Sat 20 Jan 2018
JOHN SANDFORD – Night Prey. Lucas Davenport #6. Putnam, hardcover, 1994. Berkley, paperback, 1995.
Sandford is really John Camp (or is it vice versa?) under which name he wrote two books about a computer whiz/criminal which I liked a lot — The Fool’s Run and The Empress File. I guess he’s doing too well with the “Prey” series to do any more of those, though. Pity — they were a lot better, to my taste.
Lucas Davenport is back with the Minneapolis PD, this time as a Deputy Chief in charge of special projects, To no one’s surprise, including Lucas’s and ours, his next project turns out to be a serial killer. An abrasive lady state cop has come to Davenport’s chief with a file that indicates one is loose in the Twin Cities area, and that his timetable is shortening.
Davenport’s chief doesn’t feel she can afford to ignore the possibility, and assigns him and a task force to work with the woman on the case. Sure enough, more blood is spilled, and then more.
Would someone tell me why I used up a precious hour or two reading this? Please? I know I don’t like serial killer books, particularly those which alternate viewpoints with the killer and the pursuer, and I knew that was what this was and read it anyway.
Sandford’s strengths are his often chilling portraits of serial killers, his strong central character of Lucas Davenport, and his excellent storytelling ability. All are in full evidence here. If I were going to read any more s.k.’s, these would be on my shelf right alongside Thomas Harris. But I’m not, I swear. Stop me before I do it again, somebody.
Bibliographic Updates: John Sandford’s real name is John Camp. He wrote his first two books, the ones Barry mentions, under his own name, although they were both reprinted later as by Sandford. The computer whiz in those books was a fellow named Joe Kidd. There have been two later books in the series, published as by Sandford.
As of this year and the publication of Twisted Prey there will be 28 books in the Lucas Davenport series, and ten more with Virgil Flowers, who is a member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and who reports to Lucas Davenport.
January 20th, 2018 at 10:06 pm
Read the first Prey years ago when it came out, thought it was ok, but not up to the hype. Then read the Virgil Flowers stories starting a year or two ago and loved them. So now may have to go back and start reading the Prey books.
Sandford has a real easy to read style and the books just flow. Have enjoyed the Flowers character, not sure how likable the Davenport character is.
January 21st, 2018 at 1:50 am
Davenport was the big drawback for me. Unless he has moderated I didn’t need another self righteous cop stomping on the Constitution with his rogue ways, and more serial killers just like all the other serial killers weren’t needed either.
I do agree he is a good writer with a readable style, but I was tired of his subject matter back when he started.
For those who still like the form he is tops in his field, and certainly never jumped the shark like later Harris books.
January 21st, 2018 at 5:13 pm
I’ve read only one book by Sandford, that being STORM FRONT, one of the Virgil Flowers books:
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=35513
I haven’t followed up on my suggestion that Sandford has not been writing all of the books that have come out under his name. If anyone has heard anything more about whether this is so or not, let us know.
I thought half of STORM FRONT was fine, bot I had lot of trouble with the second half. I probably won’t read another.
And if all that Davenport does is track down serial killers, then I’ll never read any of the books he’s the leading character in.
No way, no how. Not even tempted.
January 22nd, 2018 at 5:11 pm
I am hooked on Sandford’s books; I can suspend a lot of disbelief, because I love his characters and his storytelling. He’s one of the best writers in the field.
January 22nd, 2018 at 5:42 pm
Based on his longevity and sales record, you aren’t the only one who thinks that way, Howard.