A Book A Week

Like many readers, I'm faced with the eternal problem of having more books to read than I'll ever have time to finish. There's just not enough time in the day to work through my extensive backlog of titles. Even worse off are the countless series that I've neglected to stay current on. With a few long-running crime series numbering 30+ installments, it seems like an insurmountable task to keep up with them. Determined not to let these series fall by the wayside, I've decided to start working on one at a time. First up is John Sandford's Prey series. I've read and enjoyed the more recent novels, and started the first book several years ago. The second book, read last year, didn't hold up to the standards of what is culturally acceptable today, but I've decided to give book number three a go. 

This go-around sees Lucas Davenport face off against two bad guys. The villainous duo comes to an agreement akin to the classic Strangers on a Train setup, wherein they each commit a murder to benefit the other. As is often the case in a partnership of this kind, one half of the group is much more cunning than the other, and he's the one pulling the strings in a terrifying direction. The other man becomes more of the muscle than the brain, exacting the mastermind's evil agenda with ghastly precision. From the get-go, their carefully laid plan goes slightly awry leaving the duo scrambling to stay ahead of the police who are hot on their trail. Davenport is working through a serious bout of depression. As such, he won't let anything, not even the law, get in his way of catching these killers. 

This is the darkest of the Prey series so far. John Sandford has imagined a killer who is as cunning as he is evil. It's a combination that makes for quick reading and ever-tightening suspense. The reader is privy to the identity of the killers from the very start of the book, making the thrill of reading more about seeing Davenport chase down the clues and come to the conclusion that we already know. Nevertheless, I couldn't put this one down. Beyond having the best villain thus far, Eyes of Prey sees Sandford begin to dig deeper into the emotions of his main character. By focussing on Davenport's debilitating depression and reckless response to it, Sandford allows his character to be more than just an action hero. He's becoming a person whom the reader can actually care about. That makes this my favorite of the first three Prey books. The end leaves plenty of room for the story to continue, so I can't wait to keep reading this series. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2023, 11)