Back in 2003, Doris Grandfelt was brutally murdered and her body was dumped in a park. Law enforcement did what they could, but were unable to solve the case. That included the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension based in St. Paul and two young investigators, new to the organization, Jenkins and Shrake. Because they were new and the body was a young white woman, they were regulated to the periphery and not really able to work the case. They had some ideas on investigative leads that were not taken seriously by their bosses and slowly the case fizzled to a halt.

In the here and now of Lethal Prey: A Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers Novel set more than two decades later, Lucas Davenport is seeing 60 coming at him fast and is a bit depressed and bored. It has been a few months since the events in Toxic Prey and he misses having a smart killer or killers worth chasing. Both Letty and Weather think he needs a hobby. What he needs is a case worth doing as his current assignment, which has been marginally interesting, is about to be over in a few hours.

Soon he gets a call from Senator Elmer Henderson. While Davenport is a US Marshall, Henderson is pretty much his boss and likes to put him on projects that are very important and need results. At roughly the same time Davenport got his call, BCA Agent Virgil Flowers got his phone call from his boss telling him that he was assigned to work with Lucas and to attend a meeting with Lucas and numerous other folks the next day.

Davenport and Flowers go to the meeting at the house of Laura Grandfelt along with Senator Henderson and several other power brokers. Grandfelt has money and pollical connections and is tired of waiting for the wheels of justice to get her sister’s killer. It has been over twenty years and she wants the killer caught and dealt with by the justice system. She wants Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers to lead the new investigation as they had no role at all in the original investigation. She is also aware that they both have a reputation of getting killers. She is putting up a five-million-dollar reward for information that identifies the killer or killers and will go public with the offer later in the day.

She knows that announcing her offer on numerous True Crime websites will cause a huge media interest and bring out the crazies. She doesn’t care and won’t take no for an answer. Neither will their bosses who are present to pressure Flowers and Davenport to take the case. Not that any pressure is really needed as they are interested. They both realize that a storm is about to be unleashed and the best they can do is ride it out and work the case.

What follows is a complicated and fast-moving read. As often happens in this series now, readers know from the opening pages the identity of the killer. What is left is the chase and it is a good one.

Lethal Prey: A Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sandford is another good read. Much of the backstory of Davenport and Flowers is repeated here so readers new to the series can jump in here. Us old hands at this series are reminded how much has gone on over all these years. A mighty good read and one that is well worth your time.

Strongly Recommended.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Another humorous adventure with Lucas and Virgil. Sandford always provides a great read through the voices of his beloved characters!

My thanks to Penguin Group/Putnam, John Sandford and Netgalley.
It's an odd thing, but in all the years of reading Davenport and Flowers I've never been bored. Yet, this damned book was toothless. I kept waiting for someone "Virgil or Lucas" to kill these arseholes. That did not happen. The laughs? A few, but really? Also, can we just get some Johnson Johnson? He and Virgil are a hoot!
I've been reading Sandford since the 1990's and this book is the one and only book that was very, very bland and kind of "dare I say?" boring.
I know you're getting old, as are we all, but shit or get off the pot. This story was not up to its usual standards.

I didn't find Lethal Prey as exciting as the other "Prey" novels. I think adding the activists to the investigation was a turn-off, but mostly author John Sandford has too much banter between his leads, Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport.. It feels like filler material. That said, once it got rolling I was all in,
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

As I am a HUGE John Sandford fan, I was thrilled to receive this book as an ARC from NetGalley. And one with Davenport and Flowers working together, even better! As always, Sandford spins an incredible story of crime and mayhem, with a fair dose of further personal character development. So happy that Virgil finally tied the knot. And this better not be the end of his story!
I always enjoy the crazy characters that pop up as the main villain! No two are ever really the same. This time, he found a doozy!
I loved the book. Not as much as others, but still, Sandford's books are always a notch above all others. I was confused about the crime "crowd-sourcing", but hey, I appreciate his use of a new strategy. Who knows, maybe it will lead somewhere?
I took the liberty of reading some of the reviews others made before writing this one myself. A large number of them complained about the ending. Or lack of one. Sure, I like my books to be wrapped up tight at the end like anyone else. But I think everyone is overlooking the point! The killer is still out there, not convicted yet. My bet is that Sandford is going to bring her back in one of the next books, and she will be crazier than ever! Over 50 books in, and he has still got it!

Twenty years ago a woman was brutally murdered. Her twin and now wealthy sister has lost patience with law enforcement and offers a large reward on social media to anyone who can solve the crime. The politicians to whom she donates suddenly decide this cold case needs attention. Hence the involvement of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. They conduct an interesting investigation with the added element of wrangling all those
social media reward seeking “deputies”.

It's a Lucas Davenport/Virgil Flowers book. By this point, if you're a fan of the series, you know what to expect. Lucas is a great hunter of killers and Virgil is great at essentially causing chaos to get the chaos solved. This probably wasn't my favorite of the series but it was a solid installment. I still really want this series to go back to separate installments for the characters. I'd like Lucas to just be by himself and Virgil to just be by himself and Letty just be by herself. Mashing them up is taking the best parts and making them less by having to now balance the other characters as well. It's still great but I just miss when they were separate series.

What will I ever do if John Sandford ever stops writing?!?
The latest in the Lucas Davenport/Virgil Flowers team ups is a good one! The two are called together to work a cold case with a twist. The victim’s surviving twin wants to offer a five million dollar reward to the plethora of true crime websites for help in solving her sister’s gruesome murder. So they aren’t thrilled to have to be wrangling a bunch of amateur sleuths. However, with all the attention now refocused on the case, the serial killer has to do some work to circumvent their discovery.
I’m a loyal fan of Mr. Sandford because he gives us believable protagonists and chilling villains. I race through these stories but I can also appreciate the characters he’s aged like fine (if a bit banged up) wine. I look forward to the next!
**Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of this novel! **

While I read the Lucas and Letty Davenport novels, the Prey novels featuring Davenport and Virgil Flowers are my favorites. Lethal Prey has a smart killer, and all the witticisms you expect from the two protagonists. And, it’s a cold case, which I love.

In 2003, an accounting clerk was stabbed to death in the women’s restroom of an accounting firm. But, no one realized the restroom was the crime scene when the victim’s body was found in a park. The killer is followed from the company to the park, a jealous killer who was determined that the dead woman, Doris Grandfelt, would not interfere with her plans to marry a man who was having sex with the victim.

Twenty years later, Davenport and Flowers are recruited for a cold case. Doris Grandfelt’s killer was never found. Now, Doris’ twin sister, Lara, has cancer, and she’s willing to put up a five million dollar reward for information leading to the identification of the killer. And, Lara has clout. She’s able to call on a senator, lawyers, and a PR firm to run her campaign to find her sister’s murderer. And, Davenport and Flowers are put in charge of the case.

It’s the reward money and PR campaign, though, that brings true crime fanatics out of the woodwork. That was Grandfelt’s plan. She wanted the story all over the Internet. And, Davenport and Flowers quickly realize they can use the true crime bloggers to do research and assist in the case. But, the unexpected death of one of the true crime investigators, a man who found the murder weapon and broadcast his theory about the killer, makes everyone pause.

Although I usually don’t care to read the thoughts of a serial killer, the murderer in Lethal Prey is a cold-blooded psychopath who leaves nothing to chance. Step-by-step, Flowers, Davenport, and the true crime bloggers close in, although Flowers’ family even becomes a target. But, no killer should mess with Virgil Flowers.

As I said, I’m a fan of Flowers and Davenport books. Add in a cold case, and a cold killer, and Lethal Prey may be one of my favorites in the series.

While it's not his best of writings. it was enjoyable.I was Happy to see Virgal and Frankie get married. I hope Virgal is still a cop. I
'd hate to think he gave it all up to be just a writer. I love Lucas and Virgal together .

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Doris Grandfelt’s murder shocked their community decades ago. Her body dumped in the woods near a park and the murderer never caught. Now, her sister is looking for closure and offering a hefty reward for information leading to an arrest. Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers get the call to be the official investigators of any clues turned up due to the new interest and accept, somewhat begrudgingly – who wants to deal with a lot of fame seekers and true crime junkies? But when real clues start popping up, the danger level increases. Will Davenport and Flowers find the killer before more lives are put in danger?

Lethal Prey marks the 35th installment in John Sandford’s Prey series. With the usual gruffness of the investigators and mystery surrounding the crime, Sandford delivers a unique tale that feels like it could be ripped from the headlines. Even with a somewhat early reveal of the criminal, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat till the last pages!

I give Lethal Prey 4 out of 5 stars. I could find no fault with this book other than it felt as if the early character and plot development was rushed. There is some build up to romance the reader into staying interested, but it felt a little flat as if something was missing. I love this author, so I stuck with it, but it was a tough sell for me the first few chapters. However, once you move past those initial plot points, Sandford delivers what he is best known for – a domestic thriller that feels all too realistic. It was interesting to see the use of what I imagine to be both a hindrance and a help to cold case investigators – social media and true crime websites. This was a fantastic read.

If, like me, you are a fan of Sandford’s other Prey books, you will love this one! I always recommend this series to readers who like other domestic thriller books like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, Karen Slaughter’s Will Trent series, or Lee Child’s Reacher books. With the inclusion of several murders, this book may not be best for all readers – I would direct it towards audiences over 16. Crime and mystery book clubs would love this book with so much to unpack around our villain’s actions, but also those of the investigators and the victim’s family.

I was very excited to see this book available on NetGalley! I have been anxiously awaiting its release since I read Toxic Prey last year – the 34th book in the Lucas Davenport series and 3rd in the Letty Davenport books. John Sandford has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I think you’ll love his works, too!

Lethal Prey will release March 25th. You can preorder your copy in our Bookshop.org store today!

Lethal Prey was a near perfect crime thriller except that it ended on a cliffhanger which is always a disappointment for me.

The plot was tight and action packed with likable and interesting characters.
The story follows Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers as they investigate a long-unsolved murder. Years ago, Doris Grandfelt was brutally killed, but the killer was never found. Her twin sister Lara, now facing her own cancer diagnosis, is determined to uncover the truth.

This was my first time reading a John Sandford book. I enjoyed Lethal Prey enough to start at the beginning of the Prey series.
I received an uncorrected ARC of this book from Netgalley and GP Putnam's Sons/Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you) in exchange for an honest review.

When a 20-year-old murder case is re-opened, Lucas and that f-ing Flowers work together, with help from some local crime fighters/bloggers, to solve the case. Always love when they are working together. This one had a really abrupt ending, making me wonder if something was missing from the e-galley- or if we'd hear most about what happened to the killer.

Good Sandford writing, but I can’t figure out if my ARC got cut off about a chapter too soon or if this was just a weird ending…

Can't get enough of Virgil and Lucas! This one had an interesting addition of those true crime fans helping to solve their latest case...a psychopath who has gone uncaptured for years!

Lethal Prey by John Sandford- This on-going series keeps getting better as goes into thirty-plus offerings. I like that Virgil Flowers shares the bill with Lucas Davenport, and their chemistry keeps the plot moving at a furious pace.
A body of a young girl is found in a park. There’s no real evidence for the police to follow and it becomes a cold case. Twenty years later the victim’s twin sister offers a large bounty for evidence leading to an arrest. This brings a mob of True Crime bloggers after the reward and turning it into a circus. Little do they know the murderer is a ruthless and deadly adversary, who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Lucas and Virgil have their hands full as they become a threat to the killer. No one is safe.
My only complaint is that as good as this story is, it doesn’t end with this book. I guess in their next outing our brave men will bring the killer to justice. I know I won’t miss it! Thanks to NetGalley for this entertaining ARC.

This book had me right up until the ending. I kept trying to see if there were more pages. I don’t understand why the author left us hanging. Seriously considered a 2* rating. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

*SPOILERS*

I’ve been a John Sandford fan since the release of Rules of Prey in 1989. His books always provided the tension and suspense one would expect from a psychological thriller. I would anticipate the release of his next book and check to see if he would appear in my area for signings. When I got the opportunity to read an ARC of his upcoming book, Lethal Prey, I jumped at it. Unfortunately, that’s where the excitement ended.

It took me only a few pages before I asked myself, “What happened?” The book read more like the first draft of an amateur writer rather than the product of someone with Sandford’s literary pedigree. It had a weak setup, sub-par writing, no tension, convenient plot points, and a laughable story line. The author tossed ideas into the book like throwing spaghetti against the proverbial wall. Fisk, the antagonist, comes across as two-dimensional and stupid, not a worthy adversary.

The idea that the authorities would crowdsource a murder investigation with True Crime bloggers stretched one’s imagination beyond believable boundaries. Then Davenport and Flowers release evidence to the True Crime people without any regard for the consequences. I kept waiting for a twist, a shocking event, or anything to keep my interest, but nothing ever came. When Davenport and Flowers called Fisk a “serial killer,” I knew all was lost. Sure, she killed several people. However, other than when she pushed her childhood friend into traffic, Fisk had a specific motive to kill the person.

If the book had given me a satisfactory conclusion, then the author might have salvaged my respect for the story. Instead, the story ended as if Sandford decided he’d had grown tired of telling it. I had to triple check to make sure the version I received hadn’t left out several chapters. Lethal Prey is simply a book in search of an intelligent plot, cunning killer, and pleasing ending.

Caution: spoiler alert. First off, I’m a huge Virgil Flowers fan, and I was OK with him working with Lucas for this case, but it was as if there has been some time warp. Is this the last book for Virgil?? He decides he wants to write full time? That aside, the story line was good, not sure believable, but OK. Virgil wasn’t as humorous as he usually is, but I attribute that to Lucas’ involvement. The real let down was the ending. I was certain the full book must not have downloaded. I feel as if the author just walked away from the book. He seems to be walking away from Virgil and this story. Was definitely not enjoyable.

So much chaos. If you're a fan of Lucas Davenport, you know he is perfectly willing to push the envelope and/or stir the pot to bring a killer to justice. If you're a fan of Virgil Flowers, you know that nothing subtle or understated ever happens when he's on the case.

Even if you're not, you'll enjoy a wild ride. It starts out straightforwardly, with a murder and picks up a couple of decades lawyer when the sister of the murder victim throws enough money at the unsolved case to bring in the big guns. Lucas and Virgil are brought in, and the publicity has brought out the bloggers. The true crime fanatics who analyze clues and try to solve cases have converged on Minnesota to be the first to get their content.

Of course Lucas leverages them, because the new resources assigned to the case aren't giving him much. Still, the clues the true crime bloggers find, are run-down by solid police procedure, which Sandford writes masterfully. Even the minor characters have multiple dimensions, making the conversations believable as our heroes drag the unpleasant truths out of them, The questions, the follow-ups, ferreting out secrets about the victim, but never seem to point to the killer. Lucas and Virgil work well together, even as they both have completely different lives and perspectives. When Lucas needs to vanish for a few days to be deposed, the reader gets to see Virgil do what he does best--get people to talk. When someone he loves is threatened, however...

While the pacing is generally great, running down one particular person's DNA took a bit too long, even with all the roadblocks the killer put in the way, and the length of time even a rushed lab needs to take.

The killer is a stone cold psychopath, motivated by entitlement and ambition. I wasn't sure there would be an arrest because of how methodical the crime and the cleanup were performed. I liked that a lot about the book.

A great read, twigging several emotional reactions from horror to humor. Highly recommended.