Honestly, if you've been following Lucas Davenport since the late eighties, you know the drill. He’s rich, he’s snarky, and he usually wins. But Lethal Prey John Sandford hits a different nerve. It isn't just another "catch the bad guy" procedural. It’s a messy, loud, and surprisingly funny look at how the internet is basically breaking how the police do their jobs.
Sandford is 81 now. You’d think he’d be slowing down, but he just released this 35th entry in the Prey series back in March 2025. It’s vintage Lucas, but with a weirdly modern twist that involves 5 million dollars and a swarm of caffeinated true-crime bloggers.
The 20-Year-Old Murder of Doris Grandfelt
The story starts way back. Twenty years ago, a woman named Doris Grandfelt was stabbed to death with—get this—a sharpened cafeteria knife. Her body was dumped in an urban park east of St. Paul. No leads. No suspects. Just a cold file gathering dust while her twin sister, Lara, lived with the ghost of what happened.
Now Lara is facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. She doesn't have time for red tape anymore.
She decides to burn the whole thing down by dumping the entire police file online and offering a $5 million reward for the killer's head on a platter (metaphorically speaking). That kind of money brings out the best and worst in people. Mostly the worst.
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Lucas and Virgil: The Babysitters of True Crime
Enter Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. If you’re a fan, you know Virgil—the guy who wears indie band t-shirts and is constantly trying to finish his novel. They’re called in not just to solve the murder, but to manage the "crowdsourced" chaos.
Imagine dozens of amateur sleuths, influencers, and podcasters descending on the Twin Cities. They’re tripping over crime scenes and live-streaming clues before the ink is dry on the forensics report.
- The Problem: The killer is watching the livestreams too.
- The Twist: The killer is Amanda Fisk, a high-ranking prosecutor who knows exactly how to hide.
Amanda Fisk is a terrifying antagonist because she’s not some random drifter. She’s part of the system. She knows the law, she knows the cops, and she’s spent two decades building a life on top of a corpse. When one of the bloggers actually finds the murder weapon, she doesn't just hide; she starts cleaning house.
Why Lethal Prey Feels Different
Sandford usually gives us a "whodunit" where we see the killer's perspective early on. We know it's Amanda. We see her rage. The tension isn't about who did it, but how Lucas and Virgil can possibly pin her down when every move they make is being broadcast to a million TikTok followers.
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It’s chaotic. It’s also kinda hilarious. Sandford uses the bloggers to poke fun at the modern obsession with true crime. These aren't all heroes; some are just looking for "clicks." But some of them are actually competent, which forces Lucas—a guy who usually hates amateurs—to actually listen to them.
That Cliffhanger Ending (Spoilers)
If you’ve finished the book, you’re probably screaming. Most Prey novels wrap up with a neat, albeit bloody, bow. Not this one.
Lethal Prey John Sandford ends on a massive cliffhanger. Amanda Fisk is still in play. The investigation is a wreck. It’s a bold move for a series that’s 35 books deep. Usually, we expect a resolution, but Sandford is clearly setting up the 2026 release, Revenge Prey. It’s frustrating, sure, but it also makes the stakes feel real for the first time in years.
Actionable Insights for Sandford Readers
If you're planning to dive into this one, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
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Read Toxic Prey first. While the book stands alone, the dynamic between Lucas and Virgil is at its peak if you've seen their recent team-ups. They’ve evolved from colleagues to something like brothers who occasionally want to shoot each other.
Pay attention to the side characters. Sandford is a master of the "Midwest eccentric." The bloggers aren't just background noise; a few of them might actually be the key to how the Fisk trial (if there ever is one) turns out.
Don't expect a clean ending. Seriously. If you hate cliffhangers, you might want to wait until Revenge Prey drops in April 2026 so you can binge them together. But if you want to be part of the conversation now, the ending is where all the meat is.
Check your local library or Kindle store for the 2025 hardcover. It’s a fast 390 pages. It reminds us why Lucas Davenport is still the king of the Minnesota crime scene, even when he’s being out-hustled by a kid with a smartphone and a podcast.