Is Revenge Prey worth reading? Yes, absolutely!
Table of Contents
Lucas Davenport returns with Revenge Prey, another blockbuster! Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, Revenge Prey is absolutely worth reading for its relentless pacing, sharp dialogue, and masterfully crafted suspense. John Sandford proves once again why Lucas Davenport remains the gold standard of thriller protagonists, delivering a high-stakes manhunt that is both emotionally resonant and impossible to put down.
My Rating – 4 out of 5
Introduction –
There is a specific kind of internal negotiation I have with myself whenever a new John Sandford novel lands on my nightstand. It usually goes like this: “I’ll just read the first chapter, maybe two, and then I’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour.” Spoiler alert: I never go to bed at a reasonable hour. And I didn’t, this time too!
I’ve been following Lucas Davenport through the trenches of the Prey series for what feels like a lifetime. There is something bizarrely comforting about diving into a world of high-stakes crime, tactical gear, and that signature, sharp-witted banter that only Sandford can write, even when things are going absolutely sideways for our favorite U.S. Marshal. At this point in the franchise, Davenport feels less like a fictional character and more like that cool, slightly dangerous uncle who doesn’t visit often enough, but always arrives with a hell of a story when he does.
When I cracked open Revenge Prey, I had the same healthy skepticism I always do. Can he still pull off that relentless tension after so many installments? Does the formula still feel fresh, or is it starting to show its age? Well, let’s just say that my sleep schedule took another massive hit this week, and my coffee consumption hit an all-time high. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s finally time to hang up the holster on this series or if there is still plenty of gunpowder left in the tank, you’re in the right place. Let’s break down why, somehow, Sandford is still winning this game.
And this annual ceremony of reading the latest Lucas Davenport novel didn’t disappoint this year, either! For the first time (as far as I can remember), Lucas is hinting at his advancing age affecting his prowess, though that neither slows down his reflexes nor impedes his shooting skills. It starts off in the snowy outskirts of Minnesota, when a convoy carrying Russian defectors, guarded by a phalanx of US Marshals, arrives at a secluded safe house. Lucas and his current partner, Marshal Shelly White, are the advance team, who inspect and scout the location and deem it safe for the high-value packages’ arrival.
The main man in the defector family, Leonid Sakhalov (now Leonard Summers), is a high-ranking FSB official, and his violent past, which is closely linked to Putin, makes him a high-value asset for American intelligence. John Sherwood, the CIA representative, is the man on the ground and, being a man after Lucas’s heart, takes to him like they were old buddies. But just as the Sokholve were settling in, a shot is fired through the kitchen window, barely missing Leonid. Lucas and Shelly give chase, but the hit team gets away, not before suffering injuries themselves.
Thus begins a chase across the country to hunt down this Russian hit team, who will stop at nothing to complete their incomplete task. Before long, Lucas and Sherwood realize that there is a mole in their multi-agency task force (what with the FBI also getting involved), as the Russians seem to always be a step ahead of the US agents’ plans and movements. They identify the mole towards the end, but keep him in place to net the assassins, but that’s giving away too much!
Thankfully, in the edition of the series, Lucas doesn’t get shot up, though his CIA contact does, but nothing too serious. There are passing mentions of Virgil Flowers and Letty Davenport, but they don’t have much of a role to play here. Though there is a hint of some future development between Letty and John Sherwood, that’s possibly a story for another day. The cynical, sometimes snarky tone in the book makes it a lot more interesting to read, especially the inter-agency banter, which injects a significant amount of verve into the narrative.
On a side note, it will be pertinent to note that for a Federal employee, Lucas Davenport is an extremely wealthy individual with refined tastes in clothes, shoes, and guns. He drives a Porsche, and in this book, he buys another one just because he can! Well, disclaimer, his income and apparent wealth have nothing to do with his Government job, but because of a startup venture which he built, scaled, and then sold for an astronomical sum. Now, coming back to Revenge Prey, which, albeit, has a thin-ish storyline, and is much used in the fiction world.
But John Sandford doesn’t let the pace drop, and despite the much-familiar storyline, Revenge Prey maintains its fame. Known for its immense readability, this novel is a worthy addition to the series, though, in all fairness, there are many better ones in the series. But as a fan, I’m not complaining either. The 36th novel in the series, Revenge Prey, is a good, one-weekend non-stop read. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Lucas’s wife, the petite plastic surgeon, Dr. Weather Karkinnen, plays a short but decisive role in the novel, when one of her innocuous theorizations opens up a solid channel in Lucas’s adventure with the Russian assassins.
Read my review of the Jason Statham movie Shelter here
Conclusion –
Ultimately, Revenge Prey proves that John Sandford isn’t just coasting on the momentum of a thirty-plus book legacy—he’s still actively outrunning most of the competition. There’s a certain magic in how he balances the veteran grit of Lucas Davenport with the evolving energy of the series, ensuring that even after all these years, the stakes feel personal rather than procedural. It’s the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place: it’s fast, it’s smart, and it doesn’t pull its punches.
If you’re a long-time fan, this is the comfortable yet electrifying homecoming you were hoping for. If you’re a newcomer wondering if you can jump in this late in the game, the answer is a resounding yes—though be warned, you’ll likely end up buying the back catalog by next Tuesday. Sandford has a way of making high-level federal investigations feel like a neighborhood brawl, and in Revenge Prey, the choreography is flawless.
As I closed the book (and finally turned off my bedside lamp as the sun was uncomfortably close to rising), I realized that my “internal negotiation” from the intro was a total sham from the start. I was always going to finish this in one sitting. It’s a masterclass in pacing and a testament to why the Prey series remains the gold standard for crime fiction. So, clear your schedule, brew a double-shot of espresso, and prepare for a few sleepless nights. Trust me, the adrenaline rush is well worth the dark circles under your eyes the next morning. Lucas Davenport is back, and honestly? He’s never looked better.
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