A Book A Week

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. Lucky 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. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2022, 43)