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Quick answer: If you loved Virgil Flowers, read C.J. Box's Open Season, then Paul Doiron's The Poacher's Son, then Michael Connelly's The Black Echo and The Lincoln Lawyer, and Jeffery Deaver's The Bone Collector and Tess Gerritsen's The Surgeon. All are wry police procedurals set in the American Midwest.
John Sandford's Virgil Flowers books follow a laid-back Minnesota agent who investigates odd cases. They mix humour with real menace. These picks share the mood.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Season | C.J. Box | Adult | wilderness mysteries |
| The Poacher's Son | Paul Doiron | Adult | Mike Bowditch book one |
| The Black Echo | Michael Connelly | Adult | readers who like procedurals |
| The Lincoln Lawyer | Michael Connelly | Adult | modern legal thriller |
| The Bone Collector | Jeffery Deaver | Adult | readers who like forensic thrillers |
| The Surgeon | Tess Gerritsen | Adult | readers ready for more gritty crime |
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | readers who like action |
| The Monkey's Raincoat | Robert Crais | Adult | readers who like humor |
| Raven Black | Ann Cleeves | Adult | readers who like remote settings |
| Tell No One | Harlan Coben | Adult | readers who like twists |
| Fool Me Once | Harlan Coben | Adult | readers who like twists |
| The Woods | Harlan Coben | Adult | readers who like past-meets-present stories |
| Sworn to Silence | Linda Castillo | Adult | small-town thrillers |
| Track of the Cat | Nevada Barr | Adult | national park mysteries |
| Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter | Tom Franklin | Adult | readers who like small-town crime |
1. Open Season by C.J. Box
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett finds a body in his garage. Outdoorsy and tense.
Best for: wilderness mysteries.
2. The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
A young Maine game warden investigates when his father is accused of murder. Atmospheric and tense.
Best for: Mike Bowditch book one.
3. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
Harry Bosch investigates a body in a drainpipe. The first Bosch novel and a strong police procedural.
Best for: readers who like procedurals.
4. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
Mickey Haller works out of his car and defends clients across Los Angeles. Sharp, fast and clever.
Best for: modern legal thriller.
5. The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver
A quadriplegic forensic expert and a young cop hunt a serial killer. Twisty and tense.
Best for: readers who like forensic thrillers.
6. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Detective Jane Rizzoli hunts a killer who targets women in Boston. The first Rizzoli & Isles book, darker than Clark.
Best for: readers ready for more gritty crime.
7. Killing Floor by Lee Child
Jack Reacher arrives in a Georgia town and is arrested for murder. The first Reacher novel and a model of the fast thriller.
Best for: readers who like action.
8. The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais
Elvis Cole looks for a missing husband in Los Angeles. Funny and tough.
Best for: readers who like humor.
9. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
Inspector Jimmy Perez investigates a death in the Shetland Islands. The first of the Shetland series.
Best for: readers who like remote settings.
10. Tell No One by Harlan Coben
A doctor receives a message from his wife, who was killed eight years ago. Twisty and quick.
Best for: readers who like twists.
11. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
A former soldier sees her dead husband on a nanny cam. A twisty, fast read.
Best for: readers who like twists.
12. The Woods by Harlan Coben
A prosecutor faces a case tied to a long-ago camp tragedy. Dark and twisty.
Best for: readers who like past-meets-present stories.
13. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo
A former Amish woman who became a police chief investigates a murder in Ohio. Tense and thoughtful.
Best for: small-town thrillers.
14. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr
Park ranger Anna Pigeon investigates a death in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. A fine mix of outdoors and crime.
Best for: national park mysteries.
15. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
A boy disappears in Mississippi, and a man is accused. Thoughtful and tense.
Best for: readers who like small-town crime.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Virgil Flowers: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Virgil Flowers. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For the same state, read Open Season or Ordinary Grace. For wry detectives, try The Lincoln Lawyer or The Black Echo. For darker crime, pick The Bone Collector or The Surgeon.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Virgil Flowers?
A Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent created by John Sandford.
Where do I start?
With Dark of the Moon.
Is it related to Lucas Davenport?
Yes, Flowers first appeared as a side character in the Prey books.
Which book here is best for readers who like small-town crime?
Try Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, which suits readers looking for readers who like small-town crime.
Which book here is best for national park mysteries?
Try Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr, which suits readers looking for national park mysteries.