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Winter Prey (Lucas Davenport #5)

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 14,035 ratings · 201 reviews

It's the dead of winter, and a killer like no other is turning a small Wisconsin town into a death trap-one that's closing in on Lucas Davenport.

ebook, 352 pages

Published March 1st 1994 by Berkley (first published March 24th 1993)

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Jan 10, 2013 aPriL MEOWS often with scratching rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-suspense-thrillers

James Thane, a GR member, has the best review on this book. Check it out.

This is a chilling book.

The Iceman is the kind of guy who if he doesn't want a picture shown around, a picture of an unidentified nude man from the shoulders down, he will kill everyone in the house to find it. You really don't want to cross his path. Unfortunately, the LaCourt family does. Lisa LaCourt finds a magazine picture and shows it to her friends on the school bus. The nude man was weird, but even more shocking wa...more James Thane, a GR member, has the best review on this book. Check it out.

This is a chilling book.

The Iceman is the kind of guy who if he doesn't want a picture shown around, a picture of an unidentified nude man from the shoulders down, he will kill everyone in the house to find it. You really don't want to cross his path. Unfortunately, the LaCourt family does. Lisa LaCourt finds a magazine picture and shows it to her friends on the school bus. The nude man was weird, but even more shocking was the nude boy with him. It is a kid they go to school with, Jim Harper. Once home, she shows her parents. Frank and Claudia can't agree on what to do with the picture, so they argue about it, off and on, as the snowy winter night gets colder. Claudia argues for doing nothing. This is a small town and the kid, Jim Harper, comes from one of the 'bad' families in Grant, Ojibway County. Before they have decided, the Iceman comes.

Sheriff Sheldon Carr, who's strongest epithet is 'gol-darn' on bad days, cannot accept how the LaCourts died. To him, the murder of three people in his town is as big as an impossibility as his priest being implicated, or that anyone in Grant would commit any crimes beyond drinking too much. Shell-shocked, he asks Lucas Davenport to step in since Davenport is vacationing at his cabin while trying to figure out what he is going to do now that he has resigned from his police job. Davenport smiles with barely concealed joy as he walks through several feet of snow towards the LaCourt house. He was getting bored.

Weather, that is, Doctor Weather Karkinnen, who comes to examine the dead bodies, is heating things up. So what if its 21 degrees below? She's not only the town's surgeon, she's beautiful. And when the Iceman tries to kill her, well naturally Davenport has to move into her house. For protection.

Then, a kid Davenport questioned at the school doesn't come home. Instead, his half-eaten body is found, murdered before the coyotes got at him. The kid told Lucas about the picture.

Davenport isn't feeling good anymore. In fact, he's feeling mean. 45 caliber mean.....(less)

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Nov 12, 2009 Tylerg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Tylerg by: Library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “The Iceman grabbed Claudia’s parks hood, dragged her into the kitchen and dropped her. She lay on the floor like a puppet with the strings cut off.” (Sanford)
This is just one of the many bone-chilling quotes that you will experience in this exhilarating unreal story. The suspense of this twisted story is overwhelming and will have you anxious to continue reading. Trust me, you will have a difficult time putting “Winter Prey” down. The Iceman is a malevolent character who has a very warped past...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Monnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading any of John Sanford's "Prey" series is always a treat, but as with most series books, I prefer to start at the beginning. Given the rather large number here, of course, it's possible I won't finish for another few years; I also like to read one or two, then a book by someone else, then back to a Sanford book, and so forth.

This one is somewhere around No. 5, and prior to this, I much preferred Sanford's books featuring Virgil Flowers. But my husband Jack, also a Sanford fan who likes to s...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-book-list

Rated R
Have you ever read a book that started with an introduction from the author about how fantastic the book is and how proud they are of the work you're about to read??
It's interesting.
If you want to experience that, you probably want to try it on a different book.
This one brushed the edges of an atrocity without really calling out the atrocity.
The author introduced the killer once, which is fine... unless you brag about the surprise ending in your introduction. I'm sorry, but a "surprise" i...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Deana M rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story takes place in Wisconsin; Lucas Davenport is summoned from his cabin to take a look at a murder. The murders are gruesome; a man, woman, and teenage daughter were murdered, but not only that, the house was set on fire after the murders occurred. The Iceman, who is the killer, is searching for a picture that could incriminate him in a child sex ring. The murders needed to happen so his identity could stay a mystery. Father Bergen, the local priest is their number one suspect. From the b...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An unidentified man referred to as the iceman goes on a killing rampage and Lucas Davenport is called in by the local sheriff to assist in the case. At this point of the development of Lucas in the Prey series Lucas is in between jobs after being fired from the Minneapolis PD for the manner in which he solved a murder case. Lucas developed a software writing company and bought a cabin in Northern Minnesota. While living there he was contacted and asked to help a small police department. This is...more

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May 07, 2010 Loraine Alcorn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 02, 2012 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-legal

A decent outing that sets up Davenport into a different type of job. Sandford really likes getting inside the heads of his killers, and I have to admit it's the least interesting aspect of these books for me. Diving deeply into the dark heart of murder isn't all that interesting for me. That said, he has gotten away from revealing the killer immediately and then making the entire book a big chase. It's been much more fun trying to figure out who the killer is, even as we get a peek inside the nu...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Dotti Elrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read this series twice. This is my absolute favorite! It is so well written. It's not often a writer can be so descriptive that he can make the weather a character in and of itself.
Lucas Davenport is still unemployed as a cop. He is still writing his games and making money with them. But it's not enough. He needs a break, and heads up north to his cabin. While there, the area is hit with several back to back brutal storms. Lots and lots of snow and temperatures in the -30's. A small town...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Procrastinador Diletante rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A minha relação com os livros policiais é uma espécie de amor/ódio. Passei grande parte da minha infância e juventude a ler ficção científica e policiais, mas aos poucos os primeiros foram suplantando os segundos. É que, aos poucos, os autores que eu lia - Raymond Chandler, Conan Doyle, Dashiel Hammet, Mickey Spillane, Agatha Christie; Rex Stout - começaram a ser suplantados por outros que não me interessavam tanto e fui-me virando mais para a FC.

Mas há uns anos atrás - e não me perguntem a raz...more A minha relação com os livros policiais é uma espécie de amor/ódio. Passei grande parte da minha infância e juventude a ler ficção científica e policiais, mas aos poucos os primeiros foram suplantando os segundos. É que, aos poucos, os autores que eu lia - Raymond Chandler, Conan Doyle, Dashiel Hammet, Mickey Spillane, Agatha Christie; Rex Stout - começaram a ser suplantados por outros que não me interessavam tanto e fui-me virando mais para a FC.

Mas há uns anos atrás - e não me perguntem a razão, visto que não me lembro mesmo - apanhei uma crítica num site aos livros do John Sandford. E a personagem principal - Lucas Davenport - intrigou-me. Era um detective da polícia, conhecido pela sua dureza, mas ao mesmo tempo um criador de RPGs e jogos de computadores. Mas que raio de personagem era essa? Não resisti e comprei o primeiro livro da série - Rules of Prey.

E pronto, a partir daí fiquei convencido. Lucas Davenport é uma as melhores personagens de policiais que já li. O autor criou um detective especializado em apanhar serial killers, com uma vasta rede de contactos no submundo da cidade de Minneapolis, que não hesita em dispensar justiça com os punhos ou com a sua arma. E como seria de esperar, bebe muito e é mulherengo. Tudo isto faz com que ele seja respeitado e temido por todos.

Mas aliado a todas essas "virtudes", Lucas é também um interessado em poesia; em wargaming; criador de RPGs - o que lhe dá dinheiro suficiente para ter um Porsche - e mais tarde até se torna criador de jogos para PC. É um homem extremamente inteligente, com uma capacidade mental um pouco parecida com a do Sherlock Holmes.

Os livros agarram o leitor exactamente por acompanharem a maneira como Lucas vai encaixando todas as peças do "puzzle" até apanhar o suspeito. Há alturas em que é necessário reler algumas partes, pois todas as pistas estão lá - se o Davenport se lembra de algum delas, o autor inseriu-as na história. Só é preciso é estar atento ;)

Para além disso, o John Sandford alterna as partes do Lucas com partes vistas através dos olhos dos seus antagonistas. E só vós digo... se ele cria um excelente detective, os serial killers que este persegue também não lhe ficam atrás. Não são vilões de pacotilha, para serem despachados pelos Lucas Davenport. São personagens assustadoras, com motivos próprios, que acreditam no que fazem, por mais errado que isso seja.

Enfim...é de aproveitar e ler os livros, que até andam a ser reeditados. Eu tive azar, que estive quase 2 anos a ver se conseguia comprar o 3º volume mas felizmente lá surgiu uma nova edição ;)

Já agora - há uma telefilme do "Certain Prey" - feito em 2011. Façam o que fizerem não o vejam. Os actores até são bons, mas não tem nada a ver com os livros. Para quem tem uma ideia mental da personagem, o filme é de fugir. E ainda para mais pegam num dos livros do meio...enfim...fujam dele!(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Tess Mertens-Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

LOVE LOVE LOVE John Sanford. He is a MN author, where was born and still live.
His lead character Lucas Davenprot is a retired Minneapolis policed detective who lives in WI and is brought in as a consultant on a murder of a family in the dead of winter. They were brutally murdered and their home and the killer set the house on fire. Lucas looks into why the grisley murders, and why he/she then burned the house down.
Weather Kannikan is another detective on the case who brings in a love interest.
Th...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Mysterious Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: law-enforcement

Reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock - the McGuffin is a photo thet doesn't mean enough to anyone to be important (but the killer doesn't know that).

Lucas Davenport series - In rural Wisconsin, a family of three is savagely wiped out by the Iceman. In pursuit of a snapshot of him in a sexual situation with a local boy, this fiend puts no value on human life. Davenport, ex-cop from Minneapolis, uncovers several disturbing truths before determining the Iceman's identity. The wintry climate is practical...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Bruce Snell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another book in the John Sandford "Prey" series - this time in a severe winter setting in Minnesota. Lucas is still unemployed and takes a consulting job with the County Sheriff, investigating the murder of a family of three. As time passes they learn that these murders are related to the previous murder of a child, and a child sex ring. By the time the murder has been solved, there are at least 9 dead, including two cops, and Lucas has been shot in the throat - although his new love interest, a...more

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Jan 06, 2012 The Book Junkie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bound-book, mystery, thriller, own, read-2012

I read this book not all that long ago, it was recommended to me by another of my co-workers, they read it in her book club and she REALLY liked it. I was really drawn into this book. This is the 5th book in John Sandford’s “Lucas Davenport” series….There are close to 20 books in this series now.

What I really liked about this book is that it kept you guessing. You thought you knew who “done it” but in the end you were oh so very wrong. I really enjoyed the characters as well. Lucas is one of tho...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, mystery

This one felt a bit reminiscent of Eyes of Prey (#3) and Silent Prey (#4) in regards to the antagonist - Iceman - thinking in terms of himself and “the Beast inside”. As in “the Beast wanted to go kill them now”. The antagonist in the previous books thought of himself in terms of ‘Beauty’. Too similar for my taste and maybe when the books were first published, it wasn’t so bad given the lag in publishing dates, but since I’m reading them almost back to back, it popped out at me.

I was also disap...more

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Jan 31, 2012 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a page turner. From the beginning I kept wanting to know what would happen next. It’s full of twists and turns that don’t feel forced or cheesy. Once the killer is revealed, it easy to look back and see well placed clues the author left. I liked the characters, they felt real and human.

But, the cop/mystery genre is simply not my thing. Especially when pedophilia is involved. I get enough crime stories in my head reading the paper every day. I had a bad dream one night influenced by...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lucas-davenport, audio, mystery-read, john-sandford, 2012

This is the fifth book in John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series and one of the best. I'd skipped it because there wasn't an audible copy, except I think for an abridged version and I've learned my lesson on those. So, I was going to get a hard copy and go back and read it later. I think audible is trying to fill the holes in Sandford's series and it popped up last week so I got it. Great book. Really enjoyed it. The next two are already on audible and hopefully by the time I get to them the hol...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: minnesota

Lucas Davenport is back, and we join him in the chilly woods of northern Wisconsin. The LaCourt family has been murdered, and their house has been set on fire. Why? It doesn’t take Davenport long to discover the reason for the fire—a child pornography ring in the small town. But who is the culprit?

The Iceman. Everyone knows the Iceman, but nobody suspects him. As his reign of terror continues, the pressure on law enforcement officials increases. Will they find the Iceman before he strikes again?...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sandford, reviewed

This entry in the Prey series (after Silent Prey) is a solid whodunnit with a great side plot: Lucas Davenport, the former cop, now a rich computer games inventor, meets Weather Karkinnen, destined to play a pivotal role in the rest of the books (21 as of 2011). Lucas is bored; he misses the challenges of police life. When he's pulled in as a consultant in upper Wisconsin to assist the local police chief, who is in over his head with a mass murderer, his juices start to flow. When he meets the l...more

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Dec 30, 2011 James Thane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first of Elmore Leonard's famous ten rules for writing is, "Never open a book with weather." In Winter Prey, the fifth book in John Sandford's excellent Prey series, the author ignores the rule and opens the book with a blistering winter storm. Indeed, the severe weather that permeates the novel virtually becomes a character in and of itself, to the point that the reader might well want to be sitting in front of a blazing fire with a snifter of fine Brandy close at hand.

The book finds Sandfo...more The first of Elmore Leonard's famous ten rules for writing is, "Never open a book with weather." In Winter Prey, the fifth book in John Sandford's excellent Prey series, the author ignores the rule and opens the book with a blistering winter storm. Indeed, the severe weather that permeates the novel virtually becomes a character in and of itself, to the point that the reader might well want to be sitting in front of a blazing fire with a snifter of fine Brandy close at hand.

The book finds Sandford's protagonist, Lucas Davenport, separated from the Minneapolis PD and virtually hiding out in his Wisconsin cabin. Then a family is brutally murdered and their house is torched in a neighboring county. The small town sheriff knows that he is in way over his head and appeals to Davenport for help. Lucas is growing restless and agrees to take the lead in the investigation after he is sworn in as a deputy.

From the opening scene, the book takes off like a shot. The antagonist, "The Iceman," has a secret that he is determined to keep, no matter how many bodies might fall in the process and regardless of how many innocent people may be hurt. And the bodies do keep falling as the Iceman becomes increasingly desperate. Davenport is initially stumped and what precious little evidence there is points him in a puzzling direction. Happily, though, in the course of the investigation, Lucas meets a local doctor, Weather Karkinnen. "Is that Weather, like 'Stormy Weather'?" Lucas asks. "'Exactly,' the doctor said." Little does Lucas know...

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that there are a number of nasty characters in addition to the Iceman in this small town and some pretty nasty secrets as well. Lucas will naturally do his best to sort it out, but it turns out that this tiny town may hold more of a threat to Davenport than any he ever faced in the Big City.

This is another very compelling entry in this series, compete with the plot twists, engaging characters and black humor that Sandford's fans have come to expect. A great read for any cold winter night, but keep the Brandy close at hand; it's very cold out there.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Rating: 3.5 stars

Winter Prey is the whole reason I wanted to read the Lucas Davenport series; everyone, including my dad, seems to say that this is their favorite. I've been told that they need to be read in order, so I started with #1 Rules Of Prey (loved it!!), tried #2 but couldn't get into it, read #3 Eyes Of Prey (liked it), and skipped #4 for now because I was anxious to move on to this one. Which brings me here. And I'm sorry to say that I was quite underwhelmed!

The book starts off with a...more

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Sep 07, 2008 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2005-reads, mystery-thrillers, prey-series, series

(#5 of the Prey Series)- The author of four previous mystery thrillers starring Lucas Davenport evokes with precision and clarity two disparate, but equally unsettling types of harshness: the raw power of nature and the pitilessness of certain human beings. In a rural area of northern Wisconsin, a family of three is savagely wiped out by the Iceman, who then torches their house. In pursuit of a damaging photograph--a snapshot of him in a sexual situation with a local boy--this fiend puts no valu...more

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Jun 29, 2008 Sonya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wish Goodreads had a rating category that allows you to rate a genre book differently than other literature. Not that John Sanford's Lucas Davenport series isn't lit, but it is tightly-boxed within its genre. There are no big ideas or themes or symbols or other literary devices that take the Prey series from one setframe into the larger literary universe. I like them for what they are: tight prose, emotionally complex, round characters, a few hints but just enough mystery to keep you going. Re...more

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Aug 21, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-fiction

Lucas has been fired from the Minneapolis PD.... he's bored with making money and hanging out during a brutal winter at his Wisconsin cabin when a nearby sheriff asks him to come help with a triple homicide. In the course of the small-town investigation Lucas meets the local doctor and his future wife, Weather Kirkerman. The crimes are horrid and brutal, but the interplay between Lucas and Weather is Sandford at his best. And his best is very good.

I enjoyed this book in 1994 and enjoyed it agai...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Carrie Fenn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yuck. If you have children you may find this hard to read. Also, in the previous books in this series you were always told from the beginning who the killer was. The joy was in the journey of following Davenport to the discovery and capture (or more often than not, killing) of the "big bad". In this book the killer's identity is kept from the reader until the "big reveal" at the end. I won't spoil it, but I will say it was glaringly obvious from very early on. Pretty disappointing.

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Sep 11, 2012 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Sandford does such a great job of making horrifying antagonists and believable protagonists without ruining the mystery of the book. Here he crafts a mystery In a small town that Lucas Davenport is well suited to help. Of course there’s a love interest and it goes predictably up to a point. The book took a ton of twists and characters reacted to events as one would think real people might in these extraordinary circumstances. Overall, a heart stopping book! I loved it!

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Dec 24, 2012 Chuck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: namerica, crime, fiction, mystery, owned, review

This was one of Sandford's better tales and one of his earliest. It is action packed with half the state of Wisconsin being killed. Sandford is a prolific writer with over thirty mystery novels having been published and under his real name having been awarded a Pulitzer Prize. He was proud of this effort and provided an introduction that indicated how easily it was written and just flowed as he wrote it. I believe that it also was evident to the reader. Since I have read nearly two-thirds of his...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

I've read (or listened to on audio) the first 5 books in the Lucas Davenport / Prey series. In my opinion, this contains the least graphic descriptions of the 5, which for my tastes is a good thing. (It makes it harder on the writer to convey graphic murders without graphic descriptions, but John Sandford is skilled enough to overcome that challenge! I would hope that fans of "Eyes of Prey" would still enjoy this book, as well.)

One of the catch phrases of the old "A Team" TV series was "I love i...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-version

Lucas Davenport (now retired from the Minneapolis PD) is called in to help in a Wisconsin triple murder case near his vacation home. At the crime scene, he meets coroner Weather Karkinnen, who soon becomes a target of the killer known as the Iceman. As the investigation unfolds, it seems that the victims may have found out about local a child sex ring. Fast paced with a lot of violence as the Iceman tries to keep his identity hidden.

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Jul 29, 2009 Deborah Hamilton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was probably one of my favorites thus far. The excitement and energy in each page of this book literally kept me waning more. Davenport is "vacationing" in Wisconsin, when his services are requested by the local sheriff to help investigate a triple homicide. And the fun begins. While helping to locate the killer Davenport wastes no time in finding a woman to "keep him warm". A great read, full of suspense and lots of energy!

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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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Winter Prey (Lucas Davenport #5)

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