Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Doris Grandfelt’s murder shocked their community decades ago. Her body dumped in the woods near a park and the murderer never caught. Now, her sister is looking for closure and offering a hefty reward for information leading to an arrest. Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers get the call to be the official investigators of any clues turned up due to the new interest and accept, somewhat begrudgingly – who wants to deal with a lot of fame seekers and true crime junkies? But when real clues start popping up, the danger level increases. Will Davenport and Flowers find the killer before more lives are put in danger?
Lethal Prey marks the 35th installment in John Sandford’s Prey series. With the usual gruffness of the investigators and mystery surrounding the crime, Sandford delivers a unique tale that feels like it could be ripped from the headlines. Even with a somewhat early reveal of the criminal, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat till the last pages!
I give Lethal Prey 4 out of 5 stars. I could find no fault with this book other than it felt as if the early character and plot development was rushed. There is some build up to romance the reader into staying interested, but it felt a little flat as if something was missing. I love this author, so I stuck with it, but it was a tough sell for me the first few chapters. However, once you move past those initial plot points, Sandford delivers what he is best known for – a domestic thriller that feels all too realistic. It was interesting to see the use of what I imagine to be both a hindrance and a help to cold case investigators – social media and true crime websites. This was a fantastic read.
If, like me, you are a fan of Sandford’s other Prey books, you will love this one! I always recommend this series to readers who like other domestic thriller books like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, Karen Slaughter’s Will Trent series, or Lee Child’s Reacher books. With the inclusion of several murders, this book may not be best for all readers – I would direct it towards audiences over 16. Crime and mystery book clubs would love this book with so much to unpack around our villain’s actions, but also those of the investigators and the victim’s family.
I was very excited to see this book available on NetGalley! I have been anxiously awaiting its release since I read Toxic Prey last year – the 34th book in the Lucas Davenport series and 3rd in the Letty Davenport books. John Sandford has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I think you’ll love his works, too!
Lethal Prey will release March 25th. You can preorder your copy in our Bookshop.org store today!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Only Woman in the Room, Marie Benedict
- Current audio book: Heirs of the Founders, H.W. Brands
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Tom Clancy Line of Demarcation, M.P. Woodward
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