Well, I do love when Sandford has Virgil and Lucas work together for a whole book, so this was a winner for me. The story revolves around a cold case from 20 years ago. The sister of the cold-case murder victim has gotten wealthy and decides to offer a massive reward for anyone who can help solve her sister's murder. This leads to not only Virgil and Lucas being drawn in to a task force by the local Congressman, but to online crime sleuths both helping and hindering the case, and the resurgence of the killer who's been hiding in plain sight this whole time. Mystery and extra murders ensue and keep our heroes hopping. My only quibble wih this book is the end stop to the story - I wouldn't call it an ending or even an actual cliff-hanger, it just kind of stops. This being said, it is a strong entry into the Virgil and Lucas canon and I look forward to the next one that will hopefully finish wrapping this one up. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

I like an ambiguous ending as much as the next man, more than most actually, but as other reviewers have noted here, the ending of this book is just plain weird.

Up until the last page, literally the very last page, this was another solid John Sanford entry in what is one of the great contemporary crime series ever written. And then on that last page, the book just.... uh, stops. It's not an ambiguous ending; it's not a 'Sopranos-style' ending; it's not an ending at all.

The. Book. Just. Stops.

Did the author die? Did he fall desperately ill and unable to finish? Did he lose interest and refuse to go on? Did the publisher decide just to release what they had and not worry about an ending?

Inquiring minds want to know what the hell happened here...

I have enjoyed all of the Lucas Davenport books and this one is no different. I thoroughly enjoyed all the attention to detail in the book. I do wish that we would have gotten a definitive ending.

35 books into the Lucas Prey Davenport series and it's still an exciting ride! I love the chemistry between the protagonists and antagonists. Sandford has a gift for writing antagonists as vile and despicable as Davenport and Flowers are cunning, lethal and humorous. Despite Sandford writing three series featuring Lucas, Virgil, and Letty, I am still in need of more. I really enjoyed Lethal Prey despite the seemingly abrupt ending.

How can you solve a murder from 20 years ago with no clues and no weapon? Well - maybe a $5 million reward might bring something out. That's what Lara Grandfelt hopes will solve the death of her twin sister Doris. 20 years prior, Doris, who worked at an accounting firm, was found murdered in a deserted park brutally stabbed to death. Now with the reward bringing renewed interest in the case, Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are called in to coordinate leads from online true crime bloggers to help solve this "dead" case. And it seems that the killer is watching as well as more people who are involved in the case mysteriously wind up dead. I did not want this book to end. Seeing both the investigations movement as well as the killer's motivation made this book impossible to put down and I didn't want it to end - and hope that we will see more in the near future. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and John Sanford for the amazing opportunity to read this advance reader copy. Loved every page.

Lethal Prey is the 35th book in the Lucas Davenport series and boy is it a great one! Sandford is the best police procedural writer at the moment. The friendship between Lucas and Virgil is a fun, real part of this entire series. Sandford's books are pretty unique in that the reader finds out who-dun-it pretty early in the story. The criminal in this one is smart, fearless, and maybe a serial killer. Overall, this is one of my favorite books in the whole series and it would have been rated 5 stars if not for the very abrupt ending that left questions unanswered. Hopefully, Sandford rethinks this and gives the published copy a satisfactory ending. If you've never read a Davenport book, I suggest you go all the way back to book 1 Rules of Prey.

One of my favorite Preys in a while, Sandford reunites Davenport with Virgil Flowers to go up against their most lethal prey. Tho the action is scarce, the tension mounts. The interactions between the two main protagonists and the way they handle investigating the murders makes this book worthwhile. Could there be a sequel in the works? I hope so! Will love recommending this to customers.

Once again, John Sandford hits it out of the park with his latest addition to his long-running Prey series. Teaming the Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport characters is a winning combination.

Twenty years ago, Doris Grandfeldt was brutally murdered, and her body was left in a St. Paul, Minnesota, area park. Few clues were found, and the case quickly went cold. Now, Doris' twin sister Lara, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, decides to offer a five-million-dollar reward and publishes all of the case materials online in hopes of renewing interest in the case. This attracts the attention of true-crime bloggers and law enforcement. U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and state investigator Virgil Flowers are assigned to the case. They must deal with the bloggers and media attention and try to find the elusive killer. Recognizing the power of crowd-sourcing, Lucas and Virgil use the bloggers to their advantage, and when one of the bloggers discovers the murder weapon, the race is one to see who can find the killer. Unfortunately, what works to their advantage is also a detriment. With progress available online, the killer stays one step ahead of the investigation and begins to influence the case. Lucas and Virgil now struggle to handle the information flow while still needing the blogger's resources.

I like that Sandford combines characters from his other series and that readers don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy the current offering. He always gives enough background material so new readers don't feel lost. Once again, Sandford demonstrates that he is the master of snappy dialogue: the Davenport and Flowers exchanges are dynamite, and the twisty plot is the icing on the cake. 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 25, 2025.

Lethal Prey is SO good! I enjoy the way John Sandford sets up his stories. We know from the first page who the killer is and we can see her deviousness develop throughout the book. We also get to watch Lucas and Flowers work their magic - creating theories and solving the mystery. In addition, Lethal Prey has the modern, and at times funny, aspect of the detectives crowd-sourcing the details for a huge reward. The ending is abrupt so hopefully that is setting us up for a great follow-up novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Lethal Prey unfolds itself slowly and like all of Sandford's books is a real pleasure to read. It unwinds skillfully and readers will find it impossible to put down until the very end. Which is wicked abrupt! At first I wondered if there were missing pages. Yes, that abrupt. It makes me wonder if a sequel will be coming. Either way, I certainly look forward to his next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Fans will not be disappointed by this latest work!

This book was pretty good. The story was pretty standard, not too unique. I think some of it was predictable, but it was still decently written. I liked it and enjoyed it overall, but it wasnt spectacular

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Where’s the ending? Are there chapters missing in this ARC? It’ll be interesting to see when the actual book comes out if there was a mistake because the end is abrupt and not resolved.

Okay. Besides the fact that this book feels like it's missing the ending, the rest of the book was actually good. I liked the format - very small and quick chapters. It really helped the pacing and made it seem like things were happening rapidly. I don't really remember his books unfolding like this in the past - but it might just be me. It HAS been a while (and many, many books in between) since I've read the last book.

This book starts off by telling us about a murder that occurred 20 years ago. Then we jump to the present and are told that the victim's sister has terminal cancer and wants to find out and punish her sister's killer before she dies. So, she offered a $5 million dollar reward - specifically aimed at a lot of the new "True Crime" podcasters that seemed to have popped up everywhere. And boy oh boy does it create activity. These people truly do pop out of the woodwork.

Unfortunately, the killer is also paying close attention to the investigation and is a crazy psychopath so guess what that means? Yep. More murders.

I really enjoyed this new edition to the series - well, with the exception of the end. Hopefully, this was just an error and will be fixed before publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and only my own. This book will be out for publication on Mar 25, 2025.

Lethal Prey is book 35 in this series, featuring US Marshal Lucas Davenport and Minnesota cop Virgil Flowers, who are assigned to investigate a cold case homicide when the victim’s twin sister offers a $5million reward to help jumpstart the case. Our two lawmen decide to enlist the help of internet sleuths to parse all the information and help solicit leads. The reader already knows whodunit, and the pleasure of this book is watching as Davenport and Flowers piece together the clues to identify the culprit. The easy banter between the two is evident, and the dark humor and sarcasm oozes on each page, and that dialogue is what makes this series such a success and fun to read. This edition is a little tamer than past books, as the emphasis is squarely on the uneasy alliance of amateur detectives and the two professionals, and it’s a bit of departure from the normal “rockin’ and rollin’ “ long time readers are used to. But that doesn’t diminish the intensity (or the body count) as we watch the drama unfold. The ending is definitely abrupt with readers left hanging, which we can only assumes sets up a sequel to tie up the loose ends. Nevertheless, this is a five star book in every aspect and highly recommended. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book in the Davenport/Flowers series!! This time they are pulled together by a woman of wealth with political influence to solve the mystery of her sister's death 20 years prior. Through many twists and turns, and a little help from true crime investigators, it's a mad rush to the end to reveal the killer. A definite page turner!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was super excited to receive an ARC for Book 35 in the Prey Series, Lethal Prey. This brings Lucas and Virgil together once again to solve a murder committed in 2003. The book had me hooked from Chapter 1 when it opens with the killer (Amanda), lurking in wait, spying on two people in her place of employment prior to her murdering Doris in a frenzy. I could not put this one down, as the story builds and builds to see how the dynamic duo would eventually nail Amanda for her crimes (yes, plural!). However, the ending left me hanging. I am not sure with the ARC if the book is meant to continue or if this really is the way the book ends as this is not typical John Sandford style in this series. With the abrupt ending leaving the reader hanging, this is a 4-star read for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Publication Date: March 25, 2025

Sandford continues to hit the right balance between criminal procedural and great character development. Unlike protagonists in some other ongoing series, Davenport and Flowers remain fresh and one is eager for their next adventure.

this was another wonderfully done entry in this series, it had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed from the previous entries in this book. The plot was everything that I was looking for and was invested in the concept. John Sandford has a strong writing style and enjoyed the overall feel of this.

Another thrilling chapter in the Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers series.
The sister of a woman brutally murdered 20 years ago, and whose crime was never
solved, wants justice for her sister.
Lucas and Virgil get the call and take on the very cold case with a little help
from some pod casters who specialize in unsolved mysteries. The more they investigate,
the more it begins to look like the suspect, a possible serial killer, could still be at large.
More murder, mayhem and havoc abound, as is usual, when these two guys team up
on any case.
The story unfolds with twists and turns that jump.off the pages.
The ending, however............not very palatable.
Hmmmmmmmm..
."to be continued"???

Thanks to the Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for this eARC.

I have been a rapt reader of the Lucas Davenport series since the beginning, and "Lethal Prey" by John Sandford maintains the same masterclass suspense and high caliber writing we have learned to expect from this talented author.

"Lethal Prey" blends thrilling plot lines with intricate character development. Sandford brings back his renowned protagonist, Lucas Davenport, a man whose sharp intellect and unyielding determination make him one of the most compelling characters in modern crime fiction.

In this installment, Davenport finds himself entangled in a sinister game of cat and mouse, where the prey is just as deadly as the predator. Sandford's narrative technique shines as he weaves a tale that is relentlessly suspenseful and deeply human. The plot twists are not just surprising; they are ingeniously crafted, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

"Lethal Prey" stands out due to Sandford's ability to create an atmosphere of palpable tension. Every scene is meticulously described, painting vivid images of the environments that range from gritty urban landscapes to the haunting isolation of rural settings. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, adding depth to characters who are flawed, relatable, and immensely engaging.

Lucas Davenport is at the top of his game in "Lethal Prey". His strategic mind and moral complexity are explored in greater depth, making his pursuit of justice a riveting journey. The antagonists are equally well-drawn, their motives and actions shrouded in just enough mystery to keep readers guessing until the final, exhilarating conclusion.

Sandford's writing is crisp and efficient, with a pace that never falters. He balances action-packed sequences with introspective moments, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the psychological underpinnings of the story.

"Lethal Prey" is a testament to John Sandford's prowess as a storyteller. It's a gripping, intelligent thriller that entertains and provokes thought.

Whether you're a longtime fan of Lucas Davenport (if so, don't worry Virgil Flowers returns in this book) or new to the series, this novel is a must-read, offering a blend of excitement and depth that is difficult to find in the genre.

Another great book in the series. I enjoy the character interaction and how they developed through the series. Spoiler alert. The ending just leaves you hanging. I hope story continues in the next book.