The second Virgil Flowers novel by internationally bestselling author John Sandford

'When the going gets tough, try to unload it on that f****** Flowers'

On a hot, humid summer night in Minnesota, Virgil Flowers gets a call from Lucas Davenport. A body has been found near a veterans’ memorial in Stillwater, Minnesota, with two shots to the head and a lemon in his mouth. That's strange.

What's stranger still, however, is this: two weeks ago, a body was discovered... with two shots to the head and a lemon in the victim's mouth.

Davenport needs a man he can trust on this case, and there's no one he trusts more than Virgil Flowers. Flowers becomes convinced that someone is keeping a list—with many more names on it. And when he discovers what connects them all, he’s almost sorry. 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.

But even Flowers has no idea how strange things are going to get.

* * * Praise for John Sandford and the Virgil Flowers novels * * *

‘Along the way to the satisfying ending, Virgil displays the rough humor and rough justice that make him such an appealing character’ Publishers Weekly on Deep Freeze

‘A knowing portrait of small-town life layered into a very well plotted mystery. Virgil understands that, in small towns, no one ever outgrows high school... One of the very best novels in a superior series’Booklist (starred review) on Deep Freeze

‘Add a gripping storyline, a generous helping of exquisitely conceived characters and laugh-out-loud humor that produce explosive guffaws, not muted chuckles, and you’re in for the usual late-night, don’t-even-think-of-stopping treat when Flowers hits town’ Richmond Times-Dispatch on Deep Freeze

‘An outstanding novel’ Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Escape Clause

‘Perfect entertainment’ Kirkus Reviews on Escape Clause