Eyes Of Prey

Lucas Davenport #3

by John Sandford

Lieutenant Davenport's sanity was nearly shattered by two murder investigations. Now he faces something worse . . . Two killers. One hideously scarred. The other strikingly handsome, a master manipulator fascinated with all aspects of death. The dark mirror of Davenport's soul . . . This is the case that will bring Davenport back to life. Or push him over the edge.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Detective

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 1991

About the author

John 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.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

DO NOT use Kindle X-ray! It gives away the bad guy's identity!

First I thought I've met my Lucas reading slump, but NO! EYES of Prey was freakin' amazing!! Two memorable baddies plus another (the third) unexpected surprise.

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book three in the series and I am liking Lucas Davenport more and more. In one of my earlier reviews I described him as morally bereft. He is getting better in this regard although he still has a way to go. He has another event in this book where anger management therapy would be advisable but he still manages to be charming and smart as his depression starts to lift.

Eyes of Prey has an excellent story line with two totally reprehensible murderers and a lot of blood and gore. Lucas manages to rise above his personal problems and performs some excellent police work. He also delivers a major surprise at the end with a twist I did not see coming at all!

So
* Charming main character - Tick
* Interesting story - Tick
* Murders and mayhem - Tick
* Major twist at the end - Tick
All that I desire from a murder mystery. I am already looking forward to the next one.

[Kemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most mental health professionals would probably tell you that a clinical depression needs to be treated with a combination of drugs and therapy, but Lucas Davenport found his own method of pulling himself out of a funk by beating the snot out of a pimp and then trying to track down a pair of wacko serial killers. I guess it’s cheaper than Prozac.

An insane pathologist, Michael Bekker, has teamed up with a deformed stage actor named Carlo Druze to pull a Hitchcock-style Strangers On A Train arrangement in which Druze will kill Bekker’s wife in exchange for Bekker murdering a theater manager that is about to fire Druze. Their plan goes off the rails when the lover of Bekker’s wife walks in on Druze after he just finished killing her. The lover escapes and calls the police but refuses to identify himself or come in as a witness.

Meanwhile, Davenport has been fighting off suicidal thoughts and trying to pull himself out of a deep, dark mental hole. Bekker is such a weird and creepy person that almost everyone who knows him assumes he killed his wife or hired it done, but his alibi is airtight. The complicated case gets Davenport interested in something for the first time in months, and he throws himself into the investigation while trying to find the witness who could identify Druze.

The beginning of this one makes it seem as if Sandford was using the burned-out-cop cliché, but what makes it interesting is the twist that he puts on it. It isn’t police work that has sent Lucas spiraling down, it’s a brutal and gruesome case that perks him back up. Like Sherlock Holmes, Lucas lives for interesting problems and his mind turns on him when he doesn't have some puzzle to think about. As usual in the Prey series, there’s some genuinely freaky bad guys, and Davenport engages in all kinds of shady maneuvers as he tries to push them into a mistake.

The only problem with this one is that the Bekker character is a bit too much. He’s fascinating as a monster obsessed with death that literally breaks into a jig sometimes, but it’s kinda hard to believe that a guy who is that goddamn crazy can make the coldly logical moves that Bekker comes up with to throw the cops off their trail. Sandford is great at creating villains who are chilling sociopaths but he generally also gives them motives like greed, revenge or jealousy to go along with their insanity. Bekker starts out like that but degenerates into this cartoonish version of a serial killer who is hooked on prescription drugs and has done everything from killing children in a cancer ward to torturing a paralyzed woman for his ‘research’ into death.

Still it’s another great thriller from Sandford with some genuinely surprising twists that changed the course of the entire series.

Next: Lucas takes a trip to New York in Silent Prey.

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rarely happens, but I’m happy to admit that the Mister was correct!! The third installment in the Lucas Davenport series was the best by far.

Granted I read the first two a few years ago, but sometimes they read as if they were written about characters from the ‘80s-90s instead of the 2000s. However, Lucas and his police buddies are much less misogynistic than earlier books. A little macho dude is to be expected but it’s what kept me from revisiting this series. Thank you Mr Sandford!

Looking forward to the next installment— it’s been awhile since I was looking forward to moving up a wait list!!

(Reviewed 6/2/20)

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

the setup…
It begins with the murder of Stephanie Bekker, the wife of a doctor, was killed in their home while husband Michael was out of town. But unknown to the killer (and her husband), she wasn’t alone. Her lover was upstairs and later walked in on the scene while in progress. He runs out and the killer runs away but not before he mutilates her eyes. When the body of Elizabeth Armistead was discovered with her eyes similarly marred, the police realize it’s the same killer but there’s nothing to connect the two women. It’s a case tailor made for the skills of Lieutenant Lucas Davenport who needs something to save him from teetering into the abyss.

the heart of the story…
We know from the onset who the “killers” are and know it’s a team. Lucas is in bad shape after his last two cases, the most recent where he not only fought for his life but that of his child and girlfriend. He’s alone and suffering mentally, this new case a lifeline. The alpha killer is diabolical and clever so the investigation wasn’t easy. But the man who witnessed the first killing decided to hide his identity, working anonymously and dubbed “Loverboy” to assist the police in the background in finding the second man of the murder team.

the narration…
Ferrone is the perfect storyteller for this series. He captures Lucas very well but also the vibe of the entire law enforcement team, boils and all.

the bottom line…
It’s a much different reading experience when you get the points of view and identities of the killers upfront. This time it is the witness who’s the enigma and once revealed, it’s a jaw-dropping moment. Lucas shows his skills here but also his vulnerabilities. I haven’t liked him until this book where I finally started to understand him beyond his skirt chasing. He’s a complicated and insightful man who cares more deeply than I’d given him credit. The case was agonizing and the ending had me stunned. I’m finally getting invested in this series.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucas Davenport has not been the same since his last few cases. His head hasn't been right since then. He has lost his relationship with his girlfriend, Jennifer and he barely sees his kid. He went into a major depression but maybe getting back on the job is the one thing that can help him.

When Dell, another cop, asks Lucas to look into the murder of one of his cousin's, Lucas decides to put his personal problems aside and help Dell. Dell thinks the husband, Michael Bekker did it. Bekker is a doctor, a well-known pathologist, but he's a strange bird. Everyone who Lucas approaches about Bekker thinks Bekker is the responsible party but he has a great alibi. Bekker was in a different state when his wife was murdered.

One look at Michael Bekker and Lucas know there's more to the story. Then a theater manager is murdered and her eyes are gouged just like Bekker's wife. The plot thickens when Lucas believes there is a second killer involved. Lucas wishes for "Loverboy", the sole witness to Bekker's wife murder, to come forward.

Lucas will have his hands full trying to piece together these murders.

Carlo Druze and Michael Bekker were a weird couple of psychopaths. Michael was obsessed with death and what comes after. He was hooked on all types of drugs which at times made me doubt his capacity for him having any logical thought process and fooling the police. Carlo had no qualms with killing but it was kind of strange for him to befriend Bekker. He knew Bekker was crazy but he did everything Bekker wanted him to do despite knowing it could bring trouble to his doorstep.

When I started the series, I didn't like Lucas but he was able to bring out plenty of emotions from me. He made me angry with his philandering ways. He made me upset when he didn't blink an eye when he was breaking the law. Yes, his purpose was all about catching a criminal but I was expecting him to do it by the book. He also made me laugh many times and he made me feel bad for him at certain times too. In this book, John Sandford has made him more likable. Not that he didn't use violence and still broke the law, but for me, he has finally realized his actions have consequences.

I'm guessing, Lucas will continue to grow on me since I've many more books to get to.

Eyes of Prey ends with an amazing twist. One, I never saw coming until the very end. I wonder if this will come back out on a future book.

As a side note, this book has a lot of violence and gory details, so if you're squeamish, this might not be the book to start this series with.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

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[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. I wasn't excited by this one as I progressed through the opening chapters. Not top-drawer Sandford, but then it took off as Lieutenant Davenport got hold of himself and this new case. Lucas had been suffering serious depression for months following the Crow matter, and more importantly, the breakdown of his relationship with Jennifer Carey and their daughter Sarah. He just couldn't seem to come to grips with which criminal he was pursuing; was it the obvious one, Dr. Michael Bekker? Or who? A pathologist at the teaching hospital, Bekker is so full of different drugs and criminal idiosyncrasies that he may be the most addled antagonist ever encountered in modern fiction. Get set for a gruesome fixation about eyes. Yet Lucas is aware that at least one of the murders could not have been done by Bekker as witnesses describe a man whose face was disfigured. The doctor, by his own admission, is a beauty! For one murder, Davenport himself is Bekker's alibi. Does actor Cassie Lasch, Lucas' new friend, know the second murderer? And who is "Loverboy" who may have been an on-scene witness at one of the crimes? It picked up, wow did it ever. (Jun2020/Au2024)

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When last I met Lucas Davenport, the hero-detective of John Sanford’s long-running and continually bestselling series, I’ll be honest: I hated him. In “Silent Prey”, the book prior to “Eyes of Prey” (the third in the series), Davenport was cheating on his girlfriend, who had just given birth to his daughter. The woman he was having an affair with was married, and despite her attempts to end the affair, Davenport kept pushing her into it. He was a narcissistic and borderline sociopathic asshole with a badge and a sex addiction problem. I hated him so much as a character that I almost gave up on the series. Indeed, I almost didn’t want to finish the book.

Something compelled me to read further, though. It may have been my slightly obsessive-compulsive need to finish a book I started, regardless of how bad or infuriating the book is, or it may have been the need to see closure to the mystery. (Say what you will about Davenport, Sandford writes a pretty fucking intense thriller.) In any case, I’m glad I finished it.

It began to dawn on me, near the end, that Sandford wasn’t condoning Davenport’s behavior at all. He was attempting to paint Davenport as the incredibly flawed, fucked-up and unlikable police detective that we didn’t get from the first book. He was creating depth. He was illustrating the fact that cops may not all be bastions of moral fortitude---indeed, some of them are complete assholes (see Ferguson, Cleveland, L.A., New York, etc.)---but they nonetheless do a thankless job and their moral flaws don’t necessarily interfere with their success in stopping criminals. In some cases, their moral flaws are the hard-to-define “edge” that makes them exceptional cops.

I know, it’s fucked up.

“Eyes of Prey” begins to give Davenport some of his due comeuppance. At the onset, Davenport is suffering from clinical depression brought on by the fact that his girlfriend, Jennifer, left him and took his daughter with her. He gets rare visitation rights, and Jennifer wants to take those away, as well. He is beginning to realize that his history of philandering is a serious problem. Of course, thanks to the depression, he hasn’t had much desire to screw around, so he’s been going the celibate route.

He refuses psychiatric treatment, however, preferring instead to deal with his depression the old-fashioned way: completely unhealthy violence and acts of police brutality. It’s actually his recent spate of violent episodes with criminals that has gotten him in hot water with Internal Affairs.

All of this is simply background to the real meat of the story: a serial killer who violently gouges out the eyes of the victim. The twist? There are two serial killers in this one. One is an antisocial actor named Druze. He commits the murders. The brains behind the two-man serial killing operation is an incredibly handsome and sociopathic doctor named Bekker. He doles out the orders and sets up the kills while he is away, ensuring that he always has air-tight alibis.

Davenport knows the doctor is dirty, and he knows that there is a second killer, but he doesn’t have any evidence upon which to build a case.

Sandford does some interesting things in this book. First, having two serial killers is interesting, logistically. In everything I have read, two serial killers working together is extremely rare but not completely unheard of. I like how Sandford sets up the relationship between the two killers, with one being the alpha dog and the other simply following orders.

Second, the dynamics between Davenport and Bekker. They meet in several key scenes throughout the book, and what’s interesting is how much they seem to have in common. It’s telling that, initially, Bekker actually likes Davenport. In Davenport, he seems to find a kindred spirit. What that potentially says about Davenport is extremely disturbing.

I’m glad that I decided to give Sandford another chance. I still don’t necessarily like Davenport as a character, but he is certainly growing on me, and Sandford clearly gives him room to mature. There are roughly 20 more books in this series, and based on its popularity, I’m guessing many other readers have taken an interest in Davenport’s emotional and spiritual growth.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandford offers up a ‘double header’ with not just one, but two psychopathic killers—the Beauty and the Beast. Lieutenant Lucas Davenport is more vulnerable in this third offering of the highly successful series. The plot is darker than his previous two novels, but it is also more cohesive. [Warning—the murders are described quite graphically—definitely not suitable for the squeamish.]

The Lieutenant delivers his own ‘justice’ entirely too often and too violently in this thriller written nearly thirty years ago. As a result, it seems ‘dated’! The nation has become much more aware of police brutality resulting in death or severe injury and prefers to have the criminal justice system play out in seeking justice. It will be interesting to see how Sandford’s Lucas character develops in future offerings. Recommend.

[James Thane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in John Sandford's long-running series featuring Lucas Davenport, and it features probably the most vile and complex villain of the entire series. Actually, there are two major bad guys. One is much more intelligent and much scarier than the other and, not surprisingly, he is the one pulling the strings in a series of murders inspired by the old Alfred Hitchcock film, "Strangers on a Train."

The mastermind's plan goes awry right from the start and the bad guys are left scrambling to clean up the mess and stay one step ahead of the cops. That will not be easy, because Lucas Davenport is hard on their trail and he's getting really pissed.

This is probably the most gruesome book in the series, and Davenport is at his darkest and most violent here. He's working out of a major depression that has virtually paralyzed him and acting out as a rogue cop ala Dirty Harry, without even a twinge of conscience.

As always, Sandford puts the reader right in the middle of the action. The writing is crisp; the plot is fast-paced, and the action is non-stop. And, even in a book this grim, there is a fair amount of the humor that characterizes the series.

It's hard to imagine that there could possibly be a fan of crime fiction who has not sampled this series yet, but if that person should exist, he or she should probably not begin with this book because, while it is a very good read, it's not really representative of the series as a whole. Some readers who might otherwise enjoy the series might be put off by the violence that permeates this particular book. As always, but especially in this case, the best place to begin would be at the beginning with the first book, Rules Of Prey. You won't be disappointed.

[Obsidian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review spoils the events in the first two books in the series, so skip over if you don't want to be spoiled. Though I think I am doing a PSA by spoiling this book anyway, for those that may hate themselves enough to start reading this series.

After a brutal murder of a woman in her home (and seriously, I can do without anymore horrible murders perpetuated by men against women for a while now) a witness is left who saw the murderer.

Lucas is called up to help lead the investigation. The captain believes that Lucas needs something to help him get over the events that happened in Shadow Prey.

Readers find that Lucas is living alone and barely able to get through his day. Apparently almost being killed twice (shame that) and losing his girlfriend has done a number on him. Though Lucas is still provided access to his 2 year old daughter, he is no longer sleeping with his girlfriend, so in Lucas's mind, that means that she (Jennifer) is playing games with him.

There is soon enough another murder which puts the police and Lucas on high alert that another serial killer in their midst (which would have me moving the hell out of the area)
and seems to be striking out against women.

So I gave this book 1/2 a star for a variety of reasons.

First, and foremost, the characters are just a joke at this point. I now feel bad for anything I ever said about how one dimensional characters since I feel like this book could give other books lessons on how to not write characters and motivations for said characters. I think this series has pretty much shown that men only care about women and seeing naked women.

Women only care about using their bodies to manipulate men to get what they want. If a woman tells a man she loves him, she is going to be dead or cheated on eventually in these books.

Oh and serial killers run amok in Minnesota. And if you are a serial killer, you don't care much for sex, except sometimes, when you can use sex to show a woman how worthless she is. Or you know, kill them afterwards.

Lucas is still a piece of crap. It would be different if this character had any redeeming parts at all, but he doesn't. He designs games (big whoop), he wears expensive clothes and drives a Porsche (goodie for you), and he stayed friends with a childhood friend even after she got ugly (by the way I hate, hate that this is always brought up in the books), and he has a daughter that he gets to see, though is angry that the relationship with the mother is cut off for now.

Lucas doesn't seem that smart. He is just an angry guy that does what he wants thinking that his badge affords him the right to rough people up, beat them to within an inch of their lives, and act as if he should be helped out when he messed up by his superiors and coworkers.

We also get insight into the mind of the perpetrators in this book (and no this is not a spoiler, the synopsis on Goodreads and elsewhere lets you know there are two killers) and it is boring.

Seriously, one person is so high and crazy one wonders how the heck he is able to function on a day to day basis with no one catching on to him.

The other person, it really didn't make much sense for him to keep staying involved with all of the killings that kept going on. We don't stay in this person's POV for much during the book which was a blessing.

If Sandford is going to always spoil who the killer or killers are right up front, it really doesn't make it interesting for me as a reader. I like figuring out who could have done it, and seeing how the main protagonist figures it out. Instead we know right away who did the killings and why. And you just get irritated with slow Lucas and the rest of the team is to figuring things out as well.

There was a fourth POV (yes there really was) introduced in this book, we get to read how the witness in the first murder felt and dealt with witnessing the murder of the first woman. That was supposed to be a huge shocking reveal I think in the end, too bad I figured out who the witness was about halfway through.

The writing was overwritten to the point of distraction.

Three hookers, two black, one white, huddled together on barstools, drinking beer and sharing a copy of Mirabella.
They'd all been wearing shiny vinyl raincoats in lipstick colors and had folded them down on the barstools to sit on them.
Hookers were never far from their coats.

A hundred people came to the funeral, people from the decorating world, from the university. They women, he thought, all in their dark dresses, looked at him speculatively as he walked slowly up the aisle. Women were like that. Stephanie not yet cold in the grave...

I would add in the countless comments made about women by the investigators and the killers, but I would be here all day. Let's just say that women are meant to be ogled and to throw themselves at Lucas, even after finding their friend dead in their home. Seriously, that happened.

The flow of the book was disjointed as well. Switching back between the investigation and then one killer, and then the other killer and back and forth just made it a book that you had to force yourself to get through. Eventually readers get to the climax and I just rolled my eyes.

The setting of Minnesota once again besides a few details here and there about spring coming, did not feel as solid as a place as it was in book one. Also I could have sworn that Lucas's place was set up differently (more secluded) than it was shown in this book. If I cared enough about this, I would just go back and read book one. I don't care enough to do that.

The ending was a joke. I literally laughed out loud (not in a good way) and said yeah sure, okay.

I think that readers are supposed to have a sense of outrage about what ends up happening to Lucas.

So Lucas ends up resigning, because one can't keep beating people up to the point of hospitalization and think that no one is going to investigate you. And of course we find out who the witness was in the first murder. Lucas uses that to point to why he was being investigated. I said, eh, that and the fact you really have no business holding a gun or being in charge of other people.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book ended up being a great read. It was like going back in time to his early writings. I must have missed the book before this one so I'll need to read it.

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading the Lucas Davenport “Prey” series midway through the 1990s. I’m not certain what the first one was, but once I started, it became one of my regularly followed series (along with several other U.S. police procedural series). Periodically, I’d pick up one of the early Prey novels, those written before I started faithfully following them. But there was no easy way to check whether I did manage to peruse all the early books—no easy-to-access internet list. Consequently, when I read the blurb for EYES OF PREY, I knew that it was an early one that I’d missed.

In recent years, I’ve found my enthusiasm for the Prey series declining. I’ve wondered if this was just me getting jaded after reading so many police procedurals, or whether the quality of the books that was flagging. After reading EYES OF PREY, I can categorically declare that the quality of the novels is sliding. The author is still going through the motions but, now that he is aging, his heart is no longer in telling a rollicking good story.

EYES OF PREY is a lighthearted, rowdy romp on the wild side with a group of sexist, non-PC cops. Warning, for readers who don’t like sexist comments, swearing, and reading about cops beating up bad guys: If you only read PC material, don’t read this one. But if you want to read a hilarious take on a male-oriented police procedural, a story about how unruly cops behaved in 1991, you will love it.

In keeping with the author’s “Prey” formula, we know who the bad guys are from the beginning, and we know they are committing their murders using the Strangers On The Train pattern. First we meet a facially deformed stage actor (Carlo Druze), who coldly murders the wife of his partner-in-crime Dr. Michael Bekker. Bekker is also referred to as “Beauty” because he is exceptionally good-looking. He is also crazy. Bekker then murders a theatre manager who was about to fire Druze. However, the villains’ plan Is derailed when the lover of Bekker’s wife witnesses the first murder. This lover can identify Druze, but he hides from view—hides both from the murderers and from Lucas Davenport, who is assigned the task of finding the killer of Mrs. Bekker. And the chase is on, both to find the murderers and to find “Loverboy”, the witness.

The early Prey novels always had an underlying comic tone that accompanied the murder, mayhem, and mystery. Here is just one example from EYES OF PREY:

”He’s a very dangerous man, Lucas,” Elle said. “In the psychological literature, we’d refer to him as a fruitcake.”

Of course, Davenport eventually catches the murderers, but there are surprises—some foreshadowed, and thus expected, and one very unexpected bombshell at the end. Altogether a highly satisfying reading experience for someone like me who can handle a non-PC novel once in a while. And much better than the latest Prey novels, which might be PC but also are terribly boring.

A 4.5-star novel raised up because it was written in 1991.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for the latest Prey novels:
Masked Prey (Lucas Davenport #30)
Ocean Prey (Lucas Davenport #31)
Righteous Prey (Lucas Davenport #32)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be the best one yet. I thought it was good all the way through, although the bad guy was a little too weird, but Lucas was very well done. He's not a complete Iron Man, but the way depression is handled & described is perfect.

And then, there is the very end. Wow! I did not see that coming. Usually I have a clue & there were several, but I missed them since it wasn't the major thread. It was handled just beautifully. I can't gush enough. I was just stunned & still am. Masterful.

I'm really glad I waited until I could read these books in order. There is so much history in the characters. I think each would stand well enough alone, but certainly wouldn't pack the same punch.

On to the next!

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the first three books in this series, this is the first one that's grabbed my attention - not gonna lie, it was prolly the gratuitous gore, excessive violence, and watching Michael Bekker descend into ever deeper levels of derangement. Eyes of Prey was published the same year I graduated high school and now John Sandford is getting ready to publish book #33 in the series.

I should explain something just as a refresher, because I'm pretty sure I've bitched about mentioned this before. John Sandford's Prey series aren't truly mysteries. From the very start, the killer is revealed and the whole plot is around the cat-and-mouse game of the killers trying to hide their crimes and Davenport screwing a new woman in every book and tracking down the bad guy. To my thinking, these books are more correctly categorized as Crime Thrillers - or Killer Thrillers, if you like. I know I do.

In this one, evil bastard Michael Bekker is tired of his wife. Rather than go through the hassle of divorce he enlists a disfigured fool named Carlo Druze to carry out her murder, including a very specific request: take out her eyes. In what can politely be described as a "borrowed idea" from Patricia Highsmith, Bekker gets Druze to go through with it by promising to kill his boss in exchange. After Druze does the deed, Bekker goes through with his end of the bargain - but not without making mistakes.

I think of this series in many ways - prolific; iconic; popcorny like a date night slasher movie. I won't focus overmuch on Davenport's shortcomings nor the broader police force's shoddy detective work. I choose instead to focus on the fast pace and splatter effects. Onward to Silent Prey.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical well done crime novel featuring Davenport, his demons, along with a psycho killer or two. 8 of 10 stars

[kartik narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Eyes of Prey really hits it out of the park, as far as I am concerned.

It has great protagonists, a brilliant ending, plenty of action and lots of detective work.

This story is so much like an Agatha Christie novel when it comes to the basic premise. What if two people decided to kill each other's victims, while providing a cast alibi for themselves. There are shades of Dial M for Murder here but I am not revealing spoilers since this is pretty much told in the beginning of the story. Of course, the book is far more violent, gory and realistic.

I loved the concept of having the Beauty and the Beast as the protagonists. One is amoral while the other is immoral. The Beauty ticks all the boxes for being an evil vile person and it is fascinating to see how he manipulates the people around here.

Lucas Davenport's character is also more human here. He is suffering from depression and prone to fits of violent rage. I loved the depiction of his mental struggles and how refuses treatment while the people around him urge him to do so. As always, he continues to be a dog when it comes to the opposite sex but it is muted this time. In fact, the woman takes control this time, which makes for a welcome change. I also liked how he has matured over the last three books and the ending demonstrates that.

The climax and the post-climax climax are excellent. I, for one, didn't see it coming. And when I finished reading it late at night, it stunned me so much that I spent the night thinking about it.

Overall, Eyes of Prey is fantastic. I am looking forward to the next Lucas Davenport story.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-reading this because I'm re-reading the Karin Slaughter Will Trent series, and the Robert Crais Elvis Cole series. I tend to revisit those things I know are good.

Here, Del's relative Stephanie Bekker is murdered and her eyes gouged out. Lucas is knee deep in depression, with his guns in the basement "glowing." Murder on murder mount, with a virtual "Strangers on a Train" scenario playing out - I kill somebody you know, you do the same for me, and nobody can find any motives or ties together.

Great bad guy, gruesome crimes, and Lucas crossing the line, as usual, in his policeman morals.

3rd reading - Does anyone else re-read books? This may be my 3rd time through the Davenport series. There are some elements of these stories that go on a bit too long, but certain passages more than make up for those shortcomings.
In this tale, Lucas is asked by a co-worker to look into the brutal slaying of a relative. Through the course of the investigation, more victims turn up with the same type of violent effects. Davenport floats through the theater and art cultures looking for one, or more, perpetrators.
His interactions with an actress, Cassie, help make this novel purr like a Porsche.

[Cindy Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's John Sandford and Lucas Davenport! If you want a crime novel that grabs your attention and is impossible to put down until the end, you've found it! I'm rereading all of my Prey books from the beginning and am very excited about it!

[Zornitsa Rasim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Страхотен трилър!

[Marty Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the first book of this series, and didn't like Lucas Davenport that much. I decided to skip number 2, because I heard this one was better. I liked it better that the first, but still not as much as I had hoped. But I'm judging mostly from his spinoff series about Virgil Flowers, who worked for Davenport. Virgil is a lot less serious than Lucas, but I'm hoping this series will get better.

One thing I didn't like very much was the ending. It was a bit of a surprise, but in a way, there was a lot more importance placed on this character than was needed, so it doesn't matter that much.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here in book three, the author has taken you to a different place crime wise or murder wise. The scenes and descriptions are more intense, gruesome. By having such a vile murder Lucas must catch this person so you have him stretched emotionally and here in this story you have him break when he beats a pimp up. He is also dealing with suicidal thoughts and maybe the years of being a cop and the stress is getting to him. A good look into the Davenport character and part of the rest of the story flows or ends as one would think it would. Overall, another good book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally would give this book a 4 but since I have read several other books written later with Davenport, I am amazed at how he grows with the series so I give this a 5. Also Sandford does the best job of making you totally hate a bad guy.

[Dan Banana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another extremely enjoyable book in this series. There is action, suspense, violence and really nasty violence also, very well written characters.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed many of Sandford’s books, particularly those featuring Virgil Flowers (that f***ing Flowers). I came to the Prey series in the later entries, and am glad for it. I doubt I would have been as interested in this series had I begun with Eyes of Prey.

While it is well written, and perhaps because it was one of the earlier books in this very long running and successful series, I figured I would like it as much as the later entries. I was wrong. It is a good book, no doubt, but it just felt overcooked. Lucas Davenport, Sandford’s central character in the series, just doesn’t seem settled in his role here. I get that we’re supposed to experience his depression and the disjointed emotional state in which he finds himself, but there is something just a bit off here.

Perhaps it is has to do with the crazy, I mean bat-s**t crazy, killer pathologist (he’s actually one of two murderers in this story, but by far the more monstrous of the pair). This guy, fried on a pharmacopeia of prescription and illegal drugs he keeps in a cigarette case and takes virtually non-stop, is so over the top that he becomes a caricature rather than a credible killer. His partner has sociopathic characteristics secondary to being a disfigured loner, but isn’t nearly as scary or reprehensible a figure as “doctor death.” So I had some difficulty connecting with either of them, and as far as Davenport goes, couldn’t quite enjoy his solving things as I ordinarily do.

The twist ending was unexpected and a credit to Sandford’s prodigious talent, and that kind of saved the book, but only just. All in all, I had a hard time connecting with this one, but recognize that not everything the author writes can be aces. Glad I’m done with this one, and look forward to better times with Lucas in the future.

[Quenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I listen/read the Lucas Davenport series, the more I like them and get excited for the next one in the series. In book 3, the author does a great job of showing us the effects of the events from Book 2 has on Lucas’ life and Sanford also does a good job of letting us see a cop on the edge dealing with some emotional turmoil. It was great to watch Davenport fight for his sanity and get excited about a case again. One of the highlights for me though was getting to know Lucas’ partners Dell and Sloan. Both are very different and have unique relationships with Lucas.

The mystery was very intriguing and I like how the author didn’t hide the answer from the readers. The best part of the book was watching Lucas solve the case and see how his brain thinks. The killers are deadly and you can see how each one of them reasons through their actions. The ending was mind blowing and leaves the reader itching for the next book.

My only problem with the book and I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler for folks but in every book so far, the women in Lucas’ life is put into danger. This is becoming a cliché and if it continues is going to draw the series’ quality down for me.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a mess. Some good ideas to update Strangers on a Train, but made over-complicated and dull, too. The villain is graphically repulsive, with far too much cartoon madness. The ending has a half-clever but inconsequential twist.

Where book #1 Rules of Prey showed great promise, and book #2 Shadow Prey opened a world of Indian suffering as well as courage, and without letting Davenport become too much of a stinking monster, this Eyes of Prey is dissatisfying on so many levels.

I wish I had stopped this series after Shadow Prey. It's clear that Sandford has lost control and swerved into gratuitous violence and hate.

Ugh.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I picked up the 1st in the series but it is the 3rd. That fact did not decrease my enjoyment. I am looking forward to the rest.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in the Lucas Davenport thriller series revolving around a dirty, yet honest cop based in Minneapolis.

My Take
I don’t normally read introductions. It’s more of a hit-or-miss, if I’m in the mood kind of thing, yet I’m finding Sandford’s introductions interesting. They add an extra depth --- and horror --- to the story I’m reading. This one, in particular, is very useful for writers as Sandford talks about how the gruesome bits developed, the questions he asked himself. Do not read too much into all of what he says…some of it develops much later. It is fascinating to see how far Sandford takes Bekker’s obsession. It only takes a tug, and you can unroll the ball of possibilities in so many different directions.

This one uses the plot from Strangers on a Train, a fact that isn’t obvious until that first kill, and Sandford leads us into it beautifully. I’d been so impressed with how much Bekker knew about the victim-to-be. The amount of surveillance that he must have done, only to be horror-struck when we learn the truth. A truth that only gets worse as she lies dying, helpless when help is available. A truth that gets still worse when you get to the end. God. I am absolutely dying to read Silent Prey next! I gotta know what happens!!

Sandford also talks about how Lucas develops his video games, which I find interesting.

Jesus, when you read the report on the forensics at the crime scene. When you think of how much time Loverboy took to remove all traces of his presence while his lover is dying in the kitchen. Christ.

I don’t know why I’m ever amazed at the things humans can come up with to study. Bekker’s social organization of death is one of those, and yet as I read Sandford’s “explanation”, it makes perfect sense on a very sensitive topic. It makes me think of how Maisie Dobbs uses her techniques of observation to determine innocence, guilt, fear, happiness, etc.

LOL, that scene where the reporter in the very short skirt gets up on a chair and the cops sit down around her… Nice to know the cops are just guys *she says laughing*

It makes me nuts when authors toss these labels around without thought, so please note the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath --- one is worse than the other. And when you read what Bekker gets up to, it’s really easy to tell that he’s the psycho. What he does to Sybil is enough all on its own.

Thank god for Lucas coaching Del through this date. It makes for a welcome bit of comic relief. Some good dating tips for the guys as well, *grin*.

Okayyy, this is why you should practice discretion. Don’t talk about what your boyfriend lets slip, especially when murder is part of the picture.

”You could do more than contain it…but you can’t, can you?” takes on a whole new meaning…

The Story
A fatal beating with almost no clues --- although everyone who knew Bekker that the police talk to think that he did it. They don’t need to know about evidence, they know Bekker.

The Characters
Lieutenant Lucas Davenport is suffering from a major depression, still recovering from the gunfight and losing his woman and his daughter in Shadow Prey , 2. He’s also a games developer and has a nice income from it, enough to afford that Porsche and nice clothes. Sister Mary Joseph was Elle Krueger back in her civilian days. Now she’s a psychologist and still Lucas’ friend. One who’ll play his computer games with him. Jennifer Carey is the mother of his two-year-old daughter and still with TV3. She’s also still shutting him out.

Minneapolis PD
Del is undercover for Narcotics and is a friend of Lucas’. He’s also Stephanie’s cousin. Quentin Daniel is the chief of police. Sloan is in Intelligence, Swanson, nobody respects Andy Shearson, Shirl’ is a dispatcher, Sergeant Harry Barlow is with Internal Affairs, Bucky, Karl, Frank Lester is deputy chief for investigations, and Mikkelson is a deputy medical examiner.

Sheriff’s Deputy D.T. Helstrom is the Wisconsin cop who catches the deep woods burial. John Barber and Howie Berkson are Maplewood cops. They’re not impressed with Shearson either.

The hospital
The beautiful Dr. Michael Bekker is a forensic pathologist fascinated by death who works at the University Hospital, a teaching and research hospital --- and a psychopath with a major drug problem. To put it plainly, he’s a major whack job. Stephanie Bekker is his wife, interested in antiques and people and an avid gardener. Sybil Hart is dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease. What should it matter if someone helps her along? Dr. Larry Merriam is a pediatric oncologist who wouldn’t allow Bekker back to continue his research on the social organization of death. His secretary, Clarisse, can’t keep a secret to save her life. Cheryl Clark is a nurse with whom Bekker had an affair.

Philip George is a law professor. Annette George is his wife.

The Lost River Theatre
Carlo Druze is a sociopath, a literal monster thanks to his cheap parents --- licensing parents?? Have I mentioned this? --- and an actor. Elizabeth Armistead is an actress and a member of the board of directors for the theater. Shhh, she doesn’t like ugly people. Mrs. Ray Ellis doesn’t appear to have liked her neighbor very much. Cassie Lasch is the second-string actress who caught the significance of the caller asking for a freebie. Kelly is the lady at the ticket-window. Davis Westfall is the co-artistic director.

Media
Carly Bancroft is with TV3 --- and her contract is up in a couple months.

Randy Whitcomb is a teenage pimp with anger management issues. Marie is the hooker who saw what he did. His lawyer is a sleaze by the name of Marty McKenzie, and he’s gone to internal Affairs. Richard and his wife are the neighbors in Wisconsin’s woods. Kelsey Romm is in the wrong place at the wrong time. At least she’ll never have to worry about her workload.

The Cover
The cover is color blocked into a lovely blue purple with the author’s name and a blurb --- there’s some kind of figure in a lighter value in the upper left corner, a band of black and then white for the title and series name which is an embossed gold. The disturbing part is the droplet of blood.

The title is the target, the attraction, the Eyes of Prey.

[Jody Sperling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucas is becoming more likable as a character as the series progresses, though I wish there was more about his game developing. That has fallen a bit into the background by the third book of the series. Perhaps it'll come back in future books. The saving bit of this book was where Lucas is left off at the end. It seemed inevitable since the first book, though I won't spoil.

Perhaps others have said this elsewhere, but one issue I had with the book was Sandford's depiction of drug use. He seemed to be too sensational and not deeply, personally studied, so the use of drugs felt like a mix of alarmist and text-book.