Mad River

By: John Sandford

Narrated by: Eric Conger

Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Bonnie and Clyde, they thought. And what's-his-name, the sidekick. Three teenagers with dead-end lives, and chips on their shoulders, and guns.

The first person they killed was a highway patrolman. The second was a woman during a robbery. Then, hell, why not keep on going? As their crime spree cuts a swath through rural Minnesota, some of it captured on the killers' cell phones and sent to a local television station, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers joins the growing army of cops trying to run them down. But even he doesn't realize what's about to happen next.

©2012 John Sandford (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Virgil Flowers Rocks... A Little Less Than Before

John Sanford's so very good at writing these things and this time, Eric Conger's even better at reading them. As usual, this is a tightly plotted, engaging novel. Deliciously twisty as a Philly soft pretzel. Do you hear a "but" coming? Um, yeah.

I missed the electricity Virgil Flowers has had with women. Okay, I'm shallow... but those matches were fun to enjoy. Here, not so much. Still, I totally recommend "Mad River". It's a great chase... In every sense.

Trouble around Flowers' Hometown

Mad River is another great story from John Sandford. Virgil Flowers is trying to track down three young adults in rural Minnesota who are on a killing spree. In this case, Virgil has a pretty solid idea from the start who he is looking for, the problem is finding them. They were essentially homeless and largely friendless, so ideas as to where they might go or who might be their next victim are hard for Virgil to discover. This is close to Virgil's hometown as well, so we get to meet his parents and he runs into an old high school flame who has recently returned to the area after a divorce. These pieces all make for a enjoyable read that any fan of Sandford's novel will enjoy.

Enjoyed this story

This was my first Virgil Flowers book, and despite people telling me it isn’t one of the best, I really enjoyed it. I liked the story, the pacing and the characters. I’ll definitely read more in this series. I listened to this on audio and it was well narrated.

Typical Virgil

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

I would possibly recommend this book, maybe after suggesting to read the first one or two Virgil Flowers books to get the feel for this caracter

Any additional comments?

I got the feeling at the end, that this story could possibly continue in the future.

Mad River a Virgil Flowers novel.

Things are crazy for Virgil Flowers when a killing spree takes him back to where he was raised. We get a glimpse into Virgil's childhood with a hint of the contrast of Virgil, the son of a preacher, and the rogue who has the ability to always find a romance amongst a killing rampage.

Virgil Flowers is back!

Another great story from Sandford. I always enjoy Virgil's quirky personality and perspective. Sandford brings together a contrast of people, motives, and lives in a compelling plot.

Always a solid combination.

I have Conger's voice in my head as Flowers when I read that series nowadays. He's got a few pronunciations that are a bit off for a native upper-Midwesterner, but overall a solid performance. And Sandford rarely disappoints me.

Virgil is da Bomb...

There is much more to this episode than just Bonnie and Clyde in Minnesota. there is an intricate plot with twists and turns, Grand character development and seriously Vivid scenes. Rick Ferrone may very well be the essence of Lucas Davenport and Sanford and Conger have truly given life to that f****** Virgil flowers. this installment may not excite you as much as previous episodes however you just can't stop listening to see what our hero will do. 👍👍👍

A chilling thriller

Sandford once again turns out a thriller. This Flowers story was consumed in two sittings, on a trip to Bemidji over the weekend. Virgil is an even more likable (and believable) character than Davenport ever was. Like real life, it left one (fairly important) dangling line. Food for thought between "Mad River" and his next book which will not be published soon enough.

best yet!

Sandford is my favorite writer, Virgil is my favorite character (Lucas is second). Conger is an excellent reader, a perfect combination. The books keep getting better and better. I didn't want to get to the end.