If you are a fan of detective book series then you must read the Virgil Flower book series written by John Sanford. The book series started in 2007 and its first-ever published book was Dark of the moon. The series is still going on and there are 12 books in the series that have been published so far and the next one would come out this year.
About the Character and Series:
The book, as you can guess, is based on the character of Virgil Flower! He works at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This bureau is set in a small town located in Bluestem. Before working for the BCA, Virgil Flower worked in the army. He has been divorced three times and he is in his late thirties as well.
He is tall, smart, and handsome. He can easily win any girl’s heart. But he has been gone through so much in his life. He is always tested in the novel series as some tragic events happen around him. He takes quick decisions and also some of the tough ones as well.
Since there are 12 books in the series and some are yet to come, you might wanna read the book series in order rather than randomly reading any book of the series.
In this article, we are giving you a list of Virgil Flower books in order so that you can read the books in order and experience the best detective drama series you have ever read.
So go ahead and take a look at the following list of Virgil Flower books in order.
Contents
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Also check – Spenser books in order / Alex cross books in order
Best Virgil Flower Books In Order
1. Dark of the Moon
Dark of the Moon is the first book in the series and it was published in 2007. The book introduces us to Virgil Flower, a tall, lean, and smart guy who works at BCA. It also gives you a peek at his old life and how he ended up at BCA in Bluestem. Bluestem is a small town where everybody knows everybody and people mostly mind their own business.The peace of the town has been disrupted by an explosion which occurs in a house way up on a ridge. The owner of the house, Judd is trapped inside the house. Judd is not the guy everyone likes or is a fan of. He has done some very shady works and even led to destroying several lives as well.Not just this, three murders happened in Bluestem, a town which is considered safe for everyone. The question is, are the two incidents connected? Virgil Flower has to make sure that he investigate and connect the dots to find the culprit behind all this.It’s a nicely written book with a good amount of thrill and suspense and it will wake the detective in you as well!
2. Heat Lightning
Heat Lightning is the second book in the Virgil Flower series. This time Virgil gets a phone call on a hot humid summer night in Minnesota and it says that they have found a body near a veterans’ memorial in Stillwater. The body is shot two times in the head and there is a lemon in his mouth as well. The pattern is similar, as a similar kind of body was founded a few days ago. It doesn’t take too much time for Virgil to find out that someone is behind these murders and he might be a serial killer.He must make a move because the killer might have other names on his list and before he kills anyone else in town, he should get the killer arrested.
3. Rough Country
Rough Country is the third Virgil Flower book in order, that you need to read next. A brutal murder has taken place in Minnesota while a fishing tournament is going on. The murder has happened in a women-only resort where a woman has been shot while kayaking. The resort is supposed to be a place to relax and recover for women and it is pretty popular as well and many women come here as well.This is what makes the whole case much more complicated than it should be. When Virgil starts the investigation, he finds out a web of connection as everyone was somehow connected to the victim and there were many people with motives to kill the woman. There are too many suspects with too many motivations.As if the case wasn’t complicated enough, Virgil finds out that this wasn’t the only murder that happened and that another murder happened and there is a high possibility that the next murder will happen soon as well.How will Virgil possibly solve the case? Will he able to prevent other murders from taking place? Or there will be other victims as well?
4. Bad Blood
This time Virgil Flower is going to see multifamily and multi generation feud that leads to deaths and murders of people.A farmer brings loads of soybean to a local grain elevator. The farmer who was minding his own business meets a young guy that beats him up to death. Then he calls Sheffield and reports the accident. It doesn’t take much time for Virgil to realize that it wasn’t just an accident and that it was a well-planned murder.But the case isn’t closed yet. After Virgil makes the boy admit his crime, he found hanging in his cell the next day! It may be seen as remorse to others but Virgil knows better. He digs up the family history and unfolds many secrets of the families and their feuds over the generation. Now the question is who is behind all this and how will Virgil capture the killer in the first place?
5. Shock Wave
The next Virgil Flower book in order is Shock Wave! This book is about business and talks, which is always risky in the modern corporation world and things can easily go south as well.A billion-dollar superstore has its eyes on Minnesota, but the local businessmen and retail shop owners fear that their business would be affected and they might lose everything if the PyeMart comes to the town.Angry businesses and environmentalists protesting against the supermarket chain and they are furious and won’t stop at anything to prevent them from coming to the town. Amid all the protests, an explosion takes place in Michigan headquarters. It’s just a beginning as it’s the first explosion in the series.Virgil has been called to investigate the whole matter and find out who is behind all these dangerous acts and who is benefiting from the damage and fear. The answer would leave you shocked!
6. Mad River
A series of crimes has been started in Minnesota. The modern-day Bonnie and Clyde along with their sidekick have been roaming in town and creating a nuisance. They have guns and their lives are dead end so they have nothing to lose and all the resources to get what they want- the thrill, adventure, and maybe money!They have killed not one, not two but three people till now. Who will be their next victim? What will be their next act? There are too many questions and Virgil is thinking about how he can stop these teenagers from their own lives. Virgil has no clue about what happens next and how he will put an end to all this.
7. Storm Front
Storm Front is kind of a story that you would watch on the big screen as it features a good movie plot with a blockbuster story.The story starts in Israel, where some bad guys have stolen an ancient relic and it is very important for the Israeli government and the whole country. These guys have landed in Minnesota, at least the report says that.An Israeli cop has also flown down to the country and she is hoping to get some help from Virgil Flower. After listing to the whole story, Virgil makes a joke and laughs it off but the cop assures him that this case is anything but funny. They are dealing with some bad guys and it’s going to be a dangerous case as well.Be ready to join Virgil and the Israeli cop and enjoy this thrilling story as well.
8. Deadline
The book starts with a school board meeting. Which sounds completely normal until it comes to the subject of the meeting. The members are meeting to decide the fate of an investigating reporter of the town. And the unanimous vote says, Kill him!On the other hand, Virgil is investigating a dog-napping to help out his friend. What started as a simple case has turned out to bigger and much more complicated turns of events and crimes. Virgil realizes the case is anything but simple and to confirm his theory, he found a dead body, and it none other than the investigating reporter!This book has been termed as one of the most thrilling novels in the series, so you would certainly enjoy it.
9. Escape Clause
With Escape Clause, Virgil is going to experience two storms at one time. The story starts with a zoo in Minnesota where two rare and very large Armor tiger has been vanished out of nowhere. It is suspected that someone has stolen these tigers to sell their valuable organs. These people can be anyone and it is very important to save those tigers. Virgil has been assigned the task and like always he will do his best to make sure everything is okay.Meanwhile, things are going really well with Virgil and his girlfriend Frankie until her sister shows up. Her sister thinks Virgil is cute and she might be making moves on him as well! Let’s see how he handles this situation.
10. Deep Freeze
Virgil is familiar with the town of Trippton, Minnesota! He has investigated a homicidal case a few years back and now the town is back in news for another brutal murder. A woman has found dead and frozen in a block of ice.The problem is the incident goes ways back 25 years ago. Virgil has to investigate and go through two decades of trauma and feuds! Will he be able to solve the case or will he meet the dead end?
11. Holy Ghost
Holy Ghost is another one of the popular Virgil Flower books that you would love to read. This book introduces you to the miracle and murder, both at the same time and Virgil is all set to investigate both. Wheat-field, Minnesota is known as the land of six hundred souls, and the word, ‘moribund might have been invented for this land.The town is getting popular and attracting thousands of pilgrims after the miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary! But suddenly everything shatters when the shooting starts. Virgil Flower must investigate and find out what is going on.
12. Bloody Genius
Bloody Genius is the next Virgil Flower book in order, that you have to read next. The new case for Virgil Flower would take him to the local state university where two feuding departments have come for a face-off on the grounds of science and medicine. People with a sound mind and extreme knowledge can disagree with each other but where will this disagreement lead them? As soon as the case moves forward it becomes much more dramatic and complicated along with thrill and entertainment for the readers.
Conclusion
So here we have listed down all the Virgil Flower books so that needed to know about. Although some people might suggest you read any book of the series as a standalone, which can be a good thing to do but if you want to know the character development and the backstory of the character that makes them who they are then you might wanna read the whole series in order.We have come to an end for our article, Virgil Flower books in order and we hope you would enjoy the series.