A team of assassins is assembling in the dead of winter to take out a high-value target. Meanwhile, Lucas Davenport and Shelly White are part of a protective detail guarding Leonard Summers and his family.

However, the protection offered by the safe house crowded with marshals and federal agents proves illusory as rifle shots shatter windows and kill Summers’ wife. This forces Lucas and others to take measures to prevent the ambush from claiming any more victims. Lucas and Shelly begin a pursuit of the assailants and are able to get a glimpse of the getaway vehicle while firing off a few retaliatory shots.

"While REVENGE PREY contains action aplenty, there is an ample amount of humor, and Lucas’ proclivity for pushing buttons continues unabated."

Abramova, Nikitin and Orlov specialize in wet works (assassinations) for the Russian government, and their assignment was Leonard Summers (aka Leonid Sokolov), a defector who had served in Russian intelligence. Their failed hit leads to Sokolov being relocated to a new hideout, while the three Russian operatives face a possible law enforcement dragnet. Lucas’ assignment had been temporary, but now that he’s been shot at, he’s determined to find the killers and take them down. He befriends CIA agent John Sherwood, who fills him in on Sokolov’s defection and the intelligence gold mine that Sokolov represents.

The Russian trio have been assisted by a sleeper agent who has been masquerading as a US citizen residing in Chicago and is adept at procuring transportation and other crucial resources. A few of the bullets from Lucas and Shelly strike their mark, and now the hit squad must seek medical attention. Their desperation leads to the kidnapping of a doctor who tends to all three patients and then is summarily released unharmed. When contact is made with their superior, a second assassination attempt is encouraged. The success of their mission is paramount and is aided by someone on the inside providing Sokolov’s whereabouts.

Lucas has always been a proficient and skilled investigator, whether in his work for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension or as a US Marshal. He follows the trail of evidence wherever it leads, and his instincts are formidable in any case he works. He knows that the Russians are a constant threat as long as they remain at large, and there will be another shootout or two in his near future.

REVENGE PREY, the 36th installment in John Sandford’s outstanding series, illustrates how incessantly entertaining and thrilling Lucas Davenport’s adventures continue to be. The proverb “Familiarity breeds contempt” doesn’t apply when it comes to the enjoyable exploits of Lucas and his friends and associates. There is a rush of adrenaline in reading these books, and this latest entry is no exception.

Sandford keeps the narrative engaging by alternating between the points of view of Lucas and his prey. Lucas is motivated by justice and vengeance; Abramova, Nikitin and Orlov's motives are patriotism. While REVENGE PREY contains action aplenty, there is an ample amount of humor, and Lucas’ proclivity for pushing buttons continues unabated. Sandford has penned another unforgettable thriller in his highly distinguished career.