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EXTREME PREY
by John Sandford
Penguin Random House, April 2016
416 pages
$29.00
ISBN: 0399176055


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Lucas Davenport is enjoying not working for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension: he's working on his cabin, not at anyone's beck and call. Then his friend Governor Elmer Henderson's main weasel calls - the Governor wants Lucas to help with something, and help discreetly. Henderson thinks it's possible that someone, some fanatic, is seriously considering harming one of the candidates running for President. Henderson is a candidate, but he's playing serious politics; he knows he won't BE the candidate, but he thinks the odds are reasonably good that he could be VP, and the odds of parlaying that office into a seat in the Oval Office are pretty good. But only if Michaela Bowden gets the nomination, and she's looking good for it.

Lucas takes what little information there is, and runs it past some of his friends. Long-times readers of the series will recognize names and specialties as well as knowing some of the back stories. Sandford has been writing long enough to pass on enough information so that a first-time reader won't feel lost. Based on the information he gets from his sources, Lucas agrees with the governor. He starts making a concerted effort to track down the people he believes are involved. This is the "police procedural" aspect of the novel. The information leads to some groups that were, at least several decades ago, involved in protest movements focused on the farm issue. Think Willie Nelson.

Some people won't talk to Lucas, not surprising given their political orientation. Some will talk to him, and won't tell him anything useful. Some talk, with serious errors of omission. All of them get in touch with other people in their group, passing along any information they can. This results, sooner rather than later, in some deaths. The investigation has to decide if and how they are connected to the main issue, and what alterations in the investigation need to be made as a result of these decisions. Naturally, not everyone connected to the case likes Lucas or wants to cooperate with him. Lucas copes, as he always has.

The people they are all looking for are not stupid. They plan carefully and think things through, at least most of the time. They are normal people except for this one area of their life and on that point, they are truly fanatic. They truly believe in government conspiracies, and have lots of support for their beliefs. Over the years, some have lived quiet lives, under the radar. Some have been more recently traumatized by our ongoing conflicts. They are, for the most part, harmless. But not all. While Lucas and his crew are hunting them, they are actively working on their plan, and it is a very deadly plan.

Sandford has been writing about Lucas Davenport and his various friends for a lot of years. He knows what he's doing. The pace zips right along, pulling the willing reader along. His characters, particularly those of the "bad guys" are clearly drawn, with an eye for the telling details that bring connotations with them. His setting is spot-on: Iowa can seem to be nothing but field of corn and beans with towns sprinkled here and there like raisins in an oatmeal cookie. The political scene–anyone who watches the evening news (no matter which side of the ideological fence one is on) can easily recognize the memes Sandford is writing about. EXTREME PREY is classic John Sandford.

§ I have been reading and reviewing mystery fiction for over a quarter of a century and read broadly within just about all genres and sub-genres. I have been a preliminary judge for the Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Press Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Contest for at least 25 years. I live in Northern lower Michigan with my spousal unit, one large cat, and 2 fairly small dogs. My Sherlockian (BSI) nom-de-plume is VR; my license plate is BSI VR

Reviewed by PJ Coldren, March 2016

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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