Another gem by Mr. Sandford. Style of writing is so good. Great plot and great development.
Characters believeable. Always enjoy books in this series. Don't miss out on this one.

We always buy multiple copies of John Sandford for our library. He consistently writes stay up all night to finish thrilling stories. He owes me for all the lost sleep over the years.

“Masked Prey” is yet another winner from John Sandford. This one is set in the environs of Washington, DC, and [sadly] could be reality today. First off you have the teenaged girl who sets the whole problem in motion by uploading a file to the internet she hopes will make her a media star. Like so many in today’s world, she doesn’t consider any negative consequences, only thinking how her actions might enhance her own life by going viral.

There are a lot of reflections and insights on today’s lifestyle. Sandford brought each into the story well, connected them and then brought it all to a satisfactory conclusion.

I’m thankful to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam, for an ARC of this book and highly recommend it.

I picked this book up during what should have been my Spring Break and was in the middle of it when I learned I wouldn't be going back to teaching this year. Given that, my first thought as I got lost in the book was that it was a little too political for my tastes. I think the beauty of John Sandford's books is his pacing. I am never bored, I am always turning the pages because I'm reading so fast, but this was a little tough to get into it. Once it started coming together, though, I was hooked all over again. I love Lucas as a main character. He is not a hero and I always know he'll likely surprise me at least once with his own brand of ethics. I may have been more in the mood for a flat out serial killer, but this ended up being a great book with a ton of random characters and threads to follow. I will always turn to Sandford for many layered characters and tightly paced plots and this does not disappoint.

So disappointing. At the beginning of the story, Davenport is feeling gray after recovering from a gunshot wound. That grayness seems to bog the book down even after Davenport perks up. There was potential here - thinking about how young social media influencers might intersect with white supremacists organizing online - but the plot is mostly driving around the DC area to talk to people associated with different "alt-right" groups, eliminating them from the inquiry. The writing was unusually unpolished and flat and the direction the hero is going in - ugh. Lucas Davenport used to be thoughtful and smart and occasionally conflicted. Now apparently he just wants to be a vigilante executioner. Compared to previous books I've read in the series, this is a letdown. I hope it's temporary.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group / Putnam for this arc.

I have been a long-time fan of the Lucas Davenport series for years and have read all previous books in this series. (I also adore the Virgil Flowers series as well). But Masked Prey? Not so much... All the usual elements were there.... the dry humor, the non-stop pacing and action, the political maneuvering and manipulations, too many "usual suspects", Bob and Rae, etcetera but something was either "missing" for me or there was just too much of something else. I'm still trying to figure it out. Whatever, Lucas is just getting a little too cold-hearted for me at this time. Maybe there just wasn't enough of his family in this story to balance it out. Still not real sure...

3.5 stars

Lucas Davenport is asked to investigate 2 politicians children over threats on a web site. Lucas needs to solve this fast and discreetly. The investigation delves into racist hate groups. It is a fast moving story that will hold your interest. This book is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

If I've missed any of the books in this series, it was very early on; but once hooked at whatever the first one was years ago, I've tackled every single one since. Some have tickled my fancy a little more than others, but never once have I been disappointed. And this one's no exception.

Lucas Davenport, now 52 and still recovering in his home state of Minneapolis from a serious gunshot wound from an earlier book, gets an unwanted call to come to Washington, D.C. The FBI discovered a website buried within a teenage girl's popular blogs called 1919, and it's plastered with photos of children of influential members of Congress. A couple of Senators want Lucas to investigate who prefer that the whole thing be kept under wraps. But the FBI gets wind of it and, thinking the site may be connected to mostly undercover Alt-right groups who don't play by established rules, the FBI is intent on protecting those kids, agree to work with Lucas, who's from the U.S. Marshall's Service. Lucas, in turn, calls in friends Bob Matees and Rae Givens, who tend to enjoy working a bit outside the lines if necessary.

Early on, they hope to find out who's behind the website before word gets out and someone (or several someones) from those anti-government groups decides to do as the site seems to suggest - kidnap or murder one or more of the children just to make a political statement and get the parents' attention. But as luck (and the media) would have it, secrets like this die rather easily. Suddenly, it becomes even more urgent for Lucas, his buddies and all the FBI and local law enforcement teams to solve the case. The need to hustle increases even more with the assistant to the leader of one of the groups is murdered.

Much of the investigation involves in-person discussions with members of the Alt-right groups scattered thither and yon; they are numerous, and most of the discussions lead to dead ends. That, and the sheer number of characters, makes this book a little more tedious to read, perhaps, but it's hard to complain because everything is interspersed with the humor is one of the reasons this series is so appealing to me, to-wit: As he's getting on an airplane, Lucas - who is terrified of flying - is forced to sit by a woman "...who'd already begun knitting something in a color of green so dreadful that Lucas didn't want to sit next to it..."

Gotta love it. You need to read it. I need to thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to savor a pre-publication review copy.

Full review to be published online in early May.

MASKED PREY is the 30th book in John Sandford’s long running and well written “Lucas Davenport” series. There have been a lot of changes lately in Lucas’ life, most of them for the better. For a while the stories (while good) tended to be a little complacent. Here, the book takes a page from today's sensationalistic racism and nationalist headlines. Lucas investigates the inner workings of some of these groups as he searches for a possible killer targeting the children of politicians. Lucas is determined to bring this one down, especially after a child is murdered by mistake. Throw in political machinations behind the scenes and you understand why Lucas like to take matters into his own hands, even if his next moves aren’t always plausible.

Not my favorite in the series, but a fair read. I still enjoy the Virgil Flowers books more.

416 pages

3 stars

I didn't find this book as interesting or engaging as Mr. Sanford's previous Davenport books. I don't care much for books about the neo-Nazi movement. Too much b...uh, complaining from that group. Too much hate and disregard for the rest of the citizenry. So, I couldn't really get into this novel.

It was very well written and plotted, as are all of this author's efforts. It really wasn't the writing, it was the subject matter. I hope Mr. Sanford hops back on the train with the next book. I very much am looking forward to it. I really like Lucas and his wife and the rest of his family. I am very glad that he is making a good recovery from being shot.

I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read and review.

I am a big fan of the author and read every book as it comes out. This just wasn't a favorite. I don't know if there were too many names being tossed out or what the problem was, but I had a hard time paying attention or caring about anyone but the main character Lucas. I read it in fits and starts. This was the first Sanford book I have not been thrilled about.

Masked Prey is the latest Lucas Davenport thriller by John Sandford. In this installment, Lucas is asked by his political friends to investigate threats on US Senators kids, hidden on what appears to be an alt-right website. This is the 30th book in this series (wow!), and easily one of my favorites. Lots of crime-solving here in Davenport’s usual style, with a perfect mix of dark humor, violence and enough ethical and moral lessons to last a lifetime. Great plot, not too many characters to track, and an easy flow make this another winner in the series. Easily a five star read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

John Sanford, not his real name, is a genius. That's my opinion. I've read every Prey book he's written - 30 books including Masked Prey. Thank you to Netgalley and his publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy.
Many of his Prey books have been thrillers right up to the end.
But not this book. There are some surprises but not who the killer is. In this book, Lucas Davenport is using his
brain as a weapon to outfox the killer if he can figure out who it is. Though this takes place mostly in Washington DC, Davenport is not political. He has friends on both sides of the aisle, the FBI and whoever will help.

What is fascinating about this particular Prey book is that Davenport has taken some very timely, current issues happening in the US and pitted them against each other. Teens on Instagram, doing whatever they can to get the world to notice their site and get paid advertising. White supremacists looking for a means to change the course of history. All the various cells of alt-right people, some peace-loving for the most part and some not but all in love with guns and more guns and still more guns.

That should wet your appetite. Masked Prey is a quick read. Sanford never says more than he has to and doesn't overthink a situation. Neither do his characters. Yet these aren't wooden characters. And over thirty books and thirty-two years, we have a fairly vivid picture of Lucas Davenport who usually gets it right.

I would think by now that I would be tired of Lucas Davenport and his escapades, but once again he is at his best in this newest thriller from John Sandford.

Taking a page from today's racism and nationalist movement Lucas dives into the inner workings of some of these hate groups as he searches for a possible killer targeting the children of politicians. Some of these groups and their ideas are unbelievable but you know they are out there and Lucas is determined to bring this one down, especially after a child is murdered....by mistake. Throw in political machinations behind the scenes and you understand why Lucas like to take matters into his own hands.

Highly recommended!

This book is due to be published in April 2020.