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Summary: 10th in Prey Series
Review: Lucas Davenport tracks a hit-woman in 'Certain Prey', the 10th book in the Prey series. He also takes on one of the most prominent defense attorneys in Minnesota. These two women make quite the team, as Lucas finds out.In this installment of the Prey series, Davenport's relationship with his ex-fiancé has faded, and he once again free to play the field. And if you have read any of the Prey series, you know Lucas is quite the player. If you have not read any of the Lucas Davenport books before, start with 'Rules of Prey', if you are familiar with this series, keep reading.
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Summary: Two very bad ladies who you really want to win...........
Review: I loved this book, the first of the John Sandford's "Prey" series I have read. The main character, although you wouldn't know it from reading the cover notes, is Carmel Loan. "Carmel was long. sleek, and expensive, like a new Jaguar. She had a small head, with a tidy nose, thin pale lips, a square chin and small pointed tongue, She was a Swede way back, and blonde - one of the whippet Swedes with small breasts, narrow hips, and a long waist in between. Carmel was one of the top two or three defense attorneys in Minneapolis. Most years she made comfortably more than a million dollars." Carmel is one cool lady. She loves life, the good life that is, loves men, loves cars and loves winning her cases in court which she usually does. She is very smart and cunning, works hard, works late and is very very good at her job. When she wants something, or someone, she'll get it and woe betide anyone who stands in her way. Sandford writes cleverly, painting a warm and comfortable picture about his leading lady. You can't help but sympathise with this heroine who is soon seen to be a single minded, evil piece of work. The other main character in the book, Clara, is almost as evil as Carmel, but some might say with justifiable cause. Gee, you would really like them both to get away with it (read the book to find out what "it" is). There is every chance that they will, with their cunning. Their crimes are cleverly executed with fastidious detail being made to leave no trace at all of their brief presence at the crime scene. If they can establish their apparent presence at another place at the same time that's even better. In between the violence there are passages of fairly gratuituous sexual encounters. It is clever writing and gives the story a balance of light heartedness and relief. Lucas Davenport, Deputy Chief of Police, has the job of solving a series of murders but with very little evidence apart from the bodies, until one day a witness appears. Davenport gleans just the tiniest bit of a lead from the witness, and then the chase is on. The story unfolds with Davenport not knowing if he is even on a trail and the two ladies not sure if anyone is after them or, if so, how close they might be. This is a thrilling story with the characters of Carmel and Clare especially well developed. The tension builds as the chapters unwind and this book will demand your attention right through to the climactic finale.
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Summary: "NOT AS GOOD---THATS FOR CERTAIN!!!
Review: This it the first Prey book I have nearly put down before I finsihed it. I have read them all in order and really liked all of them until this one. The character of Carmel Loan is so unbelieveable it is unreal, in my openion. She is an Attorney and then all of a sudden a killer who enjoys it. No way, happended to quick. From nothing to a professional in an instant. Lucus is his usual self, a good character, I missed the Nun and Del. Sloan and Franklin did not have as big a part. The ending leaves me to believe we are not through with the killer. If this is your first Prey book, please read another one as any of them will be better.
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Summary: Don't Miss This Thriller
Review: This is a great book. The plot is simple. Carmel Loan is a beautiful, aggressive lawyer. When she falls for a male colleague, she hires a killer to get rid of his wife. The killer is Clara Rinker, a quiet, polite professional. She dispatches the wife efficiently, but finds that Carmel has left loose ends that could lead to both of them. It requires more killing, and this gets the full attention of Lucas Davenport, deputy chief of the Minneapolis police. As his investigation closes in on the women, they realize that Clara will have to kill Davenport also. The story moves fast and doesn't pause. The characters, especially Clara, are fascinating. The action winds up with a bang, and it has a nice ending. All in all, a fine book to entertain you.
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Summary: My hero, Lucas Davenport
Review: I recently pulled out all of my Prey books and have been reading each one in order starting with Rules of Prey. I am so attached to Lucas, Del, Sloan and all of the characters I am hoping by the time I finish it will by time for a new Davenport adventure.
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Summary: John Sandford as Elmore Leonard
Review: When I first read Certain Prey I thought, "When did John Sandford become Elmore Leonard?" Suddenly he's writing short and punchy; suddenly there's humour; suddenly there's bathos. Then I read Winter Prey out of sequence and got very confused - just like the old John Sandford. Then I picked up Easy Prey and, wham!, Elmore Leonard again. Sandford is a brilliant writer and good as he's always been, he actually manages to pull off this new style. But so intrigued was I that I went back to Rules of Prey and read the entire series in sequence. There's absolutely no warning of what's to come: the style is settled, consistent, uniformly excellent. And then, there it is again, second time round: Certain Prey is in a new style - and no-one seems to have noticed. Only a handful of times in my life have I read a book more than once; Dickens a couple of times (Great Expectations, David Copperfield), Arthur C. Clarke (Childhood's End). But I absolutely devoured the Prey series second time around until I came back to Easy Prey which I'd read so recently it was too soon to get anything more out of it. But I've got some sympathy with those who came to the series with these last two books and weren't impressed. My advice: go back to the beginning, or, if you think you'll only read one, try Winter Prey which is a classic of place, atmosphere and characterisation. Just don't give up because Sandford fancied a change of pace. He really is up there with Chandler.
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Summary: Unfrogettable
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. The characters are real and are easy to relate to. It was my first 'Prey' novel, but I did not find Davenport to be very likeable. It was the female characters that made the book for me. I loved the witty dialogue, the fast pace and plot twisting. All in all an unforgettable read.
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Summary: disappointed sandford fan
Review: I only recently began reading John Sandford's "Prey" novels and was addicted until i read this one. I wouldn't go so far as to say I would not read any of his new works, however, this one was almost a waste of my time. I found the characters very difficult to relate to-I never felt I knew them, as I have with past books. Lucas did not seem to be the same person, the person I had come to expect. While reading the other books in the series, I found it extremely difficult to put them down; this one was difficult to finish.
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Summary: "Fair to Good" at Best
Review: While Certain Prey is a fast read, the story is too farfetched to be believable and the characters are not well-developed and are somewhat cartoonish. Given you know the killer(s) early on, there is not as much suspense as I've come to expect from John Sandford, especially from the early Prey books in the series. I'm afraid that Sandford is running out of credible plots and interesting, believable villains, and it might be time for Sandford to consider retiring Lucas Davenport. While I'm not ready to give up on this series, I'm going to need to see a lot of positive reader support before I buy another Sandford book. Bottom line is that Certain Prey is a book that holds your attention but does not live up to expectations.
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Summary: Huh?
Review: I don't get it - what's with all the 5-star reviews? I'm half way through the book, and am, at this point, only reading it for something to read. Maybe I'm just discovering that I'm not a Sandford fan, but this book is disjointed and superficial. Sandford hasn't made me care about any of the characters, which, for me, is a mark of involvement in a story. They haven't been developed well, some of them seem to be unnecessary additions, and I often have to go back to see who someone is (not the main characters, of course, like LaChaisse, Davenport, etc., but all the other thug-types and extra cops). There's no suspense in this book, that I can find. Maybe I'm just not paying attention.... Sorry, but this book just isn't doing it for me. Additionally, the editing is poor - doesn't the editor know when to use a comma and when not to? The text is annoyingly choppy. I know Sandford's books are popular and that he has a following. If you're a Sandford fan, you'll probably love this, and that's great. It's certainly not the worst book I've read, and I will finish it, but I won't buy another Sandford book.
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