Rating: 
Summary: Best "prey" book EVER
Review: I like John Sandford. Some of his books were ok, some good, but this one was great! I loved the women characters in the book. Don't miss this one if you like the Prey series.
Rating: 
Summary: Thelma and Louise in Minneapolis
Review: Certain Prey by John Sandford G.P. Putnam's Sons 1999Sara Rinker, a "hit" person for the Mafia crosses the path of Lucas Davenport when she kills the wife of a Minneapolis lawyer, Barbara Allen, at the request of a prominent criminal lawyer, Carmel Loan. Carmel has designs on Barbara's husband and does not want to wait for the formality of a time consuming divorce. Sara is not only very clever and imaginative with a string of successful "hits" over the past several years but has a cruel streak as well. Things begin to unravel though when the contact person tries to blackmail Carmel. Carmel and Sara hook-up in a "Thelma and Louise" like duo and bodies start to accumulate, as their answer to every problem is to "hit" it. Lucas and his former lover Darcy Sherrill team up with the FBI to try and stop the dangerous duo. In the hunt for the killers Lucas becomes a target and very nearly looses his life to this clever gun-toting pair. This is a very good read. The story line follows the killings and clues with excitement that falls just short of being "campy". I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next "Prey" in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile read
Review: This was the first book I had read by Sandford, and I clearly enjoyed it. The plot was a bit cheesy, and he took some liberties to develop the plot, but it was interesting, enjoyable, and captivating. What I liked most was the fact that the main detective does not come off as the superhero who can do everything beyond the powers of mere mortal detectives, but is rather a good officer, facing tough challenges, who does a good job. He even succumbs on one occasion to violating the law to catch his suspect, rather than let her go. The book forces you to pay attention, due to the great amount of detail which becomes critical, so if you are looking for a book that you can half-heartedly read and enjoy, without paying much attention, this may not be your book. If you want to take your time, enjoy the book, and think about the developing facts, you hit the right one. I look forward to picking up another from this author.
Rating:
Summary: Cat and Mouse, with plenty of bullets
Review: John Sandford's brilliant "Certain Prey" is a great study of amorailty. Sanford weaves a complex tale of woman's dark profession compromised by a customers flawed hubris. The story quickly thickens as the bodycount rises. The protagonist hitwoman, Clara Rinker, is left escaping the closing doors around her. This was my first book by John Sandford. I was very impressed by his very visual prose. His characters are complex without being overbearing. I suggest you try "Certain Prey". You'll be won over as well!
Rating: 
Summary: Certainly Entertaining
Review: What's certain in the story is who the killers are and how they do it (in detail), right upfront. The story begins with a very rational contract killer at work, but Sandborn soon stirs the plot with an off the wall criminal defense lawyer who has hired her! What's not certain is whether Chief Detective Lucas Davenport can ever prove it. You have all the clues and can anticipate Lucas: but are the sloppy clues too obvious (especially for a "pro" killer!)--and cut the suspense for me--or did I just happen to click with Sandford's plot? You be the judge; it's still a sorta fun read, but I wouldn't recommend this as the first Prey novel you open (start with Rules of Prey). Sandborn has a marvelous way of smoothly shifting between police and killer viewpoints. You watch the eagerness of pursuit build in Lucas as the cops catch and develop the scent, and then the anxiety of the killers as they in turn are stalked. There's a new kind of gaming here (quite different from the intrinsic computer simulations of the early Davenport novels), an almost light, fun!, and self-consciously fictional tone to Sandborn's writing. There are a couple more "a guy walks into a bar..." jokes to entertain us. I feel he's gaming with us rather than seriously driving an involving plot, as in previous stories. Therefore an horrendously blatant coincidence midway of the story is excusable, when supplemented by a very nice plot device whereby both Lucas and the killer ask the wrong questions but get right answers, with the result they accidentally circle in tighter on each other. For the first time in the Prey series I think you'll LIKE the killer! How can Sandford ever satisfactorily end a case like this? Two ways: first, you already learn all the details and get the villain. For the second...you'll have to read the final pages. As always Sandborn exhibits the virtues of clear and evocative writing, a good sense of place, and the sense of ongoing frisson between the main series characters (although here strongly emphasizing ordinary banter).
Rating: 
Summary: What happened?
Review: I call this review "what happened?", because let's be honest, is John Sanford getting tired or just figures he can put anything into a book and sell it? Well the last is certainly true, but I found myself very much into this book until the part where the husband of the woman who was "hit" decides to go and pay a visit to Davenport as though they were old buddies and then proceeds to tell him things no one in their right mind would and this after Davenport tries to have him tried for murder! And from this Davenport figures out the whole thing. Talk about straining our disbelief...Helloooo...John you reading this? There are better plot devices than this. From that point on, I read because I had bought the book and no other reason. Not a good attempt John, do better.
Rating:
Summary: A "Killer" novel!
Review: This is the first John Sandford book I have read, actually listened to on audiobook, and was surprised to find that I really enjoyed it and will look for the other books in the prey series. I'm not usually a fan of the "murder, mystery, cop" genre, but this was very entertaining. The two women in the story, one a professional hitwoman and the other a lawyer, meet as the result of the lawyer wanting the wife of her "boyfriend" out of the way. Things don't go quite as planned, and the two end up killing anyone that threatens to expose them. Along the way they get to be good friends, and neither seems to have any qualms about killing people. The lawyer, Carmel, even finds it satisfying and commits a few murders of her own. (The knee-drilling scenes were very graphic...ouch!!!!) Surprisingly, the reader starts to root for them, at least I did. The police detective manages to right on their tails which makes for a great, fast paced story.
Rating:
Summary: couldn't put it down
Review: This was my introduction to the prey series, I wanted something to read on the plane. The (inevitable delay) became less and less of a problem as I got into it. Believable? Who cares, it's a great read. As the ad said I liked it so much I bought the series (which took me from home (Australia) to Hawaii and California).
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely the best Prey yet!
Review: As an avid fan of the Prey series, I cannot compliment this book enough. I was totally engrossed and captivated by this story. These calculated and ruthless killers were amazing! I fell for this one hook, line and sinker. I appreciated the lack of a hot & heavy romance (or should I say sexual distraction) that had come to be an expectation with Lucas Davenport. Although he does dally with a smart cop near the end of the story, we don't get the sweaty details this time. I have a higher regard for Davenport after this book as well. I like where this character is going with his life and career. I can't wait to read Easy Prey (and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that... keep 'em coming, Sanford!).
Rating:
Summary: B Minus...C Plus range.
Review: With a complete suspension of disbelief this can be a pretty fun read. Give the author a lot of latitude in credulity department and enjoy. The two villainesses are almost cartoonish and stretch the imagination. This was my first "Prey" series read and I will take the advice of an earlier reviewer and read the initial entry. I liked Lucas Davenport and would like to fill in the blanks on him. The first hundred pages flew by and then it sputtered and sped up a couple of times. There was some great cop dialog and some interesting characters on Davenport's side of the law. Interesting twist on the cat and mouse genre. It's fun, but not too likely.
| 
