| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Naked Prey | | |
Naked Prey
Lucas Davenport Þnds some changes-and some nasty surprises-in store, in the chilling new novel by the number-one-bestselling author.
In Naked Prey, John Sandford puts Lucas Davenport through some changes. His old boss, Rose Marie Roux, has moved up to the state level and taken Lucas with her, creating a special troubleshooter job for him for the cases that are too complicated or politically touchy for others to handle. In addition, Lucas is now married and a new father, both of which are fine with him: he doesn't mind being a family man. But he is a little worried. For every bit of peace you get, you have to pay-and he's waiting for the bill.
It comes in the form of two people found hanging from a tree in the woods of northern Minnesota. What makes it particularly sensitive is that the bodies are of a black man and a white woman, and they're naked. "Lynching" is the word that everybody's trying not to say-but, as Lucas begins to discover, in fact the murders are not what they appear to be, and they are not the end of the story. There is worse to come-much, much worse.
Filled with the rich characterization and exceptional drama that are his hallmarks, this is Sandford's most suspenseful novel yet.
Manufacturer: Putnam Berkley Audio
Price: $5.09
 Naked Prey
|
| User Reviews |  | NEVER DISAPPOINTED BY THIS AUTHOR
rating: 5
IF I had known there would be so many 'Prey' novels I would have kept a list of the titles, as it stands now, I may never remember which I had read and have not!!1 I really love this author, and his characters. Thanks John...
|
3.5 stars
rating: 3
This is a new-to-me author. Several friends enjoyed his books, so I decided to give him a try.
Unfortunately, it's in the middle of a series about Lucas Davenport who, if I understood correctly, is a sort of cop/troubleshooter for the governor. Here, two bodies are discovered hanging in a tree: a black man and a white woman, and Davenport is sent to investigate, and to keep it from being called a lynching (which it wasn't).
The problem is, the murders are just the tip of the iceberg, and the investigation of the murders sparks a whole lot of other, only tangentially related events, involving kidnapping, prescription drug smuggling, auto theft, arson, and more murder.
I did enjoy the convoluted way one thing led to another, but at one point it got to be a little too much: everyone in this small town is involved in some sort of crime, and it just stretched credulity too far.
Also, this kind of series depends heavily on the personality of the main character, and maybe it's because I started in the middle of the series, but Davenport just didn't grab me. I didn't get much of a sense of his personality at all.
And then there was the kid. The bodies were found by a precocious 12-year-old girl who's a trapper. It's probably just me, but precocious kids, particularly in mystery/suspense novels are a nails-on-the-chalkboard thing for me. I almost always find them intensely irritating, and that was the case here, as well.
If I happen to find another book from earlier in this series, I'll probably give it another chance, but I'm not hooked enough to go out of my way to look for one.
|
Cold, crisp like winter
rating: 4
I listened to this book on cd. There are sound effects when you listen...a crash, a gunshot, etc. A fastpaced book that gives you characters you want to know more of. I have not read the series but as a stand alone this book was still really good. The characters have flavor to them and plot line has a racy edge to it which for me - hooks me to the story. Also living near the location's story of northwest Minnesota, the book that more delightful to hear. The only thing off was the pronounciation of "Itasca" - every cop in Minnesota would know how to stay this place's name since it's the headwaters of the Mississippi River and major tourist destination.
|
Forgettable Entry in a Great Series
rating: 2
I'm a huge fan of John Sandford's PREY series. The character of Lucas Davenport is a terrific protagonist and normally I thrill to his latest case involving some of the most interesting criminals in current fiction.
Normally...
Naked Prey however just isn't up to the high standards of other entries in the Prey series. The premise starts out nicely but then tends to meander. The antagonist(s) aren't as memorable as previous villains in the series. And, it seemed like it took Lucas far too long to get from Point A to Point Z...far too long. Naked Prey feels like a 200 page story that has been stretched needlessly into a 390 page book.
Here's hoping Sandford and Davenport get back on track with the next entries in the series.
|
Winter in Minnesota brings a potential tinder-box blaze
rating: 5
In this, the 14th Lucas Davenport novel, John Sandford keeps doing what he does best - that is writing a book that keeps us wanting more. When a black man and white woman are found hanged, a potential race issue is quickly brought forward and Lucas - who is the governor's "fix stuff" guy - is sent up to the Broderick/Armstrong area to do what he can to defuse the situation before people start talking about "lynching" over what is obviously a murder.
Lucas brings Del along and once there and investigating, they realize there is a lot more going on than meets the eye. But what exactly is going on and how it all relates - that is difficult to discover. It is relatively easy to discover who is responsible for the hangings, but before they can arrest him, he is himself murdered. Then a little girl who has been helping show them around town is attacked - her mother is killed and her house burned, but she just manages to escape - but not without damage. Letty West ends up with a terribly cut up hand, sprained ankle, and bullet wound to her side. Lucas sends her to Minneapolis to have her hand fixed and ends up taking her in.
Will they be able to find the person responsible? Will they even be able to figure out what is going on? This is a terrific entry into the Davenport storyline and one I can readily recommend.
Please note: this review refers to Berkley Mass Market paperback edition May 2004.
|
|
Naked Prey
|
|
|
|
