Customer Reviews

Shadow Prey

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I enjoyed "Rules of Prey", the first entry in Mr. Sandford's long-running "Prey" series, so I happily picked up this follow-up title. This was very good, too: lots of tension, good banter between the cops, a challenging case, and some interesting fringe stuff involving Lucas Davenport's newest lady love and his other domestic challenges.

As far as cop thrillers go, there's nothing particularly earth shattering or ground breaking here, but I think that's the point: Mr. Sandford knows what a good cop thriller should be and delivers it, not worrying about throwing in gimmicky plot contrivances to set it apart from other thrillers. The entertainment comes from solid craftmanship, Sandford's eye for detail, a dozen or so engaging characters, and a good thriller story.

I also liked the shades of grey that complicate the proceedings in several areas. For example, one can't really blame the criminal antagonists here for wanting to accomplish their goals, which is to draw attention to the injustices against American Indians and exact revenge for one particular injustice. But things quickly spiral out of control when the antagonists use new violence to respond to old violence. And things are further complicated because one of the antagonists really likes doing violence, with "the cause" only being a convenient excuse to undertake it.

Like the new edition of "Rules of Prey" that I recently read, this new edition of "Shadow Prey" features a brief but illuminating new introduction by the author, where he discusses the challenges of coming up with a good follow up to a successful debut thriller.

The head of the FBI is targeted for death by a group of Indians bent on getting personal revenge for something the FBI man did early in his career. However, in planning to get to him, they make it appear as if a war is called on the white man¹s sins against the Indian people. John Sandford creates an excellent story, set in the context of the Native American people living in Minnesota. Deputy Chief of Police Lucas Davenport investigates the murders along with New York City Detective Lily Rosenthal. An interesting addition to Sandford's Prey series.

I am a big fan of this author, however, I have to tell it like it is.

This book is absolutely "Awful". It dragged and dragged. There were too many characters and the plot was senseless. The only redeeming factor in the story is the relationship between Lucas & Lily.

Save your money, this one was a loser!

In his second outing, Lucas Davenport hunts a family of disgruntled Native Americans who have big plans for a political bad guy (who really does deserve to die.) He also meets a new woman, and you may find yourself not liking him very much afterwards.

However, by introducing us to the many faults of Davenport, Sandford goes a long way in making him even more real. And, if you keep reading the Prey series (and you should) you will find yourself taking satisfaction in Lucas' maturation process as much as in his hunting down the bad guys.

Read this book, and keep reading the Prey series

SHADOW PREY is the second book in the "Lucas Davenport" series, and I personally believe it's one of the weakest ones.

The pacing of this novel is surprisingly slow in spots, and the villains are relatively dull. The book deals heavily with Native-American issues, but I don't feel that Sandford did a very good job of developing the Native-American characters. As he explains in his introduction, he had to rewrite this novel significantly to eliminate a lot of the social commentary that was contained in the first draft. The result is a novel that seems incomplete -- I didn't fully understand the killers and their motivations as well as I would have liked.

The romance in SHADOW PREY is also somewhat annoying. Davenport is a classic "bad boy" character who is more than happy to sleep with a married woman, and then go back home to his own girlfriend and child without a second thought. I know some readers like this wild aspect of Davenport's character, but I personally found it an unlikable characteristic, especially for a 41-year old man.

I like Sandford's writing style, but my advice is to skip this novel if you haven't read his books before. Start with RULES OF PREY instead.

The hot and bothered Lucas Davenport is back and at full speed in this second entry in the popular "Prey" series. The plot revolves around some killings being done by a band of Indians, out to wipe out a politician who years before had assaulted a Native American woman. And of course, Lucas falls for NYPD Lily Rothenberg, and spends much of the book trying to get into her illustrious pants!

I have to hand it to Sandford, though. His plots are compelling and you can't help but finish them. Fortunately, this series gets better with each installment. This is not one of the best, and it has a wooden ending, no pun intended.

Things get better with "Eyes of Prey" and "Silent Prey."

Stick with him if you haven't given up on him yet.

John Sandford's Shadow Prey is a suspenseful thriller that will keep the reader on the end of his seat. Sandford succeeds once again with this entry into his Prey series. The plot races along at a heart-thumping pace as Lucas Davenport, the protagonist, must solve a case involving a complex Indian conspiracy. A slumlord, a welfare supervisor, rising politician, and a federal judge are grisly murdered one by one. The killings are linked because each had his throat slashed with an Indian ceremonial knife. Lucas takes the case, and the body count continues to rise. He is partnered with Lily Rothenburg, a married detective from New York. Lucas tries to concentrate on the case at hand, but he cannot control his attraction to Lily. As their romance heats up, Lily struggles with the idea of infidelity but eventually succumbs to Davenport. Lucas and Lily strive to solve the case, but at every turn they find themselves one step behind the Indian conspirators. Lucas comes within seconds of losing his life, but he manages to escape with the knowledge that the next victim on the killers' list is the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Lucas' world is thrown upside down as Lily is shot and hospitalized, and he takes justice into his own hands. Lucas embarks on a dangerous crusade to protect the director and avenge his fallen lover, but he does not realize that seeking revenge could be even more perilous than it seems as he battles to stay alive and save the ones he loves. Sandford excels in crafting this fine suspense novel that is even more mesmerizing than his debut Rules of Prey. Sandford reaches new heights of excellence in his characterization of Lucas Davenport. Davenport oozes masculinity, and he solves cases in his own way, often with a shameless disregard for the law. Sandford's writing shines the brightest as he delves into the psyche of Lucas. The reader becomes undeniably aware of Lucas' latent brutality and inner turmoil. Lucas even struggles with the depths of his own cruelty as the reader reflects on his own capacity for evil. Sandford takes the reader on a journey through Lucas' mind as the novel progresses, and Lucas' emotional state becomes progressively more complicated. In one near death experience, Lucas nearly becomes irrevocably traumatized and is plagued by reoccurring flashbacks of his ordeal. Sandford peers into the nature of his disturbing memories and emotions, and the reader actually sympathizes with Lucas as he is pushed over the edge. The line between right and wrong is often blurred as Lucas seeks revenge, and the reader must ask himself if what Davenport is doing is acceptable. Also, his forbidden romance with a married woman clouds his mind and his sense of morality even further. His battle with his own lust is extremely intriguing as he and Lily fall prey to carnal pleasures. The characterization of Lily is solid but comes nowhere near rivaling the complexity of Lucas' character. The reader often sees Lily's frustration as she finds herself on an emotional roller coaster. She is faced with the decision of staying loyal to a husband she does not truly love or giving in to her desire to be with Lucas. This moral dilemma, however, is somewhat short lived. One thing that sets this suspense novel apart from most is the characterization of the antagonists. The conspirators have a proud cause, which they are driven to fight for despite the cost. They are not insane killers; they are men with a distinct purpose, which some within the Indian nation might consider honorable. The novel's main villain, Shadow Love, is a man who persistently pursues his objectives and lets nothing stand in his way. Sanford excels in portraying Shadow as a believable character through his thoughts and actions. In many ways, Shadow is a parallel to Lucas. Both are ruthless, determined, and intelligent. The plot of Shadow Prey is fast and furious. The story line progresses at a relentless pace, and the reader is hardly given time to catch his breath. However, Standford often focuses too much time on Lucas' desire to be with Lily instead of the case at hand, which may agitate some readers. The book's plot picks up speed as the book comes to an end. Shadow's battle of wits and instincts with Lucas in the novel's chilling conclusion provides the book's greatest thrill. Sandford grabs his reader and pulls him into a web of conspiracy, murder, and sex, and he refuses to let go until the final page. If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers that are hard to put down, this book comes highly recommended.

In this second "Prey" novel, the Crows and their son, Shadow Love, are out to settle an old score with the Director of the FBI for sins he committed years ago. Lucas Davenport, Minneapolis-St. Paul detective and new father, is assigned to work with attractive Lily Rothenberg, an NYPD detective, as they hunt a killer who uses an obsidian knife with special meaning and power to Native Americans. John Sandford creates a powerful, action-packed thriller that deftly combines the two plot lines as he continues to build the strong and complex character of Lucas Davenport in this second Prey novel and sequel to "Rules Of Prey". Highly recommended (especially if you've never read any of Sandford's or John Camp's earlier work).

Synopsis

In the early sixties, a brutal crime is committed against "a drunk Indian chick" by two small-town cops, while on duty. Retribution is a long time coming - some 20 years pass before a plan is set in place to avenge the young girl's attack, long enough for one of the guilty cops to become the Director of the FBI. Atoning for his sins will surely make the headlines.

A new age Indian uprising is about to take place, well-planned and organized by two aging men and a small band of Indian brothers who have not forgotten what two white men did to an innocent young girl so many years ago. Assassination is the order of the day - death in an acutely Indian way - throats cut by a ceremonial stone knife. A slumlord and a racist probation officer in Minnesota were the first two victims, a welfare officer from Jersey the third.

Lucas Davenport returns as the street-wise police detective assigned to investigate the murders, along with New York City Detective Lily Rosenthal. They have little time to waste, as the body count continues to escalate. A promising young politician and a federal judge fall victim to the cold-blooded murderers.

Shadow Love, a rogue tribal member of the conspirators, is not in the plans for the new-age uprising. He is a violent psychopath who is far too unpredictable to follow the directions of the tribal elders who are dictating the action. Despite their futile efforts, Love steps in and takes it upon himself to contribute to the body count, and nearly kills Lily in the process.

The case suddenly becomes more personal for Lucas, and he acts with extreme prejudice in his revenge, making for an exciting and suspenseful conclusion. * * *

My Two Cents Worth

In Shadow Prey, John Sanford proves himself a very capable storyteller. The plot is clear, concise and proceeds at blinding speed. The Indian characters are presented as a brutal and determined adversary, with an almost noble cause.

The subplot involving the intimate relationship between Lucas and Lily is graphic and aggressive. Lily, with a husband and children back in New York, briefly struggles with her attraction to Lucas, but her guilt is short-lived. Their torrid affair doesn't inhibit the action of the story, and it does provide a brief diversion from the intense drama of the murders. This also presented itself as a major character flaw for Lucas, who has a child by his girlfriend, a fact he is quick to overlook when the opportunity presents itself to be with Lily.

I could hardly put this book down. Even with the early introduction of the identity of the killers, I found it captivating. I normally prefer a little mystery in the crime/thriller genre, but it just worked for me. I look forward to reading other books from the Prey series, but I thought this one stood on its own merits as a novel.

Paperback
342 pages
3 1/4 hours

Following after Rules of Prey (Lucas Davenport Mysteries), "Shadow Prey" gives us a complex problem to mull over while providing all the action and suspense we could hope for. Murders are taking place - not only in Minneapolis - where the victim's throat is cut and the suspect is Native American. The reader is given the chance to know why these murders are being committed - and the reasoning is strangely compelling, leading one to almost sympathize with the instigators - as well as following the trail with the police. Davenport is often frustrated, as his normal contacts do not include very many Native Americans, and to make things worse, after a near miss he begins to exhibit signs of going through a severe depressive episode, or at the very least post-traumatic stress disorder. As the police follow the trail, bodies begin to pile up and Davenport worries that time is running out for the big finale, whatever that may be. I don't wish to give any more information about the plot than this, so as to avoid spoiling it for anyone. Do yourself a favor and give this wonderful series a chance!

This is my second time reading through the Lucas Davenport mysteries, and they do not disappoint the second time around. I heartily recommend these to anyone who likes a good thriller, police procedural or action-oriented mystery.