Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
G.P. Putnam's Sons (2013), Edition: 1st, 480 pages
Description
"Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the small Minnesota town of Deephaven, an entire family has been killed--husband, wife, two daughters, dogs. There's something about the scene that pokes at Lucas's cop instincts--it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he's seen in drug killings sometimes. But this is a seriously upscale town, and the husband was an executive vice president at a big bank. It just doesn't seem to fit. Until it does. And where it leads Lucas will take him into the darkest nightmare of his life"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member realfish
This is the 22nd book in the Prey series by John Sandford featuring Lucas Davenport. An entire family is brutally murdered, Lucas is robbed at gunpoint at an ATM, and over $22 million belonging to a Mexican drug gang is missing -- need I say more? Lucas navigates his way through the twists and
John Sandford has the formula down. His books are well written with interesting characters in a fast paced narrative. I have not read any of the Prey books for the last several years (I think book 15, Hidden Prey was the last) so I was looking forward to seeing what Lucas has been up to. My only complaint is that Lucas' character has really mellowed in his old age. This is an enjoyable read that stands up well by itself. You do not have to be familiar with the earlier books to enjoy this thriller. Let's see -- Lucas Davenport, DEA agents, Mexican Federales, Mexican drug gangs, computer geeks, and bank presidents all involved in an intricate whodunit -- works for me!
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turns to solve the puzzle, but at what cost?John Sandford has the formula down. His books are well written with interesting characters in a fast paced narrative. I have not read any of the Prey books for the last several years (I think book 15, Hidden Prey was the last) so I was looking forward to seeing what Lucas has been up to. My only complaint is that Lucas' character has really mellowed in his old age. This is an enjoyable read that stands up well by itself. You do not have to be familiar with the earlier books to enjoy this thriller. Let's see -- Lucas Davenport, DEA agents, Mexican Federales, Mexican drug gangs, computer geeks, and bank presidents all involved in an intricate whodunit -- works for me!
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LibraryThing member Twink
John Sandford is back with the latest installment (#22) - Stolen Prey - in his wildly successful and hugely popular series featuring Lucas Davenport, an agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
"Lucas's job at the BCA was mostly self-invented, and included politically sensitive
I've always enjoyed Lucas and his irreverent flaunting of the rules. He's getting older and little mellower, but still has no problem side stepping protocol to get things done. I love the barbed banter between himself and team members Del Capslock, Jensen and Shrake, but no Davenport book is complete without Virgil Flowers. Those tweekers robbing ATM's? Flowers has been put to work on the case - which seems to be leading to stolen.....horse manure?
"Somewhere along the line, it occurred to him that he hadn't spoken to Virgil Flowers. He'd probably taken the day off, and knowing Flowers, he'd done it in a boat. The thing about Flowers was, in Lucas's humble opinion, you could send him out for a loaf of bread and he'd find an illegal bread cartel smuggling in heroin-saturated wheat from Afghanistan. Either that, or he'd be fishing in a muskie tournament, on government time. You had to keep an eye on him."
I have expressed doubts about Davenport's adopted daughter Letty in past books, but my opinion has changed. She's definitely growing on me and I think we'll see more of her in future books.
As always, Sandford has concocted a whip smart, action filled plot with lots of threads to keep your finger on. He employs a great twist that caught me unawares part way through.
I have enjoyed this series from book one and nothing has changed - I still eagerly await every new entry from one of my favourite authors - and curse myself when I finish it in a day!
"Lucas's job at the BCA was mostly self-invented, and included politically sensitive
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cases, or cases that might attract a lot of media attention." When a pair of tweekers rob him at an ATM, breaking his wrist and damaging his ego, he embarks on a long term mission to find them. This is put on the back burner when the superintendent of the BCA calls - a case that is definitely going to be in the spotlight needs Davenport's skills. An entire family has been found murdered - slaughtered really, tortured in unimaginable ways. Lucas's investigation leads places no one saw coming - this isn't just a spree killer. It looks like a Mexican gang hit. What could this software engineer have done to bring this wrath on his family? Soon enough the DEA and a pair of Mexican Federales are also on the case. But everyone seems to have their own priorities concerning the case.....I've always enjoyed Lucas and his irreverent flaunting of the rules. He's getting older and little mellower, but still has no problem side stepping protocol to get things done. I love the barbed banter between himself and team members Del Capslock, Jensen and Shrake, but no Davenport book is complete without Virgil Flowers. Those tweekers robbing ATM's? Flowers has been put to work on the case - which seems to be leading to stolen.....horse manure?
"Somewhere along the line, it occurred to him that he hadn't spoken to Virgil Flowers. He'd probably taken the day off, and knowing Flowers, he'd done it in a boat. The thing about Flowers was, in Lucas's humble opinion, you could send him out for a loaf of bread and he'd find an illegal bread cartel smuggling in heroin-saturated wheat from Afghanistan. Either that, or he'd be fishing in a muskie tournament, on government time. You had to keep an eye on him."
I have expressed doubts about Davenport's adopted daughter Letty in past books, but my opinion has changed. She's definitely growing on me and I think we'll see more of her in future books.
As always, Sandford has concocted a whip smart, action filled plot with lots of threads to keep your finger on. He employs a great twist that caught me unawares part way through.
I have enjoyed this series from book one and nothing has changed - I still eagerly await every new entry from one of my favourite authors - and curse myself when I finish it in a day!
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LibraryThing member dhaupt
In a high end neighborhood a whole family is murdered and worse tortured and mutilated in a way that’s not often seen in the upper Midwest. In fact it’s usually associated with crimes below the border, which is what has Lucas Davenport scratching his head trying to figure how this family got in
John Sandford is a brilliant strategist when it comes to putting complicated pieces together and making sense out of what seems to be a senseless collection of information and to make readers really think the complications through. His characters are all well thought out and developed even the villains we just meet but especially the long cultivated characters that we’ve known for years like Lucas, Shrake, Weather and in this volume Letty as well. His dialogue is all street cop and robber combined with your everyday average Jill and Joe and he’s an expert of putting me right in the middle of the scenes good, bad and ugly. In the realm of crime drama there are very few who excel an Mr. Sandford is right up there at the top.
I can’t wait to see what hoops he puts Lucas through in the next novel.
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the crosshairs of the Mexican Criminales. In puzzling the pieces together it seems that there’s a deeper connection between the crime and a theft of millions of dollars and the BCA and Lucas will need to find the culprits before the body count rises which is bringing in the DEA, and a couple of Mexican Federales as well as the whole Minneapolis-St. Paul law enforcement community. And while all this is going on he has Virgil Flowers looking into the locating and apprehension of the two Meth heads who robbed him at his ATM.John Sandford is a brilliant strategist when it comes to putting complicated pieces together and making sense out of what seems to be a senseless collection of information and to make readers really think the complications through. His characters are all well thought out and developed even the villains we just meet but especially the long cultivated characters that we’ve known for years like Lucas, Shrake, Weather and in this volume Letty as well. His dialogue is all street cop and robber combined with your everyday average Jill and Joe and he’s an expert of putting me right in the middle of the scenes good, bad and ugly. In the realm of crime drama there are very few who excel an Mr. Sandford is right up there at the top.
I can’t wait to see what hoops he puts Lucas through in the next novel.
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LibraryThing member mikedraper
A family is tortured and killed. The crazed killers left a note on the wall, "were coming" with no apostrophe.
A number of people who were knowledgable with computers and worked at a bank figured a way to steal over twenty million dollars from an automated account. They didn't know who the account
Lucas Davenport is on the case and wants to know what information that the family might have had to warrant the torture and killings. It looked like a Mexican retribution killing to him. Then it was found that the killers were from a cartel in Mexico, Los Criminales del Notre.
The story is told in three parts. Part tells of the amateur thieves and what they are doing to launder the money they stole.
The next part tells of the killers the cartel sent to retrive the money and teach those responsible a lesson.
The final part tells of the police investigation.
The pacing of the story is well done as we see the sides come together and the killers approaching people to kill.
John Sandford is a master with dialogue and ranks with Elmore Leonard. Lucas Davenport is one of the legendary criminal investigators in literature and a pleasure to read.
I enjoyed this well written story so much, I was sorry to see it end.
A number of people who were knowledgable with computers and worked at a bank figured a way to steal over twenty million dollars from an automated account. They didn't know who the account
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was owned by.Lucas Davenport is on the case and wants to know what information that the family might have had to warrant the torture and killings. It looked like a Mexican retribution killing to him. Then it was found that the killers were from a cartel in Mexico, Los Criminales del Notre.
The story is told in three parts. Part tells of the amateur thieves and what they are doing to launder the money they stole.
The next part tells of the killers the cartel sent to retrive the money and teach those responsible a lesson.
The final part tells of the police investigation.
The pacing of the story is well done as we see the sides come together and the killers approaching people to kill.
John Sandford is a master with dialogue and ranks with Elmore Leonard. Lucas Davenport is one of the legendary criminal investigators in literature and a pleasure to read.
I enjoyed this well written story so much, I was sorry to see it end.
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LibraryThing member tomray
Another great book by John Sandford.Lucas Devenport stories are always full of great action.I thing it drags a little in the middle of the story but there a lot of action at the beginning and end.I can't wait for his next book.
LibraryThing member cmeilink
When an entire family is savagely murdered and all signs point to a drug-related killing, Lucas Davenport is called to the scene to help track down the killers.
Suspecting that Mexican Criminales are involved, Mexican Federales show up in Minnesota to help in the investigation. A leak in the
Long a fan of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport books, I'm afraid Stolen Prey left me feeling a little unsatisfied. Normally, I am unable to put a John Sandford book down, but this one seemed to be missing the great pacing usually found in the Lucas Davenport books, and the characters, especially Lucas, seemed a little one-dimensional.
Although any Lucas Davenport reader will appreciate this new addition to the series, it doesn't have quite the punch of some of John Sandford's earlier works.
This copy was made available through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
Suspecting that Mexican Criminales are involved, Mexican Federales show up in Minnesota to help in the investigation. A leak in the
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department puts all plans and lives at risk as the story unfolds.Long a fan of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport books, I'm afraid Stolen Prey left me feeling a little unsatisfied. Normally, I am unable to put a John Sandford book down, but this one seemed to be missing the great pacing usually found in the Lucas Davenport books, and the characters, especially Lucas, seemed a little one-dimensional.
Although any Lucas Davenport reader will appreciate this new addition to the series, it doesn't have quite the punch of some of John Sandford's earlier works.
This copy was made available through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
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LibraryThing member auntmarge64
The Lucas Davenport suspense series is up to 22 volumes – good news for all his fans, although I found this entry a bit less interesting than usual. Bank fraud and Mexican drug gangs don’t interest me all that much, and there’s a side-plot involving Virgil Flowers that didn’t seem
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necessary, as much as I enjoy his adventures also. So, fun to read and essential for fans, but not the best of the best from Sandford. Show Less
LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Read from April 05 to 19, 2012
Received from Library Thing Early Reviewers Program
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00
First Thought when Finished: When is the next one?
What I Loved: Thrillers are so hard to review because the parts that you love the most are the parts you
What I Liked: I am going to be upfront and admit I haven't read any more in this series (though I do own the first few). I really liked Lucas, his family, and his co-workers. I feel like I would have loved them if I was more attached by reading the series. I liked that I didn't feel lost even though this was the first book that I have read.
Final Thoughts: I would recommend this series to any Mystery/Thriller fans. I am pretty sure I am one of the last to jump on the John Sandford fan train but I am firmly there now!
Received from Library Thing Early Reviewers Program
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00
First Thought when Finished: When is the next one?
What I Loved: Thrillers are so hard to review because the parts that you love the most are the parts you
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really shouldn't talk about. The twists and turns in this investigation were done superbly by John Sandford. There was one that I did not see coming and it kind of knocked me on my hiney. Though the twist itself made perfect sense. I really loved the minor, more personal, case that Lucas was involved with. How it was tied up actually left me smiling which doesn't happen very often in thrillers.What I Liked: I am going to be upfront and admit I haven't read any more in this series (though I do own the first few). I really liked Lucas, his family, and his co-workers. I feel like I would have loved them if I was more attached by reading the series. I liked that I didn't feel lost even though this was the first book that I have read.
Final Thoughts: I would recommend this series to any Mystery/Thriller fans. I am pretty sure I am one of the last to jump on the John Sandford fan train but I am firmly there now!
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LibraryThing member cmwilson101
Stolen Prey by John Sandford is a great detective story, with the detective in question being Lucas Davenport. Lucas is a smart, honest, thoughtful, unconventional police detective who solves crimes with good solid detective work.
This story (the 22ndin the series) revolves around the cold-blooded,
Mr Sandford does a beautiful job of interweaving the stories of the various criminals, detectives, and supporting characters throughout the story. Lucas is a sympathetic, believable, smart protagonist, solid and dependable. He is the sort of cop you would want on your case if you were the victim of a crime. The story is unpredictable, entertaining, and contains lots of twists and turns, which make this book -- like all the rest in the series -- a pleasure to read. If you have not read the Lucas Davenport series, then it is worth checking out. You have 22 great books out there waiting to be read!
This story (the 22ndin the series) revolves around the cold-blooded,
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brutal murder of an entire family. Lucas suspects that it more than a random killing, and as he looks deeper he uncovers layer upon layer of deception. He eventually ends up solving a whole series of inter-related crimes, while simultaneously tracking down and solving another, completely personal crime -- finding the couple that robbed him at gunpoint on the street one night. Mr Sandford does a beautiful job of interweaving the stories of the various criminals, detectives, and supporting characters throughout the story. Lucas is a sympathetic, believable, smart protagonist, solid and dependable. He is the sort of cop you would want on your case if you were the victim of a crime. The story is unpredictable, entertaining, and contains lots of twists and turns, which make this book -- like all the rest in the series -- a pleasure to read. If you have not read the Lucas Davenport series, then it is worth checking out. You have 22 great books out there waiting to be read!
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LibraryThing member juliebean
I've read all of the Davenport novels, and I thought that the quality was slipping over time. It felt like Davenport was sitting on the sidelines and just calling the shots, with little character development. In this novel, he's back in the thick of things, and readers get to see the internal
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thoughts that make this man tick. The side story with Flowers was entertaining, as usual, and the crime is interesting. I docked a half star in my rating because I felt like the murders that opened the book were a little over the top. (I guess that's what the reading public wants, but I think authors can gloss over some details and still tell a great story, without making readers feel like they're rubbernecking at an accident.) Granted, this isn't the Great American Novel, but it's a good read, and fun for the readers who have been following this series for years. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
One thing you can always be sure of in any Prey novel is that Davenport will have his first ‘hmm, something isn’t right about this’ moment and it will lead to the eventual unraveling of the whole crime, that he’ll do something shady (sometimes more than once and everyone knows, but no one
I know that fuckin’ Flowers has been a walk-on character in quite a few of the Prey novels, but now that he’s got his own series, the use of him in this story seemed forced. With Davenport’s job he can basically pick and choose among the cases he gets involved with and I don’t see the need for such a heavy handed device to get him there. Because of that the inclusion of Flowers in the side investigation came off as a deliberate tie-in to his other books, which, let’s face it, most of us are already reading. Sure it’s fun to have other characters show up, but I think he should confine them to what their roles would actually be, not because he wants to make sure everyone remembers the other books. And I’m ticked that no one remembered Marcy at all in this one. I sure did. And frigging Weather is still alive. That bums me out. She’s annoying and preachy as usual. I don’t see the least attractive thing about her. Anyway, that’s enough of my whining. If you’re a fan, you’ll like this one, it doesn’t skimp on what we read them for and the plot is complex and relatively distinct.
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objects) and that there will be violence, probably visited close to home. While this is the general formula, the details differ and if you’re a fan this novel won’t disappoint. I took a sticky and marked the ‘hmm’ moment and then waited to see how it would play out. As always we alternate between Davenport’s doings and those of the criminals and this time there are two sets of them. They are interrelated, but it takes a while for Davenport and crew to figure out how. Meanwhile the body count rises. I know that fuckin’ Flowers has been a walk-on character in quite a few of the Prey novels, but now that he’s got his own series, the use of him in this story seemed forced. With Davenport’s job he can basically pick and choose among the cases he gets involved with and I don’t see the need for such a heavy handed device to get him there. Because of that the inclusion of Flowers in the side investigation came off as a deliberate tie-in to his other books, which, let’s face it, most of us are already reading. Sure it’s fun to have other characters show up, but I think he should confine them to what their roles would actually be, not because he wants to make sure everyone remembers the other books. And I’m ticked that no one remembered Marcy at all in this one. I sure did. And frigging Weather is still alive. That bums me out. She’s annoying and preachy as usual. I don’t see the least attractive thing about her. Anyway, that’s enough of my whining. If you’re a fan, you’ll like this one, it doesn’t skimp on what we read them for and the plot is complex and relatively distinct.
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LibraryThing member dyarington
Well, Stolen Prey upholds John Sandford's reputation quite well. Mexican drug dealers laundering money in the twin cities, murder and mutilation, local bank employees involvement and Lucas Davenport's unauthorized techniques make for another hard to put down mystery thriller. Without blowing the
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plot, suffice it to say Sandford has left the door open for a follow-up. I loved the ending--an unusual one for Sandford. This book is a winner, from the get-go. He even has a Virgil Flowers cameo appearance throughout, although somewhat of a letdown at the ending for both Virgil and Davenport. My only criticism is that Sandford should have revealed more of the across the border Mexican side of the story. All in all however--an A+. Show Less
LibraryThing member tarablythe
I have to be honest, I haven't read a lot of the Lucas Davenport books. I've skipped around here and there and read a few of them. But I was super excited to see this one come through the Early Reviewers program. It sounded exciting and I was thrilled when I found out that I had snagged a copy.
I
As I stated above, I'm not all that familiar with the characters themselves, I guess I should go back and read the earlier books, but I really didn't have any trouble following alone with the plotline at all. It didn't necessarily read like it was the 22nd book in a series, and that was a good thing for someone like me.
The overall content matter, Mexican bad guys and money launderers, made it seem very current. Oh and I can't help but giggle over the "horse sh*t" clue in a separate case.
Overall, highly enjoyable and definitely recommendable. Give this book a try!
I
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would definitely recommend this book. It was fast paced and enjoyable. I was floored when I realized that someone was not who they appeared to be. It definitely made the book so much more interesting. As I stated above, I'm not all that familiar with the characters themselves, I guess I should go back and read the earlier books, but I really didn't have any trouble following alone with the plotline at all. It didn't necessarily read like it was the 22nd book in a series, and that was a good thing for someone like me.
The overall content matter, Mexican bad guys and money launderers, made it seem very current. Oh and I can't help but giggle over the "horse sh*t" clue in a separate case.
Overall, highly enjoyable and definitely recommendable. Give this book a try!
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LibraryThing member readafew
Lucas is back and gets thrown a case where an entire family is brutally tortured and murdered. Their fates were grisly and not for the faint of heart. Lucas and several others think it was drug related, and since the father owned a small business whose market was primarily south of the border, it
Most of the book is chasing the killers and trying to get a step ahead of them, but they seem to always know where the police are, or where they are going to be.
Overall, it was another good story, but a few little details seemed to be out of order, I read the uncorrected proof, so I am going to assume that they get/got caught before publication, since previous books haven't had those problems. Anyway, they were small, and didn't detract from the story. This is another Lucas book, he's getting older but it's still entertaining, but it feels like Sandford is starting to run out of juice for him.
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looked like money laundering on someone got greedy. That's what it looked like, but where is the money?Most of the book is chasing the killers and trying to get a step ahead of them, but they seem to always know where the police are, or where they are going to be.
Overall, it was another good story, but a few little details seemed to be out of order, I read the uncorrected proof, so I am going to assume that they get/got caught before publication, since previous books haven't had those problems. Anyway, they were small, and didn't detract from the story. This is another Lucas book, he's getting older but it's still entertaining, but it feels like Sandford is starting to run out of juice for him.
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LibraryThing member Bumpersmom
The Prey Series is one of the best police procedural mystery series out there for readers to enjoy. John Sandford has endeared his character, Lt. Lucas Davenport, and faithful followers can't wait for each new chapter in his life to unfold. Stolen Prey has several crimes unfolding that are somehow
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intertwined multiple murders, stalkings, big dollar thefts, crime families, and white collar crime all in one story. I enjoyed and couldn't stop with this reader's treat. Show Less
LibraryThing member souleswanderer
What's amazing is after 21 Davenport novels, Lucas is still one of the coolest detectives around.
Working in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, he gets called to check out a grisly crime scene where a family of four were tortured and murdered, including the dog. Located in a high scale
I enjoy the interaction between these two characters, Lucas knowing Virgil's strengths and the need to keep him focused, employs the perfect hound dog when setting Virgil on the trail. Virgil, always thorough, finds more than either man bargained for.
The books rely on a heavy dose of police procedure, the methodology of piecing a crime together, and the part that makes these books work so well, is the reader gets both sides of the story simultaneously, knowing what the criminals actions are, while the authorities slowly tighten the web around them.
Sandford hasn't lost any of his ability to tell a decent story using a multitude of characters, and allowing the reader to view both sides of the playing field. It's his ability to cover the grey areas, those places where things aren't quite as clear as they should be, and yet allow his characters to react naturally to them that keep me coming back for more. The best example of this is the talk Lucas has with his adopted daughter Letty near the end of the book.
Still a highly recommended series
Working in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, he gets called to check out a grisly crime scene where a family of four were tortured and murdered, including the dog. Located in a high scale
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neighborhood, the father a banker, the circumstances don't fit in Lucas's mind with that of revenge killing and drugs. To further complicate matters, Lucas becomes the victim of a mugging, suffers a broken wrist, and assigns the task of apprehending said muggers to Virgil Flowers. I enjoy the interaction between these two characters, Lucas knowing Virgil's strengths and the need to keep him focused, employs the perfect hound dog when setting Virgil on the trail. Virgil, always thorough, finds more than either man bargained for.
The books rely on a heavy dose of police procedure, the methodology of piecing a crime together, and the part that makes these books work so well, is the reader gets both sides of the story simultaneously, knowing what the criminals actions are, while the authorities slowly tighten the web around them.
Sandford hasn't lost any of his ability to tell a decent story using a multitude of characters, and allowing the reader to view both sides of the playing field. It's his ability to cover the grey areas, those places where things aren't quite as clear as they should be, and yet allow his characters to react naturally to them that keep me coming back for more. The best example of this is the talk Lucas has with his adopted daughter Letty near the end of the book.
Still a highly recommended series
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LibraryThing member she_climber
This was my first foray into the Prey series, having received an advanced copy of the 22nd book, Stolen Prey, due out May 15th. I very much liked the main character Lucas Davenport and am intrigued by his daughter, Lettie, who alone would make me probably read more of this series. The storyline
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involving a Mexican drug cartel that sent a trio of hitmen to Minnesota to find who was stealing the money they were attempting to launder was very interesting and entertaining. I felt like a visitor though, starting so late in the series, but it was still very readable and enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member SuseGordon
Another great Lucas Davenport story, starting with his being taken down at the ATM machine, robbed and left with a broken wrist. Between a search for the team that robbed him and the more horrific torture and murder of an entire family, Lucas has his plate full. Add in that there is a marjor
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Mexican drug cartle involved as they search for their stolen drug money, computer theft via a "back door" into a bank's system and visiting Mexican police officials & DEA wanting in on the action, and it is quite amazing that the "horse shit" thieves are found as well! Show Less
LibraryThing member MJC1946
With the Lucas Davenport series by John Sanford you know what you are getting and it is always worth your time.
STOLEN PREY takes Davenport and his fine team into the nasty world of drugs, Mexican cartels, money laundering,cyber crime, betrayals and good old shoot 'em outs.
In this latest foray,
What could be a dry examination of drug cyber laundering is made fascinating by Sanford's skill and knowledge around the world of bank fraud and security. He's not bad with precious metals transaction problems, either.
The ever present difficulty with a corrupt Mexican government and the honest (there are many) Federales is a side bar, but never far removed from what is happening in the book.
We are given thieves who are not particularly colorful but seem real - the bored self obsessed computer techie out for a quick few million: his hippie colleague who wants the dough but not the violence; the gold trafficker who masquerades as a Syrian woman Muslim (she's an American Jew). Non of the three above are especially violent but their greed blinds them to the consequences of their actions. As noted, the Mexican psychos are after them and have not qualms about killing anyone they can to find the money. Innocent people
die. More may follow.
There are tangles within knots in STOLEN PREY. Even the psychos are made human - there are poverty divides in Mexico and in most of the countries south of the border that can explain (not excuse) such depravity. We, in the U.S., would do well to understand our country's role in that divide. It does not make for pleasant reading.
The good guys are the usual crew and the baddies are plentiful and not always self evident. There is rarely honor among thieves and this fact adds to the increasing tension as the Minnesota BCA (Davenport) closes in on the various criminal parties whose increasingly conflicting interests threaten to unravel. Whether they unravel in time is anyone's guess but Sandford's and those of us lucky enough to have red this book. Recommended for all public libraries.
STOLEN PREY takes Davenport and his fine team into the nasty world of drugs, Mexican cartels, money laundering,cyber crime, betrayals and good old shoot 'em outs.
In this latest foray,
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Davenport is called in to access a particularly gruesome crime scene. It is the handiwork of young Mexican psychos hired by a Mexican cartel to find stolen drug money. The psychos do not find answers at their first killing and promise to continue until the money is located, returned to the cartel, and those responsible for cheating the cartel are taught a lesson. Fortunately, these psychos are not deep thinkers. Unfortunately, their immediate boss is a bit farther up the evolutionary scale. More unfortunate for Davenport, et al.,, that person"s boss is highly intelligent and organized. Let the games begin.What could be a dry examination of drug cyber laundering is made fascinating by Sanford's skill and knowledge around the world of bank fraud and security. He's not bad with precious metals transaction problems, either.
The ever present difficulty with a corrupt Mexican government and the honest (there are many) Federales is a side bar, but never far removed from what is happening in the book.
We are given thieves who are not particularly colorful but seem real - the bored self obsessed computer techie out for a quick few million: his hippie colleague who wants the dough but not the violence; the gold trafficker who masquerades as a Syrian woman Muslim (she's an American Jew). Non of the three above are especially violent but their greed blinds them to the consequences of their actions. As noted, the Mexican psychos are after them and have not qualms about killing anyone they can to find the money. Innocent people
die. More may follow.
There are tangles within knots in STOLEN PREY. Even the psychos are made human - there are poverty divides in Mexico and in most of the countries south of the border that can explain (not excuse) such depravity. We, in the U.S., would do well to understand our country's role in that divide. It does not make for pleasant reading.
The good guys are the usual crew and the baddies are plentiful and not always self evident. There is rarely honor among thieves and this fact adds to the increasing tension as the Minnesota BCA (Davenport) closes in on the various criminal parties whose increasingly conflicting interests threaten to unravel. Whether they unravel in time is anyone's guess but Sandford's and those of us lucky enough to have red this book. Recommended for all public libraries.
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LibraryThing member dyarington
Great book. John Sandford continues his ability to mesmerize. What a wonderful author. Characterization, pace, plot and fantastic imagination. More Virgil Flowers books could be a godsend as well.Finished the book fast--what more can I say?
LibraryThing member alanteder
Summer is here. For movie-goers, it's the first blockbuster weekend. For cottagers, it's the first opening weekend. For thriller readers, it's the new Lucas Davenport novel.
John Sandford's "Stolen Prey" is the 22nd of the Prey series featuring the ongoing character of Lucas Davenport with his
John Sandford's "Stolen Prey" is the 22nd of the Prey series featuring the ongoing character of Lucas Davenport with his
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Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) associates and family. The main case this time involves a group of hackers who have found a way to divert funds from a money laundering account set up by a Mexican drug cartel in a Minneapolis-St. Paul bank. The cartel is on the trail of the hackers as well and have sent a merciless kill-team of trackers after them. Lucas and his team have to find the hackers before the cartel does because there isn't going to much of the evidence or of the people left behind if they don't. Various DEA investigators and Mexican federal authorities are interested as well to add further complications. Davenport's family have brief and strong cameo appearances, but if you aren't a fan of the occasional medical subplots with wife/surgeon Weather Karkinnen or kid-reporter subplots with daughter Letty you can relax about those, this is a straight-ahead Lucas story. The main subplot involves Davenport himself getting robbed at an ATM with an investigation that leads to the southern part of the state which allows Sandford to bring in his other recurring series character, the BCA country/fishing detective Virgil Flowers, into the storyline as well. That case takes a turn that involves horse farms and a running gag about horse manure that adds to the usual phone banter between Davenport and Flowers. This was a solid forward-rushing thriller read that I tried to pace out as much as possible but still ended up finishing in 2 days. Summer is definitely here! Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
Although as always Sandford cannot write a bad book, Davenport and Flowers are just to good as characters, the subject matter of this one is not one of my favorites. DEA and Mexican Drug cartels, just seem like I have read too many books with this as a plot line lately. Also there are a few
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repetitions in this book almost as if Sandford does not quite trust his readers memory. Still love the series and admire they way, even after so many novels, he doesn't just try to coast with his writing. Show Less
LibraryThing member norinrad10
There was a time when every May I waited with baited breath for the arrival of the new Prey book and Lucas Davenport was perhaps my favorite fictional character. Alas those days are no more. Lucas has become...well...dull. I don't know if it's just that Sanford doesn't know where to go with him or
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if he just finds Virgil Flowers a more interesting protagonist. Whatever the case, he just seems to have lost a hold on the character. I won't bore you with plot details, because let's face it, they are immaterial. Suffice it to say, it involves a clever scheme, Mexican cartels, and multiple murders. There is one redeeming moment. A conversation between Lucas and his adopted daughter Letty that reminds you how good this series can be. Other then that...pshaw. Show Less
LibraryThing member arielfl
I picked this up not realizing that it was number 22! in a series. I don't know how I missed hearing about #1-21. I just thought that Stolen Prey sounded interesting after reading a blurb about in amazon. Normally I will not jump into a series in the middle without having read any of the previous
Lucas Davenport is a police officer married to the really cool named Weather. He is assaulted at an ATM so we have that plot running throughout as well as the plot of a horribly murdered family. I thought the book was going to be more about the family but it turns out they were just wrong place, wrong time. The story is more about Mexican drug people which is not really my thing. If bad things happen to criminals I don't fell a whole lot of sympathy. As for the twists that I think were meant to be shocking I have to say that after watching all the seasons of 24, back stabbing doesn't really surprise me. It is more than expected that someone will be working both sides.
Lucas Davenport and family were likeable enough characters. The whole drug fueled plot line was not really my cup of tea though. I think I prefer more psychologically driven thrillers (see my review for Gone Girl). I can see this appealing more to the guys. In any case I think the series has probably held up pretty well considering it is in it's 20th novel. That's quite an accomplishment.
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books but it did not seem that you had to know the characters from before to understand the story as it was presented in this novel. Lucas Davenport is a police officer married to the really cool named Weather. He is assaulted at an ATM so we have that plot running throughout as well as the plot of a horribly murdered family. I thought the book was going to be more about the family but it turns out they were just wrong place, wrong time. The story is more about Mexican drug people which is not really my thing. If bad things happen to criminals I don't fell a whole lot of sympathy. As for the twists that I think were meant to be shocking I have to say that after watching all the seasons of 24, back stabbing doesn't really surprise me. It is more than expected that someone will be working both sides.
Lucas Davenport and family were likeable enough characters. The whole drug fueled plot line was not really my cup of tea though. I think I prefer more psychologically driven thrillers (see my review for Gone Girl). I can see this appealing more to the guys. In any case I think the series has probably held up pretty well considering it is in it's 20th novel. That's quite an accomplishment.
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LibraryThing member Andy_DiMartino
Enjoyed immmensely. Loved Letties coming of age moment. I wish John would go back and develope the Kidd series some more though.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-05-15
Physical description
7.49 inches
ISBN
0425260992 / 9780425260999