Quick Review: TOXIC PREY by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

Lucas and Letty Davenport face a potentially horrifying terrorist attack of unprecedented scale

Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, team up to track down a dangerous scientist whose latest project could endanger the entire world…

Gaia is dying.

That, at least, is what Dr. Lionel Scott believes. A renowned expert in tropical and infectious diseases, Scott has witnessed the devastating impact of illness and turmoil at critical scale. Society as it exists is untenable, and the direct link to Earth’s death spiral; population levels are out of control and people have allowed disarray and disorder to run rampant. While most are concerned about deadly disease, Scott knows that it is truly humanity itself that will destroy Gaia. It’s only by removing the threat then the planet can continue to prosper, and luckily, Scott is just the right man for the job…

When Scott then disappears without a trace, Letty Davenport is tasked with tracking down any and all leads. Scott’s connections to sensitive research into virus and pathogen spread has multiple national and international organizations on high alert, and his shockingly high clearance levels at various institutions, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, make him the last person they’d like to go missing. As the web around Scott becomes more tangled, Letty calls in her father, Lucas, help her lead a group of specialists to find Scott as soon as possible. But as Letty and Lucas begin to uncover startling and disturbing connections between Scott and Gaia conspiracists, their worst fears are confirmed, and it quickly becomes a race to find him before the virus he created becomes the perfect weapon.

In this, the 34th novel in John Sandford’s Prey series, Lucas teams up with his daughter, Letty, to hunt down a scientist who plans to launch a globally-devastating terrorist attack. Exhibiting all of the hallmarks of what has made Sandford’s novel so popular, this is an engaging, gripping read.

I’ve read almost all of Sandford’s Prey novels (there are still a few of the earlier ones that I haven’t had the chance to read, yet). Each new book is a must-read for me, and there are few authors whose novels I read immediately — and often finish in a couple of sittings.

Toxic Prey was no exception. It hits the ground running, and introduces a diabolical plot to “save the world”. U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and his team are brought in to hunt down the rogue scientist who has devised the attack. Lucas’s adopted daughter, Letty, is likewise brought onto the case through her work for a leading Senator involved in Homeland Security. With an international component (the scientist is British), Letty enjoys a quick jaunt to the UK where she meets a new love-interest. As Lucas, Letty and their colleagues rush across the United States to prevent the attack, they slowly learn the huge scope of the plot. Lucas is forced to balance the urgency to stop the Scott’s plan with his concern for Letty — who, like her dad, has a tendency to rush in and put herself in the line of danger. The pacing in the second half to the book was particularly excellent, and I couldn’t put it down, reading well into the wee hours of the morning.

Given the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential impact of a pathogen tailor-made to massively depopulate the global population was a particularly terrifying plot device, and Sandford does a great job of digging into the psychosis that would devise such a plan, as well as the lengths to which zealots will go to achieve their ends (while also noting the hypocrisy and narcissism involved in ensuring that the plotters survive…). The author also shows respect for the people who are involved in combatting these potential attacks, and developing strategies for protecting the populations (not just of the US, but elsewhere, too).

If you’re already a fan of Sandford’s novels, then I have no doubt you will have already pre-ordered this. His series presents no evidence to suggest that neither the author nor his protagonist are slowing down anytime soon. If you are a fan of thrillers and crime fiction, but haven’t yet read any of Sandford’s novels, then I would strongly recommend you give his books a try. They’re pacy, well-crafted, up-to-the-minute, and are populated by engaging and well-drawn characters. The author has a particular gift for dialogue and banter. Best of all, Sandford keeps the storytelling fresh in each new novel, and none of the novels have felt formulaic or like the author’s just going through the motions. The introduction of Letty as a partner has given additional life to the series — not to mention plenty of amusing opportunities to compare the different generations and their thinking and mores.

Thirty-four books in, and my interest hasn’t dipped at all. Recommended.

John Sandford’s Toxic Prey is due to be published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in North America, on April 9th. (Unsure who will be publishing in the UK, at the time of writing.)

Also on CR: Reviews of Phantom Prey, Wicked Prey, Storm Prey, Buried Prey, Stolen Prey, Silken Prey, Field of Prey, Golden Prey, Neon Prey, Masked Prey, Righteous Prey, Judgment Prey, The Investigator, Dark Angel, and Dark of the Moon