Virgil Flowers is back! And while he may be a bit more mellow than before he hooked up with girlfriend Frankie Nobles - who's pregnant with their baby, by the way - he hasn't lost much of his irreverent edge. Flashes of humor are here as always, this time nailing politics, frozen potpies and even visions of the Virgin Mary. Also sprinkled liberally throughout is the "f" word (fans of Virgil won't be shocked at all, but I mention it as a caution to those who might be).
In my eyes, though, Virgil can do no wrong (well, let's say that when he does, it just makes him more lovable). In fact, I learned here that we have a new special bond; apparently, both of us are good at distinguishing the smells of manure from various farm animals (cows, chickens, pigs and horses in particular). I don't know about Virgil, but it's a skill I honed by spending my 18 formative years on a farm and at county fairs.
As this story begins, Virgil is called to a tiny town in Minnesota, where a random sniper may be at work. Not long ago, the town became a tourist attraction, thanks to mysterious sightings of a "floating" Virgin Mary image at the local Catholic church. So far, two victims have been targeted - but as luck (or bad aim) would have it, neither was killed. That changes, though, when one of the town's socialites takes a fatal bullet.
The only clue is that all were shot at precisely 4:15 p.m., but no one can figure out why. Virgil and his cohorts, including Jenkins and Shrake, keep working the case, which early on leads to a local shooting range (after all, regular customers would be expected to know their way around guns). Nothing turns up - not even the owner - until the investigative team gets another unwelcome surprise. That the community also serves as home to a group of Nazi sympathizers adds more possibilities to the mix.
More details I can't reveal without spoiling things for others, but I will say (grudgingly) that the person I was certain was the shooter was way off the mark. The identity of the real killer - and the motive - came as a complete surprise (and the ending brought a surprise of a totally different sort). All told, this is yet another Flowers book that comes up roses. Good job!
Holy Ghost by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2018); 400 pp.
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