Rules of Prey

Rating:
Summary: Good action and plot but Lucas is very flawed
Review:
The action and plot was good in this book but Lucas just disgusted me with his acitivities with women. I've read several others in the Prey series, so i know he tends to sleep with a lot of women in these novels, but in this book he outdid himself.. he nearly slept with THREE (Jennifer, his g/f, Carla and nearly added McGowan into the mix). He just can't seem to keep his pants zipped ! Thank God he resisted sleeping with McGowan, but just the fact he was CONSIDERING it, a little after he'd learned Jennifer was carrying his child, is very tacky ! I did like his character in the other books, but he has become a little too dishonorable for me. I don't like Jennifer, either. She's crude, rude, foul-mouthed and, at times, sick, but i can completely sympathize with her frustration over Lucas and his inability to stay away from women, despite the fact they will be having a child together.

I will probably have to take a break from this series of books. There's just too much dirty stuff going on, including the language.

Rating:
Summary: Lucas Davenport's debut
Review: John Sandford has written more than a dozen cop-thrillers featuring Lucas Davenport. "Rules Of Prey" was the first and I didn't get to it until I read a half-dozen or so of the later "Prey" titles.

I've never been a fan of police procedurals and still am not. But I am definitely a fan of Lucas Davenport and John Sandford.

Lucas Davenport is an experienced, tough and street-smart Minnesota cop. He begins working for the Minneapolis Police Department, but later switches over to a Minnesota state law enforcement agency.

Davenport is no ordinary cop - but he's no super-hero either. Luck, good and bad, plays a part in Davenport's life. People do die while he tries to put the pieces together and figure out who the murderer is. Bad guys get hurt, good guys get hurt, even Davenport gets hurt.

There is a wonderful grittiness to Sandford's "Prey" novels. They feel real. (Having lived in Minnesota probably helps because Sandford weaves in a lot of Minnesota color.)

In this debut novel, Davenport tracks down a serial killer who has rules: never carry a weapon after it has been used and so on. The killer is smart and devious. But Davenport, without any happy miracles, tracks him down.

Sandford's "Prey" novels are engrossing and Davenport is a magnificent creation.

Jerry

Rating:
Summary: RULE #1 -- START A SERIES WITH A "GREAT" BOOK
Review: A few years ago, I asked the owner of a bookstore to recommend some books for me. She said that she had been home sick for the past week and spent the time reading all of the "prey" books. At the time, I had no idea what she was talking about and thought they might have something to do with religion as in "pray" books. After some further discussion, I realized I had stumbled upon a great series by John Sandford. I started to buy the books then and it's taken me this long to finally read the first one. Since I read a lot of mysteries, many of which are part of a series, I'm pretty savvy when it comes to the most popular male protagonists out there at the moment. Now that I've been introduced to Lucas Davenport, my only regret is that I waited this long to begin my relationship with a now favorite character.

The story is a good one and involves a serial killer whose identity is introduced to the reader at the beginning of the book. I like when an author does this as it enables me to get inside the killer's head and follow him around from place to place -- not only to the scene of his crimes but in his everyday life at work and home as well. I also love it when the moment arrives and I realize what the title of the book means. In Rules of Prey, the killer, referred to as "maddog", has certain rules that he follows so as not to get caught. For example, he never kills anyone he knows, he never uses the same weapon twice and he never has a motive. He always leaves a note at each crime scene communicating one of his rules. Not only does this serve as a challenge to our main character, Lucas Davenport, it is also the killer's "in your face" way of letting Lucas know that he is someone to be reckoned with.

As a lead character, Lieutenant Davenport is a dream. He drives around in a Porsche, which was purchased with money he earns not only from gambling but also from a side job he has creating intense, strategic video games. He's smooth, good-looking and a real lady killer (no pun intended). I enjoyed the way he tracked down the clues, which will eventually lead to the killer. He also has no problem working around the "rules" set up by his own police department and I found this flagrant use or "misuse" of his own form of justice a bit ingratiating. But this particular case will prove not to be an easy chase as his sometimes-inept Minneapolis police department is foiled by the "maddog" on more than one occasion.

I understand from other readers that these books just get better and better. That's a real incentive for any mystery reader and is an added bonus just knowing that I get to spend some more quality time with Lucas. This is certainly a series for the ladies as well as the guys. "Shadow Prey" here I come.

Rating:
Summary: "Never Kill Anyone You Know"
Review: He's called "maddog." He's a cold-blooded killer who hides behind his daytime attorney role. He believes his murderous success is due to a list of rules that he follows religiously. At every crime scene, he leaves a note with one of his lessons.

Maddog's third attack is unsuccessful and now there is a witness. The Minneapolis police want this man caught quickly. Lieutenant Lucas Davenport is assigned to the case.

Will the maddog claim another victim? It's up to Davenport to catch the killer in Sandford's classic thriller, "Rules of Prey."

This first installment in the "Prey" series introduces Lucas Davenport as a police lieutenant in the twin cities. Though he doesn't play by the rules, his peers respect him. In his spare time he develops role-playing games. The profits from his hobby allow him to be the only cop who drives a Porsche to work.

In "Rules of Prey" the identity of the maddog is known from the beginning. Readers see him plan his moves up to the final attack. Davenport creates his own trap as well, leading to the ultimate showdown between good and evil.

Because this is the first book in the "Prey" series, the Lucas Davenport character is not fully developed. He's younger and more of a physical risk taker here as opposed to the more recent series installments.

"Rules of Prey" is a fascinating thriller. The crimes are heinous, but the inevitable showdown between maddog and Davenport keep the pages turning.

See how the series began. Pick up a copy of "Rules of Prey" today.

Rating:
Summary: Please, tell me the series gets better than this.
Review: I find it amazing that John Sanford manages to take a half-dozen interesting character quirks and combines them all to create a hero you couldn't care less about.

Maybe it's because I grew up with detectives like Columbo and Nero Wolfe, but I tend to like my heroes to have the occasional flaw. Lucas Davenport is a tough and experienced cop who doesn't play by the rules. He also has rugged good looks and an animal magnatism that allows him to bed almost every woman he meets (except stupid girls and the nun with the skin problem, so I guess that proves he has standards). But he also has a sensitive side, as he enjoys reading poetry on the sly. And he's a genius, a popular game designer, which means he's also wealthy. Wow, this guy is good at everything. How boring. He's the kind of character I would expect a sexually frustrated high-school student to create.

Now let's add a serial killer into the mix, but make him a socially inept loser who is inferior to our man Davenport in every way imagineable (oh, he's clever, but not as clever as Lucas), and you have two main characters that you really don't care to read about.

Sanford has a habit of making even supporting characters appear shabby, incompetent and unappealing around Davenport (including TWO pairs of Fat Cop and Skinny Cop duos), and has him so on top of everybody else that he has to advise the Chief of Police how to handle the Media and information control (don't the police have people to handle that?).

Finally, Sanford proves repeatedly that he knows little about police procedure or the historical crimes he references (newsflash: David Berkowitz was not the lone killer in the Son of Sam case, and he wasn't caught because a cop looked in his apartment window and saw copies of the letters. He lived on the second floor, you see...). I can only assume by the success of the Prey series the books have improved. Actually, I can only hope.

Rating:
Summary: Okay, but unlikeable protagonist
Review: I liked this book because it held my interest and it wasn't like other serial killer books I'd read. However, Lucas Davenport has to be one of the most cliche, least likeable main characters I've ever read about.

First off, Sandford shamelessly makes him into a Hollywood bad-boy. Lucas is rich, because he designs computer games in addition to his police work, so he drives around in a Porsche and wears flashy Miami Vice-style suits. (Clearly Sandford was making the character marketable in case Hollywood decided to do a movie based on the book.)

And naturally, he has rugged good looks, a facial scar that doesn't disfigure but merely makes him look tough, he sleeps with every woman he makes eye contact with (and I've never seen a character other than Bond who manages to meet so many beautiful women just by walking down the street), and, I almost forgot--he plays by his own rules.

This book had me going until, at every corner, Lucas would break the law to catch the killer. This shows just how little Sandford knows about police investigative procedures, as he has created a character who is far too lazy to catch criminals legitimately and instead resorts to strong-arm tactics. If every cop was like Davenport, this country would be a police state. But what's worst is the way Sandford makes it seem like breaking the law like this is necessary to catch the bad guys, what with all the "legal red tape." Please.

Besides the main character, the book flowed smoothly and holds your interest. Fast paced and a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Could have used more character development
Review: I liked this book, though I am a little lukewarm with the hero, Lucas Davenport. I liked the bouncing from villain to hero perspective. I liked setting every thing in Minneapolis, a great city. I liked Davenport being a flawed hero, not all good, but not a bad guy: he's a gambler, he's willing to plant evidence in order to get the bad guy, he's morally ambiguous in sleeping with a news reporter he leaks crime details to and sleeping with a near murder victim. In general, I like flawed characters, but I think I found Davenport a little to over the top.

The villain being a lawyer was genius on Sandford's part I think. However, I think he would have been more terrifying if he had been more likable. Other than being ugly, we have no reason not to like him and his being rejected by women seems to be the sole drive for his killing urges. There are some flashbacks to a female figure that seems to be the basis of his corrupted psyche, but it is never explored. By the end of the book, we still have no idea what made Louis Vullion tick.

The book is a fun read with good tempo. I could break away from the book no problem, but I looked forward to picking it up. The ending was good. I'm not convinced I would try another Prey book. If I did it would be to see if Sandford adds any depth of character to his characters. Maybe I will try The Night Crew instead.

For more details, go to aj.huff.org. Thanks.


Rating:
Summary: 1st in a series - very promising
Review: RULES OF PREY introduces Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport, on the trail of a brutal serial killer known as the "maddog". Davenport, like so many fictional detectives, is a driven lone wolf who's work puts strain on his personal relationships. He's also a creator of elaborate role-playing games and a lover of (many, in this book) women.

The case proceeds through the usual twists and turns, and the maddog (who gets some POV time in the narrative), is a frighteningly capapable adversary. Sandford never resorts to shock or violence, the narrative logic is impeccable, and this is, literally, a page turner. Sandford's been writing a long time, where have I been? I look forward to reading more. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: 1st in a series - very promising
Review: RULES OF PREY introduces Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport, on the trail of a brutal serial killer known as the "maddog". Davenport, like so many fictional detectives, is a driven lone wolf who's work puts strain on his personal relationships. He's also a creator of elaborate role-playing games and a lover of (many, in this book) women.

The case proceeds through the usual twists and turns, and the maddog (who gets some POV time in the narrative), is a frighteningly capapable adversary. Sandford never resorts to shock or violence, the narrative logic is impeccable, and this is, literally, a page turner. Sandford's been writing a long time, where have I been? I look forward to reading more. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: The first in a great series
Review: Rules of Prey is the first in an incredibly long and successful series by author John Sandford. I've read three books in the series, some older, some newer, and the thing that impressed me the most about Rules of Prey was its style. It doesn't read like a first novel. It reads like it could have been written last year. Sandford's talent is evident from the beginning.

Rules of Prey begins with the story being told from the killer's point of view first. Right away, we learn about the sick "maddog" intent on killing women. He has studied murders and from his studies knows how to not get caught. He even leaves clues with each of his victim, printouts saying "rules" of killing like "never have a motive" or "never kill anyone you know." One drawback to the story is that these clues are trademark of the killer, yet they really have nothing to do with the case being solved.

This book also introduces Lucas Davenport, full time cop and part time fantasy game writer. We get to meet a few of the many loves of his life including the reporter who will have his child. Lucas is a womanizer and a rough cop. Sandford gives the details of Lucas being a sometimes over the top cop and details of his childhood friend the nun (I forget her name). Yet Sandford never details why Lucas goes from woman to woman (even while one is carrying his child) or why Lucas is so willing to break the police rules to achieve justice. What happened to Lucas to give him these characteristics. Maybe its covered in other novels.

Even though I complain about the above, it doesn't take away from the greatness of the novel. As in his other novels, the police work and the slow methodical way in which the truth is discovered is realistic and interesting. Nothing comes easy as Lucas tries to stop the maddog before he kills one last time.

I've read a few of the series, not in order, but now I plan on reading from beginning to end. I recommend you do the same if you are interested in the police genre and enjoy the gritty realism of John Sandford.