Showing posts with label john sandford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john sandford. Show all posts

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Book Review of Judgment Prey by John Sandford

 Author John Sandford has written 32 books in his 'Prey' series. Each book in the Prey Series has the word 'Prey' in the title and the main character is Lucus Davenport. In the earliest novels, Lucus is a police officer for the Minneapolis Police Department. Later novels have him with the Minnesota BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) and then with the U.S. Marshall's office.


Sandford has also written another series of books starring Virgil Flowers, who once worked with the St. Paul, MN police department and now for the Minnesota BCA. 


Throughout these two series, the reader finds intermittent interaction between Lucus and Virgil.  Now, for the first time, Sandford has combined these two characters in their own Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers novel in his latest book, Judgment Prey.


Judgment Prey, a Lucas Davenport & Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sandford


Synopsis of Judgment Prey


As the story begins, Lucus is home recovering from a shoot-out several months earlier at which he was severely wounded. One afternoon he receives a call from his U.S. Marshall's boss about a high-profile murder that just took place near his home in St. Paul. A federal judge and his two young sons have been murdered in their home. Since he's only 5 miles away, his boss wants Lucus to meet up with Virgil Flowers at the Judge's residence to just see what the scene looks like. Reluctantly, he does so.


As it turns out, the FBI and local law enforcement are all stymied as to who the killer is and what reason the killer would have to shoot this family in cold blood. As they hit dead end after dead end, Lucus and Virgil team up to follow both leads and theories until they figure out who killed the Sands family. 


Summary


As with all Sandford novels, the interplay between the characters is fascinating and humerous and interesting. Both Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are delightful characters and Sandford's plots are always outstanding. 

Now that John Sandford has combined my two favorite characters in one novel, I hope he will continue with more books starring them. This Sandford fan would love that, and I loved Judgment Prey (A Prey Novel #33 of 34)!


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*Review of the novel Judgment Prey is written by Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, August 13, 2022

The Investigator by John Sandford – A Book Review

 A Letty Davenport Novel


Image of an oil derrick

John Sandford has written 31 books in the 'Prey' series starring Lucus Davenport.

In an early Prey novel, Lucus, an agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) meets Letty, a 12-year-old living in rural Red River valley. Letty ends up the center of a series of killings, and when her mother becomes one of those murdered, orphaned Letty becomes a ward of Lucus and his wife, Weather. 


As the Prey series continues, Letty is featured in several other stories. First as the Davenport's ward, then as their adopted daughter, fans of this series of novels enjoy following the antics and adventures of Letty as part of the Davenport family, watching her grow up and go off to college. 


The Investigator Novel


The Investigator book cover
Available on Amazon
The Investigator is the first novel to star Letty Davenport as the central character. Now 24 years old and a college graduate, we find Letty working in Washington, D.C. in a desk job for a U.S. Senator. Restless and bored, Letty is ready to quit when she is offered a task she can't refuse: a real investigator job through the senator's office in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security. 




The Plot


Oil derrick image
Image Source: Pixabay

Several oil companies in Texas have reported thefts of crude oil. Letty's assignment is to uncover not only who is stealing and selling the oil, but learn what the thieves are doing with the profits. Rumors link this to a radical militia group and the Department of Homeland Security is extremely worried about the stolen profits financing a domestic terrorism plot. 


Letty is partnered with a DHS investigator, John Kaiser. As the two head to Texas, the case quickly turns deadly. Letty and John now know they are on the track of something bigger. This militia group, led by a woman, has set in motion an explosive plan and time is running out for them to stop it.


Summary


This fan of Sandford's Prey Series is delighted to see a favorite minor character become the main character in her own crime fiction story. I have a feeling that the author is planning a new series starring this delightful and talented young lady ~ Letty Davenport. 


Related Links:



Book 1 of 2: Letty Davenport - An Amazon Editor's pick of Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense



*Book review of The Investigator is written by Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Ocean Prey by John Sandford – A Book Review

Ocean Prey book cover


Mystery Writer John Sandford has written 30 books in the Lucas Davenport 'Prey' Series and 12 books in the Virgil Flowers Series. With Prey Series Book #31, Sandford combines these two entertaining characters into one story and has them working together to solve a crime. 


Ocean Prey is a Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers Novel.


Main Characters in John Sandford's two well-known suspense/mystery series.


The Virgil Flowers Series


The  main character of the series, Virgil Flowers, is described as tall, lean, late thirties, three times divorced, with long hair. He often wears t-shirts featuring rock bands. Virgil works at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). He is good friends with Lucas Davenport and is frequently mentioned in various 'Prey' novels.


The Lucas Davenport 'Prey' Series


Davenport has been a police officer, a Minneapolis detective and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator.  In later books, including Ocean Prey, he now works for the U.S. Marshall's Office.  Lucas is tall with black hair, gray at the temples, blue eyes, and dark complexion.


Although each character has been mentioned occasionally in each other's series (as they are friends), this is the first book where they are featured working together on the same case.


Synopsis of Ocean Prey



Fan-favorite heroes Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers join forces on a deadly maritime case   


Ocean Prey book cover
An off-duty Coast Guardsman, fishing with his family, spots a snazzy craft with extra horsepower picking up a surfaced diver who was apparently alone without a boat in the middle of the ocean. This doesn't make sense. The Coast Guardsman calls in this suspicious behavior.  The three Guardsmen who come out to investigate are shot and killed.


Since they are federal officers killed on the job, the FBI investigates. When the case stalls out, the FBI calls in the U.S. Marshall's office in the form of Lucas Davenport and his team. 


When the case turns lethal, Davenport brings in a detective whose biggest asset is having a fundamentally criminal mind: Virgil Flowers. 

Working undercover posing as a deep sea diver, with Davenport and the FBI supporting him in the background, Virgil infiltrates the group of notorious drug runners operating off the coast of Miami. They want the men responsible for the deaths of the Coast Guardsmen, but also the head of the organization which has been bringing in tons of illegal drugs in an unusual way. The main goal is to shut down the entire operation once and for all. 


Summary


Ocean Prey brings us an outstanding and exciting story starring Sandford's two favorite characters, Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. This may be a suspenseful mystery story, but it is also filled with humor of the type frequently used by police personnel to lesson the tension.  The jokes and wisecracks among the characters made me smile often, and actually laugh out loud in two places. A very enjoyable read. 


Quick Links:



Ocean Prey Book Review written by

Wednesday Elf





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Thursday, January 19, 2017

John Sandford Extreme Prey Book Review

Extreme Prey by john sandford book cover
First off, a confession. I have not read a SINGLE solitary John Sandford book. There are, however, many of them in my household.

Over the course of the last couple of years, my husband Chris discovered John Sandford and worked to collect and read his way through every single one of Sandford's books. I have a feeling there will be a Sandford book in my future.

Chris' most recent read was Extreme Prey and what follows is his review, which I thought I would share with you here.

John Sandford’s Extreme Prey is an exceptional read.

In the previous novel, the protagonist Lucas Davenport was leaving the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) with his daughter Letty asking, “What are you going to do next?” Extreme Prey flawlessly transitions Davenport from a badge carrying cop to a private citizen doing a favour for the state governor Elmer Henderson; a favour that finds Davenport investigating a potential threat against a presidential candidate. The fact that Davenport is not carrying a badge and has no authority kicks the story up a notch. Davenport uses old contacts and his reputation to gain support from local police while trying to convince others that there is a real and credible threat. Of course the threat is real and time is short, so the action is non-stop.

As the story unfolds, Davenport chases loose threads of evidence as he puts pieces of the puzzle together until the climactic scene arrives that is so engulfing that it will make you miss your bus stop; at least that happened to me.

For long-time fans of John Sandford, Extreme Prey effectively interweaves characters from previous books into the action as well as providing cameo roles for characters from the Virgil Flowers and Kidd series, also by John Sandford. If this is your first time reading a John Sandford book and don’t insist on starting at the beginning of a series, you will find a great read that can stand alone. Sandford gives you enough information to introduce every character without slowing down the action or distracting from this story.

Extreme Prey is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for anyone who likes police mysteries. For current fans of the “Prey” books you will find it an exciting surprise as Lucas Davenport adapts to not having a badge and the official support of the BCA. Personally I am already looking forward to Golden Prey scheduled for release in April 2017 to see what’s next for Lucas Davenport.

Extreme Prey definitely sounds like an excellent read to me and I have to thank my husband for the introduction to another author and for writing this post. I am especially thankful that he shared the fact that this book caused him to miss his bus stop. What a hoot!

Will there be a John Sandford book in your future?

Happy Reading!
Brenda & Chris

Quick Links:

Order Extreme Prey on Amazon.
Steve Berry's Amber Room reviewed.









Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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