The Prey series is one of my favorite series, 34 books in and John Sandford does not disappoint! Great writing, great characters. I loved getting to see Letty working with her dad. A great story of cat and mouse that can be read as a standalone. Though I always highly recommend this whole series! The plot seems far fetched but scary enough it is something that can happen. Loved the tension and suspense of will they get the bad guys in time and who will survive it all. Can’t wait for the next Prey book!

I have read most of the Prey books and this one was just as good as the others!! I could not put it down!
They are always great fun stories that pull you in! This was another fine example of it.

I couldn't put this one down! Another witty, fun adventure with Virgil and Lucas. As always, Sandford writes characters I'm happy to see again. A fun detective story in rural Minnesota is brought to life with funny, down-to-earth dialogue.

I have not read most of this series but I am familiar with John Sanford's work. These type of books fascinate me; the world is threatened by someone and must be stopped. In this novel, a scientist believes that climate change will destroy the earth and that in order to save the planet, many of its inhabitants must be killed. He and several cohorts are purposely releasing a highly contagious disease which would kill much of the earth's inhabitants. Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, team up to try stop this group of people.
The novel is at its best when it addresses the science of what is happening, which puts it above many similar novels. There is good character development and suspense as the cohort is winnowed down and the reader wonders if and how this mass extermination will be stopped.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me with a copy of this book.

As always with the PREY books, this one is a page turner and also a bit frightening as it could very well happen. I love the whole prey series an this is a standout.

Lucas and his daughter are working for two different agencies but come together with many others two quell a potential viral terrorist attack on American soil.
Dr. Scott is a renowned scientist who believes the world , or Gaia as his fellow believers call it, is dying. They believe the best way to save the earth is by killing half the people on the planet. After all, you would only need and use half the resources that are left…right?
They determine the best way to do this is to start a virus running rampant.
It is up to Lucas, his daughter, and many others to stop this before it becomes a reality.
As usual, Sandford produces an easy to read, short, concise novel that keeps your attention and resolves all the questions that are being asked.
I recommend this book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this arc. John Sanford is a fantastic author. I liked seeing Letty working with her dad to solve this case

Another good Sandford book, albeit his first true crossover of Lucas and Letty as co-workers. I appreciated the character story lines outside of “the chase”; it’s been awhile since Sandford has included a love/lust element (early Lucas and Virgil). My only real complaint is that we have transversed a big gap from the usual catch-a-murderer to his new plots being save-the-world-before-it-implodes. Overall a good book with new character interactions, just hoping to tone down the hero exaggeration in the next one.

Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, team up to track down a dangerous scientist whose latest project could endanger the entire world, What a great team these two make! This story hit the ground running and never let up until the end. A thrill ride for sure. Highly recommend.

It is always a treat to pick up a new John Sanford book. Although I missed Virgil Flowers (except for a mention or two) in this one, the usual plot twists and humor that lighten up tense topics kept me up until late. We can all relate to the effects of frightening viruses; Toxic Prey explores what would happen if one so virulent that almost all of mankind was destroyed. was released. Well researched and mostly believable this is another in the series that is not to me missed! Would that in reality law enforcement is as effective as it is in fiction!!

My first in this series, so I kind of read backwards, but it was such a good read that I'll definitely have to go back and read the first books.
A gripping thriller that had me inhaling the book. Sandford never disappoints me!

I have been reading Sanford’s Davenport books since they first started coming out. They have always been consistently good and this one is no different. Fast-paced, suspenseful and it deals with an antagonist that is more of a global threat than what we normally see. It’s interesting to see the worlds of Lucas and Lettie coming together.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on April 9, 2024

Readers never know what they’ll get from John Sandford, but they know it will be good. Some of his crime novels are light and a little goofy. Some of his books are dark, although he often lightens the mood with humor. All of his books are quick reads, but some depend on action more than others. I’ve read a lot of Sandford’s novels, enjoyed them all, but I can’t think of one that hit me as hard as Toxic Prey. It might be his best work.

Other people have written thrillers about terrorists weaponizing viruses. They became particularly popular after COVID. Before that, novels like The Andromeda Strain (still the classic in the subgenre of outbreak novels) imagined heroic efforts to contain the natural spread of viral infections (although the virus in that novel had an extraterrestrial origin). Toxic Prey is a variation on the theme.

The virus has been engineered — the Marburg virus is married to a measles virus so that one of the world’s deadliest diseases will become much more infectious — and the person who plans to spread it isn’t a conventional terrorist. Lionel Scott is a British doctor who wants to save the world by killing most of the people who are destroying it — people who drive or use air conditioning. Yeah, I know we’re bad, but killing 80% of us seems a bit extreme.

Scott subscribes to the Gaia hypothesis (some aspects of which have a certain appeal), but his work with Doctors Without Borders has left him depressed and traumatized. Scott has been working with the US military to devise ways to make viruses more deadly. The US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (the place where Oppenheimer worked) both research deadly diseases, supposedly to protect public health. Whether they also try to weaponize viruses is, not surprisingly, a military secret.

Letty Davenport (who sort of works for Homeland Security) is sent to England to interview people who know Scott after Scott goes missing. She liaisons with Alec Hawkins of MI5. Before long they are liaising in bed. What they learn about Scott is concerning, so Letty returns to the US, where she is assigned to find him. When she acquires evidence that Scott has been experimenting with a weaponized virus, she gets Hawkins to join her and enlists the help of her father (Lucas Davenport, who stars in a series of his own), another federal Marshal who works with Lucas, and a sniper who has appeared in recent novels when people need to be killed from a distance.

Most bioterrorism novels (as opposed to natural outbreak novels) aren’t convincing. This one is both plausible and chilling. The story moves quickly from start to finish, building suspense as the good guys work out realistic strategies to find Scott and the handful of people he has recruited to his cause. All the good guys are at risk of dying from exposure to the virus. Sandford creates credible fear that they might need to sacrifice themselves to save the world.

I don’t like to use review clichés like “gripping” or “riveting,” but those are the best words to describe the emotional investment that I made in the story. The “wow” factor is undeniable. Kudos to Sandford for producing such a powerful thriller after writing more than fifty novels. Some successful writers are just coasting late in their careers. Sandford just seems to get better.

RECOMMENDED

TOXIC PREY by John Sandford is, so far, his best! Lucas and Letty with very supportive group of agents from many U.S. government agencies plus foreign assistance from UK, to save humanity from a demented genius' plan to infect the world with a very deadly Ebola-like virus. Sanford treats us with the Davenport wit and wiles as they attempt to find the missing doctor and identify who he has helping to carry his deadly plan in New Mexico! Can they locate the virus BEFORE it's too late and can be spread to first the U.S., the WORLD?
This is the page-turner, nail-biter, up-all-night thriller you've always wanted!!
I highly recommend this outstanding work by the incredible mind of John Sandford!!!

I've been reading the Davenport books for about 2 decades and never get tired of them. I've loved Lucas forever, and have now grown to love following Letty as well.

A big name scientist/environmentalist disappears without a trace and it's up to Letty to find out what happened. Letty eventually calls in the help of her father, which leads to the best team EVER working together again to solve the mystery.

Fantastic book, fantastic characters. 5 star read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I just loved this newest installment in the Prey Series by John Sandford. The timely subject matter made this thriller relevant. It was great to have Lucas and Letty working together. This was a fun fast-paced read. Having read all of the Prey Series, as well as all of the Virgil Flowers books, the character development is hard to match. I will be looking forward to the next adventure of Lucas and Letty, John Sandford's books are an auto-buy for me in print and audio.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

April has proven to be a month abundant with new releases from several of my favorite authors. The sheer volume of titles on my April TBR has necessitated some rationing. While I'd typically devour each of these releases as they publish, I'm only just now getting to some of my most anticipated reads. Among these releases, John Sandford stands out as one of my top choices in the crime genre. I've been an avid fan since I discovered his Virgil Flowers series over a decade ago. I subsequently delved into his Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport and, more recently, his latest series featuring Davenport's daughter, Letty.

Despite reaching the age of 80, Sandford continues to maintain a prolific writing pace, typically releasing at least one new novel each year. Still, he has slowed down his practice of updating each series independently, instead opting to have his main characters collaborate in a single story under the Prey banner. Toxic Prey, his newest release, marks an evolution in this approach, as it sees Lucas teaming up with his daughter Letty for the first time in a gripping and pulse-pounding tale.

The book begins with Letty Davenport embarking on a journey to Oxford to rendezvous with British secret agent Alec Hawkins. Despite an immediate mutual attraction, their focus swiftly shifts to the task at hand: investigating the disappearance of Dr. Lionell Scott. Suspected to be residing somewhere in the United States, fears abound that his research into contagious viruses may have taken a sinister turn. Conversations with his former mentors reveal Scott's deep interest in the Gaia theory, which posits that all living organisms collectively form and sustain a synergistic system. According to Scott, humanity's unchecked proliferation has disrupted this balance, posing a threat to the very fabric of Gaia. His proposed solution eerily echoes that of Marvel's Thanos: a drastic reduction in the human population.

With their suspicions seemingly validated, Letty and Hawkins return to the United States, intent on locating Scott and thwarting his malevolent scheme. Recognizing the formidable challenge of finding an elusive fugitive, Letty calls upon her father, the seasoned investigator Lucas Davenport, for assistance. With Davenport's expertise at their disposal, the team embarks on a perilous mission to prevent the catastrophic spread of a mutated virus that threatens the very existence of life as we know it.

Toxic Prey sets the bar for high stakes in the long-running series, with the threat of a deadly and contagious virus looming over the narrative. Just five years ago, the notion of such a scenario might have seemed like pure science fiction. However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the storyline takes on a chilling plausibility. Unlike the typical "hunt and arrest" formula of previous installments, this time, the investigation is fraught with the constant fear of an active virus, leading to a shoot-to-kill and containment-at-all-costs approach.

Given the weighty subject matter and the absence of Davenport's usual sparring partner, Virgil Flowers, the trademark witty banter that fans have come to expect from the series is notably toned down in this book. Nevertheless, the intense urgency of the situation and the compelling father-daughter dynamic between the main protagonists ensure that Toxic Prey remains a gripping and fast-paced read. With Sandford already hinting at the return of Flowers in the next installment, anticipation is already building for what promises to be another thrilling addition to the series.

Book #34 in Sanford's Lucas Davenport series. This book finds Lucas working with/for his daughter Letty as they investigate the disappearance of a scientist with knowledge of many top secret facilities and their operational protocols. As always, you can read this as a stand alone and enjoy all the tension and action of an excellent book.

The Earth is dying and someone has to make some choices to save it. Population and pollution have advanced to the point that life will soon be unsustainable. But what are the choices and who gets to make them? Dr Lionel Scott has been a top researcher on this problem for many years yet sees no improvement and believes the solution must be drastic and must happen now. When he disappears, Letty Davenport is contracted to find him. Due to the urgency of the request, she'll ask her father to join her investigation, and the chase is on. Lucas Davenport's many fans will love this book and the theme will cause some headaches as you try and figure out exactly who is the good guy and who is the bad. Read and enjoy!!!!!!

John Sandford remains a titan in the thriller genre, and his latest entry in the Prey series, “Toxic Prey,” does not disappoint. Marking the 34th installment, this book exemplifies why Sandford’s work continues to captivate. The pacing is brisk and immersive, making each page thrilling to turn.

Sandford tackles a terrifyingly plausible theme that mirrors the chaos of contemporary conspiracy theories and post-pandemic fears. This heddy—intensely cerebral—subject matter is woven expertly into a police procedural format, maintaining the novel’s entertainment value while provoking thoughtful consideration.

The plot centers on a renowned expert in tropical and infectious diseases who mysteriously disappears. Letty Davenport, alongside her father, Lucas, dives into a maze of leads to uncover the truth. This father-daughter duo brings a delightful dynamic to the narrative, enriching the story with their deepening relationship and combined wit, which lightens the otherwise tense atmosphere.

“Toxic Prey” offers a mix of excitement, fear, and intrigue. The storyline is tightly wound and compelling, with characters that leap off the page. Lucas and Letty Davenport shine particularly bright, their banter and chemistry providing a counterbalance to the novel’s darker themes.

However, it’s worth noting that the plot’s closeness to real-world issues might not be for everyone. If you’re seeking pure escapism, this might not be the ideal read. But for those who appreciate a thriller that reflects deep-seated societal fears, “Toxic Prey” is a hit.

In summary, “Toxic Prey” is a stellar continuation of Sandford’s beloved series. The dialogue snaps, the plot races, and the father-daughter collaboration at the heart of this novel is both heartwarming and exciting. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to Sandford’s work, this book promises to be a memorable addition to your reading list.

I always look forward to reading Lucas Davenport Prey series.
This story kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last!

Warning: A very tense story based on an infectious disease more devastating than COVID. This one had me thinking about it for days after finishing it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.