Dark of the Moon

By: John Sandford

Narrated by: Eric Conger

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Virgil Flowers kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First it was the army and the military police, then the police in St. Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport brought him into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff."

He's been doing the hard stuff for three years now, but never anything like this.

In the small town of Bluestem, a house way up on a ridge explodes into flames, its owner, a man named Judd, trapped inside. There are a lot of reasons to hate him, Flowers discovers. In fact, he concludes, you'd probably have to dig around to find a person who doesn't despise Judd.

And that isn't even why Flowers came to Bluestem. Three weeks before, there'd been another murder, two, in fact, a doctor and his wife, the doctor found propped up in his backyard, both eyes shot out. Flowers knows two things: this wasn't a coincidence, and it had to be personal.

But just how personal is something even he doesn't realize, and may not find out until too late. Because the next victim may be himself.

©2007 John Sandford (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Critic reviews

“A book that will keep you turning pages, guessing, and completely immersed - and engrossed - in whatever Sandford wants to throw at you. It’s a great ride, and Sandford proves that sometimes it’s not the character, it’s not the series, it’s the writer.” (The Post)

“An adrenaline rush peppered with laugh-out-loud moments." (Booklist)

Great winding road of a story

A real treat, this newest of John Sandford, and I've listened to them all. Full of twists and surprises. I finished and immediately replayed it, to listen for clues and connections I missed the first time around (many!). The narrator doesn't have Richard Ferrone's gravelly voice, but has an effective tone and pace of his own that I got used to within a few minutes. Appropriately, he sounds just like midwesterners I've known, so his characters are convincing and the narration is enjoyable. Yup, a real treat!

wonderful even the second time around

I purchased Dark Of The Moon not realizing that I had already read the book previously. Since I almost never reread even very good books, I was disappointed and almost tossed it back on the shelf. Still, having paid good money and all....

As it turned out, even with the drawback of knowing exactly where the book was going, I still had a great time listening. Sandford writes wonderful characters, not just Flowers and Davenport, but all the supporting players. They are sketched deftly with artful details and they are always consistent. In addition, his plots are tightly constructed, and his action sequences remain tense even when you know what the outcome will be. In fact it was a pleasure to be able to pay somewhat closer attention to how the author fashioned the whole story from beginning to end.

I am glad Richard Ferrone did not do this narration. I love his work on the Davenport books, but Flowers needed a voice which was not a constant reminder of Lucas. The reader did a fine job, and Virgil now has a very satisfying vocal persona of his own. I loved the subtle variation in midwestern accent which Conger used to define character, and I never had any problem knowing who was speaking.

Davenport vs. Flowers

I listened to Dark of the Moon, the first novel in the Virgil Flowers series, four years ago. Six of the eight Flowers novels an 13 of the 26 Davenport novels are in my Audible library. I have preordered Escape Clause which will be released in a few hours. Although Davenport appears in all of the Flowers novels, I prefer Davenport to Flowers. Like most of John Sandford's books Dark of the Moon is excellent, but Sandford is far from being in the elite group of modern detective writers; he seldom writes 5 star novels. This certainly is not one. Worthwhile? Yes! Special? No!

Do YOU compare your children?

Lumping Lucas and Virgil together is unfair to each. With my kids, I don't compare their strengths and weaknesses and choose one over the other. They are individuals. I believe the same is true for these protagonists. That being said, Virgil is a believable, credible guy and has a bright future ahead of him.

Dark of the Moon

Think you'll miss Davenport as the main good guy? Think Again. Flowers is an entertaining, complex Hero! Listen and Love!

Wonderful Sanford twist

Readers of John Sandford are used to a twisted ending. This book fills the bill. The last chapter is a zinger. Enjoy Flowers! My only negative is the narrator's speech pattern. It is odd to my ears. Must be a regional accent. However it did not detract from the story.

Real page turner

Interesting characters and a great story line. My favorite kind was 'he was married so many times he has five burns on his dad's Sat up all night to finish the book!!

Virgil Flowers

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes...read other books, but did not read how it all bega .

Would you be willing to try another book from John Sandford? Why or why not?

Definitely....

Which character – as performed by Eric Conger – was your favorite?

Virgil

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listen to it over time.

Great Story

I wasn’t sure at first if I liked the reader, but then with time, he grew on me. The story kept my attention!!

This is a great series - but gruesome

Would you consider the audio edition of Dark of the Moon to be better than the print version?

Probably - I have only read one John Sandford book in the printed version - once I discovered how great they are to listen to I only do them that way.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Oh yes! Lots of suspense and characters I really like.

Which character – as performed by Eric Conger – was your favorite?

Virgil Flowers - I really like that guy.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, I was just intrigued up until the very end.

Any additional comments?

I don't know how John Sandford can keep writing these books without them seeming formulaic like most best sellers - but he does.