Stolen Prey (Lucas Davenport #22)

How long have I been reading Lucas? Forever. I always enjoy these stories! I love it when Lucas is told something and he says “Huh.” I know that he is thinking–placing the new thought into his previous ideas about the current case. His world is populated with people I “know” and enjoy. I really like Del, the undercover cop dressed like a street-person through all the stories. I admit I miss Elle, the marvelously astute num. But young Letty really shows her tough-stuff in this one!

So this is number 22 of the series. Even though they are ALL good, I think “Stolen Prey” was one of the better offerings. Besides my favorite regulars, the side characters were great. For example: The three murdering horrors named Uno, Dos, Tres were perfect and even funny. The thieving blonde whose disguise is “a hijab, a traditional Arabic woman’s robe” complete with face veil– but has difficulty controlling her expletives – unusual. The two “muggers” aka “tweekers” who had the stupid audacity to rob Lucas Davenport.

The story begins with a devastatingly brutal murder of an entire family. This shock start leads into a complex drug cartel plot. Although I’m still not completely sure how the banking-drug-money-gold-computer crime worked, I got enough of it to enjoy the story. And of course there were plot surprises. It was all marvelous fun.

Like Sherlock Holmes, the character of Lucas Davenport can carry any story with his incidentals alone, regardless of plot. But this story had its twisty side, particularly with the Mexican police officers who come to help with the case.

If you are a fan of the series, you will definitely enjoy this one. If you are new to the series, I still think you will enjoy it as you travel the plot and get to know the characters. RECOMMENDED – 5 Stars Worth!

It kept me up all night reading and laughing. John Sandford really had some fun with this detective story. A Mexican cartel is in Minneapolis running money through the banking system until a few techie geeks notice a pattern and decide to skim a bit. Virgil Flowers makes a cameo appearance in one of the most absurd situations. And Letty has her day. What a book! Enjoy it! Highly recommended. In fact I intend to listen to it on a car trip with my husband! I enjoyed it it that much.

I wish Sandford would go back to what made me start the Prey series to begin with. Serial Killers. I’m not interested in reading about, gangs, Mexican or other wise, gangsters, bank robbers, etc. etc. I keep reading the Prey series simply because I’ve been a fan since the beginning but maybe not anymore. The next book in this series is about politics and that’s even worse than gangs, gangsters, and bank robbers all rolled into one. Please go back to writing about Serial Killers.

Im a long-time, John Sanford fan (full disclosure) and Stolen Prey is another excellent read in the now 28-book series. This one opens with a grisly, multiple murder of husband, wife, children, and pets in a well-to-do suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Obviously, youll need some stomach for violence to get into this story, but if you can handle that, youll be rewarded with good action and gripping, didnt-see-them-coming twists. Because it is a tale of retaliation by a Mexican drug gang, a host of agencies and individuals become involved the DEA for what they can learn about the drug cartel; the local police to pursue the murderers; and Lucas Davenport, the protagonist of the series, to pursue the thieves that precipitated events by stealing drug money. Its an intricate plot, but Stanford does an excellent job of describing the division of labor and the interplay of these characters and agencies.

Complimenting the main plot is a significant backstory, featuring a cameo by Virgil Flowers (the hero of another Sanford series). Everything about this secondary tale is custom made to feature Davenports generally sarcastic sense of humor, from the (smelly) clues they find to the capture of the bad guys. It provided a nice counterpoint, a break from the tension.

Most of the early books in the series involved demented, serial killers, and like many, thats where I developed my interest in this author. Stolen Prey strays from that theme, and the story suffers as a result but only slightly. For example, the development of the characters of the three Mexican killers, while less about psychosis and more about a way of life, is solid. There is also a touching father/daughter moment, where Lucas and Letty, his adopted daughter, bond at the shooting range. Makes me wonder if this is a preview for a series to come?

Overall, Stolen Prey diverges from Sanfords bread-and-butter, serial-killer theme, but its still excellent, with a tense, action-filled plot and a humorous backstory so you can catch your breath.

Stolen Prey is my favorite in the Prey series. It kept me up all night reading and laughing. John Sandford really had some fun with this detective story. A Mexican cartel is in Minneapolis running money through the banking system until a few techie geeks notice a pattern and decide to skim a bit. Virgil Flowers makes a cameo appearance in one of the most absurd situations. And Letty has her day. What a book! Enjoy it! Highly recommended. In fact I intend to listen to it on a car trip with my husband! I enjoyed it it that much.

I’ve read all of the Prey series through #26 at least three times. I just read this one again in three days! They are just that good to me. I rate this one as one of the better ones. The action scene near the end is actually the best one out of all the books. In all of the books the characters and their interactions and conversations feel so realistic and are often funny. When it gets intense you feel the emotion be it anger, joy or sadness. After I read the latest installment I’ll probably start my fourth run through the series by the next novel. They’re … Just … That … Good …

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