Rating: 
Summary: No prayer for this Prey
Review: I never thought I would say this, but this Prey novel can only be described as BORING!!! The plot is left over from the Cold War, the characters are flat, and if you look up the word "plodding" in the dictionary there is a picture of Hidden Prey.
Let me sum it up like this: Lucas Davenport has gone from a very cool Mpls. cop with a Porsche, lots of money, and an attitude to a older married civil servant driving an Acura...whoopdee-do! Save your money and your time, and skip this one. You won't be missing a thing.
Rating: 
Summary: I "prey" his next one is better!
Review: I read 2 books in between trying to finish this one. It started out kind of interesting...a murder witnessed by a homeless woman. But then boring, boring! The premise is just too ridiculous. A young man tries to fulfill his great-grandfather's spy ties to the Soviet Union from decades past.
Oh, John, I know you can do better!
Rating:
Summary: The Prey series is burned out.
Review: I used to love Sandford's books, especially the Prey series. But I feel this book is a rip off. Full of ridiculous characters and foreign cop helping local cop cliches. The whole story is predictable with none of Sandford's usual twists and surprises.
Wait for the paperback or try your local library. Don't support the churning out of garbage to to make money.
Rating: 
Summary: Fair...that really sums it up.
Review: I've read all of Sandford's previous PREY novels as well as his KIDD novels; at this point, the KIDD novels, particularly the last two offerings, are easily the better reads, in my opinion. While the PREY novels are noted for simple yet intriguing storylines, HIDDEN PREY goes the opposite direction. Sandford decides to take an improbable storyline, a rather complex one at that, and tones down our hero, Lucas Davenport. In the end, this makes for a very apathetic read, particularly if you've enjoyed the sharp edge of Davenport in novels past.HIDDEN PREY begins with the murder of a Russian merchant marine, or so it seems. Soon thereafter, a homeless woman is garroted, the site extremely gruesome. What appears to be two unrelated murders turns into an apparent murder/cover-up and Lucas Davenport is called in to begin an investigation. Lucas is partnered with a Russian "police officer," sent over by Moscow to oversee the investigation of the murdered Russian. Lucas smells a rat immediately and, throughout the book, peppers the Russian officer for information and "why" she's truly there. So as not to spoil the remaining plot...Sandford is obviously sending Davenport through middle age. He is mellowing Lucas and dulling his previously sharp edge. And, while this may follow the chronology of 15 previous PREY novels (i.e. Lucas aging), it is not why most people read fiction. Although there are bursts of brutality and violence, the vast majority of the book traces the witness/suspect interrogation lines and a painfully slow amalgamation of puzzle pieces in an effort to solve the crimes. And, not to counteract the lack of suspense, even the climax fails to thrill. Sandford laid his claim to fiction with the first few PREY novels; Spillaneish in their simplicity and Parkerish in their character builds. Davenport was a tough, no-nonsense cop who would tread on the imaginary line in the sand to catch the bad guy; almost no cost too great. Well, we now have a more retiring figure to deal with in Davenport. And, while this too can produce good storylines, it is something PREY fans will have to adjust to: not an easy transition, to be sure.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I've read all the Prey books & loved them all. This one however falls well short of the others. The plot is a bit weak. It's an ok story, but not nearly as good as his other books. It's a bit confusing trying to keep all the characters straight. I hope Sandford gets away from the international plot and writes about a true serial killer in his next Prey book.
Rating: 
Summary: ANOTHER GOOD ONE!
Review: If you are a fan of Sanford you should enjoy this book. While he is not my favorite author, I do find his books entertaining and the quality of his writing does not waver. Lucas Davenport Is not as exciting now that he has settled down, but I find him more interesting, more human now that he is married and has a son. I also recomend "A Tourist in the Yucatan" thriller that has become an underground hit!
Rating:
Summary: solid police procedural
Review: In Duluth, Trey witnesses Carl Walther kill a Russian sailor Rodion Oleshev. Carl notices the street person who observed his committing homicide, but she escapes. Later he sees her wearing that same telltale Czechoslovakian Army coat and kills her with a garrote. The dead sailor's father, a business mogul who controls oil machinery, insists justice occurs and uses his influence with various Russian power factions to ensure that the killer receives his just award. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Chief Lucas Davenport deals with difficult cases and the understanding that his boss the Governor must not look bad. He is assigned to work the Duluth homicide that has brought in the FBI "helping" the locals. Russian police officer Nadia Kalin is assigned as an observer. The group investigates the crime that takes them to an inactive communist cell that at one time assisted getting Russians in and out of the country back in the 1960s and 1970s. Someone in that cell will kill to keep secrets buried as more murders follow to insure that the group's identities remain protected. John Sandford's latest police procedural connects homicides with a spy ring through a killer who is a victim too. The fast paced action enthralls the audience as the characters seem real especially when the audience catches glimpses into Lucas' personal life that includes keeping his cherished wife informed. He is a hero who loves his wife and infant son and has earned more than enough money to retire, but feels he owes society for his opportunities and remits his debts with his dedicated police work. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Another great hit
Review: John Sandford does it once again. I bought the book at 4 PM and couldn't put it down, finishing it at 1:30 AM. Writing is again top notch, the story line is incredible as are the new characters we get to meet. My only regret is having to wait for the next one. Keep up the great writing!!!!
Rating:
Summary: RUSSIAN ROULETTE
Review: John Sandford has done well in keeping Lucas Sanderson such an interesting and complex character. In HIDDEN PREY, Lucas pairs up with a Russian agent, Nadya, in the search for the killer of a Russian spy. Readers know that the killer is a young boy named Carl Walthers, mentored by his 92 year old great grandfather. Walthers and his elderly teacher are pretty clever in staging accompanying deaths to throw Lucas off.
There are several tense scenes, but HIDDEN PREY is a little more "relaxed" and "leisurely" in its tone than previous PREY books. This is not necessarily bad, but Hidden doesn't match some of the intense psychological battles Lucas has fought in previous cases. Sandford of course keeps things moving well and his narrative style is as sharp as ever. Another thing is (spoiler alert), the killer is never truly brought to justice. In the next book maybe?
Rating:
Summary: RIVETING, COMPELLING. SPLENDID READINGS.
Review: John Sandford's Prey series has been called riveting, compulsively readable, and splendid. It is all of these, and the readers on the audio versions are also riveting and splendid. Eric Conger, voice performer on the abridged edition, is an accomplished actor and narrator who has the patois down pat with his sixth Prey recording. He's the recipient of a Golden Earphone Award, deservedly so. Broadway and television performer Richard Ferrone ably delivers a suspenseful reading to the Unabridged edition. This is his 12th Prey recording, and he's in top form. With 15 books in the Prey series under his belt author John Sandford just keeps getting better and better. There's no rest for popular protagonist Lucas Davenport in this one as with the discovery of a dead Russian on the shores of Lake Superior Davenport feels like it's deja vu the Cold War in today's Minnesota. As it turns out the FBI discovers that the murdered man had KGB connections. Was he a Russian intelligence agent? Everyone has both questions and theories - Davenport arrives on the scene, a Russian policeman jets in from Moscow, law enforcement officers investigate, and reporters of every ilk converge. A barrage of violent events cloud the original crime: a homeless woman is garroted, a bar owner is attacked, and a police officer is shot. Despite the confusion Davenport finds out a few things he didn't want to know - this part of his home state once sheltered a bunch of Communist sympathizers, and there's every indication that this cell is alive and well once again. Both readers take listeners on a dizzying series of twisted trails and head-ons. Don't miss it. - Gail Cooke
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