Sixth in the Lucas Davenport thriller series set in Minneapolis and revolving around the reinstated Detective Davenport. It’s been two years since Lucas was forced to quit.My TakeGotta give Sandford credit for this twist: a detective who’s fired, goes off to build his successful gaming company, and comes back to work. Most people would think (including me) that Davenport would be happy enough creating his games and being a millionaire, but Sandford provides a credible reason --- and one that I suspect would apply to most of us --- for Lucas coming back to work as a cop.Another nice switch is the cooperation that exists in this between law enforcement. These guys actually seem to like each other, and they help each other out. Okay, not the FBI guys. They’re their own mess. Well, sounds like you can’t be too paranoid about your keys. For Sara Jensen, the nightmare began when one of the movers took an impression of her key and passed it on to a cat burglar. The nightmare continued for her when the stalking cat burglar saw her collect her spare key from a magnetic case under her car bumper. Don’t use the usual. Don’t combine keys. Heck, go with the combination locks instead! This story will also make a girl paranoid about closing those drapes, or never walking around naked?Koop is another example of why parents need to be licensed. It’s rather depressing how much the cops have to pay heed to the media. How much easier would a cop’s life be if they could simply concentrate on solving the crime and not have to pander to television and newspapers?Lucas is a complex guy in some respects. Sandford keeps me quietly unsettled with Lucas’ indecision about settling down. We went through this thought process with Jennifer, and now it’s about Weather. Lucas wants to settle down, but worries that he’ll miss the variety, the chase. Yet each time he’s confronted with the possibility, Weather rears up and entices him right back. He wants her, and only her. And I love that Lucas wants to know more about how Weather’s job works.Oh man, I do love how Sandford keeps it down home with Beneteau’s reaction to Ellie Mae being in the wrong bed.Sandford does make his psychopaths real, and I will never understand them. Jesus, that ending. In some ways, it’s a great out with very short-term suffering. It does make me feel grateful for dedicated cops. They hustled in this story. They tracked down every possibility, working it 24/7. The StoryIt’s a race against time for Meagan Connell. She’s the one who put it together. That there’s a serial killer on the loose, and she wants to solve it before she dies. The CharactersDeputy Chief Lucas Davenport is a political appointee --- he’s just too useful in front of the media, and he has a sixth sense in solving crime. Dr. Weather Harkinnen, a surgeon, is now living with Lucas. Sister Mary Joseph, a friend from his childhood, is a psychologist who also works trial runs of Lucas’ games.Minneapolis PDSloan is with Intelligence. Del Capslock is one of Lucas’ best friends and an undercover operative. Rose Marie Roux is the police chief who took Daniel’s place. She’s more interested in gaining a U.S. senate seat and every case revolves around making her look good. She does look good: a problem solver, a prosecutor, and a liberal state senator with a good rep on race relations. Kupicek; Frank Lester is head of Criminal Investigation Division; Swanson is his deputy; Curt Myer is the new head of Intelligence; Anderson is the department’s computer specialist (he keeps the daily book); Bob Greave is a klutzy misfit who used to be Officer Friendly — the wife didn’t approve; Carrigan is notorious for his “small, fine feet”; Lonnie Shantz is Roux’s press aide; O’Brien; Harvey is running the surveillance van; and, Detective Kershaw is one of the guys who arrests Koop.St. Paul PDSergeant Annalise Jones doesn’t realize how important a knowledgeable deaf interpreter is. Carl Erdrich is a patrolman. Tom Davis — I think he’s a prison guard — knows D. Wayne Price, a convict, has some information.Meagan Connell is state, BCA with membership in the state American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) — a big supporter of got a chip on her shoulder that Paul Bunyan would have trouble carrying. D.T. Helstrom (from Eyes of Prey, 3) is a sheriff’s deputy. Lincoln County Sheriff Sheldon Carr (from Winter Prey, 5) makes a brief appearance and recommendation for Lucas to George Beneteau in Carren County. Ellie Rae runs the diner in Beneteau’s town.Joan Smits caught Meagan’s attention. Jim Flory is in the wrong place; Jasper is a janitor at their building. Paul Warren is deaf and frustrated with the incompetent translator. Sara Jensen runs her own mutual fund and works at Raider-Garrote, a stock brokerage. Evan Hart is an attorney in the bond department. Harriet Wannemaker, Marcy Lane, and Eloise Miller are victims. Charmagne Carter is a locked-door mystery. Emily Carter is her daughter. Bob Wood was a neighbor and friend. Dex is a witness. Lawrence Wright is a guy Dex ain’t supposed to be hanging near. John Posey is another victim of the moving guy.Jan Reed is a reporter with TV3 to whom Lucas is attracted. Ned owns the Startled Crane bookshop and is friends with Lucas. Too bad Connell can’t get into the schmooze. Earl Stupella is a bartender, Carl’s brother. Mae Heinz has some information.Koop is a cat burglar-killer who likes to prey on shy, dispirited women. Junky Doog is a knife man. John Carlson is a drug dealer. Randy Leski is a mean little guy. Specializes in scam repairs. The Joyce brothers, John and George, are slum landlords. Ray Cherry works for them. Just Plain Schulz is a fence.The SeedsThe Bad Seeds is more like it; a motorcycle gang interested in drugs, prostitutes, and weapons. Very bad boys. Brothers Joe and Bob Hillerod belong to them. Aaron Capella is their lawyer. The CoverThe cover is a faintly distressed white background with a blocky font for the author’s name and title. It’s that swaying key just above the mold of a key with the red fingerprint that ties the cover into the storyline.I’m not sure what inspired the title. The bad guy does seem to operate at night a lot, so perhaps Night Prey makes sense.
Unlike most of the Prey books, this one starts out with a man in love. Unfortunately, Koop is a cat burglar with severe psycho-sexual problems that cause him to occasionally kidnap a woman and gut her like a fish. So when he sees beautiful Sara Jensen sleeping during one his break-ins, Koop instantly becomes obsessed and begins secretly stalking her while taking out his building frustration on random women.A Minnesota state investigator named Meagan Connell has picked up on Koop’s pattern. Since Meagan has terminal cancer and nothing to lose, she’s become the anti-Walter White and is doing everything she can to catch the killer before her time runs out. This means that she has put intense political pressure on the new Minneapolis police chief, Rose Marie Roux.Ah, but Roux has a secret weapon. She recently brought Lucas Davenport back to the police force. Officially, he’s a deputy chief running an intelligence group targeting career criminals. Unofficially Lucas is her trouble-shooter during the major crimes that whip the media and public into a frenzy.As Lucas works with the driven Connell on the killings, he’s also dealing with some big adjustments. The game has changed in the two years he’s been away. Every petty criminal now carries a gun. The homicide unit is being crushed by a soaring murder rate. The media is growing ever more aggressive and irresponsible and increasing the pressure on the politicians and cops. Maybe the biggest change is that Lucas is now living with his girlfriend. He loves her, but he’s still a man-ho and an attractive TV reporter has caught his eye.The villains set the tone in the Prey books, and Koop is a worthy and creepy addition to their ranks. He’s a body-builder with a taste for cocaine, and while he’s got a criminal slyness, he’s not one those genius serial killers that populate thrillers. Koop is really little more than an animal who relentlessly prowls the city in his truck. He has no introspection and no guilt. He wants what he wants, and he’ll cave in anyone’s skull to get it. There’s just enough control to barely allow him to behave somewhat normally and cover his tracks, but he can snap at any moment. (view spoiler)[It’s telling that Davenport has a hard time getting his head around Koop and doesn’t pull any of his usual tricks to smoke him out until after they’ve identified him through a break in the case. Even the trap that they set for Koop depends on letting his own nature work against him rather than Davenport prodding him into a mistake. Koop's simplistic, wary and anti-social nature makes him a hard target for the kind of subtle manipulation that Lucas usually uses. Instead Lucas almost has to become a hunter who waits quietly in one spot as he tries not to spook his target. (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Night Prey (1997)?
I had to adjust my thinking a bit because this Prey book was one of the earlier in the series when Lucas was still a Deputy Chief of Police and not in charge of the BCA. I know there are earlier books as well that I hope to read as I find them.This one I liked a lot! the capture of the bad guy was such a surprise and shock that I had to read that sections a couple of times to make sure I read it correctly. I look forward to these earlier books and hope they are close to this one in keeping me wrapped up in it.
—Ada Iaboni
Night Prey (The Prey Series Book 6)It took me awhile to get into the character of KOOP, but once I did as with all of Sandford's books it took on a life of its own. I really like the way he introduced "WEATHER" into LUCAS's life and the fact that he doesn't make him a saint just because he's with her now. I like the fact that it shows he's human. I know his books have been out for years and I guess that's part of what amazes me, because he always has fresh characters, ingenious plots, and they're never the same in any of his books. I really liked Megan O'Connell's character in this book. All in all another great book for Mr. Sandford! ***For those of you who listen/immersion reading or just enjoy the audible version, the narrator Richard Ferrone is fantastic!!!!! I noticed he narrates all of Sandford's books. He sounds just like you think Lucas Davenport should sound.
—Beth
BamaGal wrote: "I miss the good old days when Lucas was still single and the biggest horndog in Minnesota... lol"I TOTALLY agree! He was much more interesting then, had that little edge of danger ... sweeeeeet!
—D.B. Reynolds
