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A savage psychopath is playing cat and mouse with Lucas Davenport. But both killer and detective find themselves at odds with a female investigator who has intensely personal reasons for catching the killer herself-and fast.
From the author of Winter Prey comes a "potent and compelling addition to the (Lucas Davenport) series" (Kirkus Reviews). Deputy Police Chief Lucas Davenport returns to face his most brilliantly elusive opponent yet--a master thief-turned-murderer who carves into his victims the initials of a beautiful woman with whom he has become obsessed. LG, Doubleday, and Mystery Guild Selections.
Camp's interests turned to fiction in the mid-1980s, and he took time off to write two novels which were ultimately accepted for publication: The Fool's Run, a techno-thriller featuring a complex con man known as Kidd, and Rules of Prey, a police procedural starring maverick Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport. When both books were scheduled (by different publishers) to be released three months apart in 1989, Camp was persuaded to adopt a pseudonym for one. He chose his paternal grandmother's maiden name, "Sandford" for Rules of Prey, and the nom de plume has remained attached to all the books in the series.
Less Dick Tracy than Dirty Harry, hard-boiled, iconoclastic Lucas Davenport is a composite of the cops Camp met while working the crime beat as a reporter. Intelligent and street smart, Davenport is also manipulative and not above bending the rules to get results. And although he has mellowed over time (something of a skirt chaser in his youth, he is now married with children), he remains one of the edgiest and most popular protagonists in detective fiction. Fans keep returning to the Prey books for their intelligently hatched plots, high-octane pacing, and deft, fully human characterizations.
From time to time, Camp strays from his bestselling series for standalone thrillers (The Night Crew, Dead Watch), and in 2007 he introduced a new series hero, Virgil Flowers of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who debuted in Dark of the Moon. Although he is no longer a full-time journalist, Camp contributes occasional articles and book reviews to various publications. He is also a passionate archaeologist and has worked at a number of digs, mainly in Israel.
The Sandford pseudonym has caused a few problems for Camp in the past. At an airport once, his ticket was reserved under Sandford, while all of his identification, of course, had the name Camp. Luckily, he had one of his novels with him, and thanks to the book jacket photo, he was able to convince airport security to let him on the plane.
The books in Camp's less successful Kidd series (The Fool's Run, The Empress File, The Devil's Code, and The Hanged Man's Song) have been re-released under the Sandford pseudonym.
Anonymous
Posted March 12, 2001
I have read all the Prey series up to and including this one. I liked Night Prey better than some of the others. One thing I like is Lucus did not fall into bed with nearly everybody he saw in this one. I still feel Winter Prey is the best one I have read so far. In Night Prey, Koop is the killer, you know that from the first page, there is no doubt. The story follows the same format. Lucus and team keep asking questions and following up on leads until they figure out who the killer is. They then set a trap for him which does not go as expected. I was surprised at the ending. I liked it as it was an unusual twist. The characters are good and you can see in your mind what is happening. The bad thing is you know that what is written here can actually happen in everday live. Thats not good.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.John Sandford has such a gift for writing creepy characters that can be believable and terrifying. Here, in Night Prey, the author gives us another take involving flawed protagonist Lucas Davenport. Davenport’s life is taking turns that he didn’t expect and they case maks it even more unpredictable. The killer’s motivations and actions are eerie and Davenport and his cohorts make logical steps in solving the crimes. Overall, a very good book in a very good series!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.herb34
Posted April 8, 2012
I don't know how Sandford comes up with the characters for his novels but he picked a wild one here. Bring on number seven.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Well, I would definitely recommend all of the Prey novels by John Sanford. I really liked Night Prey. As usual, full of suspense, surprises and lots of grizzly details. I fell in love with Lucas Davenport while reading these books and you will too!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Buckeye02
Posted October 3, 2011
All of the Prey series are great reads. Can't miss. Lucas Davenport is terrific.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I believe this is the 6th book in the Prey series with Lucas Davenport. As with the others leading up to it, Sandford keeps it fast paced throughout and builds all of his characters, including the continual development of Davenport. The story itself has the expected twists and turns, some humor and this particular novel carries with it plenty of brutally violent acts by the killer. Along the way, Davenport encounters side issues on his job and in his life. Makes this escapism type of novels a little more real by recognizing that our day-to-day lives are three dimensional. A great read!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 30, 2010
When I read the first book in this Prey series, "Rules of Prey", I knew I wanted to continue to read each one, in order. I am up to #10 and have not been disappointed yet by John Sanford or Lucas Davenport!
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Overview
A savage psychopath is playing cat and mouse with Lucas Davenport. But both killer and detective find themselves at odds with a female investigator who has intensely personal reasons for catching the killer herself-and fast.
From the author of Winter Prey comes a "potent and compelling addition to the (Lucas Davenport) series" (Kirkus Reviews). Deputy Police Chief Lucas Davenport returns to face his most brilliantly elusive opponent yet--a master ...