey is a Davenport book…not part of Virgil Flowers series.
It is part of both series. It says it on the cover as well – “A Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers Novel”.