Wicked Prey (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 2008 Republican convention serves as the backdrop for bestseller Sandford's amped-up, ultra-violent 19th thriller to feature Lucas Davenport of the Minneapolis Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (after Phantom Prey). An assassination plot aimed at John McCain turns out to be just a sidebar to another criminal operation—extremely slick thieves have come to the twin cities to rob Republican political operatives loaded down with millions of dollars of street money, illegal handouts for low-level campaign workers. Mastermind Rosie Cruz handles the gang's complicated planning, while gangster Brutus Cohn does the robbery and killing aided by a couple of lesser thugs. A subplot involving Davenport's teenage ward, Letty West, who's provided interesting complications in the series, establishes her as a brave and intrepid investigator. A slam-bang shootout climax proves that Davenport still has what it takes when it comes to guts and gunplay. 500,000 first printing; author tour. (May)
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Product Description

Danger stalks Lucas Davenport at work and all too close to home, in the superlative new thriller by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

For twenty years, John Sandford's novels have been beloved for their "ingenious plots, vivid characters, crisp dialogue and endless surprises" (The Washington Post), and nowhere are those more in evidence than in the sudden twists and shocks of Wicked Prey.

The Republicans are coming to St. Paul for their convention. Throwing a big party is supposed to be fun, but crashing the party are a few hard cases the police would rather stayed away. Chief among them is a crew of professional stickup men who've spotted several lucrative opportunities, ranging from political moneymen with briefcases full of cash to that armored-car warehouse with the weakness in its security system. All that's headache enough for Lucas Davenport-but what's about to hit him is even worse.

A while back, a stray bullet put a pimp and petty thief named Randy Whitcomb in a wheelchair, and, ever since, the man has been nursing his grudge into a full head of psychotic steam. He blames Davenport for the bullet, but it's no fun just shooting him. That wouldn't be painful enough. Not when Davenport has a pretty fourteen-year-old adopted daughter that Whitcomb can target instead. . . .

And then there's the young man with the .50 caliber sniper rifle and the right- wing-crazy background, roaming through a city filled with the most powerful politicians on earth. . . . Rich with his brilliant trademark suspense and some of the best characters in suspense fiction, Wicked Prey is further proof that "Sandford is one of the most consistently entertaining crime writers working today" (Booklist).

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First edition (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399155678
• ISBN-13: 978-0399155673
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,932 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 19 in The Prey Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Lucas Davenport Books So Far, May 13, 2009

By	J. Stoner "Plants and Books" (Parkville, MO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In his nineteenth edition to the Lucas Davenport Prey series, John Sandford proves beyond a reasonable doubt that somethings will never grow old or tired. The hero, Lucas Davenport, is up to his neck in problems in WICKED PREY. WICKED PREY has three different crimes running at the same time that seem to weave in and out of each other, all the while the Republican Nomination Convention sets the stage for limited resources and manpower in the background.

On the forefront there is a gang of armored car robbers looking for a big score, a man with a rifle looking for weaponry for a 750 yard shot, and Randy Witcomb (from previous Prey installments) looking to settle the score with Davenport.

Sandford excels in painting the life of a law enforcement official, from the slow times of walking the beat to the climatic shootouts, and WICKED PREY is no exception. The writing style is so elegant in the portrayal of the life looking for criminals, hoping for breaks, and running around in the thick of chaos. As he has proven time and time again, nobody writes a better criminal apprehension story than John Sandford, and WICKED PREY is no exception.

WICKED PREY is fantastic. It just might be one of my top three Lucas Davenport stories, coming in a close second or third behind BROKEN PREY and SECRET PREY. Don't miss this one; it's WICKED!

Good reading,

J.Stoner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Does Sandford Do It?, August 12, 2009

By	Richard A. Mitchell "Rick Mitchell" (candia, new hampshire United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is Sandford's 19th Lucas Davenport novel. I have not read them all, but I have read a fair many. They never disappoint, and this may well be his best for fast-paced action and intrigue.

Taking a page form current events, this one takes place during last year's Republican convention in St. Paul when, much to Lucas' chagrine, all the cops are on street and riot duty. He gets word from an old flame cop in NYC that there is a murderous robbery gang headed to St. Paul. At the same time, there is convincing evidence that an assassin with long range rifle prowess is also in the Twin Cities. Then, add to those threads that an old enemy is out to get him, which he does not know, but his precocious soon-to-be adopted daughter does know, and all the ingredients are there for a fine mystery thriller.

Sandford is the master of the inverted mystery where the reader knows who the bad guy(s) is and can watch the ballet as the criminal steps and then Davenport steps, seemingly behind or not even on the same dance floor. The reader shares the character's frustration and waits to see how Lucas will catch up. It is pure mastery of the form.

Lucas Davenport is, of course, after 19 books fully fleshed out. But since he, his family and co-workers evolve constantly, they remain. This is not to say, however, that you needed to have read the prior books. They all stand alone.

This is a terrific book and has inspired me to go and look for some 'Prey' books I have yet to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich pols at risk in Davenport's latest thriller appearance, July 20, 2009

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Sandford's latest romp through murder and mayhem finds his BCA (Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) detective Lucas Davenport on the outs with the department for doing his job too well. It's August 2008 in St. Paul and the Republicans are in town to nominate John McCain for president. Davenport had lobbied hard for extra manpower on the streets and as payback he's been sidelined.

Which leaves him free to deal with gate crashers like the neo-Nazi who's disappeared into the city with a .50 caliber sniper rifle. Or the cop-killing hold-up gang looking for one more big score to retire on. Or his ward - soon to be adopted daughter - Letty, who is 14 and growing up to be just like her adopted Dad, smart and devious.

Letty has gotten wind of a paraplegic, meth-addicted, psychopathic pimp's plot to revenge himself on Davenport through her. He blames Davenport for all the ills in his misbegotten life. Rather than bother her busy Dad with it, Letty decides to take on Randy Whitcomb herself, befriending Whitcomb's stable of prostitutes - consisting of one sad-sack teenage runaway.

Sandford switches viewpoints among this motley crew, keeping the reader a couple steps ahead of Davenport. The main focus is on the Brutus Cohn gang's robbery plans. Master planner Rosie Cruz, a secretive, detail oriented, careful soul, has targeted lobbyists, flush with illegal cash to hand out to campaign workers. Four or five of those then a big, complex finale and they go their separate ways. They get rich; no one gets hurt.

Sandford puts Davenport and his men through their paces and nobody gets it quite right. As the body count rises and Davenport gets closer and the gang grows more brutal and desperate, Letty flits in and out of the downtown crowds, getting herself in a little deeper than she planned.

A fast-paced story, big setting, witty dialogue and engaging characters make this another of the satisfying thrillers that Sandford fans have come to expect after 26 books, including 18 previous "Prey" novels.