NOTICE: (Updated March 5, 2010)

Beginning December 19, 2009, Books 'N Border Collies will be posting but only intermittently while I pursue personal goals. I plan to share some reading I'm doing, but there will be no reviews. I will, however, be sharing my exploration of vegetarian cooking and the cookbooks and websites I use to educate myself. I hope you enjoy it!

Lezlie



Thursday, June 11, 2009

WICKED PREY

by John Sandford



"In the nineteenth installment of the Prey series, Minnesota investigator Lucas Davenport struggles to protect his daughter Letty from a vengeful psychopathic pimp who blames Davenport for his handicap. All the while, a professional thief plans to rob the city of Minneapolis blind right before the Republican National Convention. Can Davenport protect his daughter and ensure the security of Minneapolis?" (From the CD container)

If you've read any of John Sandford's Prey series, you know exactly what you're getting in Wicked Prey, and that's not a bad thing. When you need a book you know is going to be entertaining, but you don't want to think hard about deep messages, this is a good series to turn to. It's your basic bad guys versus the justice system with lots of personal drama and guns. And a hotel fire. And the Republican National Convention. And a gunman from Oklahoma. And a paraplegic pimp. And those aren't even the main story!

Two things stood out for me in this installment: First, I liked that it didn't end all clean and tidy but not in an "obviously setting up for a sequel" kind of way. Second, I'm starting to suspect that Sandford has plans for Lucas Davenport's ward, Letty. She plays a big part in this book, and although she is only fourteen at this point, Lucas is aging and Sandford could be testing the waters regarding a future series with Letty as the main character when she gets older. It could be my imagination, but that's what it felt like. With as spirited and intelligent as Letty is, I think it might be really great if I'm right!



Other Prey books I've written about:

Phantom Prey

10 comments:

Jo-Jo said...

Well it sounds like you certainly enjoyed this one...that is nice to hear considering it's the 19th installment of this series! That is crazy!

Lezlie said...

Jo-Jo ~ I knew there were a lot of Prey books, but I was surprised when I realized it was the nineteeth. And I've read them all! Like any series of this length, it has its ups and downs, but I liked this one quite a bit.

Lezlie

Literary Feline said...

Someday I really will get around to trying Sanford's series. :-) I've seen the moving in of another character in a couple of series I follow, where the old make way for the new. It'll be interesting to see if your prediction is right and how that goes over with the series' audience.

Tasha said...

Vengeful psychopathic pimp caught my eye. I'm not much for mystery series currently, but this sounds entertaining.

bermudaonion said...

I love this series, but haven't read this one yet. It sounds good to me.

Lezlie said...

Literary Feline ~ He already has one spin-off from this series with the character of Virgil Flowers, but I really felt like he was laying some groundwork in this one. Time will tell, right?

Charley ~ That guy is a piece of work! I think you could read this one without have read any of the others. He gives pretty good explanations of background story without bogging the book down. That's good for us with short memories. :-)

Bermudaonion ~ I liked this one better than the previous offering. I'll be curious to see what you think of it!

Lezlie

Jane said...

I know I have a Sanford around here somewhere and your review makes me want to dig it out. It sounds great.

Lezlie said...

Jaimie ~ Which one do you have? A couple of the real early ones are still my very favorites -- Eyes of Prey for sure, and I think the other one is called Silent Prey. Dr. Michael Becker is the creepiest Davenport adversary ever!!

Lezlie

Ladytink_534 said...

I think I've read the first three in this series a couple of years ago but I haven't picked up any others. Really do need to but I just can't seem to find the time!

Lezlie said...

Ladytink ~ The nice thing about these is that when you do get to them, they don't take long to read. :-)

Lezlie