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A review by kanissa
Winter Prey by John Sandford
4.0
An improvement over the previous novel, although not as suspenseful.
For the setting of novel #5, we move into rural Wisconsin, hip-deep in snow and with biting cold. It's a big change from #4's location, NYC, not only in weather but in scope. It takes Davenport from being a little visiting fish in a big pond to being a giant fish in a tiny pond. While he's still a guest with the local police department, in this case he's the only one with any substantial homicide investigation skill. Mr Sandford's depiction of a small-town police force is quaint, sure, but also sketched with love. The police are generally presented as good people with big hearts, even if they are a bit inexperienced.
As for the murder and the investigation, I found it to be pretty simple to figure out. There are some early attempts at misdirection, but they are so ham-handed as to be blatantly obvious. It's evident very early in who the Iceman actually is.
One of the things about the Davenport novels that has annoyed me so far are Davenport's liaisons with seemingly every woman he meets. While this installment's love interest, Weather Karkinnen, is an improvement upon Davenport's exes, I still found myself rolling my eyes any time the romance storyline was presented.
For the setting of novel #5, we move into rural Wisconsin, hip-deep in snow and with biting cold. It's a big change from #4's location, NYC, not only in weather but in scope. It takes Davenport from being a little visiting fish in a big pond to being a giant fish in a tiny pond. While he's still a guest with the local police department, in this case he's the only one with any substantial homicide investigation skill. Mr Sandford's depiction of a small-town police force is quaint, sure, but also sketched with love. The police are generally presented as good people with big hearts, even if they are a bit inexperienced.
As for the murder and the investigation, I found it to be pretty simple to figure out. There are some early attempts at misdirection, but they are so ham-handed as to be blatantly obvious. It's evident very early in who the Iceman actually is.
One of the things about the Davenport novels that has annoyed me so far are Davenport's liaisons with seemingly every woman he meets. While this installment's love interest, Weather Karkinnen, is an improvement upon Davenport's exes, I still found myself rolling my eyes any time the romance storyline was presented.