John Sandford: Dark of the Moon (USA 2008)

From the Publisher:
Three murders in just as many weeks in the quiet rural town of Bluestream is unheard of. It's also no coincidence. And it's not over: Detective Virgil Flowers is about to be pulled into the middle of a killer's violent personal vendetta.

John Sandford: Dark of the Moon. Berkley Books, ISBN: 9780425224137 (September, 2008), 432 p., $9.99.

John Sandford: Dark of the Moon (UK 2008)

From the Publisher:
First the Army, then the military police, Virgil Flowers had kicked around for a while before Lucas Davenport recruited him to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, promising him "We'll only give you the hard stuff". He'd been doing the hard stuff for three years now - but never anything like this. In the small town of Bluestem, where everybody knows everybody, a house way up on a ridge explodes into flames, its elderly owner trapped inside. Following up rumours of financial scams plus some very dodgy activities with other men's wives, Flowers discovers several reasons why the victim was so hated. And that wasn't even the reason why he'd come 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 own backyard, both eyes shot out. There hadn't been a murder in Bluestem in years, and now suddenly three? Flowers knows two things: This isn't a coincidence, and this has to be personal. But just how personal, Flowers might not find out until too late. Because the next victim... might be himself.

John Sandford: Dark of the Moon. Three murders. No coincidence. Pocket Books, ISBN: 1847391850 (September, 2008), 448 p., £6.99.

John Sandford: Dark of the Moon (USA 2007)

From the Publisher:
Virgil Flowers- tall, lean, late thirties, three times divorced, hair way too long for a cop's -had 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 had brought him into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff."

He'd been doingthe hard stuff for three years now-but never anything like this. In the small town of Bluestem, where everybody knows everybody, a house way up on a ridge explodes into flames, its owner, a man named Judd, trapped inside. There is a lot of reason to hate him, Flowers discovers. Years ago, Judd had perpetrated a scam that'd driven a lot of local farmers out of business, even to suicide. There are also rumors swirling around: of some very dicey activities with other men's wives; of involvement with some nutcase religious guy; of an out-of-wedlock daughter. In fact, Flowers concludes, you'd probably have to dig around to find a person who didn't despise him.

And that wasn't even the reason Flowers had come 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. There hadn't been a murder in Bluestem in years-and now, suddenly, three? Flowers knows two things: This wasn't a coincidence, and this 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.

Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliant suspense that have always made his books "compulsively readable" (Los Angeles Times), Dark of the Moon is vintage Sandford, further proof that he "is in a class of his own" (The Orlando Sentinel).

John Sandford: Dark of the Moon. Putnam's, ISBN: 0399154779 (October, 2007), 373 p., $26.95.