I read all of Sandford's books because he does this genre so well and I know I'll be reading a book that I will be totally immersed in. I also appreciate the familiar characters and the changes in their lives.
This volume was particularly engaging and had even more twists and turns than usual. It's a complex work and readers may have to work a little harder than usual. But, oh... it is so worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. And to the author... keep them coming!

I love this new series with Letty Davenport! She's so tough, so cool. She's undercover again as the girlfriend of a computer hacker, and they are such interesting characters. I love Cartright too! Nice addition. This is an interesting book taking pages right out of the news about Ukraine and Russia. Highly recommend this book and all of John Sandford's books!

Please, please ,please continue this series. I love ALL of Sandford's books and there not out quick enough. Letty has always been a great character.

I read this through Netgalley as an arc.

5⭐!! This was a fantastic read, as all of his books are! Story flowed, characters well fleshed out and believable, constant action, can't wait to read the next book in the series. On the downside, there are a few instances were words are mixed up or doubled up, but doesn't take away from the story and expected as an ebook and an arc.

4.5 Stars

Big thanks to both G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Dark Angel!

Homeland Security suspects a hacker group - Ordinary People - of planning to go after the natural gas grid in a large city in the Midwest. While Letty and her reluctant partner from the NSA, Rod Baxter, work to make inroads with Ordinary People and uncover their plans, they begin to suspect that there is something DHS isn't telling them. Might it have something to do with the real world, ripped from the headlines, far-reaching conspiracy?

Compared to the first book, I liked this one so much better! This time, Letty wasn't calling all the shots. This time, she was part of a team that was all working together. I loved all the players, but especially Baxter! Where Letty first saw just a heavyset guy who loved to eat, she soon came to appreciate how smart, and funny he was. I would love to see him in the next book!

Letty has joined a club of women shooters, where she meets Barbara Cartwright, who happens to be a CIA officer, and who has a similar personality as Letty. She, too, joins the team. I loved her nearly as much as I loved Baxter, and I would love to see her in future books, as well.

Dark Angel is a fun read, and I highly recommend it!!

Dark Angel by John Sandford, another worthy page-turner from a crime thriller virtuoso.

“You killed three people in Texas, and two more, five years ago, in St. Paul. How do you feel about that?”

“If you’re asking if I’m suffering from PTSD, the answer is ‘No.’ If you’re asking if I enjoyed it, the answer is ‘No,’” Letty said. “I have no urge to kill anyone, but I’m willing to, if pushed into a corner.”

So explains Sandford’s lead character, Letty Davenport, when asked about her background when the National Security Agency (NSA) brings her in for an undercover op to track down a well-organized cell of hackers known as Ordinary People. The NSA reps tell her the hackers are nosing around natural gas distribution systems and they think the group intends to shut down the natural gas supply of a northern city in a ransomware attack which could, in the dead of winter, cause civilian fatalities. The NSA wants Letty to hook up with one of their computer specialists and to protect him as he tries to infiltrate the hacker cell to identify as many of them as possible so the agency can avert the ransomware attack. Letty still works as an investigator for the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, although her real boss is Senator Christopher Colles, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. While Letty suspects the NSA reps aren’t telling her the entire story, she accepts the assignment when Colles asks her to take it. Once Letty and her computer specialist partner, Rod Baxter, arrive in L.A., the home turf of Ordinary People and start contacting people who can introduce them to members of the hacker group, Letty soon realizes her suspicions are well-founded. There is much about the operation the NSA didn’t tell her and Baxter when they signed on. It isn’t long before they discover the NSA has pitted them against a far more dangerous adversary than a bunch of computer nerds, and their actual mission has nothing to do with keeping someone from shutting off natural gas supplies.

The Letty Davenport series is a new spin-off series, but Letty is far from a new character. She is the adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, currently a U. S. Marshal, and the lead character in Sandford’s bestselling Prey series and appeared in many of the Prey novels. Because Lucas is aging out as a believable law enforcement character, Letty seems to be the heir apparent to the Davenport legacy and franchise. Those unfamiliar with Letty would do well to read Naked Prey, the fourteenth book in the Prey series that introduces her. Understanding her backstory helps provide an accurate understanding of why she is the woman she is in this series. I love the Letty Davenport character for many reasons. First, she is an excellent, strong female lead character. I like the persona Sandford has created for her, making her seem like a person, not a caricature. Finally, I like Letty because she is so much like her father that she and Lucas might as well be blood kin. That’s something she is well aware of, as this quote from the book illustrates.

“He [Lucas Davenport] and I are a lot alike. Uh… My mom says we both look at the world through untinted glasses. We don’t think about what it might be, or should be, or used to be, only what it is.”

Like Lucas, Letty is the predator when it comes to taking down violent criminals. She isn’t bloodthirsty, but also like her father, she has no qualms about shooting people that need it and may even lean a little towards being a sociopath.

One thing John Sandford does best is strong characterization. And in Dark Angel he offers a full slate of interesting, fully developed characters, including the believable antagonists. John Kaiser, a former special forces operator and another Department of Homeland Security investigator who teams up with Letty in the first book, is back in this one. He is another likeable and relatable character. Also, Sandford introduces a new standout character, Barbara Cartwright, a CIA officer, who shares both a similar background and a similar personality with Letty. Only Cartwright is a little bloodthirsty. She ends up in L.A. as a reinforcement once things get tense for Letty and Baxter. I have a feeling we’ll see more of Cartwright as the series progresses.

John Sandford, one of my favorite crime authors, is an excellent writer and storyteller. That’s not surprising since he began his career as a journalist. His books always reveal thorough research and he gets things right. But something I admire about Sandford is his imagination. Time and again he comes up with original, absorbing stories and plots built around current events that make them even more realistic. This book is no exception. While his Prey series is my favorite because I really like the Lucas Davenport character, I think Dark Angel is every bit as good as the best novels in the Prey series. I loved the first book in the series, The Investigator, but enjoyed this one even more.

My advice is to begin reading this book early in the day, because Sandford grabs you from the start and you won’t want to put this book down until you read the last page.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes.

am on the fence on this series; I love the character of Letty and Sanford is building a great set of supporting characters. In that way, and in the action and investigation aspects, it's very similar to the fun of the Prey series but the canvas is bigger, given Letty's role. I don't think he's doing a great job with the more female aspects of the character, basically I feel a bit like it's writing Lucas as a younger, modern person vs Letty as her own character. Maybe that will change with time.

The story is timely and a very tight clock on the plot, which adds a sense of urgency. As I mentioned, I really like the supporting characters and the world that's being built around Letty. I hope to see many of them again. I liked the story, feel like the plot worked very well all the way through; didn't particularly care for the epilogue, I felt like that particular story existed just to be salacious but maybe the next book will prove me wrong.

I rejoice when there is a new Sanford, and this one day read only made my holiday weekend brighter. Lettuce is a terrific character, and the Russian/Ukrainian plot not only was clever, but also poignant and up to the minute. Bring on the next installment.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This is the second in the “Letty Davenport” Series. What a great series that you can’t wait for the next to come out. Letty has certain skills that were taught her by Lucas Davenport and that make her special to the Department of Homeland Security. NSA has asked to borrow Letty to help them find and infiltrate a hacker group called the Ordinary People with a computer specialist from NSA as her partner. They are supposed to drive across the country and try to find the group’s California headquarters and report with names and places to NSA. But someone within their circle has betrayed them and now their lives are in danger and the lives of the Ordinary People who end up helping Letty and her partner. Pick up this book and fall into Letty Davenport’s World of Espionage and Danger.

This is a good new series. I like the main character Letty. Similar to the early Lucas series when he was more reckless. Hope this continues for many more books

Dark Angel by John Sandford is a departure from his much enjoyed “Prey” novels. This story chronicles the adventures of Letty Davenport on the trail of an organization known as Ordinary People for certain persons in various positions in the U.S. government. There is too much descriptive time devoted to guns and weapons (size, manufacturers, calibration, etc.) and the reader can easily become bored reading about the guns, tattoos, ladies’ gun clubs, Russian infiltration, etc.
It would be difficult for this reader to recommend this novel or even to refer to it as a thriller. I thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

Letty Davenport works for a senator in DC, but really, she's a hired gun whom he sends on assignments. This time, in the buildup to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she and a guy from the NSA are supposed to infiltrate a team of renegade computer hackers on the west coast. The NSA employee, Rod Baxter, is a really smart, funny guy who's got OCD, has a low tolerance for risk, and is extremely overweight. Letty, posing as his girlfriend, is actually supposed to protect him. As they get to know each other, and throughout the book, the banter is clever and entertaining. The investigation, the cast of characters, Letty's prowess as a hunter (uncannily like her adoptive father), and the nonstop action would be good enough to rate this book five stars.

But Sandford just keeps getting better. He gives us a reluctant, unlikely partnership that develops into friendship. He gives us a frightened but brilliant and ethical young guy who learns and grows, and ends up getting the experience of a lifetime (and is a strong enough character that I'd like to see them doing more work together). He (Sandford) gives Letty a new, kick-@$$ group of women shooters with whom she can be friends, and one of them particularly is like a big sister. There's so much to like about this book.

Some authors doing long-term series choose not to let their characters age. Sandford has chosen a new Davenport to carry the Prey mantle, and I like her as much or more than her legendary dad. Will be eagerly awaiting Book Three in the series. Bravo.

Letty Davenport is back and badder than ever. Dark Angel is book 2 in the new series from John Sandford.

"Homeland Security suspects a hacker group - Ordinary People - of planning to go after the natural gas grid in a large city in the Midwest. Letty and an operative from the NSA are sent undercover to try and infiltrate the group before they shut down a city in the winter. Letty and her partner head to California but Letty is uneasy - there's something that DHS is not telling her..."

Letty has come a long way from that small town in Minnesota when she had to fend for herself as a 12-year-old - using an old .22 rifle to protect herself from a corrupt deputy. Now she has a graduate degree in Economics from Stanford and is one of the best shots in the agency. Probably the biggest "suspend belief" part of these books is how much leeway a green 25-year-old agent has in the different ops.

Sandford keeps the story moving until a lull near the end. You know what's coming but he makes you wait for it. Lots of action in this one. And Sandford has a big "what if" with the hacker group.

You think the story is moving a certain way but Sandford uses today's headlines to take it out there. Who knows? Maybe that's what happened.

All of Sandford's books can be read as stand-alones. This is another action-packed, fast-paced narrative from Sandford. You'll love the Peacemaker club.

In book 2 of this series, Letty Davenport goes undercover to root out computer hackers who the government believes are planning an attack on a natural gas line somewhere in the US. Paired with a computer geek from the NSA, Letty and her backup pals get enmeshed in a far reaching conspiracy with international consequences. Absolutely loved the banter between Letty and her partner, with plenty of action and the sarcastic humor that’s a trademark of author John Sandford. This is an excellent addition to the “Prey” series, and fans of the author will not be disappointed. A fun read, and a no-doubt 5 stars for this novel, and I can’t wait for the next book in this series. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy Letty Davenport, who is a feminine version of her father, Lucas Davenport. Her plots seem heavy on shootouts and lower on investigation than her father's plots, but I'm still happy to be along for the ride.

Another excellent John Sandford book! What a treat to read this thriller starring Letty Davenport. I was enthralled as the adventures quickly moved forward through various locations and through numerous twists and turns. Fun humor too with laugh aloud repartee between the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the opportunity to read this wonderful ARC.

Very good book love the Lefty Davenport series like it just as well as her father’s series if not better thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review this book

This book is fantastic!!! I love Letty's exploits the things she learned from her adoptive father. She's living up to his legacy, fighting evil in its many forms. In this novel, she is "recruited", along with a NSA officer, to infiltrate a group of hackers. Along the way, both she and Baxter (NSA), know they're being lied to, but aren't sure about what or the true purpose of their mission. While they're trying to figure it out, they travel cross country and begin collecting dead bodies, along with an impressive collection of nerds, armory, and tech.

This novel hooked me from the very first page and kept me hooked until the very last page. The author has, crafted a tightly woven tale that will capture your attention and keep you engaged. I never cease to be amazed and the diabolical plots he's able to create. They're complex, tightly woven, and guaranteed to keep you up late into the night reading. This one is a must read for fans of the genre. The author is on my must read authors''s list.