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Gathering Prey

(Lucas Davenport #25)

John Sandford

4.20 · Rating details · 20,464 ratings · 1,566 reviews

The extraordinary new Lucas Davenport thriller from #1 New York Times–bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize–winner John Sandford.

They call them Travelers. They move from city to city, panhandling, committing no crimes—they just like to stay on the move. And now somebody is killing them.

Lucas Davenport’s adopted daughter, Letty, is home from college when she gets a phone ...more

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Hardcover, 407 pages

Published April 28th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

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Jan 20, 2015 Kemper rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-mystery, thriller, 5-0, lucas-davenport, damn-dirty-hippies, 2015, 2018-reread

Lucas Davenport relentlessly tracks down a murderous gang of hippies?!? It’s not even my birthday!

Davenport’s adopted daughter Letty befriends a young woman, Skye, who is part of a subculture called Travelers who wander around the country living like hobos. After her friend is murdered Skye contacts Letty for help and tells her that the people responsible are a pack of jackals led by a guy named Pilate. Skye is convinced that Pilate’s gang roams around in an RV torturing and killing people.

Letty ...more

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May 03, 2015 Andrew Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

According to a web site I was checking out last week, the four personal traits that define an effective leader are: honesty, openness, decisiveness and conscientiousness. Of all the cops in all the crime fiction I’ve read (quite a lot), Lucas Davenport is the one who most obviously possess all of these – and he does so in spades! You can also add humour, personal gravitas and a huge dose of charisma to the list. I guess you could say I’m a fan.

It’s a pleasure to welcome him back for his 25th According to a web site I was checking out last week, the four personal traits that define an effective leader are: honesty, openness, decisiveness and conscientiousness. Of all the cops in all the crime fiction I’ve read (quite a lot), Lucas Davenport is the one who most obviously possess all of these – and he does so in spades! You can also add humour, personal gravitas and a huge dose of charisma to the list. I guess you could say I’m a fan.

It’s a pleasure to welcome him back for his 25th appearance – well, actually it’s slightly more than that if you add his cameos appearances in Sandford’s offshoot series featuring one of Davenport’s agents, Virgil Flowers. His normal gang are here - Shrake, Jenkins and Dell – but they play small parts in this story. This time around it’s daughter Letty who provides the major backup to Lucas. In this tale Lucas, in his role as a senior figure in Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (I do wish Sandford would come up with a snappier department name), is alerted to the plight of a busker called Skye, by his daughter. Skye’s friend Henry has disappeared and she fears that he’s been abducted by a dark dude by the name of Porter Pilate, AKA ‘the devil’. Pilate travels around with a band of hangers-on and it’s feared he gets his kick out of killing people he meets along the way, often in the most gruesome manner imaginable. I wont go into it too much, but suffice to say Lucas goes searching for Pilate at a gathering of the Juggalos in Michigan’s isolated Upper Peninsula (U.P.).

I’m not sure how plausible the whole tale is but it really is great fun. There’s already tension between Lucas and his bureaucratic boss and this is exacerbated by Davenport’s maverick insistence on chasing around after Pilate and his crew whilst ignoring calls for him to focus on a more politically sensitive case. Then there’s the father/daughter dynamic, as Letty gets ever more involved in the chase.

I’ve noticed that a number of crime fiction writers pitch their action in some of the remoter parts of America, where law enforcement is in short supply – maybe a hick sheriff and some dumber than dumb deputies. I know Lee Child has done this with Reacher, on occasion; it allows a certain amount of latitude in terms of what can go on without heavyweight intervention. And such is the case here - out in the wilds of the U.P. all hell breaks loose.

It’s escapist nonsense, of course it is. But it’s high quality escapist nonsense. I listened to the whole thing, brilliantly read by Richard Ferrone, with a stupid smile on my face. Bring on the next one please, Mr Sandford, and make it snappy. ...more

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Sep 27, 2015 Alex is The Romance Fox rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-p-z, humour, adventure-mystery-crime-thriller, series

What is the secret to keeping a long-running series successfully going for 25 books? Some of the challenges facing any author are keeping a character fresh and interesting and continuously having to come up with new, inventive and great story ideas.

John Sandford has certainly met these challenges in Gathering Prey, the #25 installment in his superb The Prey Series.

If you are a fan of this series like I am, you will not be disappointed in the latest story of the Lucas Davenport that we have seen ...more

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May 04, 2016 James Thane rated it liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction, lucas-davenport, john-sandford

The twenty-fifth book in John Sandford's Prey series opens when his adopted daughter, Letty, befriends a pair of Travelers while at college in California. The two are a couple and, like other Travelers, they move from place to place, most often camping out and living as cheaply as possible, sometimes panhandling to make ends meet. The two tell Letty that they are planning to be in Minnesota later in the summer en route to a series of festivals. After treating them to lunch, Letty gives them her The twenty-fifth book in John Sandford's Prey series opens when his adopted daughter, Letty, befriends a pair of Travelers while at college in California. The two are a couple and, like other Travelers, they move from place to place, most often camping out and living as cheaply as possible, sometimes panhandling to make ends meet. The two tell Letty that they are planning to be in Minnesota later in the summer en route to a series of festivals. After treating them to lunch, Letty gives them her phone number and tell them to call if they go through the Twin Cities.

Later, the two Travelers fall in with bad company, a group somewhat resembling the Manson family and led by a charismatic figure named Pilate. Sometime later, the female Traveler, Skye, calls Letty in a panic, afraid that Pilate and his gang have murdered her boyfriend. Letty arranges a bus ticket for Skye and convinces her father, Lucas Davenport of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, to meet the bus with her.

Davenport is initially skeptical, but as Skye tells the story, he comes to believe that there might be something to it. At Letty's urging, he begins to investigate and soon he will be wandering all over the Upper Midwest in pursuit of Pilate and his obnoxious associates.

I'm a huge fan of this series, but this book did not work for me nearly as well as most of the others have. In the first place, the first portion of the book is largely a Letty Davenport novel, rather than a Lucas Davenport novel. No offense to the kid; she's been a great minor character in novels up to this point, but she's not nearly as compelling a protagonist as her father, and no one buys the Prey series to follow her adventures.

Also, the story takes Davenport pretty far afield from his usual haunts into the rural areas of the Upper Midwest. One of the BCA bureaucrats up the chain of command wonders why Lucas is racing all over the place attempting to solve crimes in other states rather than tending to business at home. Lucas gets angry with the guy, but he raises a legitimate point. The reader also wonders what in the hell Lucas is doing, other than simply trying to do his daughter a big favor.

The story also suffers a bit because the villains in this story are not nearly up to Sandford's usual standards. These books rise and fall to a considerable extent based upon the antagonists that Lucas has to track down. Sandford has created some great ones in the past, but Pilate and his confederates don't seem nearly that interesting and, frankly, don't seem worthy of having someone the caliber of Lucas Davenport hard on their trail.

If that's not bad enough, this is one of those stories in which a couple of the characters routinely do REALLY STUPID THINGS, in spite of being warned not to. These are things that no sensible person would do and which advance the story but which also cause the reader to shake his or her head and lose patience both with the characters and with the story.

Additionally, Davenport is basically out there on his own, without his usual compatriots. And, partly as a consequence, this book is not nearly as funny as most of the others in the series. Sanford has a very rare gift in that he can drop hilariously funny scenes into a story that is otherwise dark and disturbing, and somehow it works--it doesn't seem inappropriate or out of place as it does when many other authors attempt it. This story has a few such moments, but not nearly as many as usual. This book needs the presence of people like Del, Shake and Jenkins who are absent from the scene. That F***ing Virgil Flowers makes a cameo appearance and when he does, the book really comes alive for a couple of chapters; otherwise it seems awfully flat for a Lucas Davenport book.

I really don't want to think that this series might be running out of gas, and I hope that this is just a slight bump along the way. There have been signs for a while that Sandford might be thinking about taking the character in another direction, and if Lucas has come to that proverbial fork in the road, then it's probably time for him to take it. I'm not really worried yet; my intuition tells me that Lucas will be back up to speed by the time the next novel rolls around, but Gathering Prey will never rank among my favorite books in what is, overall, one of my favorite series of all time. ...more

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Dec 20, 2017 Liz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

This Davenport mystery is based on a Charlie Manson like cult, traveling the country and leaving dead bodies in its wake. Extremely entertaining, with a great mix of humor and suspense. I listened to this and the narrator was superb.

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Apr 27, 2015 Lesa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: thriller, mystery-series, crime-fiction, suspense

There have been twenty-five Prey novels by John Sandford, and he's still at the top of his game with Gathering Prey. The latest book featuring Lucas Davenport is gritty and brutal, but I read it straight through in seven hours.

Lucas' daughter, Letty, attends Stanford, and it's in California that she first meets Skye and Henry. The two young people are Travelers, panhandlers who move from city to city because they like to stay on the move. But, she's back home in Minnesota for the summer when ...more

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Mar 24, 2015 Mike French rated it it was amazing

Another 5 star Lucas Davenport novel! This series by John Sandford is one of my all time favorites. If you haven't read any of the PREY books, do yourself a favorite and start ASAP! Best if you start at #1. You have a lot of enjoyable reading ahead, as this is #25

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Jun 08, 2015 Cindy Newton rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-books, crime, john-sandford

This is the 25th book in the Prey series, and I've been reading them pretty much since the first one came out. When the new book appears on the shelves, I buy it--no need to read the jacket, no need to flip through the pages, no need to even check the reviews. What's to check? It's a Sanford--the quality is guaranteed! This book is no exception.

Now, I know there are a lot of detective/crime books out there--a LOT. And I know that some of them are probably really good. For some reason, they don't This is the 25th book in the Prey series, and I've been reading them pretty much since the first one came out. When the new book appears on the shelves, I buy it--no need to read the jacket, no need to flip through the pages, no need to even check the reviews. What's to check? It's a Sanford--the quality is guaranteed! This book is no exception.

Now, I know there are a lot of detective/crime books out there--a LOT. And I know that some of them are probably really good. For some reason, they don't appeal to me. I apparently gave my heart to Sandford years ago, and could never think of looking at another detective series. So I don't know how things are handled in other series, but in the Prey novels, the reader is clued in to the identity of the killer from the beginning (with one notable exception--Winter Prey, 4th book in the series--and I almost died of the suspense!). Davenport, the detective in the series, usually doesn't know who the killer is until further into the story, but in this book, he knew from the beginning, as well. It didn't detract from the suspense one iota.

Davenport and his crew are trying to track down a Manson-like cult of crazies as they drift around the Midwest, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. The difficulties of trying to find and capture people who are homeless, off the grid, and insane to boot keeps the tension ratcheting up. Despite the impressive number of cold-blooded killers Davenport has either captured or killed over the years, he claims that no one has ever seen the like of this group before, and their remorseless killing continues even as his noose is tightening around them and they are on the run.

There were a couple of interesting things in this book--one being Letty, Lucas's adopted daughter. She's a smart-ass and a bad-ass in her own right, and it sounds as though Sanford may be positioning her for a series of her own. After all, since time is actually marching on in this series, Lucas can't be depended on to keep the evil forces at bay forever! He just turned fifty (and is not happy about it!), and the books will probably not be as believable if he is still being shown kicking ass and taking names with his customary flair when he's seventy, seventy-five. Not that it can't be done! For the sake of realism, though, Sanford would then have to show Davenport going home to ice down his aching joints and take his blood pressure and cholesterol medicine! Letty with a series would be pretty great, I think--she's not Lucas's daughter by blood, but she is all his in spirit. She's got his fearlessness and his ruthlessness, which makes for a good story. Another interesting tidbit that bobbed to the surface was the less-than-satisfying state of affairs at the BCA. The current chief, Sands, is too much of a bureaucrat, and is the kind of obtuse dimwit who majors on minors and is too obsessed with going by the book and following the rules to appreciate the staggering successes of someone who doesn't. The situation seems to auger an impending shift in Davenport's career trajectory. There are hints planted as the plot progresses, and this thickens when Lucas meets and works with some excellent small-town deputies. Will they have a role in his future plans? Where will he end up? Is the 25th book the last to feature Lucas's adventures? None of these questions are answered, so we'll just have to wait and see!

I highly recommend this series, even if crime novels are not your favorite genre. Each one is a roller-coaster ride of suspense, and the characterization grows and deepens with each successive book. I personally never start a Sanford novel unless I have time to read without interruption--I know from experience how almost impossible it is to put one down if I'm foolish enough to start it in the middle of the work-week! ...more

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May 03, 2015 Albert Riehle rated it it was amazing

I'm going to break this review up into two parts. In the first part, I'll review the book itself, and by that, I mean the plot line that is unique to this book only. In the second part, I'll talk about the series as a whole and how this book plays into it--I'll warn you in advance, while the first part won't have any spoilers, the second part--the part about the overall series plot arc--will have spoilers. You've been warned.

This Book: This book starts with Letty and for my two cents, that's I'm going to break this review up into two parts. In the first part, I'll review the book itself, and by that, I mean the plot line that is unique to this book only. In the second part, I'll talk about the series as a whole and how this book plays into it--I'll warn you in advance, while the first part won't have any spoilers, the second part--the part about the overall series plot arc--will have spoilers. You've been warned.

This Book: This book starts with Letty and for my two cents, that's something that we should get to say more often. She's one of my favorite characters and, I think, a little underused in the whole series. So, it's nice to see Letty get some page-time right off the bat and be at the center of this book for a while. Even better is that Letty is unabashedly Letty. She's got tooth, much like Davenport. While Davenport has biological kids by two women, it's Letty, his adoptive daughter, who looks like him and has that same, wolfish, predator instinct. While away at school, she befriends a couple of Travelers--like hobos without the trains--itinerant who, while technically homeless, aren't exactly bums. Letty buys them some food and makes some new friends--but a few months later one calls Letty to tell her that the other friend, Henry, is missing and possibly been killed.

Well, enter Lucas Davenport and Letty who jump into the thick of things and soon realize they are dealing with a gang of crazies on a murderous rampage across the country. The story takes them into the inner workings of the Travelers and even into the heart of a couple Gatherings--that's right, the Juggalo festivals of the Insane Clown Posse groupies. Eventually, it leads Lucas into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where Lucas has to depend on gun-toting locals for the help he needs to bring down this modern-day Manson family.

It's a good book. In typical Sandford fashion, the books starts on an even keel and eventually just tilts until it's breakneck pace pushes it into the end. It's got an interesting group of bad guys, some fun, new heroes and it's going to be a fun read for any fan of the series. I highly recommend it.

The Series: (yes, I'm going to speak openly about how this book in context to the entire series and as such, there will be spoilers for the new book--don't read this next bit until you've read the book).

This is the 25th book in the series and one of my favorite things about this series is the plot arc that extends from book to book. I made note, a few books back, that Sandford was winding this series down to a conclusion. After finishing this book, I have to wonder if 25 was the nice round number that marks the actual transition--the end of Prey and the beginning of...whatever is next for Lucas.

And I think I've caught enough of the subtext to guess that the next book will see Lucas out of Minnesota. The politics and bullshit have been getting to Lucas and in this book, it all comes to a head and he simply says fuck it and quits. He has other options handed to him on a platter, but chooses to drop the mic and walk off stage. Davenport out, bitches!

But Sandford let's us know there's a next chapter to this overall story arc. The final scene between Lucan and Letty guarantees it. And the scene with the governor--soon to be VP--foreshadows it. My prediction is this: Gathering Prey will be the last "prey" titled novel. The next book will take Lucas' leash off and let him out of MN permanently. He'll follow the governor to D.C.--at least for work, and become the new V.P.'s go-to guy the way he's been for the governor with the BCI. Some new force will be invented for Lucas to head up--maybe it'll be a rogue wing of the FBI (who knows?)--and Lucas will be investigating cases as troubleshooter for the VP, nation-wide. And Lucas will bring some old friends along to be part of the crew--and probably some new ones--and maybe even a few of the gun-nuts from this book. The "prey' name will go away and each book from here on out will have it's own title.

That's my guess. Either way, I'm happy the series will continue onward.

I'm a big fan--of the book and the series and I can't wait to see what comes next. ...more

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Mar 28, 2015 Paula rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorite-authors, series, suspense-thriller, crime, e-book, read-in-2015, published-2015

The Prey series by John Sandford is one of my favorite crime thrillers in fiction. Love Lucas Davenport. This is # 25 in the series and I've read all of them.

Gathering Prey is different from Sandford's usual story line where Davenport is solving a crime in Minnesota. This time the book centers on daughter Letty. I do like Letty, but I couldn't get past her meeting up with Skye, a Traveler, on the streets of California. Too contrived. We are introduced to a Charles Manson type of character named ...more

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Jul 06, 2015 Skip rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-detective

#25 in the Prey series. Davenport's adoptive daughter Letty befriends some drifters, who tell her about a vicious band of sadistic killers preying on the helpless. Lucas dismissed this as "legend," but then one of two disappears, and Letty helps the other get to Minneapolis. When the other goes off on her own, Letty follows, forcing Lucas to follow. With much of the book based in the UP (Upper Peninsula), author Sandford does a very good job of portraying the hearty locals, including the police ...more

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Oct 13, 2015 Judy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another episode with Lucas Davenport as he searches for a group of travelers who care very little for the lives of anyone who get in their way. What is interesting is that Lettie, Davenport's adopted daughter plays a significant part in introducing her Father to the group. She also does some sleuthing on her own. Language is crude as usual and events are gruesome as expected, but following Davenport as he pursues his prey is exciting.

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Sep 23, 2018 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2fiction, mystery-thriller, 1audio, 3series

I got to see a lot of Letty in this book, which I always enjoy. The crimes & the hunt were just tough. It's amazingly easy to be a nut on the loose in the US or even a group of them. The end was something else. I can't say more without spoilers, but it was really a wild ride getting there & ended with a couple of great scenes.

There were a few things that didn't ring quite true, but were easy enough to go along with since they were somewhat inevitable. (view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 19, 2014 Brenda rated it it was amazing

This was a wonderful addition to the Lucas Davenport saga! In typical Sanford style, the bad guys got what was coming to them. Everyone on the team showed up in this book. I'm really looking forward to the next Davenport book, and I won't be surprised if Sanford's next book is a Virgil Flowers edition!! Grrrr...the wait!

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May 04, 2015 Jean rated it really liked it

Lucas Davenport has had a long and storied career as a Minneapolis cop and a Minnesota BCA detective. In Gathering Prey, John Sandford’s 25th of the “Prey” series, Davenport hops, skips, and jumps from Minnesota to Wisconsin to Michigan and back to the Twin Cities in pursuit of a band of crazed killers.

Letty, Davenport’s stepdaughter, befriends a young “traveler” called Skye. Travelers are peaceful hobo types who never stay in one place very long, and when her male companion goes missing, a Lucas Davenport has had a long and storied career as a Minneapolis cop and a Minnesota BCA detective. In Gathering Prey, John Sandford’s 25th of the “Prey” series, Davenport hops, skips, and jumps from Minnesota to Wisconsin to Michigan and back to the Twin Cities in pursuit of a band of crazed killers.

Letty, Davenport’s stepdaughter, befriends a young “traveler” called Skye. Travelers are peaceful hobo types who never stay in one place very long, and when her male companion goes missing, a freaked out Skye calls Letty for help. After some initial skepticism, Lucas becomes involved when the man is found horrendously murdered; he is convinced that there may be a trail of dead bodies strewn across the country.

The group responsible for his death is compared to the Charles Manson family, only worse. Originally from California, they are led by a crazed drug dealer that Skye calls “the devil.” She knows him as “Pilot,” but he goes by “Pilate.” Eventually, Skye, Pilate’s group, Letty, and Lucas all separately hopscotch their way to a Juggalo Gathering, a festival for fans of the Insane Clown Posse. Attendees adorn their faces in bizarre clown paint, dress in costumes, buy and sell drugs, and listen to underground rap and other subculture music. It’s the perfect cover for Pilate and his Disciples to peddle their dope, torture and kill when the opportunity presents itself, and evade the cops. Lucas enlists the help of local law enforcement and gets himself deputized, and then the real fun begins.

There is much to like about Gathering Prey. As usual, Davenport himself is on top of his game. He is a smart, experienced cop, and he doesn’t take any guff from anyone, especially his superiors. When his boss wants him home in Minnesota instead of off in Wisconsin or Michigan, Lucas pretty much tells him what he can do with his case. The rapport between Lucas and Letty is very entertaining – humorous at times, and a refreshing change of pace. Virgil Flowers also makes a cameo appearance in this book. When Lucas meets up with the local cops, some good dialogue takes place among them too, especially when one guy’s intelligence is compared to that of the police dog! The secondary plot, one that involves a case that Lucas’s long-time buddies Del and Sloan are trying to wrap up, intrigued me more than the main story, frankly, and I would have preferred more details about that case.

Since I grew up near Duluth and spent nearly thirty years in the Twin Cities area as an adult, it was fun for me to read about cat-and-mouse chase “Up North” and across three states. After the shooting began, however, things slowed down significantly for me. There was too much play-by-play for my taste. Yes, it added to the realism, I suppose, but it felt like it was being written for a movie script. What this story lacked, in my opinion, was mystery. Davenport already knows who the bad guy is – it’s just a matter of catching him. If you are a reader who enjoys being in on the strategizing as well as getting a blow-by-blow description of the action (without an overabundance of gore) then you will love Gathering Prey. If you enjoy a novel with mystery, well, this one ends with one: Now that he has closed the book on another major chapter, what changes will Lucas Davenport make in his life?

If I could, I would give this 3-1/2 stars

...more

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May 11, 2015 Monnie rated it really liked it

Hard to believe this is the 25th book in the "Prey" series - most of which I've read - and while I won't call it the best of the bunch, it's well worth reading as usual. Also as usual, author Sandford manages to get in a guest appearance by one of his other cool characters, Virgil Flowers.

The story begins when Letty, the daughter adopted by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport and his surgeon wife, Weather, is home from college. Letty gets a call from a panhandling Hard to believe this is the 25th book in the "Prey" series - most of which I've read - and while I won't call it the best of the bunch, it's well worth reading as usual. Also as usual, author Sandford manages to get in a guest appearance by one of his other cool characters, Virgil Flowers.

The story begins when Letty, the daughter adopted by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport and his surgeon wife, Weather, is home from college. Letty gets a call from a panhandling woman she befriended in San Francisco, who's begging for help in the belief that someone is killing off her traveling friends. Letty insists on helping the girl, and while Lucas suspects the whole thing is just a panhandling ploy, he agrees to accompany Letty.

As it turns out, Letty's newfound friend is on to some nastiness that could rival the Charles Manson gang (led by a guy who goes by the handle of Pilate). Following the gang members, who leave behind a string of grisly murders, takes Lucas out of his usual Gopher State to others including Wisconsin and Michigan's remote Upper Peninsula. In the process, he asks for and gets help from his buddy Virgil (a.k.a. "that f***ing Flowers") - always a treat for me because, well, I like him better than Lucas. In the process of catching the bad guys and gals, Lucas manages to get under the skin of his higher-ups (in part because he pulled Virgil off another job without permission). Lucas also is starting to see unwelcome changes in how he and his work are valued, hinting at changes that may come in future books.

For the most part, the thrill of the chase remained exciting throughout; but I'll also say that Letty - more than a bit of an errant child - isn't my favorite character by a long shot. I certainly don't want anything bad to happen to her, but if it did, I honestly wouldn't miss her much. I do like Lucas's wife Weather, but she gets exceptionally short shrift here. I also feared in the beginning that Sandford may be slipping toward the banality of Stuart Woods's Stone Barrington series when it comes to dialogue that seems to be more blather than substance. Then again, there are plenty of hopeful (and amusing) indications that this won't happen, such as this conversation with a Wisconson cop:

Lucas: "You divorced yet?"

Cop: "Let's not go there...I think she's gonna get the season tickets for the Packers."

Oh yeah - Sandford's still got it.
...more

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Apr 16, 2016 Cameron Wiggins rated it it was amazing

One of my favorite authors is undoubtably John Sanford and Gathering Prey is a classic example to support this favoritism. I have read 24 of the 25 “Prey” novels, and this is definitely my favorite series, too. John Sanford, a former Minneapolis newspaper reporter, is an excellent police procedural/thriller writer IMHO, and Sanford’s creation, policeman, and then Minnesota BCA Agent Lucas Davenport is definitely one for the ages.
Lucas’ adopted daughter is now away at Stanford University. Summer One of my favorite authors is undoubtably John Sanford and Gathering Prey is a classic example to support this favoritism. I have read 24 of the 25 “Prey” novels, and this is definitely my favorite series, too. John Sanford, a former Minneapolis newspaper reporter, is an excellent police procedural/thriller writer IMHO, and Sanford’s creation, policeman, and then Minnesota BCA Agent Lucas Davenport is definitely one for the ages.
Lucas’ adopted daughter is now away at Stanford University. Summer break is nearing and Letty is soon returning home to Minneapolis. The Davenport family, in no shortage of money, due to gaming simulation inventions and investments and also for computer simulations for police procedure training. He sold out at the right time (imagine that - why can’t I ever do that?) and he is a self-made millionaire who really enjoys being a cop. Letty befriends two travelers, people who more or less just roam the country bumming around indulging in cheap experiences, shortly before leaving California. Pleasantries are exchanged and Letty feeds the young man and woman and gives them some money. Also, as they seem so sincere, she gives them her telephone number before departing and says if anything ever comes up …
As with all groups of people, there are good travelers and bad travelers. Some of them are very undesirable and deeply disturbed. They kind of travel together but stay a part. The travelers are working their way across the country to Michigan hitting Sturgis and various festivals. Letty’s friend calls and says that her male friend has come up missing in South Dakota.
Gathering Prey gathers up a full head of steam from this point when the leader of the Travelers, Pilate, goes off on a Charles Mansion multi-state rage. I am never one to give to much away, and boy would the reader feel cheated by an unwanted spoiler. But, this book rocks from here on out. It is a very good read.
I think that anyone who enjoys police procedurals and thrillers will love this book and I would have no problems recommending it to anyone. Bear in mind, when someone writes 25 books, not all of them are going to be this stellar. Also, even though they were good books, casting Mark Harmon for Lucas Davenport was like casting Woody Allen as the Boston Strangler. It just does’t work. I give John Sanford’s Gathering Prey a two thumbs up 5-star rating.

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Nov 05, 2019 Obsidian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-library-books

So this is the 25th Lucas Davenport book I have read and it seems that we will see Davenport pursue something different. He once again is dealing with depression, but being asked to help find a young man that his daughter Letty met is enough to push that back for the time being. When it appears that Letty's friends may have come across a brutal group murdering Travelers, Lucas and others do what's necessary to take down the group.

"Gathering Prey" follows Lucas as he is dealing with depression So this is the 25th Lucas Davenport book I have read and it seems that we will see Davenport pursue something different. He once again is dealing with depression, but being asked to help find a young man that his daughter Letty met is enough to push that back for the time being. When it appears that Letty's friends may have come across a brutal group murdering Travelers, Lucas and others do what's necessary to take down the group.

"Gathering Prey" follows Lucas as he is dealing with depression setting in due to a murder case that looks to be shaping up to have the defendant get away with murder. Lucas is also starting to get annoyed with the bureaucracy at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. While this is going on, Letty, his daughter, runs across two Travelers (Skye and Henry) near her school. Letty ends up being herself (don't even ask) and then passes on her number to Skye to look her up if she ends up near Minnesota. When Henry goes missing, Skye hears rumors that he may have been killed by a group headed up by a man named Pilate. She reaches out to Letty who in turns helps Lucas investigate.

Lucas seems more mellow in this one. Though Letty being involved with the case doesn't thrill him or his wife Weather, he's become resigned to the fact that she's going to be in law enforcement someday. One good thing I thought about this book is that Letty finally realizes that she's not the biggest/baddest thing out there. Lucas wants her to learn to be cautious instead of impetuous all of the time. Lucas is also getting tired of the BCA and though he calls up his usual suspects (Flowers, Del, etc.) his heart doesn't seem to be much in things.

Letty gets more developed in this one. I maybe laughed at someone telling Letty she's not a sociopath. I feel like Sandford was responding to criticism this character was getting from a lot of readers. She definitely shows emotion in this one.

I wish we had gotten more dialogue with Weather. She just seems to be there to off-screen lecture Letty and Lucas and or tell them to be careful, and talk to Lucas about Letty's future. Remember when Weather was a fully developed character that actually did things and interacted with people?

We also get Pilate's POV and I wish that had been cut down some.

The writing at times is pretty grim when describing that has been done to victims by this group led by Pilate. The flow was up and down. I started to get bored reading about Lucas driving all over rural America and then having to deal with locals and shootouts every five seconds. It started to get to be a bit much after a while.

The setting of the book dealing with Travelers and how they get around and interact with others was interesting. Sandford even gets into the Jugaloos and I still don't get that whole thing. At all.

The ending leaves Lucas on a new path. ...more

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Aug 04, 2018 Mark rated it really liked it

Shelves: police-pi-mystery

Been on a John Sanford, Lucas Davenport roll this past month...In this one, Davenport is drawn into running down a Manson-like group that on a killing spree across the northern tier by his daughter Letty...the usual good stuff!

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Dec 28, 2014 Truman32 rated it liked it

The jacket description to Gathering Prey, John Sandford’s 25th (Twenty-fifth!!!) Prey novel I must admit made me a little nervous. “They call them Travelers. They move from city to city, panhandling, committing no crimes—they just like to stay on the move. And now somebody is killing them.” Oh, great, I thought, Sandford wants to educate us on the homeless. Happily, while Sandford probably could teach us about the plight of the homeless, he chooses not to go down this route in his novel, instead
The jacket description to Gathering Prey, John Sandford’s 25th (Twenty-fifth!!!) Prey novel I must admit made me a little nervous. “They call them Travelers. They move from city to city, panhandling, committing no crimes—they just like to stay on the move. And now somebody is killing them.” Oh, great, I thought, Sandford wants to educate us on the homeless. Happily, while Sandford probably could teach us about the plight of the homeless, he chooses not to go down this route in his novel, instead delivering a straightforward detective story.

The story deals with a band of itinerant miscreants from California who travel the country in Winnebago motorhomes, dealing drugs, taking drugs, and performing group torture-murders. This charming cluster of smiling faces include a woman who has filed her teeth to razor-edged points, and their leader--a violent maniac who goes by the name Pilate. They sound ominous and sinister, right?

Well, you’d be mistaken.

The prodigious degree of ignorance in this group is only eclipsed by their unmitigated incompetence. A team consisting of the Three Stooges and the Kardashian sisters would handily beat Pilate and his thick cohorts in a game of Jeopardy (if Alex Trebek were somehow stopped from escaping). Still, they have managed a multi-state spree of slaughter and homicide (not incidentally including a friend of Lucas Davenport’s adopted daughter, Letty). So Lucas Davenport is brought in and the chase is on across the Midwest and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Pilate and his team of killers are disappointing. While they might actually be indicative of the level of criminals operating in the real world, they make a decidedly dreadful adversary. Due to their immense magnitude of blockheadedness, much of the action in the story takes place at Insane Clown Posse Juggalo gatherings. If you are the type of reader who feels that the modern detective story is missing spraying Faygo, clown make-up, and making “whoop whoop” noises; this book once and for all definitively proves you are wrong.

But not all is lost. This is actually a pretty good book. Sandford’s writing is great as usual. Elmore Leonard is known for his excellent dialogue, but John Sandford is right there at this level too. The sense of realism, humor, and subtext Sandford conveys in the words spilling from his character’s mouths is fantastic and would be a great primer for any beginning writing college course. The prose is exciting, the action moves, and the later sections where Lucas teams up with several small rural Sheriff departments is terrific. Seeing the inner workings of these small departments consisting mainly of dedicated volunteers is interesting and heartening. Honestly, I hope they operate like this in real life.

Yes, the mediocre villains keep this novel from ascending to a place among those top entries in this series, but we are still given a solid and entertaining tale. I would recommend it –a great summer read.
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Apr 24, 2015 Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) rated it really liked it

Shelves: gemini-2015

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
by Gemini

Gathering Prey was a very involved and in-depth look at some disturbing criminals that traveled the country like nomads leaving dead bodies along the way. The Travelers have a leader named Pilate that could easily be compared to Charles Manson or any other cult leader. They are as evil as evil gets and Pilate had to be the devil himself. As with all stories like this, someone has to play the hero. In this case, that person is Lucas Davenport. He ...more

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May 14, 2015 Sarah Darwin rated it liked it

Something missing

Something was going on. Not a big something. Something, though.
Lucas called up Shrake who said: “What’s up?
“Got a bunch of conjunctions gone missing.” Said Lucas.
“And?”
“Yeah, that’s one of them.”
Shrake took a moment. “People go missing all the time. Mostly turn up. Imagine it’s the same with words.”
Lucas thought about that. “Maybe.” He said. “Keep an eye out, all the same.”
“Where you figure they’re gonna be?” Said Shrake.
“There’s a rumour they’re connected,” said Lucas. “Kind ...more

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May 11, 2015 Mike rated it really liked it

Sandford is one of the authors that as soon as a new story hits print I have no self control and must devour instead of savoring. Davenport has changed over the years: aging, friends or associates retiring or killed in the line of work, children growing up.
Daughter Letty is at Stanford, and while on a shopping trip meets a couple who move around the country, camping out and attending festivals. She befriends the woman, leaves her number, and is contacted by her when the man she travels with ...more

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May 09, 2015 Darlene rated it it was amazing

I have read every book in this series. Bravo to another winner. After so many years I truly feel I personally know all the characters. I was originally drawn to this author so many years ago because he is from my home state of Minnesota, and the majority of his writing takes place here. Knowing exactly where he is makes the story a more personal connection for me.
After all these years what will Lucas do next?

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Jul 21, 2017 Sandi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, crime-mystery-thriller-suspense, read-2017

I am always impressed at how consistently good this series is and this book was no exception. Lucas is at his best tracking down bad guys and this had and entertaining plot with lots of action. Listened to the audio version which was read by the always superb Richard Ferrone.

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Apr 24, 2015 Ed rated it liked it · review of another edition

Lucas Davenport in hot pursuit through Northern Wisconsin, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Minnesota after a gang of Charles Manson-like thrill killers from California. Another solid John Sanford "Prey" thriller but the endless chase became somewhat tedious.

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May 17, 2015 Peter rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction-thriller

Gathering Prey is the twenty-fifth in John Sandford's “Prey” series of down south crime thrillers starring either Lucas Davenport, Virgil Flower, or both. Lucas is Virgil’s boss at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The series has been very popular, and for good reason: the books are well written, nicely platted and paced, and often very funny. Well, usually.

Skye and Henry are traveling street buskers who know a bad dude with a hot car and a blonde—his name is Pilate but he Gathering Prey is the twenty-fifth in John Sandford's “Prey” series of down south crime thrillers starring either Lucas Davenport, Virgil Flower, or both. Lucas is Virgil’s boss at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The series has been very popular, and for good reason: the books are well written, nicely platted and paced, and often very funny. Well, usually.

Skye and Henry are traveling street buskers who know a bad dude with a hot car and a blonde—his name is Pilate but he calls himself The Pilot and he’s a real stay-away-from kind of guy; her name is Kristen and she has filed her teeth to sharp points. While at work on a San Francisco street, Henry and Skye notice a young woman intently watching them. After the act she introduces herself as Letty and takes them to McDonalds to pump them for information. Letty’s young life was a misery—her father was murdered and her mother is a drunk—but she was adopted by a cop and his wife, and they brought her up right—so right that she’s now a student at Stanford! It turns out, of course, that Letty’s father is our Lucas Davenport!

Letty gets a call from Skye: Pilate has kidnapped Henry and, she hears, cut out his heart and severely shortened his willy; we don’t know the order of these events. Letty asks Dad to check it out; Lucas does just that and it turns out to be true. Then one of Pilate’s cronies kidnaps Skye with plans to kill her for fun. The game’s afoot as Letty and Lucas track down Skye’s kidnapper and rescue Skye. But Skye is soon off again on her own to a Juggalo Gathering where she is likely to be reacquainted with Pilate, who realizes that now she knows too much about his group. Indeed, that’s where Pilot is heading, spouting memorable lines like, “If I could get my hands on that bitch Skye, I’d skin her alive. Who’s got the Cheetohs? Pass them up here.” Letty and Lucas have their work cut out for them as they try to corral the wandering Skye, who just seems to be dying to get dead; she does.

Eventually the Pilate and his disciples are in a major confrontation with Lucs and the cops in an Upper Peninsula, Michigan town. Pilate throws his disciples under the bus and sneaks out with his sharp-toothed lady. And so on.

Through this book we learn things about the modern life of young nomads. For example, I learned about Juggalo Gatherings that travel around the country venerating the musical duo Insane Clown Posse. They do things like spray Faygo (an obscure soft drink) on each other, paint their faces like clowns, and listen to rap music. This is the kind of in-depth social analysis that one hopes for to balance the death and terror of a crime thriller.

Sadly, this is not among John Sandford's best. It seems way too forced, and it leaves lots of unanswered questions: why was Letty interested in Sky and Henry in the first place? How does Lucas get to take on a personal case like this while employed by the Minnesota BCA? How did Lucas get a Porsche and a Mercedes on a cop’s salary? (A reader tells me Lucas sold a software company and his wife is a surgeon) Why did Sanders write this book?

3 stars.
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May 05, 2015 Pamela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Rip-Snortin' Amazing

I was right to be excited when "Gathering Prey" was released. Well worth the wait. And, while waiting, I listened to an audio interview with the author, John Sanford, courtesy of my husband's preference for audio books. Sanford confirmed my experience of him as a top-notch writer with some skills that not all writers possess. One is that his journalistic background gives him a great appreciation for hands-on experience. That said, it is like the reader becomes embedded in the ...more

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Dec 02, 2015 Viccy rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction

Letty, Lucas Davenport's adopted daughter, meets Skye and Henry in California, where she is attending Stanford. Skye and Henry are travelers, similar to hobos, back in the day. When they hit Minnesota, Skye calls Letty to tell her that Henry may have been killed by Pilate, a crazed, Charlie-Manson style ringleader. Lucas goes on the hunt and what transpires is one edge-of-your-seat crazy manhunt across three states. And the ending will leave you hanging.... Great job, as always from John ...more

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May 05, 2015 Connie rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-purchased, muse-reviews, 2015-reads, 0reviewed

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times...Sandford is the absolute master of dialogue. This latest edition to the long running Davenport series is no disappointment in terms of dialogue. The banter between the characters leaves me chucking at times and feeling like I am right there as part of the group. I've never experienced any other writer than can nail it so completely. Maybe it's the sarcasm that pops up from time to time that I relate to so well....

First all, I've been an avid If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times...Sandford is the absolute master of dialogue. This latest edition to the long running Davenport series is no disappointment in terms of dialogue. The banter between the characters leaves me chucking at times and feeling like I am right there as part of the group. I've never experienced any other writer than can nail it so completely. Maybe it's the sarcasm that pops up from time to time that I relate to so well....

First all, I've been an avid and yea....perhaps a rabid fan of John Sandford since the 80's. I've been with Lucas from the very start and I have read them all. I marvel at how Sandford continues to keep this series exciting and fresh after all these years. I have watched Lucas grow up and mature. I don't even mind anymore that he's with Weather (I never felt she was a strong enough character for Lucas from the start). I don't even mind that his hair has grey in it...or that he's now in the over 50 club. He's still relevant!

If I am to be honest, I love this series even more now then I did when it first began. It's just gotten better in more ways than one...

Just as we start to feel that Lucas is getting bogged down in his job...well, Sandford fixes that. We see some hints of conflict between long time characters that spell lots of changes in not just Davenport's professional life, but perhaps his personal life as well.

Sandford has also been prepping us for more of Lucas' daughter...really, since she was first introduced in Naked Prey....but in this installment, Letty really comes to shine and we continue getting glimpses of the young adult she is becoming.

The ending of the book didn't disappoint. I won't bore you with the plot summery....If you've read Sandford, you already know there's going to be some very bad people that Davenport is going to be tracking...This novel had more than it's fair share....but from the very start you can sense that the feelings of dissatisfaction, boredom, and aggravation that Davenport has been feeling for his job has got to come to some sort of head. Lucas once again sets off in what can only be called "Davenport style" and off on his own to do what needs to be done. It's who he is. It's what I often miss from the older books. So often (as in real life) politics and endless bureaucratic barriers are there to tie Davenport's hands and prevent him from doing his job in a timely fashion. Not this time....

The ending....well it doesn't leave me feeling worried....or fearing for the next book. I am excited. I can't wait to see what happens. It not only opens up this series to endless new possibilities, it also does the same for Sandford's other series that centers around Virgil "F" Flowers....

Bring, it Sandford....I'm ready!!!!

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About John Sandford

John Sandford

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See also John Camp

John Sandford was born John Roswell Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the ...more