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Lucas Davenport #14
Naked Prey
The #1 New York Times bestselling Lucas Davenport novel from John Sandford.
Two people are found hanging naked from a tree in the woods of northern Minnesota. What makes the situation particularly sensitive is the bodies are of a black man and a white woman. Lynching is the word everyone’s trying not to say, but as Lucas Davenport begins to discover, the murders are not at all what they appear to be. And there is worse to come—much, much worse.
Two people are found hanging naked from a tree in the woods of northern Minnesota. What makes the situation particularly sensitive is the bodies are of a black man and a white woman. Lynching is the word everyone’s trying not to say, but as Lucas Davenport begins to discover, the murders are not at all what they appear to be. And there is worse to come—much, much worse.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2003
1508 people are currently reading
4588 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 762 reviews
May 16, 2021
3.5
In Naked Prey, we confirmed that Rose Marie Roux was true to her word. Lucas has a new job with a new title, he now works in the Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He reports to the governor and from the old crew, the only one remaining is Del.
A crime has been committed. A couple, a black man and a white woman, has been found hanged and naked in northern Minnesota. Everyone is worried this is a lynching and that's why Lucas is sent there to investigate but also to begin damage control if this is really the case.
The person who found the bodies, Letty West is a local teenager. She is smart and gives plenty of details to both Lucas and Del aiding their investigation. Lucas senses that not all is right in this small town. Between the nuns, the cars, the dump, and the bodies piling up, something dark is going on in this part of the state.
I'm not going to lie, I miss a lot of the characters from all the other books. I did like Letty and thought it was a great addition to the novel but I missed the banter between the well-known characters in this world.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
In Naked Prey, we confirmed that Rose Marie Roux was true to her word. Lucas has a new job with a new title, he now works in the Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He reports to the governor and from the old crew, the only one remaining is Del.
A crime has been committed. A couple, a black man and a white woman, has been found hanged and naked in northern Minnesota. Everyone is worried this is a lynching and that's why Lucas is sent there to investigate but also to begin damage control if this is really the case.
The person who found the bodies, Letty West is a local teenager. She is smart and gives plenty of details to both Lucas and Del aiding their investigation. Lucas senses that not all is right in this small town. Between the nuns, the cars, the dump, and the bodies piling up, something dark is going on in this part of the state.
I'm not going to lie, I miss a lot of the characters from all the other books. I did like Letty and thought it was a great addition to the novel but I missed the banter between the well-known characters in this world.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
March 28, 2021
Life has changed for Lucas Davenport. Now that he’s a newlywed with an infant son and a new job with the state as the head of a research department one might think that Lucas has left his days of hunting deadly criminals behind him. But the new gig is with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the title is just a bureaucratic cover for what he’ll really be doing as the guy who ‘fixes shit’.
The governor needs someone to deal quickly with crimes that can be sensitive politically, and it doesn’t get much more politically sensitive then an interracial couple found hanging from a tree outside a small town. Lucas and his old cop buddy Del are dispatched to the frozen wastes of northern Minnesota, and since a race-baiting political activist with an appetite for publicity is on the way Davenport has to kick the investigation into overdrive in an effort to stop a potential media outrage fest.
It turns out that there are a couple of illegal operations running in the rural area, and the victims were connected to them. Lucas finds a valuable local guide in twelve-year-old Letty West. Letty is an smart girl who is practically raising herself thanks to an alcoholic mother. Tough and self-reliant, Letty discovered the bodies while out trapping muskrats, and since she finds it all very interesting she finds excuses to keep hanging around Lucas.
Shifting Lucas and Del to new positions gives us some new supporting characters like the political savvy governor and thuggish BCA agents Shrake and Jenkins who provide plenty of humor. The new job also puts Lucas on a bit of a learning curve. His skill at manipulating people has always given him a feel for dealing with political and media angles, but he’s operating on a whole new level here. Having the governor behind him also allows Lucas to throw some serious weight around when need be, and busting balls to get things moving is something that he’s very good at.
With the changes to Davenport’s personal and professional life, this book signaled a new phase in the Prey series. A bit older and calmer, Lucas’s investigations would seem more like a job he enjoys rather than just a way for him to avoid depression and boredom. The additional authority also seems to suit him, and this plays into the spin-off series featuring Virgil Flowers in which Lucas is the boss. The plots also shift away from often being about crazy serial killers stalking women into more offbeat type crimes
The aspect that Lucas would grow and change a bit through the course of the series is something that I‘ve always liked. Too many series get stale and tired when the author is scared too veer to far away from what’s worked before, and it’s Sandford willingness to shake things up a bit that’s helped Davenport’s longevity as a character.
Next: Lucas searches for Russian spies in Hidden Prey.
The governor needs someone to deal quickly with crimes that can be sensitive politically, and it doesn’t get much more politically sensitive then an interracial couple found hanging from a tree outside a small town. Lucas and his old cop buddy Del are dispatched to the frozen wastes of northern Minnesota, and since a race-baiting political activist with an appetite for publicity is on the way Davenport has to kick the investigation into overdrive in an effort to stop a potential media outrage fest.
It turns out that there are a couple of illegal operations running in the rural area, and the victims were connected to them. Lucas finds a valuable local guide in twelve-year-old Letty West. Letty is an smart girl who is practically raising herself thanks to an alcoholic mother. Tough and self-reliant, Letty discovered the bodies while out trapping muskrats, and since she finds it all very interesting she finds excuses to keep hanging around Lucas.
Shifting Lucas and Del to new positions gives us some new supporting characters like the political savvy governor and thuggish BCA agents Shrake and Jenkins who provide plenty of humor. The new job also puts Lucas on a bit of a learning curve. His skill at manipulating people has always given him a feel for dealing with political and media angles, but he’s operating on a whole new level here. Having the governor behind him also allows Lucas to throw some serious weight around when need be, and busting balls to get things moving is something that he’s very good at.
With the changes to Davenport’s personal and professional life, this book signaled a new phase in the Prey series. A bit older and calmer, Lucas’s investigations would seem more like a job he enjoys rather than just a way for him to avoid depression and boredom. The additional authority also seems to suit him, and this plays into the spin-off series featuring Virgil Flowers in which Lucas is the boss. The plots also shift away from often being about crazy serial killers stalking women into more offbeat type crimes
The aspect that Lucas would grow and change a bit through the course of the series is something that I‘ve always liked. Too many series get stale and tired when the author is scared too veer to far away from what’s worked before, and it’s Sandford willingness to shake things up a bit that’s helped Davenport’s longevity as a character.
Next: Lucas searches for Russian spies in Hidden Prey.
January 27, 2019
This book had to be a challenge for John Sandford. His previous novel, Mortal Prey, was his most successful to date, both critically and in terms of reader popularity. And while you can never predict how the public will react to any particular piece of work--and he almost certainly started on Naked Prey well before the verdict started coming in on Mortal--Sandford had to know that Mortal Prey was really, really good. How do you match that? Particularly since most of that previous success came from focusing on a particularly sympathetic but vicious villain.
Answer: refocus on your hero. Lucas Davenport has a new job (or at least a new job title; he still tracks high-profile killers), new bosses (he now reports to the governor and his assistant), and politics are now a part of the job description (as opposed to being the primary obstacle to circumvent in accomplishing his job). When a mixed couple--a black man and a white woman--are found hanging naked from a tree in a small, isolated Minnesota town, the reader--at Lucas’ side--is promptly introduced to all of the above. Traditionally Sandford splits time equally between the killer and Davenport. In order to keep Lucas spotlighted, the case unravels in such a way that we move from one crime to another, one villain to the next. Some of the bad guys are not as bad as we are initially led to believe; others are pure evil. By the time we get around to the showdown with the real villain, Davenport has been shown in much more positive light than in his most recent adventures. His motives are more moral, his compassion more instinctive, his willingness to overlook letter-of-the-law crimes in service of a great good comes about with less or no internal debate. But he has not quite achieved sainthood. He can still be callous in how he goes about his investigations. And on occasion he can still be petty.
The sparsely populated area where the murders took place is quickly invaded by more than just Lucas. Such a racially-sensitive murder--a black man had been stripped naked and hung--brings with it enormous amounts of reporters, some political delicacy, and eventually the FBI. They add to a mix that already includes sheriffs and deputies, a highway patrolman, a group of nuns, and a twelve year old girl who promptly becomes a media star because she lived closest to the murder site. The criminals know who the other criminals are and the innocents know next to nothing, and we get to meet them all as Lucas searches for that one crack that will open up the rest. While it’s not Mortal Prey-level in quality--a standard few books can reach--it is interesting and action-packed and races toward a dramatic conclusion. Which is the essence of a John Sandford novel.
And I guess that’s how you follow up your masterpiece.
Answer: refocus on your hero. Lucas Davenport has a new job (or at least a new job title; he still tracks high-profile killers), new bosses (he now reports to the governor and his assistant), and politics are now a part of the job description (as opposed to being the primary obstacle to circumvent in accomplishing his job). When a mixed couple--a black man and a white woman--are found hanging naked from a tree in a small, isolated Minnesota town, the reader--at Lucas’ side--is promptly introduced to all of the above. Traditionally Sandford splits time equally between the killer and Davenport. In order to keep Lucas spotlighted, the case unravels in such a way that we move from one crime to another, one villain to the next. Some of the bad guys are not as bad as we are initially led to believe; others are pure evil. By the time we get around to the showdown with the real villain, Davenport has been shown in much more positive light than in his most recent adventures. His motives are more moral, his compassion more instinctive, his willingness to overlook letter-of-the-law crimes in service of a great good comes about with less or no internal debate. But he has not quite achieved sainthood. He can still be callous in how he goes about his investigations. And on occasion he can still be petty.
The sparsely populated area where the murders took place is quickly invaded by more than just Lucas. Such a racially-sensitive murder--a black man had been stripped naked and hung--brings with it enormous amounts of reporters, some political delicacy, and eventually the FBI. They add to a mix that already includes sheriffs and deputies, a highway patrolman, a group of nuns, and a twelve year old girl who promptly becomes a media star because she lived closest to the murder site. The criminals know who the other criminals are and the innocents know next to nothing, and we get to meet them all as Lucas searches for that one crack that will open up the rest. While it’s not Mortal Prey-level in quality--a standard few books can reach--it is interesting and action-packed and races toward a dramatic conclusion. Which is the essence of a John Sandford novel.
And I guess that’s how you follow up your masterpiece.
August 9, 2023
5 Stars. I can't think of anything better - curled up on a couch with a coffee nearby and about to open another Lucas Davenport novel. If the cable went off, if the power failed in winter, and if my favourite team was in last place and falling, it wouldn't matter. In hockey parlance, "Naked Prey" scores a hat trick. The book was much better than TV. A stunner. Davenport has joined Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to handle the toughest, often political, cases. He gets a call from Governor Henderson. A black man has been found hanging naked from a tree up north. It's horrible and just the possibility of a lynching in the 21st century creates a media frenzy. Lucas is instructed to get to Broderick and report back with even the smallest development. He finds that it's not what it seems. The other person hanging is a white woman and Lucas believes there may be links to recent kidnappings of two little girls. Plus auto theft and drug smuggling. He thinks it's all connected. Is he right? You will smile when a pre-teen named Letty West appears. Independent and smart, she plays an important role here, and in Davenport's personal future. Enjoy. I did. (February 2023)
April 7, 2014
The fourteenth installment in John Sandford's Prey series finds that some major changes have transformed the life of the series protagonist, former Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport. Lucas is now married and the father of an infant son. And, in the wake of a political shakeup, Davenport's long-time boss, police chief Rose Marie Roux is now the head of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Rose Marie has taken Lucas along with her and he is now head of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. (When asked recently why the agency was named the Bureau Criminal Apprehension rather than Bureau of Criminal Investigations, as is the case in many other states, Sandford responded that it's because the Bureau doesn't investigate criminals, it catches them.
The change allows Lucas to get out of the Minneapolis metro area, where he has mostly been confined until now, and conduct investigations anywhere in the state. He is basically in charge of handling politically sensitive investigations and he reports, through Rose Marie, directly to the governor. This case begins when Rose Marie calls Lucas early one cold winter morning to tell him that two people have been found hanged in the woods way up in an isolated region in the northern part of the state. Complicating matters is the fact that one of the victims is black, and some people are already tossing around the word "lynching."
A ghastly crime has been committed and a public relations disaster could be in the offing. The governor and Rose Marie order Lucas to take charge of the investigation and to defuse the situation before it gets completely out of hand. Lucas rounds up his most trusted sidekick, Del Capslock, who has accompanied him to the BCA, and the two head off into the frozen tundra.
The crime allows Lucas and Del to interact with a lot of colorful rural characters, including a bumbling sheriff with little or no actual law enforcement experience. The most interesting of the locals is twelve-year-old Letty West, a muskrat trapper who discovered the bodies while running her trap lines. Letty lives with her alcoholic mother out on the edge of town, basically in the middle of nowhere. She's tough beyond her years, extremely self-reliant and perhaps the smartest and most observant person in town. Certainly she's the most precocious, as Lucas quickly discovers.
Lucas also quickly discovers that there's a lot more to this situation than may have first met the eye. A number of curious residents inhabit the town, including a group of women known as the "nuns", who have taken over a former church and are ostensibly engaged in various charitable activities. Exactly what all of these people are doing, collected together in this town, becomes a critically important issue.
It also becomes apparent that the two victims of the hangings--certainly not the "lynchings" as Lucas keeps reminding people--were hardly stellar citizens. They were apparently involved in at least some minor, if not major, criminal activity, and this complicates the search for their killer.
As the book progresses, the situation becomes even more entangled; additional crimes are committed, and Lucas thus faces one of the more challenging cases of his career. As always, it's great fun watching him work, and the interactions between Lucas, Del, the locals, the media and the other law enforcement officials who are drawn to the scene are very entertaining. Ultimately, the action builds to a great climax, and the end result is another solid entry in a very fine series.
The change allows Lucas to get out of the Minneapolis metro area, where he has mostly been confined until now, and conduct investigations anywhere in the state. He is basically in charge of handling politically sensitive investigations and he reports, through Rose Marie, directly to the governor. This case begins when Rose Marie calls Lucas early one cold winter morning to tell him that two people have been found hanged in the woods way up in an isolated region in the northern part of the state. Complicating matters is the fact that one of the victims is black, and some people are already tossing around the word "lynching."
A ghastly crime has been committed and a public relations disaster could be in the offing. The governor and Rose Marie order Lucas to take charge of the investigation and to defuse the situation before it gets completely out of hand. Lucas rounds up his most trusted sidekick, Del Capslock, who has accompanied him to the BCA, and the two head off into the frozen tundra.
The crime allows Lucas and Del to interact with a lot of colorful rural characters, including a bumbling sheriff with little or no actual law enforcement experience. The most interesting of the locals is twelve-year-old Letty West, a muskrat trapper who discovered the bodies while running her trap lines. Letty lives with her alcoholic mother out on the edge of town, basically in the middle of nowhere. She's tough beyond her years, extremely self-reliant and perhaps the smartest and most observant person in town. Certainly she's the most precocious, as Lucas quickly discovers.
Lucas also quickly discovers that there's a lot more to this situation than may have first met the eye. A number of curious residents inhabit the town, including a group of women known as the "nuns", who have taken over a former church and are ostensibly engaged in various charitable activities. Exactly what all of these people are doing, collected together in this town, becomes a critically important issue.
It also becomes apparent that the two victims of the hangings--certainly not the "lynchings" as Lucas keeps reminding people--were hardly stellar citizens. They were apparently involved in at least some minor, if not major, criminal activity, and this complicates the search for their killer.
As the book progresses, the situation becomes even more entangled; additional crimes are committed, and Lucas thus faces one of the more challenging cases of his career. As always, it's great fun watching him work, and the interactions between Lucas, Del, the locals, the media and the other law enforcement officials who are drawn to the scene are very entertaining. Ultimately, the action builds to a great climax, and the end result is another solid entry in a very fine series.
January 20, 2019
Well we have Lucas fairly happy and settled in this one with a new wife and baby. However, Lucas is feeling restless since he doesn't have anything big to work on. Apparently thinking it up causes something ugly this way to come and Lucas is quickly sent off to figure out if a black man and white woman being hung together is a lynching or something else. I think Sandford did well in this one with giving you a clue to who is linked to the two people who were murdered, without giving away until Lucas realizes it, what they were all up to. And then you get to see who all was involved. I think the wrap up to things could have been done better and I have to say that I don't buy the one antagonist being cowed by his mother since we saw what happened with him and his mother when he was 11. It just felt off to me and I think Sandford wanted to try to explain away this character's guilt in order for the explosive ending.
This book is just Lucas and Del being sent by Rose Marie and the governor to figure out if a interracial couple was lynched. Even though readers know that something is going on, you don't get the whole picture until around the 50 percent mark of the book and even then you don't get everything until after that. I really have to say that is much better than when Sandford would tell you the bad guy who Lucas is just tying to track down the whole book. It gets old after a while.
Lucas is more mellow in this one. I like Lucas when he's not acting like he's not seen a woman before. He and Del working together are great and have great moments of hilarity. We are introduced to a new character in this one, pre-teen Letty who is going to become important to the series. We also get an African American reporter that Lucas decides to befriend in order to get bigger favors down the road. I hope he shows up again.
I do have to say that the first part of the book drags a bit here and there, but everything smooths out after a while. You are then just holding your breath hoping Lucas and Del make it out alive.
The ending was really good, but as I said above, I think Sandford just messed with the pathology of the one bad guy because it made zero sense about what went on when it was revealed by Sandford. I think he just did it to make the ending more bad ass (I get it) but then he needed to rewrite the beginning with the bad guy.
This book is just Lucas and Del being sent by Rose Marie and the governor to figure out if a interracial couple was lynched. Even though readers know that something is going on, you don't get the whole picture until around the 50 percent mark of the book and even then you don't get everything until after that. I really have to say that is much better than when Sandford would tell you the bad guy who Lucas is just tying to track down the whole book. It gets old after a while.
Lucas is more mellow in this one. I like Lucas when he's not acting like he's not seen a woman before. He and Del working together are great and have great moments of hilarity. We are introduced to a new character in this one, pre-teen Letty who is going to become important to the series. We also get an African American reporter that Lucas decides to befriend in order to get bigger favors down the road. I hope he shows up again.
I do have to say that the first part of the book drags a bit here and there, but everything smooths out after a while. You are then just holding your breath hoping Lucas and Del make it out alive.
The ending was really good, but as I said above, I think Sandford just messed with the pathology of the one bad guy because it made zero sense about what went on when it was revealed by Sandford. I think he just did it to make the ending more bad ass (I get it) but then he needed to rewrite the beginning with the bad guy.
May 21, 2019
4.5! Ahh! How I have missed John Sandford's ability to right a great detective novel without the cliché chapter cliffhangers! And I never feel like the novels are taking forever! I love me some Lucas Davenport! This is probably my second favorite detective series! Lucas' cases are always high octane with just the right amount of drama! So good!
June 3, 2020
Another solid read in the Lucas Davenport series.
Lucas has a new job where he takes on complicated and/or political cases. I liked this change of pace since the novel really focused on the case as opposed to other things going on in Lucas' life. Lots of murders in this one and I enjoyed going along for the ride and seeing how Lucas would solve the case.
Lucas has a new job where he takes on complicated and/or political cases. I liked this change of pace since the novel really focused on the case as opposed to other things going on in Lucas' life. Lots of murders in this one and I enjoyed going along for the ride and seeing how Lucas would solve the case.
August 12, 2020
The plot is not a "whodunnit" but a "catch-me-if-you-can". Lucas Davenport is called upon to crack a case of lynching of two people, a black man and a white woman, in a laid-back conservative small county of Broderick. He is assisted by his partner Del Capslock. What turns out to be revenge killings and not a mob lynching, spins out to far more gruesome and convoluted.
Without revealing too much, the narrative is easy and it definitely keeps you hooked. The reason why it is not a 4 or 5 star is because of the simplicity of the plot and no suspense. Letty, the 12-year-old girl is adorable and more matured than her age. You just love this gutsy little character. All other characters are boring without any depth. But the plot keeps you on the edge and in the end turns out to be a nice read.
Without revealing too much, the narrative is easy and it definitely keeps you hooked. The reason why it is not a 4 or 5 star is because of the simplicity of the plot and no suspense. Letty, the 12-year-old girl is adorable and more matured than her age. You just love this gutsy little character. All other characters are boring without any depth. But the plot keeps you on the edge and in the end turns out to be a nice read.
July 11, 2016
I enjoyed the second half much more than the first due to good action. 8 of 10 stars
September 30, 2025
2nd read - A favorite character and story of mine from John Sandford. Along with Michael Bekker and Clara Rinker, Letty is a great character study. On the brink of being a teenager, a young girl stumbles on two bodies hanging from a tree, an African American man and Caucasian woman. Lucas, part of Minnesota's Public Safety group, is dispatched by the Governor to put a lid on any talk of "lynching."
As in Sandford's "Storm Prey", the weather takes on an added dimension that is palatable, and becomes an integral part of the tale. The story involves a stolen car gang and a group of semi-spiritual women who help the less fortunate in the area with low-cost prescription drugs and marijuana. Throw in a double kidnapping and internal back-stabbing, and Lucas and Del are neck deep in small town intrigue.
1st read - We get to meet Letty, very entertaining suspense story.
As in Sandford's "Storm Prey", the weather takes on an added dimension that is palatable, and becomes an integral part of the tale. The story involves a stolen car gang and a group of semi-spiritual women who help the less fortunate in the area with low-cost prescription drugs and marijuana. Throw in a double kidnapping and internal back-stabbing, and Lucas and Del are neck deep in small town intrigue.
1st read - We get to meet Letty, very entertaining suspense story.
April 28, 2019
A solid 4 star read, but I just had to add another Starr for the main character Lucas Davenport! I'm looking forward to picking up the next one soon!!
March 3, 2015
Fourteenth in the Lucas Davenport suspense series set in Minneapolis and revolving around a smart cop with a strong sense of justice. This particular story is set in Broderick, Minnesota.
My Take
Jesus. I know the world needs to be in balance, but does it have to balance like this?
This is the first story with Lucas with the governor's public safety department, and it starts with a bang. Literally. It's vengeance, and I can't blame the big man for taking it. It was brutal. It took awhile, and I might be tempted to help him out. So might you once you learn the details. It's too bad he wasn't more careful.
I do love that Lucas, a tough-looking man with a smile that'll scare the pants off ya is such a clotheshorse. Sandford brings that home with talk of cashmere and Coach briefcases.
Lucas is a fair guy. He gets on well with the FBI and most of the local law enforcement agencies in Minnesota, and he does have a way with the LEOs who are rude, lol. He's comfortable in himself and doesn't feel the need to throw his weight around, well, unless someone is being rude, stupid, or uncooperative. It's amazing, ahem, how a little kindness can go so far in gaining cooperation.
It is a treat to "see" how they figure it out. In spite of Anderson's incompetence. Heck, I think I know more about processing a crime scene just from reading books than he does! Lucas has a practical plan of "attack" in how to investigate this crime, without stepping on anyone's toes, and generating more ideas with the different perspectives. He's also very conscious of the media and projecting a competent, thorough, and respectful image. Not what you'd expect from a tough guy. Yep, the poetry-loving Lucas is definitely not what you expect from his exterior.
I don't think Loren ever had a chance. He's not too bright, certainly never learned right or wrong from his mama, living as he did in fear for his life his whole life, and, well, he's a mama's boy. I suspect he's a sociopath with a chance. The twist Sandford puts on his love affair with Katina is very unexpected, and Sandford leads you by the nose only to twist it into hope.
It's not the only part of the story that Sandford has twisted. He keeps Singleton's involvement, Katina and Ruth's part in it, and the "big man's" identity a secret for the longest time. Sandford keeps your mind pinging with all sorts of possibilities.
Ya can't help but like Letty, even if she hates that .22 of hers, lol. She's a go-getter, conniving, and smart — someone in the family has to be. She impresses the heck out of Lucas and Del.
I don't like the direction Neil's thoughts take about the sheriff. It's not right, even if the guy is a dunce. With the way he thinks, I suspect future stories will be an interesting ride with the governor for a boss. And I think he has a bit to learn about how policing works. I wonder how long Lucas will last under him.
Del panics when Letty tells him what cool stuff Phil finds on computers that people toss out at the dump.
Interesting insight into Canadian drugs, and it helps highlight the laissez-faire attitude of the town and the cops. Nor are the drugs the only easygoing acceptance of not-too-legal activities. None of them are anything that'll hurt anyone, and it's a comfy feeling to know that not everyone is a red-tape-following idiot.
I'm tellin' ya…Sandford plays it close to the vest all the way through and humanizes it with cop humor, their restrictions, and a peek in at their personal lives.
The Story
It's a horrible way to die, and it's a horrible find for Letty West who's out checking her traps. It's also a potential political nightmare and Lucas Davenport is dispatched to the northern reaches of Minnesota to fix this. Fast.
Only there are too many questions and too many twists in this tiny town. People who know too much and say too little.
The Characters
Lucas and Weather Davenport are married and the baby has arrived: Samuel Kalle Davenport. Ellen is their new housekeeper. Weather is a surgeon while Lucas is now working for the Department of Public Safety under Rose Marie. Elle Kruger is a nun now, Sister Mary Joseph, and a psychologist. She's an old friend of Lucas' from their childhood. She also used to beta test Lucas' role-playing games. Seems Elle knows Ruth who also helped beta test.
Department of Public Safety is…
…a pet project of the governor's. Rose Marie Roux is its new head. Del Capslock came along with Lucas from the Minneapolis PD; he's married to Cheryl, a nurse. If you want to know about a good hiding place, Del's your man.
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is…
…where Lucas has his office. John McCord is the head of it, and he hates the Public Safety idea. Jenkins and Shrake like arresting people. Carl Driscoll is the head of the crime scene crew. The guys from the Bemidji office include Hank Dickerson, Joe Barin, and Woods.
Governor Elmer Henderson, a black horse no one expected to be successful as a politician, intends for this department to show him in a good light. Neil Mitford is his Igor. He is a pragmatic son of a bitch.
Minneapolis PD
Lieutenant Marcy Sherrill is the head of Intelligence. Elroy remembers her well.
The Law Enforcement Center in Armstrong in Custer County
Ray Zahn is a state patrolman who calls the murders in. The sheriff is a new guy, Dick Anderson, and he has no experience. He was only elected because the last sheriff, Bobby Carter, was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. Anderson's puppeteer appears to be Barry Wilson, the head of the county commission. None of the commission is too impressed with him, especially Harvey Benschneider. Deputies include Braun, Schnurr, Roland Askew, Day Payton, and Roger Elroy, a cop whom Lucas met in another town in a previous book. Henry Ford is the medical examiner. Micky James and Susan Conrad work the comm center. George Puckett is a crime scene guy, and I think he's with LEC.
Broderick
Letty West is the young trapper who found them. Her mother, Martha, is a singing and guitar playing lush. Dick is Martha's on-again, off-again boyfriend.
The truck rehab business…
…is Gene Calb's baby and brought the town back to life. Gloria is his wife. Shawn Davis is Calb's contact down in Kansas City. Dick Block is the mean guy with the dogs; he's the prep specialist at Calb's. Eurice is his girlfriend. Mike Bannister, Kiley Anderson, Durrell Schmidt, and Dexter Barnes are some of the guys who work for Calb. Jane Warr works at the casino dealing blackjack, and Deon Cash, her boyfriend, is an ex-con out of Kansas City. He and Joe Kelly drive for Calb.
The nuns…
…live and work out of what the locals refer to as the Holy Roller church. Katina Lewis is part of the charity mission, and she's got her sights set on Loren Singleton, a sheriff's deputy and a Cadillac restorer. Ruth is Katina's older sister and in charge of their group. I'm not sure how Sister Mary Ann fits in.
Jeanette Raskin used to work for Lutheran Social Services and run the Love Bug, a free clinic.
Carl Holme runs a car dealership, and he'll rent Lucas and Del a couple cars. Zelda Holme is his wife, and she works as a secretary to the sheriff. Pete runs the bar. Randy Pearce used to run it and Letty's mom felt more welcome when he ran it. Sandra Wolf runs the diner, Wolf's Cafe. The Red Robin Diner has terrible food. The Duck Inn is another not-so-fine establishment. Logan's Fancy Meats is the best place to eat in town. John McGuire and his sister, Shelly, run the gas station. Bud is a trapper. Harriet is a hairdresser. Phil Bussard works at the dump and drives the Cat. Reese Culver sometimes gets loaded and Letty drives him home. And keeps the truck to get to her trapline quicker the next morning. Loretta Grupe is Reese's neighbor. Linda Carlson and her husband are the Calbs' best friends.
Casino at Moose Bay is…
…run by the Chippewa. Clark Hoffman is security chief. Terry Anderson is Clark's brother-in-law. JoAnne Small Bear saw the murderer.
The nursing home is…
…where Margery Singleton, Loren's mother works. She's a psychopath who should have been killed at birth. Loren's father, Edgar, was turned into a poached Eg. Flo Anderson is Margery's best friend and a registered nurse. Burt is a supervisor. Old man Barrows is one of the patients.
Rochester PD
Sheriff Brad Wilson.
FBI
Special Agents Lanny Cole and Jim Green are vouched for by Sheriff Wilson. Aaron Jaffe is from Hollywood and a specialist with ground penetrating radar.
Washington Fowler is a civil rights attorney from Chicago with a reputation for stirring things up. Hale and Mary Sorrell's daughter, Tammy, was kidnapped just before Christmas. George is Hale's lawyer. Mark Johnson is a reporter with the Chicago Tribune. A guy Weather knows, Harry Larson, will do the hand surgery. Tom Block is the Kansas City Lucas Davenport. Tom Burkes' daughter, Annie, was also kidnapped.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the deep royal blue of a dark night with only the lights of an approaching car to give the impression of a lonely road going through the woods. The author's name and title are embossed with a silver hologram while the info text is in white.
The title is the first two murders. He has plans for his Naked Prey.
My Take
Jesus. I know the world needs to be in balance, but does it have to balance like this?
This is the first story with Lucas with the governor's public safety department, and it starts with a bang. Literally. It's vengeance, and I can't blame the big man for taking it. It was brutal. It took awhile, and I might be tempted to help him out. So might you once you learn the details. It's too bad he wasn't more careful.
I do love that Lucas, a tough-looking man with a smile that'll scare the pants off ya is such a clotheshorse. Sandford brings that home with talk of cashmere and Coach briefcases.
One of the victims is black, and Ray Zahn reckons the county's cultural diversity went back to zero.
Lucas is a fair guy. He gets on well with the FBI and most of the local law enforcement agencies in Minnesota, and he does have a way with the LEOs who are rude, lol. He's comfortable in himself and doesn't feel the need to throw his weight around, well, unless someone is being rude, stupid, or uncooperative. It's amazing, ahem, how a little kindness can go so far in gaining cooperation.
It is a treat to "see" how they figure it out. In spite of Anderson's incompetence. Heck, I think I know more about processing a crime scene just from reading books than he does! Lucas has a practical plan of "attack" in how to investigate this crime, without stepping on anyone's toes, and generating more ideas with the different perspectives. He's also very conscious of the media and projecting a competent, thorough, and respectful image. Not what you'd expect from a tough guy. Yep, the poetry-loving Lucas is definitely not what you expect from his exterior.
I don't think Loren ever had a chance. He's not too bright, certainly never learned right or wrong from his mama, living as he did in fear for his life his whole life, and, well, he's a mama's boy. I suspect he's a sociopath with a chance. The twist Sandford puts on his love affair with Katina is very unexpected, and Sandford leads you by the nose only to twist it into hope.
"They were in Lucas's new Acura SUV, which Lucas had begun to suspect was a disguised minivan."
It's not the only part of the story that Sandford has twisted. He keeps Singleton's involvement, Katina and Ruth's part in it, and the "big man's" identity a secret for the longest time. Sandford keeps your mind pinging with all sorts of possibilities.
Ya can't help but like Letty, even if she hates that .22 of hers, lol. She's a go-getter, conniving, and smart — someone in the family has to be. She impresses the heck out of Lucas and Del.
I don't like the direction Neil's thoughts take about the sheriff. It's not right, even if the guy is a dunce. With the way he thinks, I suspect future stories will be an interesting ride with the governor for a boss. And I think he has a bit to learn about how policing works. I wonder how long Lucas will last under him.
Del panics when Letty tells him what cool stuff Phil finds on computers that people toss out at the dump.
Interesting insight into Canadian drugs, and it helps highlight the laissez-faire attitude of the town and the cops. Nor are the drugs the only easygoing acceptance of not-too-legal activities. None of them are anything that'll hurt anyone, and it's a comfy feeling to know that not everyone is a red-tape-following idiot.
I'm tellin' ya…Sandford plays it close to the vest all the way through and humanizes it with cop humor, their restrictions, and a peek in at their personal lives.
The Story
It's a horrible way to die, and it's a horrible find for Letty West who's out checking her traps. It's also a potential political nightmare and Lucas Davenport is dispatched to the northern reaches of Minnesota to fix this. Fast.
Only there are too many questions and too many twists in this tiny town. People who know too much and say too little.
The Characters
Lucas and Weather Davenport are married and the baby has arrived: Samuel Kalle Davenport. Ellen is their new housekeeper. Weather is a surgeon while Lucas is now working for the Department of Public Safety under Rose Marie. Elle Kruger is a nun now, Sister Mary Joseph, and a psychologist. She's an old friend of Lucas' from their childhood. She also used to beta test Lucas' role-playing games. Seems Elle knows Ruth who also helped beta test.
Department of Public Safety is…
…a pet project of the governor's. Rose Marie Roux is its new head. Del Capslock came along with Lucas from the Minneapolis PD; he's married to Cheryl, a nurse. If you want to know about a good hiding place, Del's your man.
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is…
…where Lucas has his office. John McCord is the head of it, and he hates the Public Safety idea. Jenkins and Shrake like arresting people. Carl Driscoll is the head of the crime scene crew. The guys from the Bemidji office include Hank Dickerson, Joe Barin, and Woods.
Governor Elmer Henderson, a black horse no one expected to be successful as a politician, intends for this department to show him in a good light. Neil Mitford is his Igor. He is a pragmatic son of a bitch.
Minneapolis PD
Lieutenant Marcy Sherrill is the head of Intelligence. Elroy remembers her well.
The Law Enforcement Center in Armstrong in Custer County
Ray Zahn is a state patrolman who calls the murders in. The sheriff is a new guy, Dick Anderson, and he has no experience. He was only elected because the last sheriff, Bobby Carter, was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. Anderson's puppeteer appears to be Barry Wilson, the head of the county commission. None of the commission is too impressed with him, especially Harvey Benschneider. Deputies include Braun, Schnurr, Roland Askew, Day Payton, and Roger Elroy, a cop whom Lucas met in another town in a previous book. Henry Ford is the medical examiner. Micky James and Susan Conrad work the comm center. George Puckett is a crime scene guy, and I think he's with LEC.
Broderick
Letty West is the young trapper who found them. Her mother, Martha, is a singing and guitar playing lush. Dick is Martha's on-again, off-again boyfriend.
The truck rehab business…
…is Gene Calb's baby and brought the town back to life. Gloria is his wife. Shawn Davis is Calb's contact down in Kansas City. Dick Block is the mean guy with the dogs; he's the prep specialist at Calb's. Eurice is his girlfriend. Mike Bannister, Kiley Anderson, Durrell Schmidt, and Dexter Barnes are some of the guys who work for Calb. Jane Warr works at the casino dealing blackjack, and Deon Cash, her boyfriend, is an ex-con out of Kansas City. He and Joe Kelly drive for Calb.
The nuns…
…live and work out of what the locals refer to as the Holy Roller church. Katina Lewis is part of the charity mission, and she's got her sights set on Loren Singleton, a sheriff's deputy and a Cadillac restorer. Ruth is Katina's older sister and in charge of their group. I'm not sure how Sister Mary Ann fits in.
Jeanette Raskin used to work for Lutheran Social Services and run the Love Bug, a free clinic.
Carl Holme runs a car dealership, and he'll rent Lucas and Del a couple cars. Zelda Holme is his wife, and she works as a secretary to the sheriff. Pete runs the bar. Randy Pearce used to run it and Letty's mom felt more welcome when he ran it. Sandra Wolf runs the diner, Wolf's Cafe. The Red Robin Diner has terrible food. The Duck Inn is another not-so-fine establishment. Logan's Fancy Meats is the best place to eat in town. John McGuire and his sister, Shelly, run the gas station. Bud is a trapper. Harriet is a hairdresser. Phil Bussard works at the dump and drives the Cat. Reese Culver sometimes gets loaded and Letty drives him home. And keeps the truck to get to her trapline quicker the next morning. Loretta Grupe is Reese's neighbor. Linda Carlson and her husband are the Calbs' best friends.
Casino at Moose Bay is…
…run by the Chippewa. Clark Hoffman is security chief. Terry Anderson is Clark's brother-in-law. JoAnne Small Bear saw the murderer.
The nursing home is…
…where Margery Singleton, Loren's mother works. She's a psychopath who should have been killed at birth. Loren's father, Edgar, was turned into a poached Eg. Flo Anderson is Margery's best friend and a registered nurse. Burt is a supervisor. Old man Barrows is one of the patients.
Rochester PD
Sheriff Brad Wilson.
FBI
Special Agents Lanny Cole and Jim Green are vouched for by Sheriff Wilson. Aaron Jaffe is from Hollywood and a specialist with ground penetrating radar.
Washington Fowler is a civil rights attorney from Chicago with a reputation for stirring things up. Hale and Mary Sorrell's daughter, Tammy, was kidnapped just before Christmas. George is Hale's lawyer. Mark Johnson is a reporter with the Chicago Tribune. A guy Weather knows, Harry Larson, will do the hand surgery. Tom Block is the Kansas City Lucas Davenport. Tom Burkes' daughter, Annie, was also kidnapped.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the deep royal blue of a dark night with only the lights of an approaching car to give the impression of a lonely road going through the woods. The author's name and title are embossed with a silver hologram while the info text is in white.
The title is the first two murders. He has plans for his Naked Prey.
November 16, 2019
Naked Prey
by John Sandford
Well that was fun and not planned. I rarely have 2 books going at once, but I was cleaning out my daughter’s room and found 2 John Sandford books in her dresser. I have read all his books but this one introduces Letty, Davenport’s adopted daughter. I started reading the first few pages and it was all over for the other book for a few days. Some of us believe that when Sandford tires of writing more Davenport mysteries he will develop the Letty character in a new series.
The story takes place in a small town in Northwestern Minnesota near the Canadian border. If you are interested in reading about the cold, miserable winters in Minnesota this book should suffice. There are multiple criminal activities going on in this small town, but Lucas is only interested in some murders connected to a kidnapping. During the investigation he uncovers some of the other activity and can’t believe it’s just a coincidence.
I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but there is a drug smuggling ring here. In case you haven’t heard enough about Drug Prices from campaign speeches this year there is an interesting discussion between Lucas and the leader of the ring. This discussion gives a good description of the parameters of the issue.
While reading this I was thinking again of just starting with his first book and reading the series back-to-back. There are 41 books in this series if you include the Virgil Flowers series, which I think I would do. And he is not done writing yet! That should provide plenty of reading material for some date in the future.
I’m looking forward to it.
by John Sandford
Well that was fun and not planned. I rarely have 2 books going at once, but I was cleaning out my daughter’s room and found 2 John Sandford books in her dresser. I have read all his books but this one introduces Letty, Davenport’s adopted daughter. I started reading the first few pages and it was all over for the other book for a few days. Some of us believe that when Sandford tires of writing more Davenport mysteries he will develop the Letty character in a new series.
The story takes place in a small town in Northwestern Minnesota near the Canadian border. If you are interested in reading about the cold, miserable winters in Minnesota this book should suffice. There are multiple criminal activities going on in this small town, but Lucas is only interested in some murders connected to a kidnapping. During the investigation he uncovers some of the other activity and can’t believe it’s just a coincidence.
I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but there is a drug smuggling ring here. In case you haven’t heard enough about Drug Prices from campaign speeches this year there is an interesting discussion between Lucas and the leader of the ring. This discussion gives a good description of the parameters of the issue.
While reading this I was thinking again of just starting with his first book and reading the series back-to-back. There are 41 books in this series if you include the Virgil Flowers series, which I think I would do. And he is not done writing yet! That should provide plenty of reading material for some date in the future.
I’m looking forward to it.
August 9, 2018
Audio... interesting plot...I think that this could happen. At this point in the series, I am glad that there is more story characters and less Davenport. He keeps introducing good characters.
June 18, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this 14th book in John Sandford's "Lucas Davenport" series!
December 11, 2019
"I don't dream about any of them, except maybe one burned guy I saw, all black and crispy but still alive... died while we were waiting for the ambulance. And a little kids who drowned in a creek, she was my first one right after I went out on patrol."
"I remember my first kid."
"Everybody does," Del said. He did the cold-weather tap dance, and blew some steam. "I'm gonna remember this one for a while."
In Naked Prey, Lucas is handled a politically charged case: a black man and a white woman are found hanging naked from a tree in a small Minnesota town, and the word "lynching" is officially in the air. Lucas is now in charge of handling statewide cases quickly, quietly, and with a bare minimum of blowback, so he takes Del and heads north. He's walking into chaos, but he is, thankfully, now in a pretty stable stage of his life. Weather is at home with their new baby, and marriage and parenting are working out pretty well for them. I continue to appreciate the background characterization of their relationship as well as the way Sandford allows Weather to be useful outside of being Lucas's sounding board; here, for example, she's a helpful medical connection.
The don't-call-it-a-lynching case has a simple solution that's almost immediately apparent--and then the case grows progressively more tangled as suspects and witnesses keep turning up dead. Sandford gets some nice complications here by basically populating this small town with a bunch of people who all of their own motives and (mostly) all have their own schemes: there are some people quietly breaking the law for the greater good, a "small" business owner ensuring his success via highly organized theft, a few enterprising low-level crooks with more ambitions than sense, a poisonous and codependent mother-son relationship, and a little girl with lots of practical wilderness skills and grit. The funny, paternal friendship that builds up between Lucas and Letty, the girl, is one of the touchstones of the book, and Sandford takes it interesting and unexpected directions.
This is a solid and enjoyable entry in the series. It's a little lower-key than some--the political turmoil turns out to be fairly manageable, and the book becomes mostly about waiting to see when Lucas and his team will grow suspicious of one particular person--but the supporting characters are vivid and the storytelling is strong as always. And it's good to see Lucas coming into a newer and more settled part of his life, one where he has considerable independent authority at work but more interdependence in his personal life. As ever, I'm looking forward to the next.
"I remember my first kid."
"Everybody does," Del said. He did the cold-weather tap dance, and blew some steam. "I'm gonna remember this one for a while."
In Naked Prey, Lucas is handled a politically charged case: a black man and a white woman are found hanging naked from a tree in a small Minnesota town, and the word "lynching" is officially in the air. Lucas is now in charge of handling statewide cases quickly, quietly, and with a bare minimum of blowback, so he takes Del and heads north. He's walking into chaos, but he is, thankfully, now in a pretty stable stage of his life. Weather is at home with their new baby, and marriage and parenting are working out pretty well for them. I continue to appreciate the background characterization of their relationship as well as the way Sandford allows Weather to be useful outside of being Lucas's sounding board; here, for example, she's a helpful medical connection.
The don't-call-it-a-lynching case has a simple solution that's almost immediately apparent--and then the case grows progressively more tangled as suspects and witnesses keep turning up dead. Sandford gets some nice complications here by basically populating this small town with a bunch of people who all of their own motives and (mostly) all have their own schemes: there are some people quietly breaking the law for the greater good, a "small" business owner ensuring his success via highly organized theft, a few enterprising low-level crooks with more ambitions than sense, a poisonous and codependent mother-son relationship, and a little girl with lots of practical wilderness skills and grit. The funny, paternal friendship that builds up between Lucas and Letty, the girl, is one of the touchstones of the book, and Sandford takes it interesting and unexpected directions.
This is a solid and enjoyable entry in the series. It's a little lower-key than some--the political turmoil turns out to be fairly manageable, and the book becomes mostly about waiting to see when Lucas and his team will grow suspicious of one particular person--but the supporting characters are vivid and the storytelling is strong as always. And it's good to see Lucas coming into a newer and more settled part of his life, one where he has considerable independent authority at work but more interdependence in his personal life. As ever, I'm looking forward to the next.
December 29, 2022
Wow! Right up there with the best of the series. Murders, kidnappings, drug runs and a stolen car ring all mix together for a fantastic mystery. Lucas and Del head north to investigate a hanging, and get drawn into all the rest. Up there, he will encounter a unique and independent 12 year old girl named Letty. She mostly spends her time trapping and taking care of her alcoholic mother, even driving other drunks home. I started this series in the middle and have since gone back to the beginning. I’ve been anxious to meet up with all of the people that I’ve grown to love later in the series. In this one, we get to know the young Letty and we also meet Shrake and Jenkins. My only disappointment was that Virgil Flowers didn’t show up as well. I thought for sure since this car theft group only took Toyotas, they’d tangle with Virgil when they tried to steal his 4-Runner. Didn’t happen, though. This is an important book for fans of the series to read, but would be enjoyed by anyone who just wants a good mystery.
Side-note: I was very pleased when Lucas and Del, while driving in the middle of the night through North Dakota, stopped along the side of the road to enjoy the Northern Lights. Two big manly men enjoying the beauty in nature. That’s special.
Side-note: I was very pleased when Lucas and Del, while driving in the middle of the night through North Dakota, stopped along the side of the road to enjoy the Northern Lights. Two big manly men enjoying the beauty in nature. That’s special.
February 12, 2014
John Sandford at his Lucas Davenport best. I had read this one before when it first came out but had to go back and read it again. It involves a troubled city in Northern Minnesota, kidnappings, assassinations, and great tension filled plots all bundled in a Sandford plot. For those Lucas fans this is the one that introduces Letty into his life, Weather and Lucas have been married and have a baby when he is called to go to this distant Northern town where two people are found in a small forest, male who is black and female who is white, both stripped, handcuffed and hung. This story has everything in it. One of the great features on the Lucas books is with each one they age, the kids grow, he moves on in the Minnesota law enforcement scene, Weather advances as a doctor, and all changes. Great reading, do it.
May 1, 2019
DISCLAIMER:
Contrary to what some of my co-workers think, this is not a novel based on one of those "Skinemax" Cop movies shown on Cinemax in the wee hours of the morning on Friday/Saturday nights.....This was an awesome detective story about what appears to be a disgusting hate crime, but then turns out to be so much more, and much, much worse......If this book had any weak points, it would be the antagonist. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a soft spot for the,"Bad Guy" in pretty much anything I read or watch. This one was on the weak side. The author seemed to try to humanize him a bit, but in my opinion it just made him appear more pathetic
Contrary to what some of my co-workers think, this is not a novel based on one of those "Skinemax" Cop movies shown on Cinemax in the wee hours of the morning on Friday/Saturday nights.....This was an awesome detective story about what appears to be a disgusting hate crime, but then turns out to be so much more, and much, much worse......If this book had any weak points, it would be the antagonist. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a soft spot for the,"Bad Guy" in pretty much anything I read or watch. This one was on the weak side. The author seemed to try to humanize him a bit, but in my opinion it just made him appear more pathetic
May 11, 2012
This exciting page-turner in Sanford's "Prey" series starts as central character Lucas Davenport starts a new job working for the governor of Minnesota as a married man with a baby son. The story moves along quickly as he tries to make sense of kidnappings, murders, nuns on a mission from God and a recalcitrant teenager who's wise way beyond her years. Another winner for sure!
October 21, 2017
In a somewhat different type of Lucas Davenport book from author John Sandford, "Naked Prey", Lucas and Del have clearly moved on from careers as police officers in Minneapolis to now top specialty state investigators. Now that the Minnesota governor has hired Rose Mary Roux away from Minneapolis both Lucas and Del realize it's time for them to move along with Rose Marie. In their first case as top flight state investigators the governor has sent Lucas and Del to the very northern portion of the state for a very gruesome double hanging/ murder. It's extremely cold for December and the town of Broderick is shocked by the hanging of Deon Cash, and Jane Warr deep in the woods outside of town. Tortured and stripped naked both died a very horrible death. Given the extreme cold forensics are almost impossible. Cash/ Warr being an interracial couple had been making waves in the town before their deaths. People of color just don't come to live in those northern parts of Minnesota. Plus both were drug pushers and junkies further making them outcasts in town. Lucas and Del arrive and have to rip the case away from local sheriff Ray Zahn and the local force. Trying to keep the FBI away is paramount as well. While the case creeps along Lucas and Del meet 12 year old Letty West. Letty's mother Martha is the town drunk and Letty survives on her own as a trapper and clever scavenger. Letty is also the only witness to see killer get away from hanging crime scene. After further investigation it seems that local auto mechanic Gene Calb was using a somewhat odd group of "Nuns" to smuggle drugs from Canada for the poor folks in town. However the Mob in Kansas City have a different set up with Calb that uses the nuns for criminal activities they are unaware of. Loose cannon Deputy Loren Singleton along with his sociopath of a mother have their own weird goings on for such a small town. Loren's new girlfriend Katina is quickly despised by Loren's mother Margery. Katina in a world of her own and really has no clue what she's getting herself into with Loren. Shortly after the hangings are discovered Letty's house is burned to the ground with her mother inside. Lucas and Del know for sure that Letty has come across a killer who wants her dead. As the fire was burning down Letty's house it was the ensuing chase that the crack shot 12 year old had managed to shoot her pursuer in the chest with her pop gun .22. Lucas and Del know the key to be able to unravel the mess in this town is find the resident with a hole in the chest. In a heart palpitating suspense thriller that's just over 370 spine tingling pages this is one of author John Sandford's very best. As the chapters roll on by and the bodies pile up it's a wonder there much of a town left after this fiasco. Now free of the streets of Minneapolis Lucas and Del can end up hanging out in dive diners like the colorful "Red Red Robin". Chock full of really off the wall characters, "Naked Prey", is top notch. Action packed with a thick layer of suspense, "Naked Prey", gets five stars out of a possible five stars. This being the 14 th book in this excellent series is without question a do not miss. Slightly dated coming out in 2003 the married and now new father Lucas Davenport seems content in moving towards a new realm of his career. I would also definitely must agree 100 % with Del Capslock , "Turn The Page" by Bob Seger is THE version of this classic hit, period. Lucas is very wrong thinking Metallica can cover any Bob Seger tune. Metallica ?
August 28, 2018
Lucas is now more of a political animal, sent out to solve crimes before they embarrass the governor. Thankfully not another crazed psycho, just some really dumb & greedy people in a small town setting that Sandford got right. Everyone thinks they know everyone else's business & mostly they do, but there are a few deadly secrets in this one.
Again, a great cast of characters including a very tough ex-nun & a great young gal. They all have great parts & are well written so they just pop from the page or earbuds in this case. Again, Richard Ferrone did a great job narrating.
I can't believe it took me so long to get around to this series. I see a blurb that the next one is the best yet. Hard to believe, so I just have to find out.
Again, a great cast of characters including a very tough ex-nun & a great young gal. They all have great parts & are well written so they just pop from the page or earbuds in this case. Again, Richard Ferrone did a great job narrating.
I can't believe it took me so long to get around to this series. I see a blurb that the next one is the best yet. Hard to believe, so I just have to find out.
December 21, 2018
Well I have to admit I did not read all the Lucas Davenport books in order so I FINALLY learned how Letty came to live with the Davenports :) and I LOVE Letty !!!! Even more so now. This was a great book with more character development. And this ending is like WOW WOW WOW the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008
John Sandford has again crafted another superb detective thriller,in the Prey series,with Naked Prey. As ever,the bold, brash,to the point detective, Lucas Davenport, deftly peels back layer after layer of the murder scenario's,townspeople, suspects,and victims, with the kind of twists and turns, that rival those of a roller coaster. Young,tough as nails,Lettie West, a threat to the killer, keeps you rooting for her, and tugging at your heartstrings, until the very end. Her precocious ways, tough talk, and wise beyond her years attitude, is a tough exterior that Mr.Sandford slowly pierces, giving us glimpse after glimpse of the child starving for love,full of dreams,and youthful vulnerability. He does so without leaving out the importance of a host of colorful characters, weaving them precisely around Lettie like a finely spun web. One that eventually catches his killer, in a sit on the edge of your seat climax. We get a longing glimpse into Lucas Davenport's personal life, which exposes a little more with each book, the fact that he is a caring , loving, human being, something which we suspected all along. You'll feel the starkness, and coldbloodedness of murder, the thrill of the chase, and be touched in the process. Not an easy task for even the most seasoned of writers. John Sandford makes it read as easy as breathing,and makes our heartbeat race, with the adrenaline of his talent. I was fortunate enough to purchase an autographed hard cover edition.
January 29, 2019
I think this is my second Sandford book and I started it with scepticism, but it was very good (just wish they would clean up the language). Things move right along and you don't know what's going to happen next. A couple of bodies were found hanging from a tree in the winter cold in MN. A couple of special agents were sent there to figure who did it. There is also drug smuggling and a chop shop - how are they all connected. You know who everyone is but the story line is how the agents are going to put everything together. I'll try another of his books. I especially like Lucas Davenport a very smart detective who has a lot of brains and guts and works with the very good team. The little girl in the book is Lettie West. I really like her too. She also has a lot of courage and guts, and makes the story interesting. Aside from the rough language, would recommend.
October 18, 2024
I think I enjoyed this one more than any I've read so far. A big part of that was a new character that I really liked, a 12 year old girl named Lettie living in a very small town in far northern Minnesota, near Canada. She actually helped a lot in solving the mystery, although it almost cost her her life. She was shot at an wounded, sliced her hand on a broken window while escaping her attacker, saw her home burned down and her mother murdered, and all through it she kept her cool better than most adults. She was also pretty entertaining and funny at times. I think most everyone liked her, and even the police didn't give her a hard time about driving without a license at 12 or under. At the end, Lucas and his wife adopted her because she had no family left. I'm sure she was a handful.
I had already read the first book to feature her as a grownup, but didn't realize it until the end of this book. Apparently, she does well in her education, and her series was pretty good, so far. Hopefully, she'll be in some of the subsequent Prey series.
Oh, and the audiobook was narrated, as usual, by Richard Ferrone, who does a great job. If there is ever a different narrator, I don't know if I would be able to handle it.
I had already read the first book to feature her as a grownup, but didn't realize it until the end of this book. Apparently, she does well in her education, and her series was pretty good, so far. Hopefully, she'll be in some of the subsequent Prey series.
Oh, and the audiobook was narrated, as usual, by Richard Ferrone, who does a great job. If there is ever a different narrator, I don't know if I would be able to handle it.
February 4, 2023
The best of the Prey novels by John Sandford, Naked Prey has it all. The story grabs you right from the beginning, what with 2 people one white one black stripped naked and hung in the back woods of Minnesota. Terrifier of the press screaming about lynching, Lucas Davenport, the best law enforcement man in MN gets the nod.
The case is nonstop action, never slowing down through to the end. Acouple times you think it's getting wrapped up only to find much more to uncover.
Davenport is a great character and Letty gets introduced in this one and she's a pistol! The regulars are here too and Sandford is a master at keeping them differentiated and interesting, and he drops a little humor here and there and it's a delight.
One of my favorite series and this one is excellent. Five stars.
The case is nonstop action, never slowing down through to the end. Acouple times you think it's getting wrapped up only to find much more to uncover.
Davenport is a great character and Letty gets introduced in this one and she's a pistol! The regulars are here too and Sandford is a master at keeping them differentiated and interesting, and he drops a little humor here and there and it's a delight.
One of my favorite series and this one is excellent. Five stars.
September 30, 2015
I am hooked on John Sandford's (real name John Camp who is a Pulitzer prize winning journalist) Lycas Davenport and Virgil Flowers books and this one was quite satisfying. They are always set mostly in small towns in Minnesota and near by states and in this one top state cop Lucas Davenport and his physician (surgeon) wife Weather have a new baby boy just as Lucas is now working for the BCA taking on the hardest cases.
Right away, he gets a very hard case. In a tiny rural town, he finds himself facing tight-lipped locals, bad food,cheap motels, and oh, those two bodies lynched in the woods. Since it is a black man and white woman, this draws a lot of attention after the bodies are found by a 12 year old girl, a fur trapper named Letty West who lives out in the middle of nowhere with her alcoholic mother who spends her days drinking and whoring letting Letty raise herself (since Dad abandoned them when Letty was born).
Bodies begin piling up which alarms the governor who puts pressure on Lucas and his state cop friend Del to get it solved before it hurts his reputation as governor (ah, those politicians always so concerned for themselves). The trouble is that this involves not just a killer but car thieves making millions, drug smuggling nuns (are they even nuns), crooked cops, revenge-seeking rich thugs whose daughters were kidnapped, kidnapped kids being murdered, murderous nursing aides, and a slew of tangled crimes. Then there is Letty, an extremely bright kid trying to help and becoming a victim herself but ready to blast away at a bad guy with her gun. Letty's mother will rise to the occasion and fight to defend Letty's life but lose her own life in the process. This is how Letty came to be adopted by Weather and Lucas in later books. You'll want to read this one!
Right away, he gets a very hard case. In a tiny rural town, he finds himself facing tight-lipped locals, bad food,cheap motels, and oh, those two bodies lynched in the woods. Since it is a black man and white woman, this draws a lot of attention after the bodies are found by a 12 year old girl, a fur trapper named Letty West who lives out in the middle of nowhere with her alcoholic mother who spends her days drinking and whoring letting Letty raise herself (since Dad abandoned them when Letty was born).
Bodies begin piling up which alarms the governor who puts pressure on Lucas and his state cop friend Del to get it solved before it hurts his reputation as governor (ah, those politicians always so concerned for themselves). The trouble is that this involves not just a killer but car thieves making millions, drug smuggling nuns (are they even nuns), crooked cops, revenge-seeking rich thugs whose daughters were kidnapped, kidnapped kids being murdered, murderous nursing aides, and a slew of tangled crimes. Then there is Letty, an extremely bright kid trying to help and becoming a victim herself but ready to blast away at a bad guy with her gun. Letty's mother will rise to the occasion and fight to defend Letty's life but lose her own life in the process. This is how Letty came to be adopted by Weather and Lucas in later books. You'll want to read this one!
May 5, 2015
I was looking forward to this 14th Prey book, and wasn’t disappointed, as it introduces Letty West, a very smart, resourceful 12-year old who will become the Davenports’ ward, and will so be a fixed feature in Lucas’s family life. Letty is living in a really small town in northern Minnesota with her drunken mother, and it’s in that town that the story begins when two people (a black man and a white woman) are being hanged by an unknown man somewhere in a remote field.
Since Lucas is now officially working in the Governor’s special unit of the BCA, lead by his former boss Rose-Marie Roux, he is being asked to solve crimes all over the state, and this case requires a swift resolution as people are talking about a lynching, which doesn’t look good for the governor. Del Capslock, one of Lucas's former Minneapolis Police partners has moved with him to this new unit and they both travel up north.
As with all the Prey books, the pages featuring Lucas are the most interesting. I didn’t particularly care for the killer, who turns out to be a sheriff’s deputy and is a very lost soul, totally screwed up by his psycho mother. I had a hard time understanding why someone would be so soulless, both mother and son were so normal, but so cruel, it was rather disturbing. Curiously enough, Lucas never finds out about the mother. For him and the local taskforce, including the FBI, the case seemed to be solved taking down the killer deputy. There was only one person who made the connection to the “Mom”, and that person has a very good reason to have her personal revenge, killing the mother - and remaining totally off the books.
So allright, after pondering it over I'm giving this 4 stars because I think this book has a most terrific first 25 pages.
Since Lucas is now officially working in the Governor’s special unit of the BCA, lead by his former boss Rose-Marie Roux, he is being asked to solve crimes all over the state, and this case requires a swift resolution as people are talking about a lynching, which doesn’t look good for the governor. Del Capslock, one of Lucas's former Minneapolis Police partners has moved with him to this new unit and they both travel up north.
As with all the Prey books, the pages featuring Lucas are the most interesting. I didn’t particularly care for the killer, who turns out to be a sheriff’s deputy and is a very lost soul, totally screwed up by his psycho mother. I had a hard time understanding why someone would be so soulless, both mother and son were so normal, but so cruel, it was rather disturbing. Curiously enough, Lucas never finds out about the mother. For him and the local taskforce, including the FBI, the case seemed to be solved taking down the killer deputy. There was only one person who made the connection to the “Mom”, and that person has a very good reason to have her personal revenge, killing the mother - and remaining totally off the books.
So allright, after pondering it over I'm giving this 4 stars because I think this book has a most terrific first 25 pages.
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