Shock Wave (A Virgil Flowers Novel) [Hardcover]

John Sandford (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011 | Series: A Virgil Flowers Novel (Book 5)

The thrilling new Virgil Flowers novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

The superstore chain PyeMart has its sights set on a Minnesota river town, but two very angry groups want to stop it: local merchants, fearing for their businesses, and environmentalists, predicting ecological disaster. The protests don't seem to be slowing the project, though, until someone decides to take matters into his own hands.

The first bomb goes off on the top floor of PyeMart's headquarters. The second one explodes at the construction site itself. The blasts are meant to inflict maximum damage-and they do. Who's behind the bombs, and how far will they go? It's Virgil Flowers's job to find out . . . before more people get killed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Once you start Shock Wave, you'll read it straight through, quickly, compulsively, happy the whole time to be in such good hands.”--The Washington Post

“Wry humor, a fully realized lead, and tense atmospherics…one of his best outings to date.”--Publishers Weekly

 

“The Flowers series is…formed from the same elements that make the Davenport books such a joy to read: sharp characterization, witty dialogue and, at heart, a gritty, often puzzling mystery. If Shock Wave is any indication, Flowers has a better than even chance of equaling if not surpassing Davenport in the hearts and minds of Sandford’s legion of readers.”--Bookreporter.com

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

John Sandford is the author of twenty-two Prey novels, most recently Stolen Prey; the Virgil Flowers novels, most recently Shock Wave; and six other books. He lives in Minnesota.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399157697
• ISBN-13: 978-0399157691
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (274 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Sandford was born John Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in the U.S. Army from 1966-68, worked as a reporter for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian from 1968-1970, and went back to the University of Iowa from 1970-1971, where he received a master's degree in journalism. He was a reporter for The Miami Herald from 1971-78, and then a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer-Press from 1978-1990; in 1980, he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, and he won the Pulitzer in 1986 for a series of stories about a midwestern farm crisis. From 1990 to the present he has written thriller novels. He's also the author of two non-fiction books, one on plastic surgery and one on art. He is the principal financial backer of a major archaeological project in the Jordan Valley of Israel, with a website at www.rehov.org. In addition to archaeology, he is deeply interested in art (painting) and photography. He both hunts and fishes. He has two children, Roswell and Emily, and one grandson, Benjamin. His wife, Susan, died of metastasized breast cancer in May, 2007, and is greatly missed.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#73 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#23 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#24 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#26 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

#28 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#30 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

#23 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

#24 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#26 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

#28 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#30 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

191 of 203 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding entry in Sandford's Virgil Flowers series ! October 5, 2011

By Gerald M. Bull

Format:Hardcover

We are big fans of Sandford, having read every single one of his Kidd, Lucas Davenport, and Virgil Flowers novels. These latter stories are similar to, but usually less violent than, the "Prey" novels, as Virgil is inclined to let the "regular" cops do most of the dirty work while he contemplates things quietly and often draws clever conclusions from just talking to people.

"Shock Wave" is aptly named, as it involves a plot about a very busy bomber who has it in for "Pye-Mart", obviously a Walmart knockoff, that is in the early construction phase in Butternut Falls (MN), and expected to destroy the local merchants and pollute the river with runoff, etc., etc. While that's not exactly an original premise, the one or two bombings per day keep everyone hopping to an insane degree, with a similar increase in suspense to the reader. Not surprisingly, there appears to have been illegal payoffs to local politicos to make the approval for the new megastore a reality; and while he's trying to discover the identity of the bomber, Virgil uncovers those crimes as well, nicely cleaning up the local scene. Meanwhile, Virgil seems to be telephonically breaking up with his new sheriff sweetheart, which slows down his tendency to womanize key characters, but that only added to the "off-screen" fun.

We don't award many books all five stars, but this one seems quite deserving -- a terrific protagonist in an exciting and suspenseful plot combine for a thrill-charged entertaining novel -- highly recommended!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Explosively good October 11, 2011

By CGP

Format:Hardcover

As I say in my Amazon.ca review, unlike many authors of roughly his generation, John Sanford isn't experimenting with new--and usually unsuccessful--formats, characters, or styles. Shock Wave is another Virgil Flowers success that I couldn't put down. Waited weeks for the book and finished it in a day. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Good plot, credible characters, nice touches of humor, and a satisfying ending you don't quite see coming. Very much Sandford at his reliable best.

65 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sandford keeps rolling October 6, 2011

By Loyd Blankenship

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

By the time they get to their 25th book in a setting (these are in the same world as his Prey books), most authors are just mailing it in (see Griffin, Clancy). Sandford continues to put out exciting, well-plotted books that make you laugh out loud at times ("I have varied interests. And insomnia."). Definitely worth a read!

68 of 83 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Shock and a little awe! October 4, 2011

By Kevin T

Format:Hardcover

I like this series and I like the protagonist. If you enjoyed Sanford's other stuff like Buried Prey or my new favorite Chaos and Kingdom you will love "Shock Wave".

Just when other authors start to wallow in their success-driven mediocrity, John Sanford is producing his best work yet. This latest edition to the Virgil Flowers series (the spin off of the Prey series) is one of his best. This series is clever where other writers' stuff can be commercial; compelling when other books can be gratuitous; and entertaining when others can be cheesy.

In this novel, the cerebral cop Flowers tackles a dastardly bomber who has it out for Pye-Mart stores (big box retailers that are clearly modeled after the Waltons' gift to the world). But is that corporate terrorist just your typical tree-hugger mad about the pollutants in his pristine Minnesota wilderness or is do the bombings have to do with dirty politicians?

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Like spending time with an old friend October 13, 2011

By Lost In Kansas VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

On my dining room table are about 3 or 4 books that I was planning on reading, but when this came in I dropped everything including the book I was reading to read this one. There are about 3 or 4 authors who I read whatever they write immediately. Sandford is my number one. No matter whether it is Davenport, Kidd,or Flowers you get quality. While Davenport is edgy and violent, Flowers is the layed back good ole boy next door that makes you feel comfortable. Sandford uses his two track story line here, as he does in his other novels. One track is Flowers working to solve the crime and the other track is the criminal thinking how to outwit Flowers. The reader gets to see both tracks move along till they merge into one final and violent confrontation. Against the rural Minnesota back ground Flowers chases a serial bomber, common man vs. big business or so it seems. Throw in corupt city officals and Flowers has his hands full. This Flowers' novel is like wading into a country creek and the current picks you up and you begin to float,slowly at first,twisting, winding, and finally hitting rapids. Nothing seems slow and before you know it you are at the end. That is how you know your are in the hands of professional. This time Sandford changes things at the end by teasing the reader with the next story in the Flowers series.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another worthy crime novel from John Sandford November 27, 2011

By Mal Warwick

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Virgil Flowers considers himself a "shitkicker" and tends to dress, talk, and act like one, favoring T-shirts from rock bands, cowboy boots, fly fishing, fast motorboats, and, shall we say, casual language. Here he is in conversation with one of his suspects in Shock Wave, a trade school instructor:

Virgil: "So, where you at?"

Suspect: "You don't need the `at' at the end of that sentence. If you'd asked, `Where are you?' that would have been fine."

Virgil: "I'm colloquial."

Virgil sometimes uses words like "colloquial" because, in reality, he has a college degree (in ecological science) and a scary-high IQ, and, though everyone seems to comment that he looks nothing like a cop, he is the most successful detective in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprensioin (BCA).

In Shock Wave, the fifth in John Sanders' Virgil Flowers series, Virgil is sent to investigate a fatal bombing at the site of a future big-box store that is carefully positioned not to be a Wal-Mart even though it clearly is. There, he encounters the founder of the Wal-Mart-like chain, an irascible old man with a million-dollar secretary and $32 billion net work, along with the mayor and members of the city council of a small town in the far reaches of Minnesota. As the novel's first bombing is followed by a second and then, in quick succession, another, Virgil and the local sherrif race to identify the bomber -- and, along the way, come to grips with the corruption on the city council that gave the green light for the store to be built.

John Sandford is a master of novels like this.... In addition to the Virgil Flowers series, he has published 21 entries in the "Prey" series featuring Virgil's boss, Lucas Davenport, 4 more in another short-lived crime series, plus two unrelated novels and a couple of nonfiction books as well -- starting in 1988. If your skills run more to language than to mathematics, please note that Sandford (a pseudonym for a former Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) has been writing an average of about 1-1/2 books per year. Others are more prolific, but Sandford's plots are invariably inventive, his characters three-dimensional, and his prose eminently readable. Read more ›