Rating:  Summary: Wheels within wheels... Review: For those of you keeping track, this is the fourteenth book in the Prey series, and Sandford continues the tradition of mounting suspense, brilliant characterizations, and plot twists that on occasion require five different colors of magic markers and scores of boxes and arrows pointing to the list of suspects. As the book jacket says, Davenport is now employed by the governor's office, and as a result the spotlight here is focused upon Davenport and Del Capslock; the second-stringers are all local cops, a few "feds," and, of course, the well-written Letty West. West is the young girl who discovers the corpses of Deon Cash and Jane Warr hanging from a tree. Immediately, the word "lynching" is tossed out, creating a stir of old racial prejudices. However, there is more at play than drug dealing and small-town prejudice; in the small town of Broderick, there is a web spreading from Minnesota to Kansas City, a web with something nasty lurking at the center, a cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to protect their skin. The characterization is taut, we see Lucas's eyes wander a couple of times, and we also get to see Lucas meet his caustic match in the twelve year-old Letty. Weather, Rose Marie, and the Big New House are all tossed into the story with exquisite precision, and the novel lives up to the editorial and critical praise that always seems premature: it truly is the best Prey novel to date, and the only thing worse than realizing that the novel is over so quickly is the realization that we have another year to wait before Davenport returns.
Rating:  Summary: The Best Prey Ever Review: I never gave Sanford's book more than 3 stars and I did not read any of the Prey Series for a few years. Mr. Sandford really improved with age: all the recent entries (Hidden Prey, Mortal Prey and Certain Prey) are way better than the rest.
This "prey" definitely deserves 4 stars despite a few traditional weaknesses. First, villains are "pretty normal criminals" not traditional monsters, this is really nice for a change. Second, there are several side-plots, which add to the mystery. Third, there are quite a few very good and very interesting characters.
Rating:  Summary: More of the best from Sandford Review: I own and have read every book in the "Prey" series and this one is as good or better than all that've come before it. Sandford has become my favorite author and I look forward to each new book. I got a little behind in my reading so I just read Chosen Prey, Mortal Prey and Hidden Prey, back-to-back-to-back, in a week. I've enjoyed the changes in Davenport's life, including job and spouse, and it serves to keep the series fresh. My only problem is, I'm getting into Camps head and some of the plots are getting too predictable. Still a great read and a very enjoyable writing style.
Rating:  Summary: This Series is Still Strong Review: I've read each of the books in the Prey Series by John Sandford. Although recent ones have felt a little tired, "Naked Prey" brings the series back stronger than ever. Lucas Davenport seems more animated, more involved. Sandford has added a new character: Letty West, the pre-teen trapper with the mind of an adult. She's feisty, independent, and is like a breath of fresh air. Great series, great book.
Rating:  Summary: Sandford/Davenport Don't Disappoint in Taut Thriller Review: I've read the entire series of Lucas Davenport mysteries and I think 'Naked Prey' is a superbly-written thriller with few holes. In fact, the last three Davenport books (this one, 'Mortal Prey' and 'Chosen Prey') have been among the best in the series, primarily because Sandford comes up with really juicy, psycho, evil villains. Davenport is married and has a new baby, but there is (fortunately) little of his home life exposed ' the plot of this book just drives forward with action ' thinking back, I can remember at least eight dead people in this book, so it's full of carnage and killing. Actually, in a small town setting, the number of deaths in rapid succession is almost too unbelievable, but it is fiction and we enjoy suspending belief. Regular Davenport followers should like this one and it's a solid read all the way through for mystery fans.
Rating:  Summary: A Great Read Review: John Sandford is an awsome writer and Naked Prey is a great book. It took me about 3 days to read and I found it hard to put down. Lucas Davenport is a fabulous character and I hope Sandford continues adding to his "Prey" series of books. I can't wait for the next one.
Rating:  Summary: Complicated Plot Comes Together Towards The End Review: Lucas Davenport and his partner, Del Capslock, go to northern Minnesota to investigate the hanging death of a black man and a white woman. In the small rural town they find themselves in, they discover not only murder, but kidnapping and a car theft ring. The plot seems a little scattered at first, but comes together by the end of the book. Sandford's writing style and sparkling dialog carries the story when the plot seems to loose direction. The second half of the book was worth waiting for. Lots of action and surprising twists. Overall, a very good read.
Rating:  Summary: Complicated Plot Comes Together Towards The End Review: Lucas Davenport and his partner, Del Capslock, go to northern Minnesota to investigate the hanging death of a black man and a white woman. In the small rural town they find themselves in, they discover not only murder, but kidnapping and a car theft ring. The plot seems a little scattered at first, but comes together by the end of the book. Sandford's writing style and sparkling dialog carries the story when the plot seems to loose direction. The second half of the book was worth waiting for. Lots of action and surprising twists. Overall, a very good read.
Rating:  Summary: A good read Review: Lucas Davenport is back in John Sandford's continuing series, and fans of the detective won't be disappointed. Davenport now works for a Minnesota state agency, the BCA, under Rose, his old superior from the Minneapolis police department. A murder scene that resembles a lynching is enough to bring in Davenport and his partner Del to invesigate and clean up before a major political crisis can begin. The murder scene is discovered by a very unusual 12 year old girl, Letty West, who talks and acts many years her senior. Davenport enlists Letty's help in his investigation, which revolves around the hanging murders, multiple kidnappings, a car theft ring, and drug smuggling. The individual crimes are linked through several threads that are not apparent at first to Davenport or the several law enforcement groups he is working with on the case. Davenport's domestic scenes with his wife Weather are kept to a minimum in this yarn, with almost all of the action focused on the crimes. Letty West takes center stage, and she proves more than a match for Davenport. She traps muskrats, totes a rifle, drives pickups, swears a lot, and helps pick up the pace of the book whenever she appears (which is often). There is strong rapport between Davenport and Letty, and the foundations are set for the making of a good team in future editions of the series.
Rating:  Summary: A weak entry in the Davenport series. Review: Lucas Davenport is enjoying the change in his life...he is recently married, and the proud father of a new baby, but Lucas knows the peace and solitude comes at a high price. The bodies were found naked, and hanging from a tree. The victims are Deon Cash and Jane Warr, a black man and a white woman, and they were lynched. Lucas gets the call to investigate the double murder and bring a killer to justice, but soon he realizes the murders are not exactly what they appear to be, and far worse is about to happen. 'Naked Prey' is not the best entry in the Prey series. While Davenport's character remains strong and interesting, and the creepy back-woods setting sustains an eerie presence, the plot becomes confusing veering off into many different directions, and the large cast of characters becomes too tedious to keep track of. John Sandford continues his Prey series with original plots, and smooth writing style, but there hasn't been a tension-filled plot since 'Mind Prey'. Fans of this series will surely rush out to read this, and there's no doubt it will be a bestseller, but it's one of the weaker entries. Nick Gonnella
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