Reading order · 16 books · 2007 to 2025 · Mostly set in Mankato
Virgil Flowers Books in Order
Virgil Flowers is an agent with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a long-haired, laid-back fisherman who works the crimes of rural Minnesota. Funny and warm, with plenty of action.
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Series facts
- Books
- 16
- Published
- 2007 to 2025
- First book
- Dark of the Moon
- Latest
- Lethal Prey (2025)
- Setting
- Mostly set in Mankato
The reading order
Every Virgil Flowers book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary. Books marked Crossover also belong to another series.
16 books · Mostly set in Mankato
- 1Dark of the Moon2007With Virgil FlowersVirgil Flowers is sent to the small town of Bluestem, where elderly residents are being murdered.Buy on Amazon
- 2Heat Lightning2008With Virgil FlowersTwo men are found dead with lemons in their mouths, and Virgil traces a connection to the Vietnam War.Buy on Amazon
- 3Rough Country2009With Virgil FlowersA woman is shot dead while kayaking at a remote lakeside resort, and Virgil investigates.Buy on Amazon
- 4Bad Blood2010With Virgil FlowersA high school football player kills a farmer, and Virgil uncovers a much darker secret in the town.Buy on Amazon
- 5Shock Wave2011With Virgil FlowersA bomb explodes at the headquarters of a giant retail chain, and another hits the construction site of its new store in a small Minnesota town.Buy on Amazon
- 6Mad River2012With Virgil FlowersThree young people go on a killing spree across rural Minnesota, and Virgil leads the hunt.Buy on Amazon
- 7Storm Front2013With Virgil FlowersA Lutheran minister smuggles an ancient artefact out of Israel, and everyone wants it.Buy on Amazon
- 8Deadline2014With Virgil FlowersVirgil goes to a small town to investigate a dog-napping ring, and finds a murder.Buy on Amazon
- 9Escape Clause2016With Virgil FlowersTwo rare tigers are stolen from the Minnesota Zoo, and Virgil has to find them.Buy on Amazon
- 10Deep Freeze2017With Virgil FlowersVirgil returns to the town of Trippton to investigate the murder of a woman connected to a high school reunion.Buy on Amazon
- 11Holy Ghost2018With Virgil FlowersVisions of the Virgin Mary bring crowds to a small Minnesota town, and then a sniper starts shooting.Buy on Amazon
- 12Bloody Genius2019With Virgil FlowersA professor is murdered at the University of Minnesota, and Virgil investigates.Buy on Amazon
- 13Ocean Prey2021CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Prey (Lucas Davenport) bookCoast Guard officers are murdered off the coast of Florida, and Lucas and Virgil join the hunt.Buy on Amazon
- 14Righteous Prey2022CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Prey (Lucas Davenport) bookA group calling themselves the Five Fingers begins killing people they see as deserving to die, and Lucas and Virgil set out to stop them.Buy on Amazon
- 15Judgment Prey2023CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Prey (Lucas Davenport) bookA federal judge and his family are murdered in St Paul, and Lucas and Virgil investigate.Buy on Amazon
- 16Lethal Prey2025CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Prey (Lucas Davenport) bookLucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers team up to hunt a ruthless killer determined to keep a past crime buried.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Dark of the Moon. Virgil first appears in Invisible Prey.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Virgil Flowers | Lucas Davenport | Frankie Nobles | Johnson Johnson | Weather Karkinnen | Letty Davenport | Del Capslock | Bob Shaffer and Rae Givens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dark of the Moon | LLead | ·Minor | ||||||
| 2 Heat Lightning | LLead | ·Minor | ||||||
| 3 Rough Country | LLead | ·Minor | ||||||
| 4 Bad Blood | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 5 Shock Wave | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 6 Mad River | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 7 Storm Front | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 8 Deadline | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 9 Escape Clause | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 10 Deep Freeze | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 11 Holy Ghost | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 12 Bloody Genius | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 13 Ocean Prey | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 14 Righteous Prey | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 15 Judgment Prey | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 16 Lethal Prey | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Virgil Flowers books
8 characters from John Sandford’s chart, with the number of Virgil Flowers books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Virgil FlowersState investigator in rural Minnesota | 16 | Dark of the Moon 2007 |
| Lucas DavenportMinneapolis detective, later a state agent and a US marshal | 4 | Ocean Prey 2021 |
| Frankie NoblesVirgil’s partner | 13 | Bad Blood 2010 |
| Johnson JohnsonVirgil’s fishing buddy | 12 | Dark of the Moon 2007 |
| Weather KarkinnenSurgeon and Lucas’s wife | 4 | Ocean Prey 2021 |
| Letty DavenportLucas’s adopted daughter, later a federal investigator | 4 | Ocean Prey 2021 |
| Del CapslockDetective and Lucas’s closest partner | 4 | Ocean Prey 2021 |
| Bob Shaffer and Rae GivensUS marshals working with Lucas | 4 | Ocean Prey 2021 |
Crossovers with John Sandford’s other series
- Prey (Lucas Davenport): 4 books shared (Ocean Prey, Righteous Prey, Judgment Prey, Lethal Prey); Virgil Flowers also appears in 1 of its books; Lucas Davenport also appears in 32 of its books
- Letty Davenport: Lucas Davenport also appears in 2 of its books