Sometimes, you pick up a book because it calls to you. Other times, you pick one because it begins with the right letter. Holy Ghost by John Sandford was an “H” book for my Alphabet Challenge, but it turned out to be a solid win all around.
This was my first Virgil Flowers book (I think)—though not my first Sandford. I think I’ve met one of his other main characters before, but can’t quite place which. Either way, Holy Ghost worked perfectly as a standalone. No need for homework or flipping back to earlier books in the series.
It’s casual, funny, and just suspenseful enough to keep me interested without demanding my full mental energy during the end-of-school chaos. It reads like regular people—quirky, nosy, slightly chaotic—are solving crimes, not some elite squad with cop jargon that sounds like they’re speaking in acronyms and Morse code. That’s a big part of the charm.
The story starts with a hoax (a Virgin Mary sighting with a bad Spanish recording), and slowly builds into a genuine murder mystery that takes its time pulling you in. Sandford keeps things moving by introducing new characters as Virgil Flowers settles into the town, poking around, asking questions, and navigating the bizarre charm of small-town life.
The town is a total highlight. The restaurant serves inedible food, so the convenient store sells potpies and offers the use of a community microwave. It's run by two guys who somehow end up being crucial to solving the case. Try pulling that off in downtown Chicago.
Character-wise, Skinner stood out for me—a whip-smart kid who goes to school when he feels like it and is always quietly calculating. Loved him. The whole cast is a quirky grab bag of people you could absolutely imagine meeting at the local diner or sitting next to at a town meeting about potholes.
By the end, Sandford ties everything up with a neat little bow. No loose ends, no confusing twists left unexplained—just a solid finish that made me want to grab the next Virgil Flowers book.
If you like crime fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers a smart mystery, this one’s for you. It’s light enough to pick up and put down, but engaging enough that you’ll want to keep turning pages. Bonus: no gritty cop drama or heavy procedural stuff to wade through. Just a good story with good characters—and a potpie plot-let.
