I wanted to start by saying I am huge John Sandford fan. I believe I have read all of his books at least once, if not multiple times. They are extremely well written and entertaining enough to read again even know the murder, plot, etc. However, it feels like there has been something off recently. There doesn't seem to be as much suspense and possibility.

In Judgement Prey, I still am unsure the why of the killing. It was hinted at but never really said. The plot didn't really feel completed.

In Toxic Prey, the stakes were too high. I felt like I knew what was going to happen during every confrontation because the stakes were too big to leave options.

In Lethal Prey, the villain fell a bit flat. Maybe that is because they were a psychopath, but no stress causes a lack of suspense.

Definitely love Lucas Davenport and will continue to read this series and anything else John Sandford writes just bring me more excitement and edge.

This series is among one of my absolute favorites. And now that Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers teamed up in the last couple of books, I hope they never go back to working separately again! This team is a dynamic duo – both with their complementary investigative skills and their humorous banter. Lethal Prey is a procedural investigation novel, and Sandford takes us through the process one step at a time. There’s no twist, you’ll know who did it from early on but will Davenport and Flowers ever figure it out? And the ending on this one was eyebrow raising and not what I was expecting.
Doris Grandfelt, a young pretty vibrant woman, was murdered twenty years ago. And her murder was never solved. Her twin sister, Lara, after a life changing event is determined to know what happened and releases the case files to every true crime site with promises of a $5 million reward. Immediately, the cold case crime site is bombarded with amateur sleuths. And because Lara has friends in high places, Davenport and Flowers are assigned the job of looking into any leads that shake out.
Although I have read every book in this series, in order, I do think this one could be fully enjoyed as a standalone. Pure writing brilliance, entertaining side characters and I can’t wait for the next installment!

There were six Mega Man games on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and they were all virtually the same. Six is a lot, but after the formula was perfected in Mega Man 2, the developers decided they would give the audience what they wanted again and again. That reminds me of the Prey series a bit.

Prey is much more than six books in--it's a glorious thirty-five. And Sandford has a formula. And frankly, I love it. These books have a familiar rhythm if you've read at least a few, and while Sandford always changes the story to find interesting new situations, they have a wonderfully same feel to them.

They're not twist thrillers. You know, most always, who the baddie is. It's about the cat-and-mouse back-and-forth of Lucas and the many people he's teamed with to catch the criminals. The world feels alive and real and full of some of the best dialogue I've read in my generation of reading. The books move and they build and they deliver.

What I'm saying is, Lethal Prey, like many others before it, follows the formula. To great results.

Lethal might take a bit longer to get going and it might not satisfy at the end as much as some others (Sandford did change the formula there a bit...I'll stop short of spoilers). But the rest is as good as fans of the series remember. (Although I do wonder if someone jumping in here or even lately in the series would feel the same zip with Lethal as a long-time reader. I can only see it from the long-time reader side.)

Regardless, the quality--thirty-five books in--is still there. It's such a comfortable good read and that's never a small feat. No matter how many times you've done it in the past.

Recommended for all Sandford fans and readers who love great dialogue and mystery reads with high craft.

Excellent book. A true page-turner. It’s always good when Virgil and Lucas are together. Characters were well-developed and the plot line was interesting. I just wish the trial has concluded.

A Davenport and Flowers story trying to solve the 20 year old mystery of Doris Grandfelt's murder. Lots of twists and turns, and a bunch of crime solving bloggers. I love Sandford's series and this doesn't disappoint, with Virgil's writing and Lucas' family intertwined. A bit of an abrupt ending that I wasn't sure of, but quite enjoyed this latest book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

A mystery that started galloping from the outset but then slowed to a trot by the end. As is typical with Sandford in the Prey novels, you know who the villain is early on, the fun is in how Davenport and Flowers have to piece together clues to make a case and identify the suspect. In this case, Davenport and Flowers get dragged into a cold case and have to make use of true-crime bloggers and enthusiasts without compromising any case that may develop. They walk a very tight-rope that comes down to a possible hung jury. Interestingly, there are no big gun fights, but plenty of other action. A good edition to the series.

Thanks Netgalley and Penguin Group for the chance to read this title!

John Sandford writes some of the best police procedural characters. Even the tertiary characters are fully developed and the story line moves along at a brisk pace. I was fully engaged in the story, loving the banter between the characters, and the only thing that moves this from a 5 to a 4 rating was that I was a little disappointed in the abrupt ending. It is still a great read! Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy.

Lethal Prey by John Sandford is a very highly recommended crime thriller/procedural. Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers work together to track down a ruthless killer who wants to keep the past buried. This can be read as a standalone novel.

A body of a woman brutally stabbed to death was found dumped in the woods along the edge of a park and was identified as Doris Grandfelt, an employee at an accounting firm. The perpetrator was never found. Now, twenty years later the victims twin sister Lara is determined to find Doris's killer. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer, Lara is facing her own mortality and wants justice for Doris.

To accomplish her goal Lara provides the entire investigative file to every true-crime site in the world and offers a $5 million reward for information leading to the killer’s arrest. Dozens of true-crime bloggers show up looking for both new evidence and “clicks.” U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and state investigator Virgil Flowers are assigned the case and review anything that might be a new lead.

The novel opens with the murder so readers know exactly what happened, why, and who did it. When the body is found, we see the unproductive investigation that followed and Lara's increasing frustration at that time. Then the narrative jumps ahead twenty years and the investigation reopens when the true-crime bloggers descend upon the crime scene and the city looking for clues, and information to publish for their followers.

What the social media true crime aficionados have is the numbers and enthusiasm to investigate. While they follow Lucas and Virgil, inserting themselves into the investigation, they also find the murder weapon. Conversely, they also publish on social media every step followed in the investigation, which allows the murderer to also follow it.

The characters have a good working relationship and the banter between the two is entertaining. Adding even more entertainment are the various social media true crime publishers interacting with them. The dialogue between characters is realistic. The killer is really a psychopath and readers will be following her actions too.

Lethal Prey is a well-written tension packed procedural/thriller full of twists and action. The pace is fast and the pages fly by. The ending was unsatisfying, but this is still an entertaining read. Thanks to Penguin/Putnam for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The book just ends. She's talking to the attorney, throws the balls for the dogs and it ends. Was decent book until then
That can't be the end of the book.

Who doesn't love John Sandford? I have been with him since the beginning and have all his books. The stories go from his friend Virgil to his daughter in some books he is by himself in adventures that you can't get enough of. He is the coolest cat and always catches or kills the villain. (do they even say that anymore) well the bad guy. Ha! I am not as crazy about the political jardon sometimes but understand it has to be included a lot of times. The action and suspense makes up for it though. This time he and Virgil are after the dude who kills a woman 20 years ago and it's a case reopened by the murdered twin sister who offers a huge reward. I say dudes to avoid telling you who the murder is, they catch the killer as always. Enjoy the humor between the guys and see how they get help solving the crime.

I've been a huge fan of the Prey series from the beginning. A 20 yr. old murder cold case is given to Davenport and Flowers, who would rather be shooting bad guys or working on his next novel. Little evidence to be had, but that's not stopping them. Great cast of characters, twisty plot line, and your usual banter between Davenport and Flowers(always good humor). They catch the perp, are getting ready for the trial, and then the book ends abruptly, so I'm 60/40 on reading the next book.
Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC .

It doesn’t get any better than when John Sandford features Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers in the same thriller. The two characters complete each other with Lusas’s intellect and Virgil’s charisma. Together they can ferret out any psychopath. In Lethal Prey neither character is happy to be given a 20 year old cold case and, thus, they decide to employ social media bloggers and true crime podcasters to help them along. Interesting, huh? The problem is that the psychopath killer knows everything that’s happening along with Lucas and Virgil, and this leads to more deaths. Harry Bosch managed to solve cold cases but can Lucas and Virgil?

The characters are well-drawn, from the bloggers to the psychopath killer, and John Sandford uses his usual plotting skills to bring this thriller to life and keep you turning pages. Looking forward to the next title featuring the dynamic duo!

This reader is a huge fan of the Prey series, and was prepared for a great read.

Lucas and Virgil team up to solve a cold case involving a twenty year old murder. When the victim’s sister offers a massive reward, the true crime community joins the hunt and things get wacky.

The Prey novels deliver plenty of action and violence and Sandford’s trademark cop humor. This thriller is not to be missed. #LethalPrey #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthorSeries

I’ve read every book by Mr. Sandford and enjoy each one, no matter how twisted and gruesome! I love both Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers and it was great to have both active in this book. I enjoy the banter between them and the other detectives.

With a reward to help find the killer in a 20-year-old cold-case murder, the true-crime bloggers were a hoot! There was plenty of bickering among the large number, but they were a big help in finding information, murder weapon and more. Virgil stayed busy corralling all of them!

There was tension for Virgil with a crime happening at his home, which makes him furious and anxious to bring the killer to justice quickly.

It was interesting to see the case and detectives (characters throughout the series) from 20 years ago and in present day.

The book ends a bit abruptly without the usual wrap-up, so I was left wondering what happened with the murderer. I don’t recall any of the other books by Mr. Sandford that ended like this and cliffhangers, if that what this was, isn’t my favorite. I was checking to see if I had missing pages since it was so unusual.

I love the Davenport and Flowers characters and always eagerly waiting for the next books. I highly recommend this book and all by Mr. Sandford.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

They are back again! My favorite crime fighting duo Lucas and Virgil are back with a new case they need to solve together. I find all the books in both series enjoyable and entertaining and this book is no different. My only concern was how abruptly the book ended, o went back serval times to see if I missed something. Otherwise it was another excellent read!

"Lethal Prey" by John Sandford - Out March 25th 2025 - 5 Stars

John Sandford delivers another gripping crime thriller, bringing together Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers to tackle a decades-old cold case. With a hefty reward on the table, their search for answers quickly entangles them with true crime bloggers, a mix of colorful suspects, and an unlikely killer. As expected from Sandford, the investigation is packed with unexpected turns, bursts of violence, and a steady momentum that keeps crime fiction fans hooked.

The novel masterfully blends procedural detective work with sharp dialogue and engaging character dynamics. Sandford’s signature style ensures that every piece of evidence—no matter how old—matters, making the chase for justice both methodical and thrilling.

With its intricate plotting and relentless pacing, this is a must-read for fans of crime fiction, especially those who enjoy a case where nothing is as straightforward as it seems.

I love john sandford and his characters and the banter between them, This one was very absorbing, I really enjoyed it.

Lucas Davenport wants to retire. Virgil Flowers wants to quit his job and write novels. But then the pair get involved in trying to solve a twenty-year-old cold murder that draws the attention of a multitude of on-line influencers who show up to assist. Chaos and humor ensue. Lucas and Virgil are realistic along with being entertaining. The sense of place is vivid. The ending is a little messy and confusing, but Sanford might be leaving the door open for a sequel.

This was a mixed thoughts read for me. I always enjoy the friendship between Lucas and Virgil, though I did miss some of the side characters we used to have in their individual books. He does a great job of mixing in new technology and real world variables, such as the true crime community, while still matching the series overall vibe.

This was focused on a cold case, so there was a lot of backstory which made for a slow build up. There also seemed to be a lot of filler about food, character descriptions (including overly detailed body descriptions for all female characters) and locations. Flowers whines a lot about not want to do his job anymore and talks nonstop about writing his book. In other words it was familiar but watered down compared to earlier books in the series. There were some strange phrases that stood out as well. Everyone rang off or clicked off a phone call instead of hanging up or ending it. Also everyone from the police, to politicians, to the true crime community talked about making movies instead of videos or content creation.

Once things get moving finally in the actual mystery part of the plot, I did enjoy watching it all come together. It’s a fun balance of old characters with new locations, and the true crime community and cold case aspect made for a fun mix. Unfortunately, it had a super abrupt cliffhanger style ending with no real resolution which was very unsatisfying. I’m not sure if this is something he intends to pick up in the next book or if it’s just done as-is, but I was extremely frustrated with the way it ends.

While this wasn’t my fav by the author, I still enjoyed it and finished it quickly. My parents are both also long time readers of the series and they both enjoyed it more than I did but also did not like how it ended. I’d rate this 3.5⭐️ rounded up

Thanks Putnam and NetGalley for the DRC!

If you are a fan of John Sandford, and his Prey Series, you know what you are getting, and you will definitely get it here! Lucas and Virgil are great together, and the book is an enjoyable mystery with a cliffhanger ending. Bring on the next book!

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.