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324th out of 886 books
—
482 voters
Phantom Prey (Lucas Davenport #18)
Lucas Davenport has had disturbing cases before� but never one quite like this, in the shocking new Prey novel from the #1 New York Times�bestselling author.
John Sandford�s most recent Davenport novel, Invisible Prey, was hailed as �one of his best books in recent memory� (The Washington Post); �as fresh and entertaining as ever� (Chicago Sun-Times); and �rivetingly readab...more
John Sandford�s most recent Davenport novel, Invisible Prey, was hailed as �one of his best books in recent memory� (The Washington Post); �as fresh and entertaining as ever� (Chicago Sun-Times); and �rivetingly readab...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
May 6th 2008
by Putnam Adult
(first published 2008)
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Lucas Davenport goes goth.
Alyssa Austin is a wealthy widow that returns home to find a bloodstain on her wall and that her adult daughter Francis has vanished. With no body and no leads, the police can’t do much with the case. After a friend of Francis’s is murdered by a mysterious goth woman known only as Fairy, Alyssa turns to her friend Weather for help.
Weather just so happens to be married to Lucas Davenport, one of the top cops with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as well as be...more
Alyssa Austin is a wealthy widow that returns home to find a bloodstain on her wall and that her adult daughter Francis has vanished. With no body and no leads, the police can’t do much with the case. After a friend of Francis’s is murdered by a mysterious goth woman known only as Fairy, Alyssa turns to her friend Weather for help.
Weather just so happens to be married to Lucas Davenport, one of the top cops with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension as well as be...more
The latest installment in the Lucas Davenport series. Excellent plot and pacing. Sandford just never misses. His writing is sharp and clean and fast-paced. He always has kind of a "double" plot---the main story and then a side story of another case Lucas is working on. In this book, both stories are exciting and interesting.
The main plot has a nice sinister, otherworldly edge to it, which I haven't seen in this series before. Sandford took a little Stephen King and put it in one character's hea...more
The main plot has a nice sinister, otherworldly edge to it, which I haven't seen in this series before. Sandford took a little Stephen King and put it in one character's hea...more
I'm completely addicted to the Prey series. The last one slightly disappointed me so I was tempted to not buy the hardback to this one.
But I did.
And it was great! This involves Lucas Davenport, as per usual, working a couple of cases. The cases for this round involve the death of a "Goth" girl and a mobster type person.
Weather is friends with the Goth girl's mother, who implores Lucas to take the case. He does, out of kindness and the promise of kinky sex with Weather. While he's working the cas...more
But I did.
And it was great! This involves Lucas Davenport, as per usual, working a couple of cases. The cases for this round involve the death of a "Goth" girl and a mobster type person.
Weather is friends with the Goth girl's mother, who implores Lucas to take the case. He does, out of kindness and the promise of kinky sex with Weather. While he's working the cas...more
Jun 10, 2008
Mary
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sandford fans and crime novel fans.
Shelves:
popular,
mystery-crime-fiction
Another good one in the "Prey" series by Sandford. Lucas Davenport is on the trail of a Goth killer this time. As usual, the reader discovers the identity of the killer before Davenport and it's interesting to see how he discovers the truth after myriad distractions and diversions. A subplot includes the stakeout of a Lithuanian gangster pad - doesn't really add anything to the story except for Lucas and Del to bounce ideas off each other. No real personal additions to Lucas' background this tim...more
1 like · like · see review
Back when I was a little punk rock girl, I used to cringe whenever I saw punk rockers depicted in books or on film, because it was inevitably horrifying and wrong. Maybe that's why I cringed at the whole Goth thing this book had going. It was sort of like listening to your grandparents attempt to be hip by using slang words they read in Time magazine.
Horrifying wrongness aside, I also found the villains to be rather boring, and the book dragged whenever it switched to their POV. A miss for this...more
Horrifying wrongness aside, I also found the villains to be rather boring, and the book dragged whenever it switched to their POV. A miss for this...more
4 likes · like · see review
Lucas Davenport is a good-looking, married cop in the Twin Cities who’s risen in rank over the life of 18 ‘Prey” titles to head the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He endures the bureaucracy and mingles well with the political ties his title demands, but prefers to be on the street and catch the bad guys. In Phantom Prey, Davenport enters the Goth community and does just that.
Sandford’s writing is sophisticated and contemplative as well as fast-paced. In reflecting over the paths he’s chosen i...more
Sandford’s writing is sophisticated and contemplative as well as fast-paced. In reflecting over the paths he’s chosen i...more
Phantom Prey is #18 in John Sandford’s best-selling Prey series, the latest of which is #21. It’s one of a total of 33 novels Sandford has published since 1989, all of which seem to be set in his home state of Minnesota.
An innocent reader might wonder how Sandford finds so many clever plots involving the life of law enforcement officers in Minnesota, which is after all a state with a population of little more than five million people. That same reader might also wonder how Sandford can do such a...more
An innocent reader might wonder how Sandford finds so many clever plots involving the life of law enforcement officers in Minnesota, which is after all a state with a population of little more than five million people. That same reader might also wonder how Sandford can do such a...more
Not bad, but...Sandford has started to really repeat himself, and get on a kick for half a book or so, different characters saying certain phrases repeatedly. In this book, one of the repetitive phrases is "Oh poop." Even Davenport says it, which is not likely judging by his personality and lingo in past books. He's usually not so cutesy; he's crude and rough, and I doubt "Oh poop" would be in the Lucas Davenport vernacular.
And several different characters bring up and describe the backside on...more
And several different characters bring up and describe the backside on...more
Apr 06, 2010
Julie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
would-like-in-hardcover
I am slowly reading my way through Sandford's Prey Series and for the most part I do enjoy the books. I had a hard time getting into this particular installment though. It took me a month to get through this book and that is an unusually long time for me to finish a book once I begin. I set it aside several times, but I did not want to give up on it.
There was more than one plot line happening in this story, and I found that somewhat distracting. As usual, Sandford does a good job describing his...more
There was more than one plot line happening in this story, and I found that somewhat distracting. As usual, Sandford does a good job describing his...more
I don't remember where I got this book. I just found it on my bookshelf and figured I would try it. I was not disappointed. It is one book in a long series that you don't have to have read the others to keep up with. I've not read John Sandford's "Prey" series before, but I think I will have to add those on my books to read. It is about a detective named Lucas Davenport who is attempting to solve a strange series of murders in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The one, no two things I disliked abou...more
Still movin' through Sanford's "Prey" series with this one, No. 18 - and I'm still saying they keep getting better even though (or rather because) some things stay the same. Like many of the others, for instance, this one has Minneapolis detective Lucas Davenport assigned to work two cases simultaneously, with the possibility that they'll overlap at some point (or not). And like the others, readers learn who the culprits are before Davenport "gets it," so there's the fun of watching him unravel...more
I've been reading Sandford for twenty years, and I don't think he has ever disappointed me - his "Prey" series is one of the consistently best. His characters are fully developed and actually evolve over the years - family situations change - professional duties shift - but the action and intelligent writing maintain a standard of quality throughout. "Phantom Prey," involves a missing adult daughter and her circle of acquaintances who are working professionals by day and dabble in the Goth cultu...more
Cop turned investigator, Lucas Davenport, is back in his 18th novel. This time he’s investigating the Goth scene after a wealthy young woman who fancies herself Goth goes missing. The mother of the missing girl is friends with Weather, Lucas’s wife, and she leans on Lucas to find her daughter.
Almost as soon as Lucas begins, three more Goths are killed with little time between. And when Lucas is shot, he knows that he is onto something big. There was also a secondary investigation involving a ba...more
Almost as soon as Lucas begins, three more Goths are killed with little time between. And when Lucas is shot, he knows that he is onto something big. There was also a secondary investigation involving a ba...more
Jun 03, 2009
Linda O
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
lovers of fast-paced crime - without much introspection
453 pgs. 2008. Once again, our reluctant hero, Lucas Davenport, vanquishes the forces of evil in a very seedy and gritty representation of a lovely city in my home state, Minneapolis, Minnesota! Of course, it's been awhile since I've lived there, but I really do not recall all those weird sociopaths walking around everywhere. :) Seriously, Sandford always provides a good, fast read and Davenport is a great champion of justice and goodness. I'm fond of his wife Weather (a surgeon) and there's alw...more
I picked this book up at the Goodwill after having donated a shopping bag full of old clothes. My next errand was to take my daughter to the doctor and I'd left my Kindle at home. Having read a few of Sandford's "Prey" books, I figured this one would do.
I have to admit I was a bit ticked off at the cashier who thumbed through it and pronounced it as having "zero entertainment value." I wondered if she gave opinions on clothing and furniture choices as well.
This was a book I set down and picked u...more
I have to admit I was a bit ticked off at the cashier who thumbed through it and pronounced it as having "zero entertainment value." I wondered if she gave opinions on clothing and furniture choices as well.
This was a book I set down and picked u...more
John Sandford's "Prey" series started off as a Thomas Harris-influenced crime series with a detective hero only slightly less demented and violent than his quarry. Over the years, Sandford has tempered his hero's extreme behavior and turned the "Prey" books into the most reliably entertaining police procedurals now on the market. This is an okay entry. It starts out promisingly, then starts losing steam as the murderer's identity comes into focus. The identity, when revealed, has an element of p...more
Straightfoward, tough, methodical and determined. One of the best things about reading John Sandford—and following Lucas Davenport—is you pretty much know what you’ll get. I am no Sandford expert by any means but the reason I picked this up is I knew I could assured of a connect-the-dots plot and masterful sleuth work. Check and check, both are here in spades. “Phantom Prey” deals with a series of murders and one disappearance of a series of young “Goths,” who favor a certain look and dark vibe....more
What do a coke dealer named Siggy and a Goth couple called Fairy and Loren have in common……only the fact that they are being pursued by a cop named Lucas Davenport and that they all appear in John Sanford’s novel PHANTOM PREY. I have read many of the prey books and enjoyed them but the entire concept of this book is akin to viewing an episode of the Ghost Whisperer with Melinda visiting SHUTTER ISLAND. On top of that, the secondary story of Siggy and his exhibitionist spouse was dull, dull, dull...more
John Sandford is one of the few writers I read – and enjoy – against my better judgment. His Prey series is remarkably good, so even though it's all a little formulaic and he's written a bajillion of these books I try not to feel too guilty. I started reading these in the late 90's, and to be honest I've lost track of much of the series' history, but Phantom Prey shares the strengths of the other Prey books I've read: a compelling protagonist (Lucas Davenport, detective and – hey, why not? – for...more
The only reason I don't give it five stars is that it may not be an important work of literature, or something. But maybe I'll change my rating; this Prey book may be something more important. It is what a Stephen King book aspires to be, but in my opinion all the King books fail due to their lame phrasing and attempts to appeal to all Americans just through random vulgarity. On the other hand, this Prey book (most of them, but this one particularly) is appealing because it tells an interesting...more
CD/unabridged/suspense: Book 18 of the Lucas Davenport series. I read the first two or three Prey books, so a lot has happened in Lucas' life 16 books later. Millionaire/police detective is still on the job. This time he is staking out a chick's house awaiting her thug boyfriend arrival for arrest. Lucas is asked, as a favor, to look into a case of a missing woman. Like the other books I've read, you are told early on who the murderer is and the murderer's thinking.
Richard Ferrone does a good j...more
Richard Ferrone does a good j...more
This was my first John Sandford book. Highly comparable to James Patterson, but to a Minnesotan, even better! I really enjoy being able to picture where the characters are, since the setting is in Minnesota. I also enjoyed how the author follows more than one case for the main character, keeping your brain working throughout the story. This book followed the murders of young people in the Goth scene in MPLS, following Lucas Davenport as he tries to make sense of why all these people are being sl...more
Davenport's starting to realize that it isn't all fun and games chasing the criminals after he is shot in an ambush outside a bar while trying to find a young missing woman. The thought that he might not be there to jump Weather's bones or watch Sam and Letty grow up, gives our detective pause for thought in an unusual insightful moment.
Outside of these intimate thoughts, this was an intriguing novel. The plot twisted and turned in interesting ways, keeping my attention fully engaged. The reader...more
Outside of these intimate thoughts, this was an intriguing novel. The plot twisted and turned in interesting ways, keeping my attention fully engaged. The reader...more
John Sandford keeps cranking out great dialogue, credible story lines, convincing characters. Lucas still has plenty of testosterone in his tank at his advanced age.
I've read quite a few of the Prey series books. Being from Minnesota myself, its always interesting because the stories are set there and I'm familiar with a lot of the areas that are discussed in the book.
Compared to the other books in this series, I would say that this was an okay read. The premise is that an old friend asks Lucas to help her solve the murder of her daughter. It just so happens that people that knew her daughter are also being murdered. I thought the storyline unfolded nicely...more
Compared to the other books in this series, I would say that this was an okay read. The premise is that an old friend asks Lucas to help her solve the murder of her daughter. It just so happens that people that knew her daughter are also being murdered. I thought the storyline unfolded nicely...more
I wouldn't miss a Davenport novel and would like to see all of these in movies one day (or even better as a great HBO series). Still, this one isn't at the top of my list. It seems like the killers are getting crazier with each novel. If you haven't read stories about Lucas Davenport, don't start here--go back to the beginning of the series. Or, read my favorite continued plot in this order: Certain Prey and then Mortal Prey. If you have read most of them, try Heat Lightning to learn more about...more
Woman comes home to find blood on her wall and her college-age daughter unaccounted for. As a friend of Weather, she asks her to get her husband Lucas Davenport involved. Lucas follows the trail to several goth killings. He is also involved in tracking down an escaped fugitive who was a drug dealter. Lucas gets shot by suspect. Lucas just one step behind killer in several places. Winds up looking for fairy goth. Lucas forgets number one rule - follow the money. That leads to original murderer, b...more
I love this series, but didn't care for this book all that much. The best scenes in the book weren't about the main mystery / crime, but the secondary one. Watching Del and Lucas watch the girl in the apartment was funny, but in the end she was the one laughing. For some reason I kind of admire her for it. The main mystery / crime was odd. Once you figured out what was going on it was still odd. I didn't have any sympathy for the main character involed and really didn't care what happened to her...more
Lucas Davenport, a detective with Minnesota's BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension), is asked by his wife, Weather to look into the disappearance of a friends daughter.
When Alyssa Austin comes home one night, something feels "off" to her. She checks her home and finds nothing out of place. She starts to relax and then notices the blood on the kitchen wall. The cops have run through everything they have and have come up empty. That's when she asks Weather if Lucas could take a look at the case.
A...more
When Alyssa Austin comes home one night, something feels "off" to her. She checks her home and finds nothing out of place. She starts to relax and then notices the blood on the kitchen wall. The cops have run through everything they have and have come up empty. That's when she asks Weather if Lucas could take a look at the case.
A...more
Phantom Prey is the 18th book in the Lucas Davenport mystery series by John Sandford, set in the modern-day Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lucas and Del trade off on a stakeout, watching for a drug lord's return to his wife. The woman does not close her blinds at night, so they observe displays of nudity. Her advancing pregnancy makes them certain he will return.
Lucas' wife Weather asks him to look into a cold case for a friend: Alyssa Austin's daughter Frances has been missing for months and is assum...more
Lucas and Del trade off on a stakeout, watching for a drug lord's return to his wife. The woman does not close her blinds at night, so they observe displays of nudity. Her advancing pregnancy makes them certain he will return.
Lucas' wife Weather asks him to look into a cold case for a friend: Alyssa Austin's daughter Frances has been missing for months and is assum...more
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John Sandford was born John Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in th...more
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