Customer Reviews

Easy Prey

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(47)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

Fans of Lucas will want to read this, and I am definitely a fan. But this is not up to Sandford's usual standards. Lucas (and the plot) wander aimlessly through this book. It seems as if Sandford was just throwing in any plot element that occurred to him while he was writing. And isn't it time for Lucas to either commit to a relationship, or stop beginning one with every woman he encounters? Lucas is too fascinating a character to descend to a soap opera type life.

I have been a fan of the "prey" series for some time, and have read all of the previous entries, all of them ranging from good to excellent. Some different adjectives come to mind for this one though: boring, convoluted, and dissapointing, just to name a few. It started off well enough, but went downhill before it was 50 pages in. The character of Lucas Davenport was very flat this time, his only focus outside of the case being the multiple women he was juggling and there were way too many supporting characters, causing you to wonder who was who sometimes. The plot itself was dull and lacking in any suspense or tension. You really didn't care waht happened next, which was good, because nothing of interest ever did happen. And the ending appeared out of left field, but by that point you are just glad its over. You get the feeling that Sandford was sitting around one day when he suddenly realized he had a book due soon, and he just hammered it out quickly on autopilot. A character quips near the end of the book, "This is boring my _ brains out", a quote which could be attributed to the book as well. I hope Sandford and Davenport fare better next time out, I have faith that they will.

This was a great Lucas Davenport book.fast and somewhat confusing....It took a long time to sort out all the characters that Sandford gave us. And I even liked when he started to recall past events from the other Prey books, but it took a lot to keep up with this one. I was not prepared for the "villian" at the end. I kept thinking I had it figured out and then ...Wham! ...my suspect is murdered too. <g> I couldn't make the connections and the ending was not as well prepared as some of the other books he's written. But that doesn't mean I won't be waiting for the next one out..I WILL. The ending here is a cliff hanger for sure, and I will refrain from giving my opinion on that...don't want to give away everything. Others have mentioned poor editing and I did see evidence of that too. I can't give an exact example right now, but I know there were instances that were repeated within one or two pages of each other. That happens to all writers I'm sure. All in all, this is a recommendation for anyone that like police procedural/mystery/suspense type books...get it now.

I was surprised to find I enjoyed this latest installment in the "Prey" series even more enjoyable than "Certain Prey." Sandford has a rare gift for writing about murderers and deviants and still keeping a sense of humor in forefront.

The only drawback to this book (and not the author's fault which is why I still rated it 5 stars) is that the proofreader needs to have his/her head whacked. Glaring errors in the proofing can be very distracting.

As for getting Davenport to settle down and commit to one woman, I hope he never does! Or at least, not with Weather Karkinnon, she's the dullest of all Sandford's fine creations and I have yet to figure out what Davenport sees in her. I like the predicament Lucas is left in at this book's end, a kind of 'lady or the tiger' deal. I always enjoy those few and far between books that keep my imagination going even when the book is finished.

Is it just me or is the Lucas Davenport series just not very interesting anymore? Writing as a long-time fan of John Sandford, I am posting this review with a great sense of disappointment. I wanted to like this novel, but I just couldn't.

It seems like Sandford has devolved into pure formula when I used to find his books full of originality and surprises. With Easy Prey, we just have the same old cast of characters involved in the same old investigative activities, and none of it is very involving. While I won't give away the identity of the killer for the true fans out there who will have to read this for themselves, I found the ending to be lazy on Sandford's part and thought it made the majority of the book seem irrelevant.

In a literary world that offers the likes of Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Ridley Pearson and Jeffery Deaver, I would have to say that Sandford is rapidly falling to the bottom of the suspense writer ranks. I find that unfortunate since I remember the days when Sandford could come up with a better plot twist than a new dead body. It seems like in Easy Prey that whenever Sandford loses his bearings he just kills off another minor character. Given the number of death in the novel, it appears that Sandford lost his way far to many times.

I never thought I'd say this about a John Sandford novel but Easy Prey wasn't very easy to finish reading. At one time, I'd buy his newly published book the day it hit the stores and have it read by the next day. Each story was thrilling and suspenseful making the turning of each page an effortless movement. Not so with this latest story. As I was struggling to remember all the suspects, I was asking myself if it was me and I was just missing the suspense, perhaps hidden in a subtle clue. After perusing the other customer reviews however, it appears that my fellow Sandford admirers share the same sorrow, that Easy Prey just isn't very good. Besides an overabundance of characters that required that I write a short summary of each on a nearby notepad, the perpetrator that finally is revealed came with little warning or foundation.

The killer when identified does makes sense. However, the characters in the chapters preceding the discovery of the killer, while interesting, do very little in the way of providing clues for the reader. Part of the fun and entertainment found in reading a John Sandford novel is following the mental gymnastics Lucas Davenport performs and the interplay between Lucas and the perp. That was missing in this novel.

The redeeming qualities of the novel are found in the personalities of the characters. Sandford does a credible job of portraying the uniqueness and human nature of the novel's residents. Following Lucas Davenport's struggle with women at a time in his life when most persons gain insight into what the future holds for their lives, is enlightening. Hopefully, in the novels that follow, the reader will discover if Lucas's goals have been achieved, his dreams fulfilled and satisfaction attained. That's because Lucas Davenport is a person we've learned to care about.

I have read ALL of John Sanford's books! Easy Prey is one of the best. When John Sanford writes, you get such a clear picture of the characters, especially "Lucas Davenport", that you feel as if you know them personally. The plot was captivating; I usually read his books within 48 hours. This one took me 12! I could not put it down. I agree with one other reviewer. The only problem I have is that Mr. Sanford DOES NOT WRITE QUICKLY ENOUGH! I would like to see more Lucas Davenport novels soon, very soon! I think I am in love!

Boring, tedious, with too many characters in and out like a chinese fire drill. There is no suspense whatsoever anywhere in the plot and the killer is not a danger to Davenport or the public. In fact, he is really not even in the book till the very end. It is not even a good police procedural and Davenport just kind of sloshes around like he is bored too. John: write us a killer next time that will bring the old Davenport back to life and turn him loose.

I love the Davenport series, I look forward to each new book~I even toyed with the thought of buying Easy Prey in hard back....so very glad I waited! My copy came from the library, I couldn't wait to return this~I usually read the newest Davenport in one day...this took forever! I kept losing interest, it just does not live up to the previous books. I almost didn't finish the book, but I kept thinking~this has to get better~it didn't! Please bring the REAL Lucas back!

I was very disappointed in the main character. Lucas seemed to be hollow and false, four letter words was not his style in the past.This plot made Lucas seem not too intelligent, not really caring. His in and out referenences to his personal life was only distracting.The ending was out of left field as if the author felt it was time to end this story, it was long and tedious and repeticious. hopefully, Mr. Sandford will take a good rest and his next offering will go back to the quality Davenport. Ill patiently await the next novel and will continue to be a loyal fan.