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Lucas Davenport #26
Extreme Prey
An extraordinary Lucas Davenport thriller from #1 "New York Times" bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner John Sandford.
After the events in "Gathering Prey", Lucas Davenport finds himself in a very unusual situation—no longer employed by the Minnesota BCA. His friend the governor is just cranking up a presidential campaign though, and he invites Lucas to come along as part of his campaign staff. “Should be fun!” he says, and it kind of is—until they find they have a shadow: an armed man intent on killing the governor . . . and anyone who gets in the way.
After the events in "Gathering Prey", Lucas Davenport finds himself in a very unusual situation—no longer employed by the Minnesota BCA. His friend the governor is just cranking up a presidential campaign though, and he invites Lucas to come along as part of his campaign staff. “Should be fun!” he says, and it kind of is—until they find they have a shadow: an armed man intent on killing the governor . . . and anyone who gets in the way.
406 pages, Hardcover
First published April 26, 2016
2825 people are currently reading
5750 people want to read
About the author
John Sandford
234 books9,626 followersJohn Sandford is the pen name of John Roswell Camp, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author known for his gripping thrillers and popular crime series. After earning degrees in history, literature, and journalism from the University of Iowa, Camp began his writing career as a reporter, first at The Miami Herald and later at The Saint Paul Pioneer Press, where he earned critical acclaim for in-depth series on Native American communities and American farm life. His work won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1986.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,726 reviews
November 7, 2019
The more things change the more they stay the same. For example, Lucas Davenport may not be a cop anymore, but that doesn’t mean that he’s done chasing killers.
Lucas got fed up with certain elements of his old gig as a state investigator in Minnesota so he quit, but he’s still the first call that the governor makes when he needs a bloodhound. The gov is now running for president, and he got a bad vibe off some people he met on the primary campaign trail in Iowa. He fears that some whackos plan to do more than just vote for him and are going to assassinate the leading candidate of his party, Michaela Bowden. Davenport is soon tracing a network of political crackpots whose first instinct is to accuse him of being part of a federal conspiracy when he tries to talk to any of them.
This follows the standard formula of the Prey novels in giving us the parallel stories of Lucas and the people he’s hunting. This time the villains are a middle aged woman and her son whose hard economic circumstances as rural farm folks have convinced them that Bowden is part of a system that has been deliberately keeping them down. When they learn that Davenport is trying to find them they desperately try to divert and stall him until they can pull off their plan, and their methods include murder.
Once again Sandford delivers a tremendously satisfying thriller. One of the great things about his books is that they depend on the bad guys being clever, but there are no Insane McGeniuses pulling off Bond villain levels of schemes. Instead they’re just people whose view of the world is about 10 degrees off center combined with certain paranoid and ruthless tendencies that make them dangerous but not unstoppable killing machines. Likewise, Davenport is as smart, capable, determined, and sometimes ruthless as you'd want the lead of this kind of book to be, but he isn’t some bulletproof action hero or a Sherlock Holmes type of detective either.
Sandford also still has a reporter’s instincts for having the pulse of current events as well as a knack for tapping into them for stories. Here, with a female presidential candidate campaigning in a time where an overworked sense of outrage and conspiracy theories have helped create an environment of seething political hatred that is immune to facts, logic, or common decency, we get a story that seems all too plausible. However, Davenport blessedly remains pretty much apolitical with little interest in who gets elected or getting drawn into debates.
You also have to give Sandford credit for being willing to shake up a winning formula this deep into a series. Shifting Davenport from a big shot Minnesota cop who can make things happen by picking up a phone to a guy without a badge wandering around Iowa makes for him going through an interesting adjustment. At times not being subject to the usual rules is an advantage he can use, but Lucas finds himself frequently frustrated with his lack of authority in these circumstances. It’s a nice bridge to what seems to be a new era in the series, and as a long time Sandford fan I’m excited to see what comes next for Davenport.
One side note: I’ve gotten several comments on my Sandford reviews asking if you can just read one book or if you need to complete the series for it to make sense. (My standard response is that most of the books are self-contained stories that can be read alone, but you will know how some events in previous Davenport books turned out from casual references. There are also a couple that do act as direct sequels to earlier ones.) This would be an excellent place for anyone who hasn’t read them to jump in because it’s the start of a new phase for the series with Davenport interacting with mostly new characters so it’s pretty light on the previous elements, but still has all the hallmarks of what makes them such great crime thrillers.
Next: Lucas gets a new job in Golden Prey.
Lucas got fed up with certain elements of his old gig as a state investigator in Minnesota so he quit, but he’s still the first call that the governor makes when he needs a bloodhound. The gov is now running for president, and he got a bad vibe off some people he met on the primary campaign trail in Iowa. He fears that some whackos plan to do more than just vote for him and are going to assassinate the leading candidate of his party, Michaela Bowden. Davenport is soon tracing a network of political crackpots whose first instinct is to accuse him of being part of a federal conspiracy when he tries to talk to any of them.
This follows the standard formula of the Prey novels in giving us the parallel stories of Lucas and the people he’s hunting. This time the villains are a middle aged woman and her son whose hard economic circumstances as rural farm folks have convinced them that Bowden is part of a system that has been deliberately keeping them down. When they learn that Davenport is trying to find them they desperately try to divert and stall him until they can pull off their plan, and their methods include murder.
Once again Sandford delivers a tremendously satisfying thriller. One of the great things about his books is that they depend on the bad guys being clever, but there are no Insane McGeniuses pulling off Bond villain levels of schemes. Instead they’re just people whose view of the world is about 10 degrees off center combined with certain paranoid and ruthless tendencies that make them dangerous but not unstoppable killing machines. Likewise, Davenport is as smart, capable, determined, and sometimes ruthless as you'd want the lead of this kind of book to be, but he isn’t some bulletproof action hero or a Sherlock Holmes type of detective either.
Sandford also still has a reporter’s instincts for having the pulse of current events as well as a knack for tapping into them for stories. Here, with a female presidential candidate campaigning in a time where an overworked sense of outrage and conspiracy theories have helped create an environment of seething political hatred that is immune to facts, logic, or common decency, we get a story that seems all too plausible. However, Davenport blessedly remains pretty much apolitical with little interest in who gets elected or getting drawn into debates.
You also have to give Sandford credit for being willing to shake up a winning formula this deep into a series. Shifting Davenport from a big shot Minnesota cop who can make things happen by picking up a phone to a guy without a badge wandering around Iowa makes for him going through an interesting adjustment. At times not being subject to the usual rules is an advantage he can use, but Lucas finds himself frequently frustrated with his lack of authority in these circumstances. It’s a nice bridge to what seems to be a new era in the series, and as a long time Sandford fan I’m excited to see what comes next for Davenport.
One side note: I’ve gotten several comments on my Sandford reviews asking if you can just read one book or if you need to complete the series for it to make sense. (My standard response is that most of the books are self-contained stories that can be read alone, but you will know how some events in previous Davenport books turned out from casual references. There are also a couple that do act as direct sequels to earlier ones.) This would be an excellent place for anyone who hasn’t read them to jump in because it’s the start of a new phase for the series with Davenport interacting with mostly new characters so it’s pretty light on the previous elements, but still has all the hallmarks of what makes them such great crime thrillers.
Next: Lucas gets a new job in Golden Prey.
May 12, 2016
I have read this series from the beginning and I am continually surprised at how much I still like them. Hard to keep a long running series fresh, but somehow Sandford manages to do just that. There were some I liked more than others, often due to the case not the writing. This one is timely as well, Davenport is no longer a cop but when a political candidate running for President is threatened, he is brought in as a special advisor. Using his longtime friends, he manages to get information even though he is no longer privy to police information. So we enter the world of radical political groups, characters who are willing to do anything to stop the candidate they feel will be detrimental to their beliefs. I also love the subtle and not so subtle humor in these books and how the characters continue to grow and change, in their personal lives and private.
Very good series.
Very good series.
April 7, 2017
Following the events of the twenty-fifth book in this series, Gathering Prey, Lucas Davenport decided to hang up his spurs and leave his job at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. For the first time in years, and for the first time in this long-running series, Lucas is no longer a lawman of any kind. He's very contentedly spending the summer adding an addition to his cabin in Wisconsin, with the assistance of a carpenter named Jimi. Lucas's former subordinate, that F***in' Virgil Flowers, observes that Jimi "has the best ass north of Highway 8." Lucas insists that he never even noticed.
As if.
The job is nearing completion when Lucas gets a call from his former boss, Minnesota Governor Elmer Henderson. Elmer is running for the presidency and is out in Iowa, campaigning for the state's upcoming Democratic party caucus. The leading contender for the Democratic nomination is a woman named Michaela Bowden, and truth to tell, Henderson doesn't expect that he can win the nomination. He's actually hoping that Bowden will pick him as her vice-presidential running mate.
Out on the trail, though, Henderson hears some disturbing news, suggesting that there may be an attempt on Bowden's life. Both campaigns, naturally, are knee-deep in security, but Davenport has always been Henderson's go-to guy when facing a difficult problem like this. Henderson convinces Davenport to come to Iowa and investigate. Lucas will have the assistance of various law enforcement agencies, but when push comes to shove, he's only a private citizen and the lack of a badge will cause him all kinds of complications that he never experienced before.
Lucas discovers an aging band of Iowa political radicals that have been protesting since the Sixties, and he comes to believe that some members of the group may actually have plans to assassinate Bowden. There are a couple of murders early on which muddy the waters, but which also convince Lucas that the assassination scheme is probably real.
Through the course of the book, Davenport races around the state of Iowa attempting to foil the scheme before it's too late. Sadly, though, he doesn't have the assistance of his old teammates like Del, Jenkins and Shrake. Much of the action centers around Iowa City, Des Moines and Davenport's namesake city on the Mississippi. As always, there's a great deal of witty humor in and around a very serious series of crimes, and the tension ratchets up to a great and bloody climax.
I especially enjoyed this particular entry in the series because I lived for many years in Illinois, right across the river from Davenport, Iowa and graduated from the University in Iowa City. I've driven about a million miles along these same Iowa roads, and it was great fun watching Lucas moving through such familiar territory.
Living in western Illinois, I was also subjected every four years to the circus that revolves around the Iowa caucuses. For well over a year, presidential candidates inhabit the state and the local news media devote tons of newsprint and hour after hour of radio and television coverage to their appearances and exploits. For months on end, the citizens of Iowa and western Illinois are barraged with ads for the various candidates, and so the story seemed very familiar in that regard as well. I can only wish that Lucas Davenport had been racing around during the real caucus season to provide some badly needed levity and intelligence to the scene.
Naturally, the media in Iowa and western Illinois love this setup; they make millions of dollars every four years selling ads to the various candidates. But the end result, of course, is that one very small state, which is not remotely representative of the nation as a whole, has a hugely outsized effect on the selection of a president. If only Davenport could have found a solution to that problem while he was on the job out in the Hawkeye State...
As if.
The job is nearing completion when Lucas gets a call from his former boss, Minnesota Governor Elmer Henderson. Elmer is running for the presidency and is out in Iowa, campaigning for the state's upcoming Democratic party caucus. The leading contender for the Democratic nomination is a woman named Michaela Bowden, and truth to tell, Henderson doesn't expect that he can win the nomination. He's actually hoping that Bowden will pick him as her vice-presidential running mate.
Out on the trail, though, Henderson hears some disturbing news, suggesting that there may be an attempt on Bowden's life. Both campaigns, naturally, are knee-deep in security, but Davenport has always been Henderson's go-to guy when facing a difficult problem like this. Henderson convinces Davenport to come to Iowa and investigate. Lucas will have the assistance of various law enforcement agencies, but when push comes to shove, he's only a private citizen and the lack of a badge will cause him all kinds of complications that he never experienced before.
Lucas discovers an aging band of Iowa political radicals that have been protesting since the Sixties, and he comes to believe that some members of the group may actually have plans to assassinate Bowden. There are a couple of murders early on which muddy the waters, but which also convince Lucas that the assassination scheme is probably real.
Through the course of the book, Davenport races around the state of Iowa attempting to foil the scheme before it's too late. Sadly, though, he doesn't have the assistance of his old teammates like Del, Jenkins and Shrake. Much of the action centers around Iowa City, Des Moines and Davenport's namesake city on the Mississippi. As always, there's a great deal of witty humor in and around a very serious series of crimes, and the tension ratchets up to a great and bloody climax.
I especially enjoyed this particular entry in the series because I lived for many years in Illinois, right across the river from Davenport, Iowa and graduated from the University in Iowa City. I've driven about a million miles along these same Iowa roads, and it was great fun watching Lucas moving through such familiar territory.
Living in western Illinois, I was also subjected every four years to the circus that revolves around the Iowa caucuses. For well over a year, presidential candidates inhabit the state and the local news media devote tons of newsprint and hour after hour of radio and television coverage to their appearances and exploits. For months on end, the citizens of Iowa and western Illinois are barraged with ads for the various candidates, and so the story seemed very familiar in that regard as well. I can only wish that Lucas Davenport had been racing around during the real caucus season to provide some badly needed levity and intelligence to the scene.
Naturally, the media in Iowa and western Illinois love this setup; they make millions of dollars every four years selling ads to the various candidates. But the end result, of course, is that one very small state, which is not remotely representative of the nation as a whole, has a hugely outsized effect on the selection of a president. If only Davenport could have found a solution to that problem while he was on the job out in the Hawkeye State...
September 29, 2017
Checked out because 1) it was in large print, 2) I'm looking for non-torture-porn detective series for the mom, and she seems to not mind some of these factory mill books, and (sigh) 3) the exciting colors of the cover. I needed something brainless while I recovered from The Trees so I decided to preview it for her last night. Don't take that personally if you love this series.
Well-written for the genre but troubled by with several 'um, what?' moments, particularly the multiple extreme reactions of Iowans of Baby Boomer age, a detective who is I checked to see what year this was written--2016, so no excuses there, and it's set post 9-11, so it seems a startling blind spot. That said, I appreciated its pace. Has a gay police officer who stood out in characterization from the others, so I'm a bit ambivalent about that.
Still, not bad for my generally low expectations of the genre. I look to these types of books (Lee Child's Reacher, Robert Parker's Spencer, Connelley) for mindless entertainment and tend to read more as palate cleansers or when I'm so busy that I want something undemanding. Worth trying the beginning of the series.
Two and a half guns.
Well-written for the genre but troubled by with several 'um, what?' moments, particularly the multiple extreme reactions of Iowans of Baby Boomer age, a detective who is I checked to see what year this was written--2016, so no excuses there, and it's set post 9-11, so it seems a startling blind spot. That said, I appreciated its pace. Has a gay police officer who stood out in characterization from the others, so I'm a bit ambivalent about that.
Still, not bad for my generally low expectations of the genre. I look to these types of books (Lee Child's Reacher, Robert Parker's Spencer, Connelley) for mindless entertainment and tend to read more as palate cleansers or when I'm so busy that I want something undemanding. Worth trying the beginning of the series.
Two and a half guns.
June 28, 2022
Lucas Davenport is not a cop anymore!
Yes, Lucas decided at the end of the last book to quit the Minnesota BCA. He hates politics and paperwork. What he loves is the hunt and catching the bad guys.
Out of a job, he is spending his time watching the renovation of his cabin (and driving the contractor crazy) when he gets a call from the Governor of Minnesota, Henderson. He wants to meet Lucas to discuss something with him.
Lucas meets with the Governor. Here, he tells him that even though he is running for President, he doesn't believe he will win. His competitor Michaela Bowden has the best chance but while he was on the campaign trail, he was approached twice. First by an older woman and another time by a young man who seemed to be related. They both pretty much told him the same thing. They believe Michaela Bowden has to go. Henderson got a bad feeling from both interactions. He believes they are plotting to kill Bowden. The Governor asks Lucas to look into it further, find them and see if the threat is real.
This one was so different for Lucas. He really has no power since he doesn't have a badge anymore. When someone doesn't want to talk to him, he can't force them. He is also working without his friends and contacts. He has to work along with the local police who don't know him well. Despite his limitations, Lucas is great at what he does.
A solid Lucas Davenport thriller. The action was vast with good characters and the dry humor was there which I have come to expect in this world. As always, Ferrone does an amazing job narrating Lucas.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Yes, Lucas decided at the end of the last book to quit the Minnesota BCA. He hates politics and paperwork. What he loves is the hunt and catching the bad guys.
Out of a job, he is spending his time watching the renovation of his cabin (and driving the contractor crazy) when he gets a call from the Governor of Minnesota, Henderson. He wants to meet Lucas to discuss something with him.
Lucas meets with the Governor. Here, he tells him that even though he is running for President, he doesn't believe he will win. His competitor Michaela Bowden has the best chance but while he was on the campaign trail, he was approached twice. First by an older woman and another time by a young man who seemed to be related. They both pretty much told him the same thing. They believe Michaela Bowden has to go. Henderson got a bad feeling from both interactions. He believes they are plotting to kill Bowden. The Governor asks Lucas to look into it further, find them and see if the threat is real.
This one was so different for Lucas. He really has no power since he doesn't have a badge anymore. When someone doesn't want to talk to him, he can't force them. He is also working without his friends and contacts. He has to work along with the local police who don't know him well. Despite his limitations, Lucas is great at what he does.
A solid Lucas Davenport thriller. The action was vast with good characters and the dry humor was there which I have come to expect in this world. As always, Ferrone does an amazing job narrating Lucas.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
March 10, 2023
It's a slight spoiler to say Davenport is out on his own without a badge here. I wouldn't have thought being shield-free would be much of a hindrance, but damned if there are things you cannot do without one. Does it stop him from entering into a new case, chasing down a possible killer? Of course not. The powers that be are going to call. So drop the saw Lucas, and the current cabin remodel. Head on down to Iowa. No Minnesota here dear reader. With a new scenery comes practically an entire new cast of characters too. The case and thrill is the same though, if not better. I don't know how Sandford does it after writing so many books, and I realize it's best not to ponder. Why jinx a good thing?
April 27, 2016
I’ve been a long time admirer of Sandford’s work. A former Pulitzer prize winning journalist, he has written over 40 crime fiction books, many featuring Minnesota crime stopper Lucas Davenport. I find the quality and feel of his books to be comparable to Michael Connelly, in that over time the lead characters have become members of a cherished group I just love to catch up with and the quality of the writing means that the stories flow by far too fast, leaving me instantly hungry for more.
Lucas is a dapper man. He’s a narcissist, using his money (made from the sale of software he developed at night whilst working full-time) to ensure he drives smart cars and wears the best Italian suits and expensive English shoes. At one point in this book, whilst attending a murder scene, he admires (well covets might be more accurate) a pair of shoes worn by an attending cop. He does that. He’s used to being around dead bodies and being surrounded by police tape and he notices the little things. He’s hard though, and has the scars to prove it. Not many of his 26 episodes have passed without him being beaten, shot or stabbed. But for all that I find him possibly the most endearing of all the lead characters I’ve come across in crime fiction. He can be funny and caring and hard nosed, and they all seem to come naturally to him. Above all he just feels real. In truth, he’s the guy I want to be.
This time around he’s in the neighbouring state of Iowa chasing down a member of a radical political group who seems hell bent on assassinating a female presidential candidate. Most of Davenport’s normal crew are absent here but this somehow freshens the whole thing up as we get a chance to meet some new characters and visit new towns. I liked the change of geography, it worked well with the story too as Sandford made the most of the landscape of this farming state to bring a fresh new flavour to the tale.
It all started a little slowly but by half way it was at full pace and it never let up from this point. I love the way the author allows us to delve into the minds of both Lucas and the criminal. It enables the reader to understand why they are taking particular actions and even why they may be misguided in following a particular path at any given time. Sometimes you can see the crash coming and want to scream ‘no, don’t do it!’ but of course you are powerless to intervene. The last quarter of the book is full-on and is brilliantly executed by Sandford. As always, it left me exhausted yet begging for more.
I’ll miss Lucas grabbing a Diet Coke for breakfast (does anybody actually do that?) and rushing out to chase down another lawbreaker. I’ll be queuing at the bookshop for the next episode though, you can be sure of that. If I were allowed fractions, I’d award 4.5 stars for this one (deducting 0.5 for the slow start) but as I’m not I’ve no great difficulty in rounding it up to 5 stars.
My thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lucas is a dapper man. He’s a narcissist, using his money (made from the sale of software he developed at night whilst working full-time) to ensure he drives smart cars and wears the best Italian suits and expensive English shoes. At one point in this book, whilst attending a murder scene, he admires (well covets might be more accurate) a pair of shoes worn by an attending cop. He does that. He’s used to being around dead bodies and being surrounded by police tape and he notices the little things. He’s hard though, and has the scars to prove it. Not many of his 26 episodes have passed without him being beaten, shot or stabbed. But for all that I find him possibly the most endearing of all the lead characters I’ve come across in crime fiction. He can be funny and caring and hard nosed, and they all seem to come naturally to him. Above all he just feels real. In truth, he’s the guy I want to be.
This time around he’s in the neighbouring state of Iowa chasing down a member of a radical political group who seems hell bent on assassinating a female presidential candidate. Most of Davenport’s normal crew are absent here but this somehow freshens the whole thing up as we get a chance to meet some new characters and visit new towns. I liked the change of geography, it worked well with the story too as Sandford made the most of the landscape of this farming state to bring a fresh new flavour to the tale.
It all started a little slowly but by half way it was at full pace and it never let up from this point. I love the way the author allows us to delve into the minds of both Lucas and the criminal. It enables the reader to understand why they are taking particular actions and even why they may be misguided in following a particular path at any given time. Sometimes you can see the crash coming and want to scream ‘no, don’t do it!’ but of course you are powerless to intervene. The last quarter of the book is full-on and is brilliantly executed by Sandford. As always, it left me exhausted yet begging for more.
I’ll miss Lucas grabbing a Diet Coke for breakfast (does anybody actually do that?) and rushing out to chase down another lawbreaker. I’ll be queuing at the bookshop for the next episode though, you can be sure of that. If I were allowed fractions, I’d award 4.5 stars for this one (deducting 0.5 for the slow start) but as I’m not I’ve no great difficulty in rounding it up to 5 stars.
My thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2016
This is John Sandford's 26th Prey book, and it's a humdinger! I read the first Lucas Davenport book 11 years ago and I was hooked. I devoured the remaining books in the series. By now, the characters are old friends, but some of them aren't even mentioned in this book. Leaving friends behind happens as time passes, and Lucas's life has changed over time.
In this book, Lucas has resigned from the Minnesota BCI, but he's asked to do some investigating by the governor who is running for president. With help from friends and after a lot of mileage throughout Iowa, Lucas's investigation comes closer and closer to an explosive end.
The pace of the story is great, and the tension amps up near the end. I like Sandford's writing style. His posts on Facebook, where he writes about random topics and thoughts, have the same style. Easy-going, conversational, story-telling.
I recently read an interesting interview with John Sandford in the May edition of The Big Thrill, magazine of International Thriller Writers. You can read it at http://www.thebigthrill.org/2016/04/e....
In this book, Lucas has resigned from the Minnesota BCI, but he's asked to do some investigating by the governor who is running for president. With help from friends and after a lot of mileage throughout Iowa, Lucas's investigation comes closer and closer to an explosive end.
The pace of the story is great, and the tension amps up near the end. I like Sandford's writing style. His posts on Facebook, where he writes about random topics and thoughts, have the same style. Easy-going, conversational, story-telling.
I recently read an interesting interview with John Sandford in the May edition of The Big Thrill, magazine of International Thriller Writers. You can read it at http://www.thebigthrill.org/2016/04/e....
July 22, 2025
He would. He was a radical, a rabid anti-Semite, and at the same time, a man who wouldn't go to jail if there was any way to avoid it. Any way at all. Davenport was clearly a man hard enough and smart enough to crack a twit like Palmer. (PG 186-187)
My elderly neighbor's friend died and the wife wanted to clear out his books to people that would actually read them, all in great condition. Most are hardback political thrillers like this one. So he read them all and saved me a bag, a big one. He keeps asking me if I've read any of them so I felt like I should get to them right away so here I am.
I had never heard of this author but I actually enjoyed the book. What happens when political nuts think they need to kill someone to save their country is a brain I can't comprehend. ((We're all just a small ant in this huge world. The elites that run the governments laugh at how we fight one another at their quarterly dinners.))
Lucas Davenport is the middleman of this story. He needs to find the suspicious people making some weird claims against the presidential candidate but the killer sends them red herrings, add some secrets and cover-ups and here we are.
This was a fair plot with a fair amount of death. It was extra nerve-wracking when a toddler was involved. There are some things a baby should not be seeing. Overall, if I happened to see another Sandford somewhere I wouldn't turn up my nose at him.
My elderly neighbor's friend died and the wife wanted to clear out his books to people that would actually read them, all in great condition. Most are hardback political thrillers like this one. So he read them all and saved me a bag, a big one. He keeps asking me if I've read any of them so I felt like I should get to them right away so here I am.
I had never heard of this author but I actually enjoyed the book. What happens when political nuts think they need to kill someone to save their country is a brain I can't comprehend. ((We're all just a small ant in this huge world. The elites that run the governments laugh at how we fight one another at their quarterly dinners.))
Lucas Davenport is the middleman of this story. He needs to find the suspicious people making some weird claims against the presidential candidate but the killer sends them red herrings, add some secrets and cover-ups and here we are.
This was a fair plot with a fair amount of death. It was extra nerve-wracking when a toddler was involved. There are some things a baby should not be seeing. Overall, if I happened to see another Sandford somewhere I wouldn't turn up my nose at him.
August 25, 2016
A great summer read for a cat-and-mouse thriller with the timely aspect of dealing with a murder plot against a presidential candidate. The star of the series, Lucas Davenport, is not only all grown up from his early days of womanizing and flamboyant cars, he is retired from directing Minnesota’s division of criminal investigation. Thus, he is free to take on security work for his old friend the governor, whose ambition to be picked to run for vice president has led him to encounter veiled threats against the female Democratic contender for the early primaries. The job gets him out of the city interviewing a delightful variety of yokel and redneck suspects all over rural Iowa, the sort of approach we normally see with his associate Virgil Flowers in Sandford’s other series. As usual the plot interlaces between his activities and that of the bad guys, in this case a sort of soccer mom from a farming family with an old history of terrorist activities aligning leftist politics with farmers oppressed by government policies in the 80s. I appreciated Sandford getting out of the rut of twisted psychotic antagonists and gangsters in many of the earlier entries in this long running series. Sandford’s pacing is excellent as Lucas works through the clues and suspects, and bodies begin to mark his approach to heart of the mystery, all leading to an exciting showdown of the candidate’s obligatory appearance at the Iowa State Fair. What more can anyone ask for? A Booker winner is for another day.
July 7, 2016
4.0 STARS
Hummm … the twist was a fire hydrant … a fire hydrant!!! Who would have suspected a fire hydrant? Simplicity is just one of the reasons I love John Sandford. His writing is sharp, crisp and straight forward; perhaps it could be characterized as efficient! No literary meandering, no tangents, nothing peripheral or inconsequential. Throw in some dry and off color humor, a few mild sexual innuendoes and some astute observations about marriage, raising kids and the politics of employment and Sandford never lets me down. Extreme Prey did not disappoint … great story, great finish and a new chapter in the life of Lucas Davenport!
There is big, big trouble brewing out on the prairie. It’s August in Iowa and the democratic candidates are already gearing up for the Iowa caucuses. Campaigning is in full swing and the office of democratic candidate Minnesota Governor Elmer Henderson has received some troubling emails urging him to move to the center in case “something should happen” to democratic front-runner Micheala Bowden. Several folks at various campaign events gave Henderson the same advice.
The messages don’t make any direct threats at Bowden but are well edited rants about the Midwest farming crisis in the 1980’s, the Internet bust of the ‘90s, the 2008 housing crisis, inequality, the cost of medical insurance, the loss of American values and the Jewish influence on American culture. Alerting the Bowden campaign staff, Henderson asks Lucas Davenport to investigate. Although Davenport is no longer an investigator with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, his relationship with the governor remains strong and Henderson knows Davenport is the very best.
The emails were sent from various coffee shops along IA Route 163 and further investigation revealed the text of the email content matched similar ideological rhetoric from three radical farm groups in Iowa – the Progressive People’s Party of Iowa, the Isaac Alfred Patriot League and the Prairie Storm.
Davenport digs into the membership of these organizations, interviewing leaders and members, searching for a possible source of the veiled threats. Dead bodies appear in the wake of Davenport’s investigation and a few names repeatedly pop up. The alibis are believable and tight but something is off. Marlys Purdy … what’s up with Marlys Purdy? And who is the kid with the gray eyes? Just seventeen hours before Bowden and the other democratic hopefuls are scheduled to walk the Iowa State Fair and Davenport is scrambling to find Marlys Purdy!
It was a challenge to put this book down as the suspense boiled into the close. The integration of the current political discord and social angst in America into this story was brilliant. This was not Davenport's first adventure in Iowa and each time I read about the Hawkeye State I feel the urge to visit. Is that crazy or what? Iowa???
I’m already anxiously awaiting the next adventure of U. S. Marshall Lucas Davenport.
Hummm … the twist was a fire hydrant … a fire hydrant!!! Who would have suspected a fire hydrant? Simplicity is just one of the reasons I love John Sandford. His writing is sharp, crisp and straight forward; perhaps it could be characterized as efficient! No literary meandering, no tangents, nothing peripheral or inconsequential. Throw in some dry and off color humor, a few mild sexual innuendoes and some astute observations about marriage, raising kids and the politics of employment and Sandford never lets me down. Extreme Prey did not disappoint … great story, great finish and a new chapter in the life of Lucas Davenport!
There is big, big trouble brewing out on the prairie. It’s August in Iowa and the democratic candidates are already gearing up for the Iowa caucuses. Campaigning is in full swing and the office of democratic candidate Minnesota Governor Elmer Henderson has received some troubling emails urging him to move to the center in case “something should happen” to democratic front-runner Micheala Bowden. Several folks at various campaign events gave Henderson the same advice.
The messages don’t make any direct threats at Bowden but are well edited rants about the Midwest farming crisis in the 1980’s, the Internet bust of the ‘90s, the 2008 housing crisis, inequality, the cost of medical insurance, the loss of American values and the Jewish influence on American culture. Alerting the Bowden campaign staff, Henderson asks Lucas Davenport to investigate. Although Davenport is no longer an investigator with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, his relationship with the governor remains strong and Henderson knows Davenport is the very best.
The emails were sent from various coffee shops along IA Route 163 and further investigation revealed the text of the email content matched similar ideological rhetoric from three radical farm groups in Iowa – the Progressive People’s Party of Iowa, the Isaac Alfred Patriot League and the Prairie Storm.
Davenport digs into the membership of these organizations, interviewing leaders and members, searching for a possible source of the veiled threats. Dead bodies appear in the wake of Davenport’s investigation and a few names repeatedly pop up. The alibis are believable and tight but something is off. Marlys Purdy … what’s up with Marlys Purdy? And who is the kid with the gray eyes? Just seventeen hours before Bowden and the other democratic hopefuls are scheduled to walk the Iowa State Fair and Davenport is scrambling to find Marlys Purdy!
It was a challenge to put this book down as the suspense boiled into the close. The integration of the current political discord and social angst in America into this story was brilliant. This was not Davenport's first adventure in Iowa and each time I read about the Hawkeye State I feel the urge to visit. Is that crazy or what? Iowa???
I’m already anxiously awaiting the next adventure of U. S. Marshall Lucas Davenport.
April 7, 2017
1,5 stars
I'm having a really bad "run" with my latest reading binge!!!
And it continues with Extreme Prey, the latest book in the Lucas Davenport Series by John Sandford. What a let-down!!! After reading this series from the very beginning.....to come to this!!!! It was the least liked book of Lucas... of all time! One could say that I was beyond...
By chapter 2....I knew I was going to so not like this story!!!! By the last chapter, I was as grumpy as anything.....
My favourite characters - Lucas and Weather and Lettie....hardly see them together! Lucas is off on some case out in the "boondocks".....chasing after the most stupid...not, let me make that out the STUPIDEST bad guys EVER!!!! Believe me, I kept rolling my eyes loads of times as I "watched" these idiotic guys go about their daily lives and business!!!!
Flat, boring, a total drag!!!! Sorry, can't recommend this one ....even to those LUCAS DAVENPORT lovers out there!!!!
So, let me just go off somewhere and drown in my sorrows....or better yet...
I'm having a really bad "run" with my latest reading binge!!!
And it continues with Extreme Prey, the latest book in the Lucas Davenport Series by John Sandford. What a let-down!!! After reading this series from the very beginning.....to come to this!!!! It was the least liked book of Lucas... of all time! One could say that I was beyond...
By chapter 2....I knew I was going to so not like this story!!!! By the last chapter, I was as grumpy as anything.....
My favourite characters - Lucas and Weather and Lettie....hardly see them together! Lucas is off on some case out in the "boondocks".....chasing after the most stupid...not, let me make that out the STUPIDEST bad guys EVER!!!! Believe me, I kept rolling my eyes loads of times as I "watched" these idiotic guys go about their daily lives and business!!!!
Flat, boring, a total drag!!!! Sorry, can't recommend this one ....even to those LUCAS DAVENPORT lovers out there!!!!
So, let me just go off somewhere and drown in my sorrows....or better yet...
September 10, 2016
After Gathering Prey Lucas Davenport finds himself unemployed, having resigned from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He is spending his time doing some remodeling work on his cabin and driving everyone crazy when he gets a phone call. He needs to meet with the governor, who happens to be running for President. The governor doesn't realistically expect to win the nomination but he does believe he has a shot at being offered the number two slot on the ticket. During the campaign the governor has had a couple of encounters with supporters who have made veiled threats against the front runner, Michaela Bowden, for the nomination. The governor asks Lucas to track down these supporters and if the threat to Bowden is real stop them.
Although this story takes place during the Presidential primaries it was interesting reading during an extremely nasty Presidential election campaign. This story is set in Iowa before the state's caucus with the climax taking place at the state fair. A cat and mouse chase from start to finish. A race between Lucas and Marlys Purdy, an elderly woman who just happens to harbor some severe grievances that date back to when she lost her husband and their farm. Remember Farm-Aid? The economic collapse was a long time ago but some people never got over it and blame the government. Toss in some hippie types who had set off a bomb at a dairy farm, killing several people, and were never caught and you have a lot of fanatics that Lucas has to deal with and sort through to determine who may want to stop Bowden.
This was fast paced and very enjoyable read. Especially during a Presidential election year. And when all is said and done will Lucas have a new job offer? If so will he take it? After all the reason he resigned from the BCA was because of all the bureaucratic BS.
Although this story takes place during the Presidential primaries it was interesting reading during an extremely nasty Presidential election campaign. This story is set in Iowa before the state's caucus with the climax taking place at the state fair. A cat and mouse chase from start to finish. A race between Lucas and Marlys Purdy, an elderly woman who just happens to harbor some severe grievances that date back to when she lost her husband and their farm. Remember Farm-Aid? The economic collapse was a long time ago but some people never got over it and blame the government. Toss in some hippie types who had set off a bomb at a dairy farm, killing several people, and were never caught and you have a lot of fanatics that Lucas has to deal with and sort through to determine who may want to stop Bowden.
This was fast paced and very enjoyable read. Especially during a Presidential election year. And when all is said and done will Lucas have a new job offer? If so will he take it? After all the reason he resigned from the BCA was because of all the bureaucratic BS.
August 5, 2024
What to say about this book? It's John Sanford. It's Lucas Davenport. That should be enough! If you are a Sanford/Davenport fan, you'll know what that means. Our guy, Davenport, plunged into a race against time to find a killer, complete with non-stop action, unforeseeable twists and turns, and high-octane suspense--even when you know who the killer is. If you haven't read Sanford/Davenport before, you CAN start with this book, but I would recommend beginning with the first book in the series, Rules of Prey, and working from there. Extreme Prey provides you with sketchy mini-bios on the people a fan would already know, and that's enough to get you through the book, but not enough to convey the depth and true nature of the relationships.
This book is actually, despite Davenport's assistance at the beginning from Kidd and Elle, pretty much a solitary endeavor. His colleagues in the trenches of this case are all new, out-of-town people, as this crime is going down in Iowa instead of Lucas's home state of Minnesota. As usual, we know who the killers are right from the beginning--we're just waiting for Lucas to find out, and then handle the easy part--catching them! A presidential candidate's life is in danger from, of all things, terrorist farmers! What other kind of terrorists would you have in the cornfields of Iowa, right? Turns out these farmers mean business, and Lucas has to find and stop them before the Iowa State Fair. As usual, despite the reader's knowledge of the characters and their actions, there is still plenty of suspense to go around. Sanford has no qualms about allowing characters you know and like to get shot, and even die. Lucas doesn't always "get his man." He doesn't always ride off into the sunset (in his Porsche), victorious over evil yet again. So even though you, the reader, know both what the villains and Lucas are up to, you still don't know who's going to win.
I have to admit, I'm curious about what comes next. When I saw that Flowers, Kidd, and Elle are all in this book, I got a sinking feeling. It looks an awful lot like a farewell tour. But the book ends with
Anyway, I highly recommend the series. It has kept my attention and loyalty for lo, these many years. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
"As they were rolling out of the Southers' driveway, the couple watching them go, Wood said, 'You honest to God collect poetry? I didn't know you were a delicate little rosebud.'
'I'm pretty delicate,' Lucas admitted. 'You know, when I'm not beating somebody senseless' " (295).
This book is actually, despite Davenport's assistance at the beginning from Kidd and Elle, pretty much a solitary endeavor. His colleagues in the trenches of this case are all new, out-of-town people, as this crime is going down in Iowa instead of Lucas's home state of Minnesota. As usual, we know who the killers are right from the beginning--we're just waiting for Lucas to find out, and then handle the easy part--catching them! A presidential candidate's life is in danger from, of all things, terrorist farmers! What other kind of terrorists would you have in the cornfields of Iowa, right? Turns out these farmers mean business, and Lucas has to find and stop them before the Iowa State Fair. As usual, despite the reader's knowledge of the characters and their actions, there is still plenty of suspense to go around. Sanford has no qualms about allowing characters you know and like to get shot, and even die. Lucas doesn't always "get his man." He doesn't always ride off into the sunset (in his Porsche), victorious over evil yet again. So even though you, the reader, know both what the villains and Lucas are up to, you still don't know who's going to win.
I have to admit, I'm curious about what comes next. When I saw that Flowers, Kidd, and Elle are all in this book, I got a sinking feeling. It looks an awful lot like a farewell tour. But the book ends with
Anyway, I highly recommend the series. It has kept my attention and loyalty for lo, these many years. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
"As they were rolling out of the Southers' driveway, the couple watching them go, Wood said, 'You honest to God collect poetry? I didn't know you were a delicate little rosebud.'
'I'm pretty delicate,' Lucas admitted. 'You know, when I'm not beating somebody senseless' " (295).
January 30, 2024
I read the Lucas Davenport religiously a few years back and recently decided to play catch-up with the several books I have not read. While reading "Extreme Prey" I was reminded of why I love his series so much. He is a rough and tumbles ex-football player, who also happens to be a multi-millionaire because he sold the rights to some video games he created some years ago, and I love the fact that he does not want to sit on his butt and flit away all his money for the rest of his life. He is married to a beautiful surgeon named Weather and together they have started a family, and are a force to be reckoned with.
Lucas was built to fight crime, and he does it better than most.
This episode was very good and I love his sense of humor! At the end of this one, he was offered a Marshall's position and he is going to take a week to think and discuss with some of his trusted confidants.
Luckily, I have the next book, "Twisted Prey" checked out, and I plan on getting to it very soon because I have officially been hooked again. There is just something about Davenport that keeps me coming back, no matter how long the break. :)
Lucas was built to fight crime, and he does it better than most.
This episode was very good and I love his sense of humor! At the end of this one, he was offered a Marshall's position and he is going to take a week to think and discuss with some of his trusted confidants.
Luckily, I have the next book, "Twisted Prey" checked out, and I plan on getting to it very soon because I have officially been hooked again. There is just something about Davenport that keeps me coming back, no matter how long the break. :)
June 8, 2016
Lucas Davenport, retired from Minnesota's BCA, is summoned by the governor, who wants to be chosen as a Vice Presidential running mate to someone who needs his Midwestern roots. The candidate's life has been threatened, and he asks Lucas to investigate. Much of the novel is Lucas looking into a fringe agrarian political group, who despise law enforcement and which has some skeletons in its closet. As Lucas narrows the field of assassins, his interviewees start dying; however, the time pressure is immense as the Iowa state fair approaches.
November 21, 2019
think that this was one of the strongest offerings in the Prey series. I still could not give it five stars though since there seems to be some ridiculousness with Lucas and his next job I think will get discussed further in the next book. At this point, they should have just retired Lucas and switched to someone else to focus on in this series. How he is running around in his late 50s, I think is a question. I did like the different mysteries going on and how the book ended though. And Sandford must by psychic because he talks about small farms and how broke they have become which has led to bankruptcy and other things.
"Extreme Prey" follows Lucas now that he has quit his job at the BCA. He is renovating his cabin and driving the carpenter nuts. When the governor's lackey calls him up, Lucas is intrigued enough to visit them in Iowa. Apparently the governor (Elmer Henderson) is hoping to get the Democratic nomination for President. However, he's concerned since he has come across a strange woman who has been threatening towards another candidate, Michaela Bowden. At first the Bowden camp doesn't believe in the threat, but Lucas is able to do enough investigating to show that something is going on. This leads him back to a former bombing in the 1970s and a fringe group of disaffected farmers.
Lucas was pretty funny in this one I thought. He seems to be eh about most politicians, but is okay with the Democrats cause the Republicans cause his head to shake. Since he's so rich he doesn't need to work, him being involved in this case is just for his own curiosity. We have Lucas relying on his friends to help him piece things together, but hre realizes he is more hamstrung these days with no badge or gun.
We get another look at the governor who I swear sounds like a mash-up of current and former politicians. Sandford does an Obama shout-out so I guess that the Prey series takes place during our time period.
I thought the writing was interesting in this one since we got so many other POVs besides Lucas in this one. We have his, several criminals, and then even Jason Kidd who lends his expertise to Lucas in this one. I think that Sandford taps into some of the anger that a lot of farmers felt or feel about being pushed out of their homes and land. There's even discussion of how the large farms are owned by big conglomerates in other countries. And I thought there was an interesting discussion about police brutality, the ends justifying the means, and purity in politics.
The ending was just another set-up to follow Lucas on another career path. I can't even wrap my head around how this would one, be legal, and two, no one would be crying foul over it.
"Extreme Prey" follows Lucas now that he has quit his job at the BCA. He is renovating his cabin and driving the carpenter nuts. When the governor's lackey calls him up, Lucas is intrigued enough to visit them in Iowa. Apparently the governor (Elmer Henderson) is hoping to get the Democratic nomination for President. However, he's concerned since he has come across a strange woman who has been threatening towards another candidate, Michaela Bowden. At first the Bowden camp doesn't believe in the threat, but Lucas is able to do enough investigating to show that something is going on. This leads him back to a former bombing in the 1970s and a fringe group of disaffected farmers.
Lucas was pretty funny in this one I thought. He seems to be eh about most politicians, but is okay with the Democrats cause the Republicans cause his head to shake. Since he's so rich he doesn't need to work, him being involved in this case is just for his own curiosity. We have Lucas relying on his friends to help him piece things together, but hre realizes he is more hamstrung these days with no badge or gun.
We get another look at the governor who I swear sounds like a mash-up of current and former politicians. Sandford does an Obama shout-out so I guess that the Prey series takes place during our time period.
I thought the writing was interesting in this one since we got so many other POVs besides Lucas in this one. We have his, several criminals, and then even Jason Kidd who lends his expertise to Lucas in this one. I think that Sandford taps into some of the anger that a lot of farmers felt or feel about being pushed out of their homes and land. There's even discussion of how the large farms are owned by big conglomerates in other countries. And I thought there was an interesting discussion about police brutality, the ends justifying the means, and purity in politics.
The ending was just another set-up to follow Lucas on another career path. I can't even wrap my head around how this would one, be legal, and two, no one would be crying foul over it.
January 28, 2022
Lucas had read somewhere that the acreage of beans, corn and wheat planted in the American Midwest and plains states was greater than the area of France and Great Britain put together. Iowa was right in the heart of it, and after a week driving around the state, he was a believer.
25th in the series featuring Investigator Luke Davenport – renowned for shooting first if a psychotic killer appears to get away with it – and follows on from “Gathering Prey” – which ended with Lucas resigning from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Assessment ahead of being fired over his refusal to back his boss over a Senator’s indiscretions.
More political shenanigans here as the Governor, Elmer Henderson, is hoping to gain the Vice-Presidency on the ticket of democrat Michaela (Mike) Bowden, a year out from the primaries. Henderson, a leftie from way back, has received messages urging him to move to the centre, which the Bowden camp sees as a sign to oust their candidate. Henderson reads something more sinister in the messages and persuades Lucas to investigate as he and Bowden tour Iowa – author John Sandford’s home state – unravelling a 30-year cold case bombing mystery in the process. Henderson meanwhile, has a weakness for attractive young women, and needs to be protected from himself.
Henderson, a tall, slender man with blond hair, was still surrounded by coeds and the kind of soft-faced young men who walked around with policy manuals under their elbows. They’d all end up in Washington where, even if they never did good, they’d certainly do well.
It says much of Sandford’s writing skills (a former Pulitzer prize-winning journalist) that he actually made the serpentine and unfathomably complicated presidential campaign and rallies seem, if not interesting, then close to it. High praise from a reader in Australia for whom the 6-week election campaigns under our Westminster system is long enough.
The reader has to navigate the candidates and their PR flunkies, intent on campaigning in the face of a perceived threat, and police and state security officers more numerous than I could recall, working through memberships of political action groups, with some being bumped off, others deflecting. As always, the story switches between the conspirators and what motivates their actions, and Lucas trying to avert disaster. Best role: the toddler granddaughter.
This was the fifth in the series I had read, starting with some of the earliest, and I am still enjoying it, especially the slick wit, and contemporary themes.
25th in the series featuring Investigator Luke Davenport – renowned for shooting first if a psychotic killer appears to get away with it – and follows on from “Gathering Prey” – which ended with Lucas resigning from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Assessment ahead of being fired over his refusal to back his boss over a Senator’s indiscretions.
More political shenanigans here as the Governor, Elmer Henderson, is hoping to gain the Vice-Presidency on the ticket of democrat Michaela (Mike) Bowden, a year out from the primaries. Henderson, a leftie from way back, has received messages urging him to move to the centre, which the Bowden camp sees as a sign to oust their candidate. Henderson reads something more sinister in the messages and persuades Lucas to investigate as he and Bowden tour Iowa – author John Sandford’s home state – unravelling a 30-year cold case bombing mystery in the process. Henderson meanwhile, has a weakness for attractive young women, and needs to be protected from himself.
Henderson, a tall, slender man with blond hair, was still surrounded by coeds and the kind of soft-faced young men who walked around with policy manuals under their elbows. They’d all end up in Washington where, even if they never did good, they’d certainly do well.
It says much of Sandford’s writing skills (a former Pulitzer prize-winning journalist) that he actually made the serpentine and unfathomably complicated presidential campaign and rallies seem, if not interesting, then close to it. High praise from a reader in Australia for whom the 6-week election campaigns under our Westminster system is long enough.
The reader has to navigate the candidates and their PR flunkies, intent on campaigning in the face of a perceived threat, and police and state security officers more numerous than I could recall, working through memberships of political action groups, with some being bumped off, others deflecting. As always, the story switches between the conspirators and what motivates their actions, and Lucas trying to avert disaster. Best role: the toddler granddaughter.
This was the fifth in the series I had read, starting with some of the earliest, and I am still enjoying it, especially the slick wit, and contemporary themes.
June 28, 2016
I am an enthusiastic follower of the 'Prey series' written by John Sandford, which features character Lucas Davenport. I have been a faithful follower of this series and 'Extreme Prey' is the 26th installment. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was masterfully narrated (as always) by Richard Farrone.
'Extreme Prey' picks up where the story ended in the previous book, 'Gathering Prey'. Lucas Davenport, an investigator for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) had become disillusioned and frustrated with the bureaucracy and politics of the unit and had turned in his badge. Being without a job is not a hardship for Lucas as he is a multi millionaire due to a computer game design business he had sold years ago for mega money. What he WAS, however, was bored. He was spending his time overseeing renovations to a cabin he owned in the Wisconsin woods when he received a call from his old boss, Governor Henderson. Henderson was on the campaign trail in the neighboring state of Iowa. Governor Henderson, of course, has presidential aspirations… there is just the tiny problem of a few skeletons in his closet which may cast doubt on or raise a few eyebrows about his character and moral values. Henderson DOES have one thing going for him.. he is a governor of a midwestern state and may be valuable to the leading Democratic candidate, Michaela Bowden. Mrs. Bowden has expressed interest in choosing Governor Henderson as her running mate.
So where does Lucas fit into the situation in Iowa? Governor Henderson has received some strange messages on social media which seem to indicate that Mrs. Bowden's life may be in danger. Henderson wants Lucas to investigate these threats and find whomever is responsible. This is where Lucas enters the story and the thrilling ride begins….. (by the way, did I mention that Lucas drives a Porsche?)…..
Lucas is a methodical investigator and being unfamiliar with Iowa, he needs to determine what fringe political groups may be scattered throughout Iowa and which in particular may want to cut Mrs. Bowden's campaign.. and life.. short. Without access to police databases, he needs to enlist the help of an old contact who is a highly skilled computer hacker. Finally, armed with the information he needs, Lucas begins driving from one end of Iowa to the other… checking out political activists and narrowing down the possible list of suspects. Lucas quickly discovers that without a badge and the power that goes with it, he has been slowed down in his efforts to determine who is behind the threats to Mrs. Bowden. He is viewed as simply a political operative… and politicians are often viewed with skepticism and disdain and are often reluctant to cooperate.
As is the case with every 'Prey' novel, the reader is aware of the killer's identity from the beginning of the story; and the story alternates between the killer's thoughts and what is occurring in the investigation.. via Lucas's viewpoint. Lucas finally gets a lucky break, of course, but not before a couple of murders are committed. Time is running out for Lucas… can Lucas find the responsible party before any more bodies turn up and most especially before Mrs. Bowden walks in the parade to kick off the Iowa State Fair?
I really enjoyed this latest addition to the 'Prey series'. Since the reader IS always aware of the killer's thoughts and plans, the suspense continues to build throughout the story. And I especially enjoyed that Mr. Sandford ventured into politics and the very strange and dangerous world of fringe political groups in this book. In so many thrillers I have read over the last few years, it seems that writers are obsessed with Islamic terrorists (which of course is understandable). This is a refreshing change. There are plenty of extremist groups right here in the United States.. and Mr. Sandford did a great job exploring this topic. And best of all, the book ended with a very interesting possibility and opportunity for Lucas Davenport's future. I can't wait to see what he does next!
'Extreme Prey' picks up where the story ended in the previous book, 'Gathering Prey'. Lucas Davenport, an investigator for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) had become disillusioned and frustrated with the bureaucracy and politics of the unit and had turned in his badge. Being without a job is not a hardship for Lucas as he is a multi millionaire due to a computer game design business he had sold years ago for mega money. What he WAS, however, was bored. He was spending his time overseeing renovations to a cabin he owned in the Wisconsin woods when he received a call from his old boss, Governor Henderson. Henderson was on the campaign trail in the neighboring state of Iowa. Governor Henderson, of course, has presidential aspirations… there is just the tiny problem of a few skeletons in his closet which may cast doubt on or raise a few eyebrows about his character and moral values. Henderson DOES have one thing going for him.. he is a governor of a midwestern state and may be valuable to the leading Democratic candidate, Michaela Bowden. Mrs. Bowden has expressed interest in choosing Governor Henderson as her running mate.
So where does Lucas fit into the situation in Iowa? Governor Henderson has received some strange messages on social media which seem to indicate that Mrs. Bowden's life may be in danger. Henderson wants Lucas to investigate these threats and find whomever is responsible. This is where Lucas enters the story and the thrilling ride begins….. (by the way, did I mention that Lucas drives a Porsche?)…..
Lucas is a methodical investigator and being unfamiliar with Iowa, he needs to determine what fringe political groups may be scattered throughout Iowa and which in particular may want to cut Mrs. Bowden's campaign.. and life.. short. Without access to police databases, he needs to enlist the help of an old contact who is a highly skilled computer hacker. Finally, armed with the information he needs, Lucas begins driving from one end of Iowa to the other… checking out political activists and narrowing down the possible list of suspects. Lucas quickly discovers that without a badge and the power that goes with it, he has been slowed down in his efforts to determine who is behind the threats to Mrs. Bowden. He is viewed as simply a political operative… and politicians are often viewed with skepticism and disdain and are often reluctant to cooperate.
As is the case with every 'Prey' novel, the reader is aware of the killer's identity from the beginning of the story; and the story alternates between the killer's thoughts and what is occurring in the investigation.. via Lucas's viewpoint. Lucas finally gets a lucky break, of course, but not before a couple of murders are committed. Time is running out for Lucas… can Lucas find the responsible party before any more bodies turn up and most especially before Mrs. Bowden walks in the parade to kick off the Iowa State Fair?
I really enjoyed this latest addition to the 'Prey series'. Since the reader IS always aware of the killer's thoughts and plans, the suspense continues to build throughout the story. And I especially enjoyed that Mr. Sandford ventured into politics and the very strange and dangerous world of fringe political groups in this book. In so many thrillers I have read over the last few years, it seems that writers are obsessed with Islamic terrorists (which of course is understandable). This is a refreshing change. There are plenty of extremist groups right here in the United States.. and Mr. Sandford did a great job exploring this topic. And best of all, the book ended with a very interesting possibility and opportunity for Lucas Davenport's future. I can't wait to see what he does next!
September 26, 2018
Another good one & Lucas is out of state without a badge. He gets into more trouble than usual, but still does a great job figuring things out. As usual, Sandford does a great job with the background & even Flowers puts in a couple of cameo appearances to lighten the mood. The politics are typical & this time the media actually comes off fairly well. People with their phone cameras are catching an increasing number of remarks.
One gripe is that Sandford seems to live in an Apple world. People take pictures with iPhones instead of just their phones or smart phones. All laptops seem to be Macbooks. It's weird. About 3/4 of my users have Androids & 90% of the people I know have IBM-based laptops.
It was a fun ride & one of the last in the series that I have. On to the last Virgil Flowers book that I have.
One gripe is that Sandford seems to live in an Apple world. People take pictures with iPhones instead of just their phones or smart phones. All laptops seem to be Macbooks. It's weird. About 3/4 of my users have Androids & 90% of the people I know have IBM-based laptops.
It was a fun ride & one of the last in the series that I have. On to the last Virgil Flowers book that I have.
April 19, 2022
I’m not much for reading heavy politics but I do love the Lucas Davenport series. Overall, this was a good book but not enough of the tension that I have come to adore in Sandford books.
May 27, 2016
Lucas Davenport is back on the hunt in Extreme Prey. Despite the misleading title --the villain is NOT the 1980’s hair-metal band Extreme (famous for their delightful little ditty, More Than Words)—this is still a solid and timely addition to John Sandford’s detective series.
“But wait”, you are probably hollering at the top of your lungs. “Didn’t Lucas quit his job with the police force? Isn’t he at home doing the stuff retired people do—you know, collecting stamps, winning the tri-county pickleball tournament, maybe trimming his Bonsai tree and breeding terriers?” Well, first, keep your voice to a manageable level, the neighbors just got their infant down and Lou is scheduled to work the overnight shift tonight. Secondly, while maverick detective Davenport did in fact hand in his badge with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension he has been pulled back onto the job by his powerful ally, the governor. The governor is running for president now and has become aware that there might be a plot to murder his fellow campaigner and front-runner Michaela Bowden. While the idea of a woman running for president of these United States seems like science fiction, please suspend your disbelief, because this novel is Sandford at the top of his game. It’s a high-tension cat and mouse contest with a warp-speed pace that is bound to fray your nerves and hype you up like a teenager who just chugged a case of Red Bull energy drinks.
I strongly recommend running out and grabbing this exciting procedural—it’s a barnburner full of wit, great writing, and appealing characters (except the bad guys—you know, they stink) and timely themes. In our current political unrest it is chilling to think these kinds of shenanigans are just around the corner.
“But wait”, you are probably hollering at the top of your lungs. “Didn’t Lucas quit his job with the police force? Isn’t he at home doing the stuff retired people do—you know, collecting stamps, winning the tri-county pickleball tournament, maybe trimming his Bonsai tree and breeding terriers?” Well, first, keep your voice to a manageable level, the neighbors just got their infant down and Lou is scheduled to work the overnight shift tonight. Secondly, while maverick detective Davenport did in fact hand in his badge with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension he has been pulled back onto the job by his powerful ally, the governor. The governor is running for president now and has become aware that there might be a plot to murder his fellow campaigner and front-runner Michaela Bowden. While the idea of a woman running for president of these United States seems like science fiction, please suspend your disbelief, because this novel is Sandford at the top of his game. It’s a high-tension cat and mouse contest with a warp-speed pace that is bound to fray your nerves and hype you up like a teenager who just chugged a case of Red Bull energy drinks.
I strongly recommend running out and grabbing this exciting procedural—it’s a barnburner full of wit, great writing, and appealing characters (except the bad guys—you know, they stink) and timely themes. In our current political unrest it is chilling to think these kinds of shenanigans are just around the corner.
April 23, 2019
Another good story by Sandford. I did miss having the old gang involved but they were all mentioned! I love Kidd and he helped, I love Del and he got his head whapped with a spoon, Elle helped...Lucas does have friends :) My only problem was Lucas has been involved with extremely intelligent criminals and the two in the book just didn't fit the picture. They were smart, that is shown but that smart??? not so sure about that....
October 1, 2016
Reviewed by Gemini
Extreme Prey is the twenty-sixth book in the Lucas Davenport/The Prey series, featuring Lucas Davenport. Lucas is a well-known and respected law enforcement agent that seems to always get his man. This time, Lucas has gotten tired of all of the red tape and politics that comes with the job so he has quit and is working on remodeling his cabin when he gets a call from the Governor's office. Lucas is asked to investigate a possible threat to Presidential Candidate Michaela Bowden. As Lucas starts to look into several likely radical groups in Iowa, things start to heat up.
The most intriguing thing about how the investigation plays out is the fact that Lucas has to use his old connections and his reputation to make headway because he is no longer a cop. He is still a very effective investigator. The investigation leads him to some disgruntled farmers and an unlikely mother and son team. Lucas gets into a fight, gets shot at, and even encounters a bomb. None of that discourages him from trying to eliminate the threat.
I loved this book. It is very timely and entertaining. I could see this same type of conspiracy playing out in real life. Everything from the politics to the assassination plot was very realistic and a little unnerving. I look forward to seeing what happens next for Lucas Davenport.
It should be noted Extreme Prey is a standalone read.
**Copy received courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.**
Extreme Prey is the twenty-sixth book in the Lucas Davenport/The Prey series, featuring Lucas Davenport. Lucas is a well-known and respected law enforcement agent that seems to always get his man. This time, Lucas has gotten tired of all of the red tape and politics that comes with the job so he has quit and is working on remodeling his cabin when he gets a call from the Governor's office. Lucas is asked to investigate a possible threat to Presidential Candidate Michaela Bowden. As Lucas starts to look into several likely radical groups in Iowa, things start to heat up.
The most intriguing thing about how the investigation plays out is the fact that Lucas has to use his old connections and his reputation to make headway because he is no longer a cop. He is still a very effective investigator. The investigation leads him to some disgruntled farmers and an unlikely mother and son team. Lucas gets into a fight, gets shot at, and even encounters a bomb. None of that discourages him from trying to eliminate the threat.
I loved this book. It is very timely and entertaining. I could see this same type of conspiracy playing out in real life. Everything from the politics to the assassination plot was very realistic and a little unnerving. I look forward to seeing what happens next for Lucas Davenport.
It should be noted Extreme Prey is a standalone read.
**Copy received courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.**
July 22, 2019
Once again, I find myself saying, not his best work. Extreme Prey was okay and certainly better than Deaver's The Cutting Edge, which I also rated at three stars, but just okay. In a sense, it was Lucas Davenport on a ho-hum case - working to save a presidential contender from an assassination attempt but in a ho-hum fashion.
Nothing about the book was awful but neither was anything great. If you've read a bunch of the Prey series, you might just skip this one although, to be fair, the book received an average rating of 4.29 from Goodreads reviewers. Apparently it has been read primarily by those with lower literary standards, perhaps republicans (those that read at all).
The End
Nothing about the book was awful but neither was anything great. If you've read a bunch of the Prey series, you might just skip this one although, to be fair, the book received an average rating of 4.29 from Goodreads reviewers. Apparently it has been read primarily by those with lower literary standards, perhaps republicans (those that read at all).
The End
May 3, 2016
Another page turner by Sandford and it's a treat after waiting a year. I'm giving it a 4 star because the political theme in this book. This was definitely intentional with the 2016 election, but I'm already sick of watching it daily on TV and it's everywhere on the web. I don't think this was his best.
May 7, 2016
3.5. It's okay to get a little bored after book #26 in a series but I'm still gonna read the next one.
May 1, 2016
Reading books I've received free in exchange for reviews, as I often do, is always a bit stressful. If nothing else, I've got to pay close attention and jot down notes to remind me what I liked (or didn't). So when I have the time to pick up a book by a favorite author - with a character that's on my list of 10 all-time favorites - I open it with a huge smile on my face. So it was when I started this one.
When I finished it, I was still smiling, but not quite as broadly. Maybe it was the more-than-slight political slant that turned me off a bit, and maybe it was just that the thrill of the chase wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped (well, at least not until the end, when all heck breaks loose). Bottom line? Well worth reading, but not the best of the 26-book series featuring Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport.
Make that former agent; fed up with the bureaucracy, Lucas - independently wealthy s a result of selling software he developed - has left the BCA, keeping busy remodeling his cabin in the Wisconsin woods. But then he gets a call from an old friend, the governor of Minnesota (who's running for President in hopes of landing the VP spot on the ticket) asking him to look into a possible assassination plot. He agrees, of course, and heads for Iowa to learn that apparently, someone is out to get another Presidential hopeful, Michaela Bowden, who's coming to the Hawkeye State to campaign.
As part of the investigation, Lucas hooks up with some interesting Iowa law enforcement officers, and the trail points to a couple of extremest groups that may be focused on assassination. That, in turn, raises a number of questions: Is it the whole group, or a member or two gone rogue? When and how will the assassination attempt be made? Can Lucas and his new police friends get the answers before something the unthinkable happens?
The investigative route is pretty extensive - literally, with Lucas driving hell bent for election (pun intended) all over the state and back. Lucas himself becomes a target more than once, narrowly escaping serious injury or death (for the record, I don't consider that a spoiler, since I can't imagine that anyone reading this expects Lucas to bite the dust and not be around for a 27th book). Still, the attempts to bring the investigation to a halt by whoever's doing it make it abundantly clear that something really big and really nasty is about to happen.
In the small towns of rural Iowa, Lucas and friends meet some colorful characters, to say the least. And for those who might be wondering, yes, as usual, the leading character in another of the author's series, Virgil Flowers (a.k.a., that f***'in Flowers) gets mentioned a time or two. Noticeably absent is Letty, Lucas's adopted daughter (of whom I'm not very fond, so I didn't miss her a whit) and Weather, his plastic surgeon wife (of whom I am, and I did). Here and there are touches of humor, and I found myself chuckling when I learned that I totally agree with Lucas's opinion of state fairs - give me a county fair any day, thank you very much.
Even if this book isn't my favorite, I started it as a die-hard Lucas Davenport fan and remain one at the end. For those who haven't read any of the books yet, it (and the others) stand alone quite well and I recommend them highly.
When I finished it, I was still smiling, but not quite as broadly. Maybe it was the more-than-slight political slant that turned me off a bit, and maybe it was just that the thrill of the chase wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped (well, at least not until the end, when all heck breaks loose). Bottom line? Well worth reading, but not the best of the 26-book series featuring Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport.
Make that former agent; fed up with the bureaucracy, Lucas - independently wealthy s a result of selling software he developed - has left the BCA, keeping busy remodeling his cabin in the Wisconsin woods. But then he gets a call from an old friend, the governor of Minnesota (who's running for President in hopes of landing the VP spot on the ticket) asking him to look into a possible assassination plot. He agrees, of course, and heads for Iowa to learn that apparently, someone is out to get another Presidential hopeful, Michaela Bowden, who's coming to the Hawkeye State to campaign.
As part of the investigation, Lucas hooks up with some interesting Iowa law enforcement officers, and the trail points to a couple of extremest groups that may be focused on assassination. That, in turn, raises a number of questions: Is it the whole group, or a member or two gone rogue? When and how will the assassination attempt be made? Can Lucas and his new police friends get the answers before something the unthinkable happens?
The investigative route is pretty extensive - literally, with Lucas driving hell bent for election (pun intended) all over the state and back. Lucas himself becomes a target more than once, narrowly escaping serious injury or death (for the record, I don't consider that a spoiler, since I can't imagine that anyone reading this expects Lucas to bite the dust and not be around for a 27th book). Still, the attempts to bring the investigation to a halt by whoever's doing it make it abundantly clear that something really big and really nasty is about to happen.
In the small towns of rural Iowa, Lucas and friends meet some colorful characters, to say the least. And for those who might be wondering, yes, as usual, the leading character in another of the author's series, Virgil Flowers (a.k.a., that f***'in Flowers) gets mentioned a time or two. Noticeably absent is Letty, Lucas's adopted daughter (of whom I'm not very fond, so I didn't miss her a whit) and Weather, his plastic surgeon wife (of whom I am, and I did). Here and there are touches of humor, and I found myself chuckling when I learned that I totally agree with Lucas's opinion of state fairs - give me a county fair any day, thank you very much.
Even if this book isn't my favorite, I started it as a die-hard Lucas Davenport fan and remain one at the end. For those who haven't read any of the books yet, it (and the others) stand alone quite well and I recommend them highly.
June 9, 2016
While I like this story, I feel the criminals are a bit too cagey for Lucas, leaving him playing too much defense. I prefer the kick ass Davenport over the unsure one of this novel. 6 of 10 stars
February 15, 2019
Something I liked about this was Lucas didn't quite get the job done at the end for once. Usually he manages to swoop in and save the day. Not quite this time.
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