John Sandford novels

Walkin' Jack said:

Those early books were great. Trunk Music, Concret BLond, etc were awesome. And did you know that one of his books titled Blood work was made into an movie. Clint Eastwood his good self played Bosh. It was a good movie.

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Well, Jack, I hate to correct you, but for literary factualness, I reckon I gotta.

In the film Bloodwork, Clint Eastwood played the part of FBI agent Terry McCaleb. McCaleb was also a successful heart transplant patient.

I bought the book, Bloodwork, when it was first published. I did read it, but only once. For some reason, the McCaleb character just didn't work for me, so the book went back on the shelf, never (so far) to be read again. If I'm not mistaken, Connelly killed off McCaleb after about three books.

Watchdog said:

Well, Jack, I hate to correct you, but for literary factualness, I reckon I gotta.

In the film Bloodwork, Clint Eastwood played the part of FBI agent Terry McCaleb. McCaleb was also a successful heart transplant patient.

I bought the book, Bloodwork, when it was first published. I did read it, but only once. For some reason, the McCaleb character just didn't work for me, so the book went back on the shelf, never (so far) to be read again. If I'm not mistaken, Connelly killed off McCaleb after about three books.

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DOAH! Man is my face red. You are correct. I appreciate the correction. One morning really soon I'm gonna lose what's left of my mind. Y'all keep and eye on me and be sure and lemme know if I wander off some where...

Well, after the above I am reluctant to offer anything else pertaining to what I remember about anything. But I DO remember that one of the good things about the early prey books like Eyes of prey, Winter Prey etc was that you get some of the story through the eyes and point of view of the killer. I don't think I've noticed any other writer in this genre doing that and the way Sanford did it made for a good story.

Victoria Houston has a good series about a small town WI police chief who's a woman. She also fishes, and the author has studied flyfishing under Joan Wulff. Also does a little wingshooting with her Browning B-SS, I think in 20 ga.

She's one of the few mystery writers who actually owns a gun and hunts. Sandford (not Sanford) is another.

Walkin' Jack said:

Well, after the above I am reluctant to offer anything else pertaining to what I remember about anything. But I DO remember that one of the good things about the early prey books like Eyes of prey, Winter Prey etc was that you get some of the story through the eyes and point of view of the killer. I don't think I've noticed any other writer in this genre doing that and the way Sanford did it made for a good story.

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You may like David Lindsey's books, "Spiral" and, "Requiem For a Glass Heart" then. Both include the killer's view and there are reasons to sympathize with these killers. One was killing expatriate Mexican politicians who were corrupt and fled the country with vast sums. The other was killing for a Russian mobster who held her daughter to force her to kill for him.

One of the coldest and most dangerous was the killer in, "A Cold Mind", who used rabies virus to murder. Even the description of his apartment is chilling.

Lindsey was/is also a superb writer, who makes you feel as if you're there, watching everything unfold. You can practically SEE the settings and people. He works Houston as well or better than Robt. B. Parker did Boston in his Spencer books.

Texas Star said:

He works Houston as well or better than Robt. B. Parker did Boston in his Spencer books.

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Robert B. Parker. Now there is one of my favorite writers. He wrote the Spenser novels and for a brief time it was a tv series called Spenser for Hire starring Robert Urich. It didn't last because you just can't get Spenser's smart mouth and quick wit on tv Maybe Urich just wasn't up to it. To do that you'd pretty much have to be a 24 hour a day smartaleck like Spenser. BTW that is the way the character spelled his name instead of the traditional Spencer....

Parker also wrote a couple of westerns that one of was made into a tv movie called Apolusa (SP) Not the horse but the name of a town. Starred Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. Very good movie I thought. Having a senior moment and can't remember the other western he wrote.

Having grown up in the Houston area I'll be interested in the Lindsey books. Can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for the heads up

H Richard said:

I have read every one of his novels, and look forward to his next. The majority are on my Kindle, and I have read most of them a 2nd time. One of the "good" things about the mid 70's, your memory isn't very good, and you can enjoy a lot of the books you have previously read all over again.

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Yep. At the ripe old age of 73 I'm finding out that loosing your mind ain't all bad. actually, at this point in my deterioration I only really need about a dozen each of books and Movies.

Case in point, I am reading Sandford's Gathering Prey right now and was only a few pages into it when it dawned on me that I've already read it. I can remember the the things as I read them but I have no memory of what I haven't read this time around.

Lucky me.

Watchdog said:

I've completely stopped reading Lee Child. I'm sure he won't miss my business, but still, the whole Reacher character and concept just got old really fast for me.

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Me too...I've read 18 of his novels, but they just aren't interesting for me any more.

Ironically, I was prepared to hate the Jack Reacher movie when I heard that Tom Cruise was playing Jack Reacher. My son insisted I go see it, and even paid for my ticket...and I found that I really enjoyed the movie. I haven't seen the second one yet (it's available on Amazon Prime) but I plan to.

There have been two movies made featuring the Lucas Davenport character, and they were both lousy (and that's putting it charitably, IMO.)

I was okay with Cruise as Reacher until I read the books. Reacher's size is a big deal in the books and explains a lot. Changed the dynamic for me about the character.

I read them all this year and now our town library has them.

Walkin' Jack said:

Yep. At the ripe old age of 73 I'm finding out that loosing your mind ain't all bad. actually, at this point in my deterioration I only really need about a dozen each of books and Movies.

Case in point, I am reading Sandford's Gathering Prey right now and was only a few pages into it when it dawned on me that I've already read it. I can remember the the things as I read them but I have no memory of what I haven't read this time around.

Lucky me.

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I get the books from the library. Several times I've gotten books home and find I've already read them. I remember the story's but not the titles especially when several are something prey. I've read a lot of Sandfords, liked the Davenport & Flowers books, couldn't get into the Kidd novels. Now I'm reading Robert Parkers. I like the Spenser series and the westerns. I liked the Jesse Stone books but they had a couple of the movies on tv a while ago and I didn't care for them.

In the next book, Davenport plays a fossil.

Seriously, the guy wasn't exactly young when the books started, and the series is now nearly as old as I am. I haven't read any in awhile, certainly not since Davenport became a Marshall. And I'm not sure I want to. I like remembering Certain Prey and Mortal Prey (except for the ending of that second one, which was cheap and stupid and that character shouldn't have been ended). And Sudden Prey was just a great crime novel.

And I don't want to ruin it by dragging it out. Leave it while it's still good.

The made-for-TV movie sucked, btw. Seriously, Mark-friggin-Harmon as Lucas Davenport is as stupid as that wimpy little Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher.

Watchdog said:

Davenport is really a thinly-veiled killer, himself...

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That's why we like him. He's a monster-slayer archetype without the fantasy BS. Davenport's world is littered with all sorts of undesirable trolls and dragons and ogres, and he goes out and kills them. The people he hunts aren't going to give themselves up, and that's okay, because neither Davenport nor the reader really want to arrest them.

So he winds up not being a killer, but also not strictly the ideal of a "keeper of the law". That's fine, it's a book. Black and white are boring. Grey is interesting.

Some how my wife and I missed Deep Freeze, that has been corrected:
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Freeze-Virgil-Flowers-Novel/dp/0399176063/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508583928&sr=1-1&keywords=deep+freeze+john+sandford[/ame]

I also note the complete Matt Helm series is available again, I finally got the last one!
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=matt+helm+series&sprefix=Matt+Helm%2Cstripbooks%2C174&crid=18ZRY0GV8MU12[/ame]
Geoff
Who doesn't read as much as he once did. Tri-focals are not as good as reading glasses...sigh...

"Who doesn't read as much as he once did. Tri-focals are not as good as reading glasses...sigh..."

Now that you have asked: I have always been an avid reader. Mostly. See, in 2012 I had surgery to remove a cancer and I was under general anesthesia for 8 1/2 hours. I won't go into the fine details but I was greatly affected by it. I was almost a completely different person. Didn't like things I used to like and liked things I never liked before. One of the things I no longer liked was reading for pleasure.

It took nearly a year but I was finally able to recover most of my old self. My passion for reading was restored.

just now I'm having trouble with my vision and until I get that sorted out I have to get books in "large print". Some of the books I'd like to read are not available in large print so I'm somewhat restricted. But I do love to read and I'll state for the record that If it's at all possible I will continue to read as much as I ever have.

"I was okay with Cruise as Reacher until I read the books. Reacher's size is a big deal in the books and explains a lot. Changed the dynamic for me about the character."

I read all the books before seeing the movies. My daughter did much the same as your son. I was reluctant but she was adamant so I agreed to go just to end the argument.

Tom Cruise at 5'8 1/2" and 180 lbs could never pass for even the slightest resemblance of Reacher...and I'm not just talking about physically. But in all honesty I did enjoy the movie. If I hadn't read the books I'd never have had a problem with the movie. It was good and well made but it was NOT Reacher.

I liked the first one better because I'm a big Robert Duval fan but the second one was good too. Good but NOT Reacher...NEVER Reacher.

VonFatman said:

i read them all until he started throwing political stuff in the books...no more...that was years ago.

bob

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Works of fiction should be void of political references? Novels shouldn't use political intrigue as a plot device?

Just asking.

I only have 4 of his books, Shadow Prey, Night Prey, Rules of Prey, and Silent Prey.

Not sure how I even found out about him, I was into Stephen King, and Dean Koontz at the time.

A different genre, but the best mystery writer alive is John Le Carre'

I finished reading Deep Freeze last night, Sandford's latest Virgil Flowers novel.

It's a good read, full of the little plot twists and turns the author has started throwing into the Flowers novels, and it has sort of a fun little subplot going on, too.

I have to admit, though, that the plot device of Flowers leaving his pistol in the truck, then having to decide if he needs it or not, is getting a bit tiresome. Not that it isn't feasible...it's just used too many times in this particular book.

And it just now dawned on me that the thing of Flowers wearing vintage or obscure rock and roll t-shirts is pretty much absent in this book, and now I wonder why.

The main difference between Sandford's Flowers novels and his Prey series is that most of the Flowers cases take place in small Minnesota towns and rural areas, whereas Davenport's adventures usually are oriented more towards big city crime.

Anyway...Deep Freeze...good book. If you enjoy Sandford's writings, you'll like it.

I finished Gathering prey the other day and I really enjoyed it...again! It would be an excellent movie in the hands of a good director, screen writer and actors, of course.

But PUUUULEASE, no more Tom Cruise.

Watchdog said:

And it just now dawned on me that the thing of Flowers wearing vintage or obscure rock and roll t-shirts is pretty much absent in this book, and now I wonder why.

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I hadn't noticed that until you mentioned it...maybe Sandford has gone through his T-shirt wardrobe and doesn't have any "new" ones to mention.

I agree with you about Virgil's reluctance to carry his gun...he IS a law enforcement professional, after all, and he should be willing to carry and use the tools of his trade. I think he did mention at one point that it's really because it gets heavy...

GKC said:

I hadn't noticed that until you mentioned it...maybe Sandford has gone through his T-shirt wardrobe and doesn't have any "new" ones to mention.

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He gets about 98% of his t-shirt and obscure band references from his son, Ros.

GKC said:

I agree with you about Virgil's reluctance to carry his gun...he IS a law enforcement professional, after all, and he should be willing to carry and use the tools of his trade. I think he did mention at one point that it's really because it gets heavy...

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I get the idea Virgil's being sarcastic when he mentions the "gets heavy" thing and other reasons for not carrying it all the time. It's a 9mm Glock...though I don't remember seeing a mention of what model. How heavy can it be? My guess is that it's either a G17 or a G19...both weighing in at or less than 32-ounces loaded.

But the bottom line is simply that the thing of him not keeping the pistol on him is just another plot device...a personality quirk that makes Virgil the character Sandford wants him to be, and gives other characters opportunities to talk about it and make smart remarks about it and interact with him.