Phantom Prey (Lucas Davenport Series #18)

Excellent book

I may not be the best judge of this book. I love the Lucas Davenport series. John Sanford is an excellent writer. I would recommend that people read the entire Prey series from beginning to end in order, although each book does stand alone. I have the complete set in my library. I make a special trip to the bookstore as soon as they come out in paperback. The books are rereadable. The characters are strong, very real, very individualistic and multi-dimensional. The villiams are evil to the core which makes them rather one-dimensional, but true evil is. The book will keep you up at night, but it is well worth the read.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't get past page 20

I've read all the Prey books and this was by far the worst. By page 20 I knew there was no way I could finish it. Not surprised though. I heard an interview with John Sandford on NPR and he said he doesn't do much of the writing. He does an outline for the book and has a staff of writers who fill in the rest. Seriously a waste of time. I always looked forward to reading about Lucas Davenport, but not any more.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable police procedural

There is one case that Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Chief Lucas Davenport likes very much watching the home of Heather Toms whose husband Sigites ¿Siggy¿ is on the run from the police for drug dealing. Siggy fled after making bail, but Lucas believes he will return for his wife and their child, as he loves both of them very much. Heather keeps her shades open giving the surveillance cops a peep show when she strips and breastfeeds. --- Davenport leaves this scene when his wife Weather is asked by her friend Alyssa Austin to have him look into the case of her missing and presumed dead daughter Frances. Alyssa came home one day, found the alarm off, Frances gone, and blood splattered all over the house. Frances was into the Goth scene her friend Fairy egged on by Loren kills three people who the pair believes are connected to Frances¿ death. As Lucas investigates, he finds this is one of the most bizarre cases of his career as people are not quite as they first seem and those he thinks might have a grudge with Frances prove innocent. --- Putting aside the obvious issue that Lucas is not earning chief pay as the boss needs to take care of resources (funding, people, equipment and supplies, etc) while strategically planning instead of field work, fans will enjoy his latest police procedural. The protagonist is shot at and overworked with a load of paper waiting at the office, but none of that prevents him from working both cases. Neither inquiry intersects as each is separate as they run parallel subplots. PHANTOM PREY is a riveting work in which readers will need to know who the killer is and if Siggy will come home. --- Harriet Klausner

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Long Running Series

John Sandford brings us the 19th book in the 'Prey' series, Phantom Prey, featuring Lucas Davenport. Davenport works for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He is a bit of a rogue cop, not quite fitting in, with a team of like minded detectives. He's rumpled, aggressive, loyal and determined. Davenport is married to Weather, a surgeon. When she asks him as a favour to talk to her friend Alyssa about her daughter Frances' disappearance and possible murder, Lucas reluctantly agrees. The local cops haven't been able to move the case forward and he really doesn't see how he can help. Frances was dabbling in the Goth world and her mother believes this group holds the key to her missing daughter. Lucas starts making inquiries and someone starts targeting Goths. A mysterious woman - a Fairy Goth- may have answers, but can't be found. Nothing is as it seems and the closer Lucas thinks he's getting to an answer, the less things make sense. Del and Lucas are also staking out Siggy - a drug lord they've been trying to capture for awhile. This is a fun second story line. Davenport irreverence and that of his team is entertaining. Sandford never disappoints. Phantom Prey is another solid read with a great character/ Readers of Jonathan Kellerman, Jeffery Deaver and Michael Connelly will enjoy this series

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Lucas Again!

In his characteristic style, Sanford takes Davenport on another wild ride. While aging, Sanford and his character, Lucas, are still engaging but becoming somewhat predictable.

If you like the 'Prey' series, this will certainly please.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

GOOD THRILLER, BUT NOT GREAT

THIS BOOK WAS A DECENT THRILLER. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT SEEM TO BE AS GOOD AS PAST "PREY" NOVELS.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Another great Prey novel. . .

John Sandford has delivered once again. Phantom Prey is an excellent book that features page-turning suspense. Lucas Davenport is a great character to root for. John Sandford's novels far surpass James Patterson and the works that other writers create for him. Phantom Prey is one of the best novels in the entire Prey series. This book is a must read. Two thumbs up from me.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

As an avid fan of John Sandford's police novels, I looked forward to his lastest effort, 'Phantom Prey'. Sandford's novels have always been complex, but satisfying. The author seems to be lost in what direction to take. If Lucas Davenport is getting a little long in the tooth and ideas are getting hard to come by, it may be time to star some other staff members. 'Dark of the Moon', his most recent novel, was excellant.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book ended up being a nice surprise ...

This book ended up being a nice surprise. I began w/a neg view of the whole Goth thing & thought I could see what was ahead ... more education on subject matter I didn't really care about like the art history & business of art in the prior book. I do, however, accept the need for it to develop storylines ... even if I really don't much want to go there.

Everything seemed unusually chaotic & confusing for a while, maybe even needlessly so ... BUT this turned into a genuine phychological thriller w/a twist I didn't see coming. Watching it unravel along w/the entertaining Heather/Siggy sidestory made it a fun ride.

Love this series

Good book

Another Prey series story to keep you turning pages!

Lucas Davenport has another murder to solve. Even when you think you know who did it, this author keeps you turing the pages. Sandford's writing style is easy to read and very entertaining. Those who live in the Midwest find it easy to identify with the places he describes. The characters are well developed and interesting. He is one of the best writers of murder mystery/suspense tales. I hope there will be more in this series. I can't get enough!

very dissapointed

I love Lucas Davenport. I have read every book (in order) John Sandford wrote with Lucas as his main character..I could not wait for this book to come out. Only to be very dissapointed. I have to say, I am glad that I didn't read this book first, if I had,,, I don't think I would have read anymore of Sandford's books. This was such a hum-drum, slow moving, boring, read.. it was painful! I am so very dissapointed. I am not one to stop reading a book if it doesn't catch my interest, I have only done that 1x.. but I honestly thought about it.. then thought.. well, maybe it will pick up.. and it never did. It just kept dragging on and and on. Not sure what Sandford has in mind, or if there will be another Davenport story, but I certainly hope it will be better then this one.

worse prey book

I am a big fan of Lucas Davenport and John Sanford- but this is a horrible story. One plot has nothing to do with the other and its like two books were combined to make one.
I always look forward to the new prey book, and I will continue to do so as I guess everyone can have a bad day of writing.
I agree with the other reader- read these books in order.
They are good enough to even reread!

What was this??

This was a strange book, and not in a good way. The characters were not believable at all. The book unsuccessfully tried to merge two plots that had no significance to the other whatsoever, so the detective would be investigating the one crime - on his own - and then he would drop by an apartment to spy on a woman who's husband had committed many crimes but who had fled. The crimes were not related at all...it's like the second plot was thrown in just so there would be some kind of action. Terrible.

Davenport is fun to read about

I love the Davenport series and this is no exception.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't figure out the ending.

Love to read books about Minnesota and Minneapolis. Big city or small city, Sandford fills you in about the people and places all around you.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great reading

this is another great and absorbing lucas davenport mystery

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Typeface and print style are almost unreadable

As a fan of the series, I just purchased the recently released paperback of this novel without first checking the presentation of the contents. This publication seems to have followed a disturbing trend in which the font, although not too overly large, is presented in manuscript style, i.e. at 1-1/2 to 2 line spaces. This is extremely uncomfortable to read. I am accustomed to reading most of a paragraph at a glance and this presentation makes that impossible, thus slowing my reading to an unacceptable and uncomfortable pace. I will check out the hardcover but I doubt that I will bother to read this recently purchased paperback.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Nicely done once again

John Sanford once again has hit a home run. I have read them all and I can say each one is as thrilling as the last. This one is the first I had on audio --loved it! The narrator was fantastic - I felt as if I was really there.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

...the plot was a bit thin. Maybe Lucas needs to divorce Weather and start running around with Del more. All of John Sandfords books have been so great that I was just expecting more. That said, his writing is still tops.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.