Customer Reviews

Certain Prey

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have enjoyed all of the Sanford "Prey" novels, being caught right off the bat with the first one many years ago and this is my favorite.

As opposed to many of the books out this summer this is not about a serial killer, but a contract killer and the character of Clara Rinker is wonderful - smart, a killer with a conscience. And to come at it from both sides, know the plot and the killer up front, but see how the police and FBI figure it out. You wonder in real life how much of crime solving is luck. Probably more than any of us would like to realize.

I was also happy that Lucas seemed not to be in a depressed state. What a pleasant change. I realize that he doesn't have a woman in his life - but neither is he depressed or suicidal because he doesn't. Thank you - sometimes it is possible to be happy and productive alone.

I do miss the character in this book of his friend the nun - but hopefully she will turn up in future books, she's wonderful.

Sanford is very good at giving the minutae of an investigation but keeping the pace taut and the characters smart. Excellent reading as always.

I love the Lucas Davenport series and wished they would be made into movies, but let's get to the book.

I thought John Sanford created two great villains in the lawyer and the bounty hunter and their interaction early on the book kept me riveted. However, as smart as they were early on in the book, they seemed to lose some of their steam at the end of the book.

I found the last 1/3 of the book to be rather ordinary, and as good as Lucas is, its hard to believe all the pieces fall into place for him during this mystery.

I'll read the next one that comes out, but I hope we see a little more vulnerability back in Lucas in the next one.

I am a huge Sandford fan and I love the character, Lucas Davenport. Lucas has always reminded me of Dirty Harry and i like that. In Certain Prey, Davenport must face a smart killer. She has little remorse at times and does what she needs to get the job done. I loved watchign the relationship betweeen the killer and Lucas develop. It was as if they had some respect for the other. Unlike his previous Prey novels, this one seems to focus more on the two female killers and Lucas seems to be more of a supporting character. I really enjoyed this edition to the Prey series. This is classic Sandford and one that I'm sure you will trully enjoy. Do not pass this one up! You can read this and not have read any of the others. I do recommend going back and starting though with Rules of Prey and see how Lucas has evolved as a detective. This one is a real gem!

This is John Sandford's tenth book starring Minneapolis police detective Lucas Davenport. The "Prey" novels, much like James Patterson's Alex Cross books, have several ongoing plotlines that add continuity value to the stories. Like all Sandford's books, Certain Prey is packed full of colorful villians, great cop talk, and lots of interesting investigation procedures that Davenport is careful to follow lest his quarry get off due to a technicality. Clara Rinker is Davenport's sport for this book, but she's a careful professional killer with a nack for covering her escapes. When Lucas gets close she takes it personally and suddenly the detective finds himself in the unfamiliar role of being the quarry in a deadly game of cat & mouse. With an ending even long time readers won't guess, Certain Prey is "certainly" one of John Sandford's best.(If you're a "continuity junkie" like me, start with the first book Rules of Prey and read them all in copyright order. They get progressively better as you go.)

This book has some of the far-fetched, convenient 'coincidences' that in another author's hands, would have failed miserably. But not Sanford's. He works everything into the story so convincingly that instead of a wrap up at the end of the book to explain who done it and how, we get a comfortable and casual conclusion as Sanford coasts to the end of another winner. Of course a winner from Sanford is no longer expected on the onset of a new episode it is confirmed beforehand. With so many best selling authors, it is quite obvious that elements of the plot have been resolved in the author's head without being written down for the reader. John Sanford is so thorough in translating his thoughts to paper that we are not left with unexplained holes and more importantly not insulted by obligatory explanations to fill in said holes. What Sanford has done here is an amazing success.

Clara Rinker is my favorite Sanford villain yet and one I actually didn't mind spending time with. I was actually pulling for her. The very elaborate murder series and ensuing cover up was so meticulous that it had me thinking Sanford should be careful before he becomes a consultant for hit men everywhere. All of the characters, including the villains, are fun. And the dialog... well if I start itemizing it would get repetitious. An outstanding piece of work.

I've been an avid fan of John Sandford's books for a decade now and was sorry to see that Lucas Davenport seemed to have lost his edge. I was wary when I picked up the book: I didn't want to get disappointed but Sandford surprised the hell out of me.
His latest in the Prey series is his best yet. The story has frightening insights: Sandford was able to draw the profile of a memorable serial killer perfectly. His portrayal ranks amongst the very best ones I've ever read. But not only the story is superb. Something happened to Sandford. His prose whas never been extremely vivid or pewrful but in Certain Prey he not only exceeded himself but most of the genre. His style breathes it's so fresh. Not one bad sentence in his dialogues. His conversations with his bride-to-be Weather, his interactions with his peers are so vividly written that I felt for the first time: Lucas Davenport is a living, almost larger than life cop, not just an interesting character who seeks the advice of a nun, who drives a Porsche and who designs softwares.
If you haven't read Sandford and want to know him, this is the best book to start with.

I loved this book. The main protagonists the female hitman-excuse me-hitwoman and Lucas Davenport characters were thorougly sketched and described making you love them and care about them equally even though they were on different sides of the fence. This novel is so different so fresh, so original; full of excellent prose, engaging dialogue, and exciting plot lines you will simply be unable to put this book down. I like many on Mr. Sanford's novel, but this is his best to date. Enjoy!

Not much to say other than you will have hard time putting this one down. Some of Lucas' depth of character present in the earlier books is missing but it still has enough spunk to keep the reader enthralled throughout the story. A definite improvement since Sandford's last book, "Secret Prey" . I would recommend it!

The Prey series has just built a life of it's own. Unlike some of the tired and tried crime series out there, author John Sandford (Camp) has made each entry in his series quite unique. Some of the books have given us a serial killer (Rules of Prey, Eyes of Prey), others handle action (Sudden Prey, Shadow Prey), others allow a cat-and-mouse storyline (Mind Prey, Silent Prey), and still others move right into a straight mystery (Winter Prey, Secret Prey). Sandford keeps things fresh while constantly making each novel stand on it's own strengths.

The constant of the series is of course central character Lucas Davenport. Millionaire cop? Sure. But once you get past this, show me one man out there who wouldn't want to be Lucas. Smart. Sexy. Rich. Adventurous. I know I'd like to be him.

All this of course leads to this entry in the Prey series - CERTAIN PREY. Much like Eyes of Prey, this story gives Lucas two antagonists to deal with. One is a smart, rich, borderline psychopath. The other is a strong, skilled, borderline sociopath. Killings happen. Clues are left. And the characters match wits...and keep the reader turning the pages.

I recommend this book. It is definately one of the stronger entries in the series.

Lucas Davenport is growing older like all of us. Certain Prey reflects a seasoned, more reflective Lucas than we've seen in the past, dealing with a much more complex character, Clara, than we've seen in the past. This book is consistent, fast-paced, and is right on time with the character John Sanford has grown Lucas Davenport into. A must read for any John Sanford previous reader.