Righteous Prey
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- Create Date：2022-10-05 08:21:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John Sandford
- ISBN：B09XBX6P56
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Lexie Miller
，
John Sanford comes back with another mystery around the group that calls themselves The Five。 Similar to trends of the rich getting bored and wanting to kill people for sport this book also brings in recent elements like COVID and 2020 election。 While I overall enjoyed the book and found it a quick read， there are times the story felt like it jumped around and had a little lackluster ending。
Diane Saul
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A group called The Five has stated they plan to murder people， their targets are rapists， murderers， and thieves， the dregs of society。 They donate， thru bitcoin to victims。 After there is a victim in the Mpls area Virgil and Lucas open an investigation。 They have a hard job ahead of them， The Five are untraceable and they have become heroes to the public。 This book is a typical Sandford novel， good plot， great characters and a bit of humor thrown in， this will be hard for the reader to put down A group called The Five has stated they plan to murder people， their targets are rapists， murderers， and thieves， the dregs of society。 They donate， thru bitcoin to victims。 After there is a victim in the Mpls area Virgil and Lucas open an investigation。 They have a hard job ahead of them， The Five are untraceable and they have become heroes to the public。 This book is a typical Sandford novel， good plot， great characters and a bit of humor thrown in， this will be hard for the reader to put down。 The ending leaves a door open for a possible follow up。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced copy。 。。。more
Cinsai
，
I always enjoy when Lucas & Virgil team up to chase the bad guys， so this was a treat！ The story barrels along as the two work to stop a vigilante group。 Lucas and Virgil have an uncanny knack of seemingly stumbling over clues and solving puzzles。 Their friendship is entertaining as hell， and the mystery aspects are riveting。 I loved the cameo from Kidd， who is still up to his computer hacking ways。 This is a great read and classic Sandford！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️**Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to I always enjoy when Lucas & Virgil team up to chase the bad guys， so this was a treat！ The story barrels along as the two work to stop a vigilante group。 Lucas and Virgil have an uncanny knack of seemingly stumbling over clues and solving puzzles。 Their friendship is entertaining as hell， and the mystery aspects are riveting。 I loved the cameo from Kidd， who is still up to his computer hacking ways。 This is a great read and classic Sandford！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️**Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early！** 。。。more
Ethan
，
If you ask me for my recommendation of a great detective series， I won't hesitate to suggest John Sandford's Virgil Flowers series。 Through 12 novels Flowers has used his unconventional methods and charming personality to solve some of the most challenging murder cases。 Sandford is probably better known for his prolific Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport。 The two characters have come in contact in previous books， but none more so than they did in the last Prey novel Ocean Prey。 Sandford has s If you ask me for my recommendation of a great detective series， I won't hesitate to suggest John Sandford's Virgil Flowers series。 Through 12 novels Flowers has used his unconventional methods and charming personality to solve some of the most challenging murder cases。 Sandford is probably better known for his prolific Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport。 The two characters have come in contact in previous books， but none more so than they did in the last Prey novel Ocean Prey。 Sandford has slowed his output in recent years。 Rather than deprive readers of either of their favorite heroes， he's elected to pair them up in the yearly Prey novel。 Righteous Prey， the 32nd book in the long-running series， was provided to me by Sandford's publisher。 It features the team-up of Davenport and Flowers in a chilling mystery that only they can solve。 As the title would suggest， the murderers in the book kill for a 'righteous' cause。 The group calls themselves The Five， and they have made it their mission to rid the world of deplorable people。 The first victim to be killed is left with a number 1 on their forehead， a chilling label， and a sign that the killer may just be getting started。 These fears are confirmed when an anonymous press release is revealed。 In it， The Five take credit for the murder and pose quite a moral dilemma。 You see， they are offering a large donation in cryptocurrency to a charity that relates to how the victim was perceived as a bad person。 When victims number 2 and 3 appear in other parts of the country， each with their own accompanying press release and donation， law enforcement calls in reinforcements。 Lucy for us， those reinforcements are Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers。 Lucas has been a US Marshall for years。 When he gets the call about The Five， he immediately thinks of his buddy Virgil from Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension。 The pair is hot off of a massive drug bust off the coast of Florida， but they've since gone their separate ways。 Virgil has settled down with his wife and newborn twins and has recently submitted a pass at a novel。 A new， quieter career could be on the horizon。 When Lucas calls and requests his help， Virgil finds it hard to pass up the intrigue of such a complex murder case。 With the blessing of his wife， Virgil teams up with Lucas to stop the serial killers before they can enact their cause on the next unsuspecting victim。 Virgil Flowers is my favorite detective for a reason， and Righteous Prey continues to prove why。 Sandford writes a complex mystery that shifts the POV between his main characters and the group of killers they are hunting。 This gives the reader the benefit of knowing all the details of the crimes before the investigators do。 Lucas and Virgil have a witty rapport， bringing comedy and lightness to an otherwise brutal story。 Sandford delves into the cryptocurrency boom， imagining the darkest side of that world while never telling the reader what to think about it。 In these highly politicized times， it is nice to be able to escape into a thriller that is timely but not taxing。 The pace of the book is brisk， making for another unputdownable read from one of my go-to authors。 The ending leaves a few questions as to the future of our heroes。 I for one， can't wait to see what they do next。 。。。more
Nancy Goldberg Wilks
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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 Flowe 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！ 。。。more
Charlene Roberson
，
Thank you to NetGalley for and advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review。Lucas Davenport has been around for a long time。 And he picked up sidekick Virgil Flowers some years back。 So When the two of them get together， cases get solved。 Not always tidily， not always easily， not always pretty， but these guys are known to get the bad guys。 This time， there are five bad guys。 They call themselves The Five and promise to murder "people who need to be murdered"。 They are a loose alli Thank you to NetGalley for and advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review。Lucas Davenport has been around for a long time。 And he picked up sidekick Virgil Flowers some years back。 So When the two of them get together， cases get solved。 Not always tidily， not always easily， not always pretty， but these guys are known to get the bad guys。 This time， there are five bad guys。 They call themselves The Five and promise to murder "people who need to be murdered"。 They are a loose alliance of five bitcoin millionaires who are bored enough to be recruited by a woman who wants to change society， but also wants to be REALLY， REALLY rich。 She is the only one who knows the identities of the others， although they can make some good guesses。 They communicate via burner phones and the internet and constantly change both phones and internet sites to maintain their anonymity。When they announce their murders publicly， the FBI is instantly alerted， but has no leads。 But when they strike in the Twin Cities area， Davenport and Flowers get involved。 The guys fly around the country as the murders mount up and interact with the FBI， local law enforcement， and anyone else who is available。 Their unique techniques finally lead to the answer， but not without a LOT of bloodshed！ 。。。more
Bruce Raterink
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I'm a long time fan of both the Lucas Davenport series and the Virgil Flowers series。 Although they occasionally show up in each other's books， those books clearly focused on one of these characters with the other character doing cameos。 What makes this book so special is that the two characters share the leading role。 This is another fast paced police procedural novel from John Sandford。 Sure to please all of his regular fans and hopefully bring a few more to both of these excellent series。 Thi I'm a long time fan of both the Lucas Davenport series and the Virgil Flowers series。 Although they occasionally show up in each other's books， those books clearly focused on one of these characters with the other character doing cameos。 What makes this book so special is that the two characters share the leading role。 This is another fast paced police procedural novel from John Sandford。 Sure to please all of his regular fans and hopefully bring a few more to both of these excellent series。 This is clearly a stand alone and can be read without reading the entire series （this is the 32nd Prey novel）， although you might better appreciate some of the banter if you've been a long time follower of these characters。 Highly RecommendedThanks to NetGalley and G。P。 Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy 。。。more
Laura
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I’m rally loving this buddy act that Lucas and Virgil have going on！ They rally balance each other but they are also hilarious when they are together。I feel like this book already is setting up the next one。 It was heavy on the politics but didn’t feel over the top。
Eileen Hutton
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A group of Bitcoin billionaires-turned vigilantes has declared war on the jerks among us， The Five take turns murdering people they believe "deserve it，" and post press releases celebrating their kills。 Since none of them have connections to their victims， police departments are helpless to solve the crimes。Enter our dynamic duo！ When one of the victims turns up in Minnesota， Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are tasked with tracking down the killers。 Mayhem and hilarity ensue。Fans of John Sand A group of Bitcoin billionaires-turned vigilantes has declared war on the jerks among us， The Five take turns murdering people they believe "deserve it，" and post press releases celebrating their kills。 Since none of them have connections to their victims， police departments are helpless to solve the crimes。Enter our dynamic duo！ When one of the victims turns up in Minnesota， Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are tasked with tracking down the killers。 Mayhem and hilarity ensue。Fans of John Sandford， like this reader， will be thrilled with this latest offering， and having Flowers and Davenport together and back in action。 The prose flows， as does the action and the cop humor。 High recommended。 #Righteous Prey #Net Galley #SaltMarshAuthors 。。。more
Howard Davis
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As a reader of all of John Sandford’s “prey” novels， I was looking forward to reading his latest entitled Righteous Prey and it certainly did not disappoint。 The story centers， once again， on the exploits of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers， and many others in local and Federal law enforcement， seeking the killers。 The prey referenced in the title are five “assholes” who are located in various areas of the country and are killed or to be killed simply because they are not meaningful members of As a reader of all of John Sandford’s “prey” novels， I was looking forward to reading his latest entitled Righteous Prey and it certainly did not disappoint。 The story centers， once again， on the exploits of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers， and many others in local and Federal law enforcement， seeking the killers。 The prey referenced in the title are five “assholes” who are located in various areas of the country and are killed or to be killed simply because they are not meaningful members of society。 The search is not only for the killers but also for the mastermind who is behind the killings。The book is a great page turner and is outstanding in the depiction of the manner in which law enforcement derives clues from all sorts of information and of descriptions of weather in below zero temperatures。 This novel also has touches of humor throughout。I thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House and， of course， John Sandford for the opportunity to read and review this future best seller。 。。。more
Ray Moon
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Coordinating A Group of Murderers Isn’t EasyThe novel opens with three murders。 The first was in San Francisco。 A week later， the second was in Houston。 Another week later， the third was in a suburb near Minneapolis。 A different perpetrator narrates each murder。 Later the same night as the murder， a woman， Vivian Zhao， believed to be in Southern California issues a press release announcing the murders even before the bodies are discovered。 She tells why they were killed， how this murder is a pub Coordinating A Group of Murderers Isn’t EasyThe novel opens with three murders。 The first was in San Francisco。 A week later， the second was in Houston。 Another week later， the third was in a suburb near Minneapolis。 A different perpetrator narrates each murder。 Later the same night as the murder， a woman， Vivian Zhao， believed to be in Southern California issues a press release announcing the murders even before the bodies are discovered。 She tells why they were killed， how this murder is a public service， and how they enjoy the thrill of being hunted by the police， FBI or whomever。 They call themselves The Five。 They also give five bitcoins to a charity in the city of the murder。 As the last murder was in the jurisdiction of Virgil Flowers， an agent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension， his boss tells him to get to the scene of the crime and the Feds also are on their way。 When Virgil arrives， U。S。 Marshall Lucas Davenport， with whom Virgil has worked quite often before， is there also。 One of the Minnesota’s senators had called Lucas to get involved。 Both senators have much political pull in the FBI so the local agent in charge is directed to include them in the investigation。 The novel races from this start。The novel has two main storyline threads。 The first is narrated mainly by Virgil and Lucas and covers the investigative side of the story。 Even with the senatorial pull， Virgil and Lucas are treated as fifth wheels by the FBI。 The duo using what they call， walk and talk， seem to discover more important leads that significantly advance the investigations than the FBI。 The second threads are narrated by the Vivian Zhao or one or more of The Five。 The reader switching of perspective was not confusing at all and kept me current with what is happening and insight into the thoughts， motives and future actions of The Five。 I was able to see both the cat and mouse sides as the story unfolds。 This insight into the antagonist’s side kept the suspense and tension at a high-level throughout the novel。 My interest was quickly captured and maintained all the way to the end。This novel is the 32nd novel in the Prey series， and the first one that I have read。 The usual B-storyline for me was a little thin。 Most of the communications between them and their thoughts provide the most B-storyline information。 The devotees of this series probably will not need much more。 As a first-time reader， the B-storyline threads add a flavor as a spice does to enrich my reading enjoyment。 For me， this did not detract too much， and the pace of the novel hide this some。For the areas that can cause concern for some readers， there are not any intimate scenes。 As for vulgar and rude language， there is a strong presence。 Violence is described in the more edgy as it occurs。 For both of these areas， let the reader beware。 The last area of concern are references to what occurred in previous novels。 While this occurred， I did not feel that they were without adequate explanation。 It should not hinder to someone who reads this as the first novel in the series as I did。The major reason that I enjoyed this novel was how well the author weaved in all of the moving parts of this novel into a coherent and fast reading whole。 For the protagonists， there are Virgil and Lucas， five FBI offices， two senators and an Assistant Director of the FBI。 On the antagonist’s side， there are the five killers scattered across the continental United States and a woman who coordinates them。 I did have another issue with the two main characters; they were very snarky with the FBI and their investigative abilities compared to theirs。 I usually am not bothered by snarkiness when it is light-hearted and in a give-and-take atmosphere。 That wasn’t the case with this novel。 It elevated to the level that Virgil and Lucas did not share with the FBI important information that they discovered。 This aspect did not increase my reading enjoyment。 Overall， the book is well written and quickly captured my interest。 This is the 32nd novel in a very popular series。 If my issues don’t bother you， this novel is probably five stars。 For me， it was a four-star novel。 I do recommend reading it even with my issues， I still enjoyed reading it。I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Penguin Group Putnam。 My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book。 I wish to thank Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this novel early。 。。。more
Esther
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Review in full at Cozy with BooksAnother fantastic read by John Sandford。 I have always loved reading Virgil’s adventures and then Lucas’ （I know I have it backwards， but I came across Virgil first）， so seeing them work together in both Ocean Prey and now Righteous Prey has been amazing。 The Five are a group of rich bitcoin winners with a lot of money， time， wits， and insanity bouncing between the lot of them。 Headed by a sixth member， they go around performing their own acts of justice。 They ha Review in full at Cozy with BooksAnother fantastic read by John Sandford。 I have always loved reading Virgil’s adventures and then Lucas’ （I know I have it backwards， but I came across Virgil first）， so seeing them work together in both Ocean Prey and now Righteous Prey has been amazing。 The Five are a group of rich bitcoin winners with a lot of money， time， wits， and insanity bouncing between the lot of them。 Headed by a sixth member， they go around performing their own acts of justice。 They have gotten away with these crimes， up until a third member slips up ever slightly， on Minnesota soil， and Virgil and Lucas are called in to investigate。 I could not put this book down。 There were some slow moments， ones that will take place in any investigation， but the plot is well done， thrilling and gripping， the characters real， and having followed all of Virgil’s and some of Davenport’s adventures， it’s fantastic to get to read them solving cases together， their different personalities and thoughts tackling the case together to get it rolling in a way the FBI could only hope to do so。 Absolutely loved the read and as always， I can’t wait for more to come！A huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for a copy of this book for review！ 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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This series （well， blended series） continues to get better-and yet each book is perfectly readable and enjoyable as a standalone。 I've read them all （whew） and this is one of the best。 Now Lucas and Virgil （along with the FBI and other law enforcement） are up against a group of cryptocurrency billionaires and an evil mastermind who are killing people one at a time and then donating large amounts of money to charities involved in activity those killed opposed。 These two come at problems different This series （well， blended series） continues to get better-and yet each book is perfectly readable and enjoyable as a standalone。 I've read them all （whew） and this is one of the best。 Now Lucas and Virgil （along with the FBI and other law enforcement） are up against a group of cryptocurrency billionaires and an evil mastermind who are killing people one at a time and then donating large amounts of money to charities involved in activity those killed opposed。 These two come at problems differently from most - and they get a bead on Vivian， who has been running the Five， before anyone else but that only means that she's in their sights， not in cuffs- yet。 Make no mistake， this is a chase novel but it's a novel filled with terrific characters and a plot that zips along with twists you， like me， might not see coming。 Who would ever think that an expensive parka would be the link to take down a group of killers？ Virgil and Lucas share space in this one but Virgil's got some special news as he's got an agent for his novel （there's some smile-worthy discussion of writers）。 The epilogue， like the preceding pages， is terrific。 No spoilers from me but know that the pace on this never lets up。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 A page turner and I'm really looking forward to the next one。 。。。more
Liz
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Righteous Prey is aptly named。 The Mikado had his “little list”。 Here， a group of Bitcoin investors take it upon themselves to do away with a group of folks that had no redeeming qualities。 And they’re not shy about it， they publish their own press releases confirming the murders。 After the third， Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are brought in to investigate。 The plot is extremely fast moving and there’s always something going on。 Sandford uses a multiple POV approach， including the good and Righteous Prey is aptly named。 The Mikado had his “little list”。 Here， a group of Bitcoin investors take it upon themselves to do away with a group of folks that had no redeeming qualities。 And they’re not shy about it， they publish their own press releases confirming the murders。 After the third， Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are brought in to investigate。 The plot is extremely fast moving and there’s always something going on。 Sandford uses a multiple POV approach， including the good and bad guys， all from a third person perspective。 The dialog is humorous， although those that are offended by bad language should steer clear。 If you took out the F word， the book would be noticeably shorter。 I adore Lucas and Virgil。 They’re both wholesome characters in their own weird ways （despite the language）。 Politics always figure into Sandford’s plots， but he’s not far too either side。 In an interesting twist， Virgil is now a novelist and Sandford uses that for a few laughs。 The ending was a big surprise and totally caught me off guard。 I’m not sure what it means for the series。 The book is the 32nd in the Prey series， but could work as a stand-alone。 My thanks to Netgalley and G。P。 Putnam for an advance copy of this book。Update - I recently also read The Maze， another mystery with a “manly man” main character。 But what a difference！ In comparison， I’m more in love with Virgil and Lucas。 Not a misogynist bone in their bodies。 。。。more
Chris Miller
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Read My Full Review at BEST THRILLER BOOKSIn John Sandford’s 32nd Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport adventure， a team of filthy rich Bitcoin billionaires hunting down well renowned assholes。 Talk about one hell of a plot line， one where the betterment of the planet is at the forefront of a group of killer’s minds。 Sandford brings to life a story of necessity in the eyes of the rich， who feel justice is better served by the powerful， and money equals power。 Sandford dreams up a team of highly in Read My Full Review at BEST THRILLER BOOKSIn John Sandford’s 32nd Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport adventure， a team of filthy rich Bitcoin billionaires hunting down well renowned assholes。 Talk about one hell of a plot line， one where the betterment of the planet is at the forefront of a group of killer’s minds。 Sandford brings to life a story of necessity in the eyes of the rich， who feel justice is better served by the powerful， and money equals power。 Sandford dreams up a team of highly intelligent billionaires， who all happen to have Bitcoin ties。 In ‘The Five’， an overall team of six people， five are boots on the ground stalking and hunting their prey， while Vivian Zhou is a methodical woman with money on her mind。。。Don't forget to check out the full review！！ 。。。more
Paul Kennedy
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Another excellent entry in a fantastic series。 Love it when Lucas and Virgil work together。
Denise Brownfield
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I have read all of the "Prey" books and this was one of my favorites。 I love the chemistry and banter between Davenport and Flowers。 It lends a little light humor to story with a lot of bloodshed。 I also really enjoyed the plot of this book and learned a little about bitcoin。 I do hope more of the "Prey" books will have Lucas and Virgil working together again。 I have read all of the "Prey" books and this was one of my favorites。 I love the chemistry and banter between Davenport and Flowers。 It lends a little light humor to story with a lot of bloodshed。 I also really enjoyed the plot of this book and learned a little about bitcoin。 I do hope more of the "Prey" books will have Lucas and Virgil working together again。 。。。more
Brooke
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How fortunate to receive an ARC of one of my favorite authors。 Thank you。 Reading this was like visiting with an old friend。 Lucas Davenport is one of my favorite characters， not just for John Sandford but for all author's characters。 I have a handful of what I call my top tier favorite authors and John Sandford is one of those。 Mr。 Sandford develops characters well， so well that they stay in my memory and I'm getting old （okay older） and I read a ton of books。 The premise of this book was brill How fortunate to receive an ARC of one of my favorite authors。 Thank you。 Reading this was like visiting with an old friend。 Lucas Davenport is one of my favorite characters， not just for John Sandford but for all author's characters。 I have a handful of what I call my top tier favorite authors and John Sandford is one of those。 Mr。 Sandford develops characters well， so well that they stay in my memory and I'm getting old （okay older） and I read a ton of books。 The premise of this book was brilliant。 The killings of 'bad' people who need to be killed surely put Lucas and Virgil Flowers on their toes。 This is book 32， where has the time gone。。。if you haven't read any of the Prey series， I suggest you binge read them。 You will enjoy this series if you like a good mystery， well developed characters。 Anyway read and enjoy Righteous Prey。 Well done Mr。 Sandford！ 。。。more
Tami （Books Bengals and Coffee）
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Reading book #32 before reading 1-31 isn't ideal， but when it's Righteous Prey， you can't go wrong。 The crime set up， the suspense， the full-steam action ahead and for me， the excitement of discovering an author with a catalog of books related to U。S。 Marshalls Lucas and Virgil。 I am in HEAVEN！My attention was captured instaneously from the author's blurb: “We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered。” So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as “The Five，” shortly a Reading book #32 before reading 1-31 isn't ideal， but when it's Righteous Prey， you can't go wrong。 The crime set up， the suspense， the full-steam action ahead and for me， the excitement of discovering an author with a catalog of books related to U。S。 Marshalls Lucas and Virgil。 I am in HEAVEN！My attention was captured instaneously from the author's blurb: “We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered。” So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as “The Five，” shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco。 The Five is believed to be made up of vigilante killers who are very bored…and very rich。 They target the worst of society—rapists， murderers， and thieves—and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they’ve killed， donating untraceable bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net。 The Five soon become the most popular figures on social media， a modern-day Batman…though their motives may not be entirely pure。Sandford's story takes pieces from today's headlines and seamlessly puts them together in a fresh exciting thriller。 You will find new money， the dark web， untraceable bitcoin， political motives， 3D printed guns and converted weapons。 He isn't slow to introduce action。 Opening pages thrust the reader directly into the first murder。 This is how Sandford masterfully sucked me in and left me wanting to know who are the Five， who are their targets and will the good guys win？ Sandford story is told throughout from the point of view of both the chasers and the chased。 The result is that it feels like we， the reader， are often a step ahead of the law enforcement agencies as the action plays out。 We want to know about the Five and their targets。 And Lucas and Virgil？ Well， their interactions are sarcastically witty at times。 They look out for each other and put themselves in precarious positions to get the bad guys。 They work well together and really like each other， something you would expect from law enforcement officers with a history of solving crimes。The story was enjoyable and relatable。 The ending was satisfying。 Sandford has hooked me。 There's not a single doubt in my mind that I will be reading books 1-31。 Many thanks to NetGalley， Penguin Group Putnam and John Sandford for the gift of strong characters and entertaining reading。 I am in HEAVEN！ 。。。more
Linda
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John Sandford strikes again with #32 book Righteous Prey。 It allows Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers to be teamed up together again。 This time the story revolves around "The Five" which is a self appointed group of Bitcoin millionaires/vigilantes。 They have decided upon themselves to rid the world of "assholes"。 They are going after the truly awful characters such as ghost gun manufacturers， etc。 Lucas and Virgil get assigned to the case after one of The Five kill off a woman from Minnesota。 T John Sandford strikes again with #32 book Righteous Prey。 It allows Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers to be teamed up together again。 This time the story revolves around "The Five" which is a self appointed group of Bitcoin millionaires/vigilantes。 They have decided upon themselves to rid the world of "assholes"。 They are going after the truly awful characters such as ghost gun manufacturers， etc。 Lucas and Virgil get assigned to the case after one of The Five kill off a woman from Minnesota。 They get to follow the case all over the country and try to track down and stop The Five。 Lucas and Virgil always either bring the action or manage to stumble into it。 This book doesn't disappoint。 Thank you to @J_Sandford @penguingroupputnam and @netgalley for a free arc for an honest review。 。。。more
Darla
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John Sandford is one of my auto-buy authors。 I have read or listened to all of his books and highly recommend them。 The writing; grit， subtle humor， character development， and spicey detective work are second to none。 Righteous Prey is my new favorite， at least until his next book comes out。
Diana
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“We’re going to murder people who deserve to be murdered。”I always love settling in with a good Davenport & F'n Flowers book。 Five millionaires meet at a Bitcoin conference and decide it might be a fun challenge to personally get rid of a few people who they think do not deserve to live for various reasons。 What could go wrong？Each murder is perfectly planned and executed， then they post a press release along with a social media post explaining why this person was murdered。 The action never stop “We’re going to murder people who deserve to be murdered。”I always love settling in with a good Davenport & F'n Flowers book。 Five millionaires meet at a Bitcoin conference and decide it might be a fun challenge to personally get rid of a few people who they think do not deserve to live for various reasons。 What could go wrong？Each murder is perfectly planned and executed， then they post a press release along with a social media post explaining why this person was murdered。 The action never stops as the slow burn builds to an expected climax。 Sandford is so skilled at writing thrillers that you tends to overlook his ability to create great dialogue。 Lucas and Virgil are getting a little older now， and maybe a little slower but that is OK。 They almost don't make it through this one。 Yikes！ After 32 books I guess it is to be expected。 This is another great book in a long running series with enough character background given so that it can be read as a standalone。 I highly recommend this series starting from the beginning and enjoy the ride。 Here's hoping Sandford has a #33 to come along soon。Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advance read！ 。。。more
Mike Kennedy
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This book opens with a group of rich billionaires who are randomly killing people they deem jerks across the country and offering up bitcoin to charities as compensation。 When a murder is committed in Minnesota， Lucas Davernport teams up with Virgil Flowers to try to takedown the group before more peopled are murdered。 The trail leads them all over the country trying to thwart the killers。 Lucas Davernport is one of my favorite literary characters and Virgil Flowers is a very intriguing and inte This book opens with a group of rich billionaires who are randomly killing people they deem jerks across the country and offering up bitcoin to charities as compensation。 When a murder is committed in Minnesota， Lucas Davernport teams up with Virgil Flowers to try to takedown the group before more peopled are murdered。 The trail leads them all over the country trying to thwart the killers。 Lucas Davernport is one of my favorite literary characters and Virgil Flowers is a very intriguing and interesting character。 Lucas has nerves of steel and is willing to due what is necessary to take down the bad guys， legal or not。 Virgil is a smart investigator who has a number of personal quirks。 Putting them together is bound to lead to a fun fast paced thriller。 Mr。 Sandford does an excellent job writing the back and forth between Virgil and Lucas。 They have great conversations that run the gamut from how they are going to take down the killers to how Virgil should deal with his agent who is trying to sell his unpublished novel。 As with any novel from Mr。 Sandford there is never a shortage of action。 You also get to see both sides thought process and movements。 This really helps you get into the novel as you see everything that is going on which in this case is important with the number of killers involved。 Overall this is a stellar novel。 While selfishly I wish it all took place in Minnesota as that is my home state， the multiple locals adds to the depth of the story。 If you like a good cop thriller with book will hit all the sweet spots for you。 Thank you to @J_Sandford @penguinrandom and @netgalley for a free arc for an honest review。 。。。more
Michele A。
，
In Righteous Prey， we find a group of 6 people （who call themselves the 5） who each have decided to kill a different person that represents what they dislike about the world。 All 5 have made a lot of money with Bitcoin and that is how they originally met。 The 5 aren't even supposed to know who each other are， so it was interesting to get a glimpse into each of them When one of the victims is killed in Minnesota， Virgil and Lucas are both pulled into the case。 As is their usual MO， Lucas and Virg In Righteous Prey， we find a group of 6 people （who call themselves the 5） who each have decided to kill a different person that represents what they dislike about the world。 All 5 have made a lot of money with Bitcoin and that is how they originally met。 The 5 aren't even supposed to know who each other are， so it was interesting to get a glimpse into each of them When one of the victims is killed in Minnesota， Virgil and Lucas are both pulled into the case。 As is their usual MO， Lucas and Virgil shake some clues loose and go where the leads take them。 They had their usual banter with each other， which always make the book entertaining。 They each look out for each other and really do put themselves in harms way to take down their suspects。 The plot was interesting and kept me turning the pages。 I always like how John Sandford makes you feel like you are part of the action。 It was fast-paced and a very good addition to this series。 If you liked the other Prey books， you will like this one。 I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion， which I have given above。 。。。more
Deborah Cleaves
，
Virgil and Lucas play well together in this latest novel which spirits them from the Midwest to California and New York in search of a group of 6 Bitcoin billionaire assassins。 This is a relaxed easy chair ride in pursuit a killers with political motives killing both for sport and necessity and going on the run。 The book celebrates the ease between its protagonists and is the best example I’ve read about interagency cooperation。 Sandford takes pleasure in spoofing police procedurals talking abou Virgil and Lucas play well together in this latest novel which spirits them from the Midwest to California and New York in search of a group of 6 Bitcoin billionaire assassins。 This is a relaxed easy chair ride in pursuit a killers with political motives killing both for sport and necessity and going on the run。 The book celebrates the ease between its protagonists and is the best example I’ve read about interagency cooperation。 Sandford takes pleasure in spoofing police procedurals talking about writing hackneyed thrillers， then puncturing the rules himself。 A delight！ 。。。more
Mike Kennedy
，
This book opens with a group of rich billionaires who are randomly killing people they deem jerks across the country and offering up bitcoin to charities as compensation。 When a murder is committed in Minnesota， Lucas Davernport teams up with Virgil Flowers to try to takedown the group before more peopled are murdered。 The trail leads them all over the country trying to thwart the killers。 Lucas Davernport is one of my favorite literary characters and Virgil Flowers is a very intriguing and inte This book opens with a group of rich billionaires who are randomly killing people they deem jerks across the country and offering up bitcoin to charities as compensation。 When a murder is committed in Minnesota， Lucas Davernport teams up with Virgil Flowers to try to takedown the group before more peopled are murdered。 The trail leads them all over the country trying to thwart the killers。 Lucas Davernport is one of my favorite literary characters and Virgil Flowers is a very intriguing and interesting character。 Lucas has nerves of steel and is willing to due what is necessary to take down the bad guys， legal or not。 Virgil is a smart investigator who has a number of personal quirks。 Putting them together is bound to lead to a fun fast paced thriller。 Mr。 Sandford does an excellent job writing the back and forth between Virgil and Lucas。 They have great conversations that run the gamut from how they are going to take down the killers to how Virgil should deal with his agent who is trying to sell his unpublished novel。 As with any novel from Mr。 Sandford there is never a shortage of action。 You also get to see both sides thought process and movements。 This really helps you get into the novel as you see everything that is going on which in this case is important with the number of killers involved。 Overall this is a stellar novel。 While selfishly I wish it all took place in Minnesota as that is my home state， the multiple locals adds to the depth of the story。 If you like a good cop thriller with book will hit all the sweet spots for you。 Thank you to @J_Sandford @penguinrandom and @netgalley for a free arc for an honest review。 。。。more
Crimefictioncritic
，
“The world has only so much room for people like her， and occasionally， one of them has to go。” An analysis offered to U。S。 Marshall Lucas Davenport by an unsympathetic neighbor of Hillary Sikes， after her housekeeper discovered her dead body inside her garage。 After someone murdered Sikes in the Twin Cities， Davenport and his frequent sidekick， Minnesota BCA agent Virgil Flowers， get involved in the investigation， along with the FBI。 The FBI gets involved because it turned out Sikes was the thi “The world has only so much room for people like her， and occasionally， one of them has to go。” An analysis offered to U。S。 Marshall Lucas Davenport by an unsympathetic neighbor of Hillary Sikes， after her housekeeper discovered her dead body inside her garage。 After someone murdered Sikes in the Twin Cities， Davenport and his frequent sidekick， Minnesota BCA agent Virgil Flowers， get involved in the investigation， along with the FBI。 The FBI gets involved because it turned out Sikes was the third victim killed by a group of vigilantes billing themselves as The Five， who according to the bizarre press releases they send after every murder， are on a mission to “help rid America of its assholes。” And the murders occurred in three different states。 Most people who knew Sikes agreed she deserved the epithet， as did the other two victims。 Davenport observes， “Nobody cares that assholes are being killed。” But he recognizes The Five “are psychos” that must be stopped。 He isn’t wrong， since the killings continue。While the murderers seem to well plan and meticulously carry out each murder with an eye for escaping identification， the person who killed Sikes made an uncharacteristic mistake， which through good police work， Davenport and Flowers uncover。 That leads to the man’s identity。 Eventually， thanks mostly to the efforts of Davenport and Flowers， the FBI accumulates enough evidence to arrest Sike’s killer and hopes they can pressure him into giving up his accomplices。 But when he makes bail， someone murders him and he is only the first of The Five who becomes a murder victim in this complex plot。 The good guys wonder if someone is cleaning up loose ends。 The case takes Davenport and Flowers from coast to coast， along with points in between。You can always rely on Sandford to serve up an imaginative plot， but with this novel I think he outdid himself。 Two other things make Righteous Prey a notable addition to the series。 First， it contains a lot of current events like the waning COVID pandemic， the growing prominence of Bitcoin， and current growing division and animosity between conservatives and liberals in the United States。 The other is the side story about Virgil Flowers and his budding side gig as a crime fiction author。 Both add interest to the story。 This is vintage Davenport with a full slate of psychopathic evil doers and Lucas treating every murder investigation as a competition to be won。Davenport and Flowers fans won’t want to miss this one， and anyone who enjoys an entertaining crime thriller will enjoy Righteous Prey。 The ending may not be as satisfying as we often want， as far as every evildoer facing the cold realities of justice， but Sandford never promises us a happy ending every time。 The only real criticism I can offer， is like all Prey novels， you reach the last page far sooner than you wanted。 That’s especially true for readers like me who inhale more than read John Sandford’s enjoyable and compelling books。I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley used for this review， which represents my honest opinions。 。。。more
J。
，
This is an excellent addition to Sanford's Prey series。 Davenport again partners up with Flowers。 They are assisting the FBI and other law enforcement agencies。 The perpetrators are a group of five bitcoin millionaires who have turned to vigilante killings for "excitement"。 The plot is well woven and it is good to spend time with Virgil and Lucas。 This is an excellent addition to Sanford's Prey series。 Davenport again partners up with Flowers。 They are assisting the FBI and other law enforcement agencies。 The perpetrators are a group of five bitcoin millionaires who have turned to vigilante killings for "excitement"。 The plot is well woven and it is good to spend time with Virgil and Lucas。 。。。more
Laurie
，
I confess， I've been a John Sandford fan for years。 I've enjoyed all his books， especially the Prey and Virgil Flowers series。 Again in this book， Sandford wove Virgil into a Prey story with excellent results。Vivian Zhao has an idea。 She knows five like-minded bored Bitcoin billionaires who need excitement in their lives; something like， say， killing a person who they feel needs to be murdered。 Communicating with each other on the dark net and known to each other only by their airport identifier I confess， I've been a John Sandford fan for years。 I've enjoyed all his books， especially the Prey and Virgil Flowers series。 Again in this book， Sandford wove Virgil into a Prey story with excellent results。Vivian Zhao has an idea。 She knows five like-minded bored Bitcoin billionaires who need excitement in their lives; something like， say， killing a person who they feel needs to be murdered。 Communicating with each other on the dark net and known to each other only by their airport identifiers， each identifies a person they deem fit for death。 As they begin their killing spree， Zhao puts out press releases celebrating The Five and their deeds， not only killing unsavory people， but also donating untraceable Bitcoin donations to various charities。The victims mount and when a woman is killed in Minnesota， political strings are pulled and Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are called in to help the investigation。 The killings are well executed and leave few clues which cause consternation among those trying to link the victims and their killers。 With their quirky methods， Davenport and Flowers begin making slow progress in uncovering the people behind the killings and the mastermind behind them， Vivian Zhao。The action never stops。 Sandford is so skilled at writing thrillers that one tends to overlook his ability to create great dialogue。 It is both snappy and humorous。 This is another great book in this long running series but enough character background is given that it can be read as a standalone。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Steph
，