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Rules Of Prey (Lucas Davenport #1)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 22,839 ratings · 667 reviews

The killer was mad, but brilliant.

He left notes with every woman he killed. Rules of murder. Never have a motive. Never follow a discernible pattern. Never carry a weapon after it has been used... So many rules to his sick, violent games of death ...

But Lucas Davenport, the cop who's out to get him, isn't playing by the rules.

ebook, 288 pages

Published April 1990 by Berkley (first published July 1989)

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Nov 14, 2012 Gavin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pulp-detective-spy

Okay, here's the deal: I like me some stupid thriller books every once in awhile, and so I thought I would take a chance with Lucas Davenport. He's a gritty rogue cop, yadda...yadda...yadda...you've heard it all before. But what you haven't heard is this story was so much fun. Granted it has all the cliches imaginable, and once or twice I really had to wince at the writing, but, overall, this story did exactly what it was supposed to do: ENTERTAIN. Lately, I've been reading some pretty heavy stu...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, 5-0, serial-killers, lucas-davenport

A smart and tough cop who drives a Porsche on the job as he hunts a sadistic serial killer in the late ‘80s. Yeah, yeah. I know this book should totally suck, but the amazing thing is that it doesn’t. Neither does the long-running series that followed.

Lieutenant Lucas Davenport is officially the head of the intelligence division of the Minneapolis police force, but his real job title should be Head Rat Catcher. When big cases that get media attention happen, Davenport gets called in because not...more A smart and tough cop who drives a Porsche on the job as he hunts a sadistic serial killer in the late ‘80s. Yeah, yeah. I know this book should totally suck, but the amazing thing is that it doesn’t. Neither does the long-running series that followed.

Lieutenant Lucas Davenport is officially the head of the intelligence division of the Minneapolis police force, but his real job title should be Head Rat Catcher. When big cases that get media attention happen, Davenport gets called in because not only is he a good cop who has built up a huge network of street informants, he’s got a knack for playing the angles that keep too much crap from blowing back on his bosses. When a psycho nicknamed the Mad Dog starts a killing spree and leaves behind notes outlining his rules of murder, Davenport finds himself drawn into a dangerous and personal contest of wills.

John Sandford (real name John Camp) was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who covered crime in Minnneapolis, and his books have a casual way of making the procedural and political side of police work seem authentic in the context of thriller plots. Sandford’s easy-to-read style often masks how good he really is it at coming with intelligent and action-filled books that put most of the others of this type to shame.

Even after 20+ books, Davenport remains one of my favorite cop characters. The schtick of him being rich and playing by his own rules should make him a bad cliché, but Sandford gave him enough personality to get you to overlook that. For starters, he’s kind of bastard in a lot of ways, especially in these early days. As a guy who made his money as a designer of role playing games, Davenport is a master manipulator who won’t hesitate to use any ploy to get his man, even if he burns some people in the process. And he won’t lose any sleep about committing a crime if he thinks it’s necessary.

Lucas is definitely a guy who believes that the ends justify the means. That’s part of what’s kept him interesting for over 20 years.
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May 22, 2011 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, cops-and-pee-eyes, suspense-thriller

Another Lucas Davenport weekend. After reading #21 in the series I had a hankerin' to go back to some of the early ones. Sandford has certainly improved his delivery over the years. This first one is heavy on the nonessential narrative summaries, especially in the first 100 pages or so.

Rules of Prey introduces Lucas Davenport, the badass Minneapolis cop who plays by his own rules but gets the job done when no one else can. He goes head to head with a smart lawyer who is also a serial killer.

Th...more

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May 19, 2013 Keifario rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finally lost it for this book when the police officers murder an innocent man who was protecting his property. I'm pretty sure the cops weren't uniformed because they were undercover at the time. So the man didn't know they were cops when he shot at them in self defense.

The cops flippant attitude about it annoyed me. They murdered a civilian and left his wife a widow. The cops only cared about how it looked and how the media would react to it, not that they ended a man's life because of their...more I finally lost it for this book when the police officers murder an innocent man who was protecting his property. I'm pretty sure the cops weren't uniformed because they were undercover at the time. So the man didn't know they were cops when he shot at them in self defense.

The cops flippant attitude about it annoyed me. They murdered a civilian and left his wife a widow. The cops only cared about how it looked and how the media would react to it, not that they ended a man's life because of their own mistakes. We'll throw a few bucks at the wife to shut her up. They were almost as bad as the serial killer.

(The above is not a spoiler really because it has no impact on anything else in the book. Life is dirt cheap in these thrillers.)

There were a few things I liked. Sandford gets deep into the mind of this serial killer. He's a sicko but at least interesting. Sandford also didn't prance around his female characters, afraid of negative portrayals. Lucas was attracted to one but stayed away from her because she was "dumb as a stump". I found that funny. This was published in 1989 so it was okay to say things like that. Refreshing. He unapologetically slept with a few.

Potential victim Carla Ruiz was an interesting and sympathetic female character, although a bit one note. Reporter and TV personality Jennifer Carey comes off as an awful person. A good and realistic negative portrayal. No pedestals, no apologies.

Lucas Davenport is too forgiving of her transgressions however. It didn't fit his confident and masculine persona. One minute he's aloof and amused the next minute he's an indecisive pansy ass of a man.

Some of the dialogue is really good. No nonsense and to the point and sometimes humorous. Sometimes though it's hollow and wooden. Davenport's fellow cops, most of them, weren't bumbling idiots. Just human. The Captain, although too concerned with the damn media, wasn't your typical over-the-top asshole Captain, the type we've seen too much of in entertainment. Ultimately he was just trying to do the right thing and catch the killer.

Still, the book dragged on. No mystery so no suspense. Barely any twists. Catch the guy already. I know this is an early book by Sandford so I'm sure he improves, but I don't know. He is not a bad writer by any means, sometimes quite good. I heard the second book is one of his worst so I was going to skip to the third book. But that's called Eyes of Prey and it's about eyes being gouged out? I mean, who needs it.

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Apr 29, 2008 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, mystery-detective

Wow! Okay, I can say that Davenport is not like anything other cop character I've ever read before. He's definitely an original, and I don't know how much I should say for fear of blowing it for those who haven't read it and wish to. Lucas is intelligent and handsome in his own way, has a lot going on, but I found him to be... well, the only word I can think of is insecure when it comes to his personal life (women). He has the 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' attitude when it comes to h...more

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Feb 06, 2009 Mappi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: john-sandford, read-2009

Overall - 4/5 : A fun Ride. Easy read.

Plot - 4/5 : catchy & simple. A serial killer (known right from the beiging) is tracked by a Police Lieutenant Lucas Davenport. A clever plot, where the killer is introduced in the very begining, and then the investigation in parallel. At one point when Lucas was enquiring in his investigation in a building, I almost said out load - He is right behind you Lietunant!

Writting - 3/5 : Simple

Hero - 4/5 : Lucas Davenport. I like this cop with a Porsch.

Villan...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Lizabeth S. Tucker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-adventure

First Lucas Davenport mystery.

He called himself mad dog, a killer smart enough to avoid the common mistakes made by most murderers. The killings relieved his stress, but it was also a game he enjoyed playing. Lucas Davenport was a police officer and game designer with a hefty bank balance. Tough, smart and good at his job, Lucas has made some enemies on and off the job. Working parallel to Homicide on the murders, Lucas is also dealing with surprise news from his steady bed-mate, reporter Jennif...more First Lucas Davenport mystery.

He called himself mad dog, a killer smart enough to avoid the common mistakes made by most murderers. The killings relieved his stress, but it was also a game he enjoyed playing. Lucas Davenport was a police officer and game designer with a hefty bank balance. Tough, smart and good at his job, Lucas has made some enemies on and off the job. Working parallel to Homicide on the murders, Lucas is also dealing with surprise news from his steady bed-mate, reporter Jennifer Carey. He's also helping the only attack survivor, Carla Ruiz, avoid the press by putting her up at his cabin. And, due to Lucas' tom-catting aspects, is having sex with her as well. Despite some unauthorized activities and questionable decisions, Lucas is determined to catch mad dog and put him down.

I bought this shortly after watching the Made for Television movie starring Mark Harmon as Lucas. While a different book in the series was adapted, I'm one of those anal people who has to read series books in order. Personally, I consider the movie to have been a pretty good rendition of the character, even if the physical resemblance is slim. Lucas appears Native American while Harmon is anything but.

Lucas is a charming S.O.B. at heart, a man you'd rather have on your side than as an enemy. Make no mistake, he is not a saintly hero. His moral code is shaky at best. There is also an edge of anger and violence that hints at much more of a back story. He is easily attracted to beautiful women, having a problem resisting acting on those attractions. And he is willing to do whatever it takes to get the information he needs or to corral the villains he chases.

I found the writing to be wonderfully engaging, the mystery interesting, and the switch from villain to hero well done. While I did enjoy the book, I'm not certain I am going to read more in the series. There is a casualness to Lucas' choices that bother me enough to make me hesitate. I'll have to see once I get through the hundreds of books still to be read. Still, I will have to give it 4 out of 5 for the quality of the writing.(less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Daryl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since I opened my used bookstore four months ago, I've sold more Sandford books than any other author, so thought I'd check him out. This is the first novel in a 20+ book series starring Lucas Davenport. Here he investigates and tracks down a serial killer on the Twin Cities. The book also delves into the killer's mind and devotes occasional chapters to his motivations and actions, generally unknown to Davenport. Somehow Sandford manages to make an insane killer, the antagonist here, vaguely sym...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Mary Hoyle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This book should come with a warning:
Lucas Davenport, along with the other main characters, is highly intelligent, highly flawed, unabashedly quirky, and relentlessly addictive.

Good news? There's 23 books in the series, so settle in and enjoy.
Bad news? You may miss some sleep.

List of books by publication date per author's website:
http://www.johnsandford.org/listofboo...
The Prey Series:
1. Rules of Prey (1989)
2. Shadow Prey (1990)
3. Eyes of Prey (1991)
4. Silent Prey (1992)
5. Winter Prey (19...more

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Dec 30, 2012 aPriL MEOWS often with scratching rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-suspense-thrillers, pulp-junk-i-adore

! ! ! ! !

Is Lucas Davenport a scumbag or a hero? This is the first in the classic 'Prey' series, and I.dont.know.

Independently wealthy, he doesn't need the job of police lieutenant, detective in the Minneapolis police department. He is also a designer of video games, a gambler and a womanizer. He is willing to marry a woman having his child, and able to drive to his other lover's bed after proposing to the first woman, telling neither about the other. He is a gun nut, and he carries unregistered...more ! ! ! ! !

Is Lucas Davenport a scumbag or a hero? This is the first in the classic 'Prey' series, and I.dont.know.

Independently wealthy, he doesn't need the job of police lieutenant, detective in the Minneapolis police department. He is also a designer of video games, a gambler and a womanizer. He is willing to marry a woman having his child, and able to drive to his other lover's bed after proposing to the first woman, telling neither about the other. He is a gun nut, and he carries unregistered guns he can drop near criminals he has murdered in cold blood. In the pursuit of a horrible serial killer, he doesn't think twice in setting up a woman as bait, hoping the killer will show. He has unusual autonomy in the department, no partner, assigned to be a liaison between the media and the police, and is highly trusted by his boss, Chief Daniel. His number one lover, Jennifer Carey, often goes behind his back and spies on him, betraying his case secrets to the world in the race to report important crime details in her television reporter job. Although occasionally this upsets him, he seems to tolerate that side of her character in order to bed her - often. He has an eerie second sense, a feeling for things being off or wrong, as well as a honed knowledge of police procedure. He tries to avoid blame games in the process of police work, and he is willing to apologize for his anger when the teamwork required for tracking perpetrators goes wrong.

Lucas Davenport is NOT a believer in rules.

Unlike Lucas, maddog has created a checklist of rules to obey once he has picked The Chosen. Starting with squirrels when just a little boy, he has learned that killing things gives him an orgasm. Unfortunately, squirrels no longer have the impact a woman dying by his hand does. He wants to share his joy with the police and the media, so he leaves a rule written on paper behind after each rape and murder.

He is up to number three. The urge is growing. And he has found the next Chosen.

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Aug 11, 2012 Nicole Green rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was absolutely thrilling and amazing. And, not only because it was set in Minnesota's Twin Cities and I could recognize a lot of the places the author mentioned, but because of the fact that I could just not put this book down. Lucas Davenport is a great character in his own way and "the maddog" is quite interesting as well. They are both quite smart and it was great to see two very smart and manipulative people going head-to-head with each other.

Lucas Davenport is one of those main ch...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, noir, serial-killer

A self-styled “maddog” serial killer is loose in the Twin Cities. His is a cold, calculating type of insanity, and his day job as a lawyer has given him inside information on how criminal investigation works. He likes to stalk women, bind, gag, rape, then kill them. He then leaves a note on the body. Each note gives one of the rules; the rules for his killing game. He loves games. He just needs a worthy opponent. Enter Lucas Davenport of the Minnesota PD. Lucas knows all about games. He became a...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Daniel Peter Kincaid rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As some one who have read so many books (i'm a bookworm), especially thrillers, it's hard to find something that would surprise me or keep me interested. Partly because when it comes to book (the same with music), i have i standards, but mostly because i'm looking for something that is really good. This was it.

I've encountered Sandford years ago when reading "Sudden Prey" and I remember liking it really much. But only I have come back with a mission to read the whole series, and I wasn't disapp...more

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Jul 08, 2012 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed

Lucas Davenport is an interesting enough hero... He is wealthy, a womanizer, a bit of a Dirty Harry, and on top of that designs games... He designs RPG's and wargames and is highly sought after. As a gamer, I found that interesting, though the author doesn't seem to know that even the great designers cannot make a bunch of money designing games.

The author creates a crazy killer and then leads us through a police procedural where the hero is not adverse to breaking police procedure. He isn't afr...more

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Dec 09, 2011 LaDonna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read one or two Prey books over the years, but never paid that much attention and did not read them as a series so have decided to start from the beginning. I liked it, definitely big on the action and suspense, but I can't say I was completely overwhelmed (Davenport just isn't That F#@$ing Flowers who I absolutely adore.) I'm planning to pick up the next one tomorrow - need to figure out which ones I am missing as we have most of them around here. Overall, I gave it 3 stars because it was...more

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Nov 27, 2011 KarenC rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to KarenC by: Husband

Shelves: better_than_tv, murder_mystery, police

My husband has read the whole series and said it was entertaining. Inspired by the TV movie of A Certain Prey earlier this month I decided to read the first book of the series to get a better handle on the character of Lucas Davenport.
Was Mark Harmon the right actor for the role? I'm not sure. He did carry off some of the characteristics portrayed in this first novel, but carried a lot of Gibbs (Harmon's character in NCIS) along with him.
As a police detective, Davenport is a bit shady; doesn't...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller

Weak 3 stars. Nothing surprising, but I was curious enough to keep reading. This will probably appeal to guys, not female readers.

STORY BRIEF:
Lucas Davenport is a police detective who creates computer video games in his spare time. He makes a lot of money. He drives a Porche. He dresses well. The ladies like him. His childhood friend is a psychologist nun who provides profiling information.

Louis Vullion is a serial killer attorney referred to as maddog. He kills women. He stalks, plans, attacks,...more Weak 3 stars. Nothing surprising, but I was curious enough to keep reading. This will probably appeal to guys, not female readers.

STORY BRIEF:
Lucas Davenport is a police detective who creates computer video games in his spare time. He makes a lot of money. He drives a Porche. He dresses well. The ladies like him. His childhood friend is a psychologist nun who provides profiling information.

Louis Vullion is a serial killer attorney referred to as maddog. He kills women. He stalks, plans, attacks, ties them to a bed, rapes, and then stabs them in the heart. He leaves notes on the bodies stating different rules about killing. For example: never keep a weapon after using it.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is a police procedural murder mystery suspense thriller. The main character Lucas is a police investigator and part vigilante. He breaks the law more than once to see that his version of justice is done. Although Lucas is shown to be very smart about all of this and does some smart things, the other cops and strange circumstances create “incredible luck” for the killer. One cop turned a corner too quickly accidentally squealing his tires which alerted the killer to get away. Another cop didn’t know his turn signal light was broken, so the killer was able to detect that he was being followed. They had a radio transmitter on the killer’s car, so why did the broken-light-cop-car have to follow the killer so closely and for so long? Not well done. About a dozen different things happened during the book which were simply “luck” helping the killer. There is one scene I would describe as “a perfect storm of bad luck and police incompetence.” I don’t mind occasional luck causing unusual things to happen, but here luck was a primary element for almost every single event. Right after this book I began the “Killing Floor” by Lee Child. I noticed a big difference. One could say there is good luck and bad luck in everything that happens, but in KF luck didn’t come to mind. The hero in KF was Jack. Jack’s thinking, actions, reactions, and things that others did were unexpected and engaged me. I was smiling several times at being surprised or impressed. When I compare the two, the events in ROP were predictable. Nothing surprised me.

Lucas is sleeping with two different women during the book, one woman one day and another the next. A third one wants to sleep with him, but he has requirements. She’s not smart enough. The main love interest Jennifer was selfish, smart, manipulative, and dishonest. She used whatever means necessary to get information out of Lucas and then broadcast it. She was a reporter. Without his knowledge or consent she tricked him into getting her pregnant. After suffering from her deceptions, he keeps talking to her and doing things for her as if nothing is wrong. Toward the end Jennifer didn’t require marriage to Lucas, but she demanded that he be faithful to her for two years because of the pregnancy, so she could pretend they were married. After that he could return to his bachelor ways and she would pretend they were divorced. He shrugs ok. Does this appeal to guys? Where is his spine? He appears to go along with whatever women want of him. I don’t mind having weak or negative female characters in a story. But somehow all of this felt like it was written for guys, appealing to their egos, identifying with Lucas - smart, lots of money, and lots of women wanting him. I didn’t enjoy the female characters. It didn’t help that the one female character that I thought was ok, Carla, later did something stupid putting herself in danger.

This is the author’s second fiction book but the first one to take off. The author states that he was pleased to hear that cops and reporters liked it. I wonder if those cops and reporters were men? I didn’t enjoy this enough to read any more by this author. But, if someone can tell me the author got better with time and there is another book later that was excellent, please let me know. I’d be willing to give him one more try.

On balance, it kept my interest to know what would happen. But I wasn’t drawn to the characters. I wasn’t surprised or delighted. I didn’t smile. I was annoyed with the excessive use of luck, stupidity, and incompetence to move the plot.

NARRATOR:
The narrator Richard Ferrone was fine, but the editing was bad. At the end of each chapter, the last syllable in the last sentence was cut off by the narrator saying “chapter 3” or whatever the number it was. The editor needed to leave at least a half of a second pause before saying “chapter x.” At times I wondered if more than part of the last word was being cut off.

SERIES:
This is the first book in the Lucas Davenport series. There are at least 21 more.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 11 hrs and 55 mins. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: a few but they are referred to not shown. Setting: current day mostly Minneapolis, Minnesota, area. Book copyright: 1989. Genre: mystery suspense thriller.(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been reading the John Sanford "Prey" books for a number of years. Oddly enough, I hadn't read the 1st in the series. When I began reading them, I didn't realize there was an order. When I figured that out, it didn't matter too much other than to make me curious as to why he got fired from the Minneapolis police force, how he met his wife, and other life situations. He is an interesting character and I learned much more about him in this book - some things that were not very likeable but i...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-legal

Was given a few of these in the series, so I tracked down the first one and just finished it. It's pretty good, but there are just enough misses for me to downgrade it a bit.

Problem 1: Lucas Davenport, Our Hero. Except he's not very heroic, no matter how much the author wants us to root for him. He's a little too awesome, what with being brilliant and rich and liked by everyone (including his bosses) despite his maverick ways. The women are flinging themselves at him. He wants for nothing. He's...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Helena Wells rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Intelligent nemesis and talented investigator - the author claims this many times throughout the book but there is no evidence of intelligence in the story or indeed in the author.

Half of the story is devoted to detailing the serial killers life and killings leaving NO MYSTERY WHATSOEVER, when the reader is aware of the killers identity it only serves to make his adversary look slow. Really, taking pains to avoid leaving physical evidence does not make the serial killer overflowing with intellig...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. We meet Lucas Davenport in this novel. I'm not sure if I like him but I'm still rooting for him so Sandford is doing something right. This book is the beginning and I'm sure I will read all of the other books and any others that Sandford has done when I get around to it. Rules of Prey includes the maddog killer. He has mommy issues and goes out and kills women that remind him of his mother in one way or another although he doesn't realize that - maybe not even in the end when the readers receive...more We meet Lucas Davenport in this novel. I'm not sure if I like him but I'm still rooting for him so Sandford is doing something right. This book is the beginning and I'm sure I will read all of the other books and any others that Sandford has done when I get around to it. Rules of Prey includes the maddog killer. He has mommy issues and goes out and kills women that remind him of his mother in one way or another although he doesn't realize that - maybe not even in the end when the readers receive the final confirmation. He is an intelligent killer who thinks he has the game figured out and he's playing to win. He meets his match in Davenport. Lucas is apparently a killer with a badge. The maddog is his sixth kill in the line of duty and it was a calculated kill. The book kept my interest all the way through and it is well written. I gave it three stars – maybe this is because I thought it would be better and I just didn’t feel anything special even though I did enjoy it. I might also have landed on three stars because I’m not sure I like the main character. He might have too many flaws to appeal to me overall. First, he is definitely a cop that operates outside of the rules. Second, he is not a faithful man. Sometimes I can get over that, especially if the character is open about his situation so everyone is on the same page which Lucas is for the most part. But when you throw Jennifer in the middle I don’t know what to do with it or how I’m supposed to hope for it all to end. Jennifer is a woman that he “loves” and who is pregnant with his baby. She intentionally gets pregnant and doesn’t fill Lucas in on her plan. When she tells him about it he lets it roll off and is just happy to have a baby on the way and proposes marriage. She declines. Well, at that point, which is pretty early on in the book, I’m sort of fed up with them both. Jennifer doesn’t want to get married because she knows that Lucas won’t be faithful. If he isn’t going to be faithful then he shouldn’t propose. And intentionally getting pregnant without cluing in the other party just isn’t right and someone forgiving it so easily, well, they aren’t right. Later in the book Jennifer tries to keep Lucas to herself by talking with Carla so she will stay away and asking him to commit to being a one woman guy for a little while. He gives in – so he says. Whatever. Third, Jennifer and Lucas both lie to each other about other things throughout the book because he is a copy and she is a street reporter and they both have to use and essentially screw each other over to get where they need to be in their careers. It’s not pretty. I like the inclusion of Elle who is a nun that Lucas has known from childhood. I hope that she is included more in future books and I’m glad there is a series so that hopefully the relationship between them can be developed more. One last thing - if Lucas is so terrified of flying why didn't he have any issues taking the helicopter? (less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Scott Rhee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Sandford is one of those best-selling authors whose name appears on his book covers in bigger letters than the title. I have always been leery of writers like that. It's usually because they are ridiculously prolific and popular, two qualities that don't necessarily equate with "good". After reading "Rules of Prey", though, I can say with certainty that Sandford is good. "Rules" was published in 1989. It does what "CSI" and "Criminal Minds" does just about every week. I have seen "Criminal...more John Sandford is one of those best-selling authors whose name appears on his book covers in bigger letters than the title. I have always been leery of writers like that. It's usually because they are ridiculously prolific and popular, two qualities that don't necessarily equate with "good". After reading "Rules of Prey", though, I can say with certainty that Sandford is good. "Rules" was published in 1989. It does what "CSI" and "Criminal Minds" does just about every week. I have seen "Criminal Minds" episodes that are probably more intense and have more elaborate plot twists than "Rules", but keep in mind that Sandford wrote this at a time when serial killer fiction wasn't an over-saturated market and TV shows and movies weren't dealing with serial killers or graphic murders to the extent that they are today. "Rules" is the first in Sandford's long-running series to feature his detective, Lucas Davenport. Other than the fact that he is named after a piece of furniture, there is a lot to like about Davenport. First off, he is NOT a 6'11" 250-pound superhero cop who drives a Ferrari, has sex with a dozen women in the first 50 pages, cooks his own rigatoni, and can shoot a perp 10 yards away with his Smith & Wesson. Davenport is a pretty believable cop. He doesn't always solve the case. He isn't unlucky with women, but he's definitely no man-whore. He is dependent on the back-up of his fellow boys (and girls) in blue. He's also a bit of a nerd, as he spends much of his off-time playing role-playing games, including a Civil War game that he helped create. In the beginning of "Rules", a serial killer underestimates one of his potential victims. Carla Ruiz is the only victim to survive an attack by the "Maddog Killer". Over the course of the investigation, she and Davenport start a relationship, one that is complicated by the fact that Davenport's on-again-off-again girlfriend has just told him that she's pregnant with his child. The case is also moving slow, as the killer is constantly changing his m.o. and knows not to leave hair and fibers, which leads Davenport to suspect that the police are dealing with someone intimately familiar with police procedural and/or technicalities of the law. "Rules" is suspenseful, well-written, and entertaining. I will definitely be reading more of Sandford. (less)

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May 26, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A friend of mine is a big fan of these books. They came highly recommended. They did not have 1 at either e-library I belong to but I did find a books 1-5. I plan to comment one at a time.

I am putting some of Lucas' weirder behavior to the times. A protagonist would not get away with that kind of promiscuity these days. The promiscuity makes him less likeable to me but at the same time the women aren't all that sympathetic. They are also quite promiscuous and I do not approve of getting purpose...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-faves, fave-authors, own-printed-book, possible-review, series, crime, mystery, read-in-2013

Getting to meet Lucas Davenport for the first time was an awesome experience. He's in a way a completely different than he was in Storm Prey which is, I believe, the 19th in the Prey series. Also the one that I read first, which in itself was an amazing book. You knew there was some history before in the previous novels but you weren't confused as to who was who. It works just as good as a standalone, which to me is important on a long series like this.

Back to Rules of Prey, Lucas is a vice cop...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Rene rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I will never read another John Sanford book. I stopped reading Bad Blood because it was so terrible. Rules of Prey was better, but not by much. I actually finished reading this one. John Sanford can write. I'll give him that, but his writing skills is not why I gave him one star. Many authors err on making their protagonist too perfect. He errs in making them too scummy so that the reader may have trouble identifying with his characters and caring/sympathizing with them. For example, his main ch...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Monnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I became a big John Sanford fan after reading just one of his series featuring Virgil Flowers (by now I've read all five and recommend them highly). I'd noticed his earlier "Prey" series that centers on another character, Lucas Davenport - who, for the record, also appears in the Flowers books. Then, I watched "John Sandford's Certain Prey" made-for-TV movie starring Mark Harmon, who plays Davenport. It wasn't at all bad (well heck, if nothing else, what's not to like about looking at Harmon?),...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book on a recommendation when I told a bookstore clerk I was looking for a good page turner in the mystery thiller genre. She said this author was one of her favorites and every one of his books she considered a page turner. Since this book was the first in his most popular series, I decided to start here.
I was not disappointed. This was, in fact, the page turner I was looking for, and it was an excellent story as well. I have to admit I was not a big fan of the protagonist, Lucas Da...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Nate Solberg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another great read found through reviews on Goodreads! I have to say I enjoyed this first installment in the Lucas Davenport series of crime and suspense novels. I saw reviews elsewhere that weren't so sure about the main character Lucas, but I quite enjoyed his take on things. Maybe that says something about me, but I found him both interesting and entertaining. Using the Twin Cities as a backdrop for the story worked for me, as this is my home, too. I don't think the locations were used to the...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Marsha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-unabridged, mysteries

This is the first of the "Prey" series. I am glad that I had previously read to others, because I enjoyed them. Had this been my first one, I would very probably not continued. The main character is somewhat of a slimeball! I don't like his attitude toward fighting crime or his attitude toward women. It was difficult to get past those two really get into the actual plot :-( . Overall, even with the plot, the book was not that satisfying :-( . Now I need to go back and see which ones I have read...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Lee Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well I gave my usuall trip down James Patterson's Books lane a rest for a book as since giving Patterson a chance and liking him so much i was impressed and somewhat intrigued by the posts and reviews i have read on Sandford's Prey series featuring Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport. This book although sometimes feeling a little bit draggy, was well thought out as Sandford seems to connect all the dots perfectly making for a more beliveable murder mystery. So many authors i have read in the same ge...more

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About John Sandford

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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Rules Of Prey (Lucas Davenport #1)

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