Fresh from his 'spectacular' (Cleveland Plain Dealer) debut in Dark of the Moon, investigator Virgil Flowers takes on a puzzling – and most alarming – case, in the new book from the #1 bestselling author.

John Sandford's introduction of Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers was an immediate critical and popular success: 'laser-sharp characters and a plot that's fast and surprising' (Cleveland Plain Dealer); 'an idiosyncratic, thoroughly ingratiating hero' (Booklist). Flowers is only in his late thirties, but he's been around the block a few times, and he doesn't think much can surprise him anymore. He's wrong.

It's a hot, humid summer night in Minnesota, and Flowers is in bed with one of his ex-wives (the second one, if you're keeping count), when the phone rings. It's Lucas Davenport. There's a body in Stillwater – two shots to the head, found near a veteran's memorial. And the victim has a lemon in his mouth.

Exactly like the body they found last week.

The more Flowers works the murders, the more convinced he is that someone's keeping a list, and that the list could have a lot more names on it. If he could only find out what connects them all… and then he does, and he's almost sorry he did.

Because if it's true, then this whole thing leads down a lot more trails than he thought – and every one of them is booby-trapped.

Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliant suspense that have always made his books 'compulsively readable' (Los Angeles Times), this is vintage Sandford.