Heat Lightning

By: John Sandford

Narrated by: Eric Conger

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

John Sandford's introduction of Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers in Dark of the Moon was an immediate critical and popular success.

Flowers is only in his late 30's, but he's been around the block a few times, and he doesn't think much can surprise him anymore. He's wrong. It's a hot, humid summer night in Minnesota, and Flowers is in bed with one of his ex-wives (the second one, if you're keeping count ) when the phone rings. It's Lucas Davenport. There's a body in Stillwater, two shots to the head, found near a veterans' memorial . And the victim has a lemon in his mouth. Exactly like the body they found last week.

The more Flowers works the murders, the more convinced he is th at someone's keeping a list, and that the list could have a lot more names on it. If only he could find out what connects them all...and then he does, and he's almost sorry he did. Because if it's true, then this whole thing leads down a lot more trails than he thought it did - and every one of them is booby-trapped.

Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliant suspense, this is Sandford writing at the top of his game.

©2008 John Sanford (P)2008 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Features a colorful protagonist quite distinct from Davenport, and contains the usual snappy dialogue and suspenseful action.” (The Tennessean)

"A fun, breezy read.” (The Post and Courier)

One of John Sandfords best

I have listened to a few other of John Standford's books and this is the best one I have heard so far. It has it all with a great deal of suspense that kept me trying to figure out who was the killer and I was not sure until the end of the book. There was plenty of action as well with the different murders and Virgil's always interesting personal life intertwined into it too. All of this and excellent narrating by Eric Conger made this a very enjoyable listen.

Lesser known Sandford character is GREAT!!

On a recommendation by Stephen King, I picked up my first John Sandford book ever. No, it was not anything in "Prey" series. This book was called "Rough Country" and the main character is a law enforcement officer by the name of Virgil Flowers. The mix of suspense and humor (Virgil is a sarcastic one) is exactly what makes for good reading/listening. Also, the narration is flawless. I enjoyed the character enough to find the other books in the series which includes "Heat Lightening". I can't say enough about the series as a whole. It's very entertaining and keeps you hooked.

Virgil Flowers works an apparent...

...serial murder case. Heat Lightening is a very early (#2 of 9) Virgil Flowers series detective thriller. When Lucas Davenport, his boss at Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Appreciation, calls him about the second lemon murder Virgil is in bed with his second ex-wife. Even in current novels in the series Flowers continues his roguish ways. In the Lucas Davenport series Lucas is a married father who has given up his roguish ways of early in the series.

John Sandford's detective novels always earn 4 or 5 stars. Heat Lightening is an excellent murder mystery.

good book

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

yes i would. i found it very interesting

What did you like best about this story?

the way the story unfolded

Would you listen to another book narrated by Eric Conger?

yes and i have downloaded another on

keeps you entralled

John Sandford has once again written a book that I hated to put down. I listen while I knit and I knit longer and longer so I could continue the story. Great character development.

Heat never stops

The Prey series was getting stale, the author needed a new vehicle to jump start his creative juices. Virgil Flower's resuscitated Sandford. This is the second Flowers novel I've read and it's resuscitated me too.

The title is the only complaint I have with "Heat Lightning". The characters are strong, well developed and interesting. The story flows with ease even though the plot isn't believable, but hey, its fiction. I still loved it and couldn't put it down. I was able to predict the villain early in the book, but the catching the killers was an intense and well written journey.

Flowers and Davenport are great characters, few authors are blessed with a pair of hero's.
It's smart of Sandford to use a different Narrater, Conger is the face of Flowers. Other authors should consider this as many Series seem to be the same when the same person narrates everything.

A great book as expected from John Sanford

I love the way the author integrates his characters from different series together. This is a good detective story with great, familiar characters. And Conger...he has such a sexy voice. Have mercy. His acting is great. He’s the perfect voice for Virgil Flowers, a man who loves women. I enjoyed this book.

entertaining

Easy listen. Virgil is a different sort of hero. look forward to the next book in series. love the narrator.

Gripping

Loved the way the story flowed keeping my attention throughly. On to his next thriller!

Awesome

I love his writing. Wish he'd write faster. But, waiting does do something for you.