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Ocean Prey
by
John Sandford
thriller in a Kindle edition that was published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on April 13, 2021 and has 431 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Rules of Prey, Shadow Prey, Eyes of Prey, Winter Prey, Silent Prey, Mind Prey, Night Prey, Sudden Prey, Easy Prey, Chosen Prey, Mortal Prey, Naked Prey, Hidden Prey, Broken Prey, Invisible Prey, Phantom Prey, Wicked Prey, Storm Prey, Buried Prey, Silken Prey, Stolen Prey, Field of Prey, Gathering Prey, Dark of the Moon, Heat Lightning, Rough Country, Bad Blood, Shock Wave, Mad River, Deadline, Storm Front, Extreme Prey, Escape Clause, The Fool's Run, Deep Freeze, The Empress File, Twisted Prey, Holy Ghost, Neon Prey, Bloody Genius, Masked Prey, The Investigator , Dark Angel, Judgment Prey
Thirty-first in the Lucas Davenport series and thirteenth in the Virgil Flowers thriller series revolving around a drug cache in Florida.
My Take
It starts with a flash forward of Lucas on the beach. It’s so Lucas in his nonchalant reaction to his potential muggers. It’ll be later in the story that the real depth of emotion is exposed . . . and the reason for it made me cry.
This story explains the obligation Senator Colles will have in giving Letty that job in The Investigator, 1.
Sandford’s intro with Barney’s back story was cute and made his character’s later actions more affecting, more personal. It did help that Sandford was using third person global subjective point-of-view, which allowed for a number of perspectives, although Lucas’ is the primary perspective.
It’s a cliché that no law enforcement agency LEO) can work with another, so this statement sang with me: “I know about your record, so . . . glad to have you.” It does lead into a “discussion” between Lucas and Bob about their own philosophical differences in how Lucas worked Masked Prey, 30, (the 1919 sniper; the cannibal case was in Neon Prey, 29).
Turns out that Lucas’ plans are always kind of . . . fuzzy while Bob and Rae tend to plan it out to the nth degree. Bob notes that Lucas is about justice while he and Rae are lawmen. Still, Lucas is all about protecting his people and is anxious about the FBI being trigger-happy — he intends to protect his people who are undercover.
Of course, the LEO rivalry gets back on track with those derisive comments from the FBI about “shooters”. Lucas has some good comebacks. And pokes at those cops sent to the boat show with rifles. I gotta say, I think Lucas is right. It’s also an opportunity to point out that the US Marshal service does more than move people around.
Sandford pokes fun at the sartorial fashion of the FBI — and Lucas’ and Bob’s choices. Of course there’s politics rearing its ugly head.
I had to admire the bad guys’ clever strategies even as I despised their attitudes and their die-and-let die philosophy for cleaning up. Well, no one expects them to have morals.
Who’d’ve thought drug dealers had sales strategies? Or that one could become an experienced diver in thirty days. That crack about the SEALs, that “they looked more like cops than cops: they looked like cops in movies” was too funny.
It is most definitely NOT boring with this blend of action and character with humor scattered throughout and plenty of cop talk ranging from the undercover operations, the surveillance, the research, and the “philosophical” discussions. And I can’t wait to read Righteous Prey.
Weaver is thrilled that Mallard sees him as a friend. Weather is hoping for a nice trip, but it’s the initial opening of COVID. And, hey, Virgil gets to keep the dive equipment while Rae can keep the shoes. Score. And Rae is really impressed with Virgil, which makes me wonder where Virgil’s story is gonna go.
The Story
An off-duty Coast Guardsman is fishing with his family in the Atlantic just off south Florida when he sees, and then calls in, some suspicious behavior in a nearby boat. It’s a snazzy craft, slick and outfitted with extra horsepower, and is zipping along until it slows to pick up a surfaced diver . . . a diver who was apparently alone, without his own boat, in the middle of the ocean. None of it makes sense unless there’s something hinky going on, and his hunch is proven correct when all three Guardsmen who come out to investigate are shot and killed.
They’re federal officers killed on the job, which means the case is the FBI’s turf. When the FBI’s investigation stalls out, Lucas Davenport of the U.S. Marshals Service gets a call. The case turns even more lethal and Davenport needs to bring in every asset he can find, including a detective with a fundamentally criminal mind: Virgil Flowers.
The Characters
Lucas Davenport is a US Marshal with a reputation admired by other law enforcement and one that worries the bad guys. Weather is his wife, a surgeon who specializes in reconstruction. They still have two kids at home. Letty is their adopted daughter about to graduate from Stanford University with a master’s degree in economics.
Virgil Flowers is a friend of Lucas’ and an agent with the Department of Criminal Apprehension in Minnesota. (He’s written wildlife articles for years and is now working on a thriller.) Frankie Nobles is his girlfriend, and they have two-month-old twins. Ten-year-old Sam is Frankie’s youngest child by another father. And aren’t they gonna have a blast! Honus is their dog.
“Willy” is an out-of-work diver; “Ally” is his pushy girlfriend. Together they are a couple desperate for some money. “Uncle Jerry” has hired Willy to train him.
US Marshals
Bob Matees, who’d been a wrestler at university, is with the Special Operations Group and has partnered up with Lucas before. I think Shirl is his girlfriend? Bob usually partners up with Rae Givens, but she’s on leave caring for her mother. Rae recommends Andrew Devlin to Lucas. Devlin has a degree in mechanical engineering, fixing old motorboats and Hammond organs, while Rae is into art and literature. Technically Russell Forte is Lucas’ supervisor.
FBI
Special Agent Dale Weaver is supervising what appears to be a career-ending mission. Other agents include David C. Bruce; Dale (who’s against the diving bounty); Jason Tennan who’s working undercover at the Angelus Hotel using his model girlfriend as part of his background; Harry; Parker; Andy; and, George Hamm. Gene Potts is a slow-moving cop. Betty and Bill work at smaller airports.
Deputy Director Louis Mallard has been a friend of Lucas’ for awhile (Easy Prey, 11). Senior Agent Jane Chase, Lucas’ FBI “girlfriend” (Twisted Prey, 28), agrees with Bob and Rae about Lucas.
In Manhattan, Loren Duke is the assistant agent-in-charge. Other agents include Dillon Koch, Kate Orish who is running the room, Dick Kerry who is Kate’s second, Rob Blake, and Jim Ochoa. Ann Wright is with the US Attorney’s Office. Jill and Ivy will run the search.
Coast Guard
Kelly Taylor is a warrant officer from their Investigation Service and represents Homeland Security.
Barney Hall works after school and summers as a mechanic, and after his chat with his guidance counselor, decides to join the Coast Guard, becoming Coast Guard Petty Officer Hall. Sue is his girlfriend whom he marries after graduation. She became a registered nurse. Lance will be their first child. Toby Jones got married.
DEA
Agent Ramon Herrera points to Tobin Cain, a.k.a. “Foot-Long”, who deals out of a Subway store and just fired his runner, “Dope”. Agent Mac Campbell had led the Gentry investigation.
Barry Cohen is a cop with Miami Beach. Dan Colson and Walker Weeks are Miami narcs who know more dealers, including Axel Morris, a former schoolteacher who likes the young ladies and works out of Bandit’s. Magnus Elliot is on probation. John Gentry, who lives in Coconut Grove and ran a construction company, had been a smuggler with the Blue Tunas. Helen is John’s wife. Roy deals out of the Ouroboros Bar and Grill; Richard has top-grade Chemdawg.
The Bad Guys
Michael Behan has taste for crap and is the head of Sansone’s South Florida organization. John “Jack” Cattaneo, a.k.a. Black Jack, is a key member. Belinda is Jack’s successful artist wife. Matt Lange and Marc Regio are also major members along with James “Jimmy” Parisi, a killer who was never indicted, and Greg. The upline boss is Doug Sansone, a “baker” with a chain of donut shops, Mama Ferrari’s Donuts, in New York. Sylvia is his murderous wife. Jacquell was the diver they used; now she’s Darshan. The McKinleys are friends of the Cattaneos.
Don Romano launders his money through Larry and Kay’s Contractor Lighting warehouse. Larry Bianchi and Kay are Romano’s son-in-law and daughter.
Javier from the Lauderdale Yacht Club gets Tony’s permission to run Lucas and Bob out to see the aging hippie, Roger Quinn, who runs Big Mac’s In-and-Out diner on a pontoon boat. Captain Beddy runs the Down East, a party boat. Carlos is a mechanic? The party from the Zizzorz Wizzardz hairdresser school included Alicia Snow (now working at Salon de Elegance, which Maria runs); Meredith (now working at the Bombshell); Patty Pittman, who has since disappeared; Sandra Klink; and, Karen Loftus. Julie Andrews is a dive instructor at Sunrise Scuba; Rolf is driving the boat.
In New York, the drug dealers include Jerry Poole, a.k.a. the Hat; Salas Zamora is a street-level dealer; Cheri Malone has been under the radar; and, Kent Pruitt. Paul Curry has “support” from family which includes Noodles, the dog; a sulphur cockatoo; Sophia, his unthinking wife; and Sophia’s mother and father, Carol and David Bruno.
US Senator Christopher Colles of Florida has a son-in-law in the Coast Guard. Andrea Thompson is Colles’ personal assistant. Anna Rubio is the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Elsie M. Sweat is an assistant US attorney. Elmer Henderson and Porter Smalls are US senators from Minnesota who recommend Lucas.
The Cover and Title
The cover is fun with its wavering text, for it is underwater with the deep blue background and the pale green bubbles from Willy’s air tank and movements. All the text is on a slant starting with the author’s name at the top in a light turquoise with an info blurb in mint green to the right. Beneath the name is the series information in a more yellow green separated by two horizontal rules from the name and the title below it, which is back to the mint green, albeit gradated from bluer to more yellow.
The title refers to the drugs, the Ocean Prey sought by them all.
