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A review by yevolem
Toxic Prey by John Sandford
4.0
Although there's an intimidating number of books in this series, this can be read by itself, as can most any book in this setting.
Lionel Scott is an utterly deranged Malthusian who believes that the only way to save Gaia, Earth, is to rid it of the parasites killing it, humans. To that end he has developed a hybrid virus to eliminate almost all of humanity. Now he and his crew of misanthropes will sacrifice everything they are to cull the population to a sustainable level. Their plan is to infect several major airports in the US so that there's a worldwide pandemic before there can be any time for countermeasures, let alone containment. They know that what they do is righteous and for the greater good. The many must die so that the few may live, preferably including their selves if possible. When suspicions arise about Scott's disappearance The Department of Homeland Security tasks one of their agents, Letty Davenport to investigate. She assembles a team that includes her father, U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport, and several other major characters from recent books. Somehow, the fate of the world may now be their responsibility. A cat and mouse game with the highest possible stakes has now begun.
I was surprised by how much the stakes increased with this book. The series really has come far from its beginnings. From investigations of murderers with a victim or two to the possibility of human extinction is quite the change in scope and scale. It's not as surprising once you know that despite the name, this is more of a Letty than Lucas book, but even by the standard set by Letty's first book, this is quite the change. The main problem I have with that is that the Letty books are more serious and science oriented, which Sandford does admirably well with given that he's 80 years old, but there are times where the science is stuck in the 1970s and it made me groan. I really dislike the Malthusian argument, whether it's made by Thanos, Scott, or anyone else. Aside from the outdated science and questionable motivations of the antagonists I don't have any significant complaints. The chronology, it's all but stated that it's 2023, is a mess as usual, but that doesn't really matter.
Most of my usual complaints about the series aren't present here. The characters are fun and pleasing to read about, the narrative is tense and engaging, and it was immersive enough to where I was able to believe that it could have any possible ending. That allowed for an emotional rollercoaster and I appreciated that. I'm impressed by how Sandford writes books that are often quite different each time while also remaining much the same. That hasn't always worked, though this time it has. I have to wonder what comes next and whether this is a sign that the series conclusion is nigh. Maybe it even ended in this book. If you haven't read it or the FAQ on his website, you don't know. That being said I'm eager for whatever comes next, even after having read 50 books in this setting, which I find to be rather remarkable.
Lionel Scott is an utterly deranged Malthusian who believes that the only way to save Gaia, Earth, is to rid it of the parasites killing it, humans. To that end he has developed a hybrid virus to eliminate almost all of humanity. Now he and his crew of misanthropes will sacrifice everything they are to cull the population to a sustainable level. Their plan is to infect several major airports in the US so that there's a worldwide pandemic before there can be any time for countermeasures, let alone containment. They know that what they do is righteous and for the greater good. The many must die so that the few may live, preferably including their selves if possible. When suspicions arise about Scott's disappearance The Department of Homeland Security tasks one of their agents, Letty Davenport to investigate. She assembles a team that includes her father, U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport, and several other major characters from recent books. Somehow, the fate of the world may now be their responsibility. A cat and mouse game with the highest possible stakes has now begun.
I was surprised by how much the stakes increased with this book. The series really has come far from its beginnings. From investigations of murderers with a victim or two to the possibility of human extinction is quite the change in scope and scale. It's not as surprising once you know that despite the name, this is more of a Letty than Lucas book, but even by the standard set by Letty's first book, this is quite the change. The main problem I have with that is that the Letty books are more serious and science oriented, which Sandford does admirably well with given that he's 80 years old, but there are times where the science is stuck in the 1970s and it made me groan. I really dislike the Malthusian argument, whether it's made by Thanos, Scott, or anyone else. Aside from the outdated science and questionable motivations of the antagonists I don't have any significant complaints. The chronology, it's all but stated that it's 2023, is a mess as usual, but that doesn't really matter.
Most of my usual complaints about the series aren't present here. The characters are fun and pleasing to read about, the narrative is tense and engaging, and it was immersive enough to where I was able to believe that it could have any possible ending. That allowed for an emotional rollercoaster and I appreciated that. I'm impressed by how Sandford writes books that are often quite different each time while also remaining much the same. That hasn't always worked, though this time it has. I have to wonder what comes next and whether this is a sign that the series conclusion is nigh. Maybe it even ended in this book. If you haven't read it or the FAQ on his website, you don't know. That being said I'm eager for whatever comes next, even after having read 50 books in this setting, which I find to be rather remarkable.