Customer Reviews

The Virgin of Small Plains: A Novel of Suspense

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This was so well done. I started it in the evening and it was very late when I finished as I wasn't going to bed until it was done. It's a bit of a romance, a bit of a gothic, but mainly a mystery of family secrets. The story is meticulously plotted with all of my "but what about" questions answers and threads tied. Pickard makes the reader feel as though they are a resident of this small Midwestern town and her use of the weather to create atmosphere and suspense is very well done. The story stayed with me long after finishing the book and that, to me, is one sign of an excellent book.

I really enjoyed this book! I grew up in the Flint Hills, went to high school in Council Grove, and felt that the storms that overwhelm that part of my beautiful state are vividly recreated here. The characters are interesting and Pickard kept me fully involved in their stories.
So why not five stars? Just because I figured out the mystery of the frozen girl far too early, well before halfway through the book. I'm not a regular mystery reader, but I think anyway who reads carefully will solve the mystery behind Sarah's death quite quickly. That doesn't mean they'll want to quit reading, because the story is well-told enough that I sure didn't mind finishing it to see how everything would wrap up!

This is a great and suspenseful story based around the murder of a young woman in 1987. The discovery of the body by a local ranching family has had devastating effects on all those involved in one way or another. The town turned this victim into some sort of a saint, while the life of those who knew something about her death has turned into a nightmare. I read this book in two days and stayed up late to finish it. It has good twists, a great mix of endearing characters and small town gossip/family secrets, and the whole atmosphere of the small midwestern town made it even better. Very enjoyable read and highly recommended.

In reading the other reviews for this novel, I'm surprised at the number of five star ratings. I agree that the author is a good writer and highly readable. Furthermore, I think that the book is very interesting in the beginning. It has an intriguing premise: the body of a nude, young, beautiful girl is found in a cornfield during a snowstorm. This discovery forever changes the lives of three families. Because of the strength of this premise and Ms. Pickard's writing skills, the book held my interest through to the end. My problem with the story begins with the ending. I found it very unbelievable. The character of the villain(s) in the piece had not been sufficiently developed to make me believe that he, she, or they were the culprit(s). I found the resolution of the novel also unsatisfying. This could have been an excellent story with more character development and a better conceived plot. Instead, it is in my opinion, an entertaining but almost superficial treatment of a promising premise.

I'd never heard of Nancy Piackard before, but it seems I've been missing out. I read an excellent review of this new book, and am so glad I picked it up.

THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS expertly blends suspense, sentiment, and the sublime. (At one point, a waning tornado showers flowers upon a woman lying in a churchyard.) Pickard maintains a sure and steady hand as her story shuttles back and forth in time, churning up buried secrets and old grudges, and when the subplots finally converge, it's pretty spectacular. This is a beautiful book.

This is an excellent mystery. The characters are great. The Kansas weather, and the way time passes (flashing back to people's teenage selfs), and the mystery of the "virgin" are all beautifully told. It is a suspense story that you want to read slowly to capture the midwest atmosphere and plot development! A little on the sexy side - but a perfect mystery novel. Highly recommended.

Whew! This book kept me going into the wee small hours of the night! An excellent book overall, with interesting characters, quick plot and all questions answered logically. There are even allusions to St. Therese of the Little Flower in the mix (which would make my mother happy). I found this to be the first real page turner of the summer...we're off to a good start.

This is my first Nancy Pickard novel and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. This novel is an easy read and once you begin, you would not want to put it down.

Pickard wrote it beautifully and it is not confusing at all as with most suspense novels. For those who have not read any of Pickard's work, I recommend starting with this one. I am definately giving her other works a chance.

Enjoy!

I've always enjoyed Nancy Pickard's novels so I was excited to read her new title, The Virgin of Small Plains. I wasn't disappointed.

In 1987, the naked and frozen body of a beautiful young woman was discovered in Small Plains, Kansas during a snowstorm. The town's tribute to the nameless woman was a burial and headstone in the local cemetery. Over the years, her grave was visited by ill people who proclaimed they were healed--and thus she became known as the Virgin of Small Plains.

Following the death of the virgin, the lives of three families (including their children) were changed forever. Mitch Newquist, son of a local judge, disappeared the night the virgin's body was found. Mitch left town without a word and his girlfriend Abby Reynolds never really recovered the loss of Mitch. Abby's father was the town doctor and the virgin's body was brought to his house. Abby's father's involvement with the virgin caused him to withdraw from his own family over the years. The local sheriff and his sons found the virgin's body, and in order to protect their family, secrets had to be kept.

Seventeen years later Judge Newquist's wife died in a snowstorm, much like the one when the virgin died. Her son, Mitch, later returns to Small Plains and his arrival thrusts the town and its residents into facing the truth about the virgin's murder.

Pickard's plot is fascinating, dark and exciting. I turned the pages as fast as I could because I really wanted to find out what had happened.

Armchair Interviews says: If you like interesting and intriguing novels, check out all of Nancy Pickard's titles. You'll be glad you did.

What starts off with a bang, digresses into a sappy love story switching back and forth from past to present, has shallow characters, an unbelievable plot, stilted dialog, and an unreasonable ending? This book!
Nothing about it deserves 5 star reviews.
The characters have no depth nor are developed to believe how they act would really happen. The plot takes forever to unfold and then is very convoluted with a bunch of "surprises" at the end that have not been integrated into the character or storyline before.
And what's with the tornado that "brings together" all of these people or the so called "red herring" character who is as obvious a red herring as the "adopted" son is adopted. Not to mention the silly miracle worker "virgin" which would work better as a comic interlude than an actual thrown in story that makes no sense.
This reads like a high school girls attempt at a writing project and was a total waste of time. Does this author really think she can write?