Dark of the Moon (Virgil Flowers, #1)
by John Sandford
Dark of the Moon by John Sandford holds a highly rated rating of 4.00 out of 5, based on 18.7K reader ratings. First published in 2004. The book spans 373 pages.
About Dark of the Moon
Virgil Flowers — tall, lean, late thirties, three times divorced, hair way too long for a cop — had kicked around 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 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 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, and 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.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 was 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 it 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.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 in the "Prey" series but Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers share the billing - "Ocean Prey."
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Published | 2004 |
| Pages | 373 |
| Genres | Mystery & Thriller, Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller, Suspense |
| Average Rating | 4.00 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 18,708 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Dark of the Moon?
Dark of the Moon is categorized as Mystery & Thriller, Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller. Its primary genre classification is Mystery & Thriller.
Is Dark of the Moon worth reading?
Based on 18.7K reader ratings, Dark of the Moon has an average score of 4.00 out of 5.00, which is considered "Highly Rated."
How many pages is Dark of the Moon?
Dark of the Moon has 373 pages.
Who wrote Dark of the Moon?
Dark of the Moon was written by John Sandford. It was first published in 2004.
What is the ISBN for Dark of the Moon?
The ISBN-13 for Dark of the Moon is 9780399154780.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 22, 2026
