Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the small Minnesota town of Wayzata, an entire family has been killed—husband, wife, two daughters, dogs.
There’s something about the scene that pokes at Lucas’s cop instincts—it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he’s seen in drug killings sometimes. But this is a seriously upscale town, and the husband was an executive vice president at a big bank. It just doesn’t seem to fit.
Until it does. And where it leads Lucas will take him into the darkest nightmare of his life.
Stolen Prey (A LUCAS DAVENPORT NOVEL)
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“If you haven’t read Sandford, you have been missing one of the great summer-read novelists of all time. Lucas Davenport, the policeman hero of the Prey novels, is a hard dude . . . but not without a sense of humor, and that makes him special. Sandford writes real-guy novels, but—judging by my wife and her sisters—real girls like him too.”
—Stephen King
“Sandford’s ability to sustain this perfect series [. . .] must be a cause of envy to other writers, but grateful readers greet the annual appearance of Minnesota cop Lucas Davenport with joy, then plan for a sleepless, page-turning night.”
—Cleveland Plain-Dealer
“Sandford’s talent is such that this series never grows stale, or boring, or forgettable. As author and hero age, readers can hope that the best is yet to be.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
About the Author
John Sandford is a Pulitzer Prize winner and the author of twenty-two Prey novels and eleven other works of fiction, most recently the Virgil Flowers novel Shock Wave. He lives in Minnesota.
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More About the Author
John Sandford was born John Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in the U.S. Army from 1966-68, worked as a reporter for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian from 1968-1970, and went back to the University of Iowa from 1970-1971, where he received a master's degree in journalism. He was a reporter for The Miami Herald from 1971-78, and then a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer-Press from 1978-1990; in 1980, he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, and he won the Pulitzer in 1986 for a series of stories about a midwestern farm crisis. From 1990 to the present he has written thriller novels. He's also the author of two non-fiction books, one on plastic surgery and one on art. He is the principal financial backer of a major archaeological project in the Jordan Valley of Israel, with a website at www.rehov.org. In addition to archaeology, he is deeply interested in art (painting) and photography. He both hunts and fishes. He has two children, Roswell and Emily, and one grandson, Benjamin. His wife, Susan, died of metastasized breast cancer in May, 2007, and is greatly missed.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
183 of 191 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
John Sandford is back with the latest installment (#22) - Stolen Prey - in his wildly successful and hugely popular series featuring Lucas Davenport, an agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
"Lucas's job at the BCA was mostly self-invented, and included politically sensitive cases, or cases that might attract a lot of media attention." When a pair of tweekers rob him at an ATM, breaking his wrist and damaging his ego, he embarks on a long term mission to find them. This is put on the back burner when the superintendent of the BCA calls - a case that is definitely going to be in the spotlight needs Davenport's skills. An entire family has been found murdered - slaughtered really, tortured in unimaginable ways. Lucas's investigation leads places no one saw coming - this isn't just a spree killer. It looks like a Mexican gang hit. What could this software engineer have done to bring this wrath on his family? Soon enough the DEA and a pair of Mexican Federales are also on the case. But everyone seems to have their own priorities concerning the case.....
I've always enjoyed Lucas and his irreverent flaunting of the rules. He's getting older and little mellower, but still has no problem side stepping protocol to get things done. I love the barbed banter between himself and team members Del Capslock, Jensen and Shrake, but no Davenport book is complete without Virgil Flowers. Those tweekers robbing ATM's? Flowers has been put to work on the case - which seems to be leading to stolen.....horse manure?
"Somewhere along the line, it occurred to him that he hadn't spoken to Virgil Flowers. He'd probably taken the day off, and knowing Flowers, he'd done it in a boat.... Read more ›
"Lucas's job at the BCA was mostly self-invented, and included politically sensitive cases, or cases that might attract a lot of media attention." When a pair of tweekers rob him at an ATM, breaking his wrist and damaging his ego, he embarks on a long term mission to find them. This is put on the back burner when the superintendent of the BCA calls - a case that is definitely going to be in the spotlight needs Davenport's skills. An entire family has been found murdered - slaughtered really, tortured in unimaginable ways. Lucas's investigation leads places no one saw coming - this isn't just a spree killer. It looks like a Mexican gang hit. What could this software engineer have done to bring this wrath on his family? Soon enough the DEA and a pair of Mexican Federales are also on the case. But everyone seems to have their own priorities concerning the case.....
I've always enjoyed Lucas and his irreverent flaunting of the rules. He's getting older and little mellower, but still has no problem side stepping protocol to get things done. I love the barbed banter between himself and team members Del Capslock, Jensen and Shrake, but no Davenport book is complete without Virgil Flowers. Those tweekers robbing ATM's? Flowers has been put to work on the case - which seems to be leading to stolen.....horse manure?
"Somewhere along the line, it occurred to him that he hadn't spoken to Virgil Flowers. He'd probably taken the day off, and knowing Flowers, he'd done it in a boat.... Read more ›
47 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Imagine an entire family being tortured and murdered by crazed killers who were searching for information that the family never had?
Think about if you worked with computers for a bank and found a way to divert millions of dollars from an automated account. It could make you feel confident that you and your accomplices committed the perfect crime. However, you learn of a software company executive and family being tortured and murdered. The killers leaving a note on the wall in improper English, "were coming?" These two words can have a chilling affect on the thieves.
Lucas Davenport is on the case and attempts to learn what information the family might have had. Also, with the manner of the ungramatical note and torture killings, officials believe they are dealing with a group of murderous drug dealers who operate on both sides of the border. They are called Los Criminales del Norte.
The pacing of the story is well done as the author takes us through what is happening with the killers. Then we learn the status of the investigation and then view the amature theives who had no idea of what an explosive situation they were getting themselves into.
John Sandford is a master of dialogue and rates in the class with Elmore Leonard. His central character, Lucas Davenport, is a legendary criminal investigator whose actions and manner of apprehending criminals are realistic and make Davenport a pleasure to follow.
This story is so well written and entertaining that it is disappointing to see the story come to its conclusion.
Think about if you worked with computers for a bank and found a way to divert millions of dollars from an automated account. It could make you feel confident that you and your accomplices committed the perfect crime. However, you learn of a software company executive and family being tortured and murdered. The killers leaving a note on the wall in improper English, "were coming?" These two words can have a chilling affect on the thieves.
Lucas Davenport is on the case and attempts to learn what information the family might have had. Also, with the manner of the ungramatical note and torture killings, officials believe they are dealing with a group of murderous drug dealers who operate on both sides of the border. They are called Los Criminales del Norte.
The pacing of the story is well done as the author takes us through what is happening with the killers. Then we learn the status of the investigation and then view the amature theives who had no idea of what an explosive situation they were getting themselves into.
John Sandford is a master of dialogue and rates in the class with Elmore Leonard. His central character, Lucas Davenport, is a legendary criminal investigator whose actions and manner of apprehending criminals are realistic and make Davenport a pleasure to follow.
This story is so well written and entertaining that it is disappointing to see the story come to its conclusion.
24 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There hasn't been that much that Lucas Davenport has not witnessed in horrifying murder scenes, but this one seems to be the icing on the cake, one of the worst and hopefully, the last with haunting memories. An entire family in a small town has been killed. What kind of evil mind would murder a husband, a wife, two daughters, and their dogs? What was the motive for these brutal murders, and where does Lucas begin his investigation? Was this a Mexican gang hit, and was any of the family members involved? What do the Mexican Feds find, does Lucas break the rules, and will the pieces to the puzzle fit? What information were the killers looking for, and did they get it? Was a software company involved, and were the killers drug dealers? I highly recommend "STOLEN PREY" to all thriller lovers. John Sandford is a Master storyteller, who delivers an incredible chilling murder-mystery, made for the movie screen. The plot is packed with explosive action as the unique characters come to life in a suspenseful, nail-biting thriller that has you craving for more!
52 of 68 people found the following review helpful
By T. Russo
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've read all of Sandford's books - several multiple times. I am
a longtime fan but I must say this time I was really disappointed.
The story starts with a horrible killing but beyond that riveting
event there really isn't much of a story. It all seems very contrived.
The characters are all one dimensional and even Sandford's repeat
characters are poorly represented. There simply is no flavor.
The ending of the main story line seemed to just fizzle out. The
subsequent death of the traitor and the killer was predictable and I
suspect it is the basis for a follow-up book or two.
This book is just not up to Sandford's usually high standard.
a longtime fan but I must say this time I was really disappointed.
The story starts with a horrible killing but beyond that riveting
event there really isn't much of a story. It all seems very contrived.
The characters are all one dimensional and even Sandford's repeat
characters are poorly represented. There simply is no flavor.
The ending of the main story line seemed to just fizzle out. The
subsequent death of the traitor and the killer was predictable and I
suspect it is the basis for a follow-up book or two.
This book is just not up to Sandford's usually high standard.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Like Lucas
Lots of characters, several different plots. At times, hard to keep track of who was involved in which plot. Read more
Published 2 days ago by kageynrs
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
another great davenport novel, as all of them in the Prey series are! just wish he could write faster. Enjoy the ones where Virgil is involved too.
Published 2 days ago by ray b
5.0 out of 5 stars
lucas davenport
As I read the davenport novels I can picture Lucas and how he reacts and responds. I enjoy the side stories while following the main story. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Gerald McGlynn
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, very procedural and amusing
By now pretty much everyone who reads mysteries knows of the John Sandford "Prey" series. Lucas Davenport is one of the more fascinating characters in detective fiction that I've... Read more
Published 2 days ago by David W. Nicholas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great summer read.
When I am looking for something to read John Sanford always comes thru. His stories get your attention from beginning to end.
Published 3 days ago by Paula A. Larivee
5.0 out of 5 stars
John Sandford never disapoints!
The suspense never ends as well as the side story about Lucas himself, keep you engaged and entertained. Couldn't put it down
Published 3 days ago by Diane Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe his best Prey novel yet
I really like the way he writes and this might be the best Prey novel yet. Sandford isn't like other writers who keep you guessing who did it. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Glenna Uecker
5.0 out of 5 stars
received the wrong book
I had ordered Stolen Prey and received Silken Prey instead. I had already purchased Silken Prey. The book is great but I was disappointed.
Published 5 days ago by Kay H. Dunn
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read
I never seem to tire of Sandford's work, as I do with so many other series creators. So far, he still remains one of the most innovative crime writers around.
Published 7 days ago by N. Dunne
5.0 out of 5 stars
kept you guessing
This book had more twists and turns than a mountain road. I will not reveal the end, but the last sentence was the best. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Louise Giarraputo
