Synopses & Reviews
An extraordinary new thriller of the future from #1
New York Timesbestselling and Pulitzer Prizewinning author John Sandford and internationally known photo-artist and science fiction aficionado Ctein.
Over the course of thirty-seven books, John Sandford has proven time and again his unmatchable talents for electrifying plots, rich characters, sly wit, and razor-sharp dialogue. Now, in collaboration with Ctein, he proves it all once more, in a stunning new thriller, a story as audacious as it is deeply satisfying.
The year is 2066. A Caltech intern inadvertently notices an anomaly from a space telescopesomething is approaching Saturn, and decelerating. Space objects dont decelerate. Spaceships do.
A flurry of top-level government meetings produces the inescapable conclusion: Whatever built that ship is at least one hundred years ahead in hard and soft technology, and whoever can get their hands on it exclusively and bring it back will have an advantage so large, no other nation can compete. A conclusion the Chinese definitely agree with when they find out.
The race is on, and an remarkable adventure beginsan epic tale of courage, treachery, resourcefulness, secrets, surprises, and astonishing human and technological discovery, as the members of a hastily thrown-together crew find their strength and wits tested against adversaries both of this earth and beyond. What happens is nothing like you expectand everything you could want from one of the worlds greatest masters of suspense.
Review
andldquo;If you havenandrsquo;t read Sandford, you have been missing one of the great summer-read novelists of all time.andnbsp; Lucas Davenport, the policeman hero of the Prey novels, is a hard dude . . . but not without a sense of humor, and that makes him special.andnbsp; Sandford writes real-guy novels, butandmdash;judging by my wife and her sistersandmdash;real girls like him too.andrdquo;andmdash;Stephen King
Review
andldquo;Sandfordandrsquo;s ability to sustain this perfect series [. . .] must be a cause of envy to other writers, but grateful readers greet the annual appearance of Minnesota cop Lucas Davenport with joy, then plan for a sleepless, page-turning night.andrdquo;andmdash;
Cleveland Plain-DealerReview
andldquo;Sandfordandrsquo;s talent is such that this series never grows stale, or boring, or forgettable.andnbsp; As author and hero age, readers can hope that the best is yet to be.andrdquo;andmdash;
Richmond Times-DispatchReview
Praise for Storm Front
“One of the best in that series so far . . . [it is] exciting, complex and funny . . . The beauty of Sanford's writing is that the narrative of the book is told in perfect harmony with Flowers' personality. The descriptions of the plot and the locale of the story have the same laconic quality as Virgil's tone and speaking habits. You seem to be in Virgil's mind and thoughts as the narrative unfolds . . . STORM FRONT is an enjoyable and relaxing read. Sandford knows his characters, his locale and his plot. There are no missteps. It is entertaining reading all the way.”—Huffington Post
“With another gritty storyline and appealing characters, Sandford has penned another winner, one sure to shoot to the top of the best-seller lists.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Clever, quirky . . . unusually good-natured intrigue distinguishes this outing.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Mad River
“The best entry in a stellar series” - Booklist (starred review)
“A high-octane thrill ride. Virgil pulls out all the stops.” - Publishers Weekly
“Wonderfully entertaining” - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Very strong. Sandford is one of Americas ace mystery authors.” - Cleveland Plain Dealer
“The greatest strength of Mad River lies in Flowers himself. Its hard to think of a more balanced and genial investigative hero, yet hes still able to keep cops and bad guys alike in line. The killers motivations and dynamic remain riveting until the final pages.” - Shelf Awareness
“There are few events more welcome in the literary world than the appearance of another John Sandford book. Mad River is shot through with dark humor from all sides [and] the violence that is the driving force of the book ratchets up the suspense to an almost excruciating degree.” - Bookreporter.com
“The best thing about Sandfords writing is that it is still fresh. He writes with enthusiasm and never coasts on his merits or uses any tricks of the trade. Mad River is just as refreshing as the first novel he ever wrote.” - Huffington Post
“Sandford can be depended upon to create thrillers infused with page-turner plots, knifes-edge prose, and well-drawn portraits. What sets this series apart, though, is Flowers himself, a man of action but also one of contemplation. In Mad River, as in his entire body of work, Sandford sets out not only to thrill and entertain, but also to inspire thought.” - Richmond Times-Dispatch
Review
Praise for John Sandford and Storm Front “Sandford writes great, unapologetic guy fiction.”—Stephen King
“[Virgil] Flowers works with gruff charm and Spenser-like efficiency, a winning combination.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Move over Dan Brown...With another gritty storyline and appealing characters, Sandford has penned another winner.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
Review
Praise for Deadline
“Another brainy thriller from a prolific author, ‘Deadline fulfills readers expectations of Sandfords fiction: tense, smart and character-driven.” — Richmond Times Dispatch
“Rich characters [and] the descriptions of small-town life, politics and corruption and the concurrent trails of action make for a fast and entertaining read.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Sandford's best Flowers book to date. . . . There is a lot of drama and mayhem in this story and readers of traditional Sandford books will be satisfied for sure. Still if you like a little humor in your plots, this book will more than sate that desire. This book is the most fun I have had reading in a long time.”—Huffington Post
“Theres a lot going on in Deadline . . . The biggest joys of this series are Flowers himself (his boss is Lucas Davenport from the Sandford's Prey novels), the cast of eccentric supporting characters and the humorous dialogue.”—Shelf Awareness
“Sandford keeps one last surprise up his sleeve for the denouement of the dognapping case, and it's a doozy. Exhilaratingly professional work by both Virgil and his creator that breaks no new ground but will keep the fans happy and add to their number.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Stellar . . . Sandford is an accomplished and amusing storyteller, and he nails both the rural characters and terrain as well as he has skewered urban life in past installments.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sanford balances straight-talking Virgil Flowers often hilariously folksy tone and Tripptons dark core of methamphetamine manufacturers and sociopaths; the result is pure reading pleasure for thriller fans.”—Booklist
Praise for Storm Front
“John Sandford has the Midas touch. [Storm Front is] exciting, complex and funny all the way through. Virgil is a unique character [and] the beauty of Sandfords writing is that the narrative of the book is told in perfect harmony with Flowers personality . . . Entertaining reading all the way.” —The Huffington Post
Review
Praise for Field of Prey
“Sandford has always been at the top of any list of great mystery writers, and this book shows why. His writing and the appeal of his lead character are as fresh as ever.”—The Huffington Post
“There is no limit to John Sandfords ability to keep new breath and blood flowing into his Lucas Davenport novels. This is a series you must be reading if you are not already.”—Bookreporter.com
Review
“One of the most gifted thriller writers at work in this country or any other.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
“John Sandford writes entertainment that is not to be missed. He is consistently brilliant.”
Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Sandford has always been at the top of any list of great mystery writers.”
The Huffington Post
Synopsis
When a simple robbery turns deadly, the thieves close in on the only witness: Lucas Davenport's wife...
Synopsis
The brilliant new Lucas Davenport thriller from the #1 New York Times best-selling author.
"Sandford's track record as a best-selling author is amazing, but it's not an accident," wrote Booklist of Wicked Prey. "His plotting is sharp, his villains are extraordinarily layered, and his good guys are always evolving.
And this time, there's a storm brewing...Very early, 4:45, on a bitterly cold Minnesota morning, three big men burst through the door of a hospital pharmacy, duct-tape the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes of two pharmacy workers, and clean the place out. But then things swiftly go bad, one of the workers dies, and the robbers hustle out to their truck-and find themselves for just one second face-to-face with a blond woman in the garage: Weather Karkinnen, surgeon, wife of an investigator named Lucas Davenport.
Did she see enough? Can she identify them? Gnawing it over later, it seems to them there is only one thing they can do: Find out who she is, and eliminate the only possible witness...
Synopsis
The brilliant new Virgil Flowers thriller from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author. One late fall Sunday in southern Minnesota, a farmer brings a load of soybeans to a local grain elevator- and a young man hits him on the head with a steel bar, drops him into the grain bin, waits until he's sure he's dead, and then calls the sheriff to report the "accident." Suspicious, the sheriff calls in Virgil Flowers, who quickly breaks the kid down...and the next day the boy's found hanging in his cell. Remorse? Virgil isn't so sure, and as he investigates he begins to uncover a multigeneration, multifamily conspiracy-a series of crimes of such monstrosity that, though he's seen an awful lot in his life, even he has difficulty in comprehending it...and in figuring out what to do next.
Synopsis
The thrilling new Virgil Flowers novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.
The superstore chain PyeMart has its sights set on a Minnesota river town, but two very angry groups want to stop it: local merchants, fearing for their businesses, and environmentalists, predicting ecological disaster. The protests don't seem to be slowing the project, though, until someone decides to take matters into his own hands.
The first bomb goes off on the top floor of PyeMart's headquarters. The second one explodes at the construction site itself. The blasts are meant to inflict maximum damage-and they do. Who's behind the bombs, and how far will they go? It's Virgil Flowers's job to find out . . . before more people get killed.
Synopsis
For twenty years, John Sandford's novels have been beloved for their "ingenious plots, vivid characters, crisp dialogue and endless surprises" (The Washington Post), and nowhere are those more in evidence than in the sudden twists and shocks of Wicked Prey. Out of Lucas Davenport's past comes a psycho nursing a violent grudge. But why go after Davenport for revenge when Davenport's young daughter is so close-and so vulnerable?
Synopsis
Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the small Minnesota town of Wayzata, an entire family has been killedandmdash;husband, wife, two daughters, dogs.
Thereandrsquo;s something about the scene that pokes at Lucasandrsquo;s cop instinctsandmdash;it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution heandrsquo;s seen in drug killings sometimes. But this is a seriously upscale town, and the husband was an executive vice president at a big bank. It just doesnandrsquo;t seem to fit.
Until it does. And where it leads Lucas will take him into the darkest nightmare of his life.
Synopsis
The thrilling new novel in the #1 New York Timesbestselling series. In Israel, a man clutching a backpack searches desperately for a boat. In Minnesota, Virgil Flowers gets a message from Lucas Davenport: Youre about to get a visitor. Its an Israeli cop, and shes tailing a man whos smuggled out an extraordinary relica copper scroll revealing startling details about the man known as King Solomon.
Wait a minute, laughs Virgil. Is this one of those Da Vinci Code deals? The secret scroll, the blockbuster revelation, the teams of murderous bad guys? Should I be boning up on my Bible verses?
He looks at the cop. Shes not laughing. As it turns out, there are very bad men chasing the relic, and they dont care whos in the way or what they have to do to get it. Maybe Virgil should start praying.
Synopsis
#1 New York Times Bestseller
An ancient relic is unearthed during an archaeological dig. A Minnesota college professor is keeping a secret that could change the worlds history as we know it. For Virgil Flowers, the link between the two is inescapableand his investigation, more dangerous and far-reaching than he can possibly imagine.
Synopsis
The thrilling new novel in the #1 New York Timesbestselling series.
In Southeast Minnesota, down on the Mississippi, a school board meeting is coming to an end. The board chairman announces that the rest of the meeting will be closed, due to personnel issues. Issues” is correct. The proposal up for a vote before them is whether to authorize the killing of a local reporter. The vote is four to one in favor.
Meanwhile, not far away, Virgil Flowers is helping out a friend by looking into a dognapping, which seems to be turning into something much bigger and ugliera team of dognappers supplying medical labswhen he gets a call from Lucas Davenport. A murdered body has been foundand the victim is a local reporter. . . .
Synopsis
The extraordinary new Lucas Davenport thriller from #1 New York Timesbestselling author and Pulitzer Prizewinner John Sandford.
They call them Travelers. They move from city to city, panhandling, committing no crimesthey just like to stay on the move. And now somebody is killing them.
Lucas Davenports adopted daughter, Letty, is home from college when she gets a phone call from a woman Traveler shed befriended in San Francisco. The woman thinks somebodys killing her friends, shes afraid she knows who it is, and now her male companion has gone missing. Shes hiding out in North Dakota, and she doesnt know what to do.
Letty tells Lucas shes going to get her, and, though he suspects Lettys getting played, he volunteers to go with her. When he hears the womans story, though, he begins to think theres something in it. Little does he know. In the days to come, he will embark upon an odyssey through a subculture unlike any he has ever seen, a trip that will not only put the two of them in dangerbut just may change the course of his life.
Synopsis
The thrilling new novel in the #1 New York Timesbestselling series. In Israel, a man clutching a backpack searches desperately for a boat. In Minnesota, Virgil Flowers gets a message from Lucas Davenport: Youre about to get a visitor. Its an Israeli cop, and shes tailing a man whos smuggled out an extraordinary relica copper scroll revealing startling details about the man known as King Solomon.
Wait a minute, laughs Virgil. Is this one of those Da Vinci Code deals? The secret scroll, the blockbuster revelation, the teams of murderous bad guys? Should I be boning up on my Bible verses?
He looks at the cop. Shes not laughing. As it turns out, there are very bad men chasing the relic, and they dont care whos in the way or what they have to do to get it. Maybe Virgil should start praying.
About the Author
John Sandford is the pseudonym of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. He is the author of the Prey novels, the Kidd novels, the Virgil Flowers novels, The Night Crew, and Dead Watch. He lives in New Mexico.