RIGHTEOUS PREY by John Sandford

 RIGHTEOUS PREY

by

John Sandford

(expected publication: October 4, 2022)

    In Righteous Prey, the thirty-second installment in John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series, we are introduced to The Five, a group of billionaire bitcoin investors who decide to kill off some of the worst members of society, those whom they deem need to be murdered. The Five plan and train; after each murder, the group issues a press release and a substantial bitcoin donation to a charity.

    The one mistake that The Five made was in selecting a victim who lived in Minnesota. As such, Virgil Flowers, an agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), was assigned to the case. In addition, one of the Minnesota senators, Porter Smalls, made sure that Lucas Davenport, a former BCA agent and current U.S. Marshal, was also assigned to the case. 

    So, once again, Sandford has given us a Prey novel where Davenport and Flowers, the stars of two of his series, are working together. And it is a doozy!

    As I have been a longtime fan of both Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, the idea of another novel where these two team up is very exciting. And Righteous Prey does not disappoint. The plot is complex and fast paced, and the crimes seem unsolvable. But, Sandford masterfully moves Davenport and Flowers through the disparate crimes - and all around the country - seemingly seamlessly and with his trademark humor. As with most of his novels, in Righteous Prey, Sandford takes the reader along for the investigation (it sort of feels like the reader is on a ride-along). I always appreciate how Sandford's books do not make leaps of logic or skip steps and do not spring pertinent facts on the reader at the end. Righteous Prey methodically lays out the investigation and shows how Davenport and Flowers crack the case. 

    Sandford has developed a winning combination with his two topnotch main characters. Righteous Prey is a wonderful, welcome addition to the Prey books!

THE MISSING PIECE by John Lescroart

 THE MISSING PIECE

by

John Lescroart

    The Missing Piece is the nineteenth installment in John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series. The expected publication date for this book is March 29, 2022.

    Paul Riley had been convicted of the rape and murder of Dana Rush. After serving eleven years for the crimes, and with the help of the Exoneration Initiative, Riley was cleared of the crimes and released.

    When Riley was murdered four months after his release, police arrested Dana's father, Doug Rush. And Doug hired Wes Farrell, the former district attorney and current partner of Dismas Hardy. 

    Hardy's longtime friend, Abe Glitsky, had been an inspector in charge of homicide with the San Francisco Police Department; he was now retired and doing some work for Hardy's firm as a private investigator. When Doug failed to show for a court appearance, Hardy asked Abe to locate him. 

    And, Abe investigates with the dogged determination that we have come to expect from him. But, as Doug had failed to appear, there was no client and, hence, no case. Nonetheless, this doesn't stop Abe. We accompany Abe as he follows the convoluted twists and turns that arise in this complex plot. There are multiple suspects, multiple motives.

    Although The Missing Piece is a Dismas Hardy novel, it feels a bit more like an Abe Glitsky novel. Hardy's role doesn't feel as "front and center" as we are accustomed to in Lescroart's previous Hardy books, and this is a refreshing change. Regardless of how it is categorized, The Missing Piece is another great addition to the continuing Hardy/Glitsky saga. It remains one of my favorite series.

    Highly recommended.

THE INVESTIGATOR by John Sandford

 THE INVESTIGATOR

by

John Sandford

(anticipated publication April 12, 2022)

    The Investigator, by John Sandford, is the first Letty Davenport novel. Readers familiar with Sandford's work know Lucas Davenport, the protagonist in Sandford's Prey series; Letty is Lucas's adopted daughter.

    Now twenty-four years old and having recently completed graduate work at Stanford, Letty is offered a unique position as an investigator with the U.S. Senate and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Although she works for Senator Colles, she is a liaison with DHS, works in the field with a DHS investigator (although her position is entitled "researcher"), and is issued a carry permit.

    Her first assignment pairs her with DHS agent John Kaiser and takes them to Texas, on the trail of some missing oil. What they land in is a lot more complicated and sinister than mere missing oil. Along the way, we learn how much Letty resembles Lucas - from the love of nice clothes to the knowledge of, and proficiency with, guns. And like Lucas, Letty is similarly smart and resourceful.

    I love Lucas Davenport and have always thought that Letty was an interesting addition to the Prey series. So, I was very excited to learn of Sandford's new Letty Davenport novel. But for two small issues that gave me momentary pause, I loved The Investigator. First, the plot at times felt a little fantastical. Even though we are aware of Letty's history and her proficiency with weapons and survival, it seemed a tad extreme for a 24 year old, with no official special training, on her first assignment. And second, even though we know that Letty is a lot like Lucas, there were a few parts at the beginning where Letty came across as disrespectful and bratty (for example, sitting sideways in the senator's nice leather chair, throwing her leg over the arm, and telling the senator that he was boring her). Lucas might be a no-nonsense, cut-to-the-chase kind of guy, but I do not see him as being this disrespectful. 

    Nonetheless, The Investigator is quintessential Sandford; the writing is good, the plot is complex, and the process of resolution was logical and methodical. Letty is a great character, and there is plenty of room for her to grow and develop as an investigator. I greatly enjoyed this reading experience, and I look forward to accompanying Letty on many investigations in the future.