Who would have thought that stolen tigers could be the premise of a Virgil Flowers Book. John Sandford's character, Minnesota BCA agent Virgil Flowers, returns in another entertaining mystery. Flowers is a laid-back guy who spends the bulk of his time investigating rural crime. Virgil is in a relationship with Frankie and her sister Sparkle is visiting to get information for her dissertation.

When two endangered Amur tigers are stolen from the Minnesota Zoo, Virgil is assigned to lead the investigation. The fear is that they were stolen for their parts that are used to make non-traditional medicine specifically used in the Asian Markets. Because of this fear, Virgil needs to work fast. At the same time, Frankie is beat up and ends up in the hospital. Does this have something to do with Virgil, or with Sparkle who is trying to gather information about exploited workers and sneaks into a plant putting herself and others in danger. Virgil is being pulled in two directions with these two situations. Bodies start piling up as Virgil gets closer to the tiger thieves. The book shifts back and forth from Virgil's POV to the thieves POV but it is easy to follow. There is a lot of violence in this book but it is not described in depth. There are also some humorous spots as well. I was surprised I enjoyed this as well as I did, because I was not sure at the beginning. If you enjoy John Sandford books, you will enjoy this one as well. It is a fun crime mystery with entertaining characters and a story that brings to light endangered animals, exploitation of workers and the purpose of zoos in some cases.

Terrific installment in Sandford's Virgil Flowers series. This one is about murder, as usual, and some of the murders aren't human. John Sandford takes his investigative thrillers into a myriad of directions, this time into the ZOO. Still a keep you on the edge of the bed, up all night read. His books are always original.

This was a very good book! I love Virgil and the story was great, one of his best! Highly recommend this whole series and especially this one!

I always look forward to a new book from Mr. Sandford, especially one involving Virgil Flowers, and this latest offering does not disappoint. An engaging mix of suspense, intrigue and humor that kept me hanging on up to the last page.

I will read anything by John Sandford. I love both of his series.
Why are 2 large cats stolen from the MInnesota Zoo? The fear is that they were stolen to create Chinese Medicine that uses parts of animals.
Side plot, Virgil's girlfriend's sister goes undercover to interview migrant workers at a Minnesota factory.
Reading about cruelty to animals is hard, especially when the catnappers are such vile individuals.
I have to say neither plot drew me in as much as previous books but Virgil is such a fun character that I will always read these books. I also like that there is always a little crossover between Virgil and Lucas Davenport.
On the beach last week in Mexico, there was a gentleman reading a Virgil book. I asked him if he ever read the Jason Kidd books but he didn't know about them. Always a bookseller!

No where else can you read a great story and have so much fun! Virgil Flowers books are just that, great book and a ton of fun! Sandford is a long time favorite of mine and he just keeps getting better.

I always enjoy the Virgil Flowers books. This one seems to be a little more in depth than the previous. Perhaps Flowers has a little more empathy than before??

"In the haylofts of life, there are always a few wasps."

After taking a break from the character to pen sci-fi thriller Saturn Run, John Sandford returns to his Virgil Flowers series with Escape Clause. Virgil Flowers is the eccentric lead investigator for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Over the years his investigative prowess has garnered him as much recognition has his unconventional methods and personality.

The ninth novel in the series opens with Flowers, unsurprisingly, skinny dipping with the likes of his girlfriend, her sister, and a priest. The group's reprieve from the summer heat is soon interrupted by the ring of Flower's cell phone. Two endangered tigers have disappeared from the Minnesota Zoo and the BCA wants Flowers to intervene. While he is hesitant, especially given the fact that he recently searched for a pack of missing dogs, Virgil is assured by his boss that successful retrieval of the missing felines will ensure he never takes on an animal related case again.

As Virgil delves into the underworld of trading illegally procured animals, trouble on the home front begins to brew. His now serious girlfriend Frankie and her sister Sparkle have found themselves caught up with a rough crowd. Sparkle has been investigating a local factory's mistreatment of migrant workers. The people who run it are less than enthused. Because of the familial relationship, Virgil is prohibited from taking part in any formal investigations. That does little to keep the action from finding him.

Virgil Flowers is easily one of my favorite characters in modern mystery fiction. John Sandford's bare prose and quick pacing are the perfect fit for Flower's matter-of-fact personality. I always marvel at the way Sandford manages to keep the suspense wound and the pages turning even when we know exactly who is involved with a crime. The thread about the missing tigers had many twists and turns. So much so, that the subplot about Sparkle ended up feeling like an underdeveloped distraction. This did little to take away from my enjoyment of the novel, but I don't feel like it added much to the story. While you don't have to read the previous novels to understand this one, I highly encourage it. For one, they are great books! More so, it is fun to see the way Virgil Flowers has evolved over the series. I devoured this installment in a couple of sittings, and can't wait to read what happens next.