Customer Reviews

Eyes of Prey

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read numerous books and, up until now, haven't read any of the prey series. I was suspect at first, since I'm in academics, I thought this series might be poorly written--as are some popular novels that seem to fly off the book shelves. Having been skeptical at first, I was floored by Sandford's writing and ability to place you right beside Lucas Davenport, and watch the fast-paced plot unravel. Lucas is a self-destructive character that seems to come out smelling like a rose by the end of the book. As of now there are 14 Prey novels, and I have purchased all of them--after reading Eyes of Prey, of course.

Eyes of Prey is acutally the third book in the series and catches up with Davenport as he is chasing a killer that has a nasty habit of taking the eyes from his victims. The pace of the book is fast, and the plot is peppered with so many twists and turns that you will be unable to stop reading--I read the book in two days. Davenport is the type of character that keeps you wanting more as you finger each page, anticipating the next exciting plot-twist.

I would recommend that you pick up all of the prey books, but start at the beginning--I unfortunatley did not. 14 in all and here are the books in order:

RULES OF PREY
SHADOW PREY
EYES OF PREY
SILENT PREY
WINTER PREY
NIGHT PREY
MIND PREY
SUDDEN PREY
SECRET PREY
CERTAIN PREY
EASY PREY
CHOSEN PREY
MORTAL PREY
NAKED PREY--just released this year!!!

Lucas Davenport,Sandford's unforgettable cop hero (think Dirty Harry with more intelligence) match wits with two psychopaths:one is a disfigured actor and another is handsome but twisted doctor and manipulator who has a obession with all matters of death and murder.Dr. Michael Bekker is one most sinister villians that has ever been created and this novel has nonstop action and chills!

Eyes of Prey is the first John Sanford book I have read. Now I can't resist reading his work. Sanford is a sound writer and he does a good job of showing details. In addition to being very interesting, this book is easy to read and is even easier to get into. Lucas Davenport is an awesome character. He is everything a hero could want to be. He is slick, sneaky, and gets the job done. Michael Bekker is a very fitting person for the job of a serial killer. Until the end of the book I thought he might even get away with the killings. Druze fits in almost as well as Bekker in that his facial features allow him to kill someone without being bothered. Bekker's beauty and Druze's childhood make them excessively dangerous and are definately two people that I would not want to meet up with. Druze and Bekker are a dynamic team and if it were not for Bekker's stupidity, they may have actually gotten away with the murders. Great book Mr. Sandford! I hope you can continue your success!

This is an early "Prey" novel when Lucas Davenport was working as a detective with the Minneapolis Police Dep't. He is troubled by a failing relationship while attempting to solve the murder of a physician's wife. He suspects the doctor is involved despite an ironclad alibi, and clues from a possible witness who may have been with the victim prior to her brutal death which included the removal of her eyes.

Sandford shows his ability to take the reader into the depths of madness and to surprise the reader with his deftness to tie together all the loose ends. It is such a pleasure to read a book that you are fully satisfied with and still be surprised at where the author takes you with the ending. This book is highly recommended, both for newer readers and for those who've read the earlier "Prey" novels years ago but may have forgotten how good they really are.

This was a disappointing story in the "Prey" series by the usually excellent thriller writer, John Sandford and I was pleased to finish it and start another book. As with most "Prey" books, the story is written in two persons, Lieutenant Lucas Davenport (the cop, the good guy and the main character of the book) and the villain who Davenport is hunting down. This particular villain, although successful, good looking, wealthy and a qualified medical doctor is one of life's losers. He is a junkie with a permanent supply of uppers, downers and everything in between which he devours throughout the day and most of the night.

The first murder takes place early in the story with Bekker's wife brutally killed at her home by a man in Bekker's pay. Bekker immediately becomes Davenport's number one suspect through a raft of circumstantial evidence. Even though he was on the other side of the country at the time of the murder his complicity in arranging the murder is quite clear. The usual chain of murders is set in place and cleverly Bekker organizes them to happen whilst he is under Police surveillance or escapes such surveillance briefly in order to perpetrate the crimes. Bekker and Davenport, astonishingly, establish a relationship with each other during the course of the murder investigations, popping in for a drink and a chat with each other!

The suspense doesn't build too well in the story as the plot is developed through the persons of both of its main characters. The story line is weak and not convincing. In reality the police would have arrested Bekker on suspicion of complicity early on in their investigations in order to prevent him committing more murders. Whilst this is a work of is fiction, a little credulity would have helped.

I'd like to give this book two and a half stars but as this is not an option, it is marginally closer to a three than a two. I look forward to reading more of Sandford's novels and am optimistic that they will be better than "Eyes of Prey".

I have no idea how I missed this Sandford fiction in his "Prey" series, but I did. It's definitely one of the first with Lucas Davenport. It's an absolute jewel right down to the last sentence. I actually enjoyed it more than the newer "Prey" books.
John Sanford poured so much detail in to his characters. The killers (notice the plural) in this novel keep Davenport reeling with questions to the end, which is also a terrific surprise.
If you're a new reader of John Sandford, go back and start with this book before reading the newer "Prey" books. It will help you to understand Lucas Davenport better as well as his police pals.

I enjoyed Eyes of Prey mainly because of the wonderful villain. Sanford has invented an amazing character in Dr. Bekker. The other characters pale by comparison, and I only wish that the author had delved deeper into Bekker's motivations and background. I also read Silent Prey, in which the story of Bekker is continued; still not enough Bekker! If you are tired of one-dimensional "bad guys," these two books will be a treat.

As was the case with the first two books in John Sandford's "Prey" series- "Rules of Prey" and "Shadow "Prey"- I just wanted this third entry, "Eyes of Prey", to once again deliver solid police-thriller story and action with nothing fancy. And I got that. But slamming me to the ground at the last moment- on the final two pages, no less!- was a kickin' surprise ending worthy of "The Sixth Sense". I'm not saying it was supernatural (it wasn't), but it was the kind of ending that made you say "whoa!" and question every little thing you read before. And it was the best kind of surprise ending, in that it played fair and made sense yet was still completely surprising. And it made me rush out to get the next book in this series, "Silent Prey", even though I'd planned to take a little break before moving onto the next title. Way to go, Mr. Sandford... it's great having an author who's truly interested in wowing his readers.

This third entry in Sandford's "Prey" series really establishes why the series has been so popular. In this thriller, Lucas Davenport (our favorite lustful detective) faces two killers of indescribable evil. Michael Bekker is a handsome, soulless pathologist who works with a deformed "troll," Carlos Druze, in kind of "Strangers on a Train" twist. Druze kills Bekker's wife, and Dekker decks Cruze's mean boss. But it doesn't stop there, oh no...more gruesome murders occur and Bekker turns out to be one of the most vile villains in this genre. The taking of the eyes of the victims to appease Bekker's warped conscience is chilling and quite disturbing. Davenport's usual supporting characters, including Chief Daniel, Sloan, and Lester, all return, and the plot twists move quicker and faster than in the other "Preys."

The best in the series to this point.

I have to add a dash of criticism to the rave reviews below. "Eyes of Prey" is the millionth thriller with a thoroughly evil, brilliant, successful serial killer. The book is OK (and the ending has a nice twist), but the genre has been worked to death. Pedestrian is the way I'd describe the novel.