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Chosen Prey

(Lucas Davenport #12)

John Sandford

4.24 · Rating details · 26,240 ratings · 476 reviews

A New York Times bestseller! Lucas Davenport returns in the most harrowing and unexpected Prey novel yet—the story of a congenial man, and his most uncongenial obsession...

An art history professor and writer and cheerful pervert, James Qatar had a hobby: he took secret photographs of women and turned them into highly sexual drawings. One day, he took the hobby a step furth ...more

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Paperback, 383 pages

Published May 1st 2002 by Berkley (first published 2001)

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Jan 18, 2021 Sheyla ✎ rated it really liked it

Lucas Lucas Lucas, you my friend are a very interesting character. I have come to love you in a special way. You might be a sociopath too but at least you're on the right side of the law.

It's a pleasure going back to this world in between my other reads. Lucas and his team make me laugh over and over. I've spoken about their camaraderie in a few of my reviews but I have to say it again. I'm entertained by them. I know them all now.

Now, the crazy one this time is James Qatar. He is crazy. He en ...more

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Jan 10, 2019 Supratim rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, police-procedural

It is always fun to read a Prey Novel!

For those mystery lovers who are yet to get acquainted with Lucas Davenport – the protagonist of the Prey series, he is a maverick investigator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Davenport had made a lot of money by writing computer games and drives a Porsche. He is a contrast to the depressed, alcoholic cops we often come across in cop thrillers.

This time Davenport is up against a sexual pervert-cum-serial killer, who unfortunately happens to be ...more

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Sep 29, 2007 Kemper rated it liked it

Shelves: thriller, serial-killers, 2013-reread, 5-0, crime-mystery, lucas-davenport

A long Minnesota winter has left Lucas Davenport in one of his funks, but fortunately there’s a hunt for a new serial killer to put a spring in his step and a song in his heart.

James Qatar is an art history professor who likes luring lonely women into romances and then strangling them. His other hobby is doing explicit pornographic drawings of females he’s angry with and sending them the pictures anonymously or posting them in a public place. So Qatar is a real peach of a guy.

A recently discover A long Minnesota winter has left Lucas Davenport in one of his funks, but fortunately there’s a hunt for a new serial killer to put a spring in his step and a song in his heart.

James Qatar is an art history professor who likes luring lonely women into romances and then strangling them. His other hobby is doing explicit pornographic drawings of females he’s angry with and sending them the pictures anonymously or posting them in a public place. So Qatar is a real peach of a guy.

A recently discovered body is linked to complaints about the drawings, and a Wisconsin deputy who has been investigating the disappearance of his niece shows up with a pattern of missing women that fits the victim’s profile. Lucas smells a freak and launches a hunt. There’s the usual Sandford cat-and-mouse game with the reader getting Qatar’s psychotic point of view as he engages in increasingly violent efforts to keep from being caught.

It’s a good news/bad news scenario for Lucas on the personal side of things in this one. The good news is that he has reconciled with a former girlfriend and things are going so well that they’re considering having a baby. The bad news is that politics are going to force the current police chief out in a few months and Lucas along with her.

While the personal angles signal that change is on the horizon for Lucas the rest of this book seems a little formulaic and repetitive. Qatar is a decent enough villain, but Sandford had leaned a bit too heavily on the crazy serial killer targeting women already so despite some effort to differentiate him from the others, it still seems overly familiar. Plus, there are other elements that reminded me a lot of Night Prey like Lucas working with a cop who has a personal obsession with finding the killer and a woman being used as bait at one point.

There’s an interesting sub-plot about Lucas having to deal with an old foe to get critical information, and also a nice curve ball thrown in at the end. (view spoiler) Still, while it’s another entertaining thriller from Sandford, it’s not one of the most memorable books in the Prey series.

Next: Lucas hunts an old enemy and tries to plan a wedding in Mortal Prey. ...more

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May 15, 2016 John Culuris rated it liked it

There is one drawback to being a master of your craft, of having the ability to create fascinating characters and situations, and build suspense, and make the routine seem interesting. What happens when you don’t carry it all the way through to the conclusion of the book? What happens when the last fifty pages read as if they’d been plotted by someone else? Those superior skills turn against you. Disappointment is magnified because enhanced expectations are not met.

There are two major problems w There is one drawback to being a master of your craft, of having the ability to create fascinating characters and situations, and build suspense, and make the routine seem interesting. What happens when you don’t carry it all the way through to the conclusion of the book? What happens when the last fifty pages read as if they’d been plotted by someone else? Those superior skills turn against you. Disappointment is magnified because enhanced expectations are not met.

There are two major problems with the ending to Chosen Prey. The more important one involves the woman intended to be his final victim, whom we meet at the same time as the killer. Very early in the novel James Qatar has already decided to kill Ellen Barstad when a chance remark by her intrigues him enough to spare her. She continues to play a significant role throughout the story--in fact is, in part, directly responsible with how events wind down--and yet when Qatar slips his surveillance with the intention of killing her, their confrontation happens “off-screen.” (view spoiler). Nothing is gained in terms of suspense or drama by withholding this scene. A lot is lost in terms of satisfaction.

The second problem is lessened because it is preceded by the breach of faith recounted above. It still stands out. Essentially, the surprise twist is not much of a surprise. (view spoiler) That Sanford can draw a character so deftly (view spoiler) is, I repeat, a considerable skill.

Skill is a double-edged sword in Chosen Prey. I enjoyed most of the trip, I always enjoy the company, but disappointment remains. Rare disappointment; say one--maybe two--out of the twelve Davenport novels I’ve read to date. Not disappointment enough to keep me from recommending the novel based on its other strengths. But bear in mind that I’m a big fan and I fully expect a return to form next time out. ...more

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Mar 23, 2010 James Thane rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction, john-sandford, lucas-davenport

The twelfth entry in John Sandford's acclaimed Prey series finds the world of the protagonist, Lucas Davenport, undergoing some major changes. His boss, Police Chief Rose Marie Roux, is about to lose her job since the mayor who appointed her is leaving office. This means, in turn, that Davenport will almost certainly lose his job as Assistant Chief as well.

At the same time, Lucas's girlfriend, Weather Karkinnen, has decided that it's time for them to make a baby. Weather has been alienated from The twelfth entry in John Sandford's acclaimed Prey series finds the world of the protagonist, Lucas Davenport, undergoing some major changes. His boss, Police Chief Rose Marie Roux, is about to lose her job since the mayor who appointed her is leaving office. This means, in turn, that Davenport will almost certainly lose his job as Assistant Chief as well.

At the same time, Lucas's girlfriend, Weather Karkinnen, has decided that it's time for them to make a baby. Weather has been alienated from Lucas for a long while because of an incident that occurred at the end of a previous book, but now she's back. This does not mean that Weather has decided that she would like to be engaged to Davenport again, but her biological clock is ticking and she does need someone to father the child...

In the midst of all this, a young woman's decomposing body is discovered partially buried on a rural hillside. She's been missing for about a year, and there is virtually no evidence suggesting who her killer might have been. As Davenport attempts to untangle the mystery, a rural Wisconsin marshal appears with a file he's been keeping on missing young women who have disappeared much like Davenport's victim. One of the missing women is the marshal's niece and Lucas suddenly realizes that he may have a serial killer on his hands.

He does, of course, and Lucas rallies his usual team and sends them into action. The killer is a professor of art history named James Qatar. (This gives nothing away; as is almost always in the case in these books, the reader meets the killer before Davenport even appears on the scene.) Qatar has some particularly sick fantasies that he is acting out and is capable of some pretty unsettling violence. But he's also unusually clever and lucky, and Davenport will have to draw upon all of his legendary skills if he's going to run Qatar to ground.

I enjoyed this book a lot. As always, the banter is great; it's fun to watch Weather mess with Lucas, both mentally and physically; the pace is good, and the payoff at the end is rewarding. If I have any complaint about the book (and it's a small one), it's that I didn't think that James Qatar was in the same league as many of the other antagonists in this series.

The quality of these books almost always depends on the quality of the villain as well as that of the hero, Davenport. Sandford is capable of creating some truly nasty and memorable adversaries for Lucas, and to my mind, Qatar is not among the better of them. But then, Sandford did give us a fantastic character in Clara Rinker, who appears in two of the Prey books, and so I'm perfectly happy to forgive him if he can't measure up to that level of perfection every time out of the gate. An easy four stars for this one. ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Tim rated it liked it

I'm reading through the whole, "Prey," series. Chosen Prey, is not Sandford at his best. There is an excellent interview with the author on the audio version worth a listen. 6 of 10 stars ...more

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Sep 07, 2013 Mike rated it really liked it

2nd read - Lucas is pulled into a strange case involving a decomposing body on a hillside. As the bodies pile up, it appears we have a serial killer. A crusty lawman joins Lucas's posse, looking for his lost niece and a few other young, blond ladies who've disappeared.

I really enjoyed the police procedure, as our heroes try to tie the ends together. Some readers think this antagonist is one of Sandford's weakest, but in hindsight, he makes few mistakes, leaving Davenport frustrated.

I had to re-r ...more

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Aug 15, 2018 Maureen DeLuca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm reading these books in order and loving every minute of it. To me - this book is a 3 star read- I wish Davenport wasn't with Weather- but I could wish all I want - she is here to stay . Having said that this book was a fast read, ok read- not the best- so why the 4 stars? Well, simply the series is just amazing so because of that , I added the other star. John Sandford does an amazing job with all these stories, and looking forward to getting into book 13 !! ...more

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Aug 15, 2019 David Putnam rated it really liked it

John Sanford is my go-to author when all other books fail to interest me. I have read the series twice and I'm on my third trip through. Love his structure, characters and stories. I wish I wrote as well.

David Putnam, Author of the Bruno Johnson series. ...more

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Jan 17, 2015 Kathy Davie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Twelfth in the Lucas Davenport thriller series and revolving around an unorthodox cop in Minneapolis. It's been a year since Easy Prey , 11.

My Take
What I like about this series is that it's standard mystery/thriller reading, but Sandford's characters come out so real. That encounter between Lucas and Jeff Baxter was great. They could be talking about golf or tennis, but they're batting around ideas for a deal for a scumbag that Baxter is representing. There are the political issues when Rose ...more

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Jan 05, 2019 Obsidian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, the-abc-challenge-ha

We get to see who Lucas chose after the mess of the last Prey book (spoiler: Weather) and how they are dealing with each other months later. Still ambivalent about what things mean, the two are back together, stronger than before. Lucas is dealing with a shake up though professionally. The chief who he has been working for is not likely to get re-appointed, which means Lucas is going to have to go too. If that's enough, it appears a murder is leading Lucas and his team to investigate what it app We get to see who Lucas chose after the mess of the last Prey book (spoiler: Weather) and how they are dealing with each other months later. Still ambivalent about what things mean, the two are back together, stronger than before. Lucas is dealing with a shake up though professionally. The chief who he has been working for is not likely to get re-appointed, which means Lucas is going to have to go too. If that's enough, it appears a murder is leading Lucas and his team to investigate what it appears to be another serial killer on the loose in Minnesota.

Lucas in this one seems to be a step behind a serial killer. Readers find out pretty fast who the killer is, so you may end up frustrated with Lucas and company for not moving faster on James Qatar (his name is in the synopsis). I do have to laugh at Lucas once again being smoothed out a little so he's not acting like a psycho around every attractive female he meets. There are still jokes about him and Weather, and I do like that Weather acknowledges Lucas's past partners and the only one she's not here for is Lucas's old friend. Thank God that character doesn't pop up again. I think that Lucas works as a character for his determination to catch the bad guys. He's not stupid, and though you end up loathing some of his choices in order to punish the bad people who he comes across, you sometimes end up rooting for him.

We have our usual suspects of Marcy, Del, Sloan, and others. Marcy is still recovering from her injuries after the last book, and even gets a better love interest in this one.

James Qatar is a mess of a man. He stalks woman, takes, their pictures, and draws them in crude pornographic poses. We have no idea how depraved he is until you start to realize how long he has been doing what he has.

We get introduced to a new character in this one, Terry Marshall, who has a connection to the case. I am going to admit, I was tempted to give this four stars because it was pretty obvious what was going to happen with Terry. I held off though because the last book was a pile of mess and I had to give this 5 stars by default.

The writing was much crispier in this one. Sandfford leads you through the plot and the myriad of characters and keeps his eye on the endgame. The flow was much improved too.

The ending ends on a sad and hopeful note for the future of Lucas. ...more

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Jun 11, 2019 Lauren rated it liked it

Shelves: suspense

This was an enjoyable, well-paced entry in the Prey series, but it's also the only one thus far where I remember being impatient with Lucas for having missed something. Sandford is usually a master plot technician, great at constructing believably complicated mysteries and believable human errors, but here I just hit a wall where I can't buy that Lucas would interview Mrs. Qatar, an elderly woman linked to an unusual number of victims, and fail to take note of her mentioning her son who works in This was an enjoyable, well-paced entry in the Prey series, but it's also the only one thus far where I remember being impatient with Lucas for having missed something. Sandford is usually a master plot technician, great at constructing believably complicated mysteries and believable human errors, but here I just hit a wall where I can't buy that Lucas would interview Mrs. Qatar, an elderly woman linked to an unusual number of victims, and fail to take note of her mentioning her son who works in the same department with a now-dead woman quickly established to be part of the same case. If you're already looking at this elderly woman as a common vector but she can't be the killer, why not take instantaneous note of a man connected to her who would at least fit the age range? Enough to ask a question about what department he's in? This was incredibly distracting to me.

The novel has a couple little hang-ups like that for me. Qatar is a fairly standard issue serial killer and not a strong enough antagonist. A supporting character, a fabric artist who wants Qatar to introduce her to a world of better sex, is vivid and unusual enough that it feels like a let-down when she (view spoiler) Things just never entirely gelled the way I wanted them to.

We do have some good stuff too, of course. Lucas's political appointment may be coming to an end, as an incoming mayor will probably clean house and get rid of Rose Marie and, with her, Lucas. He and Weather are tenuously--and then more firmly--back together (which delighted me) and trying for a baby. Those two factors combine to leave Lucas's future more up-in-the-air than usual, which is interesting background. And there are some fun procedural details, like the way the cops use slightly altered sketches of movie stars to try to root out potential suspects, because all they have to go on is that the guy they're looking for looks like one actor or another. And the subplot involving the cop uncle--and surrogate father--of one of Qatar's previous victims is tragic and well-done, and I liked Lucas's internal uncertainty over what to do about it and, afterwards, what he could have done differently.

Important life lesson gleaned: don't bury all your murder victims in one place, it makes it too easy on the prosecution. ...more

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Aug 27, 2018 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1audio, 2fiction, mystery-thriller, 3series

Another psycho, so not quite as good as the previous or the next books, but still quite good. As usual, the thrill is in the chase. It's not just about catching the guy, but doing so with the available resources & making a strong enough case that a conviction can be made. That can be a tough proposition & it leads to a lot of heartbreak. Very well done in this case with great motives throughout. That's why this gets 4 stars.

On to the next! ...more

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Jan 23, 2019 Nate rated it really liked it

Excellent stuff. The antagonist probably isn’t gonna make it into the Davenport hall of fame but he was creepy and skilled enough to hang with the big boys/girls and the book as a whole was obsessively readable. The banter in these books only gets better. So many likable characters and hilarious coworker conversations. A most satisfying entry in the series if not a top fiver.

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Dec 19, 2017 Carmen Bollinger rated it it was amazing

James Qatar is one of the creepiest things ever in a book. Right up there with Hannibal Lechter---almost Great ending, too. Totally unexpected.

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Dec 29, 2019 Jackie Rogers rated it really liked it

How many serial killers can Mr. Sanford come up with? One in every book. This one killed a lot of women before getting caught. Was about to get away with it until one officer took him in hand. Justice was done. Lucas about to become a dad again.

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Feb 22, 2017 Adam rated it really liked it

Starts out with real promise but then kind of just putters through. Missing the elements that made earlier books captivating.

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May 04, 2013 aPriL does feral sometimes rated it really liked it

Shelves: mysteries-potboilers-thrillers

“All extremes of feeling are allied with madness.”
― Virginia Woolf, Orlando

Obsession.

James Qatar is obsessed with small-town blond young women. But not because how they sparkle with life. Rather, it's how they look while dying being strangled by his favorite rope. As an art history professor and an intellectual, he has always been drawn to the beautiful deaths of asphyxiating women. Many many women.

Blond Ellen Barstad is obsessed with sexual adventure. She thinks she has found the perfect teache ...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Dee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, detective-or-cop, mystery, bestsellers

Two-haiku review:

Mind of a killer,
Strangling, burying small blondes
Over many years.

Lucas and Weather
Together, thinking babies.
Seems like about time.

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Sep 29, 2017 Jim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017

Somewhat early in this heart pounding thriller one particular paragraph jumped out at me : "James Qatar was an art professor and a writer, a womanizer and genial pervert and pipe smoker, and a thief and a laughing man and a killer." - I knew that author John Sandford's twelfth Lucas Davenport entitled, "Chosen Prey" was going to be really good. In tracking James Qatar, Davenport has come across his most difficult case of his career. A series of outrageous drawings featuring women in really perve Somewhat early in this heart pounding thriller one particular paragraph jumped out at me : "James Qatar was an art professor and a writer, a womanizer and genial pervert and pipe smoker, and a thief and a laughing man and a killer." - I knew that author John Sandford's twelfth Lucas Davenport entitled, "Chosen Prey" was going to be really good. In tracking James Qatar, Davenport has come across his most difficult case of his career. A series of outrageous drawings featuring women in really perverted sexual poses begins to lead the Minneapolis P.D. to several missing women cases dating back several years. Missing women from several jurisdictions near Davenport all seem to be linked to these weird sexual drawings. James Qatar a university art professor has a sparticular type. When Qatar's sexual partners don't live up to is fantasies he merely strangles them and hides the body. However when Qatar's newest partner Ellen Barstad looks like another likely victim of his rope she manages to hook his imagination. Ellen don't do it ! Qatar knows he's got to strangle Barstad and hide the body. When Ellen keeps tantalizing Qatar he keeps thinking that he can let Ellen live as long as she continues to surprise him sexually. Meanwhile Davenport and his team discover a body buried in an unmarked grave deep in the woods which ends up leading to the serial killer's graveyard. Unfortunately for Qatar he soon discovers his new nemesis, Davenport has discovered his burial ground. Now the cat and mouse dance can begin in earnest. Originally published in 2001, "Chosen Prey", is far superior than the previous Davenport vehicle, ('Easy Prey'). At just over 380 fasted paced suspense pages this Davenport outing is Sanford at his best. With a unique and really kookie bad guy, James Qatar, is truly morally bankrupt and evil. I read this yarn in just a couple sittings. Extremely hard to put down I felt like a like fish hooked with this suspense thriller. "Chosen Prey" may be one of the top two or three Davenport to date in this series,(2001). Five stars out of a possible five stars for author John Sandford's, "Chosen Prey". With another dozen or so books in this series I'm really looking forward to jumping into the next Davenport, "Mortal Prey". Highly recommended thriller in a highly recommended series be sure. So, check out all of the "Prey" books from John Sandford. ...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Monnie rated it it was amazing

This is another of the better books in John Sanford's "Prey" series (they're all good, so I suppose my differentiation is mostly because the characters in some grab me more than in others). But I do love it when the bad guy or gal - in this case a serial killer - is revealed to the reader up front. A big part of the thrill of the read, then, is how and when the identity will be known by the "hero" as well - in this case, Minneapolis Deputy Chief Lucas Davenport. Needless to say, there are zigs a ...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Mellissa rated it really liked it

It has been two years since I read the previous book in the Prey series, but this was like hanging out with an old friend you haven't seen for a while - you fall back into old patterns like it was just yesterday. Another fast-paced search for a killer, another chilling glimpse into the killer's mind. I love the camaraderie between Davenport and his colleagues and chuckled out loud on many occasions.

But the final sentence is a major cliffhanger! I do have the next book in the series on my booksh ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Daniel Kincaid rated it really liked it

I'll admit, I was weary about getting back into the series, but the gamble proved itself right- this entry was quite good.

There's really nothing new here: Lucas Davenport, yet again, finds himself chasing yet another deranged psychopath- a history professor who had a dark, sinister, and twisted secret: he likes to takes photographs of women, and then make them into sexually-charged, pornographic drawings, as a prelude to murder- he also likes to strangle his subjects to death.
This case will pr I'll admit, I was weary about getting back into the series, but the gamble proved itself right- this entry was quite good.

There's really nothing new here: Lucas Davenport, yet again, finds himself chasing yet another deranged psychopath- a history professor who had a dark, sinister, and twisted secret: he likes to takes photographs of women, and then make them into sexually-charged, pornographic drawings, as a prelude to murder- he also likes to strangle his subjects to death.
This case will prove difficult for Davenport to solve, not only because the murderer is clever and careful to cover his tracks- and, step by step, he also becomes ,ore obsessed and more brutal with his killings.- but also because Davenport's personal life is confusing, to say the least. While he always been a skirt-chaser, Lucas has has rekindled his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who on the one hand wants to take things slow, but she also wants a baby. And as current politics situation may force the chief of police out of her position, and consequently, Lucas may also lose his job,.
The number of bodies pile up, and Lucas must navigate this troubled waters and find a way to stop a brutal monster before tragedy strikes.

On the whole, there's nothing different here from previous entries, but the character of James Qatar was deliciously deranged, and so was his twisted girlfriend- it was quite fun hating him, and I couldn't wait for Lucas to break the case and nail this monster once and for all. And it was also kind of nice to see Lucas struggle with himself- on the one hand, he loves Weather and he would work hard to keep their relationship going, but on the other hand- old habits die hard, and his Lone Wolf, skirt-chasing tendencies refuse to go away.

Am glad I took a risk with this one and haven't given up on the series. While this is not one of the more memorable entries in the series, it's definitely a decent one, as it keeps you engaged from first page to last, with great twists and turns, an antagonist you'd love to hate, and one Lucas Davenport- a flawed human being, but a great cop with great instincts. Well, mostly...

Four out of five starts. Was pleasantly surprised. ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Lukasz Pruski rated it liked it

"Formed his loop; touched her neck again. Held the loop open, smiled, dropped it around her neck, and...
Snap!"

Chosen Prey (2001) is the twelfth installment in the acclaimed "Prey series" by John Sandford (John Camp in real life). A little while ago (for me this means about a quarter of a century), I had read many novels in the series and found them relatively well-written, interesting, only moderately packed with the usual genre clichés, and compulsively readable. Perfect examples of high-end di "Formed his loop; touched her neck again. Held the loop open, smiled, dropped it around her neck, and...
Snap!"

Chosen Prey (2001) is the twelfth installment in the acclaimed "Prey series" by John Sandford (John Camp in real life). A little while ago (for me this means about a quarter of a century), I had read many novels in the series and found them relatively well-written, interesting, only moderately packed with the usual genre clichés, and compulsively readable. Perfect examples of high-end disposable literature. (Supercilious, am I not? By the way, "supercilious" is a snobbish way of saying "snobbish.") So I was curious about my reaction now, when wisdom and experience (euphemisms for "senility") abound.

Not much has changed. A captivating, fast read, a rather believable police procedural, with a smattering of criminal psychology, yet one that does not leave much of a trace in memory, at least mine. I finished reading about 10 days ago, and I have to look in my notes to remember the general outline of the plot.

The story opens a bit untypically when

James Quatar [...] an art history professor and a writer, a womanizer and genial pervert and pipe smoker, a thief and a laughing man and a killer"

abandons the plan to strangle his lover. The almost laughingly perfect Lucas Davenport leads an investigation that combines several threads: in one of them, a body of a woman strangled over a year ago has been found; in another, drawings begin to appear in which faces of actual women are superimposed on porn scenes. The meticulous investigation is presented in detail and fans of police procedurals will be satisfied. The author provides some neat plot twists before the denouement.

The brutally graphic scene of strangling approaches but, in my view, does not yet cross the boundary into straight porn of violence. The scenes of excavations are well-written and grimly vivid. I quite like the slim office politics thread: Davenport's boss, Rose Marie Roux, is worried about her future as her boss, the mayor, is not running for re-election. On the other hand, the obligatory personal-life thread of the relationship between Davenport and his girlfriend, Weather, is purely and painfully cliché. It does not make Davenport seem more human. Exactly the opposite. It makes him seem like a character from disposable literature.

To sum up: a great read, yet eventually empty, devoid of any depth.

Three-and-a-quarter stars.
...more

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Oct 24, 2020 K rated it really liked it

Another satisfying read from John Sanford. When I first began with this author, I mostly selected the Virgil (that f****ing) Flowers novels and really enjoyed the banter and mixture of humor and crime solving. Once hooked, I ventured into the far more plentiful world of the Prey novels and began to appreciate Lucas Davenport a bit more than I'd thought possible.

So, Chosen Prey is, in many ways, a classic blend of the best qualities of this series. There is a pretty grim, twisted, and altogether ...more

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Apr 20, 2015 Brent Soderstrum rated it really liked it

Book 12 of Sandford's Lucas Davenport series.

This book explores the demented mind of Professor James Qatar who is an art history professor at a small college in Minnesota. Qatar has a weird way of expressing his artistic side. He draws erotic photos of women...and then he kills them. As he has moved throughout the Midwest the bodies are left in his wake.

Davenport and his support team are called to find the killer. Added to the team is an older police officer from Wisconsin who has let the hunt f ...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Jim rated it it was amazing

Another great detective story by John Sandford. This story has the Assistant Chief of Police Lucas Davenport trying to figure out what and to who are strange murders happening. Obviously a mass murderer but who and why as each murder scene is totally cleaned by the criminal. Watching and experiencing the clue seeking and detective work of Lucas are spell binding and just plain hard to put down detective whodunit mystery work. I have come to really enjoy all of Sandford's writings. A must read. ...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Dana rated it liked it

This time the serial killer is art history professor James Qatar. He is fixated on young blondes.

This is a great Prey book. The reader knows the killer and gets to watch as Lucas Davenport and his team stumble their way through the clues.

Davenport is back with Weather and a marriage is being planned and maybe even a child. Davenport seems to have settled down somewhat and even grown up a bit.

Loved the book and the development of the characters

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Jul 06, 2018 William rated it liked it · review of another edition

Audiobook enjoyable gray plodding pace where we already know the perpetrator. I did not like Sandfords jab at people who watch FoxNews; it had nothing to do with the story line and Sandford definitely benefits from his position in capitalism.
Why do people think that 30 years in prison is an accountable sentence for murder?

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Jun 02, 2011 Zygmunt added it

My name is Qatar. I have never been to the Middle East. You should not be reading this book.

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About John Sandford

John Sandford

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See also John Camp

John Sandford was born John Roswell 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 Univer ...more

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“Cinnamon Girl" wasn't right for this day, for this time, for what was about to happen. If he were to have music, he thought, maybe Shostakovich, a few measures from the Lyric Waltz in Jazz Suite Number 2. Something sweet, yet pensive, with a taste of tragedy; Qatar was an intellectual, and he knew his music.” — 8 likes

“I'll bring pajamas " she said.
"Yeah? You have any idea how old I am?"
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