This was the first John Sandford book I have had the opportunity to read. I really enjoyed it! I didn't know if it would matter that I hadn't read any others, but felt like I could just jump into this one. It grabbed me from the beginning and was such a fun read that I had a hard time putting down. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

A spin-off from the Prey novels, the main character is Lucas Davenport’s adopted daughter, Lettie and the first book in the series. It’s fast paced, not having all the “ladies” that Lucas had slept with which is a break. It’s formula written like all his books, but much better than Stuart Woods books, although I read those as well. Good character plots for this new series, but I give it 3 stars. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC.

Smart, fast-paced, and fun! A great continuation of the beloved Lucas Davenport series! This book contains the best elements of Sandford’s works!

A book that has Letty Davenport as the main investigator, well at least for me she was. She was teamed with a man from Homeland who finally came around to her skills. The person or persons that they were looking for turned out to be another strong female character just on the wrong side of the law. This all made for a very good book that opened with action and lead you on the journey to the very last page. I enjoyed this book and the characters all of them the good and the bad for they all worked with the story and made for a very good read. If you have read any of the Lucas Davenport books you will know this character if not there is a brief look back as to how she was adopted by Lucas and his wife and how she went to Standford. Overall very much worth the read.

This was a fun and exciting read that takes you on an amazing adventure. The characters are well rounded and the twists and turns will give you whiplash.

3.5 stars with a major cliffhanger. Letting Davenport, Lucas's adopted daughter, has been hired as an investigator/researcher by Senator Colles regarding missing crude oil. But of course it turns out to be much more. Obviously with the cliffhanger we'll be seeing more of Lettie in her own series.

Letty Davenport is the new star of John Sandford's latest series. She's Lucas Davenport's adopted daughter and is tough, determined, and hardcore. She's the perfect lead for this series.
I look forward to reading more about her!

I love John Sanford. I have read every one of the books that he has written. I feel like this one tried too hard to appeal to everyone. It tried just too hard in general. I think the series has the potential to be turned around but did not stay true to the hard gritty approach we typically see. I think it would have made more sense coming from a character that was more in line with the story's outcome.

Well I guess Lucas Davenport is getting old because now we have his daughter, Letty! She's even tougher and smarter than her dad. Great story and setup for the next one!

Liked it. I'd read more in this series. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on April 12, 2022

John Sandford has never been a friend to readers on the far right. Some readers made that clear in Amazon “reviews” of Lucas Davenport novels in which Davenport prevented the assassination of a female Democrat who was running for the presidency and tackled threats from white supremacists. The “reviews” portrayed Sandford as a propogandist for the far left despite his love of guns, the value he places on law enforcement, and his apolitical approach to p4otagonists. Readers who value thrillers that paint everyone from the Middle East as evil incarnate while pretending domestic threats only come from “antifa” will probably want to stay away from Sandford, notwithstanding (or because of) the political centrism he brings to his novels.

The Investigator is the first novel to star Letty Davenport. Letty is Lucas’ adopted daughter. She has many of Lucas’ traits. She loves guns and isn’t bothered when she kills people, although she doesn’t kill them indiscriminately. She’s not much interested in most people who don’t work for law enforcement. She’s really not fond of violent extremists.

Letty is working in an internship for a senator who assigns her to work as a Senate investigator attached to Homeland Security because of her unique skills, including her willingness to conduct searches for which the police would need a warrant. She works with a former Delta, now a Homeland Security agent, to track down a threat posed by multiple militias in Texas. The militia leader, Jane Jael Hawkes, has a problem with migrants. Hawkes' own militia sometimes kills “illegals” rather than helping the Border Patrol take them into custody. Now she’s purchased stolen C4 and has teamed up with other militias to do something nefarious. It is clear to the reader that the nefarious act will have something about a caravan that is moving through Mexico on its way to a town in Texas that might offer refugee status to the travelers. Hawkes and her followers brand any political leader who would allow refugees into the country as "traitors."

The Investigator is chilling because the story’s foundation is convincing. You only need to dive into the comment sections of any mainstream news site/blog to understand how many people in this country prefer lies to facts, bigotry to tolerance, and guns to reason. They blame everyone but themselves for their circumstances. While their complaints about “elites” or “rich people” might be founded in the real world, they expand their grievances to include powerless individuals, including migrants, who cause them no harm. The powerless are easier to threaten or beat or kill than the powerful corporate leaders who ship jobs overseas while convincing workers that unions will somehow make their miserable jobs worse. People harboring irrational grievances who believe problems can be solved with guns are easily manipulated. The Investigator illustrates how easily manipulation might lead to tragedy.

Sandford’s fans know that Lucas Davenport novels can be dark while Virgil Flowers novels tend to be a bit lighter. The Investigator is on the darker side. Sandford’s dialog is always characterized by characters taking friendly shots at each other. Letty and her DHS partner do the same as they bond, but that dialog offers the only humor in a novel that takes the threat of domestic terrorism seriously.

Letty’s initial investigation give the novel the feel of detective fiction. The story gradually transitions to an action novel as Letty and her Homeland Security sidekick, without any of the superhuman antics of tough guy thriller heroes, take on the militias that have invaded a Texas town. The combination of investigation and action has served Sandford well. It is particularly effective in The Investigator. High-octane action and smart plot combine to make The Investigator one of my favorite Sandford novels. Sandford can probably make any character carry a series, but Letty clearly has what it takes to star in future novels.

RECOMMENDED

Great thriller, detective read! Excited to read more about Davenport's adventures. Would recommend to anyone who likes procedural crime thrillers.

Things are much different from what they appear to be.

“The Investigator” opens with a perfectly described scenario that conjures up mystery, intrigue, and danger. A blue-eyed young woman waits. Adrenalin kicks in, and readers turn the pages.

Problems unfold that are numerous, multifaceted, and laden with political ramifications. These problems are created by complex, scheming, and deceptive people, and it will take people just as complex to solve them. Characters are introduced with complete backgrounds including idiosyncrasies and talents. Readers know who they and what they are. They have diverse jobs, personalities, and social inclinations. They do not just “hope” for things to work themselves out. They see things as they are, and project out both the actions and their consequences.

The story is told from alternating points of view so readers know what participants do not. People are professional and deal with multiple complex problems at any given time. There are murders to be solved, and murders to be prevented. There is also that “little oil” thing, some money complications, as well as a potential political “slip-up.” Paths will inevitably cross, and the one who discovers the other one first will gain the advantage.

Sandford creates emotion and tension through vivid descriptions that drop readers into the action on the “hot flat plain, where in the distance, the circular horizon wraps around them like the edge of an old LP record,” and the “billiard-table highway dwindles to a pinpoint ahead of them.” I received a review copy of “The Investigator” from John Sandford, Penguin Group, and G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing. Conflict and tension permeate the narrative, and it is a thrill ride from the first page to the last. This is book one in a new series featuring Letty Davenport, and I will certainly be reading the next book!

“The Investigator” by John Sandford is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, or anywhere books are found.

This is my first read of John Sanford.
I thoroughly loved The Investigator! It is the first book in the new Letty Davenport series. Letty Davenport is the adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport. She is a real go getter, tough as nails, extremely smart, witty and makes very ballsy decisions. Her sidekick, Kaiser, keeps her grounded and focused. They are sent on a mission to investigate thefts of oil in a small Texas town. Along the way they run into a situation with a Militia group.
Fast paced and action packed is what you will get reading The Investigator.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group.

Lettie Davenport is trying to find a job she is interested in long-term. She took a position as an investigator for Senator Colles on advice from her father. She and Kaiser, another investigator got sent out to Texas to peak around in the oil fields to see if they could uncover a theft ring there. They managed to find possible leaves, but they kept disappearing and turning up dead. Lettie and Kaiser was wondering what the money was going to finance which opened a whole can of worms full of gun nuts, border nuts, and people willing to do almost anything. As typical in in a Sandford novel, there is plenty of action and snarky comments. It will be interesting to see what Lettie gets involved with next!

Letty Davenport is now a U.S. Senate Staffer connected to DHS in this thriller that starts as an investigation into stolen crude oil and where the proceeds are going. All evidence leads to Jael, a militia leader with a plan she calls her "Alamo." Jael and her followers want to stop illegal immigration and they are organized and ready to take it on directly. Letty, along with a DHS operative, John Kaiser are following the leads, and getting good intelligence from D.C., but it may not be enough to prevent a catastrophe. If only they can figure out what Jael is planning and get the Washington bureaucracy to move fast enough.

This is an entertaining novel and Letty and John make good partners with the perfect backgrounds to carry off a sophisticated investigation.

I've been waiting for Letty to get her own story, Sandford's definitely been preparing us for this. In her "debut" she finds herself in an assignment with Homeland security, investigating an oil theft that is likely finding something illegal. I really like the plot and where it led. There were some moments that required a suspension of belief, but not too many. What I did not like about this book, however, is that Sandford does not write female characters well, and this is really exposed when Letty is the central character. She's a "tough chick" who doesn't put up with sexist comments, except when she does. There are several examples of inconsistencies in her character that are not simply explained as her being a "complex" character. Sandford is a wonderful writer and I hope he can smooth out those kinks moving forward with this series, I'd like to see more of Letty in the lead role. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

John Sandford has finally written a book about Lucas Davenport's adopted daughter now that she is all grown up. Letty's character needs a bit more polishing but I expect that will come with time if Sanford chooses to continue writing about her. I hope he doesn't give up writing about Virgil Flowers though, he is my favorite of the Sanford characters, after Lucas himself of course.

Outstanding debut of the Letty Davenport series. John Sanford fans and new readers alike will enjoy this fast paced tail across Texas. Fans will remember Letty as the daughter of Sanford's character Lucas Davenport. She's well worthy of her own series from witty banter to ruthless gun-slinging.

Solid read, great thriller. I think if I had read the Lucas Davenport books I'd be more attached, but will still be recommending this to everyone. I was on the edge of my seat and the book took me by surprise plenty of times, which is hard to do!