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Dead Watch
Sometimes, justice isn't enough.
From the author of the number-one-bestselling Prey novels comes an extraordinary story of murder, passion, and deadly ambition——a political thriller like no other.
Through twenty-one novels featuring Lucas Davenport, Kidd, or the razor-edge world of the Night Crew, John Sandford has been writing brilliantly suspenseful, consistently surprising thrillers filled with rich characters and exceptional drama.
But Dead Watch sets a whole new level.
Late afternoon, Virginia, and a woman is on the run. Her husband, a former U.S. Senator named Lincoln Bowe, has been missing for days. Kidnapped? Murdered? She doesn't know, but she thinks she knows who's involved, and why. And that she's next.
Hours later a phone rings in the pocket of Jacob Winter. An Army Intelligence veteran, Winter specialises in what he thinks of as forensic bureacracy. Congress, the Pentagon, the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security——when something goes wrong, Winter kicks over rocks until he finds out what really happened. The White House is his main client, and the chief of staff is on the phone now.
If Bowe isn't located soon, he is told, all hell will break loose.
What Winter doesn't realise is——all hell will break loose anyway. And he will be right in the middle of it. Large forces are at work, men determined to do whatever it takes to achieve unprecedented ends. Before the next few days are out, Winter will discover he has to use every one of his resources not only to prevail...but just to survive.
And so will the nation.
From the author of the number-one-bestselling Prey novels comes an extraordinary story of murder, passion, and deadly ambition——a political thriller like no other.
Through twenty-one novels featuring Lucas Davenport, Kidd, or the razor-edge world of the Night Crew, John Sandford has been writing brilliantly suspenseful, consistently surprising thrillers filled with rich characters and exceptional drama.
But Dead Watch sets a whole new level.
Late afternoon, Virginia, and a woman is on the run. Her husband, a former U.S. Senator named Lincoln Bowe, has been missing for days. Kidnapped? Murdered? She doesn't know, but she thinks she knows who's involved, and why. And that she's next.
Hours later a phone rings in the pocket of Jacob Winter. An Army Intelligence veteran, Winter specialises in what he thinks of as forensic bureacracy. Congress, the Pentagon, the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security——when something goes wrong, Winter kicks over rocks until he finds out what really happened. The White House is his main client, and the chief of staff is on the phone now.
If Bowe isn't located soon, he is told, all hell will break loose.
What Winter doesn't realise is——all hell will break loose anyway. And he will be right in the middle of it. Large forces are at work, men determined to do whatever it takes to achieve unprecedented ends. Before the next few days are out, Winter will discover he has to use every one of his resources not only to prevail...but just to survive.
And so will the nation.
373 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2006
1694 people are currently reading
3774 people want to read
About the author
John Sandford
234 books9,627 followersJohn Sandford is the pen name of John Roswell Camp, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author known for his gripping thrillers and popular crime series. After earning degrees in history, literature, and journalism from the University of Iowa, Camp began his writing career as a reporter, first at The Miami Herald and later at The Saint Paul Pioneer Press, where he earned critical acclaim for in-depth series on Native American communities and American farm life. His work won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1986.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 604 reviews
November 2, 2016
This is a book about some really shady stuff being done by major political figures amidst a media circus. *sigh* So much for reading to escape reality….
Jacob Winter is former soldier who became an academic after suffering a leg injury in Afghanistan. His study and expertise of navigating the corridors of power in DC have led to him becoming a consultant for the White House. Essentially they call him in when there’s a political hot potato getting tossed around, and his job is to apply pressure to cut through the usual red tape and get the various government agencies moving.
There’s a peach of a problem everybody is ducking when the political opponent and vocal critic of the governor of Virginia goes missing. The governor helped form a citizen’s group called the Watchmen that has been accused of vigilante justice and intimidation of people critical of him, and the missing man’s wife is all over cable news accusing them of being behind his disappearance. With an election coming up the White House wants to find the missing man quickly and with a minimum of fuss. However, Jake soon finds himself in complicated schemes ranging from political dirty tricks to murder.
This is the rare stand-alone book for John Sandford, and it’s telling that he never returned to this character despite it looking like the start of a series. The idea of a ‘forensic bureaucrat’ who specializes in kicking ass and manipulating events was a promising one, but it never seems to get fully revved up like most of his other books.
Part of the problem is with the main character. Jake is OK as the lead in a political thriller, but while Sandford always delivers tight plotting with solid cat-and-mouse games between adversaries he’s also very good at delivering action with tension and momentum behind it. Since our main guy here is a political animal with a bum leg it would seem like too much of a stretch to have him get in the mix like his other heroes do, and the shift to a more action oriented third act doesn’t seem to sync up with a guy who has been all about brain power to that point.
I think it’s also revealing that after this book came out that Lucas Davenport in the Prey series would start getting cases with increasingly political dimensions to them. I’d be willing to bet a shiny quarter that Sandford recognized that it’s more exciting and believable to have a cop occasionally get mixed up in politics than it is for a political operative to get involved in police business. It’s paid off by giving Davenport new things to do other than chase serial killers.
Overall, it’s an interesting experiment, but I’m glad that Sandford is enough of a pro to recognize what he couldn’t sustain and found a way to utilize the more interesting aspects in his other work.
Jacob Winter is former soldier who became an academic after suffering a leg injury in Afghanistan. His study and expertise of navigating the corridors of power in DC have led to him becoming a consultant for the White House. Essentially they call him in when there’s a political hot potato getting tossed around, and his job is to apply pressure to cut through the usual red tape and get the various government agencies moving.
There’s a peach of a problem everybody is ducking when the political opponent and vocal critic of the governor of Virginia goes missing. The governor helped form a citizen’s group called the Watchmen that has been accused of vigilante justice and intimidation of people critical of him, and the missing man’s wife is all over cable news accusing them of being behind his disappearance. With an election coming up the White House wants to find the missing man quickly and with a minimum of fuss. However, Jake soon finds himself in complicated schemes ranging from political dirty tricks to murder.
This is the rare stand-alone book for John Sandford, and it’s telling that he never returned to this character despite it looking like the start of a series. The idea of a ‘forensic bureaucrat’ who specializes in kicking ass and manipulating events was a promising one, but it never seems to get fully revved up like most of his other books.
Part of the problem is with the main character. Jake is OK as the lead in a political thriller, but while Sandford always delivers tight plotting with solid cat-and-mouse games between adversaries he’s also very good at delivering action with tension and momentum behind it. Since our main guy here is a political animal with a bum leg it would seem like too much of a stretch to have him get in the mix like his other heroes do, and the shift to a more action oriented third act doesn’t seem to sync up with a guy who has been all about brain power to that point.
I think it’s also revealing that after this book came out that Lucas Davenport in the Prey series would start getting cases with increasingly political dimensions to them. I’d be willing to bet a shiny quarter that Sandford recognized that it’s more exciting and believable to have a cop occasionally get mixed up in politics than it is for a political operative to get involved in police business. It’s paid off by giving Davenport new things to do other than chase serial killers.
Overall, it’s an interesting experiment, but I’m glad that Sandford is enough of a pro to recognize what he couldn’t sustain and found a way to utilize the more interesting aspects in his other work.
November 6, 2018
★ ★ ★ 1/2
You set yourself a near impossible task when you chose to write a political thriller--a statement, admittedly, that immediately makes the reader think, Who is this idiot? There’s a whole sub-genre of them. Well, yes; and though not what I normally read, as I understand it they work because it boils down to us against them. “Us”--Americans, in most cases--personified by the hero, who faces overwhelming odds orchestrated by a foreign power or terrorist organization, or a domestic threat attempting to usurp the government and our way of life. There are clear lines, good versus bad.
But are they actually political thrillers? There are exceptions but in most cases it would be more accurate to classify these novels as espionage; still not a perfect designation--what is?--but they read as grander, more energized, more action-packed versions of traditional espionage stories. It’s just that any interaction between world powers--even if they are fictional--is automatically labeled “political.” What John Sandford is attempting with Dead Watch is a true political thriller. American politics: Washington, D.C. and the presidency and Democrats and Republicans and all their minions. And by attempting this he has set himself a near impossible task.
We are a very politically divided country, more intensely today than in 2006 when Dead Watch was originally published, but divided nonetheless. So how do you assign us and them, good guys versus bad guys? Unless you are a network talking head and bring with you a readymade audience with a similar bias, your book risks alienating about forty-seven percent of your readers almost immediately. Sandford tackles this by embedding evil clusters within both parties. One group circles around a recently unseated Republican senator. The other group began as a state-run peace corps, though it’s starting to be perceived more as Nazis-run-amok, at least near the top; called The Watchman, they are controlled by the Democratic governor of Virginia. To offset a hero working for a fictional Democratic administration, Stanford makes the governor’s organization the greater evil.
Jake Winter is not your typical thriller hero. As a member of army intelligence he was injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. After a year of physical therapy, he served the remainder of his tour in The Pentagon, where he found he had a talent for slicing through bureaucracy. Though only 33 years old he walks with a limp and a cane, but he is as feared as any action hero. He’s learned enough inside information that he can force the bureaucracy to actually get things done. Because of this he’s on the White House books as a consultant and reports directly to the president’s chief of staff.
Certain elements come together to force Jake Winter into service. The aforementioned former senator disappears after giving a scathing speech against the state’s governor. Then his wife publicly accuses the governor and his Watchman of being responsible, and has some powerful circumstantial evidence to support her claim. And finally there’s the presidential election a couple of months away and with it the fear that the administration’s known relationship with the governor, if he was foolish enough to be involved, could cost them the Oval Office. Opposing forces established, John Sandford brings his trusted tools and techniques to this new world (to him), and his natural talent as a storyteller takes over.
But is it enough? Even with an advantage normally denied him because his series character has fallen in love with a principled and likable woman, a character who presence is so firmly in place a fan revolt would arise if Lucas Davenport cheated on her or John Sandford killed her off. A new protagonist allows the author room for romance. Unfortunately, choosing the realm of politics still works against him. Solving the Democrat versus Republican problem doesn’t solve the all problems. There’s another group not being served. No, not that six percent or so of people who seem to swing elections. There are some of us in this group, yes; but there are some of us in all of the previously mentioned groups. And we cannot be served. We are people so sick of politics and what it has deteriorated into that we live daily with only two options: vomit or change the channel. It’s a feeling that reverberates while reading Dead Watch. There are no good guys. With any of Sandford’s other heroes--be it Davenport, Virgil Flowers, or even Kidd, who sometimes has to talk himself into doing the right thing--at least there a greater good pursued and achieved. Yes, it can be argued that Jake Winter is a good guy and that he did rid the world of some evil. Doesn't change that it was accomplished on behest of those whose only goal was to retain power.
I freely admit to my prejudice. I also admit that the final sixty pages saved the novel. Rather than a contradiction, this actually reinforces my position. The characters isolated from civilization, it came down to good guys versus bad guys. The infestation of politics had been left behind and Sanford’s skills were allowed to flourish in an arena befitting them.
If you don’t share my disgust of politics you may enjoy this novel more than I. These days I need more. I need affirmation. I need at least an allusion to a greater good. Dead Watch gave me the lesser evil.
December 30, 2018
I like Sandford's standalones. This one is great. Jake is a forensic bureaucracy specialist, aka fixer. He's a smart, tough guy in a very twisty situation. Great look at politics, the media, & a very believable set of dirty tricks. Good characters & dialogue. Very well narrated & written.
I liked it so much I'm going to read the first of the Virgil Flowers series next. One of these days I have to get around to the Prey series. I've read a couple, but it's been so long that I don't recall which ones & I never read them in order.
I liked it so much I'm going to read the first of the Virgil Flowers series next. One of these days I have to get around to the Prey series. I've read a couple, but it's been so long that I don't recall which ones & I never read them in order.
June 27, 2013
Listened to this as an audiobook. Read by a favorite: Richard Ferrone who seems to make a specialty of John Sandford's books.
A refreshing change from the increasingly redundant Lucas Davenport series. In this case we follow Jacob, "Jake," Winter, a "forensic bureaucracy specialist." He works for the president's chief of staff as a fixer who uses his knowledge of the bureaucracy to solve problems. He has one "Rule": who benefits? Answer that question and most every problem becomes easily solvable. Shades of Mike Lawson's Joe DeMarco, another very good series.
Madeline Bowe's husband, Lincoln, an ex-Senator has disappeared. He was becoming a thorn in the side of the "Watchman" a nebulous group reminiscent of the Brown Shirts and Ku Klux Klan all rolled into one. Jake's "research" soon uncovers a much larger plot related to the presidential election. To reveal any more might spoil it.
All that being said, my one complaint is that some of Jake's more extreme actions in the end of the book (endings are not a Sandford strong suit,) seem out of character and occur only because it gets the author off the hook. I much prefer conclusions that use the protagonist's intelligence to turn the evil-doer's actions back on themselves without the seemingly inevitable reliance on bullets, to my way of thinking, the dummies' way out. I suppose many authors feel the necessity to appeal to the large segment who complain if there's no "action." Action is cheap.
Great for traveling, mowing, doing chores.
P.S. I forgot to add one little entertaining tidbit. One of the fellows Flowers interviews mentions he had been arrested for defenestration at the New Prague Inn. If you know anything about Czech history that will bring a smile.
It's also totally depressing to have a Pontiac Tempest be described as an antique car.
A refreshing change from the increasingly redundant Lucas Davenport series. In this case we follow Jacob, "Jake," Winter, a "forensic bureaucracy specialist." He works for the president's chief of staff as a fixer who uses his knowledge of the bureaucracy to solve problems. He has one "Rule": who benefits? Answer that question and most every problem becomes easily solvable. Shades of Mike Lawson's Joe DeMarco, another very good series.
Madeline Bowe's husband, Lincoln, an ex-Senator has disappeared. He was becoming a thorn in the side of the "Watchman" a nebulous group reminiscent of the Brown Shirts and Ku Klux Klan all rolled into one. Jake's "research" soon uncovers a much larger plot related to the presidential election. To reveal any more might spoil it.
All that being said, my one complaint is that some of Jake's more extreme actions in the end of the book (endings are not a Sandford strong suit,) seem out of character and occur only because it gets the author off the hook. I much prefer conclusions that use the protagonist's intelligence to turn the evil-doer's actions back on themselves without the seemingly inevitable reliance on bullets, to my way of thinking, the dummies' way out. I suppose many authors feel the necessity to appeal to the large segment who complain if there's no "action." Action is cheap.
Great for traveling, mowing, doing chores.
P.S. I forgot to add one little entertaining tidbit. One of the fellows Flowers interviews mentions he had been arrested for defenestration at the New Prague Inn. If you know anything about Czech history that will bring a smile.
It's also totally depressing to have a Pontiac Tempest be described as an antique car.
March 30, 2017
The second half of this novel is much better than the first. This novel drags unnecessarily until Sanford provides some action after much early hocus-pocus boredom. In fact, I believe the novel would be better by doing away with the first 25% easily. Once Sanford finally gets into the action, the characters become people us readers want to care about. 5 out of 10 stars for this below average novel for Sanford.
September 23, 2019
SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW WITH PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOWS:
Interestingly, John Sandford didn't publish a Prey Series book in 2006; 'Dead Watch' and Jake Winter got the slot instead. And just like the Prey and that fucking Flowers series, the subliminal imperative is sexual attraction. Like Slick Willy, John Camp is a hopeless liberal, and their most redeeming qualities are unrepentant heterosexualism. But Camp, aka John Sandford, does one helluva job at it, and I'll sure keep on buying and reading....
Former Democratic US Senator Lincoln Bowe is at the center of 'Dead Watch', and he's probably the leader of the GAY PACK of several dozen Democratic Party senior shakers and movers. For Linc, losing the reelection became the bitter pill that he refused to swallow, sorta like Hillary. But in a similar manner, he devoted every waking minute to ruin the Republicans in any way imaginable. Which is kinda surprising, since he led a closet life and still played ruinous games. Until the brain cancer showed up, and he knew he had the ultimate time-delayed detonator.
Linc's arch-rival is Virginia Governor Arlo Goodman, and he'll do anything he can, dead or alive, to thwart him. Including holding aside a dirty bomb until just before the Presidential reelection. Interestingly, Linc's married to a twenty-year younger hot-bodied blond, who have long since lived separated and are friends. When Linc disappears and the rumor mill turns to murder, she's all alone in the Georgetown house, being advised by one of Linc's former lovers and closest friends, Howard Barber.
Linc's disappearance is bad for everybody, so the Republican White House Chief of Staff Bill Danzig brings in his grey zone investigator Jake Winter to find out the truth. Jake's a former Special Forces guy, like almost every tough guy in 'Dead Watch', as are The Watchmen, Arlo Goodman's keepers of the peace and Goodman himself. Jake's not afraid of anything, and he's super intelligent, so it is inevitable that the stud with a slight limp and a petite, hot, blond ex-wife is instantly attracted to Linc's wife-of-convenience Madison 'Maddy' Bowe. There's enough confusion and complexity for three novels, but the 'dirty bomb' Linc was holding out for max damage was the Wisconsin Highway 65 Modernization Project. Turns out that the sitting VP Landers had gotten rich off of the graft that grew from the $350 million dollar project to four-lane a 91 mile stretch of Wisconsin Highway 65 from the Twin Cities to Hayward. The evidence of the graft is in a Xerox box somewhere, and its existence and location become the object of a mad dash against time and life.
So the brain tumor doesn't allow Linc to play The Package out like he wanted, but he stages his fake murder, being shot just after he died from the brain tumor, and beheading for maximum effect. His inner circle of the four closest former gay lovers know enough to still deliver The Package right before the election for maximum damage, but events won't allow Howard Barber to play it out to its intended implosion. So Barber jumps out a fifty floor office window when the feds arrive, and that keeps the dust stirred for a couple of days.
While Jake concludes that his favorite thing in life is to be inside of Maddy Bowe. He's growing on her too, but he's taking a beating in the process. She joins him in the black ops grey zone as they get the goods on Goodman, who was hoping to be selected as the new VP candidate upon Landers' implosion from The Package.
You'll have to read 'Dead Watch' to learn the particulars, but Jake Winter was a one-time deal for Sandford. What with him being a Afghan-wounded vet with a limp, and hooking up with a small hot mid-thirties blond horsewoman from Scottsville, a series just wasn't there. Especially when they're discussing having kids in the last scene, before her biological clock expires.
Jake's zeal in pursuing Maddy is pure Sandford, nicely reminiscent of the early Lucas Davenport days. As a matter of fact, I'll go out on a limb and guarantee anybody who likes Lucas Davenport's skirt-chasing days of the Prey Series will really like 'Dead Watch.' It's a no brainer!!
Interestingly, John Sandford didn't publish a Prey Series book in 2006; 'Dead Watch' and Jake Winter got the slot instead. And just like the Prey and that fucking Flowers series, the subliminal imperative is sexual attraction. Like Slick Willy, John Camp is a hopeless liberal, and their most redeeming qualities are unrepentant heterosexualism. But Camp, aka John Sandford, does one helluva job at it, and I'll sure keep on buying and reading....
Former Democratic US Senator Lincoln Bowe is at the center of 'Dead Watch', and he's probably the leader of the GAY PACK of several dozen Democratic Party senior shakers and movers. For Linc, losing the reelection became the bitter pill that he refused to swallow, sorta like Hillary. But in a similar manner, he devoted every waking minute to ruin the Republicans in any way imaginable. Which is kinda surprising, since he led a closet life and still played ruinous games. Until the brain cancer showed up, and he knew he had the ultimate time-delayed detonator.
Linc's arch-rival is Virginia Governor Arlo Goodman, and he'll do anything he can, dead or alive, to thwart him. Including holding aside a dirty bomb until just before the Presidential reelection. Interestingly, Linc's married to a twenty-year younger hot-bodied blond, who have long since lived separated and are friends. When Linc disappears and the rumor mill turns to murder, she's all alone in the Georgetown house, being advised by one of Linc's former lovers and closest friends, Howard Barber.
Linc's disappearance is bad for everybody, so the Republican White House Chief of Staff Bill Danzig brings in his grey zone investigator Jake Winter to find out the truth. Jake's a former Special Forces guy, like almost every tough guy in 'Dead Watch', as are The Watchmen, Arlo Goodman's keepers of the peace and Goodman himself. Jake's not afraid of anything, and he's super intelligent, so it is inevitable that the stud with a slight limp and a petite, hot, blond ex-wife is instantly attracted to Linc's wife-of-convenience Madison 'Maddy' Bowe. There's enough confusion and complexity for three novels, but the 'dirty bomb' Linc was holding out for max damage was the Wisconsin Highway 65 Modernization Project. Turns out that the sitting VP Landers had gotten rich off of the graft that grew from the $350 million dollar project to four-lane a 91 mile stretch of Wisconsin Highway 65 from the Twin Cities to Hayward. The evidence of the graft is in a Xerox box somewhere, and its existence and location become the object of a mad dash against time and life.
So the brain tumor doesn't allow Linc to play The Package out like he wanted, but he stages his fake murder, being shot just after he died from the brain tumor, and beheading for maximum effect. His inner circle of the four closest former gay lovers know enough to still deliver The Package right before the election for maximum damage, but events won't allow Howard Barber to play it out to its intended implosion. So Barber jumps out a fifty floor office window when the feds arrive, and that keeps the dust stirred for a couple of days.
While Jake concludes that his favorite thing in life is to be inside of Maddy Bowe. He's growing on her too, but he's taking a beating in the process. She joins him in the black ops grey zone as they get the goods on Goodman, who was hoping to be selected as the new VP candidate upon Landers' implosion from The Package.
You'll have to read 'Dead Watch' to learn the particulars, but Jake Winter was a one-time deal for Sandford. What with him being a Afghan-wounded vet with a limp, and hooking up with a small hot mid-thirties blond horsewoman from Scottsville, a series just wasn't there. Especially when they're discussing having kids in the last scene, before her biological clock expires.
Jake's zeal in pursuing Maddy is pure Sandford, nicely reminiscent of the early Lucas Davenport days. As a matter of fact, I'll go out on a limb and guarantee anybody who likes Lucas Davenport's skirt-chasing days of the Prey Series will really like 'Dead Watch.' It's a no brainer!!
February 16, 2019
I would rate this book 4.5 stars if I could. An excellent stand alone by Sandford as government troubleshooter tries to solve the mystery of a missing former Senator. A good plot with plenty of action. I think this could be made in to a series but Sandford apparently is interested in doing so. Recommended.
Want to read
February 11, 2014How are all you people givin it 5 stars when it's not even out yet?
October 27, 2019
This is a different location for Sandford although lately he does have Lucas involved with government business. Tis a different idea this fixer kinda person. The personalities become quite developed late in the book and it saves it. I still can't help but think murder does not become okay regardless of why it was done as they poo poo it off in this book.
September 21, 2014
Skip this one. The story is improbable, and the protagonist is unappealing. His stupidity gets people killed. He gets beat up. He can't outsmart the bad guys, so he tries to outshoot them. He elects to use a relatively slow-operating bolt-action rifle to take on a couple of bad guys armed with automatic weapons. How smart is that? He could have easily purchased a relatively inexpensive, but still very accurate, semi-automatic rifle with a telescopic sight that would have given him a faster shooting weapon, but he didn't.
The most commonly seen sentence in the book is "I don't know," with the protagonist, Jake Winter, saying it more than twenty times.
There are some inconsistencies in the book. In the very beginning (the second page) Madison Bowe sees a face with a pair of binoculars in the woods while she is riding her horse. We never learn whose face is seen, and we never hear anything more about it. Another loose end left dangling is the witness in Wisconsin, Sarah Levine, who Winter promises will be taken care of by his friends in Washington, but about whom we never hear any more after page #173. Being generous, I award 2 stars.
The most commonly seen sentence in the book is "I don't know," with the protagonist, Jake Winter, saying it more than twenty times.
There are some inconsistencies in the book. In the very beginning (the second page) Madison Bowe sees a face with a pair of binoculars in the woods while she is riding her horse. We never learn whose face is seen, and we never hear anything more about it. Another loose end left dangling is the witness in Wisconsin, Sarah Levine, who Winter promises will be taken care of by his friends in Washington, but about whom we never hear any more after page #173. Being generous, I award 2 stars.
May 28, 2017
I have read numerous “Prey” books and books with “That Fuckin’ Flowers” as the main protagonists but Dead Watch is a stand-alone. Jacob Winter is a White House investigator. Not sure if that type of position really exists but the position allows Winter to head off on a journey of investigation. A politician is dead and it appears as though he’s been murdered and suspicion falls on the dead man’s political opponent. Winter is called in by the White House to investigate. He leaves the inert FBI in his wake.
Political intrigue can tread a fine line between believability and fantasy. But with the election of Donald Trump anything is now possible.
It seems everyone in American crime fiction has an Afghanistan/Iraq wounded war veteran as a character. I have to laugh as Americans eulogise their war veterans yet elect a non-military boofhead as their president.
I am not sure why Sandford gave Winter a war injury that requires a walking stick. It certainly doesn’t impede him during the gun-blazing climax. This climax did not quite fit in with the political thriller theme.
At times the story is overloaded with characters. Some of who are standard American cliché characters. The black gay stud, two nasties (one fairly bright, one not so bright), gorgeous shapely politician’s wife, a hypocritical conservative.
Dead Watch is a typical John Sandford novel. Quality writing fast paced exciting story with believable characters. I found it ok but I did not connect with the characters like I do in the “Prey” and Flowers novels.
Political intrigue can tread a fine line between believability and fantasy. But with the election of Donald Trump anything is now possible.
It seems everyone in American crime fiction has an Afghanistan/Iraq wounded war veteran as a character. I have to laugh as Americans eulogise their war veterans yet elect a non-military boofhead as their president.
I am not sure why Sandford gave Winter a war injury that requires a walking stick. It certainly doesn’t impede him during the gun-blazing climax. This climax did not quite fit in with the political thriller theme.
At times the story is overloaded with characters. Some of who are standard American cliché characters. The black gay stud, two nasties (one fairly bright, one not so bright), gorgeous shapely politician’s wife, a hypocritical conservative.
Dead Watch is a typical John Sandford novel. Quality writing fast paced exciting story with believable characters. I found it ok but I did not connect with the characters like I do in the “Prey” and Flowers novels.
March 19, 2018
Vintage Sandford
I started reading “Dead Watch” with fairly low expectations. I love the Prey series and Virgil Flowers novels. A new character? As good as Lucas and Virgil? Not likely. But Sandford delivered in spades! Tight plotting. Great dialogue. Character depth. Jake Winter is a keeper!
I started reading “Dead Watch” with fairly low expectations. I love the Prey series and Virgil Flowers novels. A new character? As good as Lucas and Virgil? Not likely. But Sandford delivered in spades! Tight plotting. Great dialogue. Character depth. Jake Winter is a keeper!
December 27, 2018
3* This time, I enjoyed this book a lot. It even has a little humour.
2* Alas, possibly because I'm still involved in a great series and waiting for another of its audiobooks, I just couldn’t get into this one. Maybe I’ll do better next time.
2* Alas, possibly because I'm still involved in a great series and waiting for another of its audiobooks, I just couldn’t get into this one. Maybe I’ll do better next time.
May 22, 2019
Jake Winter, Washington "researcher". Problem solver, investigator. Good story, pages keep turning easily. Typical John Sandford and if you're a fan like me, you'll like this.
October 15, 2017
audio book Let me explain the poor rating: There many excellent parts or scenes to this product. It was not a coherent and connective story. Several times I had to check my mp3 player thinking it had shuffled the order of the discs. I really don't know who is responsible for editing, but Sandford's name is on the product so I'll lay the blame on him.
May 25, 2014
If I hadn't looked at the author bio on the inside back cover, I never would have guessed this novel was written by a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist because the story was told in a shallow, ill-paced fashion.
Then again, it really did have all the hallmarks of a piece of journalism: objective descriptions of settings and characters - but to the point that the reader can't invest in the story arcs and therefore can't really care about the characters; a blunt and minimal narrative - which isn't so bad considering every writer has his/her own writing style, but Sandford's was to the point of not providing complete sentences.
Indeed, journalism and fiction are two genres that are worlds apart. And maybe it's not so easy to cross over from one to the other. Some singers don't make good actors and some journalists don't make great fiction authors. Sandford is a respected writer, I know, and maybe Dead Watch just wasn't his best.
I felt like I was missing something as I read the novel, as if there was a story prior to Dead Watch, which may actually be a sequel in a series. But after further research, I found that it was a stand-alone novel. I hate to give "best-selling authors" low ratings, it comes off as pretentious. But honestly I was not impressed.
Then again, it really did have all the hallmarks of a piece of journalism: objective descriptions of settings and characters - but to the point that the reader can't invest in the story arcs and therefore can't really care about the characters; a blunt and minimal narrative - which isn't so bad considering every writer has his/her own writing style, but Sandford's was to the point of not providing complete sentences.
Indeed, journalism and fiction are two genres that are worlds apart. And maybe it's not so easy to cross over from one to the other. Some singers don't make good actors and some journalists don't make great fiction authors. Sandford is a respected writer, I know, and maybe Dead Watch just wasn't his best.
I felt like I was missing something as I read the novel, as if there was a story prior to Dead Watch, which may actually be a sequel in a series. But after further research, I found that it was a stand-alone novel. I hate to give "best-selling authors" low ratings, it comes off as pretentious. But honestly I was not impressed.
July 5, 2017
As the Davenport character from the Prey series began to get involved with politics Sandford probably wondered how to get this plot in to the series. A hardcore political story wouldn't match the Prey series and thus, Jake Winter, specialist in forensic bureaucracy, was born. A latter-day Sherlock Holmes, with a military background, just in case the story needs some action scenes. Dead Watch requires concentration and the first few chapters are confusing, with lots of characters in various political positions being introduced - it felt like starting a book in the middle of a trilogy. Not far in though it syncs in to place and as the intrigue builds the characters also begin to flesh out, ultimately building a well developed cast, with realistic dialogue and scenarios. Dead Watch is a victim of it's own plot, which is set in a complex world and deliberately builds a complicated mystery. The central protagonist is the book's strength and your belief in him should ensure you see this one through until the final page.
September 19, 2018
Sandford has written 3 stand alone novels, Saturn Run (5 stars!), The Night Watch (3 stars) and this one, Dead Watch.
While interesting this didn't have the bite or flair of the Prey series novels. Jake Winter was like Lucas Davenport lite. The romance was not all that realistic and much of the action seemed contrived, also not quite realistic. There was Sandford's use of black humor at times and his great attention to the small details that don't add to the plot but certainly helps one see the overall atmosphere of a scene.
While not a bad book it's just not up to Sandford's usual work. It was released 12 years ago and I can see why Sandford didn't make this into a series. His Kidd series was much better but his Prey and Virgil Flowers series are about as good as it gets.
While interesting this didn't have the bite or flair of the Prey series novels. Jake Winter was like Lucas Davenport lite. The romance was not all that realistic and much of the action seemed contrived, also not quite realistic. There was Sandford's use of black humor at times and his great attention to the small details that don't add to the plot but certainly helps one see the overall atmosphere of a scene.
While not a bad book it's just not up to Sandford's usual work. It was released 12 years ago and I can see why Sandford didn't make this into a series. His Kidd series was much better but his Prey and Virgil Flowers series are about as good as it gets.
October 30, 2014
An unusual take on the Washington scene. Jacob Winter, former army intelligence vet. now specializing in forensic bureaucracy--how to find out what is happening in the Pentagon, White House, etc. Navigating the maze of disinformation.
He is called in by the White House to investigate the disappearance of former US senator. He quickly gets entangled with a vigilante-promoting government and the wife of the missing senator. Lots of twists and turns including romance.
He is called in by the White House to investigate the disappearance of former US senator. He quickly gets entangled with a vigilante-promoting government and the wife of the missing senator. Lots of twists and turns including romance.
August 14, 2017
Someone told me Sandford writes the best thrillers. Well, maybe I read the wrong book. Based in DC with political intrigues, so I didn't like most of the characters and the action was slow. To be more fair I suppose I should give one of his Prey or Flowers books a shot, but don't feel very motivated for now.
August 16, 2018
Jake Winter is the main character in this book, works for the chief of staff for the president of the US. He is an investigator trying to figure out what has missing former senator. Lots of twists and turns, political and otherwise in the book. Location is mostly Virginia and DC. An interesting look at the political world. A change of pace for me with the main character.
November 9, 2018
A good book about a former politician’s attempt to discredit the current administration, an assisted suicide made to look like murder, a crooked governor’s attempt to force the vice-president into resigning in the hope that he’ll be chosen to replace the VP, and a former military man, now a government researcher, who resolves problems by digging deep for the truth.
October 31, 2023
Stand alone novel by Sanford...political intrigue unwound by a former special forces hero, now a college professor who specializes in bureacratic investigations...Jacob Winter is an interesting character and the novel was a fun, quick read
March 31, 2018
Audiobook #3 so far this year. I liked this book. It was entertaining and exactly what I hoped it would be. I liked the main character and found it to be suspenseful and exciting. I’ll probably want to read other books by this author in the future.
May 5, 2020
With the author's knowledge of Wisconsin, I find it odd that he thought students at the University of Wisconsin would be fans of Ayn Rand. I think you have to leave any conservative literature behind as you enter Dane County!
February 5, 2012
I enjoyed the book. American politics and back door deals and adventures.
February 28, 2017
I really liked this book. I'm so hooked on Lucas Davevport series I didn't know if I would like this new character Jacob Winter but I would read another one if John Sandford would write another one.
April 22, 2018
This book started out slow but turned out to be pretty darn good. Not as good as the Prey series but kind of nice for a change.
September 9, 2018
Excellent book - Full of twists and turns. Jake is a very likable character
May 1, 2019
My first John Sanford book and not a great introduction to this author. The storyline was interesting to start. A former U.S. Senator is missing and it seems his young wife is also being stalked. The Chief of Staff to the President becomes involved and covertly hires a former Ranger as a consultant to look into the matter. There is concern that the kidnapping may affect the election. If you like reading books in which the media and all politicians (no matter what party) are self serving and devious, you may enjoy this book. For me, the storyline was odd and yet predictable and the characters were flat. Not sure I would read another Sanford book.
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