No. 2), Heat Lightning (Virgil Flowers

Most enjoyable character series that I have run into in a long time. Sometimes the effort to make Flowers eccentric is a little obvious, but Sanford gets so many little touches in the series right that the books have been a pleasure. Only been through the first two so far, so I'm looking forward to the rest.

Virgil is so different than Lucas and yet they are quite similiar. I find Virgil more laid back in his investigations but just as persistant in solving the case.

Heat Lightning is a great read. It will hold your interest and will be enjoyable. I would suggest it for the beach or a vacation book.

I think I like the Virgil Flowers books better than the Davenport series. His laid back, down to earth, more the ordinary guy making a living type guy is more interesting to me than the super special, rich. guy with everything going for him type. Great plot...fun read...actually enjoyed it more than my favorite Jack Reacher novels.

Virgil Flowers is simply fun: the plots are convoluting (you gotta pay attention!), the vast quantity of characters become alive, and the ride is simply 100% enjoyable. One of those series that, once you start, you don't want to put it down. I'm a new reader to the crime genre (previously, I just wasn't interested), but Sandford has hooked me, despite the physical location of Flowers and his associates; still, it is a welcome change from NYC and Los Angeles. I would suggest reading the Virgil Flowers stories in order as written, but I jumped around and still found them delightful, with lots of unexpected left-hand turns just about everywhere.

The Prey series has always been one of my favorites, and Sandford gets credit for allowing Davenport to mature in age and career. In this book, the main character Virgil Flowers is very different from Davenport, who appears pretty much as a supporting 'actor'. Virgil is a portrayed as someone I think I'll grow to like quite a bit.

The plot is interesting, the book is hard to put down. Isn't Sandford's BEST, but it's quite good.

John Sandford is such a great writer! my only fear is that I will read all of his books and will then need to search for another offer of equal skills. This book is just another example of an exciting well written thoughtful interesting thrilling novel.

The second in this series is an engaging, complex tale that stretches from Asia to Canada over several decades with plenty of action centered in Minnesota. I found the characters interesting and believable. Flowers is a bit less one dimensional too. Hope the subsequent books are this good or better.

I have read almost all of John Sanford's "Davenport" series and have loved every one. This series with Virgil Flowers is equally good and grabs you from the start and keeps you reading long after you should have moved on to other things! Love Virgil and can't wait to continue reading this series.

Good, laid back book with plenty of action and suspense to bring you back to it and slightly quirky character of Virgil appealing. Certainly worth rereading after a while, as in my case, or acquiring if you like thrillers.

Flowers, & Bosch at least for me, could be condensed a bit. However the authors have done well so the other 99% of their fans love the extras. I guess it my Law and Order TV upbringing...still watch the reruns

Heat Lightening is more of the same great captivating writing by John Sandford..
Heat Lightening revolves around Virgil Flowers, like the Prey Series revolves around Lucas Davenport.
First off let me say, I have read all the Prey series,and now I am on the individual characters books. I am a Career Cop and still at it.
John Sandford is the best. period.
John Sandford knows investigative procedure, real world actions, and all the down and dirty, with a fantastic ability to keep a reader interested, all the way through each book.Heat Lightening is an excellent read !
Trust me, If you like the Prey series, you will thoroughly enjoy the Virgil Flowers books as well.

The Virgil Flowers character is not quite as dynamic and the Lucas Davenport series, but still interesting. I don't really remember one story from the other in this series, but they are all most enjoyable.

Like the author's style.
I guess perhaps the story line was not to my interest enough.
don't like how it ended as well
Author is good, I loved the prey series with Davenport.
Miss that.
Dolores

Twists and turns keeping me fixed on what will be the outcome as the characters change their spots. Flowers is a strong, likeable guy who is incredibly smart and doesn't mind acknowledging his reliance on God. How refreshing! I look forward to another Virgil Flower adventure!

I am an ardent John Sandford fan. I recently purchased and read the complete Prey series and then the complete Flowers series in order, and I'm only sorry I'll have to wait for the next book in both series. Sandford is a novelist with the rare ability to carry over characters and plot elements with complete believabiity while allowing both to develop in interesting, unexpected but natural ways - the only other "serial" novelist who does this nearly as well is Anthony Trollope, and he avoids murders. I re-read these books with pleasure as great or greater than the first reading because the fast-paced narrative and unexpected plot developments pulls you to read fast the first time; the second or third you can pay attention to atmosphere (he's great on significant landscape detail), character growth, and situation development. Sandford writes like a real novelist, not like someone trying to impress academia with his literary exclusivity.

I was a little hesitant to start reading these books because I didn't think they would compare to the davenport books. But they serve just as good if not better. Virgil is a great character and I look forward to reading the whole series.

I have enjoyed all of Sanford's murder mysteries and this one did not disappoint me. It had the twists and turns that I have come to appreciate. I particularly liked the philisophical bits that come out through Flower's thinking. After completion of this book I anxiously await the further developments for Virgil.