LETHAL PREY

4 stars out of 5

My usual 5-star rating has dropped a notch on this one, almost entirely because of just one thing: the gobsmacking cliffhanger ending. I'll not explain further, of course, but after I kept flipping through the acknowedgements to see if the last few pages of the last chapter somehow got buried there, I got really, really annoyed - leaving readers hanging is one of one of the biggest no-nos an author can do, in my book.

But it is what it is. I guess I'll console myself with the thought that resolution may become the impetus for the next book in the series - this is the 35th - so I'll be watching. Other than that, I always look forward to the adventures of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers - two of my all-time favorite characters. They meet up this time during the reinvestigation of a cold case: the murder of accounting firm employee Doris Grandfelt two decades earlier. It's been reopened because her surviving twin, Lara, is determined to find her sister's killer before she, too, dies - she's been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She's sweetened the pot with a $5 million reward for information that leads to the killer

One of those bloggers, in fact, somehow manages to dig up the murder weapon, which does provide some clues. Lucas gets the call when the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in St. Paul gets the case. Shortly thereafter, Bureau agent Virgil gets a similar call while he's out playing golf. Despite needing to work on his latest novel (plus spend time with his partner Frankie and their twins), he figures Lucas will be involved and agrees to be part of the investigation.

As Lucas and Virgil hone their investigative skills, they also must run interference to keep at bay the proliferation of true-crime bloggers who didn't exist back then and would kill each other for a scoop - or, failing that, turn their enthusiasm into an asset. Fairly early on, readers learn who the killer is, making it even more fun to watch Lucas and Virgil go from spinning their wheels to closing in. All told, another one well done. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Lethal Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2025); 400 pp.

TOXIC PREY

5 stars out of 5

As I said back in 2022 when Letty Davenport, the adopted daughter of U.S. Marshals Service officer Lucas Davenport and his physician wife, Weather, got a starring role for the first time in The Investigator, I enjoyed the book but kind of hoped it was a one-off. That's because I never really connected with Letty - maybe because I loved her dad (and mom and their friend Virgil Flowers) so much that I saw and resented her as some kind of intruder. Well, after reading the second book, both Letty and I grew up (well, she got older and wiser; as an octogenerian, I was already there physically, at least) and now we're cool.

Anyhow, this story hits a timely - and frightening - topic of biological warfare. Early on, we see Dr. Lionel Scott, a fervent believer in "Gaia" - the theory that all living things on the planet interact with each other to create and maintain a synergetic system. Now, he is certain, the human side of that equation has gone out of control, thus threatening its delicate balance. To that end, he's come up with a deadly solution.

But oops, he's nowhere to be found. Fortunately,
Letty is reachable; she's called in to find him even before anyone realizes the consequences of his disappearance and the potential fallout thereof, so to speak. Since Scott is British, Letty is first sent to London, where she meets hunky (well of course!) M-15 agent Alec Hawkins, who will accompany her to Scott's alma mater, Oxford, to learn more about the guy - plus a few hangers-on who have drunk Scott's version of Kool-GaiAid. And what they learn is terrifying; immediately, Letty calls in the big guns including her father, Lucas. From that high-level meeting of the minds comes a plan to contain a deadly virus before it kills millions of unsuspecting and innocent people - even if it means killing more than a few unsuspecting and innocent people in the process.

The rest of the book, really, is Lettie and all the "good" guys and gals trying to figure out how to outwit the "bad" guys and gals before they set loose a viral killer that could wipe out half of the world's population. Pretty heady stuff that sure grabbed my attention. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Toxic Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2024); 400 pp.

JUDGMENT PREY

4 stars out of 5

Any book that includes either Lucas Davenport or Virgil Flowers, Minnesota law officers and pretty good buddies, is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit with me. Put the dynamic duo together for an entire book, then, and the ball has a tendency to fly all the way out of the park. 

This time out, Lucas is still struggling both physically and mentally with injuries from a previous case (Virgil was injured, too, but he's mostly back to normal (if it's possible to use the word "normal" in any description of the guy). Lucas gets called out to an horrific crime scene in St. Paul; federal judge Alex Sand and his two sons have been fatally shot in their home. The bodies are found by the judge's wife Margaret Cooper, a local college professor and some-time actress, who is so distraught that she can't think straight (although I strongly suspect she was a few bricks shy of a chimney even before the murders).

After three weeks or so, the case remains unsolved; at that point, Virgil - a regional agent for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation - gets called in to review the case and calls Lucas to tag along. As is almost inevitable with murders, the spouse is a suspect; but while they don't trust her as far as they can throw her, neither Lucas nor Virgil think the wife did it this time around. Also inevitably, they look at past rulings by the judge that might have generated plans for payback; also at issue is the judge's planned donation - a whopper - to a local charity that's now in limbo.

Much of the fun, as usual, centers on the banter between Lucas and Virgil, bolstered by looks into their personal lives and characters readers have come to know and love like Weather (Lucas' wife). And as the investigation moves along, readers also become privvy to clues that will take Virgil and Lucas a little longer to figure out (while we cheer them on). The end was a titch disappointing just because a couple of unsavory characters don't quite get the comeuppance I'd have preferred (nope, not gonna, don't ask).

So back to that aforementioned home run: If I'm honest, this one came darned close but didn't quite make it over the fence. A couple of gaps in the story - like what the details of what the killer really did that triggered (so to speak) his need to go on that shooting spree - and some very unlikable characters made this story simmer instead of sizzle and not be my favorite book in the long series (this is the 33rd of the Davenport books). Still, it's enjoyable and held my attention from beginning to end, and in no way dampened my enthusiasm for future books with either or both of the guys who have become all-time favorite characters in them. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me once again to read and review a pre-release copy.

Judgment Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2023); 400 pp.

DARK ANGEL

5 stars out of 5

When Lettie Davenport, the adopted daughter of U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and his surgeon wife, Weather, used to make an occasional appearance in one of Lucas's books, I never warmed up to her much. Then when she got her own series with last year's The Investigator, I started to take her a bit more seriously. With this, her second book, I started to like her a lot. Seriously.

At this point in her life - she's 25 - she's an investigator for Homeland Security, at least on the surface; under it, she works for a powerful U.S. Senator. Through him, she's asked to go under cover to try to infiltrate a ransomware hacking group known as Ordinary People, ostensibly to prevent another attack; in the process, she meets another hotshot investigator and crack sharpshooter, Barbara Cartwright, and they hit it off. Their camaraderie leads to both friendship and, when Lettie needs more help on her assignment, a professional assist (just for the record, I liked her too). Lettie also picks up an undercover "partner" named Rod Baxter - another very likable dude (the repartee between the two can get quite amusing).

It doesn't take too long, though, for Letty and Rod to figure out there's more to their assignment than they were led to believe - and the difference between the assumed adversaries and the real ones can become a matter of life and death with the slightest of missteps. All in all, it's another fast-paced book with an intriguing, timely plot that kept me entertained throughout. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Don't miss this one!

Dark Angel by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2023); 384 pp.

RIGHTEOUS PREY

5 stars out of 5

I love Virgil Flowers. I love Lucas Davenport less, but only a titch. Put 'em together and my heart is all a-flutter; tie the action to the timely topic of  cybercurrency and well, you've hooked me from the git-go.

It's about, you see, a group of uber-wealthy Bitcoin investors dubbed the "Five" who have concluded that it's their responsibility to rid the world of deplorables. The first one to go down gets a "1" on his forehead, a hint that there may be more to come. An anonymously issued press release makes that a certainty by announcing the group's intentions as well as their huge Bitcoin donation to a charitable organization (should they choose to accept it) that's related to how the victim earned his deplorable status.

Law enforcement powers-that-be are flummoxed until there's a No. 2 and a  No. 3, pretty much cementing the notion that this pattern will continue unless someone puts a stop to it. Enter Lucas, a U.S. Marshal living in frigid Minnesota with his surgeon wife Weather, and Virgil, an agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who leaves partner Frankie and their twins at home). For the most part, they and the rest of the investigative team are pretty much flying blind; the killers leave no trace, so connecting any of them to a potential killer seems impossible.

That's frustrating for the characters in the story, of course, but less so for readers, who get the benefit of seeing what's happening through the eyes of the Five (and their choreographer) plus the always entertaining repartee between Virgil and Lucas. Revealing details would spoil it for everyone except me, so I'll say only that the whole adventure is fast-paced right up to the end, making for a book you won't want to put down. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the pleasure of reading a pre-release copy. Loved it!

Righteous Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2022); 412 pp.

THE INVESTIGATOR

5 stars out of 5

As a longtime reader of this author's series featuring U.S. Marshals Service officer Lucas Davenport, I'm familiar with his adopted daughter Letty, who comes from a troubled background (to say the least) but has thrived under the care of Lucas and his physician wife, Weather. Now, she's 24, a college graduate and off on her own working in a ho-hum job for a U.S. Senator. When he learns of her unrest, he gives her an assignment of looking into the theft of oil from several Texas companies. The amount of oil missing and how much money the thefts amount to - chickenfeed in the overall scheme of oil industry profits - aren't of serious interest, but the senator is curious about where the profits are going and wants to make sure it's not to a right-wing militia group.

In part because Letty is still green around the ears when it comes to investigative skills, she's teamed with John Kaiser, a Department of Homeland Security investigator. At first, she's not delighted with that and neither is he, but they manage to put those feelings aside and, ultimately, develop real respect for each other (if it matters, he won me over as well). The thinking is that a woman who runs a far-right website and a male accomplice may be behind the thefts; when Letty and John head for Texas and find a couple of dead bodies clearly related to the two suspects, it moves into the sure-thing department and the chase is on. 

But exactly who they're chasing and what they're planning to do isn't quite so clear; all Letty and John know for sure is that many lives could be in the balance if they can't figure it out in time. Readers, of course, come along for the ride as chapters shift from the perspectives of the heroes and villains before reaching an explosive conclusion. From this reader's perspective, it was a heck of a journey - during which Letty earned her investigator stripes and made a believer out of me. Already, I'm looking forward to her next adventure. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!

The Investigator by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2022); 400 pp.

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.

MASKED PREY

5 stars out of 5

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.

Masked Prey by John Sandford (Penguin Group LLC, April 2020); 416 pp.

BLOODY GENIUS

5 stars out of 5

It's no secret that I love Bureau of Criminal

Apprehension agent Virgil Flowers - he long ago earned a forever spot on my Top 10 list of favorite book heroes. But it's also no secret that I'm not thrilled that he's in a serious relationship with a woman - Frankie - who in fact is close to delivering a set of twins she and Virgil concocted seven months or so ago. Somehow, he'd turned into a kinder and mellower Virgil - and in the process lost a bit of the edge that endeared him to me.

Well, after reading this, the 12th book in the series, I'd say he's still a little mellow and his language is, for the most part, more like a tricycle salesman than a truck driver. But overall, he's got that edge back - and for sure he's kept that irreverent sense of humor alive and well, as evidenced by my chuckles throughout, to-wit:

"You know how to kill any earworm? You hum that Walt Disney thing, 'It's a Small World.' It'll kill anything, but it's such a miserable song...it won't stay in your head on its own."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

But I digress. This story begins as Virgil is called in when a big-shot medical doctor and University of Minnesota professor is murdered in an upper-level, usually locked library room on the campus - a place he's really not supposed to be. Especially since he's for the most part an unlikable jerk, there's no shortage of suspects, from his research team colleagues to members of a rival research team to his own daughter. Most of the characters are quirky, to say the least (well, this is a university campus, after all). And early on, it appears the good doctor just might be living a secret life that involves illicit drugs and blackmail.

As is customary in these books, Virgil touches base with his former boss, Lucas Davenport (the subject of another popular series by this author and another of my love-to-read-about characters, BTW). A couple of his old friends get to help out, as does a scrappy female officer from the local police who gives Virgil a good run for his money in the sarcasm department.

Problem is, all of those above-mentioned suspects have what appear to be iron-clad alibis. Clearly, it will take a goodly amount of sleuthing to uncover the motive and catch the killer. All that is accomplished in fine Virgil style, making this another must-read book for fans like me. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. Bloody good!

Bloody Genius by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2019); 384 pp.

NEON PREY

4 stars out of 5

Only a couple of authors have written separate serial books featuring two different characters I absolutely love, and John Sandford is one of them. For years, law enforcement agents Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport have been never-miss favorites. It is the latter who takes center stage here (although happily, Virgil makes a couple of appearances as well).

That said, most characters in long-running series - at least in my experience, and I'll  cite as examples works by both Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, J.D. Robb and Janet Evanovich - over the years tend to lose a titch of the pizzazz that hooked me in the first place, and Lucas and Virgil are no exceptions. But hey: most of these characters aren't exactly spring chickens anymore, so slowing down a bit is to be expected (as I approach octogenarian status. I know this all too well). 

In fact, in this, the 29th in the series; even Lucas himself has a few moments of self-doubt. But he's still filthy rich (millions earned by gaming software he developed), married (to plastic surgeon Weather, who gets in a few good lines here) and hasn't lost his sense of humor. And while the thrill of the chase may have dropped a notch or two, it hasn't lessened my love of the books, including this one. It begins with a chase to find a hired killer named Deese; the marshals don't find him, but they do find graves filled with dead bodies. That's bad enough, but evidence shows this killer has a particularly nasty habit (let's just say if you put him in a room with Hannibal Lecter, one of the two wouldn't go home hungry and the other wouldn't go home at all). 

Lucas has an office in Minneapolis, but he works out of Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Marshals Service. Finding Deese is important to the feds not only because of his eating habits, but because it's believed that he's been hired by a bad guy named Roger Smith (no relation, I presume, to the late husband of Ann-Margret), who's the real target they're after. The chase brings together a few familiar (and likable) characters from previous books as well as a slew of law enforcement agencies from New Orleans to Los Angeles to Las Vegas. One raid in particular turns out not all that well for Lucas (triggering, so to speak, that self-doubt mentioned earlier).

All in all, it's another great adventure that doesn't disappoint (telling more might spoil the fun for other readers, so I won't). I must, however, note one of the highlights for me: The ever-dapper Lucas dressed in cargo shorts. Now that would be a sight to see!

Once again, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. 

Neon Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2019); 400 pp.

HOLY GHOST

5 stars out of 5


Virgil Flowers is back! And while he may be a bit more mellow than before he hooked up with girlfriend Frankie Nobles - who's pregnant with their baby, by the way - he hasn't lost much of his irreverent edge. Flashes of humor are here as always, this time nailing politics, frozen potpies and even visions of the Virgin Mary. Also sprinkled liberally throughout is the "f" word (fans of Virgil won't be shocked at all, but I mention it as a caution to those who might be). 

In my eyes, though, Virgil can do no wrong (well, let's say that when he does, it just makes him more lovable). In fact, I learned here that we have a new special bond; apparently, both of us are good at distinguishing the smells of manure from various farm animals (cows, chickens, pigs and horses in particular). I don't know about Virgil, but it's a skill I honed by spending my 18 formative years on a farm and at county fairs. 

As this story begins, Virgil is called to a tiny town in Minnesota, where a random sniper may be at work. Not long ago, the town became a tourist attraction, thanks to mysterious sightings of a "floating" Virgin Mary image at the local Catholic church. So far, two victims have been targeted - but as luck (or bad aim) would have it, neither was killed. That changes, though, when one of the town's socialites takes a fatal bullet.

The only clue is that all were shot at precisely 4:15 p.m., but no one can figure out why. Virgil and his cohorts, including Jenkins and Shrake, keep working the case, which early on leads to a local shooting range (after all, regular customers would be expected to know their way around guns). Nothing turns up - not even the owner - until the investigative team gets another unwelcome surprise. That the community also serves as home to a group of Nazi sympathizers adds more possibilities to the mix.

More details I can't reveal without spoiling things for others, but I will say (grudgingly) that the person I was certain was the shooter was way off the mark. The identity of the real killer - and the motive - came as a complete surprise (and the ending brought a surprise of a totally different sort). All told, this is yet another Flowers book that comes up roses. Good job!

Holy Ghost by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2018); 400 pp.

TWISTED PREY

5 stars out of 5


Can this possibly be the 28th book in the Prey series? I know I haven't missed many, so guess that makes me an oldie (but goodie). And so is the series; even if "star" character Lucas Davenport, now a federal marshal, seems to be a bit more laid back these days, there's plenty of action here that kept me reading until my Kindle battery insisted it needed a recharge.

Happily - and in one case, unhappily - a few other characters make return appearances in this one. There's Weather, Lucas's surgeon wife, Letty, his daughter, some former professional colleagues and the even more lovable (to me, at least) Virgil Flowers, upon whom Mr. Sandford has bestowed a series all his own.

Still another blast from the past is Taryn Grant, a psychopath who's now a U.S. Senator. Lucas is certain she's up to her old tricks (and being a billionaire, she's able to grease wheels till the Minnesota cows come home). One of her other enemies, Sen. Porter Smalls, knows firsthand how dangerous the woman is. In fact, he's convinced that a recent auto accident that nearly killed him - and did kill the driver - was all her doing. Proving that, though, just isn't in his skill set.

So, he calls in Lucas - who turns to local law enforcement, the FBI and others to help with the investigation. All heck breaks loose in the process, with suspicions turning into twists and turns that threaten the well-being of everyone involved, including Lucas's own family. And in the end, getting to the truth doesn't necessarily mean justice will be done. Or does it?

Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. 

Twisted Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2018); 395 pp.

DEEP FREEZE

5 stars out of 5

I'd love to meet Virgil Flowers. There. I said it. He's long been a favorite character (this is, I believe, his 10th book). Actually, so is the author's other series hero, Lucas Davenport, but Virgil always won out (if only by a little bit). I'm not exactly sure why, except Virgil has that "bad boy" appeal - coupled with an irresistible offbeat - many would say irreverent - sense of humor.

But Virgil wasn't all that thrilled to get involved here, for a couple of reasons. First, he's still got a couple of days left on his week's vacation. Second, the case takes him back to Trippton, Minnesota, where a while back he dealt with members of a local school board who put a unique twist on the concept of education. Now, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent has been called in to help with the murder of a very wealthy, divorced businesswoman whose body literally was fished out of a mostly frozen river. On the suspected night of her death, she'd hosted a get-together of planners of their high school class's 20-year mid-winter reunion - and as Virgil somewhat reluctantly begins his investigation, he learns the planning committee members may have been closer to enemies than friends.

Then, along comes another investigation - this one at the insistence of the Minnesota governor - and Virgil is even more reluctant to get involved. Mattel, it seems, has paid a California lawyer to track down whoever's been buying up Barbie dolls - then modifying them to "talk" using, shall we say, very suggestive phrases and reselling them on the black market. Just for the record, being not even close to a fan of Barbies (Ken and Skipper? Not in this lifetime), I immediately gave the perps points for ingenuity despite realizing (of course) the gravity of the crime. 

The Barbie-doll lawyer isn't the most pleasant of women (that she keeps bugging Virgil to work harder to catch the culprits while he's busy on the other murder case is one of her less endearing qualities). To make matters worse, that murder is followed by a second - and now Virgil really has his hands full; dealing with two issues at once really puts his nose out of joint. As usual, Virgil works everything out in the end, taking readers along for another fun ride. 

Maybe it's just me, but I sense that Virgil seems to have mellowed a bit over the last couple of books (or at least, ever since he hooked up with girlfriend Frankie). Of course, no one can stay young and irresponsible forever - this, I believe, is the tenth book -  but I really do miss his feistiness. On the plus side, though, he's still got his chuckle-eliciting one-liners. When, for instance, Virgil is told that Amazon sells "sex toys" all of which are eligible for Amazon Prime, he doesn't miss a beat. 

"That's a relief. I'd hate to wait for three days," he quips.

Virgil, my man, you've still got it (and if you'd like to discuss that over a cold Leinenkugel next time you're passing through my part of Ohio, give me a jingle - I'm buying). Meantime,  many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Deep Freeze by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2017); 399 pp.

GOLDEN PREY

5 stars out of 5

He's filthy rich, favors designer duds and fancy cars and has friends in very high places. And he's going places as well; no longer with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Lucas Davenport has signed on as a U.S. Marshal - and thanks to the aforementioned friends, the job comes with a whole lot of latitude. That may not endear him to his new coworkers, but it means he can pretty much do things his own way (as if he didn't before).

He's also more than a little bored; as he puts it, he wants to "hunt." In this, the 27th book in this series, he gets his chance and then some. The adventure begins after a drug cartel's counting house in Biloxi, Mississippi, is robbed. That alone might have been considered poetic justice by some in law enforcement, but in the process of stealing millions, the robbers kill five people - one an innocent six-year-old. So it is that Lucas gets the call to action, telling his cosmetic surgeon wife Weather as he packs up that he might be gone for two or three weeks.

Of course, simple cases are not the stuff great books are made of. As it turns out here, Lucas and his team aren't the only ones trying to find the robbers; the cartel folks don't take kindly to losing tons of money and want it back with human interest. One of the assassins they turn loose is a nasty character with a penchant for torturing victims in especially gruesome ways (hint: she's known as the "queen of home-improvement tools"). The story follows the two factions out to find the robbers, neither of whom, at least in the beginning, is aware that the other exists. When that reality hits - and the robbers learn they're being chased by two factions for very different reasons - the action really picks up steam. 

As usual, dead bodies are plentiful, the characters are colorful and the dialog is snappy and sometimes downright amusing. One of my favorite lines, for instance, comes from white-knuckle flyer Lucas as he's forced to take a puddle-jumper airplane ride from Mississippi to Texas:

"If I had my choice between flying to El Paso or getting a colonoscopy, I'd have to think about it."

Bottom line? Another terrific installment in one of my all-time favorite series. Already, I'm chomping at the bit to read the next one!

Golden Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2017); 399 pp.

ESCAPE CLAUSE

5 stars out of 5

Ah, man - I finished it. Now I'll have to wait for who knows how long (well, maybe the author has an inkling) for Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Virgil Flowers to make his next appearance in print.

Sigh. You see, over many years of reading the previous books in the series (this, I believe, is the ninth) as well as the author's Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport, the two have made and stayed on my Top 10 list of all-time favorite leading men. But the free-wheeling, often irreverent Virgil beats the more reserved Lucas hands down in my book - except maybe in the 2011 TV movie "Certain Prey" starring hunky Mark Harmon as Davenport.

The point is this: opening this book, like all that preceded it, is like opening the door to welcome an old friend - and I'm always sorry when our visits come to an end.

Here, Virgil finds himself entwined in two concurrent plots, starting with the apparent theft of two rare Amur tigers from the Minnesota zoo. Tiger parts, it seems, are in great demand in traditional Chinese medicine, and the race is on to find them before they're chopped, ground and funneled into high-priced vials. Meantime, Virgil's girlfriend Frankie's sister Sparkle, visiting for the summer, has put herself in the crosshairs of some very nasty people as she tries to get the dirt on mistreatment of migrant workers to finish her doctoral dissertation. Because of his relationship with Frankie, Virgil can't be directly involved with the latter issue, although (as usual), the issue has a way of involving him whether or not he likes it.

There's no shortage of action that includes plenty of blood, guts, gore and bawdy language. And also as usual, Lucas makes the occasional appearance, if only by phone (he was Virgil's boss at the BCI before getting fed up with the bureaucracy and leaving, but the two remain in touch). 

In the interests of full disclosure, I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. So lest I be accused of being overenthusiastic in my opinion because of my prior relationship with Virgil (I wish), I'll nitpick a bit - starting with the man himself. He seems to have mellowed a bit here, almost to the point of threatening his good ol' bad boy reputation. But after all, he is getting older, and he appears to be happily settled down with girlfriend Frankie, so maybe that's an inevitable progression. The ending, too, kind of gnawed at me; it was tasty, but a bit hard to swallow. 

The verdict? It's another solid entry in the Virgil Flowers series (and for those who may be concerned, it stands alone well). Highly recommended!

Escape Clause by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, October 2016); 400 pp.

EXTREME PREY

4 stars out of 5

Reading books I've received free in exchange for reviews, as I often do, is always a bit stressful. If nothing else, I've got to pay close attention and jot down notes to remind me what I liked (or didn't). So when I have the time to pick up a book by a favorite author - with a character that's on my list of 10 all-time favorites - I open it with a huge smile on my face. So it was when I started this one.

When I finished it, I was still smiling, but not quite as broadly. Maybe it was the more-than-slight political slant that turned me off a bit, and maybe it was just that the thrill of the chase wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped (well, at least not until the end, when all heck breaks loose). Bottom line? Well worth reading, but not the best of the 26-book series featuring Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport.

Make that former agent; fed up with the bureaucracy, Lucas - independently wealthy s a result of selling software he developed - has left the BCA, keeping busy remodeling his cabin in the Wisconsin woods. But then he gets a call from an old friend, the governor of Minnesota (who's running for President in hopes of landing the VP spot on the ticket) asking him to look into a possible assassination plot. He agrees, of course, and heads for Iowa to learn that apparently, someone is out to get another Presidential hopeful, Michaela Bowden, who's coming to the Hawkeye State to campaign.

As part of the investigation, Lucas hooks up with some interesting Iowa law enforcement officers, and the trail points to a couple of extremest groups that may be focused on assassination. That, in turn, raises a number of questions: Is it the whole group, or a member or two gone rogue? When and how will the assassination attempt be made? Can Lucas and his new police friends get the answers before something the unthinkable happens?

The investigative route is pretty extensive - literally, with Lucas driving hell bent for election (pun intended) all over the state and back. Lucas himself becomes a target more than once, narrowly escaping serious injury or death (for the record, I don't consider that a spoiler, since I can't imagine that anyone reading this expects Lucas to bite the dust and not be around for a 27th book). Still, the attempts to bring the investigation to a halt by whoever's doing it make it abundantly clear that something really big and really nasty is about to happen.

In the small towns of rural Iowa, Lucas and friends meet some colorful characters, to say the least. And for those who might be wondering, yes, as usual, the leading character in another of the author's series, Virgil Flowers (a.k.a., that f***'in Flowers) gets mentioned a time or two. Noticeably absent is Letty, Lucas's adopted daughter (of whom I'm not very fond, so I didn't miss her a whit) and Weather, his plastic surgeon wife (of whom I am, and I did). Here and there are touches of humor, and I found myself chuckling when I learned that I totally agree with Lucas's opinion of state fairs - give me a county fair any day, thank you very much. 

Even if this book isn't my favorite, I started it as a diehard Lucas Davenport fan and remain one at the end. For those who haven't read any of the books yet, it (and the others) stand alone quite well and I recommend them highly. 

Extreme Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2016); 410 pp.

GATHERING PREY

4 stars out of 5

Hard to believe this is the 25th book in the "Prey" series - most of which I've read - and while I won't call it the best of the bunch, it's well worth reading as usual. Also as usual, author Sandford manages to get in a guest appearance by one of his other cool characters, Virgil Flowers.

The story begins when Letty, the daughter adopted by Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport and his surgeon wife, Weather, is home from college. Letty gets a call from a panhandling woman she befriended in San Francisco, who's begging for help in the belief that someone is killing off her traveling friends. Letty insists on helping the girl, and while Lucas suspects the whole thing is just a panhandling ploy, he agrees to accompany Letty. 

As it turns out, Letty's newfound friend is on to some nastiness that could rival the Charles Manson gang (led by a guy who goes by the handle of Pilate). Following the gang members, who leave behind a string of grisly murders, takes Lucas out of his usual Gopher State to others including Wisconsin and Michigan's remote Upper Peninsula. In the process, he asks for and gets help from his buddy Virgil (a.k.a. "that f***ing Flowers") - always a treat for me because, well, I like him better than Lucas. In the process of catching the bad guys and gals, Lucas manages to get under the skin of his higher-ups (in part because he pulled Virgil off another job without permission). Lucas also is starting to see unwelcome changes in how he and his work are valued, hinting at changes that may come in future books.

For the most part, the thrill of the chase remained exciting throughout; but I'll also say that Letty - more than a bit of an errant child - isn't my favorite character by a long shot. I certainly don't want anything bad to happen to her, but if it did, I honestly wouldn't miss her much. I do like Lucas's wife Weather, but she gets exceptionally short shrift here. I also feared in the beginning that Sandford may be slipping toward the banality of Stuart Woods's Stone Barrington series when it comes to dialogue that seems to be more blather than substance. Then again, there are plenty of hopeful (and amusing) indications that this won't happen, such as this conversation with a Wisconson cop:

Lucas: "You divorced yet?"

Cop: "Let's not go there...I think she's gonna get the season tickets for the Packers."

Oh yeah - Sandford's still got it.

Gathering Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, April 2015); 416 pp.

DEADLINE

4 stars out of 5

Not long ago, I was challenged to come up with a Top 10 list of all-time favorite book "heroes." Sandford's Virgil Flowers came in at No. 7 (though my ranking for 7 through 4 are pretty much interchangeable depending on how much I enjoyed the most recent book). Nothing in this one changed my mind - that fu**in' Flowers is still a hoot and this, the eighth in the series, is another winner.

What makes me love him so much? I'm not totally sure, except to say that unlike his boss, the richer-than-God Lucas Davenport (the main character in another Sandford series), ol' Virgil still has a hint (okay, more than a hint) of maverick in him. Then too, there are the wisecracks (although not always coming from Virgil), to-wit:

"It's darker in there than a black cat's ass in a coal mine."

"Coyotes don't eat dachshunds."

"It's a fu**in' Chihuahua. It's practically a fu**in' hamster."

And if that isn't enough, what's not to love about a guy whose favorite brewski is Leinenkugel?

As you might suspect, this one has gone to the dogs. There is, it seems, a whole lot of dognapping going on; at the request of a friend, Virgil starts a mostly unofficial investigation of the apparent theft of dogs from local owners in rural southeast Minnesota. Most likely, the theory is, the kidnappers are rounding up the canines to sell to medical labs for research purposes.

Then comes a call from boss Davenport; a local newspaper reporter has been found murdered, and this investigation is an official assignment. So, for the most part the other investigation goes to the dogs while Virgil follows clues to track down the killer and finds himself in the middle of a hugely lucrative embezzlement scheme involving, of all things, members of a local school district's board of education.

There aren't a lot of surprises here, nor are there meant to be; for the most part, the bad guys and gals are known pretty much from the git-go. The fun comes in the where, when and how of nailing down the evidence so arrests can be made (with not a few more dead bodies turning up along the way). 

I won't say this is the best-ever entry in this series, but it's still a hoot and, IMHO, well worth the relatively short time it takes to read.

Deadline by John Sandford (Putnam Adult, October 2014); 389 pp.

FACEOFF

5 stars out of 5

This book, a compilation of short stories, gets 5 stars from me not so much because of enjoyability, but rather because it's such a unique work. Where else - except for previous versions featuring different authors - could you possibly find so many top-notch thriller writers in the same book, not to mention with characters paired up as never before and probably never again?

Edited by equally well-known author David Baldacci, sales from the book benefit the group International Thriller Writers, to which all these guys and gals belong. The anthology includes 11 stories, all co-written by two writers (in one case, three). Now that I've finished them all, I'll say up front that they're not equally good; in fact, only four of the 11 would get more than 3 stars were I to rate them individually. But as I implied at the beginning, this book is truly a Gestalt: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I'll also acknowledge the possibility that my subconscious was helping to sway my opinions; when I took a closer look at my four favorites, it turns out all four are by authors whose characters (and writing styles) are quite familiar to me. Hopefully that's not the case; but even if it was, a few characters in other stories intrigued me enough that I intend to look for books by that author with an eye toward reading them. And (beyond beefing up the writers' group coffers), isn't that really the name of the game?

For the record, my very favorite story, "Rhymes with Prey," pitted Jeffery Deaver with John Sandford (John Camp in real life), with Deaver's Lincoln Rhymes meeting up with Sandford's Lucas Davenport. And therein began my suspicion that familiarity breeds familiarity; just recently, I finished Sandford's new Field of Prey and Deaver's The Skin Collector - so maybe, just maybe, those were still on my mind when I made my choice. 

Other noteworthy (to me) collaborations here are "The Devil's Bones" by Steve Berry and James Rollins, featuring characters Cotton Malone and Gray Pierce; "Good and Valuable Consideration" by Lee Child and Joseph Finder with characters Jack Reacher (thankfully, with Tom Cruise nowhere in sight) and Nick Heller; and "Gaslighted" by primarily children's book author R.L. Stine and the team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child with characters Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy and Aloysius Pendergast. 

And for the record, the other stories are:

"Red Eye," by Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly (characters Patrick Kenzie and Harry Bosch

"In the Nick of Time" by Ian Rankin and Peter James (John Rebus and Roy Grace)

"The Laughing Budda" by M.J. Rose and Lisa Gardner (Malachai Samuels and D.D. Warren)

"Surfing the Panther" by Steve Martini and Linda Fairstein (Paul Madriani and Alexandra Cooper)

"Infernal Night" by Heather Graham and F. Paul Wilson (Michael Quinn and Repairman Jack)

"Pit Stop" by Raymond Khoury and Linwood Barclay (Sean Reilly and Glen Garber)

"Silent Hunt" by John Lescroart and T. Jefferson Parker (Wyatt Hunt and Joe Trona)

Author biographies are at the end, and an introduction to each story provides some background as to how and why the story was developed (all very interesting, BTW). In short (pun intended), this is an excellent effort all-around and I hope the group continues to publish others now and again.

FaceOff by Lee Child, Michael Connelly and others (Simon & Schuster, June 2014); 384 pp.