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A review by bickleyhouse
Rules of Prey by John Sandford
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm not sure if this is John Sandford's first book or not, as he had two titles released in 1989. However, I believe it is the first novel written under this name, as the other title, I'm told, was released under his real name, which is John Roswell Camp. But this series took off like wildfire, and it is easy to see why.
It's a little slow beginning, as we get to know detective Lucas Davenport, but once the story gets under way, it moves pretty quickly, and I was able to finish this almost 500 page book in three days. As happens so often, I was pretty much unable to put this book down for about the last fourth of the book. It's a gripping detective story with plenty of twists and turns and "Oh, crap!!" moments included.
Davenport lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm not sure I've ever read a story set there, so that's unique for me. A murder is committed that has sexual aspects to it. We are introduced to a killer who is chilling in his mindset and operation. And Sandford does a great job of getting us into his head (scary enough on its own). Davenport sets out to catch this killer, who kills again and again, but makes a mistake in one case and his "prey" gets away. This person eventually becomes instrumental in the capture of the killer.
I love the way Davenport operates, although his behavior would get him into really big trouble in the twenty-first century. It will be interesting, as I continue the series, to see how he has evolved as acceptable behavior has changed over the years. He lies constantly to the women in his life, and has no qualms at all with sleeping with more than one at a time. He also plays media personalities off of each other. But it's also part of his plan to get under the skin of the killer.
There are some quirks in the story that really show the age of it. More than once, the detective calls someone (he is pretty sure that they aren't home), and lets it keep ringing for twenty or thirty times. I guess answering machines weren't so common in 1989, and phones didn't go straight to voice mail after five or six rings like they do now.
I really enjoyed this story and it's a pretty darned good first novel, in my opinion. Kept me on the edge of my seat for the last 100 pages or so, and the final sequence was thrilling. I definitely plan on continuing in the "prey" series.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes crime thrillers and detective novels. But be prepared for some graphic details.
It's a little slow beginning, as we get to know detective Lucas Davenport, but once the story gets under way, it moves pretty quickly, and I was able to finish this almost 500 page book in three days. As happens so often, I was pretty much unable to put this book down for about the last fourth of the book. It's a gripping detective story with plenty of twists and turns and "Oh, crap!!" moments included.
Davenport lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm not sure I've ever read a story set there, so that's unique for me. A murder is committed that has sexual aspects to it. We are introduced to a killer who is chilling in his mindset and operation. And Sandford does a great job of getting us into his head (scary enough on its own). Davenport sets out to catch this killer, who kills again and again, but makes a mistake in one case and his "prey" gets away. This person eventually becomes instrumental in the capture of the killer.
I love the way Davenport operates, although his behavior would get him into really big trouble in the twenty-first century. It will be interesting, as I continue the series, to see how he has evolved as acceptable behavior has changed over the years. He lies constantly to the women in his life, and has no qualms at all with sleeping with more than one at a time. He also plays media personalities off of each other. But it's also part of his plan to get under the skin of the killer.
There are some quirks in the story that really show the age of it. More than once, the detective calls someone (he is pretty sure that they aren't home), and lets it keep ringing for twenty or thirty times. I guess answering machines weren't so common in 1989, and phones didn't go straight to voice mail after five or six rings like they do now.
I really enjoyed this story and it's a pretty darned good first novel, in my opinion. Kept me on the edge of my seat for the last 100 pages or so, and the final sequence was thrilling. I definitely plan on continuing in the "prey" series.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes crime thrillers and detective novels. But be prepared for some graphic details.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence