Twisted Prey (Lucas Davenport #28)

I have all of Sandford’s books…in hardcover. I re-read them, too. But I have to say that this is the worst Prey novel of the entire series, and I was terribly disappointed. Lucas’s transition to the U.S. Marshalls was an awful mistake. It took us away from beloved, well-developed, secondary characters. It removed Lucas from the setting he knows best. It took the reader out of the comfort zone of clever plotting, quirky characterization, cop humor, occasional violence…all the things we like most about the series are now missing. A good portion of this book was so uninteresting that, instead of reading it in one sitting as I always used to do, it took me weeks to finish. It couldn’t hold my interest. Bob and Rae are no substitutes for Del, Virgil, Weather, Letty, and the rest of the old team, although they make token appearances. Lucas isn’t a whole lot like his usual self, and I wish that he could return in some capacity to law enforcement in the Twin Cities, because he’s lost in the Marshalls’ unit and I don’t want to be lost, too.

I am an avid John Sanford fan. I have been ever since Lucas Davenport made himself known in the first Prey book. This book though, I cannot even say it was one of his worse…this one is his worst….and I am saddened that it might just be the end of me following the series. I will stick with Virgil Flowers for at least the next book, but I think Twisted Prey killed off Lucas for me. And the biggest problem? I could roll with Lucas’s switch to U.S. Marshall, enjoyed the last book, but this one assumes we are old friends with Rae and Bob….and I don’t have the history with them. I cannot just gleefully switch the entire focus to new characters without some background and building of the team. This just slams you right into it, and it makes the story shallow. I get the feeling that this book was just churned out to satisfy the masses….I, for one, am willing to wait much longer for the next addition of any series…as long as the writing is up to par. Sadly, this one isn’t.

I have to admit that I had hoped with this book, I would find Lucas back at his old job in Minneapolis with the Bureau of Apprehension. However, when I learned who the villian was, I was happy to see Lucas as a U.S. Marshall – and in Washington, D.C. It just seemed so right.

At first a murder brings intrigue by killing the wrong person. Then the plot thickens when Lucas is called in because the person(s) susupected of trying to kill Senator Smalls not only wanted the Senator killed, but had been suspected of murder by Lucas years before. The story builds with layer upon layer, and people hiring people, until you scarcely know where it all will stop. Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, and who, in between, can be trusted with all the details? It’s a great read. I really, really liked it.

A guilty pleasure is a source of enjoyment one might not wish to make public knowledge. Looking forward to reading early morning tweets from a particular prominent individual might be one example. Reading a new John Sanford novel, however, is not a guilty pleasure; it is simply a pleasurea great one.

I have been reading Sanfords novel since the beginning of his career. I began with the Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport, which started with Rules of Prey in 1989. The 28th offering, Twisted Prey, is the subject of this review. I enjoy reading novels in paper form and in Sanfords case, I want to help him keep food on the table, so I buy his books in hardback format. So, I have a shelf of his Prey novels that go back to Winter Prey, which appeared in 1993, and not farther because Hurricane Andrew, which left my family homeless, also destroyed my library of novels. I also enjoy Sanfords Virgil Flowers series, which now amounts to 10 entries. Virgil and Lucas sometimes show up in one anothers novels.

Sanfords novels are written in a really compelling way. They are well-plotted and -paced and have characters that are well-drawn, the kind that one might like to sit down with for a drink or two. Lucas Davenport is an old friend, but now that he is a US Marshal he works with a duo of other marshals known as Bob and Rae. If one is old enough, the names spark a memory of the American comedy team of Bob and Ray, popular on the radio and television over a five-decade period. So, Davenports sidekicks will never be Rae and Bob because of their origin, even though Rae is the more interesting character.

The plot of Twisted Prey should be of interest to any reader who likes thriller novels. This plot also brings back a character from an earlier Prey novel who did not have to answer for her crimes. She is a US Senator. Some might find it difficult to believe that any of our elected officials actually might be severely psychopathic (wink, wink), but this particular senator is so bedeviled.

Now that I have finished this novel, I am wondering if there isnt another book out there waiting to be written, tentatively entitled Asocial Service: The Role of Sociopathy in American Politics. My suggestion in only partially tongue-in-cheek, so if there is an interested mental health worker out there who is stimulated creatively by my suggestion, then by all means, have at it. Before that person begins writing, however, I suggest that he or she read Twisted Prey first, as I do suggest also to anyone interested in very well-written novels of suspense.

Sandford rarely disappoints. I absolutely loved last year’s Golden Prey and had my fingers crossed that Twisted Prey would at least come close in quality. It exceeded my expectations.

Lucas Davenport is one of my favorite characters. Sandford surrounds him with an entertaining cast of supporting characters. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments, along with heart pounding tension.

I won’t say more for fear of spoilers, but Lucas is at his best when he rides the line of legality. He’s a sneaky bastard and Twisted Prey was an awesome ride.

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