Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Kathy's refview of Bad Blood
Great writing as usual. That "effing Flowers" is truly a character. Lots of action. Well worth the read.

good but disturbing
I love vergil - he is a great character- the book is pretty well written but the subject matter is dark and disturbing.to be honest, i would rather not think that the subject portrayed actually exists in the world.the entertainment value is way outwayed by the disturbing subject.

Bad Blood
I have read all Sandford's books & particularly enjoy the one's featuring Virgil "T.F Flowers" for a change. Nevertheless, Lucas Davenport totally "rules" & was glad he had some interaction in Bad Blood. Good read & a tad slow in spots but sadly a very disturbing subject matter that I'm afraid exists more than we may realize.... even though a fringe element of our society.

a good read
This book by John Sanford is one of the best Virgil Flowers novels I have read. Virgil is a character all his own and is believable as well as the rest of the cast of characters.The story is challenging and irresistable, compelling you to finish to find out what happens. A good read.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

This book sucks!
Has Sandford run out of stories? This is one of his worst books and I have read them all. His last few books have not been good. I have fond memories of his early books. ... Read more

Product Description
The murder of a successful advertising executive leads Detective Virgil Flowers to the unlikely scene of the crime: a peaceful and bucolic wooded resort. But one with as many suspects as it has secrets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (115)

Great Read! Finished in two days..couldn't stop reading.
Very entertaining book to read. Not terribly deep, but a good mystery nontheless. The dialogue between the cops is right on the spot! Really like the character of Virgil Flowers and how he handles his investigations. Looking forward to the next book.

Offsetting the Kindle whiners
This book was excellent....well written with a moving plot. I've found myself growing very fond of Virgil and all his flaws (especially with the women). There were actually a few laugh out loud moments in the book. Hopefully my 5 star rating (which I truly believe the book was) will offset all the TOOLS whining about the Kindle price and giving one star ratings.

$5.59 at Costco 10-23-2010
What a rip off.I can buy this book for $5.59 at Costco today. And when I am finished I can sell it to a used book store or give it to someone else. I like my Kindle but I feel like I am increasingly getting ripped off

Excellent story
This is the first book that I have read by John Sandford.The plot sounded interesting when I picked it up at the airport bookstore.I laughed out loud at some of the descriptions of life in the north woods.The story offered twists and turns that I could not predict. I could not put the book down and was surprised by the ending.I am looking forward to the other Virgil Flowers books.

Big Sandford fan, Virgil is growing on me, annoying plot point.
How do you rate a book where you like the author and increasingly like the central character but can't get past a glaring plot point that pretty much ruins the book for you.I don't want to give anything away, but there's a plot line in the book that was joint so off key it was irritating. Suffice it to say a character meets a easily predictable end in a thoroughly predictable manner and the lead detective does nothing about it and seems surprised. In a Lucas book there would have been a deabte about using the character as bait or at least the morality of it. Here, it's a surprise to everyone, except the reader. Really kind of blew an otherwise enjoyable book for me. ... Read more

Product Description
The brilliant new Lucas Davenport thriller from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

"Sandford's track record as a bestselling 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... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (138)

Kindle users revolt
The Kindle version of this is more expensive than any other, including hardcover. Something wrong with that picture. I'll run across it in the library someday, possibly. Makes me wish I hadn't bought the other dozen or so Sandford books previously. I hate when a good series is interrupted by something as foolish as someone's greed and my stubborn refusal to acccept it. I can afford to pay more; it's just the principal of the thing.

Very disappointing.
Sandford must have had a deadline to meet.Storm Prey has contrived dialogue, weak and boring plot, multiple typos and a terrible editor."what" for "that" and wrong characters speaking the dialogue.I have read every "Prey" book and couldn't wait to start this one.No more, Sandford.You will need to prove that you still have what it takes. Also, what's up with the Kindle price?Shame on you, Amazon.

They're not Penguins, they're Pigs.
It's been six months and now the new Virgil Flowers is out at $12.99 for Kindle and the publishers still want $14.99 for this older book. It's not like I'm a miser - I have over 1200 books in my archives.However, I am not going to pay this outrageous price. I will wait for the paperback or check out the hard cover clearance/cheaper-than-paperback at B & N.

All Done
I've read all the previous Sandford books but have now called it quits given the steep price the publisher is demanding for an electronic copy of the manuscript.It's gratifying to know how many works from other good authors are available at a lower price!

Lucas Davenport Is Back...Thank Goodness
John Sandford has been at the crime thriller game for over two decades now, and it is easy to dismiss that achievement as simply scaling the mountain of pulpy fiction success.But every May I buy his new book because I read the series in tandem with my mother, and then am lost for several days in the rush of his talent.Because what he does is not easy.And when I say several days, it's because he delivers that page-turning pump of power time after time after time.His latest is a perfect example of edge-of-your-seat suspense, a white-knuckle ride that starts on page one, in paragraph one, in sentence one and does not let up for anything for 408 pages.That requires craft and skill, and if it's not a genre I spend most of my time in, at least in the hands of Sandford, I'm more than happy to give it an annual visit. ... Read more

Product Description
Three murders in just as many weeks in the quiet rural town of Bluestream is unheard of. It’s also no coincidence. And it’s not over: Detective Virgil Flowers is about to be pulled into the middle of a killer’s violent personal vendetta. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (113)

BORING, BORing, Boring!
I finished reading this book last night and it's one of the worst books I've read in a long time. Like another reviewer, I kept waiting for something to happen. It never did.The killer was never developed. The story just fizzed out. A real letdown. I may never read another Sandford novel.

Long plodding plot....
I listen to books on CD while I'm driving so I have a high tolerance for mediocrity....I've listened to complete books that I never would read.This falls into that category.It took me a while to plod through it even though I logged a lot of miles in the last two weeks.

I agree with many other reviewers here that the characters are undeveloped and uninteresting.The most gripping think about Virgil Flowers is his name.Other than that, he's a stock character....good looking, sexy, loves the ladies and vice/versa, willing to fight but really has a sensitive side.His attitude towards women was pretty off-putting---he never seemed to see beyond their physical attributes...maybe that's why he was divorced three times.Sorry, I just didn't care that much about Virgil. (The romantic scenes sounded like they were written by a jr. high boy.)

His lady of the moment, was no more interesting.I think it's safe to say this was not a character-driven plot.It was all supposedly plot driven. I'm not really a mystery fan so I guess my comments should be taken with a grain of salt.I know good writing though and this wasn't it.There are so many characters and so many subthreads and it's terribly long and after a while, I really didn't care.

This was my first John Sanford novel.As other have said that this is not up to his usual standard I may try him another time.Only on audio, though.

Good mystery
A good first book about Virgil Flowers, who has appeared in some of John Sanford's later books in the "Prey" series. He's very unique as a charecter and as a cop. This mystery held my interest and kept me guessing through the twists and turns that develop throughout the story to the unexpected end. I recommend this book to fans of mysteries and especially to faithful readers of John Sanford's books. He writes about the same charecters, but each book is very different. I would recommend reading them in order, starting with the first in each series. They are always exciting!

Don't waste your time!
After managing to get three-quarters of the way through this book I decided to go back to the first few pages inside the front cover and re-read the reviews. I'm sure those reviews were written about a different book than the one I was reading.

This story-line is uninspired, boring, and does nothing to make you care about any of the characters.

The reviews say it's "Fast Paced," think- turtle races. The reviews say "non-stop action," think- grass growing (in August).

I only finished reading the book because, well, I don't know why I finished it. But I did.

Instead of reading this book, do something exciting, Watch paint dry.

Great Story - Horrible Book
The actual story was very good, no complaints there. It was interesting to see Virgil Flowers as the main character in a story. He seemed like he would be worthy of having his own spin-off series. I hope that happens.

My complaints are with the physical condition of the book itself. I spent a few extra bucks and got a hardcover edition. The book looked liked it had been stored outside and had been exposed to the elements. Many pages had obvious water stains...at least I HOPE they were water stains, the front and back cover were warped, the inside covers were torn, showing evidence that the original exterior cover had been peeled off, and so far I have discovered one page that actually had a hole in it.

I just have one question. Is Amazon selling badly used books and trying to pass them off as new? ... Read more

Product Description
The haunting, unforgettable, ice-blooded thriller that introduced Lucas Davenport is so chilling that you're almost afraid to turn the pages and so mesmerizing you cannot stop. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (115)

1989 mystery/thriller/police procedural introduces Detective Lucas Davenport
This is the first of John Sandford's successful series of mystery/thriller/police procedural novels starring Detective Lucas Davenport of the Minneapolis Police Department.Lucas is tasked with catching the "mad dog" serial killer who has been terrorizing women in the Twin Cities.Lucas works independently but coordinates with a team of policemen, reporters, street-level sources and others.His side income from writing computer games allows him some luxuries like a Porsche and a vacation home.The third person omniscient point of view alternates between Lucas and the killer, so the reader can follow each character's thoughts and methodology.Sandford offers a crisp pace that engages the reader.The details are occasionally dark and gory but never seem sensationalist.The setting is 1990 and the dated technological references like "IBM computer" and "payphone" are charming.I bought the second book "Shadow Prey" before finishing this one and look forward to reading more in this voluminous series.

Very outdated by today's crime methods
I decided to read the first of this series before buying his newest book. It is very difficult to read a crime book written in 1989, over 20 years ago, in 2010 after CSI, etc. There are no cell phones, people use pay phones on the street, no computers, no DNA evidence, etc. I know this book was true to its time, but it is hard to take it seriously today.

Not sure whether I will take a chance on another Davenport book.

Revisiting a book with new eyes
I read this novel originally when it came out - back then I found it fresh and different I was a huge Ed McBain 87th squad reader at the time. Now having read the 18 books that have followed the debut of Lucas Davenport I find that back then Lucas was a wimp, putting up with the garbage that Jennifer handed out, not being so swift on the uptake when hunting down the killer and really being a cardboard cut out of a character his one saving grace was his relationship then as now with Ellie and how his relationship with Sloane was developing - Can't give it more than an adequate rating but I am glad that I stuck with the series through the years

Good plot, but what's up with Lucas's personal life?
I was looking for a good suspense, stumbled on the Prey series and decided to start from the book 1. I like the part that deals with the murder, serial killer and police investigation. I like Lucas - even with all his flaws. He can be brutal, he reads poetry, he creates computer games, likes to dance when alone, has a problem problem keeping his pants zipped, he gambles. Why three stars? I could not stand Lucas's girfriend Jennifer and Lucas's inability to deal with her. Jennifer is selfish, rude and narrow minded. She decides that she wants a baby so she gets pregnant and just informs Lucas about the fact - what Lucas does? Does not complain about being set up and not even being asks if he wants kids with her but promptly proposes marriage. Jennifer does not want to get married, but has no problem with insisting that Lucas should be faithful to her. Because she is a reporter she has no problem with listening to his private conversations and makes them public so she can produce "news" even though it can endanger live of the victim. When Lucas gets angry she just ignores it, rolls over it like it is not a big deal and he lets her!!!! She is pregnant but has no problem drinking beer or wine. Lucas on the other hand can not make his mind with which woman he wants to be but does not really complain when that decision is made for him. I've got so annoyed that I looked up the rest of the prey series and decided that if he and Jennifer ever get married I will not touch another book. Thankfully it looks like that will not happen so I can give another book a try.

Amazing thrill ride of a book!
In this book, John Sandford skillfully creates a story about a serial killer who brings the Twin Cities to it's feet. Louis Vullion, a small-time attorney, has started a game of cat and mouse with the police department. He is a scary intelligent man who has a great knowledge of police forensics. He came up with a set of rules he believes are a sure-fire way of avoiding capture. #1: Never kill anyone you know...he picks his victims at random, making sure that there is no profile made on the women. #2: Never have a motive...if he doesn't know the victim, there really isn't a motive for picking her. #3: Never have a discernable pattern...every time he kidnaps a woman, he makes sure that the manner is different every time. #4: Never carry a weapon after it's been used. #5: Beware of leaving physical evidence...he makes sure that there isn't any way that his body will leave any kind of physical evidence. The "maddog" killer leaves a different rule at every crime scene, taunting the police to catch him. They're at their wits end until Lucas Davenport, a detective who works for the department's Office of Special Intelligence, is called upon to find him. And Lucas has something that Vullion didn't count on...a survivor...a witness.

This story takes you through a thrill ride that makes it hard to put the book down, in anticipation of what will happen next. Sandford's characters are very authentic. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy's suspensful thrillers. You will be on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last.

Stef Lochard, author of "Till Death Do Us Part...Or Else" ... Read more

Product Description
In this thirteenth Prey novel, Lucas Davenport joins forces with a hit woman who comes perilously close to doing him in.Amazon.com Review
Lucas Davenport's boss is about to lose her job as chief of police, his fiancée is distracted with wedding plans, and his house-remodeling project is at a standstill. So when the FBI and DEA draft the Minneapolis cop to head off hit woman Clara Rinker's bloody murder spree, he's glad to oblige. The lady killer and the killer lady have tangled before in Sandford's Prey series, and their personal history seasons this fast-paced story of mayhem, murder, and revenge. After Rinker barely survives an assassination attempt that destroys her unborn baby and kills her lover, the son of a Mexican drug lord, she sets out to destroy the mobsters who ordered the hit, a journey that brings her into Davenport's sights again and also puts him back in action alongside a woman agent with whom he was once involved. But it's the grudging respect and even affection Sandford hints at between Rinker and Lucas that takes this crisp, confident thriller beyond the limitations of the genre and makes the characters flesh-and-blood human beings. A standout in a terrific series! --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (122)

Another Sandford Classic
John Sandford has done it again!Sandford brings us such great characters that we both root for and root against.Certainly the character of Clara Rinker will go down as Sandfords greatest villian.

Clara Rinker Returns
This book brings back Clara Rinker and closes loose ends from a previous book.I loved it and was kind of sorry for Clara.John Standford did it again, great book with real suspense and what is going to happen next questions to be answered.

What a great yarn!
This review is for the audio version of this book.I have nothing but high praise for Mr. Sandford's ability to turn a phrase and deliver a great visual image for his listening (and reading!) audience. Hard to know for whom we should cheer-- the tough yet sympathetic assassin Clara Rinker or the ever clever Detective Davenport.They both have heart.Enjoy--a wonderful way to pass the hours.

Best of Sandford's "Prey" novels
This is the best of John Sandford's very good series of cop mystery books in his "Prey" series.In this book we find ourselves at first in Mexico where a young American woman is in love with the son of a druglord.Leaving their favorite restaurant, an assassin guns down the druglord's son, or at least that is as it first appears.But we soon learn that the assassins bullets were aimed at the woman. She is Carrie Rinker, a character in one of the earlier "Prey" novels and one of the few people to ever escape the wiles of protagonist, Lucas Davenport. Davenport is still working for the Minneapolis PD and is pulled into the case by the FBI when they have reason to believe Rinker is on her way to St. Louis to seek vengeance on the mob bosses who sent the assassin after her in Mexico.Rinker had been a mob hit woman with unparalleled success before being forced to flee Davenport's investigation.With this book, Sandford stretches beyond his usual programmatic plots in the "Prey" novels and finds new ways for Rinker to kill.There are fascinating twists and turns in this book that lead to an ending that no one will soon forget.If you haven't read the earlier "Prey" books, I would strongly suggest you start with the beginning so that you can get to know the characters.This book will make much more sense to you if you have.Start with "Rules of Prey" and work your way through these thoroughly enjoyable mysteries.

Has to be 5 stars
Sandford's Davenport series is almost always great--a page-turner like no other, fun, legitimately surprising with good character development, etc.But this one is at the top--the funny ways Clara Rinker keeps outwitting everybody, the sexual tension between her and Davenport carried over from the earlier novel, her achievement of aura of danger through mere common sense--all great.No, it's not deep and is more an adventure than a mystery, but still head and shoulders above the other volumes in the mystery section. ... Read more

Product Description
Fresh from his “spectacular” (Cleveland Plain Dealer) debut in Dark of the Moon, investigator Virgil Flowers takes on a puzzling—and most alarming—case, in the new book from the #1 bestselling author.

John Sandford’s introduction of Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator Virgil Flowers was an immediate critical and popular success: “laser-sharp characters and a plot that’s fast and surprising” (Cleveland Plain Dealer); “an idiosyncratic, thoroughly ingratiating hero” (Booklist). Flowers is only in his late thirties, but he’s been around the block a few times, and he doesn’t think much can surprise him anymore. He’s wrong.

It’s a hot, humid summer night in Minnesota, and Flowers is in bed with one of his ex-wives (the second one, if you’re keeping count), when the phone rings. It’s Lucas Davenport. There’s a body in Stillwater—two shots to the head, found near a veteran’s memorial. And the victim has a lemon in his mouth.

Exactly like the body they found last week.

The more Flowers works the murders, the more convinced he is that someone’s keeping a list, and that the list could have a lot more names on it. If he could only find out what connects them all . . . and then he does, and he’s almost sorry he did.

Because if it’s true, then this whole thing leads down a lot more trails than he thought—and every one of them is booby-trapped.

Filled with the audacious plotting, rich characters, and brilliant suspense that have always made his books “compulsively readable” (Los Angeles Times), this is vintage Sandford. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (84)

That F'in Flowers
I am a fan of Virgil Flowers, maybe even more than I am a fan of Lucas Davenport.Davenport can come off as a bit uptight and serious, while Flowers has more of a laissez-faire style, and a good deal of recklessness. When we join him in this story, he is investigating a series of murders where the victims are left at Veterans' memorials with lemons in their mouths. Soon, a connection to the Vietnam War emerges, and Flowers travels the state of Minnesota chasing down leads.Along the way, we see his trademark affinity for troubled women, and he finds himself fooled on more than one occasion.And that's why we love Virgil... He's not perfect. The state of Minnesota is also the perfect backdrop for this outdoorsman, and I feel like I know the state after seeing it through his eyes.

Good story line
Mr. Sandford could have conveyed the same great story without the profanity, but then I guess it wouldn't have been as realistic for most people.Outside of that, I truly enjoyed this book.I'd never read a Virgil Flowers novel, only Lucas Davenport.I like this character just as well.

A Fast Paced Virgil Flowers Novel
This is a no-nonsense fast paced, plausible novel that does not dawdle & waste time with rhetoric.
Lucas Davenport assigns a series of mysterious "Lemon" murders to Virgil Flowers.
The murders, we find, are revenge for atrocities committed in Vietnam in 1975. The murders target certain GI's that took part in the original crime. The plot makes for a very plausible story which just keeps moving right along. No wasted dialogue in this book

Virgil is a surprise
I thought Lucus Davenport was the premire character in the John Sandford novels.Virgil f---ing Flowers may be even more fun. Taking after my own heart, Virgil is a fisherman first, serious crime solver second - sort of. This novel takes Virgil to new levels, testing him through a love affair, old murders tied to the Vietnam War and racial tentions involving the resident Native American population in Minnasota.Fast moving, tense, and entertaining, with a dash of good old Lucus, this book was a nice surprise.I will definately be looking forward to the next in the seriesJohnny's Jacket.

Pretty Good
This was a petty good, quick read. Virgil Flowers is an enjoyable character; good sense of humor. The plot had plenty of interesting twists and turns; kept my interest. Good ending. I also enjoyed the international slant. Its a good great but not great; I've read better books from John Sanford. While reading it, I just had the feeling that it was written quickly. The writing seemed clipped. The characters and sense of place could have been developed further. I enjoy reading John Sanford's books.But this one is not on top of my list of favorites. Probably a good book to read on a long flight. ... Read more

Product Description
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the phenomenal Prey novels returns with The Hanged Man's Song.Amazon.com Review
Just about everybody knows John Sandford for his long and successful Prey series. But just as well written and maybe more fun are his Kidd books, of which this is the fourth. Kidd is a professional thief for the Internet age: a cyberprowler, a hacker extraordinaire. In The Hanged Man's Song, he gets word that one of his key contacts--a superhacker known only as Bobby, whom Kidd has never met but has relied on many times--has disappeared. Kidd and an old buddy, both of whom could be compromised by data in Bobby's files, go looking for him. Finding his brutally murdered body draws them into a Hitchcock-esque intrigue that eventually involves stolen government secrets, crooked politicians, and a rogue CIA agent who's as crafty as he is creepy.

While filling his tale with fascinating and authentic-sounding lore about the hacker subculture, identity theft, and security cracking, Sandford keeps the action brisk with plenty of white-knuckle chases, tense stakeouts, and hairsbreadth escapes. Couple that with a smart, agreeable narrator and a cast of vivid characters evoked with an old pro's ease, and you've got one winning thriller. --Nicholas H. Allison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Shoulda been a 5 BUT...
I just finished reading this and I'm not sure how I feel about it. This was my first John Sandford/Kidd book but it probably won't be my last. The characters were interesting, the plot was good and solid, the ending felt plausible and all in all, it was a good, fast read. Now, for the major negative, the language. I don't know why I'm being so critical and sensitive about this all of a sudden but I am. The use of the particular 4-letter "F" word was way too frequent. If you are sensitive about this situation, don't read this book. For me, this turned a really good (almost great) book into a mediocre one. Maybe soon, I'll get over my distaste of the word and just skip over it, and enjoy Sandford, Leonard, DeMille etc. It's a shame that one word would change a book from a 5 star into a 3, but that's the way I feel at the moment. Thanks for listening!

Not Sandford's best work, but computer fans will likely enjoy it.
I have been a fan of John Sandford's Prey series for many years, but this was my first book of his outside of that series.

This story centers on a master computer hacker named Kidd and an even more supreme hacker he works with (online only) named Bobby. Bobby has damaging information on major power players in U.S. politics and, when his computer gets stolen, some of this information gets released. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Kidd and his friends try to determine who has the computer and how to track it down and get it back. It's not just their loyalty to Bobby that is driving them, but fear that their own identities could be compromised.

For most of its 340 pages, I could not believe this was a John Sandford book. Whereas most of the books in the Prey series had been tense, gripping mysteries with a healthy dose of wit, I had a hard time getting engaged in this Kidd novel. From hearing the story synopsis, it SHOULD have been as tense and gripping as any of the Prey series...but it just wasn't. Until the last 100 pages; THEN, it became the book I'd been expecting all along.

It's not a BAD book...I wouldn't say to anyone (especially a John Sandford fan) "Don't read this." But it just wasn't what I was expecting after years of reading books in his other series.

Sanfords Kidd series
In the past month I have read all of the Kidd series and truly enjoyed everyone. In one of the Prey series
Lucas visits Kidd. It goes on to say that Kidd and Luellen are married. I hope that Sanford is not thinking
about ending the Kidd series with this revelation in the Prey series.
These books are a fast moving read and very hard to put down once they are started. The computer technology may not be that current but you really don't care.

They Killed His Friend and Kidd Wants to Get Even
Most people know Kidd as an artist, but in his secret life he's an industrial spy who steals secrets from high tech firms and sells them to their competition. Kidd's world is shattered when his friend Master Hacker Bobby is murdered and his computer stolen. He's afraid there was something on Bobby's machine that will incriminate him.

Bobby had broken into the files of a government agency created because of the Homeland Security Act. It's supposed to develop sophisticated surveillance techniques to be used against terrorists, however its compiling dossiers on leading politicians and now a psychotic killer has that info and is using it against one politician after another.

Kidd wants to find the killer before the cops, because he wants Bobby's computer. However he'd like to avenge Bobby's death as well and if that means he has to bring down a killer and save the government to do it, well so be it.

Kidd is a refreshingly different kind of protagonist and this is a refreshingly different kind of thriller, well it's a lot like the others in the series before it, but other than that, it's different. In my opinion "The Hanged Man's Song" will make Kidd as popular as Sandford's Lucus Davenport.

The Kidd series is unique and great reading.
It's a shame that John Sanford has chosen not to do more of these.Everything about the characters, their interactions, and adventures are totally unique to action/adventure materials on the market.Everything clicks together to make a great story telling.I was disappointed at the end of each book.Not with the book, but that it had ended.I wasn't ready to stop reading.It was like when your favorite TV show is taken off the air. ... Read more

Product Description
Number-one New York Times bestselling author John Sandford pits Lieutenant Lucas Davenport against two killers, men as different as night and day-except in the method of their madness. It's all in the eyes... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (83)

Another John Sanford Great
I have read so many John Sanford mysteries that you'd think I'd be tired of them.He always produces wonderfully readable books, and "Eyes...." is no exception.

Steve

Bekker just couldn't keep me interested
I liked the investigational elements of this book, but I just couldn't dig the main protagonist.A headcase drug addict who just goes around being "beautiful" and making other people do a lot of his dirty work isn't an interesting character.Not the worst in this series, but not the best.

EYES OF PREY
THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK OF THREE I PURCHASED AT THIS TIME.THE BOOKS ARE FINE, BUT $12.00 IS EXCESSIVE TO MAIL THREE PAPERBACKS.

John Sandford's "Rules of Prey": A Review
This is the third book in John Sandford's long-running series featuring Lucas Davenport, and it features probably the most vile and complex villain of the entire series. Actually, there are two major bad guys. One is much more intelligent and much scarier than the other and, not surprisingly, he is the one pulling the strings in a series of murders inspired by the old Alfred Hitchcock film, "Strangers on a Train."

The mastermind's plan goes awry right from the start and the bad guys are left scrambling to clean up the mess and stay one step ahead of the cops. That will not be easy, because Lucas Davenport is hard on their trail and he's getting really pissed.

This is probably the most gruesome book in the series, and Davenport is at his darkest and most violent here. He's working out of a major depression that has virtually paralyzed him and acting out as a rogue cop ala Dirty Harry, without even a twinge of conscience.

As always, Sandford puts the reader right in the middle of the action. The writing is crisp; the plot is fast-paced, and the action is non-stop. And, even in a book this grim, there is a fair amount of the humor that characterizes the series.

It's hard to imagine that there could possibly be a fan of crime fiction who has not sampled this series yet, but if that person should exist, he or she should probably not begin with this book because, while it is a very good read, it's not really representative of the series as a whole. Some readers who might otherwise enjoy the series might be put off by the violence that permeates this particular book. As always, but especially in this case, the best place to begin would be at the beginning with the first book, Rules Of Prey. You won't be disappointed.

Pehraps the best thriller in this great series
The third novel of the "Prey" series is an excellent mystery of a deranged killer who is completely without a moral compass and becomes Lucas Davenport's worst nightmare. Michael Bekker, doctor, drug addict and psychopath is obsessed with what people see who depart this life as they cross to the other side. Bekker leaves a repulsive calling card on his victims as a means of covering up his dark deeds but a series of missteps by an accomplice puts Bekker on Davenport's radar screen. An interesting parallel to the story is the identity of "lover boy", who stumbled on the first killing by accident but refuses to come forward with information to help catch the killer. Another sidebar is Davenport's relationship with a young actress who unwittingly becomes a major player during the investigation and finds herself in harm's way. The unabridged audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Richard Ferrone who is the voice of hero Lucas Davenport. ... Read more

Product Description
It's the dead of winter, and a killer like no other is turning a small Wisconsin town into a death trap-one that's closing in on Lucas Davenport.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

"A Cold Classic Thriller"
Rick- Mankato, Minnesota
Winter Prey is one of the best in Sandfords Prey series.Winter Prey to date is the most important book in the series by introducing thereader to the character of Weather.Winter Prey is cold and brutal, just like a Minnesota winter.

Cold
Solving a serial murder case is bad enough in good weather but throw in sub-zero Minnesota temperatures and the action becomes dicier. Lucas Davenport is again thrown in the mix with the baddest of the bad guys. Another installment in a great character series.

Quick Moving Action Book
I could not put this book down.It was quick paced and very intriguing.Many twists and turns.Had you guessing from page one.

LUCAS DAVENPORTA GREAT 5th NOVEL
WINTER PREY is the fifth novel in the Prey series (Read them in order).In the new edition forward, Sandford states he has been told it is one of the best.I am just on this fifth one and it is the best of the first five.A great action snowbound edition.Davenport stll isn't back in Minneapolis, as with book four, but he is called to work and deputized in a small Wisconsin county that need a police expert to work a hard case, that quickly gets worse.The badguy, The Iceman, is well hidden in the story line and this one is a good who done it.We also meet Dr. Weather Karkinnen, a great character that becomes Davenport's love interest.I am a mystery/detective buff and the Davenport series is one of the best and this book is excellent.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Addicted
Even though I work 8 hours during the day followed by some afterwork commitments, I got through this book in four days. I have pretty much liked all of the Davenport novels a lot, so while I won't say this one is the best, it is definitely one of the best reads in my life. The book is excellent, but the series so far (this is the fifth book in the Lucas Davenport series) is excellent. Read them, but start from the beginning so you can properly follow the progression of Davenport. ... Read more

Product Description
It's the dead of winter, and a killer like no other is turning a small Wisconsin town into a death trap-one that's closing in on Lucas Davenport.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

"A Cold Classic Thriller"
Rick- Mankato, Minnesota
Winter Prey is one of the best in Sandfords Prey series.Winter Prey to date is the most important book in the series by introducing thereader to the character of Weather.Winter Prey is cold and brutal, just like a Minnesota winter.

Cold
Solving a serial murder case is bad enough in good weather but throw in sub-zero Minnesota temperatures and the action becomes dicier. Lucas Davenport is again thrown in the mix with the baddest of the bad guys. Another installment in a great character series.

Quick Moving Action Book
I could not put this book down.It was quick paced and very intriguing.Many twists and turns.Had you guessing from page one.

LUCAS DAVENPORTA GREAT 5th NOVEL
WINTER PREY is the fifth novel in the Prey series (Read them in order).In the new edition forward, Sandford states he has been told it is one of the best.I am just on this fifth one and it is the best of the first five.A great action snowbound edition.Davenport stll isn't back in Minneapolis, as with book four, but he is called to work and deputized in a small Wisconsin county that need a police expert to work a hard case, that quickly gets worse.The badguy, The Iceman, is well hidden in the story line and this one is a good who done it.We also meet Dr. Weather Karkinnen, a great character that becomes Davenport's love interest.I am a mystery/detective buff and the Davenport series is one of the best and this book is excellent.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Addicted
Even though I work 8 hours during the day followed by some afterwork commitments, I got through this book in four days. I have pretty much liked all of the Davenport novels a lot, so while I won't say this one is the best, it is definitely one of the best reads in my life. The book is excellent, but the series so far (this is the fifth book in the Lucas Davenport series) is excellent. Read them, but start from the beginning so you can properly follow the progression of Davenport. ... Read more

Product Description
Lucas Davenport faces a living nightmare, in one of the scariestPrey novels yet from the number-one bestselling author.

Abridged CD - 5 CDs, 6 hours ... Read more

Customer Reviews (147)

Disappointing
I am a big fan on Sandford's but this one was a disappointment.It seemed muddy and muddled.It was confusing and lines of reasoning broken.

This reminds me of a few of Patterson's multiple-author books that are junk.

Buy Sandford but don't waste your time with Broken Prey.

Still LOVE Davenport
I absolutely LOVE the "prey" series.My favorite was Winter Prey.This one, like the last was to predictable for me.I figured out what was what in the first few chapters.BUT, Sandford is really great at adding some other dimensions that contribute to the mystery.Still I pray (pun intended) for the "old school" PREY books.More for the imagination, not so predictable.

Minneapolis sounds dangerous!
Wow.Great thriller and serial killer book.Had me trying to figure it out until the end.Good cast of characters and a story that kept the pages turning.

Let him go
In Broken Prey, Lucas' wife advises him to let Sloan go - to let him retire. To Mr. Sandford, I'd say: Let him go. Let Lucas go. He's tired.

While I do appreciate the "Gods Down the Hall" name, there's little else I liked about the book. Something I especially disliked was Lucas' wife' name: Weather. What in the hell?! The stupidest name in fiction, maybe? Maybe there's some story about her name in a previous Prey, but jeez louise. Doesn't the author have an editor to kill some of these ill-conceived ideas?

I've accidentally read this book twice. The first time, I got a kick out of the 100 best rock songs thing. This second time, it just came across as kind of cheesy. But then I voluntarily read this book a second time, so what do I know?

There was a large swath toward the end that became so tedious, I just skipped ahead to the big finish.

Done with Davenport
I read the first three of this series then jumped to this one mainly because I found it at a sale for $.75.I thought it would be interesting to see how the character updated himself from 1993 to 2005.

First off, I was a little shocked when the author, in passing, mentions that Davenport is in his mid forties.How could that be?In 1993 he was 42 or 43.I put it down as a misprint or bad editing because latter on he tells a twenty something man that if he goes to prison for 30 years he will be as old as Davenport when he gets out.Anyway, poor writing or editing to say the least.

Secondly, these books about Davenport ARE NOT mysteries.They are crime dramas.Sanford tries to introduce mystery in this one by giving us a red herring on the real killer.But it was pretty see through.

Third.This is one long book.Full of descriptions about what people are wearing, what they are eating, what they are driving,the kind of sex they are having, and what is all around the room they are in.Boring.Reminds me of a Grafton novel.

Fourth.Like all of his books, you know what is going to happen.The killer is known, he kills a bunch of people in gruesome ways, Davenport runs around the state chasing leads, then Davenport gets his man, usually by killing him.I have read four of these books and that is the formula the writer uses.Old.

Fifth.Sanford is obviously a liberal and can't keep his political comments to himself.He always has to throw in a slam or two against what he doesn't like.This is tiring in the writing of some of these people.

OK.I've tried Sanford and Davenport.Think I've had enough.

... Read more

Product Description
Make noise for a new Prey package and new author introduction!

Dr. Mike Bekker, a psychotic pathologist, is back on the streets, doing what he does best—murdering one helpless victim after another. Lucas Davenport knows he should have killed Bekker when he had the chance. Now he has a second opportunity—and the time to hesitate is through. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

peregrine
Was very excited to get it-it followed the one I had just finished.Fast to come-wanted CD but they are impossible to fine!!!

(2 1/2 Stars) Sandford Disappoints Yet Again in SILENT PREY.
"It is done. You've finally killed your victim. The last 45 seconds of their wines and screams were nothing more than long fingernails scratching over a blackboard. Their merciless cries for help have made you sick to the point of ending their moment in despair. With their lifeless corpse lying on the operating table, this is now your chance to play with them just for fun, just like the others. There's only one question lingering in your head: how should I finish the job?

Beside you is your own personalized tool bag. Inside it are some of sharpest utensils that no person other than you has come across; think of it as the game of the real life Operation. The scissors are useless, at least for now. The kitchen knife will make a bloody mess. It will do nothing but exaggerate your true passion for what you are about to do now. ...Aaaah...the very old fashioned scalpel. A surgeon's best friend. This small sharp weapon of yours has blood soaring through your veins faster than a late-night subway train. You are just as excited, as you were when your dad bought you that expensive skateboard for Christmas when you were eleven.

Relax, my dear Jennifer...this won't hurt a bit."

The high-swearing interrogator. The womanizing lover. The butt kicking beat cop.

Elements such as those listed above all represent the traits possessed by the hard-boiled Minneapolis police detective Lucas Davenport. Throughout the entire series of Prey novels, bestselling thriller/mystery writer John Sandford has cleverly created a dark-sided hero in his well-known protagonist, known in particular for his tormenting tactics for cracking the mental eggshell of his suspects. Especially known for the vivid description that he portrays throughout the various Prey books that he has written, Sandford nonetheless lets down his fans, creating a story that is dry and lacks depth.

In his fourth installment of the Prey series, Sandford conducts a new experiment by creating a sideshow storyline. Fans who have familiarly read the author's previous novel EYES OF PREY will remember the psychotic pathologist Dr. Michael Bekker, the sinister monster who gets the fun out of taking out the eyes of his victims. In the books beginning kickoff, Bekker escapes from a Minneapolis court and covertly hides his way in the Big Apple. Landing here, he continues to conduct his fascinating experiments on the very aspects of death. After getting beat up by Davenport in the previous Prey novel, Bekker's escape has him at full steam. Fully aware of his feud with Minneapolis cop, Bekker is at full steam, with a desire to take a dump in Lucas Davenport's backyard. Davenport, by the hand, is called in by his former lover/partner, Lily Rothenberg, to battleship Bekker out of his secret lair. As well, he is also obligated in to finding the "Robin Hoods," a rouge group of vigilante cops who are responsible for a numerous number of deaths. While Davenport plays spin the bottle on his investigation, he later finds out that the bottle is pointing to nobody other than New York's very finest.

SILENT PREY, without a doubt is nothing but a loud mess. For starters, the duo storyline that Sandford tends to cook out guarantees to be nothing but a hodgepodge of twists and turns that can become rather confusing. Such a multiple plot created by the author tends to lack the specified meat that the readers will crave in the story. Such meat definitely applies to how Bekker tends to avenge on Davenport. Another flaw that hurts the book regards the description of the overall New York setting. From chapter to chapter, readers will tend to find it pretty dull and flat. In the past, Sandford has done a remarkable job upon vivifying the setting, especially in the Prey debuting novel RULES OF PREY. What hurts SILENT PREY the most is in regard to how the author changes Michael Bekker as a character from the previous entry. In EYES OF PREY, the author did a better job portraying Bekker as the monster he was with how well he manipulated people. With this re-entry of him, however, Sandford has Bekker performs actions that are a little beyond reality. Readers will thereby have difficulty in accepting how Bekker changes from his debut in EYES OF PREY to his return in this entry.

Despite the dry description and setting, Sandford does nevertheless create a good and strong characterization in his main character Lucas. Throughout the book, the author creates some good interactions between his dark-humored interrogations, along with his lustful interaction with Lily along with his investigating partner Barbara Fell. However, the strong persona does not compensate the convoluted mess contained in this book.

Overall, SILENT PREY is a letdown for mystery readers. With finding difficulty to accept the complicated twists and the myriad cast, fans of Sandford will have to force themselves to read on to the very end. The lack of vivid description and detail will no doubt disappoint. There's a limited probability that fans will accept the way in which Bekker's persona changes from the entries that feature him. It is a literary catch-22 that Sandford is able to provide enough meat for the persona of his characters and yet to have that lack in his storyline and detail.

Sign of the Times
Things aren't always what they appear to be is exemplified in this "Prey" book by Sandford. His treatment of the intertwining of his characters in the plot development is masterful. He throws a bit of humor into the jobs of those in the grim world of crime fighting.
He depicts the rough and ready attitudes of the outlaying regions of Minnesota not touched by the sophisticated rules of the cities. Company mergers and the cutthroat battle to reach the top no matter what is appropriate in today's business world. A timely read.

Very good read - again fast paced Davenport Mystern
Good buy. Intriguing twists and turns.Hard to put down.Finished in two days.

HE'S BACK!!
Do I mean Lucas Davenport?No but this is the fourth Prey book and I am glad there are many more to go.He's back means Dr. Mike Bekker, the drugged up psycho, killing his way through New York City, eyeballs everywhere.The pace is a little slower than some of the other Prey books, but Lucas Davenport is a great detective and always worth a read.I would be happier with him back in Minneapolis, but hey, John Sandford calls the shots. In this one we have double female detectives to deal with, Lily Rothenberg an ex of Davenport and Barbara Fell. The Prey series rocks.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ... Read more

Product Description
A slumlord in Minneapolis. A New York politician. An Oklahoma judge.

Three strangers with one thing in common: each has been butchered with a Native American ceremonial knife by a killer known as Shadow Love. Lucas Davenport and Officer Lily Rothenburg needn't look far for the killer. He's right behind them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

Sandford's second Lucas Davenport mystery/thriller/police prodecural novel
This is the second of John Sandford's successful series of mystery/thriller/police procedural novels starring Detective Lucas Davenport of the Minneapolis Police Department.The antagonist is a cabal of Native Americans attempting to avenge society's mistreatment of their ethnic group through a nationwide series of murders.Sandford instills a morally ambiguious theme to their crusade: in the introduction, he explains that this novel originally had more political overtones before he softened the presentation.Having fathered a child with his ex-reporter girlfriend Jennifer, Lucas now is attracted to NYPD detective Lily Rotherburg who has traveled to Minneapolis to help with the case.The story drags at times (especially some Lucas/Lily scenes) but builds to an explosive ending.Like other reviewers, I did not enjoy this as much as the first novel "Rules Of Prey" but I still plan to continue with this series.

Davenport and Rothenburg against the Crows
An Indian uprising of sorts is the plot of the second "Prey" novel and is a gripping page-turner from start to finish. The killers are headquartered in Minneapolis, which gets Lucas Davenport involved in a case that already has claimed three high-profile victims. Lily Rothenburg, a New York detective, is assigned to Lucas to track down the murderers, and this pairing results in a romantic, whirlwind relationship. Sparks fly between Lucas and Lily but they know that their smoldering passion for each other must take a back seat to solving the puzzle of who and why is behind the gory killings. An FBI director, the youngest bureau chief since J. Edgar Hoover, figures prominently in the story and he has a deep, dark secret he must keep hidden in the shadows of his early life. The Crows, self-appointed avengers of past wrongs and injustices suffered by Indians, are ritualistic killers, but it is Billy Hood and Shadow Love who pose the greatest danger to Davenport and Rothenburg. This book is a wonderful follow-up to the first successful novel in this series.

No Go
I really wasn't too impressed with the book from page 1. What really cinched it for me was the portrayal of Davenport's love interest, Lily. Mr. Sandford described Lily as a hardcore, overweight, police lieutenant with huge, bushy eyebrows. Not exactly romance material. I didn't finish the book. I know Lily is in the next book, so I'll pass that one up too.

Sandford's "Shadow Prey" does not Belly Up to the Bar.
In his crackerjack debut RULES OF PREY, New York Times bestselling author John Sandford did a phenomenal job in providing his readers with a womanizing and no-nonsense hero in Minneapolis homicide detective Lucas Davenport. He has amazed his readers in portraying Lucas' breeching tactics upon catching the villains. Such literary elements like the ones mentioned are lacked in his following entry SHADOW PREY.

In chapter two of his notorious Prey series, the ball that Sandford hits with this book falls right into the sandpit. Throughout the entire police procedure, enter through the investigation of several murders, those of a slumlord, welfare supervisor, rising politician and federal judge. For those that may ask on what the connection lies in between all of them, it is in regard to every victim having their throat cut out with an Indian ceremony knife. Throughout the investigation, Lucas partners up with Lily Rothenberg, a married NYPD detective on a personal pursuit of her own to find the killers. Together on the case, both Lucas and Lily ramshackle their way through the derelict streets of Minneapolis; they go on their cat-and-mouse pursuit through urine-stenched residencies to hunt down a group of Native Americans who are driven with a distinct purpose. The ringleader of this particular group, Shadow Love, is one is self-willed and will allow nothing to stand in his way of what he attempts to achieve. It is up to both Lucas and Lily to prevent the body count from rising...that is if they can.

SHADOW PREY, nonetheless, falls short to Sandford's standards with writing a good, solid story. He fails to indulge his readers with the story elements that made him successful in his previous Prey novel RULES OF PREY. The myriad number of inconsistencies that the author tends to draws can and will annoy his fans scene in and out. For starters, the pace of the book in a few of the scenes tends to drag on from time to time. It thereby has the reader finding the storyline to become tiresome at times. Aside form the slow pacing, Sandford fails to weave together all of the loose ends of the story; it makes for nothing but an execrable hodgepodge. Chapter in and out, you are sitting in your seat at home constantly cheering for Sandford to resolve the issues he has going on in the story, only to find yourself disappointed at the end of the road. In addition to all of that, the biggest mistake that torpedoes SHADOW PREY is that Sandford gets too caught up and focused into the loving relationship between Lucas and Lily rather than the case at hand. Readers will find this element portrayed by the writer to rather distracting from scene to scene.

Despite the endless flaws in SHADOW PREY, Sandford does nevertheless make an attempt to compensate them through a few of the intriguing elements that he creates. In one of the good strengths that he portrays through the book, Sandford does a great job with providing his readers with a different lens on the main storyline involving racism. He cleverly gets his readers to view the morality of racism through the vendetta that this Native American group has, especially through a background of people that nobody hears about. The author's most enjoyable function upon creating this entry involves portraying to his readers a more sensitive and vulnerable side of Lucas Davenport. Throughout midway of the story, Davenport almost loses his life in a hostage negotiation with one of the killers. Following the sudden takedown of this particular villain, Lucas is thereby traumatized and plagued with the ghosts of this ordeal.

Overall, it is sad to say that Sandford lets his readers down after a heart-stopping debut. The major inconsistencies throughout the book make it read like a rough draft. As you read along, you will find the many mistakes he uses to become a major headache. Any reader that intends on picking up one of John Sandford's books will be better off if they skip this particular entry.

In the Shadows
It was a decent novel but not quite the best that I have read of John's novels.

Hope Lucas gets back with the mother of his child, they seem meant for each other on some level. ... Read more

Product Description
A wealthy woman and her maid are murdered. Robbery would seem the likely scenario, except that none of the clues are coming together for Lucas Davenport. At least not those he can see. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (110)

John Sandford Invisible Prey
Another great book by John Sandford and the Prey Series.It helf my interest and was suspenseful and very well done.

John Sanford keeps it movin'
Great, cannot put it down, fast paced mystery.The only negative is the ageing Lucas Davenport...not as interesting as the young version!

Lucas Davenport: Wish he were real

Love John Sandford books with the Lucas Davenport character. No better read around.

I think i needed a break from his more violent preys ..
I like the Prey series and I think I have read at least 12 of them in total. I enjoyed this one for several reasons - The introduction of the Lash kid (he had s good eye for detail) and I loved the art setting - the information. I didn't think that the plot was as well formed as some of his past efforts - I think the Widdlers made an interesting pair of villains and I think there was more that could have been learned about them before the book careened toward its conclusion. But all in all it was a satisfying read and it was less graphically violent than some of the previous entries and I think I appreciated that as well. The subplot of the Klines was less interesting and in the end felt like unfinished business. Sandy the intern was a pleasant edition hope to see more of her as well. Gabriella was a breath of fresh air as well. It was great to see Sloan set into his familiar role. Going back now and filling in the ones in the series that I have missed reading.

Love Lucas
I love the Prey novels by John Sandford and this title was no exception.John brings Virgil Flowers back which adds to the story.Lucas is his "old self" and we meet new characters that I think are very intriguing.I can't wait to read the next book in the series. ... Read more

Product Description
When Lucas Davenport and his team gun down two bank robbers in the middle of a heist, Davenport falls prey to the purest and simplest criminal motivation: revenge.Amazon.com Review
Revenge is the engine which powers Sanford's seventh "Prey"thriller starring superslick Minnesota cop Lucas Davenport. When adangerous female bank robber is killed in a shootout, her even moredangerous husband escapes from prison and begins a campaign ofretribution against the families of Davenport and his team. As alwayswith Sandford, excellent writing is the icing on an enjoyablecake. (Other Sandford "Prey"books: Eyes of Prey, Mind Prey, Night Prey,Rules of Prey, Silent Prey, Winter Prey.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

SUDDEN PREY
AS STATED IN MY OTHER REVIEWS OF THIS PURCHASE, BOOKS FINE/$12.00 MAILING FEE WAS EXCESSIVE.

LUCAS DAVENPORT# EIGHT
This is the eighth book in the Lucas Davenport series, SUDDEN PREY.In cold Minnesota, Davenports teams stops a bank robbery that results in the death of a female robber.The family comes to town for revenge.This might be the deadliest of the series.More shoot 'em ups than I remember in the other books. Lucas Davenport is one of the best detectives in the genre.Very fast paced and violent this is s fun, quick read; the action never stops.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.On to SECRET PREY.

John Sandford Jumps the Shark
I have enjoyed many of Sandford's books. This one failed me completely. Absolutely implausible story. Frustrating to have read it to the end hoping for some twist, some reward, and...nothing. Just an absurd farce featuring apparently psychic criminals, bumbling cops and a high body count. Without a doubt the most disappointing Sandford novel I have read.

Best Davenport book - even better than
A few days ago, I wrote a review on Amazon after finishing "Mind Prey," and how it was the best Davenport book so far (I am reading them in order). Well, I have just finished "Sudden Prey," and for as excellent as "Mind Prey" was, "Sudden Prey" is that much better, believe it or not.

Something is always happening, pretty much from the start. There are a few areas where Davenport "figures" out something, and you think how impossible that would be in real life - but Davenport is human and does make a few mistakes as well, so he is not fullproof. He comes across as being very bright and on top of his game. This series is a blast to follow, especially seeing how Davenport has slowly changed throughout the series.

Not the Best of the Prey Novels
This is #8 in the series and I've read them in order. This was very good, but not on the same level as the others. The plot here is excellent and Sandford does his usual job of developing strong characters - both the villains in this book and the main characters who we see from one novel to the next. By now we're really starting to understand Lucas Davenport, the variety of cops surrounding him, and his girlfriend Weather. As good as all of this is, the story itself started to go from break neck pace to a slow plodding for just a little while. It then jumped back to fast action, making the story seem choppy at times. Overall, though, still a great read and definitely should not be missed if you are enjoying all of the other Davenport books. ... Read more

Product Description
A killer has some serious cleaning up to do to keep from getting caught--and Davenport's detection skills make him number one on his hit list.Amazon.com Review
When a spring thaw disinters the body of a young woman who's beenmissing for over a year, Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport doesn'thave much to go on except the victim's rumored connection with anunnamed man, who may be an artist and also, perhaps, a priest. But thenthe deserted property where her body was discovered turns out to be akilling field full of other young blondes last seen in the companyof a man with a nasty habit of superimposing their faces on pornographicdrawings. Davenport begins to close in on a serial killer whoseperverted hobby provides the clues Davenport needs to stop him in hisbloody tracks. James Qatar isn't a priest, and he's not really an artist, buthe's definitely a monster, one who's met his match in Davenport.

Davenport is a smart, thoughtful cop whose girlfriend is pressuring him to make a commitment to parenthood and whose boss is about to lose her job in a political turnover. While the search for the killer is handled in author John Sandford's usual, crisp, procedural style, it almost seems to be a pretext forexploring the evolution of Davenport's relationship with Dr. WeatherKarkinnen. This 12th adventure in the author's popular Preyseries will undoubtedly rocket to the top of the bestseller list, thoughit's not a standout. The novel displays the solid craftsmanship andnarrative drive Sandford's known for, but his hero seems a littledispirited and out of sorts. Perhaps fatherhood will give Davenport a new lease on life. In the meantime, check out Sandford's backlist featuring his otherhero, Kidd (The Fool'sRun, The EmpressFile, The Devil'sCode), who has a nice little walk-on here in which he begins aromance with Davenport's partner Marcy Sherrill. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (99)

Great suspense to the end
Overall, it kept you guessing how it was going to end.A number of twists and turns held my interest with a very intriguing ending.

Great work!

great read
another great read from john sanford.arrived promptly and in condition as described by seller

Very Slow Start - but don't give up!
+JMJ+
I thought this book was so slow starting. I almost gave it up in the first 20-30 pages, because I kept thinking "This is awful!" I don't think that conversation is necessarily Sanford's strong suit. After the beginning 3 chapters though, the suspense and intrigue started to get going. I really enjoyed the rest of the book. I would definitely recommend this book, with the caveat that you not get discouraged in the first couple of chapters.

A step up from the previous entry in the series
The writing in Chosen is a lot better than the last couple of Prey books.However, the story is terribly predictable.Some of the dialogue is so bad it's groan inducing.This book does stay on task and briskly take readers through the case, and keeps with the killer's POV, saving it from the terrible departure Easy Prey made.

Couldn't make it past 100
I had heard such great things about the 'prey' series and thought I'd give it a try, well I'm sorry I did. I got about 100 pages in and still nothing had happened, no action, no nothing. It started out good the first 3 pages or so kinda grabbed me, but after that I felt like I was reading just for the purpose of reading. A boring book and I won't be looking into any of the other 'prey' novels. ... Read more

Product Description
A mobile unit of video freelancers prowls the streets to sell the footage they capture to the highest network bidder. It is an exhilarating life. But tonight, two deaths will change everything.Amazon.com Review
Anna Batory's evening starts with a frenzied animal rightsraid and then moves quickly to the site of a suicide jump. It's all ina normal night's work for Anna, who leads the Night Crew, a freelancevideo team out to make a quick buck on sensational footage they cansell to L.A. news stations. But this night is different: the jumper isa teenager named Jacob Harper, and Anna's cameraman Jason beats astrangely hasty exit after filming the jump. A few hours later, Jasontoo is dead: shot and knifed.

Jacob Harper's father is anattractive former cop who works out the connection between his son'sdeath and Jason's. The two young men share a drug dealer--and whenHarper finds said dealer dead as well, he calls Anna to the scene andshows her a creepy knife wound on the dealer's body: the name "Anna"carved into his chest. From that moment on, Anna knows she's chasingdown a killer who's got a thing for her--but who is it? A series ofheart-thumping encounters between Anna and her shadowy stalker keepthis thriller moving at the dizzying clip that Sandford's fansexpect.

Those who love the Prey series for the quirks andcontradictions of its antihero, Lucas Davenport, will find a kindredcreation in Anna: an attractive loner, taciturn and tough-minded, aclassical pianist with the fighting reflexes of a wild animal. WillSandford keep bringing her back? Time will tell. --BarrieTrinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

Great Book
John Sandford steps away from his familiar "Prey" series to write about a free lance film crew in Los Angeles that finds itself embroiled in crime and mystery. Sandford took some risk in leaving his Lucas Davenport character and some of the critics of this book have panned him for doing so.But I loved this book. It is interesting, believable and not as "boxy" as his "Prey" novels.In the "Prey" novels, which I love by the way, they all follow a pattern and the characters are somewhat cookie cutter.But here he expands, he writes some fascinating characters with real depth and personality. The idea of this free lance film crew out on the prowl through the streets of LA hoping to get some good footage to sell to tv newsrooms, is unique and appealing. You can also read this book without any knowledge of the "Prey" novels and you will find it irresistable.

loser
There may have been sillier books written, but not by John Sanford.
Go for the Prey series, yes they are by the same author but you will
never know or suspect it, prey tell.

The Night Crew has made me an instant JohnSandford fan!
This is the first John Sandford book I've read - and I'm an instant fan! Sandford was recommended to my by a flight attendant in 2007 and also by fans of Dean Koontz looking for similar authors.I will probably start reading Sandford's Prey series but I wanted to try some of his stand alone novels first. I have already started reading Dead Watch (Night Watch) and look forward to reading Rough Country later this year.

The opening scene in The Night Crew is extremely intense and the book contains a high-quality of writing throughout. I loved the character of Anna Batory and think Sandford's writing is superb - I like that his writing is so genuine and unforced. I must admit I'm not usually very good at figuring out who did it in a mystery novel, but I thought I had figured out this one - in the end it was someone else.

Here is a sample from The Night Crew :

"I couldn't help noticing that you're carrying a gun."
"Yup." She nodded.
"You got a permit?" he asked.
"Are you kidding?"
"Maybe you should give it to me - the gun," he said.
"Maybe not," Anna said
"I could take it," he suggested.
"Cop takes gun from woman stalked by serial killer who brutally murdered movie actress." She looked over her shoulder at Louis. "Could we get that on the air?"
"Are you kidding?" Louis said. "I could sell it everywhere. But it'd sound better if we said, ' Cop takes gun from woman stalked by serial killer who brutally murdered movie actress, while gangs run wild with assault rifles in South Central.'"
"That is an improvement," Anna said.
"It'd do okay," Louis said. " But if you could get him to rough you up a little bit, we'd get more than we got for the jumper."
"How about it?" Anna said, turning back to Coughlin and batting her eyes. " Do you carry a club or a sap or anything?" Could you push me around a little? I mean, I kind of ... like it."
"Louis said, " ' Cop takes gun from beautiful woman stalked by serial killer who brutally murdered glamorous, drug-abusing "90210" actress, abuses her with baton, while gangs run wild with assault rifles in South-Central -- and she likes it.' "
Coughlin hunched over the steering wheel and shook his head sadly, "Christ, this could be a long night," he said.

full of suspense
This was an excellent John Sanford book.Since finding this author i have purchased all of his books andd have read everyone of them.All were excellent and would recommend to any mystery/thriller reader.

John Sandford in Top Form
It's a good John Sandford.I admit Lucas Davenport is my favorite from the Prey series. I did like Lucas better as a bachelor.He's a bit boring now that he's married, but The Night Crew will keep you up late with them until the last page.I guess even John Sandford needs to get out of Minnesota once in a while so he takes us to Los Angeles for a change and it is an exciting change.I did think I knew the bad guy at times, but I wasn't certain until the very end.It's an old Sandford but a good one.Anna Batory is an interesting character.She is tough, intelligent and relentless.Give it a try.It's worth it. ... Read more

Product Description
The past presents a harrowing case and an unsettling personal dilemma for Lucas Davenport when the death of a model leads him to suspect one of his own men.Amazon.com Review
Penzler Pick, June 2000: Easy Prey is the 11th mystery to feature Lucas Davenport, who began his career back in Rules of Prey as a maverick homicide detective reminiscent of "Dirty Harry" Callahan. He did things his way and was often at odds with his superiors in the Minneapolis Police Department. Since those early days, Davenport has mellowed a little, and his background as a computer game-designing, Porsche-driving womanizer has been somewhat reduced. Possibly age has become a factor, or it may be the fact that Davenport has been deputy chief since the sixth book in the series, Night Prey. The character may have changed, but the writing has remained consistently taut: the bad guys creepy, the mysteries suspenseful.

In this newest episode, Davenport is called to a house after an A-list party has taken place there. Alie'e Maison, a top model, has been found strangled, and evidence shows that she ingested drugs and recently made love--most probably to a woman. Before Lucas leaves the house, things get even more complicated: a second body is found stuffed in a closet with a deep dent in the skull. In addition, one of Lucas's own men had been at the party and is now a suspect.

As always, Lucas's own life is not exempt from complications. An ex-lover comes back into his world--a woman he has never been able to forget--and she has secrets of her own. Also making an appearance this time out is a childhood friend to whom he turns for advice about women and life. Sister Mary Joseph, born Elle Kruger, is a professor of psychology and one of the computer brains who helps Lucas design his software. He calls her Nun the Wiser, and he often turns to her for spiritual as well as more concrete advice. Lucas is going to need all the help he can get to unravel his case as secrets pile upon secrets and the ground constantly shifts under his feet.

Easy Prey is another powerful link in this chain of muscular, exciting thrillers by one of the most distinguished practitioners in the field. --Otto Penzler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (181)

Sandord prey series
The prey series is the best series of novels I have read. I'm an avid reader and would recommend any book by sandord. The place I bought it from took way too long to het it here though. It took almost 3 weeks.

Mediocre Effort from Sandford
I am relatively new to the work of John Sandford.After reading his latest work, however, and liking it very much, I was excited to select something else from Mr. Sandford.I picked up "Easy Prey" after perusing a number of titles from him.Unfortunately, it seems I selected one of the weaker products from a decent author."Easy Prey" starts off in a reasonable manner, with a double-murder mystery almost right off the bat.The plot slowly--very slowly--descends from there though, and it takes the reader along for what becomes a cumbersome journey.At times, there is so much going on at once the reader is relegated to not caring about any of it.There are too many suspects, too many convoluted plot branches and our lead character even has too many girlfriends.There are parts of the book which move well and flow nicely, but for the most part it is a bore--filled with arcane details that simply do not matter and too many people to remember.There are literally pages of conversation between characters that go nowhere.A good book pulls the reader in to the plot, gives us the impression we are there with the characters seeing things as they do.When a book fails to do that, it becomes less a novel and more like a text book.Unfortunately, that's what happens with "Easy Prey".Even the ending, when the real killer is revealed, is a huge disappointment, as we know very little about the killer and, therefore, we don't really care.I'm hoping other works by Sandford are better than this one.

A different "Prey" book, but one of the best
The eleventh in the "Lucas Davenport" series, John Sandford does something he hadn't made his readers do to the point that this book was written: he makes the reader WORK on figuring out who the killer is. Like real police work, there are no clear-cut paths to who is responsible for the murders at the beginning of the book, and Sandford keeps not only Davenport and the crew guessing up until the end, but the reader as well. Add into this the most complicated relationship circle that Davenport had been in to this point in the series, and you have what I considered to be one of the best works in the series. Why there has been so much negativity towards this one - noted in the comments section of Sandford's website (under commentary for the book "Shadow Prey") - I just can't fathom. Yes, for those used to having Sandford tell you near the beginning of the work who the killer is, it might be a bit off-putting - but it proves to be well worth the time and effort to guess who is responsible for the killings. (Even if - like me - you put your money on the wrong horse.)

The Worst So Far
Hated it!!I gotta tell ya, I have either loved or strongly liked all of the Prey novels up to this point.This one was so incredibly BORING.I don't know what happened.To me it seemed like the ending was tacked on.I gave it two stars only because of the personal drama going on in Lucas's life.There was very little suspense and so much repetition of incredibly boring, complex real estate deals.Just a total waste of time.I wish I had skipped it.

Convoluted Prey
What started as an interesting enough murder case quickly deteriorated into hundreds of pages about drugs and real estate that just bored me to tears.The characters were flat and the star of this book was Lucas' new Porche.Having read some of the later entries in this series, I'm glad to know that the series picks up again. ... Read more

Product Description
When a Russian sailor is found shot to death on the shore of Lake Superior, everyone has a theory: the local authorities, the FBI, even a female cop flown in from Russia. Lucas Davenport has a theory too - the right one - and it's putting him in more peril than he's ever faced before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

Great Plot, Conflict, Great Characters, Typical Sandford
Take a Ninety-Two-Year old hold out Russian Spy and his seventeen-year-old grandson and move them to Duluth. Now have them be violent as all get out, real killers. And you have the bad guys in John Sandford's "Hidden Prey" the latest in the "Prey" series.

Though Lucas Davenport is happily married and very well off, that doesn't stop him from dropping everything when he's called to solve a murder and now he works for the State of Minnesota as sort of a roving crime solving guy. So when a well to do Russian is murdered on the shores of Lake Superior, Lucas is called into action and this time he's partnered with female Russian Investigator, who has her own secrets.

It turns out that our aging spy is living in Duluth. He's a sleeper who has been long forgotten by both sides, until he feels he has to protect his secret by killing people who he thinks know too much. And then their is the grandson who is loyal to granddad, but even though he's been raised to be a killer, he's starting to get confused about the murders, and there plenty of them.

Once again John Sandford has written a thriller that is impossible to put down. Lots of conflict, a great plot, wonderful characters, typical Sandford. I loved "Hidden Prey" and I think you will too.

Foreign Intrigue
This one is a change of pace for John Stanford.To include Russian spies and murders in Minnesota keeps you thinking, like is this still happening and recent news stories indicate that it is and probably will continue.

Nonagenarians of the World Unite!
Carl Walther is seventeen, a lonely high school senior who fantasizes a James Bond existence full of beautiful women and fast cars. He's also a murderer who lets his ninety-year-old great grandfather manipulate him into acts of homicide in the name of world communist domination. It seems great-grandpa had played a significant role in the rise of the Bolsheviks way, way back. He then emigrated to the U.S. where he organized communist cells.

The book was published in 2004, well after the fall of the Soviet Union.So, this book is something of an anomaly, a throwback to the sixties and seventies when KGB agents lurked in the shadows.

Lucas Davenport, author John Sandford's long-time star, is a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officer who spearheads an investigation into the murders committed by Carl Walther. I haven't spoiled anything because the reader soon learns that young Walther is the killer. The mystery centers around Davenport's ability to identify and capture Walther.

There's a female equivalent of Davenport sent from Moscow to investigate the murder of one of Walther's victims, aRussian national who had connections in high places. She interacts with Davenport. There may be too many skits involving her mangling of the English language.

I enjoy Sandford's work largely because of his skillful descriptions of Minnesota settings. The action here takes place largely in Duluth and various small Iron Range towns. Sandford also has several well-developed characters and clever plot twists.

It held my interest from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

Terrific author
Read this one over and over.Love the characters and the plot line is outstanding.

Hidden Prey by John Sandford (used paperback)
Hidden Prey was a good book: it came on time and in the condition promised.Thanks. ... Read more