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Lucas Davenport #32
Righteous Prey
Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are up against a powerful vigilante group with an eye on vengeance in a stunning new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford.
"We're going to murder people who need to be murdered." So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as "The Five," shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco. The Five is believed to be made up of vigilante killers who are very bored...and very rich. They target the worst of society--rapists, murderers, and thieves--and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they've killed, donating untraceable bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net. The Five soon become the most popular figures on social media, a modern-day Batman...though their motives may not be entirely pure.
After a woman is murdered in the Twin Cities, Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are sent in to investigate. And they soon have their hands full--the killings are smart and carefully choreographed, and with no apparent direct connection to the victims, the Five are virtually untraceable. But if anyone can destroy this group, it will be the dynamic team of Davenport and Flowers.
"We're going to murder people who need to be murdered." So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as "The Five," shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco. The Five is believed to be made up of vigilante killers who are very bored...and very rich. They target the worst of society--rapists, murderers, and thieves--and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they've killed, donating untraceable bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net. The Five soon become the most popular figures on social media, a modern-day Batman...though their motives may not be entirely pure.
After a woman is murdered in the Twin Cities, Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are sent in to investigate. And they soon have their hands full--the killings are smart and carefully choreographed, and with no apparent direct connection to the victims, the Five are virtually untraceable. But if anyone can destroy this group, it will be the dynamic team of Davenport and Flowers.
403 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2022
3016 people are currently reading
3860 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 1,657 reviews
October 27, 2022
Fair warning I'm a little biased when it comes to anything Sanford writes. I've been a fan from the first book in the Prey series and have even read most of them twice. Some even three times lie the two with the female hit woman, and of course Winter Prey. When I read Winter Prey I have to put on a heavy down jacket.
Righteous Prey is like the others, the conflict is well motivated and intriguing. It's also very, unique. I truly don't know where he comes up with some of these ideas. I love Davenport and Virgil Flowers each of which have their own series. They both appear in this one, play off each other and don't vary an inch from their already established characters. Sanford is one of the best out there and if you haven't given him a try you are missing out. Its better to start the Prey series from the beginning because Davenport's personal life continues to evolve. His Daughter Letty who appears in earlier books now has her own series. Love that one as well.
Anyway, this book did not disappoint. Loved it.
However there was one little glitch that irked this reader just a tad. I read to escape, to lose myself in another world created by great authors. What I don't need is for the author to climb up on a soapbox and espouse his/hers political beliefs. Even if its one I too believe in. I don't need it in the fiction I read. I get enough of it in the news. More and more authors are injecting their political leanings in their books and its very sad. Its not the correct form. And I know some might think saying its not the correct form to be my political belief.
Keep fiction fiction and real life...well, outside, held at bay by the front door.
This is one readers opinion.
Loved the book and still give it five stars.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
Righteous Prey is like the others, the conflict is well motivated and intriguing. It's also very, unique. I truly don't know where he comes up with some of these ideas. I love Davenport and Virgil Flowers each of which have their own series. They both appear in this one, play off each other and don't vary an inch from their already established characters. Sanford is one of the best out there and if you haven't given him a try you are missing out. Its better to start the Prey series from the beginning because Davenport's personal life continues to evolve. His Daughter Letty who appears in earlier books now has her own series. Love that one as well.
Anyway, this book did not disappoint. Loved it.
However there was one little glitch that irked this reader just a tad. I read to escape, to lose myself in another world created by great authors. What I don't need is for the author to climb up on a soapbox and espouse his/hers political beliefs. Even if its one I too believe in. I don't need it in the fiction I read. I get enough of it in the news. More and more authors are injecting their political leanings in their books and its very sad. Its not the correct form. And I know some might think saying its not the correct form to be my political belief.
Keep fiction fiction and real life...well, outside, held at bay by the front door.
This is one readers opinion.
Loved the book and still give it five stars.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
January 24, 2023
What do bored super-rich people do when they want some thrill? In Righteous Prey they form a vigilante group called "The Five" and murder those who are a$$holes to them or society, doing America a service. One by one, city by city, different MO. After a kill, they will give 5 Bitcoins to a charity and send out a press release. 😬
It's almost Christmas time and US Marshal Lucas Davenport is back home in St. Paul. I'm so happy to see Lucas in MN, I really miss the local crime and politics ever since he became a Marshal. This is another book that Lucas teams with Virgil Flowers from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
When the third victim is killed in Minnetonka, Lucas and Virgil must find and stop "The Five" before more people die.
I'm a big fan of the series and still have a couple more books to catch up on. I love the characters and the writing, especially the playful banter. "Prey" series is a cat-and-mouse kind of crime thriller where readers know the killers and follow them throughout the story. You can read it as a standalone thriller. One of the best parts about Righteous Prey is that Virgil is becoming an author! I wonder if Virgil's experience was that of Sandford's when he started. 👨💻😍
It's almost Christmas time and US Marshal Lucas Davenport is back home in St. Paul. I'm so happy to see Lucas in MN, I really miss the local crime and politics ever since he became a Marshal. This is another book that Lucas teams with Virgil Flowers from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
When the third victim is killed in Minnetonka, Lucas and Virgil must find and stop "The Five" before more people die.
I'm a big fan of the series and still have a couple more books to catch up on. I love the characters and the writing, especially the playful banter. "Prey" series is a cat-and-mouse kind of crime thriller where readers know the killers and follow them throughout the story. You can read it as a standalone thriller. One of the best parts about Righteous Prey is that Virgil is becoming an author! I wonder if Virgil's experience was that of Sandford's when he started. 👨💻😍
May 22, 2022
My thanks to Penguin Group/Putnam, John Sandford and Netgalley.
No review. Thousands will do that.
This is Virgil and Lucas. They always rock!
No review. Thousands will do that.
This is Virgil and Lucas. They always rock!
July 14, 2024
Review first posted on mysteryandsuspense.com
From the murky waters of the dark net surfaces a group of killers who claim to be cleaning America of the worst of society. They target those that they despise, people who don’t fit into their model of who deserves a place in this country.
First to die is a predatory street crawler who is dispatched mano a mano by one of the gang. A lengthy press release follows advising where the body is to be found and promising more of the same. They’re calling themselves ‘The Five’. Soon, a further diatribe is released, announcing a second killing. Each time a victim is dispatched, the group say they will make a donation to a related charity, these donations being in the form of untraceable Bitcoin. The bodies are turning up at different locations across the country – victim three is found in Minnesota.
Virgil Flowers, an agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, receives an early morning call summoning him to the scene. On arrival, he spots a big lump leaning against an SUV. It’s his ex-boss Lucas Davenport. These days, Lucas is a U.S. Marshal with political connections, and he’s been directed to add his practical skills and renowned crime solving nous to the mix. But there’s very little to go on. The perpetrators seem to be very adept at leaving nothing behind that will aid those looking to identify them. Where will this group strike next, and given how little is known about them, how can they possibly be stopped?
In Davenport and Flowers, the author has two big but very different personalities who bounce off each other brilliantly. Their sharp and witty banter is one of the highlights of this book. As the hunt goes on the pair carry out a dance with the officers of the FBI, letting the special agents deal with the tiresome research while they knock on doors, sweat people and generally follow their noses. At heart they’re mavericks, enjoying the hunt and the adrenaline rush that goes with it. And something the author does very well here – it’s a trick he’s perfected over the years – is to tell the story throughout from the point of view of both the chasers and the chased. The result is that it feels like we, the reader, are often a step ahead of the law enforcement agencies as the action plays out. It’s a careful balance, but Sandford pulls it off superbly. He really is master of his craft.
There are some interesting developments here for followers of the long running series of books featuring Davenport and Flowers, such as Virgil starting to develop a new career as a writer of novels – could this bring an end to his life as a lawman? Also there’s a dramatic ending to this story that, too, poses a few questions as to what happens next for this pair. I’m hoping there’s a good deal more to come from both of them, either individually or in tandem. Crime fiction just wouldn’t be the same without them.
From the murky waters of the dark net surfaces a group of killers who claim to be cleaning America of the worst of society. They target those that they despise, people who don’t fit into their model of who deserves a place in this country.
First to die is a predatory street crawler who is dispatched mano a mano by one of the gang. A lengthy press release follows advising where the body is to be found and promising more of the same. They’re calling themselves ‘The Five’. Soon, a further diatribe is released, announcing a second killing. Each time a victim is dispatched, the group say they will make a donation to a related charity, these donations being in the form of untraceable Bitcoin. The bodies are turning up at different locations across the country – victim three is found in Minnesota.
Virgil Flowers, an agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, receives an early morning call summoning him to the scene. On arrival, he spots a big lump leaning against an SUV. It’s his ex-boss Lucas Davenport. These days, Lucas is a U.S. Marshal with political connections, and he’s been directed to add his practical skills and renowned crime solving nous to the mix. But there’s very little to go on. The perpetrators seem to be very adept at leaving nothing behind that will aid those looking to identify them. Where will this group strike next, and given how little is known about them, how can they possibly be stopped?
In Davenport and Flowers, the author has two big but very different personalities who bounce off each other brilliantly. Their sharp and witty banter is one of the highlights of this book. As the hunt goes on the pair carry out a dance with the officers of the FBI, letting the special agents deal with the tiresome research while they knock on doors, sweat people and generally follow their noses. At heart they’re mavericks, enjoying the hunt and the adrenaline rush that goes with it. And something the author does very well here – it’s a trick he’s perfected over the years – is to tell the story throughout from the point of view of both the chasers and the chased. The result is that it feels like we, the reader, are often a step ahead of the law enforcement agencies as the action plays out. It’s a careful balance, but Sandford pulls it off superbly. He really is master of his craft.
There are some interesting developments here for followers of the long running series of books featuring Davenport and Flowers, such as Virgil starting to develop a new career as a writer of novels – could this bring an end to his life as a lawman? Also there’s a dramatic ending to this story that, too, poses a few questions as to what happens next for this pair. I’m hoping there’s a good deal more to come from both of them, either individually or in tandem. Crime fiction just wouldn’t be the same without them.
January 15, 2023
I'm all caught up with this series. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about my reviews since I need to catch up.
Anyway, I was so happy with being able to read/listen to Righteous Prey.
In this installment, Lucas deals with bitcoin billionaires who have created a group called the Five. This group is targeting individuals to kill them and later on they brag about it.
Thankfully, Lucas is not alone, he has Virgil Flowers with him. I haven't read Virgil's series but he has been in enough of the Prey series, that I already know I like him.
As always there is a sense of urgency to stop them before one more dead body is found while still delivering good humor and an interesting resolution.
If I have one complaint it will be politics getting more pages in this book than priors. As a rule, I don't like politics in my fiction. There is already enough of it on the news, social media, etc.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Anyway, I was so happy with being able to read/listen to Righteous Prey.
In this installment, Lucas deals with bitcoin billionaires who have created a group called the Five. This group is targeting individuals to kill them and later on they brag about it.
Thankfully, Lucas is not alone, he has Virgil Flowers with him. I haven't read Virgil's series but he has been in enough of the Prey series, that I already know I like him.
As always there is a sense of urgency to stop them before one more dead body is found while still delivering good humor and an interesting resolution.
If I have one complaint it will be politics getting more pages in this book than priors. As a rule, I don't like politics in my fiction. There is already enough of it on the news, social media, etc.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
October 10, 2022
A good story, but with a shocking end. 7 of 10 stars
October 29, 2022
Sandford's trademark humor is there which I always enjoy.
Kidd and Jennifer Carey make a return visit which I was happy to see. Would like to see some of the other older character's make a return visit as well. Jenkins and Shrake, Del Capslock.
Was happy to have at least part of the book set in Minnesota. I wish Sandford would return to the Minnesota setting. That's one of the things that first drew me to the series and I miss that.
There didn't seem to be a lot of investigating on Lucas and Virgil's part. Everything seemed to be handed to them or fell into place a little to easily.
It would be nice to see Virgil be part of his own series again.
Good but not Sandford at his best. Three stars.
Kidd and Jennifer Carey make a return visit which I was happy to see. Would like to see some of the other older character's make a return visit as well. Jenkins and Shrake, Del Capslock.
Was happy to have at least part of the book set in Minnesota. I wish Sandford would return to the Minnesota setting. That's one of the things that first drew me to the series and I miss that.
There didn't seem to be a lot of investigating on Lucas and Virgil's part. Everything seemed to be handed to them or fell into place a little to easily.
It would be nice to see Virgil be part of his own series again.
Good but not Sandford at his best. Three stars.
October 9, 2022
I received a free advance copy of this from NetGalley for review.
A group of Bitcoin billionaires calling themselves The Five have appointed themselves to clean up America by personally killing people they think are ruining the country. Their first victims include a violent street criminal, a corrupt right wing congressman, and a rich woman who made herself richer by putting people out of work.
Some might just call this asshole-on-asshole violence and be content to let it roll for a while, but it’s a bad idea to just let the billionaires move to their next natural phase of killing people because they’re bored. They’ll get there soon enough.
With bodies dropping across the country followed by press releases from The Five bragging about what they’re doing, the inevitable media shitstorm has started. When the latest victim is killed in Minnesota, our favorite Sandford heroes, Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, get called in to help the FBI, and the two cops end up following twisted trails across the US as they start running down The Five.
This is once again Sandford doing his thing, and as usual, he does it well. It’s a solid page turner with an intriguing plot set-up, and there’s some fun character stuff with Lucas and Virgil as they entertain themselves by busting each other’s balls regularly.
However, I’m still not sold on this idea of Sandford teaming up his two biggest characters and merging what used to be two books a year into one. I know the man has certainly earned a rest at this point, but it seems like splitting time between Lucas and Virgil does something to the flow of the story so that it doesn’t hum with quite the same energy that their solo books do.
My other problem with this is one is that Lucas and Virgil don’t really do all that much. There’s a distinct lack of either of them coming up with any of their usual clever schemes or traps to draw out a bad guys, and most of their major breaks come from sheer luck. In fact, by the end of this one Lucas and Virgil seem like rubes who get caught flat footed again and again. Part of the appeal of the Sandford novels is that he has managed to take what could be outlandish action movie plots and ground them through the characters, so they don’t need to be heroes incapable of error. Both of them have made plenty of mistakes in their own books. It’s just in this one that they don’t really seem to impact the plot all that much other than just stumbling into a couple of things.
Still, it’s a Sandford book, and those just make me happy so I won’t bitch too much.
A group of Bitcoin billionaires calling themselves The Five have appointed themselves to clean up America by personally killing people they think are ruining the country. Their first victims include a violent street criminal, a corrupt right wing congressman, and a rich woman who made herself richer by putting people out of work.
Some might just call this asshole-on-asshole violence and be content to let it roll for a while, but it’s a bad idea to just let the billionaires move to their next natural phase of killing people because they’re bored. They’ll get there soon enough.
With bodies dropping across the country followed by press releases from The Five bragging about what they’re doing, the inevitable media shitstorm has started. When the latest victim is killed in Minnesota, our favorite Sandford heroes, Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, get called in to help the FBI, and the two cops end up following twisted trails across the US as they start running down The Five.
This is once again Sandford doing his thing, and as usual, he does it well. It’s a solid page turner with an intriguing plot set-up, and there’s some fun character stuff with Lucas and Virgil as they entertain themselves by busting each other’s balls regularly.
However, I’m still not sold on this idea of Sandford teaming up his two biggest characters and merging what used to be two books a year into one. I know the man has certainly earned a rest at this point, but it seems like splitting time between Lucas and Virgil does something to the flow of the story so that it doesn’t hum with quite the same energy that their solo books do.
My other problem with this is one is that Lucas and Virgil don’t really do all that much. There’s a distinct lack of either of them coming up with any of their usual clever schemes or traps to draw out a bad guys, and most of their major breaks come from sheer luck. In fact, by the end of this one Lucas and Virgil seem like rubes who get caught flat footed again and again. Part of the appeal of the Sandford novels is that he has managed to take what could be outlandish action movie plots and ground them through the characters, so they don’t need to be heroes incapable of error. Both of them have made plenty of mistakes in their own books. It’s just in this one that they don’t really seem to impact the plot all that much other than just stumbling into a couple of things.
Still, it’s a Sandford book, and those just make me happy so I won’t bitch too much.
November 1, 2022
Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers team up again to go after a bunch of crazies. This time it is a little complicated because the bad guys are killing worse guys. So who are we suppose to root for?
Sandford’s books are always enjoyable because they are mostly based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota where I have lived for almost all my life. We read about local locations. In this case Lucas and Virgil have breakfast at a well-known delicatessen in St Paul. I was planning on going there to have breakfast while I wrote this review. I wanted to ask them if I could sit in the same booth as Lucas and Virgil did.
Virgil is writing a mystery novel and so a couple of mystery writers are mentioned: John D. MacDonald, C.J.Box and Carl Hiaasen. Sandford also makes a veiled reference to another Twin Cities mystery writer that most people will identify as him. Virgil mentions that the cop in those mysteries never has to do paperwork.
Writing a review of a book by an author such as Sandford is somewhat meaningless. He is a favorite and I have read everything he has written. We all have our favorite authors where we hunger for their next book. Sandford has been writing these books for over 30 years. This one has the same fast-paced story and interesting characters as in all the previous books.
There are some political matters mentioned here. Although he doesn’t state any anti-Trump opinion there are references to people who are anti-Trump. Also at the end of the book Weather, the wife of Lucas Davenport, and Frankie, the wife of Virgil Flowers, are interviewed by the press.
Sandford’s books are always enjoyable because they are mostly based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota where I have lived for almost all my life. We read about local locations. In this case Lucas and Virgil have breakfast at a well-known delicatessen in St Paul. I was planning on going there to have breakfast while I wrote this review. I wanted to ask them if I could sit in the same booth as Lucas and Virgil did.
Virgil is writing a mystery novel and so a couple of mystery writers are mentioned: John D. MacDonald, C.J.Box and Carl Hiaasen. Sandford also makes a veiled reference to another Twin Cities mystery writer that most people will identify as him. Virgil mentions that the cop in those mysteries never has to do paperwork.
Writing a review of a book by an author such as Sandford is somewhat meaningless. He is a favorite and I have read everything he has written. We all have our favorite authors where we hunger for their next book. Sandford has been writing these books for over 30 years. This one has the same fast-paced story and interesting characters as in all the previous books.
There are some political matters mentioned here. Although he doesn’t state any anti-Trump opinion there are references to people who are anti-Trump. Also at the end of the book Weather, the wife of Lucas Davenport, and Frankie, the wife of Virgil Flowers, are interviewed by the press.
Weather looked into the camera lens and said, “I work on gunshot wounds several times a year. Mostly people shot in the face or the hands. I try to help them as much as I can, but sometimes there’s not much I can do. The victims, and a lot of them are children, are often disfigured for life. Many are permanently handicapped. For what? For nothing.”
And Frankie: “I’m a farm woman and I’ve had guns all my life, rifles and shotguns. I’m a hunter. But this stuff, what our husbands ran into, the bump stocks and ghost guns and silencers … this is crazy. The people with this stuff aren’t hunters or sportsmen or competitors; they want to kill somebody.”
(Page 399)
October 23, 2022
A mysterious group known only as "The Five" releases a press statement claiming "We're going to murder people who need to be murdered." The Five is made up of vigilante killers who are very rich ... and bored. They target those they believe are the worst of society and then use their wealth to make a donation in untraceable bitcoin to charities via the dark net.
It starts in San Francisco followed by Houston. Each victim has a number on their forehead. When a woman is murdered in the Twin Cities Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers enter the investigation. The killings are well planned, carefully choreographed and there is no apparent connection to the victims. Lucas and Virgil have their work cut out for them.
The story is filled with John Sandford's trademark dark humor. There is plenty of violence. The victims are not likeable ... a violent street person, a corrupt right wing congressman, a woman who got richer by putting people out of work. No one you can feel any sympathy for. The Five are getting a lot of attention and are gaining popularity. Soon there will be copycats. Someone decides a politician or businessperson needs to be eliminated.
The ending was a climatic battle and seemed to leave open the door for a future showdown. One side note is that Virgil Flowers, who has written magazine articles in the past, is working on becoming a published author. He tells Lucas his character is sort of like that guy in the John D. MacDonald novels that were popular back in the 1960's and 1970's. Lucas tells him don't make him like that guy in the C.J. Box books. We already have one of those.
This was a very enjoyable entry in the Prey series and it will be interesting to see where the author takes Lucas and Virgil going forward.
It starts in San Francisco followed by Houston. Each victim has a number on their forehead. When a woman is murdered in the Twin Cities Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers enter the investigation. The killings are well planned, carefully choreographed and there is no apparent connection to the victims. Lucas and Virgil have their work cut out for them.
The story is filled with John Sandford's trademark dark humor. There is plenty of violence. The victims are not likeable ... a violent street person, a corrupt right wing congressman, a woman who got richer by putting people out of work. No one you can feel any sympathy for. The Five are getting a lot of attention and are gaining popularity. Soon there will be copycats. Someone decides a politician or businessperson needs to be eliminated.
The ending was a climatic battle and seemed to leave open the door for a future showdown. One side note is that Virgil Flowers, who has written magazine articles in the past, is working on becoming a published author. He tells Lucas his character is sort of like that guy in the John D. MacDonald novels that were popular back in the 1960's and 1970's. Lucas tells him don't make him like that guy in the C.J. Box books. We already have one of those.
This was a very enjoyable entry in the Prey series and it will be interesting to see where the author takes Lucas and Virgil going forward.
October 20, 2022
It could be a 4star book but since I am from MN it gets raised to 5star just because Sanford is so Minnesota knowledgeable!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You only have to drive once through Wisconsin to know he isn't kidding about the deer roadkill. It is official in Minnesota no one ever says going to but it is gonna... and then we have Lucas and Virgil together. It does not get any better than that. It is a good prey story of course! This time it's the righteous or so they "righteously" think? I loved the grayman movie. How about prey series Netflix?????
December 16, 2022
I grow so weary of liberal authors weaving their elitist convictions into a novel - a novel about police and police procedures, neither of which are items that are included in very many reading lists of Democrats!! Stunning to me that Sandford disdains the very readers who made his fortune. A very sympathetic portrayal of ANTIFA for example, was awful and actually pathetic. After 20 years of faithfully reading this series, I'm finished. The increasing liberal bias in his recent additions to the Lucas Davenport franchise will lead me to try other authors who don't interweave their personal political viewpoint into a work of fiction in the thriller genre.
May 9, 2023
I don't think I've read a Lucas Davenport novel that's been this good in years. Virgil was a great addition. Full review to come.
Full review: I don't think I have laughed this hard while reading a Davenport novel in a while. Lucas and Virgil have great bro chemistry and the way that Sandford had them playing off of each other really works. I wonder if now we won't see the character of Rae again? The plot was interesting and it keeps you on your toes. I also loved for once we didn't seem to have Lucas bogged down in a stupid political storyline. I guess Sandford has the Letty Davenport stories to do more of that now, (no I won't read book #2, book #1 was awful).
We get familiar characters in this one, Jennifer (mother of Lucas's first kid we rarely head about) newscaster, Jason Kidd (also mention of his wife), Frankie, and some characters from the last book.
The writing was a lot crisper, and as I said, funny to me. Virgil continually messing with Lucas and his fear of flying had me cracking up. That was always a point in the earlier books, but I don't even know if Sandford has talked about it in a while. It also cracks me up because discussion of Virgil writing mystery novels and another character saying don't write them as flawed or having an issue that mysteriously disappears after like 10 books. I felt like that crack was a finger pointing at Sandford and how he's changed up Lucas in the years.
But the book seems to be taking things to maybe a end with Davenport and Virgil. With Virgil on a new path in his life, and Lucas probably really tired of being [redacted] I don't know if they are going to saddle up again anytime soon. Will be really interesting though.
Full review: I don't think I have laughed this hard while reading a Davenport novel in a while. Lucas and Virgil have great bro chemistry and the way that Sandford had them playing off of each other really works. I wonder if now we won't see the character of Rae again? The plot was interesting and it keeps you on your toes. I also loved for once we didn't seem to have Lucas bogged down in a stupid political storyline. I guess Sandford has the Letty Davenport stories to do more of that now, (no I won't read book #2, book #1 was awful).
We get familiar characters in this one, Jennifer (mother of Lucas's first kid we rarely head about) newscaster, Jason Kidd (also mention of his wife), Frankie, and some characters from the last book.
The writing was a lot crisper, and as I said, funny to me. Virgil continually messing with Lucas and his fear of flying had me cracking up. That was always a point in the earlier books, but I don't even know if Sandford has talked about it in a while. It also cracks me up because discussion of Virgil writing mystery novels and another character saying don't write them as flawed or having an issue that mysteriously disappears after like 10 books. I felt like that crack was a finger pointing at Sandford and how he's changed up Lucas in the years.
But the book seems to be taking things to maybe a end with Davenport and Virgil. With Virgil on a new path in his life, and Lucas probably really tired of being [redacted] I don't know if they are going to saddle up again anytime soon. Will be really interesting though.
October 15, 2022
4.5/5
Sandford has been writing “Prey” novels since 1989 and I have been hooked from the first.
Things changed slightly when he decided to team up Lucas Davenport with Virgil Flowers – some I have liked better than others. This one has merit.
There is a bunch of morons who have made a gazillion dollars from Bitcoins and because they are bored and idiots they form a group called “The Five”. Their mission is to “murder people who need to be murdered”. The leader is a chick who is not even a millionaire, she’s just one angry gal with a yen for a guy with big bucks. What can I say? Forget Covid – there is an epidemic of stupid going around.
When one of these ‘righteous’ killings takes place in Davenport and Flowers jurisdiction they are brought in on the hunt to try and stop the madness.
This was about to be a 5-star read until a totally implausible scenario takes place in a Ralph Lauren store in a mall and I just had to take off half a star for that. (Sorry Mr. Sandford).
Otherwise it was a great read, I especially love Lucas and Virgil’s relationship, and when they had to hold hands and pretend to be gay – well that just made my heart leap.💝
Even though not all Sandford novels have been 5 star reads he remains one of my favourite authors.
Sandford has been writing “Prey” novels since 1989 and I have been hooked from the first.
Things changed slightly when he decided to team up Lucas Davenport with Virgil Flowers – some I have liked better than others. This one has merit.
There is a bunch of morons who have made a gazillion dollars from Bitcoins and because they are bored and idiots they form a group called “The Five”. Their mission is to “murder people who need to be murdered”. The leader is a chick who is not even a millionaire, she’s just one angry gal with a yen for a guy with big bucks. What can I say? Forget Covid – there is an epidemic of stupid going around.
When one of these ‘righteous’ killings takes place in Davenport and Flowers jurisdiction they are brought in on the hunt to try and stop the madness.
This was about to be a 5-star read until a totally implausible scenario takes place in a Ralph Lauren store in a mall and I just had to take off half a star for that. (Sorry Mr. Sandford).
Otherwise it was a great read, I especially love Lucas and Virgil’s relationship, and when they had to hold hands and pretend to be gay – well that just made my heart leap.💝
Even though not all Sandford novels have been 5 star reads he remains one of my favourite authors.
July 11, 2022
Many thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons and to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Righteous Prey.
This book tells the story of a vigilante group calling itself "The Five". They are bound and determined to wipe out what they consider the worst of society- rapists, murderers, and thieves. Oh, and they are Bitcoin billionaires! Can Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport stop this smart and carefully choreographed group, when the group has no apparent direct connection to the victims??
The plot of Righteous Prey was gripping and for the most part, moved along at a fast pace. Much of the dialogue was humorous and entertaining. The last part of the book definitely had me biting my nails!! I love quirky characters and there was no shortage of them in this book. In my opinion, Righteous Prey can be read as a stand-alone.
Isn't it funny what bothers one person but not another? I read a review written by someone who was offended by the end of the book because Weather and Frankie expressed their opinions on guns. That didn't bother me at all. On the other hand, all of the f-bombs drove me a bit batty. I started feeling as though these characters couldn't speak a sentence without one or two of them. I wanted to yell "Use your words! You're being lazy!!" I'll bet there are a lot of readers who couldn't care less about that, right? There is no pleasing everyone!! 😉
#RighteousPrey #NetGalley
This book tells the story of a vigilante group calling itself "The Five". They are bound and determined to wipe out what they consider the worst of society- rapists, murderers, and thieves. Oh, and they are Bitcoin billionaires! Can Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport stop this smart and carefully choreographed group, when the group has no apparent direct connection to the victims??
The plot of Righteous Prey was gripping and for the most part, moved along at a fast pace. Much of the dialogue was humorous and entertaining. The last part of the book definitely had me biting my nails!! I love quirky characters and there was no shortage of them in this book. In my opinion, Righteous Prey can be read as a stand-alone.
Isn't it funny what bothers one person but not another? I read a review written by someone who was offended by the end of the book because Weather and Frankie expressed their opinions on guns. That didn't bother me at all. On the other hand, all of the f-bombs drove me a bit batty. I started feeling as though these characters couldn't speak a sentence without one or two of them. I wanted to yell "Use your words! You're being lazy!!" I'll bet there are a lot of readers who couldn't care less about that, right? There is no pleasing everyone!! 😉
#RighteousPrey #NetGalley
October 17, 2022
For me, this could only be enjoyed as a fantasy because the basic premise; that bitcoin millionaires and/or billionaires would want to murder people who were assholes, is just too silly to be taken seriously. With that understanding this is a good experience. Sandford is always interesting.
November 4, 2022
To begin with, I think it is only appropriate that I admit to being a fairly avid reader of John Sandford over the years, especially a fan of his Lucas Davenport “Prey” series. A pretty big fan to be honest, even though honesty requires me to admit the books have been spotty over the last several years. It seems like every other book is a really good one and the other less than stellar. It may be that Sanford is losing some steam when it comes to creating complex and interesting bad guys. Several of his more recent books have really been long-winded chase scenes that lasted for hundreds of pages.
With that context in mind, how does “Righteous Prey” rate?
Well, I have good news and bad. A bit of both, so to speak.
In the 32nd “Prey” novel, our fearless heroes Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers face off against a mysterious group that call themselves “The Five” and are made up of bored Bitcom millionaires who are bored and restless for some real action. They have decided to target bad people like murderers, rapists, and thieves who (in their judgment) deserve to die. Each member of “The Five” select their own targets and get to work, one at a time. Then, following each murder, they release a press statement and donate an untraceable amount of Bitcoin to a related charity to make things better.
The first murder takes place in San Francisco. The Second in Houston. But when “The Five” strike for a third time in the Twin Cities, Davenport’s home town, they get his attention, and when he pulls Flowers in to help him investigate, our dynamic duo is off and running, trying to take down the vigilante group before murders take place. However, their hunt for these vigilante killers will not follow any kind of typical investigation and may likely cause them serious or deadly harm.
The good news is there are several things to enjoy about this one, but most all of that is due to the awesomeness of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, two of the most unique fictional detective characters ever written. They are almost perfect opposites, providing a great compare and contrast personalities, as well as approaches to investigative work.
For me, the magic in this one their great interactions together throughout the entire book. From beginning to end they constant banter made me laugh out loud in fun and easy enjoyment. It didn’t matter whether it was amongst themselves or while interacting with others like FBI agents Orish and Mallard, their thoughts and comments were worth the price of admission.
I also especially appreciated the storyline around Flowers developing his professional writing career. Sandford pulled to curtain back to incorporate several bits of his own personal writing and publishing experience, even including his own editor and making fun of his own detective series. Watching Virgil try to establish his second career, along with the support of Lucas, was a really nice angle to his character development and growth. That was a really good path for Sanford to explore and I am greatly enjoying the journey and where it could lead. And on a personal note, that scene with Virgil and Letty was also a priceless moment, but you’ll have to read that one for yourself (insert smile...).
Now, for the bad news. Although Sandford’s writing is fast-paced, fluid, and full of the sharp sarcastic style he’s known for, his villains are not as captivating and dangerous as they used to be. At least not in this one, anyway. In my opinion, none of the members of “The Five” are on the same level of Davenport and Flowers. They are interesting to some degree and the Bitcoin angle had some potential, although it was rather weakly developed throughout the book. They just weren’t strong enough adversaries to bring any kind of a serious challenge to either Davenport or Flowers. From the first two chapters, I was already trying to figure out how Davenport was going to get his first lead to “The Five”. As soon as the dynamic duo made a connection to the vigilante group, the hunt be on, and it would only be a matter of time before they stopped the bad guys.
Just like the more recent novels that followed this same pattern of weak villain strategy, this one also followed strategy number two, by turning it into one long chase down the villain scenes, to only lose the villain at the last moment, and then start another hunt the villain scene. It makes for a fast read, but the trade-off is not having a strong and worthy adversary for the dynamic duo to fight against. Unlike the last book, “Ocean Prey” which had formidable bad guys which made the stakes high risk and intense for the reader, this one had little risk. That is, until the last two chapters in which Sanford suddenly inserted a Davenport/Flowers impression of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to end things in a surprisingly violent manner. For me, that wasn’t enough to make the bad guys tougher.
Overall, for me the good things about Davenport and Flowers made the book worth reading, but they didn’t fully outweigh the weak vigilante team opposing them. My guess is that most Sanford fans will find this an easy and fun read, and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that. But for me, this will not be one of the more memorable ones from a mystery perspective. For now, I will just look forward to Virgil’s budding career as a mystery writer, as well as how he and Lucas will physically and emotionally recover from their climax ending experiences from this book.
Time to move on and let this one go. Four stars for the good things. Two stars for the bad things. Let’s meet in the middle for a 3-star out of 5-star overall review rating.
With that context in mind, how does “Righteous Prey” rate?
Well, I have good news and bad. A bit of both, so to speak.
In the 32nd “Prey” novel, our fearless heroes Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers face off against a mysterious group that call themselves “The Five” and are made up of bored Bitcom millionaires who are bored and restless for some real action. They have decided to target bad people like murderers, rapists, and thieves who (in their judgment) deserve to die. Each member of “The Five” select their own targets and get to work, one at a time. Then, following each murder, they release a press statement and donate an untraceable amount of Bitcoin to a related charity to make things better.
The first murder takes place in San Francisco. The Second in Houston. But when “The Five” strike for a third time in the Twin Cities, Davenport’s home town, they get his attention, and when he pulls Flowers in to help him investigate, our dynamic duo is off and running, trying to take down the vigilante group before murders take place. However, their hunt for these vigilante killers will not follow any kind of typical investigation and may likely cause them serious or deadly harm.
The good news is there are several things to enjoy about this one, but most all of that is due to the awesomeness of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, two of the most unique fictional detective characters ever written. They are almost perfect opposites, providing a great compare and contrast personalities, as well as approaches to investigative work.
For me, the magic in this one their great interactions together throughout the entire book. From beginning to end they constant banter made me laugh out loud in fun and easy enjoyment. It didn’t matter whether it was amongst themselves or while interacting with others like FBI agents Orish and Mallard, their thoughts and comments were worth the price of admission.
I also especially appreciated the storyline around Flowers developing his professional writing career. Sandford pulled to curtain back to incorporate several bits of his own personal writing and publishing experience, even including his own editor and making fun of his own detective series. Watching Virgil try to establish his second career, along with the support of Lucas, was a really nice angle to his character development and growth. That was a really good path for Sanford to explore and I am greatly enjoying the journey and where it could lead. And on a personal note, that scene with Virgil and Letty was also a priceless moment, but you’ll have to read that one for yourself (insert smile...).
Now, for the bad news. Although Sandford’s writing is fast-paced, fluid, and full of the sharp sarcastic style he’s known for, his villains are not as captivating and dangerous as they used to be. At least not in this one, anyway. In my opinion, none of the members of “The Five” are on the same level of Davenport and Flowers. They are interesting to some degree and the Bitcoin angle had some potential, although it was rather weakly developed throughout the book. They just weren’t strong enough adversaries to bring any kind of a serious challenge to either Davenport or Flowers. From the first two chapters, I was already trying to figure out how Davenport was going to get his first lead to “The Five”. As soon as the dynamic duo made a connection to the vigilante group, the hunt be on, and it would only be a matter of time before they stopped the bad guys.
Just like the more recent novels that followed this same pattern of weak villain strategy, this one also followed strategy number two, by turning it into one long chase down the villain scenes, to only lose the villain at the last moment, and then start another hunt the villain scene. It makes for a fast read, but the trade-off is not having a strong and worthy adversary for the dynamic duo to fight against. Unlike the last book, “Ocean Prey” which had formidable bad guys which made the stakes high risk and intense for the reader, this one had little risk. That is, until the last two chapters in which Sanford suddenly inserted a Davenport/Flowers impression of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to end things in a surprisingly violent manner. For me, that wasn’t enough to make the bad guys tougher.
Overall, for me the good things about Davenport and Flowers made the book worth reading, but they didn’t fully outweigh the weak vigilante team opposing them. My guess is that most Sanford fans will find this an easy and fun read, and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that. But for me, this will not be one of the more memorable ones from a mystery perspective. For now, I will just look forward to Virgil’s budding career as a mystery writer, as well as how he and Lucas will physically and emotionally recover from their climax ending experiences from this book.
Time to move on and let this one go. Four stars for the good things. Two stars for the bad things. Let’s meet in the middle for a 3-star out of 5-star overall review rating.
January 27, 2025
4 Stars. The ending is a bit more violent than even an inveterate Lucas Davenport enthusiast like me is accustomed to. I can't give away the settling of the final score but, a warning? There are bullets and bodies galore. It's a very modern story; Bitcoins and Bitcoin conventions, bored, self-made billionaires, and vigilantism all have their moment in the sun in this 32nd Davenport and 14th Flowers. There's a strange group operating out of San Francisco, "The Five." They send out a press release saying they intend to rid society of some of its worst criminals who are, in their words, "people who need to be murdered." Partly to assuage their guilt, they plan to donate a Bitcoin to a deserving charity for each victim. That's about $44,000 US at the time. Today about $99K, more than double! Lucas and Virgil soon trace it back to a graduate student in California, the illusive Vivian Zhao and some of her Bitcoin friends. The story includes something I enjoy greatly - U.S. Marshal Davenport chasing a suspect across the United States and frequent highlights of his difficulty in working with the FBI. I counted 4 stars but it could be 5. (Ja2025)
December 4, 2022
RIGHTEOUS PREY, #32 in the Lucas Davenport series, was marginally better than “Ocean Prey”, #31, but it was noticeably uneven, and the ending was a debacle.
It started with an interesting plot line. Five bitcoin billionaires have vowed to murder five “scumbags” of their choosing and then donate “blood money” to a worthy cause. The killings and donations are announced over the media. After the first couple of killings, in San Francisco and Houston respectively, the action moves to Minneapolis; Davenport and Virgil Flowers are called in to help the FBI solve the third homicide.
This is where it starts to get wobbly, sometimes good, sometimes boring, as Lucas and Virgil walk and talk and eat—and talk about eating far too often. Sometimes the dialogue is comical and sometimes it felt like padding—with Sandford simply trying to meet his page count quota by describing banal conversations and boring actions.
There are two endings. The first is acceptable. (I won’t go into spoiler territory here.) But then the story is ruined completely by illogicality. Murderer #5 decides to continue his quest. There was no logical reason for him to do so, especially given how the group’s plans collapsed after murders #3 and #4. The rationale choice would be for #5 to lay low for a several month period. But that would deprive Sandford of his shoot-‘em-up outcome. And also deprive him of his political commentary soapbox. It’s not that I disagree with Sandford’s political stance; I am, in fact, totally in agreement with him. But the posturing is too heavy, too strident. I literally had to stop reading that last section several times because it lacked momentum. It became a lecture.
I think that John Sandford is tired of his characters, even Virgil Flowers, who has, until recently, been far more interesting than Davenport.
My reviews for others in this series:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Masked Prey (Lucas Davenport #30)
Ocean Prey (Lucas Davenport #31)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It started with an interesting plot line. Five bitcoin billionaires have vowed to murder five “scumbags” of their choosing and then donate “blood money” to a worthy cause. The killings and donations are announced over the media. After the first couple of killings, in San Francisco and Houston respectively, the action moves to Minneapolis; Davenport and Virgil Flowers are called in to help the FBI solve the third homicide.
This is where it starts to get wobbly, sometimes good, sometimes boring, as Lucas and Virgil walk and talk and eat—and talk about eating far too often. Sometimes the dialogue is comical and sometimes it felt like padding—with Sandford simply trying to meet his page count quota by describing banal conversations and boring actions.
There are two endings. The first is acceptable. (I won’t go into spoiler territory here.) But then the story is ruined completely by illogicality. Murderer #5 decides to continue his quest. There was no logical reason for him to do so, especially given how the group’s plans collapsed after murders #3 and #4. The rationale choice would be for #5 to lay low for a several month period. But that would deprive Sandford of his shoot-‘em-up outcome. And also deprive him of his political commentary soapbox. It’s not that I disagree with Sandford’s political stance; I am, in fact, totally in agreement with him. But the posturing is too heavy, too strident. I literally had to stop reading that last section several times because it lacked momentum. It became a lecture.
I think that John Sandford is tired of his characters, even Virgil Flowers, who has, until recently, been far more interesting than Davenport.
My reviews for others in this series:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Masked Prey (Lucas Davenport #30)
Ocean Prey (Lucas Davenport #31)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 14, 2023
This is the original Prey Books writing I've been missing!
September 22, 2022
I love Virgil Flowers. I love Lucas Davenport less, but only a titch. Put 'em together and my heart is all a-flutter; tie the action to the timely topic of cybercurrency and well, you've hooked me from the git-go.
It's about, you see, a group of uber-wealthy Bitcoin investors dubbed the "Five" who have concluded that it's their responsibility to rid the world of deplorables. The first one to go down gets a "1" on his forehead, a hint that there may be more to come. An anonymously issued press release makes that a certainty by announcing the group's intentions as well as their huge Bitcoin donation to a charitable organization (should they choose to accept it) that's related to how the victim earned his deplorable status.
Law enforcement powers-that-be are flummoxed until there's a No. 2 and a No. 3, pretty much cementing the notion that this pattern will continue unless someone puts a stop to it. Enter Lucas, a U.S. Marshal living in frigid Minnesota with his surgeon wife Weather, and Virgil, an agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who leaves partner Frankie and their twins at home). For the most part, they and the rest of the investigative team are pretty much flying blind; the killers leave no trace, so connecting any of them to a potential killer seems impossible.
That's frustrating for the characters in the story, of course, but less so for readers, who get the benefit of seeing what's happening through the eyes of the Five (and their choreographer) plus the always entertaining repartee between Virgil and Lucas. Revealing details would spoil it for everyone except me, so I'll say only that the whole adventure is fast-paced right up to the end, making for a book you won't want to put down. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the pleasure of reading a pre-release copy. Loved it!
It's about, you see, a group of uber-wealthy Bitcoin investors dubbed the "Five" who have concluded that it's their responsibility to rid the world of deplorables. The first one to go down gets a "1" on his forehead, a hint that there may be more to come. An anonymously issued press release makes that a certainty by announcing the group's intentions as well as their huge Bitcoin donation to a charitable organization (should they choose to accept it) that's related to how the victim earned his deplorable status.
Law enforcement powers-that-be are flummoxed until there's a No. 2 and a No. 3, pretty much cementing the notion that this pattern will continue unless someone puts a stop to it. Enter Lucas, a U.S. Marshal living in frigid Minnesota with his surgeon wife Weather, and Virgil, an agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who leaves partner Frankie and their twins at home). For the most part, they and the rest of the investigative team are pretty much flying blind; the killers leave no trace, so connecting any of them to a potential killer seems impossible.
That's frustrating for the characters in the story, of course, but less so for readers, who get the benefit of seeing what's happening through the eyes of the Five (and their choreographer) plus the always entertaining repartee between Virgil and Lucas. Revealing details would spoil it for everyone except me, so I'll say only that the whole adventure is fast-paced right up to the end, making for a book you won't want to put down. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the pleasure of reading a pre-release copy. Loved it!
September 14, 2022
“We’re going to murder people who deserve to be murdered.”
I always love settling in with a good Davenport & F'n Flowers book.
Five millionaires meet at a Bitcoin conference and decide it might be a fun challenge to personally get rid of a few people who they think do not deserve to live for various reasons. What could go wrong?
Each murder is perfectly planned and executed, then they post a press release along with a social media post explaining why this person was murdered. The action never stops as the slow burn builds to an expected climax. Sandford is so skilled at writing thrillers that you tends to overlook his ability to create great dialogue. Lucas and Virgil are getting a little older now, and maybe a little slower but that is OK. They almost don't make it through this one. Yikes! After 32 books I guess it is to be expected. This is another great book in a long running series with enough character background given so that it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this series starting from the beginning and enjoy the ride. Here's hoping Sandford has a #33 to come along soon.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advance read!
I always love settling in with a good Davenport & F'n Flowers book.
Five millionaires meet at a Bitcoin conference and decide it might be a fun challenge to personally get rid of a few people who they think do not deserve to live for various reasons. What could go wrong?
Each murder is perfectly planned and executed, then they post a press release along with a social media post explaining why this person was murdered. The action never stops as the slow burn builds to an expected climax. Sandford is so skilled at writing thrillers that you tends to overlook his ability to create great dialogue. Lucas and Virgil are getting a little older now, and maybe a little slower but that is OK. They almost don't make it through this one. Yikes! After 32 books I guess it is to be expected. This is another great book in a long running series with enough character background given so that it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this series starting from the beginning and enjoy the ride. Here's hoping Sandford has a #33 to come along soon.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advance read!
April 15, 2022
John Sandford is an excellent writer. In all thirty-two books of the Prey series, he has spun tales like no one else. His iconic characters--Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers--have changed and grown over time--as you'd expect--which has kept this series always at the top of my read list.
In Righteous Prey (G.P. Putnam 2022), a group of six bored wealthy brilliant leaders of industry decide to kill other wealthy people this group deems contrary to the country’s values. They place a number on their forehead to count up to five (to account for one kill from each, not including the organizer) and issue a press release explaining the murder. Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport work together on this one, braving the frigid Minnesota winter temperatures to stop the killers before they finish. The story includes the usual blend of clever wit that makes this series a page turner and always on my list to grab as soon as a new book is published.
So why did I give it 4/5 for the first time in the entire series? Two reasons. One, I’m a little worried about the anti-police bent, mostly in Flowers. He is a clever detective I've respected because he does his job based on justice and fair play. He eschews guns, will do whatever possible to spare a life, but understands their part in police work. In this book, he seems to be losing his perspective on where the line is between a nation of laws and taking care of people (admittedly a difficult balance).
Possible spoiler:
This comes to a head at one point when he’s trying to gain the cooperation of suspected illegals, trying to assure them he isn’t ICE and won’t depart them, is just looking for information. I understand that, but he crosses a line I don't think he should at one point. As he’s talking with Lucas, trying to unravel his feelings about this, when he's talking about ICE and the part they play in handling border issues, he says F*** those a**h****". That wasn't necessary to the plot and seemed out of character in a law enforcement official I had to this point admired.
End of spoiler
The second annoyance: The growing anti-Conservative trend that seems to becoming acceptable in otherwise great fiction stories. Why is it that writers can't say conservative or republican without appending something derogatory? Half their readers--or more--are bound to be insulted. I just don’t get it.
In Righteous Prey (G.P. Putnam 2022), a group of six bored wealthy brilliant leaders of industry decide to kill other wealthy people this group deems contrary to the country’s values. They place a number on their forehead to count up to five (to account for one kill from each, not including the organizer) and issue a press release explaining the murder. Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport work together on this one, braving the frigid Minnesota winter temperatures to stop the killers before they finish. The story includes the usual blend of clever wit that makes this series a page turner and always on my list to grab as soon as a new book is published.
So why did I give it 4/5 for the first time in the entire series? Two reasons. One, I’m a little worried about the anti-police bent, mostly in Flowers. He is a clever detective I've respected because he does his job based on justice and fair play. He eschews guns, will do whatever possible to spare a life, but understands their part in police work. In this book, he seems to be losing his perspective on where the line is between a nation of laws and taking care of people (admittedly a difficult balance).
Possible spoiler:
This comes to a head at one point when he’s trying to gain the cooperation of suspected illegals, trying to assure them he isn’t ICE and won’t depart them, is just looking for information. I understand that, but he crosses a line I don't think he should at one point. As he’s talking with Lucas, trying to unravel his feelings about this, when he's talking about ICE and the part they play in handling border issues, he says F*** those a**h****". That wasn't necessary to the plot and seemed out of character in a law enforcement official I had to this point admired.
End of spoiler
The second annoyance: The growing anti-Conservative trend that seems to becoming acceptable in otherwise great fiction stories. Why is it that writers can't say conservative or republican without appending something derogatory? Half their readers--or more--are bound to be insulted. I just don’t get it.
January 9, 2023
Well where does one start . I have read most of the Prey series , but I’m pretty sure this will be my last one. John Sandford is using these books to express his hatred and dislike for conservatives . If you’re a progressive liberal type , this book is for you. If you’re a conservative in the very least nah bruh don’t bother. I sure wish I would have used my audible credit on anything else. Blah.
October 13, 2022
Solid Prey
Review of the Penguin Audio audiobook edition (October 4, 2022) released simultaneously with the G. P. Putnam’s Sons hardcover edition
This was a further solid police procedural from veteran writer Sandford which continues the partnership linkup of his previous separate series characters Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. The villains this time are a vigilante group whose connection is that they are Bitcoin millionaires who have decided to become thrill-seekers by assassinating selected "bad" people. The implausibility of that, plus the fact that they issue press releases to advertise their actions did keep this out of 5 star territory for me. But if there were no foolish villains leaving clues, there would be no book of course. Anyway, the main attraction is the team-up of Lucas and Virgil and their banter.
The main side-plot on the home front is that Virgil has become a fiction novel writer and is trying to sell his latest book through a literary agent. As best as I recall he previously only wrote articles for outdoor and fishing magazines. So instead of Virgil sneaking off in the middle of a case to get some fishing time, he instead uses any spare time to write out chapter outlines for upcoming books. It makes you wonder if Sandford is using Virgil as a proxy to recall his own early fiction writing days. It is an entertaining diversion and could become a bit meta if future Virgil books are fictionalized versions of his cases with Lucas. The back and forth banter with Lucas is that of comfortable old time friends. A scene where Virgil pulls Lucas into an embrace in order to divert the suspicion of a homophobic suspect is a hoot.
The villains you ask? They of course have a falling out and help to defeat themselves for the most part. The concluding firefight is actually quite shocking though and has you wondering whether Sandford might not be prepared to kill off some of his own major characters one day. A related sequel becomes a possibility at the end.
As with Ocean Prey (2021) (5 ***** rating), this book was a great relief to me and restored my confidence in Sandford's writing after the repulsive Neon Prey (2019) (1 * rating) and the creepshow Masked Prey (2020) (2 ** rating) and the complete absence of a Virgil Flowers book in 2020.
Review of the Penguin Audio audiobook edition (October 4, 2022) released simultaneously with the G. P. Putnam’s Sons hardcover edition
This was a further solid police procedural from veteran writer Sandford which continues the partnership linkup of his previous separate series characters Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. The villains this time are a vigilante group whose connection is that they are Bitcoin millionaires who have decided to become thrill-seekers by assassinating selected "bad" people. The implausibility of that, plus the fact that they issue press releases to advertise their actions did keep this out of 5 star territory for me. But if there were no foolish villains leaving clues, there would be no book of course. Anyway, the main attraction is the team-up of Lucas and Virgil and their banter.
The main side-plot on the home front is that Virgil has become a fiction novel writer and is trying to sell his latest book through a literary agent. As best as I recall he previously only wrote articles for outdoor and fishing magazines. So instead of Virgil sneaking off in the middle of a case to get some fishing time, he instead uses any spare time to write out chapter outlines for upcoming books. It makes you wonder if Sandford is using Virgil as a proxy to recall his own early fiction writing days. It is an entertaining diversion and could become a bit meta if future Virgil books are fictionalized versions of his cases with Lucas. The back and forth banter with Lucas is that of comfortable old time friends. A scene where Virgil pulls Lucas into an embrace in order to divert the suspicion of a homophobic suspect is a hoot.
The villains you ask? They of course have a falling out and help to defeat themselves for the most part. The concluding firefight is actually quite shocking though and has you wondering whether Sandford might not be prepared to kill off some of his own major characters one day. A related sequel becomes a possibility at the end.
As with Ocean Prey (2021) (5 ***** rating), this book was a great relief to me and restored my confidence in Sandford's writing after the repulsive Neon Prey (2019) (1 * rating) and the creepshow Masked Prey (2020) (2 ** rating) and the complete absence of a Virgil Flowers book in 2020.
September 21, 2022
Reading book #32 before reading 1-31 isn't ideal, but when it's Righteous Prey, you can't go wrong. The crime set up, the suspense, the full-steam action ahead and for me, the excitement of discovering an author with a catalog of books related to U.S. Marshalls Lucas and Virgil. I am in HEAVEN!
My attention was captured instaneously from the author's blurb: “We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered.” So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as “The Five,” shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco. The Five is believed to be made up of vigilante killers who are very bored…and very rich. They target the worst of society—rapists, murderers, and thieves—and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they’ve killed, donating untraceable bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net. The Five soon become the most popular figures on social media, a modern-day Batman…though their motives may not be entirely pure.
Sandford's story takes pieces from today's headlines and seamlessly puts them together in a fresh exciting thriller. You will find new money, the dark web, untraceable bitcoin, political motives, 3D printed guns and converted weapons. He isn't slow to introduce action. Opening pages thrust the reader directly into the first murder. This is how Sandford masterfully sucked me in and left me wanting to know who are the Five, who are their targets and will the good guys win?
Sandford story is told throughout from the point of view of both the chasers and the chased. The result is that it feels like we, the reader, are often a step ahead of the law enforcement agencies as the action plays out. We want to know about the Five and their targets. And Lucas and Virgil? Well, their interactions are sarcastically witty at times. They look out for each other and put themselves in precarious positions to get the bad guys. They work well together and really like each other, something you would expect from law enforcement officers with a history of solving crimes.
The story was enjoyable and relatable. The ending was satisfying. Sandford has hooked me. There's not a single doubt in my mind that I will be reading books 1-31.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and John Sandford for the gift of strong characters and entertaining reading. I am in HEAVEN!
My attention was captured instaneously from the author's blurb: “We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered.” So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as “The Five,” shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco. The Five is believed to be made up of vigilante killers who are very bored…and very rich. They target the worst of society—rapists, murderers, and thieves—and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they’ve killed, donating untraceable bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net. The Five soon become the most popular figures on social media, a modern-day Batman…though their motives may not be entirely pure.
Sandford's story takes pieces from today's headlines and seamlessly puts them together in a fresh exciting thriller. You will find new money, the dark web, untraceable bitcoin, political motives, 3D printed guns and converted weapons. He isn't slow to introduce action. Opening pages thrust the reader directly into the first murder. This is how Sandford masterfully sucked me in and left me wanting to know who are the Five, who are their targets and will the good guys win?
Sandford story is told throughout from the point of view of both the chasers and the chased. The result is that it feels like we, the reader, are often a step ahead of the law enforcement agencies as the action plays out. We want to know about the Five and their targets. And Lucas and Virgil? Well, their interactions are sarcastically witty at times. They look out for each other and put themselves in precarious positions to get the bad guys. They work well together and really like each other, something you would expect from law enforcement officers with a history of solving crimes.
The story was enjoyable and relatable. The ending was satisfying. Sandford has hooked me. There's not a single doubt in my mind that I will be reading books 1-31.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and John Sandford for the gift of strong characters and entertaining reading. I am in HEAVEN!
October 12, 2023
I was terribly disappointed.
I haven't posted any books read this year, but I've been rereading the entire Prey & Virgil Flowers series in chronological order. I was excited to find this & almost jumped on it immediately, but waited until I'd caught up; the better to savor it.
It follows the typical formula, included many great recurring characters, & it was narrated by Richard Ferrone - all great. The action & all were top notch with touches of dry humor sprinkled in. Excellent! Should have been another 3 or 4 star read! BUT... The plot had some huge holes that were like a case of poison ivy. (I'll put them under a spoiler tag below.) A lot of people can ignore them judging by the high star reviews. I don't know how. They were an immediate false note & just got worse throughout the book which ultimately left me feeling really let down since it's the twisty plot that makes each book unique & allowed me to enjoy almost 3 dozen in a row. When the plot makes no sense, it just falls apart.
Sandford delivered his typical, good story with the heart ripped out of it. I'm very disappointed.
I haven't posted any books read this year, but I've been rereading the entire Prey & Virgil Flowers series in chronological order. I was excited to find this & almost jumped on it immediately, but waited until I'd caught up; the better to savor it.
It follows the typical formula, included many great recurring characters, & it was narrated by Richard Ferrone - all great. The action & all were top notch with touches of dry humor sprinkled in. Excellent! Should have been another 3 or 4 star read! BUT... The plot had some huge holes that were like a case of poison ivy. (I'll put them under a spoiler tag below.) A lot of people can ignore them judging by the high star reviews. I don't know how. They were an immediate false note & just got worse throughout the book which ultimately left me feeling really let down since it's the twisty plot that makes each book unique & allowed me to enjoy almost 3 dozen in a row. When the plot makes no sense, it just falls apart.
Sandford delivered his typical, good story with the heart ripped out of it. I'm very disappointed.
August 24, 2022
I confess, I've been a John Sandford fan for years. I've enjoyed all his books, especially the Prey and Virgil Flowers series. Again in this book, Sandford wove Virgil into a Prey story with excellent results.
Vivian Zhao has an idea. She knows five like-minded bored Bitcoin billionaires who need excitement in their lives; something like, say, killing a person who they feel needs to be murdered. Communicating with each other on the dark net and known to each other only by their airport identifiers, each identifies a person they deem fit for death. As they begin their killing spree, Zhao puts out press releases celebrating The Five and their deeds, not only killing unsavory people, but also donating untraceable Bitcoin donations to various charities.
The victims mount and when a woman is killed in Minnesota, political strings are pulled and Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are called in to help the investigation. The killings are well executed and leave few clues which cause consternation among those trying to link the victims and their killers. With their quirky methods, Davenport and Flowers begin making slow progress in uncovering the people behind the killings and the mastermind behind them, Vivian Zhao.
The action never stops. Sandford is so skilled at writing thrillers that one tends to overlook his ability to create great dialogue. It is both snappy and humorous. This is another great book in this long running series but enough character background is given that it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book.
Vivian Zhao has an idea. She knows five like-minded bored Bitcoin billionaires who need excitement in their lives; something like, say, killing a person who they feel needs to be murdered. Communicating with each other on the dark net and known to each other only by their airport identifiers, each identifies a person they deem fit for death. As they begin their killing spree, Zhao puts out press releases celebrating The Five and their deeds, not only killing unsavory people, but also donating untraceable Bitcoin donations to various charities.
The victims mount and when a woman is killed in Minnesota, political strings are pulled and Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are called in to help the investigation. The killings are well executed and leave few clues which cause consternation among those trying to link the victims and their killers. With their quirky methods, Davenport and Flowers begin making slow progress in uncovering the people behind the killings and the mastermind behind them, Vivian Zhao.
The action never stops. Sandford is so skilled at writing thrillers that one tends to overlook his ability to create great dialogue. It is both snappy and humorous. This is another great book in this long running series but enough character background is given that it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this book.
November 15, 2022
OMG this book was so funny in parts - the scene with Lucas and Virgil in the produce isle is worth the read alone.
I was not sold on a book that had both Lucas and Virgil in the same book but I am now happily onboard. This is a typical Sandford book, if you have read the last 31 you know what you are going to get. If you have not read the last 31 I suggest you start with book 1 and I mean now
I was not sold on a book that had both Lucas and Virgil in the same book but I am now happily onboard. This is a typical Sandford book, if you have read the last 31 you know what you are going to get. If you have not read the last 31 I suggest you start with book 1 and I mean now
October 6, 2022
I am so disappointed. My all-time favorite series was ruined by the author's lack of knowledge of current events and by the many parts of the story that are just intellectually dishonest. Let's hope the Flowers and Letty series are not ruined the same way.
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