Bloody Genius (Virgil Flowers, #12)

Bloody Genius (Virgil Flowers, #12)

John Sandford

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Virgil Flowers will have to watch his back--and his mouth--as he investigates a college culture war turned deadly in this thriller from #1 "New York Times" bestseller John Sandford. At the local state university, two feuding departments have faced off on the battleground of PC culture. Each carries their views to extremes that may seem absurd, but highly educated people of sound mind and good intentions can reasonably disagree, right? Then one of the department stars winds up dead, and Virgil Flowers is brought in to investigate . . . and he soon comes to realize he's dealing with people who, on this one particular issue, are functionally crazy. Among this group of wildly impassioned, diametrically opposed zealots lurks a killer, and it will be up to Virgil to sort the murderer from the mere maniacs. Librarian's note: as of 2021, there are 13 volumes in the author's Virgil Flowers series. The last was published in April 2021. It is part of the "Prey" series but Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers share the billing - "Ocean Prey."


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  • wenders
    Jan 07, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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  • Breezie_Reads
    Mar 11, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    Virgil is one of my favorite characters in a series. I like how he handles tough situations and how he treats the people around him with respect until they show that they don't deserve it. 

    I didn't have very many issues with this book, but what I did have an issue with is huge.

    I hated every single interaction with Megan Quill, whether it was when Virgil was talking to her or when she was just talking to her friends and hanging around when you first meet her. Both her and her friends were extremely sexual and sexist for absolutely no reason, and I read the word "pussy" more in that short chapter where Virgil was interviewing her than I ever read it in any of the smutty romance novels I've read. What purpose did it have? To make her unlikeable?

    No one talks and acts how Megan and her friends did. NO ONE. I would know, considering the fact I'm in the same age group as them. Even if your excuse is "I don't like the cops," they still wouldn't act like that. Do better. Or just don't do it again. The main female characters that you meet and deal with in the series, like Weather, Sandy, Trane, all of them that are actually a recurring part aren't written like that, so there's absolutely no reason to write anyone else like that.

    Even with that issue, though, I enjoyed the rest of the book, <spoiler>even if I think figuring out the killer through a board game was a wild stretch.</spoiler>

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