This is number 16 in Sanford’s Prey series and one of the most complex to date. After Davenport’s successful attempt to break up a Russian spy ring in the last book, he is back to the brutal, violent and twisted killers, trying to solve horrific murders. Although Lucas had questions about his role as a “fixer” for the governor in the last book, he continues his role with the BCA. This time he is helping out his pal Sloan who is still with the Minneapolis Police Department and has come upon a ghastly murder that turns his stomach. Angela Larson’s body has been discovered displayed on a river bank. Not only has she been sexually assaulted but she has been beaten with some kind of wire flail and her entire body is crisscrossed with wounds. She has also has had her throat, slashed with a huge two inch cut. The way she is displayed leads Lucas and Sloan to believe that the killer is advertising his work and this is not a simple love affair gone bad. Sheriff Gene Nordwall from Mankato also calls to ask for Davenport’s help. He has just found the bodies of Adam Rice and his son Josh. Adam had been tortured, raped and his body posed or arranged. There are marked similarities to the Larson crime and Lucas and Sloan are concerned about a possible serial killer. Shortly afterwards, parole officer Mark Fox calls to tell Lucas that Charlie Pope, one of his clients jailed for sex crimes and recently released from a mental hospital, is missing. He had cut off his security bracelet and just disappeared. With this information in hand, Davenport and Sloan believe they have a credible lead. Their investigation takes them to the St John's mental hospital where they meet the Big Three, men jailed for life for brutal sex crimes. Meanwhile we are introduced to Ruffee Ignace, an ambitious but obnoxious court reporter who works at the Star Tribune. When the killer contacts him and tells him he has another victim who he will kill next, Raffe connects with Davenport. The caller who claims to be the killer they are looking for, has important details about the killings that have not been publicized, so Davenport and Sloan know that this is not a hoax. This thriller (and it sure is that!) is a strange complicated case and leads us down many divergent paths, choreographed right to the very end. The narrative moves quickly, building the suspense to such intensity it is hard to put the book down. But the reader is given some relief by the details of Davenport’s latest fun project. Weather has given him an APPLE IPOD for his birthday along with a gift certificate for one hundred songs. He wants to use it to put together the best songs of the rock and roll era. There are so many that he likes, and he certainly can afford to buy more if he wants them, but he is intrigued by the discipline of getting the list down to that magic number of one hundred. Discussions with Sloan on the list provide some much needed comic relief to the excruciating details of the horrific deaths of the victims and the sordid life of the mental hospital. There are few details of Davenport’s personal life in this one. Weather has been awarded a fellowship in maxilla-facial surgery and is in London with Letty their ward, baby Sam, and the housekeeper. So Lucas is alone, which gives him the ability to really focus on the investigation. But Weather and Lucas check in with each other every day, providing the interesting contrast of a well ordered professional life with the chaotic world of a criminal investigator. Davenport has been working with Sloan since the series started, but Sloan seems to be disassembling. He is stressed, tired, and talking about retiring and buying a bar. He seems to be walking around the edge of a clinical depression and Sloan’s disgust over the ugly murders seem to have him hovering at that edge. Lucas knows very well what that is all about. The job is tough and not many people can take it. Those who can and do it long enough can start to lose their grip. Davenport’s character continues to evolve and this is one of the interesting aspects of the series. When we first met him he absolutely hated the soothing silky tones of diplomacy and was entirely adverse to the need for political correctness. Now working with the BCA, he has refined those hard edges. In the past we would never hear Lucas saying to a sheriff: “You have that election coming up next month, so….”, and giving him advice on how to handle the media. He seems more strategic and negotiative, finding out what people want and trying to give it to them or working around roadblocks rather than crashing through them. He doesn’t just yell or throw his fists around and is better at getting people working with him rather than against him. But, he is still tough, and when pushed will pull rank with a simple comment like, “How about if the governor called you?”. In terms of a complex, suspenseful thriller, this is one of Sanford’s best in this series..
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Sandford... or just Mr./Mrs. Sanford (for those single-parent homes)... or Mr. and Mr. Sandford/ Mrs. and Mrs. Sandford (for those "alternative family homes" or Johnny's Uncle Buck... really WHOMEVER oversees this child, I am afraid that John has not paying attention in class at the Patterson Institute of Misleading the Public (PIMP). The faculty here at PIMP believe in the education we are supplying Johnny-boy and all of us are required to be Master PIMPs as well before taking on any such endeavor as educating the next finest generation of authors that will fleece all of the expendable income out of the middle and upper class by getting them to read the tarp we write. Our profession is in grave danger as we all know, which lends a new task to the current developing PIMP army... DEFEAT THE E-BOOK! Now... I shan't play innocent here... I.. I TOO have downloaded the free classics on Amazon onto my iPad, such as War & Peace, The Picture of Dorian Gray... and... Are You There God, It's Me Chelsea? I shall say that not a page is swiped in that vile device though that I don't realize I am cementing my own demise! (Which is likely why I take a Crying Game shower afterwards) John, however, isn't heeding our lessons though. If the young Mr. Sandford wants to runneth with the big dogs, he must taketh a book from their page. FOR INSTANCE! Our god and savior Sir James Patterson has perfected the art of writing but four mere paragraphs and calling it a "chapter", while using huge font and double spacing to actually stretch the same amount of words in a Dora the Explorer book to one that looks intellectually swollen with the promise of prose. An additional struggle for J-bomb was that we PIMPs are masters at the cliffhanging end of a chapter. ANYTHING can be made into a cliffhanger, from "Then Delia entered the field of the Teddy Bear Picnic... and all she saw was blood and her lover... Sponge Bob. TO... "When he turned the corner to enter the building he realized that he'd forgotten his wallet... and his Chinese food wasn't FREE."I don't want to drag this correspondence on any longer, but here's what we have come to a conclusion at here at PIMP: John's ish just ain't gonna hack it. We highly recommend trade school... OR, just pay us more and we'll keep him on the roster.Sincerely,Kerry A. HoweMaster PIMP
What do You think about Broken Prey (2006)?
This is the 16th book from Sandford's Lucas Davenport series and it is one of his best. Two bodies are found viciously mutilated by whips and displayed for all to see like some kind of trophy. A sex pervert has recently been released from a maximum security facility which handles the criminally insane and a lot of the evidence points to him. Lucas and his crew are called on to find Charlie Pope and end the killing.My wife works at a state mental hospital as an RN and as I was reading about what was going on in the maximum security facility with the Big Three I would mention it to her and she would say that she deals with that kind of stuff on a regular basis. I enjoyed the frantic ending and how all the loose ends get wrapped up. Plus this one has a few big twist which I always enjoy.Some of the things Davenport shares with us, such as doing laundry only to insure he has enough clean underwear, I found myself agreeing with as I am sure a lot men would. The humor used throughout the book is right up my alley. Kind of the middle school boys humor. I also tried to put together my list of the best 100 rock songs of all time like Lucas is attempting to do in the book. I thought it would be difficult to come up with 100 but I was able to do it and then kept thinking of more and adding them to the list. Removing songs now becomes the task I face.Loved the book and am looking forward to reading the next Prey book. I will miss Sloan however.
—Brent Soderstrum
A great Lucas Davenport murder mystery. Lucas received a telephone call from a Minneapolis PD homicide detective named Sloan who asks for his help. They have found the naked body of a young woman lying on a river bank in the crucified position, she has been scourged by a wire whip and her throat cut. They have no leads, and work for several months when Lucas received a telephone call telling of another murder of a man killed in a like manner. All leads direct Lucas to a man released from a mental institution a few months prior, just before the first murder. Then another murder, the media is in the panic mode, public pressure comes to bear, but there is nothing to go on. Lucas goes down every avenue, searching everything, and during a interrogation of a suspect is given a potential lead. This book is packed with the high level of anticipation and information always delivered by Sandford. You know what every police officer knows, and at times is given some insight by the criminal into his or her mind. Be with Lucas when he is drawn into wrong conclusions by the murderer, see and experience how the criminal directs the thinking of everyone. This book is exciting and one of those where you must read at least one chapter more before you put it down. Just a great book.
—Jim
Why only 3 stars? I'm a great John Sandford fan, and find myself torn about this one. Much of what I like is there, yet the complexity of the plot steals spontaneity and the story labours at times. However, having said that,you'll find: tension, nasty bad guys, red-herrings, violent confrontation, horrible murders and good writing. In fact my 3 stars is harsh and 3.5 would be nearer my reality. Bottom line? It's worth a read. I'm leaving it 3 stars because I'm rating it against John Sandford's high standards. Sum up: excellent writing losing its way a wee bit. Buy it? Of Course …
—Mac Logan
