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Lucas Davenport #30
Masked Prey
Lucas Davenport investigates a vitriolic blog that seems to be targeting the children of U.S. politicians in the latest thriller by #1 New York Times-bestselling author John Sandford.
The daughter of a U.S. Senator is monitoring her social media presence when she finds a picture of herself on a strange blog. And there are other pictures . . . of the children of other influential Washington politicians, walking or standing outside their schools, each identified by name. Surrounding the photos are texts of vicious political rants from a motley variety of radical groups.
It's obviously alarming--is there an unstable extremist tracking the loved ones of powerful politicians with deadly intent? But when the FBI is called in, there isn't much the feds can do. The anonymous photographer can't be pinned down to one location or IP address, and more importantly, at least to the paper-processing bureaucrats, no crime has actually been committed. With nowhere else to turn, influential Senators decide to call in someone who can operate outside the FBI's constraints: Lucas Davenport.
The daughter of a U.S. Senator is monitoring her social media presence when she finds a picture of herself on a strange blog. And there are other pictures . . . of the children of other influential Washington politicians, walking or standing outside their schools, each identified by name. Surrounding the photos are texts of vicious political rants from a motley variety of radical groups.
It's obviously alarming--is there an unstable extremist tracking the loved ones of powerful politicians with deadly intent? But when the FBI is called in, there isn't much the feds can do. The anonymous photographer can't be pinned down to one location or IP address, and more importantly, at least to the paper-processing bureaucrats, no crime has actually been committed. With nowhere else to turn, influential Senators decide to call in someone who can operate outside the FBI's constraints: Lucas Davenport.
511 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2020
7539 people are currently reading
4596 people want to read
About the author
John Sandford
234 books9,631 followersJohn Sandford is the pen name of John Roswell Camp, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author known for his gripping thrillers and popular crime series. After earning degrees in history, literature, and journalism from the University of Iowa, Camp began his writing career as a reporter, first at The Miami Herald and later at The Saint Paul Pioneer Press, where he earned critical acclaim for in-depth series on Native American communities and American farm life. His work won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1986.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,689 reviews
April 24, 2020
John Sandford and the Prey series are the best you can find out there for police suspense thrillers. This is #30 in the series, but MASKED PREY could easily stand on it’s own to any newcomer looking for some excitement. Every time I pick up one of these books I know I’m in for a fantastic ride.
Lucas Davenport started out as a Minnesota detective and made a name for himself. He has worked his way up over the years to his current role as a US Marshall. He likes to hunt killers, he’s made money in software over the years and dresses well. He likes smart women and is married to a surgeon. He talks like a tough guy and never lacks in sarcastic dialogue.
MASKED PREY puts Lucas in the middle of what could be a political fiasco when the teenage daughter of a US senator find a website on the dark web with photos of US politicians’ kids. Someone is targeting these kids and Lucas joins the FBI in the hunt. His interviews with alt-right organizations throughout the country are very interesting. I had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments with their dialogue.
Lucas Davenport is one of my favorite characters. If you like them smart and tough, you can’t go wrong with picking up this book or any of the earlier Prey novels when Lucas was a detective.
5 out of 5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publishing for the ARC of MASKED PREY in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date - April 14, 2020
Posted to Goodreads on April 12, 2020
Lucas Davenport started out as a Minnesota detective and made a name for himself. He has worked his way up over the years to his current role as a US Marshall. He likes to hunt killers, he’s made money in software over the years and dresses well. He likes smart women and is married to a surgeon. He talks like a tough guy and never lacks in sarcastic dialogue.
MASKED PREY puts Lucas in the middle of what could be a political fiasco when the teenage daughter of a US senator find a website on the dark web with photos of US politicians’ kids. Someone is targeting these kids and Lucas joins the FBI in the hunt. His interviews with alt-right organizations throughout the country are very interesting. I had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments with their dialogue.
Lucas Davenport is one of my favorite characters. If you like them smart and tough, you can’t go wrong with picking up this book or any of the earlier Prey novels when Lucas was a detective.
5 out of 5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publishing for the ARC of MASKED PREY in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date - April 14, 2020
Posted to Goodreads on April 12, 2020
April 11, 2020
Lucas Davenport, once a top-notch police detective, is now a US Marshall. He’s been summoned to Washington after a disturbing website is discovered displaying photos of the children of several US senators. With no time to lose, Lucas must track down those behind the website before any of the kids in the photos become hard targets.
I’ll be the first to admit I miss the Lucas of old. The one in charge of his homicide unit in Minnesota. With his colorful group of detectives tracking down the latest serial killer. His character has changed, and I get it...I think.
Unfortunately, I don’t find this new Lucas persona as captivating as the original.
Could it have been the subject matter of this book? Politics and new Nazi hate groups? Two of my least favorite topics to read. Not even Lucas could pull me through that subject matter.
I’m hoping John Sandford will bring back some of what made Lucas so special and unique. Such a great character! Otherwise, perhaps it’s time Lucas and I went our separate ways. “Parting is such sweet sorrow!”
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing for an arc to read and review.
I’ll be the first to admit I miss the Lucas of old. The one in charge of his homicide unit in Minnesota. With his colorful group of detectives tracking down the latest serial killer. His character has changed, and I get it...I think.
Unfortunately, I don’t find this new Lucas persona as captivating as the original.
Could it have been the subject matter of this book? Politics and new Nazi hate groups? Two of my least favorite topics to read. Not even Lucas could pull me through that subject matter.
I’m hoping John Sandford will bring back some of what made Lucas so special and unique. Such a great character! Otherwise, perhaps it’s time Lucas and I went our separate ways. “Parting is such sweet sorrow!”
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing for an arc to read and review.
August 30, 2020
This book started out as a solid three stars and looked like it might even drop to two. Not good for one of my favorite go-to authors. Sanford took longer than normal to set up his conflict, (the 4 C’s of the story arc, conflict, complication, crisis conclusion). Part of the reason was the complexity of the plot. This is one of his most complex plot lines, the motivation for the, “Why,” which as it turns out was truly brilliant. The bad guy had a motivation (in his own deviant mind) for what he was about to do. The “why,” he came to it was a unique stroke of brilliance by Sanford. Part of it, I’m sure is my law enforcement background. I would have no idea how to go after this bad guy, how to ferret him out. What a wonderful premise. And since the book is in third person with multiple points of view, the reader can see all the wrong turns and how Davenport the main character, keeps going down the wrong rabbit hole trying to solve it. And then…and then (a little bit of a spoiler here), we find out the motivation for the whole story gets flipped on its head. This book had a slow start but then shifted into the standard Sanford fare with a great story concept thrown in. The book continued to get more and more intense as it went along just like it’s supposed to. This book ended with a solid five stars. I highly recommend this one.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
April 15, 2020
I received a free advance copy of this for review from NetGalley.
Wait a minute. This is the THIRTIETH Prey novel?!? That can’t be right because I remember buying the first Prey book when I was about twenty so that would make me….
Damn.
I better get this review done before I drop dead of old age.
The teenage daughter of a US senator is running some internet photo searches to see if any pics from her Instagram account have been shared when she stumbles across a chilling discovery. Someone has posted secretly taken photos and of her and other children of prominent politicians on a web site featuring racist propaganda as well as providing personal details on the kids. While there are no overt threats the implications are clear, and the fear is that some nutjob with a rifle will take the hint.
Deputy US Marshal Lucas Davenport is brought in by some of his political pals to quickly and quietly try to pin down the source of the pictures. With few clues to go on Lucas has to start talking to members of organized alt-right groups, but since most them are armed and make no secret about their hatred of the government it’s hard to whittle down the list of suspects. As Davenport tries to figure out who was behind the whole thing, a quietly angry man inspired by the site starts to make plans including committing his first murders.
This one starts with an intriguing and timely premise, and for most of the book it's John Sandford delivering as usual so I had no complaints. However, some serious cracks show up in the third act that undermined the foundation of the book for me.
First off is the political angle. Sandford has long been carefully walking through the minefield of having his lead character linked to prominent politicians without Lucas being particularly political himself. That’s served the series well because it provides the story logic as to why this one cop/federal agent keeps being involved in all these high profile cases without Sandford alienating readers from one side or the other.
However, these days it’s getting increasingly hard to believe that Lucas can continue to dance between the raindrops while having powerful friends from both sides of the left/right divide. The idea that he doesn’t have any real political enemies coming after him while being able to solve the problems of other highly prominent people is getting increasingly hard to buy, especially because his cases usually make national news. Somebody would be trying to tar and feather him these days.
The other problem I had with this one is due to a shift in the ending. When the series started Lucas was more of a lone wolf who was more than willing to do some highly illegal stuff to get what he considered justice. That’s faded over time, and since he’s become a federal agent he’s much more of a team player so that we haven’t seen Davenport running a shady solo operation for a while now.
Without giving anything anyway… It seems like Sandford made a conscious decision to bring back some of the old Lucas for the climax of this one, and we once again see Davenport pulling sneaky and underhanded moves to get the outcome he wants. The difference this time is that in the previous books Lucas was always very careful about covering his tracks, and his manipulations were generally subtle. This time his scheme is glaringly obvious with none of the cleverness or caution that we’ve seen him use in the past in similar situations.
None of the shortcomings ruined the book for me. It’s still Sandford doing a Prey novel so it’s highly enjoyable to read, but tight plotting and thinking through ramifications of actions have long been a hallmark of this series so it’s jarring to feel like the ending of one was a little sloppy.
Wait a minute. This is the THIRTIETH Prey novel?!? That can’t be right because I remember buying the first Prey book when I was about twenty so that would make me….
Damn.
I better get this review done before I drop dead of old age.
The teenage daughter of a US senator is running some internet photo searches to see if any pics from her Instagram account have been shared when she stumbles across a chilling discovery. Someone has posted secretly taken photos and of her and other children of prominent politicians on a web site featuring racist propaganda as well as providing personal details on the kids. While there are no overt threats the implications are clear, and the fear is that some nutjob with a rifle will take the hint.
Deputy US Marshal Lucas Davenport is brought in by some of his political pals to quickly and quietly try to pin down the source of the pictures. With few clues to go on Lucas has to start talking to members of organized alt-right groups, but since most them are armed and make no secret about their hatred of the government it’s hard to whittle down the list of suspects. As Davenport tries to figure out who was behind the whole thing, a quietly angry man inspired by the site starts to make plans including committing his first murders.
This one starts with an intriguing and timely premise, and for most of the book it's John Sandford delivering as usual so I had no complaints. However, some serious cracks show up in the third act that undermined the foundation of the book for me.
First off is the political angle. Sandford has long been carefully walking through the minefield of having his lead character linked to prominent politicians without Lucas being particularly political himself. That’s served the series well because it provides the story logic as to why this one cop/federal agent keeps being involved in all these high profile cases without Sandford alienating readers from one side or the other.
However, these days it’s getting increasingly hard to believe that Lucas can continue to dance between the raindrops while having powerful friends from both sides of the left/right divide. The idea that he doesn’t have any real political enemies coming after him while being able to solve the problems of other highly prominent people is getting increasingly hard to buy, especially because his cases usually make national news. Somebody would be trying to tar and feather him these days.
The other problem I had with this one is due to a shift in the ending. When the series started Lucas was more of a lone wolf who was more than willing to do some highly illegal stuff to get what he considered justice. That’s faded over time, and since he’s become a federal agent he’s much more of a team player so that we haven’t seen Davenport running a shady solo operation for a while now.
Without giving anything anyway… It seems like Sandford made a conscious decision to bring back some of the old Lucas for the climax of this one, and we once again see Davenport pulling sneaky and underhanded moves to get the outcome he wants. The difference this time is that in the previous books Lucas was always very careful about covering his tracks, and his manipulations were generally subtle. This time his scheme is glaringly obvious with none of the cleverness or caution that we’ve seen him use in the past in similar situations.
None of the shortcomings ruined the book for me. It’s still Sandford doing a Prey novel so it’s highly enjoyable to read, but tight plotting and thinking through ramifications of actions have long been a hallmark of this series so it’s jarring to feel like the ending of one was a little sloppy.
May 11, 2020
Wow. This was just terrible from beginning to end. You got Nazis and a child killer at loose and something something both sides are equally messed up in this country. I don’t even know what to say except Davenport needs to just stop being a Marshal. The series went downhill when he stopped investigating murders and turned into a fixer. Sandford really needs to consider putting Davenport back in Minnesota and investigating cases again with Del and crew. His new cohorts, Bob and Rae are actually getting on my nerves now.
"Masked Prey" is the 30th book in the Prey series. We have followed Lucas as he worked for the Minnesota Police department, as a consultant to the FBI, then as an investigator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), acting occasionally as a special troubleshooter for the governor of Minnesota. Then we get this mess now with Lucas being a U.S. Marshal. After the cannibal case Lucas is at loose ends. When his two favorite politicians call in a favor for Lucas to investigate a Nazi site targeted the children of Senators, he reluctantly agrees. Lucas goes to Washington, DC and Virginia when tracking how the site was created. His newish side-kicks Bob and Rae come on in when it looks like a child may get killed over the site. The book also follows a man who believes this site is the next thing that the people need to do in order to control Senators in the U.S. If a Senator is scared their child will be killed, his organization can influence how they vote (yes this is really gross). The book jumps back and forth between Lucas and the potential killer.
I have to say that Lucas and friends was boring. The killer was too. I just don't care about the whole why do Nazis and child killers do things. I think trying to tie this into politics made the book murkier. I think Sandford was trying to throw shade at both Democrats and Republicans, but both sides are bad is only one political party's talking point. I also hated how Lucas is made to be somehow above politics. Whatever. Sandford has followed some of the real world things going on in the United States (ICE, immigrants, etc.) through the years but he is waffling on this is laughable to me.
I can't even recall the killer's name. He is not as infamous as some of the killers that Lucas has brought down. Also I was really disappointed with the whole Lucas is a hunter of killers thing. I mean, it was so dramatic and made me roll my eyes. He didn't even really solve the last case he was involved in with the whole cannibal rapist guy. Yes this was a character in the previous book.
The writing was eh and the flow was awful from beginning to end. I think there were some funny moments though here and there.
The ending was a real letdown. I don't mind these books because I don't buy them, but Sandford either needs to fully retire Lucas, or just bring in a new character that is young and being mentored by Lucas.
"Masked Prey" is the 30th book in the Prey series. We have followed Lucas as he worked for the Minnesota Police department, as a consultant to the FBI, then as an investigator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), acting occasionally as a special troubleshooter for the governor of Minnesota. Then we get this mess now with Lucas being a U.S. Marshal. After the cannibal case Lucas is at loose ends. When his two favorite politicians call in a favor for Lucas to investigate a Nazi site targeted the children of Senators, he reluctantly agrees. Lucas goes to Washington, DC and Virginia when tracking how the site was created. His newish side-kicks Bob and Rae come on in when it looks like a child may get killed over the site. The book also follows a man who believes this site is the next thing that the people need to do in order to control Senators in the U.S. If a Senator is scared their child will be killed, his organization can influence how they vote (yes this is really gross). The book jumps back and forth between Lucas and the potential killer.
I have to say that Lucas and friends was boring. The killer was too. I just don't care about the whole why do Nazis and child killers do things. I think trying to tie this into politics made the book murkier. I think Sandford was trying to throw shade at both Democrats and Republicans, but both sides are bad is only one political party's talking point. I also hated how Lucas is made to be somehow above politics. Whatever. Sandford has followed some of the real world things going on in the United States (ICE, immigrants, etc.) through the years but he is waffling on this is laughable to me.
I can't even recall the killer's name. He is not as infamous as some of the killers that Lucas has brought down. Also I was really disappointed with the whole Lucas is a hunter of killers thing. I mean, it was so dramatic and made me roll my eyes. He didn't even really solve the last case he was involved in with the whole cannibal rapist guy. Yes this was a character in the previous book.
The writing was eh and the flow was awful from beginning to end. I think there were some funny moments though here and there.
The ending was a real letdown. I don't mind these books because I don't buy them, but Sandford either needs to fully retire Lucas, or just bring in a new character that is young and being mentored by Lucas.
May 9, 2020
Nazi sympathizers (paraphernalia), teen spotlight seekers, White Nationalists - "Get that nigger out of my house!" And kid killers make not for a goodread. 1 of 10 stars
August 31, 2022
Lucas Davenport gets called to fix major problems. This time, he is called when a website on the dark web is found by the daughter of a senator. The website has her picture and other kids' pictures and the common denominator is that they are all children of politicians. The fear is that someone is tracking these children for nefarious purposes.
Lucas with the help of US Marshalls, Rae and Bob, and FBI agent Jane Chase start tracking the leads before any children are hurt. The clock is ticking and Lucas might not be able to stop it.
I love this series but with Mask Prey, it was hard to keep my interest. It was way too political for my taste. What I do love is the writing per se and Ferrone is a wonderful narrator. I wouldn't listen to anyone else playing Lucas than him. In addition, I love reading the interactions between Lucas with his fellow Marshalls and Jane. The dark humor, the funny side, and the sense of desperation when the leads are not forthcoming are some of the things that made this series such a good one.
I'm finally close to catching up. Ocean Prey is next...
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Lucas with the help of US Marshalls, Rae and Bob, and FBI agent Jane Chase start tracking the leads before any children are hurt. The clock is ticking and Lucas might not be able to stop it.
I love this series but with Mask Prey, it was hard to keep my interest. It was way too political for my taste. What I do love is the writing per se and Ferrone is a wonderful narrator. I wouldn't listen to anyone else playing Lucas than him. In addition, I love reading the interactions between Lucas with his fellow Marshalls and Jane. The dark humor, the funny side, and the sense of desperation when the leads are not forthcoming are some of the things that made this series such a good one.
I'm finally close to catching up. Ocean Prey is next...
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
May 3, 2020
Thank heavens John Sandford is prolific! I adore his snarky humor, quirky way with words, complicated plots and fun main characters. “I’m going to stick this hammer so far in your brain the squirrels are going to come out.” How can you not love dialogue like that? There’s always an underlying political theme to his Lucas Davenport books and this one is no exception. A dark website has gone up showing pictures of the children of Democratic senators along with Alt Right political treatises. Who’s behind the website and what agenda are they pushing? Lucas and company set out to interview a lot of these Alt Right nut jobs. And we’re talking nut jobs with guns. Lots and lots of guns.
A lot of plots nowadays delve into the effect of social media on crimes and this one is no exception. Sandford does it better than most, following the trail and the ripple effect. And that ending shocked me. I did not see that one coming.
I have started listening to all of Sandford’s recent books and they make for wonderful audiobooks. Richard Farrone is the perfect narrator.
A lot of plots nowadays delve into the effect of social media on crimes and this one is no exception. Sandford does it better than most, following the trail and the ripple effect. And that ending shocked me. I did not see that one coming.
I have started listening to all of Sandford’s recent books and they make for wonderful audiobooks. Richard Farrone is the perfect narrator.
February 20, 2021
I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record because I keep repeating the same concerns about all of the more recent Lucas Davenport novels, but I'm just not buying into the concept of Lucas Davenport, U.S. Marshal. Shorn of his familiar Minnesota surroundings and, more importantly, cast adrift from the cast of characters that accompanied Davenport through the first twenty-some novels in the series, these don't even feel like Lucas Davenport novels to me. And I'm not feeling the love for his new sidekicks, Bob and Rae, at all. I've said before that I thought this concept was too cute by half, and everytime they show up in a novel, I find myself practically grinding my teeth.
It also doesn't help that this is perhaps the weakest story that John Sandford has yet devised for Davenport. It involves a confusing and somewhat unfocused plot in which some right-wing extremists may or may not be targeting the children of U.S. Senators for assassination. The central villain of the piece doesn't begin to measure up to some of the truly scary and dangerous antagonists that have populated the earlier Davenport novels and, in consequence, unlike a lot of the Davenport books, I was easily able to set this one aside for long periods of time before finally finishing it.
Overall, I love this series; it's one of my favorites of all time. But it feels like it's running on fumes these days, which is a sad thing to see. I live in hope that Davenport will somehow find his way back to Minnesota permanently, to be surrounded once again by his old comrades in arms. But at this point, I'm not holding out a lot of hope.
It also doesn't help that this is perhaps the weakest story that John Sandford has yet devised for Davenport. It involves a confusing and somewhat unfocused plot in which some right-wing extremists may or may not be targeting the children of U.S. Senators for assassination. The central villain of the piece doesn't begin to measure up to some of the truly scary and dangerous antagonists that have populated the earlier Davenport novels and, in consequence, unlike a lot of the Davenport books, I was easily able to set this one aside for long periods of time before finally finishing it.
Overall, I love this series; it's one of my favorites of all time. But it feels like it's running on fumes these days, which is a sad thing to see. I live in hope that Davenport will somehow find his way back to Minnesota permanently, to be surrounded once again by his old comrades in arms. But at this point, I'm not holding out a lot of hope.
December 3, 2020
Seventeen year old Audrey Coil runs a fashion blog and is ambitious to be ‘known’. When searching the web looking for photographs of herself that might be posted elsewhere she comes across a site featuring not only her picture but also photographs of a number of other children too. She quickly realises that the common link is that, like her, each is the son or daughter of a prominent politician. The website is called 1919 and judging by the accompanying spiel it appears to be run by right wing extremists. Could it pose a threat to these children, are they targets?
U.S. Marshall Lucas Davenport gets a call and is asked to sniff around and see what he can find out about this site, the people who run it and their intentions. Lucas is a hunter and his instinct is that the site spells trouble. He spends some time tracking down a number of groups who might fit the right profile for the site and talking to some of its members, but he’s not really getting anywhere. Perhaps there’s nothing much to this after all. But just as he’s about to call it a day something happens.
This is the thirtieth book in this series and regular readers will know that when Lucas is around it normally means that guns get fired and people get hurt. He’s only just recovering from a gun shot wound himself but that doesn’t dim his desire to get back into the action, and after quite a slow build up that’s where we go.
I’m a long term fan of this series and I’d spend time with Lucas every day of the week if I could, I think he’s one of the best characters in contemporary crime fiction. He’s a slick suited ruffian, but in Sandford’s hands he becomes a human being that I think most people can also relate to. This may not be the best book in the series but get past the first few chapters and it trots along at a nice speed – and you always know there’s going to be a gala finish. Hurry back Lucas, I’m missing you already!
U.S. Marshall Lucas Davenport gets a call and is asked to sniff around and see what he can find out about this site, the people who run it and their intentions. Lucas is a hunter and his instinct is that the site spells trouble. He spends some time tracking down a number of groups who might fit the right profile for the site and talking to some of its members, but he’s not really getting anywhere. Perhaps there’s nothing much to this after all. But just as he’s about to call it a day something happens.
This is the thirtieth book in this series and regular readers will know that when Lucas is around it normally means that guns get fired and people get hurt. He’s only just recovering from a gun shot wound himself but that doesn’t dim his desire to get back into the action, and after quite a slow build up that’s where we go.
I’m a long term fan of this series and I’d spend time with Lucas every day of the week if I could, I think he’s one of the best characters in contemporary crime fiction. He’s a slick suited ruffian, but in Sandford’s hands he becomes a human being that I think most people can also relate to. This may not be the best book in the series but get past the first few chapters and it trots along at a nice speed – and you always know there’s going to be a gala finish. Hurry back Lucas, I’m missing you already!
March 23, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group / Putnam for this arc.
I have been a long-time fan of the Lucas Davenport series for years and have read all previous books in this series. (I also adore the Virgil Flowers series as well). But Masked Prey? Not so much... All the usual elements were there.... the dry humor, the non-stop pacing and action, the political maneuvering and manipulations, too many "usual suspects", Bob and Rae, etcetera but something was either "missing" for me or there was just too much of something else. I'm still trying to figure it out. Whatever, Lucas is just getting a little too cold-hearted for me at this time. Maybe there just wasn't enough of his family in this story to balance it out. Still not real sure...
3.5 stars
I have been a long-time fan of the Lucas Davenport series for years and have read all previous books in this series. (I also adore the Virgil Flowers series as well). But Masked Prey? Not so much... All the usual elements were there.... the dry humor, the non-stop pacing and action, the political maneuvering and manipulations, too many "usual suspects", Bob and Rae, etcetera but something was either "missing" for me or there was just too much of something else. I'm still trying to figure it out. Whatever, Lucas is just getting a little too cold-hearted for me at this time. Maybe there just wasn't enough of his family in this story to balance it out. Still not real sure...
3.5 stars
July 5, 2020
Masked Prey
by John Sandford
In these days of the pandemic when going to the grocery store with so many people wearing a mask feels like the set of a science fiction movie or an episode of the Twilight Zone, I opened my Father’s Day gift and found a book titled Masked Prey. I had to laugh at the irony.
(Now let me be clear. I think everyone should wear a mask when out in public; it’s a health issue, not a political issue.)
In my review of the previous book I read I mentioned my disgust with all the white supremacy in antebellum America. So, speaking of irony, this book has Lucas investigating alt-right, neo-nazi, white supremacists, etc. groups. And there seems to be a number of them and they like their guns.
In the last John Sandford book, featuring Virgil Flowers, Lucas takes a phone call from Washington, DC while visiting with Virgil’s family. I guessed at that time that the next Lucas book would involve Washington, DC. In this book the author removes any hints and makes it quite apparent that Lucas and his crew will be going to Fort Lauderdale next.
If you are familiar with the DC area you get an idea of Sandford’s use of local flavor. As Lucas travels around the area places are mentioned and described. This adds to the enjoyment when you live in the area (Twin Cities, Minnesota) where most of his stories are based — like I do.
In the early books Lucas frequently skirted around the ethics of an investigation. For instance, Lucas would occasionally break into homes as part of investigating someone or something. In this book I found a couple of his actions again flirting with the unethical. Mentioning them would give away too much.
I read recently where someone mentioned that Sandford has a team of writers working on these books. It doesn’t take much of a leap to figure that out when authors start publishing two books a year. Here, however, I am afraid that news may have influenced my opinion of the book. It started to seem a little formulaic near the end. It still makes a fun read and I won’t hesitate to read any of his future books.
These books are page-turners. Most readers will recognize the “just one more chapter” feeling when reading books like this. My bookmark says “I read past my bedtime.” That seems an appropriate epitaph for this book.
by John Sandford
In these days of the pandemic when going to the grocery store with so many people wearing a mask feels like the set of a science fiction movie or an episode of the Twilight Zone, I opened my Father’s Day gift and found a book titled Masked Prey. I had to laugh at the irony.
(Now let me be clear. I think everyone should wear a mask when out in public; it’s a health issue, not a political issue.)
In my review of the previous book I read I mentioned my disgust with all the white supremacy in antebellum America. So, speaking of irony, this book has Lucas investigating alt-right, neo-nazi, white supremacists, etc. groups. And there seems to be a number of them and they like their guns.
In the last John Sandford book, featuring Virgil Flowers, Lucas takes a phone call from Washington, DC while visiting with Virgil’s family. I guessed at that time that the next Lucas book would involve Washington, DC. In this book the author removes any hints and makes it quite apparent that Lucas and his crew will be going to Fort Lauderdale next.
If you are familiar with the DC area you get an idea of Sandford’s use of local flavor. As Lucas travels around the area places are mentioned and described. This adds to the enjoyment when you live in the area (Twin Cities, Minnesota) where most of his stories are based — like I do.
In the early books Lucas frequently skirted around the ethics of an investigation. For instance, Lucas would occasionally break into homes as part of investigating someone or something. In this book I found a couple of his actions again flirting with the unethical. Mentioning them would give away too much.
I read recently where someone mentioned that Sandford has a team of writers working on these books. It doesn’t take much of a leap to figure that out when authors start publishing two books a year. Here, however, I am afraid that news may have influenced my opinion of the book. It started to seem a little formulaic near the end. It still makes a fun read and I won’t hesitate to read any of his future books.
These books are page-turners. Most readers will recognize the “just one more chapter” feeling when reading books like this. My bookmark says “I read past my bedtime.” That seems an appropriate epitaph for this book.
June 18, 2023
1.5⭐️ I have followed the Lucas Davenport books since Sandford first began to publish them, and I have been hooked ever since. I’ve followed Davenport from detective to the Minn. Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to his current employment, the US Marshal Service. I truly had hoped the kinks that I saw in transitioning Davenport to another career with the Marshal Service would be ironed out. To the contrary, however, that hasn’t happened yet, and this book fell well below my expectations.
This book was not an action packed, suspense thriller as the Davenport books are typically—far from it. This was one of the most boring books I have read in a long while. The book really did not “pick up” until about the 80% mark or thereabout. Then, I believe the book went off the rails. We know that Davenport lives for the hunt; however, in this book, I did not recognize Lucas Davenport. I won’t add anything further because it would contain spoilers from here to the end.
After 30 books, unfortunately, I’ve reached the end of the road. I think I’ll wait and read the critical reviews before deciding whether to read the next Davenport book. My journey following this fascinating, extraordinary and charismatic character, that is Lucas Davenport has been phenomenal. I feel bereft of the loss of one of my favorite characters. 😩😩😩
November 2020-Just found out Davenport and Virgil F***ing Flowers are teaming up in the next Davenport Prey book. Hmmm. What a turn of events. Guess I'll have venture forth one mo time!
This book was not an action packed, suspense thriller as the Davenport books are typically—far from it. This was one of the most boring books I have read in a long while. The book really did not “pick up” until about the 80% mark or thereabout. Then, I believe the book went off the rails. We know that Davenport lives for the hunt; however, in this book, I did not recognize Lucas Davenport. I won’t add anything further because it would contain spoilers from here to the end.
After 30 books, unfortunately, I’ve reached the end of the road. I think I’ll wait and read the critical reviews before deciding whether to read the next Davenport book. My journey following this fascinating, extraordinary and charismatic character, that is Lucas Davenport has been phenomenal. I feel bereft of the loss of one of my favorite characters. 😩😩😩
November 2020-Just found out Davenport and Virgil F***ing Flowers are teaming up in the next Davenport Prey book. Hmmm. What a turn of events. Guess I'll have venture forth one mo time!
June 20, 2020
We surely could have done without reading this book. Get Lucas the hell out of being a Marshall and get him back in Minnesota where he belongs solving our stupid crimes. He doesn't like politics, what makes you think WE like politics? We are SICK of politics. And I also don't like what Lucas is being turned into. Bring us back to Del, Rose Marie, Letty, Weather, Jenkins and Shrake Oh, we must not forget Virgie! Minnesota is way more exciting than DC.
May 16, 2020
Lucas Davenport is back. Yes, the wealthy, savvy, Minnesota Police detective is healthy and ready to solve the latest serious crime and -wait that's not exactly the scenario in Masked Prey.
Davenport is now a U.S. Marshall investigating an extreme website. Yes, he's investigating a website - not a robbery, not a kidnapping, not a murder - a website.
This website posts pictures of children of politicians with implications that killing them would influence government policy and action. Lucas needs to uncover the identity of the source before the theory is tested. His task is made more difficult when altright extremists discover the website.
With assistance of investigators Bob and Rae and FBI agent Chase, Lucas "handles the situation" while the threat is alleviated, the solution is questionable.
In Masked Prey, Lucas seemed to be channeling Virgil Flowers, the main character in Sanfords other series. Lucas was definitely different.
I can't say that I would tell friends to definitely read Masked Prey but I wouldn't tell them definitely not to read it.
I received an advance copy of this book from #NetGalley #MaskedPrey
Davenport is now a U.S. Marshall investigating an extreme website. Yes, he's investigating a website - not a robbery, not a kidnapping, not a murder - a website.
This website posts pictures of children of politicians with implications that killing them would influence government policy and action. Lucas needs to uncover the identity of the source before the theory is tested. His task is made more difficult when altright extremists discover the website.
With assistance of investigators Bob and Rae and FBI agent Chase, Lucas "handles the situation" while the threat is alleviated, the solution is questionable.
In Masked Prey, Lucas seemed to be channeling Virgil Flowers, the main character in Sanfords other series. Lucas was definitely different.
I can't say that I would tell friends to definitely read Masked Prey but I wouldn't tell them definitely not to read it.
I received an advance copy of this book from #NetGalley #MaskedPrey
May 31, 2020
Lucas Davenport has been a U.S. Marshall since the 27th book in the series, Golden Prey. No longer with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Del Capslock, Shrake and Jenkins are but fond memories. Now it seems that Lucas is a lackey for politicians. A senator picks up a phone and Lucas is off to do his bidding.
In this outing the daughter of a U.S. Senator is checking her presence on social media and finds her photo on a strange blog. And there are other photos of children of other politicians. Outside their school, walking, etc. The children are named but there are no threats. No crime has been committed. The FBI can't do anything so a senator from Minnesota calls Lucas. Just keep his name out of it.
Lucas sets out to identify who created the website. Is it the work of an extremist group? A loner? What is the intent? Maybe get someone else to harm the children? He calls in Bob and Rae, his co-workers with the U.S. Marshall's office, to assist in the investigation. They track down several altright groups and interview the leaders and members. Wackos. Nut jobs. All armed and dangerous.
I miss the earlier Prey books when Lucas and his team hunted down murderers and serial killers. The recent books in the series have gotten too political. There is still the dark humor we have come to expect from John Sandford but it isn't the same. Bob and Rae are not Shrake and Jenkins. I enjoyed the book and would probably read the next book in the series. I can always hope that it will be less political. Or maybe I will go back and re-read the earlier books. Or one of the Virgil Flowers books.
In this outing the daughter of a U.S. Senator is checking her presence on social media and finds her photo on a strange blog. And there are other photos of children of other politicians. Outside their school, walking, etc. The children are named but there are no threats. No crime has been committed. The FBI can't do anything so a senator from Minnesota calls Lucas. Just keep his name out of it.
Lucas sets out to identify who created the website. Is it the work of an extremist group? A loner? What is the intent? Maybe get someone else to harm the children? He calls in Bob and Rae, his co-workers with the U.S. Marshall's office, to assist in the investigation. They track down several altright groups and interview the leaders and members. Wackos. Nut jobs. All armed and dangerous.
I miss the earlier Prey books when Lucas and his team hunted down murderers and serial killers. The recent books in the series have gotten too political. There is still the dark humor we have come to expect from John Sandford but it isn't the same. Bob and Rae are not Shrake and Jenkins. I enjoyed the book and would probably read the next book in the series. I can always hope that it will be less political. Or maybe I will go back and re-read the earlier books. Or one of the Virgil Flowers books.
April 11, 2021
This is a new author for me, and not my typical genre (I don’t usually read police drama), but once again, I picked this one up since the author will be giving a presentation through our local library. Honestly, I gave it five stars because it surprised me how much I liked it! The intrigue and action, with a real twist about half way through, and how the lead US Marshall on the case identified the criminal and their final confrontation kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a real page turner!
The story focuses on a US senator’s daughter who discovers her own picture, along with pictures of other children of prominent political figures, and hateful, highly charged political propaganda on a dark website. Fearing for the lives of the children, and the FBI limited in how they can help, US Marshall Davenport is called in on the case. The story tracks the crimes of the man who takes the message in the website to heart, wanting to make a political statement and become a hero...at least to certain groups. Interspersed is the investigation, trying to identify and stop the madman before the children are targeted and murdered.
Although this is one of about thirty books in the series, you don’t need to have read the prior books to appreciate this one. Fans of the entire series have commented on how Davenport’s character has changed over the course of the books, perhaps not in the best way. Not having that background, I found US Marshall Davenport’s character completely intriguing.
Whether or not you enjoy police drama, I’d suggest giving this one a try. It just might draw you in!
The story focuses on a US senator’s daughter who discovers her own picture, along with pictures of other children of prominent political figures, and hateful, highly charged political propaganda on a dark website. Fearing for the lives of the children, and the FBI limited in how they can help, US Marshall Davenport is called in on the case. The story tracks the crimes of the man who takes the message in the website to heart, wanting to make a political statement and become a hero...at least to certain groups. Interspersed is the investigation, trying to identify and stop the madman before the children are targeted and murdered.
Although this is one of about thirty books in the series, you don’t need to have read the prior books to appreciate this one. Fans of the entire series have commented on how Davenport’s character has changed over the course of the books, perhaps not in the best way. Not having that background, I found US Marshall Davenport’s character completely intriguing.
Whether or not you enjoy police drama, I’d suggest giving this one a try. It just might draw you in!
May 5, 2020
Fun thriller Lucas style. I miss local politics and wish he was back in Minnesota.
What's with the fart jokes?😆
the man said "We heard him fart one time"
the woman: "That's true. Anyway, we think we did."
"We did." the guy said. "He also boils cabbage. You can smell it right through the walls. Which explains the farts."
What's with the fart jokes?😆
the man said "We heard him fart one time"
the woman: "That's true. Anyway, we think we did."
"We did." the guy said. "He also boils cabbage. You can smell it right through the walls. Which explains the farts."
March 22, 2020
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.
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.
April 16, 2020
Another shark jumped. What a mistake to take Davenport out of his Minnesota environs. Add to this a long, boring, paper-thin storyline based on unhinged lefty ravings, and the result is a painfully unpleasant read. I've stuck with Sandford through 29 previous Prey books, the Virgil Flowers books, and several miscellaneous stories, but this is most likely the end of the road. There are so many superior works out there, why waste time on dreck like this?
May 8, 2020
As a US Marshal, Lucas is called back to Washington DC to handle a sensitive case in which a website is discovered that puts several politician's children at risk. While there are some twists and turns as to who is behind the website, I was sorely dissatisfied in this novel. I felt Lucas's endgame of being judge and jury was unwarranted. While always a schemer, and willing to play dirty, his decisions at the end seemed obvious and not subtle in the least.
What I have most enjoyed in the 30 Prey novels, is that they primarily occur in the Midwest. Political thrillers set in DC are a dime a dozen and Sandford's usual locales make his series stand out, so the DC setting was an additional disappointment. And I also got the hint that this book wasn't written entirely by him. Although it had some trademark Sandford in it, but similar to the Virgil Flower's book Storm Front, this book seemed off.
What I have most enjoyed in the 30 Prey novels, is that they primarily occur in the Midwest. Political thrillers set in DC are a dime a dozen and Sandford's usual locales make his series stand out, so the DC setting was an additional disappointment. And I also got the hint that this book wasn't written entirely by him. Although it had some trademark Sandford in it, but similar to the Virgil Flower's book Storm Front, this book seemed off.
August 20, 2020
Who wrote this book and where is Lucas Davenport?
Having read every Davenport (Prey) book since the very first one I couldn’t believe what I was reading in “Masked Prey”.
From the first 10 or so pages I knew this was different and I knew it was going in a direction I didn’t want to go.
Page 2 - Bill Clinton insults???
Politics. Politicians. Suspect websites. Alt-right politics. Teenage bloggers. On-line extremist.
I read for pleasure to take my mind off all the bad stuff going on around me – after 140 pages I said to heck with it. I wasn’t enjoying it. I missed the Lucas Davenport I know and love.
This is the first time I have ever not finished a Prey novel and the first time Sandford has ever got a 1* rating from me but this author has just lost a faithful reader!
Having read every Davenport (Prey) book since the very first one I couldn’t believe what I was reading in “Masked Prey”.
From the first 10 or so pages I knew this was different and I knew it was going in a direction I didn’t want to go.
Page 2 - Bill Clinton insults???
Politics. Politicians. Suspect websites. Alt-right politics. Teenage bloggers. On-line extremist.
I read for pleasure to take my mind off all the bad stuff going on around me – after 140 pages I said to heck with it. I wasn’t enjoying it. I missed the Lucas Davenport I know and love.
This is the first time I have ever not finished a Prey novel and the first time Sandford has ever got a 1* rating from me but this author has just lost a faithful reader!
January 22, 2021
I have to say this is my least favorite of the series. It has nothing to do with Lucas working with the US Marshals, it was the storyline. I enjoy reading books because it gives me a break from the real world for a little while. When I started reading this one, which revolves around politicians in DC, alt-right neo-nazi groups, and many other conspiracy theory groups, I groaned out loud. Maybe if I had read this at some other point when I'm not seeing it every time I turn on the tv these days, I may have liked it more. Even Lucas was bored at times. I am a big fan of Bob and Rae, so when they show up to lend a hand, I started enjoying it a little more. Once Lucas is on the chase, things get more interesting, but I was still glad to finish the book. Here's hoping for a better story next time. Another thought I had while reading this is that it would be a lot of fun if Bob and Rae happen to meet up with Shrake and Jenkins. That would be quite enjoyable for me!
April 5, 2021
3.5 stars
October 27, 2023
I've got to admit, I like real books, as opposed to the electronic versions we can be access through our library systems Libby format...Lucas is brought in by an old friend, Senator Elmer Henderson to track down who is posting pictures of children of Washington politicians...Davenport and his US Marshall sidekicks, Bob & Rae focus on home-grown terrorists targeting the children of politicos, spurred on by this vitriolic website...Decent, but I think I'm beginning to favor Sanford's Virgil Flowers series, but still, I enjoy pretty much everything John Sanford churns out!!!
April 20, 2020
I am not entirely sure how one makes a fictional protagonist who has been the primary character in 30 novels (and a secondary one in several others) unpredictable, but John Sandford has done it with Lucas Davenport in MASKED PREY. There are numerous twists and turns here, including one that leaves the reader hungry for what hopefully will be coming next.
Davenport’s latest incarnation as a semi-autonomous U.S. Marshal is the most interesting to date. It frees him from being restricted to Minnesota (and the occasional contiguous state) as he was in his prior careers as a Minneapolis police detective and with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t jump when a senator from Minnesota calls (and sends a plane to pick him up). Jump he does, and for good reason.
While tooling around on the internet using facial recognition software, the daughter of another U.S. senator has reported finding her image on a more or less hidden website containing photos of the children of some other politicians, as well as a number of political articles, editorials and blogs from various sources. The printed matter, juxtaposed with the pictures, is considered to be possibly threatening.
Davenport is tasked with finding out who is responsible for putting up the website and shutting down the threat before it causes any grievous harm. He is joined in this endeavor by FBI Agent Jane Chase, who readers of the series are familiar with, as well as Bob Matees and Rae Givens of the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, who we also have met before.
Meanwhile, Sandford demonstrates the effect that the website is having when a lone wolf is exposed to it and concocts a plan to shoot one of the children pictured. Davenport and his co-workers have no idea what is going on, and chase a slender evidentiary thread that ultimately puts them onto the plot. They catch a break along the way and discover who created the website, which indirectly leads to the story’s satisfactory conclusion, though not in the manner that one might expect or predict. Additionally, Sandford gives readers a hint at what may be Davenport’s port of service, and it’s a fun one. It will be more so if and when he gets there.
Part of the fun of MASKED PREY is watching Davenport march off in well-intended and well-reasoned, but occasionally wrong, directions when hunting his prey. Sandford is a master of this technique and shows off his talent to good effect here. While not one of his best books, it certainly is in the upper echelons and worth your while, particularly for seasoned readers of the series. Don’t miss it.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Davenport’s latest incarnation as a semi-autonomous U.S. Marshal is the most interesting to date. It frees him from being restricted to Minnesota (and the occasional contiguous state) as he was in his prior careers as a Minneapolis police detective and with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t jump when a senator from Minnesota calls (and sends a plane to pick him up). Jump he does, and for good reason.
While tooling around on the internet using facial recognition software, the daughter of another U.S. senator has reported finding her image on a more or less hidden website containing photos of the children of some other politicians, as well as a number of political articles, editorials and blogs from various sources. The printed matter, juxtaposed with the pictures, is considered to be possibly threatening.
Davenport is tasked with finding out who is responsible for putting up the website and shutting down the threat before it causes any grievous harm. He is joined in this endeavor by FBI Agent Jane Chase, who readers of the series are familiar with, as well as Bob Matees and Rae Givens of the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, who we also have met before.
Meanwhile, Sandford demonstrates the effect that the website is having when a lone wolf is exposed to it and concocts a plan to shoot one of the children pictured. Davenport and his co-workers have no idea what is going on, and chase a slender evidentiary thread that ultimately puts them onto the plot. They catch a break along the way and discover who created the website, which indirectly leads to the story’s satisfactory conclusion, though not in the manner that one might expect or predict. Additionally, Sandford gives readers a hint at what may be Davenport’s port of service, and it’s a fun one. It will be more so if and when he gets there.
Part of the fun of MASKED PREY is watching Davenport march off in well-intended and well-reasoned, but occasionally wrong, directions when hunting his prey. Sandford is a master of this technique and shows off his talent to good effect here. While not one of his best books, it certainly is in the upper echelons and worth your while, particularly for seasoned readers of the series. Don’t miss it.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
July 1, 2020
Some creep has posted pictures and identifying information of the children of several Democratic senators (such as the name and addresses of the schools they attend) on a mysterious website. Is this a threat? Are these young children in danger? Could it just be a normal, well-adjusted grown man who likes taking pictures of children he doesn’t know with the new digital camera he got for Christmas and posting them for all to enjoy? U.S Marshal Lucas Davenport is called in to see what on Earth is going on. And boy, it does not look good. Many homegrown radical groups are taking this website as a call to action. Masked Prey is the 965th addition to John Sandford’s popular Lucas Davenport series. In these 965 books we have seen Lucas grow from a young boy busking for nickels on subway trains to becoming a rogue detective in Minnesota, to a maverick deputy chief, to an investigator for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) who does things his own way, to his current role as a rebellious United States marshal.
The prolific Sandford cranks these books out like a well-oiled Honda factory with very little drop off in quality. Masked Prey contains the humorous dialogue, insightful human observations, page numbers, and a blistering story that we are accustomed to. The moments where Davenport would kneel on the head of perps or joke with his marshal pals about injuring suspects that attempted to run away or fight back did make me cringe. The ending seems particularly problematic in our current environment with all the videos of police misconduct and abuse making headlines. Still, this was an enjoyable summer read and a nice addition the series.
The prolific Sandford cranks these books out like a well-oiled Honda factory with very little drop off in quality. Masked Prey contains the humorous dialogue, insightful human observations, page numbers, and a blistering story that we are accustomed to. The moments where Davenport would kneel on the head of perps or joke with his marshal pals about injuring suspects that attempted to run away or fight back did make me cringe. The ending seems particularly problematic in our current environment with all the videos of police misconduct and abuse making headlines. Still, this was an enjoyable summer read and a nice addition the series.
May 31, 2020
U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport is asked by his Washington Senatorial buddies to find the party behind an alt-right website that appears to threaten the children of key D.C. politicians. The website is found by a friend of one of the children, who is working to become a social media darling, when searching for her images online. The amateurish website is filled with clip and paste articles from neo-Nazi, White Supremacist, and other hate groups, and seems to catch the interest of lone wolves. Davenport uses his wily skills to solve the mystery of the website's origins by approaching organizations opposed to the deep state, using an unlikely ally, and then shifts gears to stop a misguided devotee from following through with the website's supposed intent.
Unlike many other GR reviewers, I could care less about John Sandford expressing political views, but I object to the wholesale changeover in Davenport's character from a legendary law and order man to the stone-cold that he has become in the last few books. A damn shame really.
Unlike many other GR reviewers, I could care less about John Sandford expressing political views, but I object to the wholesale changeover in Davenport's character from a legendary law and order man to the stone-cold that he has become in the last few books. A damn shame really.
June 18, 2020
I thought this was one of the weakest Davenport stories I had ever read. The first 160-170 page was just plain boring. It did pick up after that but the attempt to equate the far right with the progressive left was really a dumb idea and seemed to make Sandford just wishy-washy. Have some balls! Make a stand! Nazis vs. liberals! Seems easy to me. The entire story was understandable but it didn't really make much sense. Better luck next time.
November 15, 2020
Is there no escape from politics these days? Apparently not if you are John Sandford. What a blatent display of political bias and b.s. I’ve had a crush on Lucas Davenport for about 20 years. This latest book may be where we go our separate ways.
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