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wondernikel's review against another edition
5.0
4.5...Well at least John Sandford hasn't lost his touch! Love laughing out loud with all the characters in these novels...nothing like laughing while solving murders! And man does that fuckin Flowers know how to get himself into some shit! This will be one series I will be sad to catch up on...only because the time between books is brutal!!!
manadabomb's review against another edition
4.0
Another Fuckin' Flowers book, number 10 to be exact. Although it does seem like his nickname of That Fuckin' Flowers is being phased out and he's just Virgil now. I'm ok with that.
Virgil is called to Trippton, MN, which you may remember from Deadline, book number 8. This time the body of one of the richest women in Trippton has been "caught" by a fisherman. Except, we already know who killed Gina Hemming, because the first chapter introduced us to Bug Boy, David Birkmann and showed us the murder. But wait, David didn't throw Gina's body in the frozen river. He staged an accident. So.....how did she get there?
Naturally, we have to have another case thrown in to make Virgil's life more complicated. Margaret Griffin shows up in Trippton, an ex-L.A. cop, paid by Mattel, to come put a stop to counterfeit Barbies. Not JUST Barbies. These Barbie's have a special...."feature". As do the Ken dolls. Whew. Who thinks this stuff up?
I really enjoyed how Virgil handled this one. I had to re-read his solving of the murder and was damn impressive at how his brain works.
Fully recommend this one, no need to even start at the beginning of the series.
Virgil is called to Trippton, MN, which you may remember from Deadline, book number 8. This time the body of one of the richest women in Trippton has been "caught" by a fisherman. Except, we already know who killed Gina Hemming, because the first chapter introduced us to Bug Boy, David Birkmann and showed us the murder. But wait, David didn't throw Gina's body in the frozen river. He staged an accident. So.....how did she get there?
Naturally, we have to have another case thrown in to make Virgil's life more complicated. Margaret Griffin shows up in Trippton, an ex-L.A. cop, paid by Mattel, to come put a stop to counterfeit Barbies. Not JUST Barbies. These Barbie's have a special...."feature". As do the Ken dolls. Whew. Who thinks this stuff up?
I really enjoyed how Virgil handled this one. I had to re-read his solving of the murder and was damn impressive at how his brain works.
Fully recommend this one, no need to even start at the beginning of the series.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Tenth in the Virgil Flowers thriller series and revolving around a laidback detective based in Minneapolis who roams the state solving crimes. And Virgil is back in Trippton (Deadline, 8).
My Take
Sandford is such a tease in this. We have a pretty good idea from the start as to whodunnit, but Sandford dribbles it out, makes you want to read to find out if what you suspect is true. The tension arises from Virgil working his way back to that fateful night, uncovering many of the town's secrets. And, as always, I'm impressed with how it all gets found out. It's what pulls me into these mysteries, figuring out the how.
As always, Sandford has that humor goin’ on. Wait’ll you read about those, ahem, altered Barbie and Ken dolls. Even more funny, in a twisted sort of way, is how "helpful” everyone in town is when asked about the "nonexistent” doll factory.
It’s a tangle of issues with all the trappings of small town life, the good and the bad. The good includes friends and a conspiracy to help those in financial trouble while the bad includes self-esteem issues and fear.
Sandford uses third-person point-of-view, which allows us to listen in on various people's thoughts, hopes, and fears. Theme-wise? I dunno. It’s people in a microcosm with all the negatives and positives. Only those negatives have exploded, and it all stems from how poorly people were treated in high school.
I can’t say it was bullying, but it was a social ostracism. Making fun of someone who doesn't "get it" emotionally. Oh, he’s a smart enough guy, but he was never perceived as good enough.
The side issues include the poor economy and what people will do to survive. Again, not everyone is thinking straight, and it leads to some "interesting” developments. None that Virgil cares for, that’s for sure!
Sandford ends with an encapsulation of the more prominent characters, each with their own paragraph summing up the after events.
The Story
It's back to Trippton, Minnesota, for Virgil Flowers when the town's banker pops up dead, frozen like a block of ice.
In charge of the high school reunion, Virgil realizes she most likely died the night of the reunion committee's meeting. Only…how did she get into the river? And who could have done it?
As Virgil begins to dig into twenty-some years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him: High school is murder.
The Characters
Detective Virgil Flowers is a roving agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Honus is Virgil’s dog (by whom he was adopted when solving that previous case in Trippton in Deadline). Frankie is his girlfriend who runs an architectural salvage business and has a small farm. She has five sons. Sparkle is her attractive sister.
BCA
John Duncan is Virgil’s nominal boss. Bea Sawyer is in charge of the scene of crime unit that includes Bill Jensen, their IT guy; Don Baldwin is Bea’s partner. Clay Danson, Blue, and Ralph are the divers. Sean. Jenkins and Shrake are the house thugs. Russell Roy is a senior BCA agent who has to interview Virgil. Lucas Davenport is Virgil’s old boss and now a federal marshal. He’s got a tip for Virgil. Kidd is a friend who works the tarot cards for angles. The current governor for Minnesota is as "dumb as a box of rocks … And that’s an insult to rocks and boxes.”
Trippton, Minnesota is…
…prone to the bad. Johnson Johnson is Virgil’s best friend who owns a hardwood lumber mill and lives just outside Trippton. Clarice is his girlfriend. Hank Johnson is a friend.
The unimpressive Jeff Purdy is the Buchanan County sheriff. Luke Pweeters is a deputy with ambition. Alewort is the crime scene investigator…and not available. Ann McComber is the public defender in whom Pweters is interested. Bret Carlson is the county attorney.
Margaret Griffin, a former L.A. cop, is a tiger of a private investigator who’s quick with a baton, working for Mattel Corporation. She’s staying at Ma and Pa Kettle’s River Resort.
The high school reunion committee consists of…
…the insecure David Birkmann, a.k.a., Chips, Bug Boy, Big D, Davareeno, and Daveissimo, was the class "clown” back in the day; today he owns a Dunkin’ Donuts and is the premier exterminator in the area with his company, GetOut! His father had been the Bug Man of Trippton. Alice works the counter at the Dunkin’ Donuts. Marge is the GetOut! office manager. Some of Dave’s technicians include Randall Campden and Bill Houston.
More committee members include Gina Hemming who had been one of the Populars whose grand achievements in high school didn’t quite work out as planned, although she is president of the local Second National Bank. Justin Rhodes, a realtor, is the husband she’s divorcing; he prefers to call himself Justine these days. Dr. Ryan Harney is the town doctor with a questionable past; Karen is his not-so-thrilled wife. Lucy Cheever had been the Homecoming Queen and now owns the Chevrolet dealership with her husband, Elroy. George Brown, the most Athletic Boy, now owns the bowling alley. Sheila Carver had been an old schoolmate of Gina’s until she "fell” even further socially. She is darn good at characterizing her fellow citizens!
Jesse McGovern is running an underground factory producing the Barbie-Os that is providing jobs to a lot of families. Carolyn Weaver and Miz Homer are some of her aggressive workers. Sandy Martinez has put up a wanted poster.
Marv Hiners is the first vice president at the bank. The hustling Rob Knox is "Justine"’s boyfriend who just opened a fancy French restaurant in town, Le Cheval Bleu. Corbel Caine (he operates heavy equipment) is a tough guy who gets crazy when drunk. Janey Cain is his wife and complaisant with his goings-on. Denwa Burke is Corbel’s oldest friend and as stupid when drinking as Corbel. Margot Moore is a certified financial planner running Moore Financial; she’s also Gina’s best friend. Sandy Hart and Belle Penney are Margot's friends. Kelly Brenner teaches women how to use a gun. Fred Fitzgerald runs a tattoo parlor and is a registered sex therapist — with a collection of whips and chains. He's a little concerned that he rides a Harley softail and has a conviction for assault.
Cary Lowe works at Home Depot as an assistant manager and enjoys karaoke; Bob Hart. Ben Potter is retired and does love to fish, even in the effluent canal. The Masons own some nice timberland. Janice Anderson is a retired schoolteacher who knows what’s going on in and around town. Ann (Gina’s sister) and Terry Ryan (he’s a surgeon) are Gina’s heirs. The asexual Barry Long (he’d been Homecoming King) is a state legislator obsessed with his politics and owns a greenhouse. John Handy works for the city building department. Duane Hawkins and Rusty Tremblay are some of the ice fishermen. Booger is Rusty’s granddaughter, finally trained to bring him his shoes. Bob Jackson is a post office clerk. Jimmy Barker runs Bernie’s Books, Candles ’n More with a secret back room. Rick James was Gina’s lawyer. Taylor Miller is a divorce attorney. Jerry Williams is another lawyer. Sam Jones is a judge. Janet Lincoln runs the Sugar Rush, a candy store. Lucille Becker is an English teacher. Jay is an assistant manager for a convenience store; Bobbi Cole is a not-too-reliable clerk. Lanny works at Tony’s. Buster Gedney is up at Stillwater after events in Deadline.
Ya go to Club Gold for karaoke; Jerry Clark is the manager. Carroll Wilson runs the Stihl chain saw dealership; his wife, Jeannette, loves karaoke. CarryTown is a mobile home park where Joseph Anderson and a few others live. Shanker owns Shanker’s Bar & Grill and sees more action than Virgil would have liked. The Bunker is the worst bar in Trippton. The Cheese-It does a good Diet Coke.
High school, 1992
George Marx was the assistant principal in charge of discipline. Ralph Filson had played trombone in the band.
Prairie du Chien, Iowa
Lieutenant Anderson Blaine is second-in-command in the police department. William Gurney and Mark Pendleton are a gay couple who run a bastard French restaurant, Le Café. Son Davis works at the Kaiser Inn.
The Mayo Clinic is…
…in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Peter Thurston is the medical examiner. Laurie is the woman with whom Thurston fell in love. Not at all the type he’d have ever thought. Karl Lone is the death investigator.
Wing and Talon is looking for good owl pictures. Undertime is when you work less while getting paid. Shakopee is the women’s prison; Stillwater is the men’s.
The Cover and Title
The cover is one giant, cracked ice crystal of whites and deep blues overlaying the city skyline with the author’s name at the top in a deep colonial blue and the title below it in a deep red. The series information and a bit of promotional info are also in red.
The title is all about the victim, in a Deep Freeze.
My Take
Sandford is such a tease in this. We have a pretty good idea from the start as to whodunnit, but Sandford dribbles it out, makes you want to read to find out if what you suspect is true. The tension arises from Virgil working his way back to that fateful night, uncovering many of the town's secrets. And, as always, I'm impressed with how it all gets found out. It's what pulls me into these mysteries, figuring out the how.
As always, Sandford has that humor goin’ on. Wait’ll you read about those, ahem, altered Barbie and Ken dolls. Even more funny, in a twisted sort of way, is how "helpful” everyone in town is when asked about the "nonexistent” doll factory.
It’s a tangle of issues with all the trappings of small town life, the good and the bad. The good includes friends and a conspiracy to help those in financial trouble while the bad includes self-esteem issues and fear.
Sandford uses third-person point-of-view, which allows us to listen in on various people's thoughts, hopes, and fears. Theme-wise? I dunno. It’s people in a microcosm with all the negatives and positives. Only those negatives have exploded, and it all stems from how poorly people were treated in high school.
I can’t say it was bullying, but it was a social ostracism. Making fun of someone who doesn't "get it" emotionally. Oh, he’s a smart enough guy, but he was never perceived as good enough.
The side issues include the poor economy and what people will do to survive. Again, not everyone is thinking straight, and it leads to some "interesting” developments. None that Virgil cares for, that’s for sure!
Sandford ends with an encapsulation of the more prominent characters, each with their own paragraph summing up the after events.
The Story
It's back to Trippton, Minnesota, for Virgil Flowers when the town's banker pops up dead, frozen like a block of ice.
In charge of the high school reunion, Virgil realizes she most likely died the night of the reunion committee's meeting. Only…how did she get into the river? And who could have done it?
As Virgil begins to dig into twenty-some years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him: High school is murder.
The Characters
Detective Virgil Flowers is a roving agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Honus is Virgil’s dog (by whom he was adopted when solving that previous case in Trippton in Deadline). Frankie is his girlfriend who runs an architectural salvage business and has a small farm. She has five sons. Sparkle is her attractive sister.
BCA
John Duncan is Virgil’s nominal boss. Bea Sawyer is in charge of the scene of crime unit that includes Bill Jensen, their IT guy; Don Baldwin is Bea’s partner. Clay Danson, Blue, and Ralph are the divers. Sean. Jenkins and Shrake are the house thugs. Russell Roy is a senior BCA agent who has to interview Virgil. Lucas Davenport is Virgil’s old boss and now a federal marshal. He’s got a tip for Virgil. Kidd is a friend who works the tarot cards for angles. The current governor for Minnesota is as "dumb as a box of rocks … And that’s an insult to rocks and boxes.”
Trippton, Minnesota is…
…prone to the bad. Johnson Johnson is Virgil’s best friend who owns a hardwood lumber mill and lives just outside Trippton. Clarice is his girlfriend. Hank Johnson is a friend.
The unimpressive Jeff Purdy is the Buchanan County sheriff. Luke Pweeters is a deputy with ambition. Alewort is the crime scene investigator…and not available. Ann McComber is the public defender in whom Pweters is interested. Bret Carlson is the county attorney.
Margaret Griffin, a former L.A. cop, is a tiger of a private investigator who’s quick with a baton, working for Mattel Corporation. She’s staying at Ma and Pa Kettle’s River Resort.
The high school reunion committee consists of…
…the insecure David Birkmann, a.k.a., Chips, Bug Boy, Big D, Davareeno, and Daveissimo, was the class "clown” back in the day; today he owns a Dunkin’ Donuts and is the premier exterminator in the area with his company, GetOut! His father had been the Bug Man of Trippton. Alice works the counter at the Dunkin’ Donuts. Marge is the GetOut! office manager. Some of Dave’s technicians include Randall Campden and Bill Houston.
More committee members include Gina Hemming who had been one of the Populars whose grand achievements in high school didn’t quite work out as planned, although she is president of the local Second National Bank. Justin Rhodes, a realtor, is the husband she’s divorcing; he prefers to call himself Justine these days. Dr. Ryan Harney is the town doctor with a questionable past; Karen is his not-so-thrilled wife. Lucy Cheever had been the Homecoming Queen and now owns the Chevrolet dealership with her husband, Elroy. George Brown, the most Athletic Boy, now owns the bowling alley. Sheila Carver had been an old schoolmate of Gina’s until she "fell” even further socially. She is darn good at characterizing her fellow citizens!
Jesse McGovern is running an underground factory producing the Barbie-Os that is providing jobs to a lot of families. Carolyn Weaver and Miz Homer are some of her aggressive workers. Sandy Martinez has put up a wanted poster.
Marv Hiners is the first vice president at the bank. The hustling Rob Knox is "Justine"’s boyfriend who just opened a fancy French restaurant in town, Le Cheval Bleu. Corbel Caine (he operates heavy equipment) is a tough guy who gets crazy when drunk. Janey Cain is his wife and complaisant with his goings-on. Denwa Burke is Corbel’s oldest friend and as stupid when drinking as Corbel. Margot Moore is a certified financial planner running Moore Financial; she’s also Gina’s best friend. Sandy Hart and Belle Penney are Margot's friends. Kelly Brenner teaches women how to use a gun. Fred Fitzgerald runs a tattoo parlor and is a registered sex therapist — with a collection of whips and chains. He's a little concerned that he rides a Harley softail and has a conviction for assault.
Cary Lowe works at Home Depot as an assistant manager and enjoys karaoke; Bob Hart. Ben Potter is retired and does love to fish, even in the effluent canal. The Masons own some nice timberland. Janice Anderson is a retired schoolteacher who knows what’s going on in and around town. Ann (Gina’s sister) and Terry Ryan (he’s a surgeon) are Gina’s heirs. The asexual Barry Long (he’d been Homecoming King) is a state legislator obsessed with his politics and owns a greenhouse. John Handy works for the city building department. Duane Hawkins and Rusty Tremblay are some of the ice fishermen. Booger is Rusty’s granddaughter, finally trained to bring him his shoes. Bob Jackson is a post office clerk. Jimmy Barker runs Bernie’s Books, Candles ’n More with a secret back room. Rick James was Gina’s lawyer. Taylor Miller is a divorce attorney. Jerry Williams is another lawyer. Sam Jones is a judge. Janet Lincoln runs the Sugar Rush, a candy store. Lucille Becker is an English teacher. Jay is an assistant manager for a convenience store; Bobbi Cole is a not-too-reliable clerk. Lanny works at Tony’s. Buster Gedney is up at Stillwater after events in Deadline.
Ya go to Club Gold for karaoke; Jerry Clark is the manager. Carroll Wilson runs the Stihl chain saw dealership; his wife, Jeannette, loves karaoke. CarryTown is a mobile home park where Joseph Anderson and a few others live. Shanker owns Shanker’s Bar & Grill and sees more action than Virgil would have liked. The Bunker is the worst bar in Trippton. The Cheese-It does a good Diet Coke.
High school, 1992
George Marx was the assistant principal in charge of discipline. Ralph Filson had played trombone in the band.
Prairie du Chien, Iowa
Lieutenant Anderson Blaine is second-in-command in the police department. William Gurney and Mark Pendleton are a gay couple who run a bastard French restaurant, Le Café. Son Davis works at the Kaiser Inn.
The Mayo Clinic is…
…in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Peter Thurston is the medical examiner. Laurie is the woman with whom Thurston fell in love. Not at all the type he’d have ever thought. Karl Lone is the death investigator.
Wing and Talon is looking for good owl pictures. Undertime is when you work less while getting paid. Shakopee is the women’s prison; Stillwater is the men’s.
The Cover and Title
The cover is one giant, cracked ice crystal of whites and deep blues overlaying the city skyline with the author’s name at the top in a deep colonial blue and the title below it in a deep red. The series information and a bit of promotional info are also in red.
The title is all about the victim, in a Deep Freeze.
sapphiresimone73's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
caitdrisc's review against another edition
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
khosch's review against another edition
2.0
I love Virgil, but this one wasn't so hot.
Spoilers below!!
There were two big mistakes/gaffes/stunners in this book.
First, the initial murder takes place in the first chapter, so we know whodunnit. No problem with that. BUT - the victim scratches the killer so thoroughly that she draws blood and breaks her fingernails. Virgil decides early on that the perpetrator was probably one of seven guests at a meeting immediately before the murder. But does he take DNA from each of them to match? No, of course not. Instead he engages in a dangerous and pointless confrontation at the end of the book.
Second, there is a secondary story about Virgil getting roped into helping identify some people who are making and selling modified dolls (Barbies). At one point near the end of the book someone tries to kill him, shooting up his truck and causing it to catch on fire. He asks the doll-modifier if her people shot at him, but he NEVER asks the actual killer. This is a huge oversight. Inquiring minds want to know who was shooting at Virgil!
Additionally, the way Virgil lucks into solving this (given the baffling non-use of the actual DNA evidence) is pretty slim. Luckily someone sees the killer's truck outside the victim's house and Virgil finally realizes that a yellow cap might look like blond hair from a distance. And then he gets the killer to confess and he is taping the confession - would that really happen? The killer is planning to commit suicide - wouldn't he kill himself when he sees the police closing in? What would Virgil have done without those lucky breaks? Oh, I don't know, maybe turn to DNA evidence?
Spoilers below!!
There were two big mistakes/gaffes/stunners in this book.
First, the initial murder takes place in the first chapter, so we know whodunnit. No problem with that. BUT - the victim scratches the killer so thoroughly that she draws blood and breaks her fingernails. Virgil decides early on that the perpetrator was probably one of seven guests at a meeting immediately before the murder. But does he take DNA from each of them to match? No, of course not. Instead he engages in a dangerous and pointless confrontation at the end of the book.
Second, there is a secondary story about Virgil getting roped into helping identify some people who are making and selling modified dolls (Barbies). At one point near the end of the book someone tries to kill him, shooting up his truck and causing it to catch on fire. He asks the doll-modifier if her people shot at him, but he NEVER asks the actual killer. This is a huge oversight. Inquiring minds want to know who was shooting at Virgil!
Additionally, the way Virgil lucks into solving this (given the baffling non-use of the actual DNA evidence) is pretty slim. Luckily someone sees the killer's truck outside the victim's house and Virgil finally realizes that a yellow cap might look like blond hair from a distance. And then he gets the killer to confess and he is taping the confession - would that really happen? The killer is planning to commit suicide - wouldn't he kill himself when he sees the police closing in? What would Virgil have done without those lucky breaks? Oh, I don't know, maybe turn to DNA evidence?
stevem0214's review against another edition
5.0
Great as always although I do miss the interaction with Virgil and Lucas...maybe that will come back on of these days. Virgil is back in Trippton again with a new bunch of nuts. Good, fun reading!
papidoc's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good thriller. Can't really call it a mystery, since we know who the killer is from almost the first page, but its still an entertaining read. I'm enjoying the Virgil Flowers series almost as much as the Lucas Davenport Prey series.
jamelchior's review against another edition
I liked this. Virgil Flowers reminds me of Columbo.