Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The author, John Sandford

Has always been a flaming liberal, but he could, and did, write a dandy crime novel, the one I picked up at the library the other day was of such poor quality that I just closed it and did not finish. Title was “Holy Ghost” and featured my least favorite character, Virgil Flowers.
Sandford has gotten sloppy with his plot, less sharp with his dialogue, and Lordy how his anti hunting, anti gun, anti American bias just oozes from every page.

Read a lot of his stuff but was unaware of his politics.

I've just read three of his books. The earliest one was a fun read. Subsequent books became much more violent and okay to read but I may be be skipping him in the future.

I've read several Virgil Flowers novels. I don't see Sandford as being blatantly anti gun, anti-American, or even anti Christianity. Sandford writes Flowers' character as if he (Flowers) is enlightened beyond such mundane things. Flowers is represented as a fishing fanatic and roots rock cognoscenti. He has a gun but it's usually in the car when he needs it, but that's OK because he has a first rate mind and lot's of friends everywhere to take care of him.
The rest of Sandford's characters, including Flowers' girlfriend are less refined and more normal.

It's fiction. Oftentimes the writing is humerous.
The biggest detraction I see is that if you've read one, you've pretty much read them all.

Well, according to the powers that be at the 'fire, now that you know, you should no longer read any of his stuff.

Well that is a bit outre. I don't care who reads what. Just stated that I could not read this one. You being from Minnesota must cloud your comprehension on this subject. 😜

I have read a lot of his books and enjoyed then but the last one of the Davenport series was so poorly plotted and written that I wonder if he didn't turn it over to a high school class to finish. Kind of turned me off his books.

novel reading

Soap operas for men. Enjoy

I just was applying the prevailing NFL logic into the matter.

Which one as that. I have three with Davenport and they was fairly decent.
Paul B.

TDS claims another "victim".

Well, John Sandford ( real name John Roswell Camp) may seem to be a Democrat, since his primary protagonist (Lucas Davenport) seems to be a Democrat... but that and his state of residence (MN) suggests he is a Democrat. I’ve read that he is a hunter, and I’ve never read anything in the Prey series that suggests he is opposed to hunting. I haven’t read all of the Virgoil Flowers books, though, only the first 8 or 10 or so, but he doesn’t espouse any anti-hunting message there either. He disparages doofuses of all types. Gun-toting doofuses are not exempt.

His Wikipedia bio says he hunts with a fellow author, Chuck Logan, who is definitely not an anti-hunter, either. Sandford knows his guns pretty well, for a writer.

I did not get this info from Snopes, and only did a quick look at Wiki for his real name. I’ve looked him up before.

Sanford has been one of my favorite authors for MANY years.

Maybe some folks have a problem defining/understanding "fiction"?

Mike Holmes

Very true; and some have as difficult a time understanding entertainment.

I like his books and ignore any politics I don’t like. The guy can really write, and “that f’n Flowers” is my favorite.

And, his top 100 rock and roll songs is a good list, though I think Joan Jett and “I love rock and roll” should be number 1 on the list. Google up the list and we can argue about it.

John Camp (pen name Sanford) and I have some friends in common from back in his days as a reporter for the Minneapolis rag. He is a Democrat though not a flaming city liberal but more a rural Democrat who are supportive of the 2A. As mentioned, he does hunt deer from what little I have talked to him about. He seemed to be the typical deer hunter that gets out the opening weekend and maybe another weekend if lucky.

As for his book, I preferred his earlier ones when Lucas was on the Minneapolis PD. A large percentage of the places mentioned were familiar to me though the locations were slightly altered as well as the names. Three characters stuck out in my mind as I knew the people they were based on. One was a victim while the other two were cameos.

When Lucas branched out from Minneapolis, the books began to falter. Things got a bit far fetched to me based on Lucas' main area of knowledge. The one with him as a U.S. Marshall is not to my liking though a buddy who was a Marshall loves it.

Other books I liked were the Kidd series and the stand alones The Night Crew and Dead Watch. Don't bother with Saturn Run, it is most definitely terrible. He had a couple short story collaborations that were pretty good too. Face Off is a definite read for not only John's collaboration but for the others too. I found the discussions on how the authors decided to write the stories was as interesting as the stories themselves. I highly recommend it.

Lol. I do like most of them.

They do become predictable though.

John Sandford is my favorite author.I believe that I have read all the Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers novels. The earlier ones are my favorites and I do agree that the last few are not quite as good as the earlier ones.His descriptions of the characters are better than any writer I have ever read.

BS

Sanford writes some of the best light fiction around. How do you not like Lucas D? He likes to hunt [bad guys] , and shoot them, likes a good fight and appreciates hot women. He favor obsolescent pistols but that is a matter of taste. And he drives a 911.



mike r