OCEAN PREY

5 stars out of 5

Two of my favorite characters in the same book? No way this one won't be a winner, I said to myself as I happily opened it on my Kindle. And in no way was I disappointed.

Well, maybe a titch in one respect; mostly because of asthma and a little bit of claustrophobia, I'm not a fan of putting my head under water at all - not even in the shower. So, the mere thought of scuba diving gives me hives. That's a big part of this story, so I was on the edge of my seat throughout, trying not to hold my breath and hoping that no human would be harmed in the process (close calls, however, not only are acceptable, but expected).

The two characters are Lucas Davenport, now with the U.S. Marshal's Service, and his buddy Virgil Flowers, an agent with the Minnesota Department of Criminal Apprehension. They've had books all to themselves for years (with the occasional cameo appearance by one in the other's), and I'm pretty sure I've read them all. This time out, the balance of power gives a slight edge to Lucas, but Virgil certainly makes his often irreverent presence known. The story begins in Florida, after three National Guardsmen are murdered by what appear to be drug smugglers. Lucas gets called in, agrees to investigate, and convinces Virgil to join his team of expert cohorts. That leads to some serious confrontations, at least one of which doesn't turn out well.

The trail leads from Florida to New Jersey and back again, putting both Lucas and Virgil on dangerous ground (well, in Virgil's case, that would be in water). In between are the usual quips and one-liners that never fail to make me chuckle - here, it's double the fun - and plenty of excitement as the rush is on to identify and catch the bad guys before they get away. All told, another great adventure with double the usual appeal - highly recommended! Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Ocean Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2021); 432 pp.