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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
slow-paced
4.5! Another action packed Davenport novel! Love the laugh out loud moments this series always seems to have! And Lettie's adoption is final! Yaay! And Del's a daddy now! On another note...Between Lettie's case and Davenport's...intense!!!
I rarely enjoy a character so much that I stick with them through 19 books. Wicked Prey is the 19th book in Sandford's Prey series and it's just as good as the first. I don't know what it is about Lucas Davenport that is just so intriguing but as long as the stories are good and Lucas is in them, I'm a fan. If we include Kidd and that fuckin' Flowers, Sandford creates characters that you have to follow.
Wicked Prey has the Republican convention in Minnesota, with McCain and Palin (ugh). I wonder how dated and weird that will be when someone 10 years from now reads this book. Anyways, filthy rich politicians are swarming and taking up every available police resource. Which is the perfect scenario for some intelligent heists. The "villians" in this book are actually incredibly smart. Frighteningly smart. They give Lucas a fair run for his money while they manage to pull off some pretty detailed robberies that net them millions of dollars. Incredibly smart doesn't mean they aren't greedy and the greed, and need for one final heist, ultimately is their undoing.
The side story in this novel involves Letty, Lucas' soon to be adopted daughter. She goes up against her own set of evil-doers much to everyone's dismay. I realize that her character is still being fleshed out but in the Prey books, everyone is a supporting character to Davenport. So much time spent on Letty, in the end, irked me a little.
Great plot, great writing and great characters. What else do you need?
Wicked Prey has the Republican convention in Minnesota, with McCain and Palin (ugh). I wonder how dated and weird that will be when someone 10 years from now reads this book. Anyways, filthy rich politicians are swarming and taking up every available police resource. Which is the perfect scenario for some intelligent heists. The "villians" in this book are actually incredibly smart. Frighteningly smart. They give Lucas a fair run for his money while they manage to pull off some pretty detailed robberies that net them millions of dollars. Incredibly smart doesn't mean they aren't greedy and the greed, and need for one final heist, ultimately is their undoing.
The side story in this novel involves Letty, Lucas' soon to be adopted daughter. She goes up against her own set of evil-doers much to everyone's dismay. I realize that her character is still being fleshed out but in the Prey books, everyone is a supporting character to Davenport. So much time spent on Letty, in the end, irked me a little.
Great plot, great writing and great characters. What else do you need?
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Nineteenth in the Lucas Davenport mystery detective series set in Minneapolis and revolving around a get-things-done detective. It's set during the Republican National Convention when John McCain was nominated along with Sarah Palin.
My Take
It's a very clever twist on robbery. And I can't think of a better, ahem, class of people to be robbed. Meanwhile, Lucas has been making himself really "popular" by poking holes in convention security in every way possible, *lots of laughter*. Gotta hand it to Lucas, he is consistent.
I'm wondering about Sandford's wife with the way he keeps "picking on" Weather. Not that she doesn't deserve it, lol. All it took was two paragraphs of some lovely show, and we know so much about Weather AND Lucas' characters…*more laughter*.
Ohhh, I love it. Lucas and Weather are looking to formally adopt Letty (Sandford includes a brief back history on Letty)! It'll be fraught with some careful and careless thinking on Letty's part as well as some almost terrifying insight into how Letty does think, her stalking actions. She could make a great general with that focus on the end game.
Del cracks me up. He's so perfect for his undercover role; Sandford doesn't need a lot of words to draw a great picture of him. Love that comment from Del, lol.
Uh-huh, I think Lucas is straddling a fine line here with that political component issue of his, although I can see his point about the difference between what happened in Naked Prey, 14, owing some cops a favor, and what's happening now in Wicked Prey.
The Story
It's one last job, a doozy that should set Cohn up for a comfortable retirement. It's a crime that can't come into the open; they'll do everything they can to keep it quiet.
Randy blames all his bad luck on Lucas and plans his revenge by stalking Letty. Good thing she's a smart, observant girl. Too bad she's a teenager.
The Characters
Lucas Davenport is a clothes- and poetry-loving troubleshooter for the governor. Dr. Weather Karkinnen is his wife and a plastic surgeon at Hennepin General. Sam is their two-year-old son, and Letty is their almost fifteen-year-old ward (Naked Prey). Ellen is their housekeeper.
The Department of Public Safety is…
…a pet project of the governor's with Rose Marie Roux as its state public safety commissioner. Lucas works for her with Del Capslock (he's married to the pregnant Cheryl, a nurse). Lucas' other agents include Virgil Flowers, Dan Jackson is their photographer who really gets into outfitting Lucas, Jenkins and Shrake (he's dating Shirley Knox who Jenkins claims is in the Mafia) are a double act, Carol is Lucas' secretary, Jim Benson, Dave Tompkins, and Nancy.
Neil Mitford is Governor Elmer Henderson's executive assistant and chief weasel. Dan Coates is with the Special Assignments Bureau, Lucas' opposite number in Wisconsin. The local FBI Agent-in-Charge is Wilbur Rivers. George Dickens is the Secret Service agent mentioned.
Minneapolis PD
Officer Rick Jones caught the High Hat robberies. Danny Lake is the head of Robbery-Homicide. Officers Doug Swanson and Dan Long are standing by. Able Peterson is SWAT as is Dick McGuire.
St. Paul PD
Lieutenant Don Parker caught Weimer's case. Dick Clay. Detective John Elleson catches Benson. Harrington is the chief of police. Sergeant Larkin gets in on the St. Andrew affair.
Hudson PD in Wisconsin
Officer Charles Dee won't be on the force long. Joshua Martin and Kyle Wayne were on the hotel desk when Dee came in.
NYPD
Captain Lily Rothenburg is with the NYPD, and we met her in Shadow Prey, 2, and Silent Prey, 4.
Washington D.C. District PD
Detective Sams investigated Raphael's death.
LAPD
Detectives Lance Barr and Harvey Cason are investigating a suspicious fire.
Elena Diaz lives in the Lu house in Venice with Martha Knofler (or Laura or Lauren or…). Louise Janowitz has insurance with State Farm. Dick and Carly are their neighbors. David Harelson does all sorts of photography.
The Republican National Convention
Dan Jacobs runs the convention-security coordination committee for the Convention. Sondra is his secretary. The people who assign the hotel rooms include Helen Fumaro, Cheryl Ann, and Lucy. Raphael Sabartes had been with them before he died.
The lobbyists include…
…John Wilson, a little guy with a temper, and Lori Johnson is his, um, assistant; Bart Spellman is thinking ahead to the future; Ray Landy; Dick McCollum; Shelly Weimer; Buddy Snider and Sally Craig; Whitehead; Schott; and, the lucky Chuck Prince are more lobbyists.
Rob Benedict is a consultant in Washington D.C. who'll be an example. Ann and Karen are usually on the front desk at night.
Channel Three is…
…the TV station where Letty's been working as an unpaid intern for the past two years. Jennifer Carey, the mother of Lucas' daughter, is Letty's mentor. Frank (he's got a nasty, well-known secret that comes in handy) and Lois Cline are part of the camera crew. Lorenzo who is a lawyer for Channel Three, Nelly Cassesford, Larry Johnston, and Andy Cramer who happily drives the van all work for the station.
Brutus Cohn, a.k.a., John Lamb, is a brutal and efficient thief. (Billy Joe Wakefield is another possibility.) Rosie Cruz, who blends so easily, has worked with him before, and she has multiple agendas. The rest of the gang includes Jesse Lane who owns a farm in Alabama and turns out fast cars for moonshiners, Tate McCall has been clean for eight years and has a part ownership in a diner in Malibu, and Jack Spitzer is from Austin and mostly unemployed. Lindy is a long-time girlfriend of Brutus'.
Randy Whitcomb (we first met him in Eyes of Prey, 3, and again in Chosen Prey, 12) is a major sleaze bag who should have been drowned at birth; now, he's a paraplegic with a major hate on for Lucas and delights in switches. Juliet Briar is a teen runaway who thinks Randy loves her. Yeah, as long as she keeps hooking for him. Ranch is Randy's male go-fer and an insane idiot. George is a teetotalling resaler. Don Johnson is the perverted mailman dating Juliet's mother.
Dubuque and Moline Pollish are twins working as sexual entertainment managers, ahem. They're ticked that Randy is runnin' Jasmine on their street. Jorgenson is another pimp.
Justice Shafer is a guerrilla, skinhead nutcake and a good sniper. An eighty-eight is a Nazi skinhead. Terry, the Jenkins brothers, and Bob Harper each run a gunshop. Jane works at the Wayfarer Motel. Bill Hefner is the "boyfriend" "tracking" the anarchists.
John and Jeff are a couple of Letty's friends from school — Lucas has a problem with them. They're too much like he was, lol. Oh, the agony…*more laughing* Emily Grissom is a nasty little schoolmate.
Achmed Mansoor owns a sandwich shop. Lucy's husband is one of the marchers. Marv is the leader of a skate gang. Jean is part of the gang, and she has a great face. Dan Eller is an association president of a block of condos; another building is run by Ken Jacobsen. Carl Bishop manages another block. The Hassans are Ethiopian janitors. Max Gomez is a welder. Dr. Grigor Papirian works at Regions Hospital.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the deep, dark green of night as we look down a forlorn alley, the neon green bright lights in the distance highlighting doorways and puddles on the pavement. The author's name is red and large and in charge of the creamy Wicked Prey, the men Lucas and his team are after.
My Take
It's a very clever twist on robbery. And I can't think of a better, ahem, class of people to be robbed. Meanwhile, Lucas has been making himself really "popular" by poking holes in convention security in every way possible, *lots of laughter*. Gotta hand it to Lucas, he is consistent.
I'm wondering about Sandford's wife with the way he keeps "picking on" Weather. Not that she doesn't deserve it, lol. All it took was two paragraphs of some lovely show, and we know so much about Weather AND Lucas' characters…*more laughter*.
"The women in Lucas' life reduced him to a chattering-chipmunk state about once a month."Sorry guys, but it does crack me up the power women can wield. Here's Lucas, one scary MF who goes weak in the knees… And Sandford keeps it real with the proud papa, lol, as Lucas revels in how brilliant and gifted his son is. Remembering how much time I spend laughing when I read a John Sandford MYSTERY that is about serious topics and vicious criminals…it's what I love about Sandford's Lucas Davenport series (yeah, yeah, I'll get to more books Sandford has written as soon as I finish this series!) is how funny his writing is even as the bad guys run amuck.
Lucas keeps it real, and Weather's come round to it:"…as regarded cops and robbers: it was all chaos, accident, stupidity, insanity, and coincidence."Although, it is amazing how Lucas pulls it together. The ideas he comes up with to figure out what's happening, how it happened, what is likely to happen. Little clues, unexpected comments, coincidences that set him to thinking.
Ohhh, I love it. Lucas and Weather are looking to formally adopt Letty (Sandford includes a brief back history on Letty)! It'll be fraught with some careful and careless thinking on Letty's part as well as some almost terrifying insight into how Letty does think, her stalking actions. She could make a great general with that focus on the end game.
Del cracks me up. He's so perfect for his undercover role; Sandford doesn't need a lot of words to draw a great picture of him. Love that comment from Del, lol.
"'You'd have to tone it down,' Del said. 'Like borrow clothes from me.'Lucas shuddered: 'Maybe not.'"Sandford is always too funny as he keeps the story real:
"'Yeah? He's a marcher?' Lucas asked.'Anarchist,' she said. 'Or anti-Christ. One of the two. I can't keep them straight.'"Hmmm, there are some good riot rules Lucy lays out. It makes for an interesting contrast when you read Brutus' and Lindy's thoughts after their "catch-up" session at the motel. Two users gettin' along, hidin' their thoughts, lyin' to each other. Nor are they the only ones using in this group. Randy's back history gets laid out as well — I do like how Sandford writes his info dumps. No, well, okay, yeah, they're info dumps, technically, but Sandford does such a nice job of integrating them in. Writers should take note of this.
Uh-huh, I think Lucas is straddling a fine line here with that political component issue of his, although I can see his point about the difference between what happened in Naked Prey, 14, owing some cops a favor, and what's happening now in Wicked Prey.
The Story
It's one last job, a doozy that should set Cohn up for a comfortable retirement. It's a crime that can't come into the open; they'll do everything they can to keep it quiet.
Randy blames all his bad luck on Lucas and plans his revenge by stalking Letty. Good thing she's a smart, observant girl. Too bad she's a teenager.
The Characters
Lucas Davenport is a clothes- and poetry-loving troubleshooter for the governor. Dr. Weather Karkinnen is his wife and a plastic surgeon at Hennepin General. Sam is their two-year-old son, and Letty is their almost fifteen-year-old ward (Naked Prey). Ellen is their housekeeper.
The Department of Public Safety is…
…a pet project of the governor's with Rose Marie Roux as its state public safety commissioner. Lucas works for her with Del Capslock (he's married to the pregnant Cheryl, a nurse). Lucas' other agents include Virgil Flowers, Dan Jackson is their photographer who really gets into outfitting Lucas, Jenkins and Shrake (he's dating Shirley Knox who Jenkins claims is in the Mafia) are a double act, Carol is Lucas' secretary, Jim Benson, Dave Tompkins, and Nancy.
Neil Mitford is Governor Elmer Henderson's executive assistant and chief weasel. Dan Coates is with the Special Assignments Bureau, Lucas' opposite number in Wisconsin. The local FBI Agent-in-Charge is Wilbur Rivers. George Dickens is the Secret Service agent mentioned.
Minneapolis PD
Officer Rick Jones caught the High Hat robberies. Danny Lake is the head of Robbery-Homicide. Officers Doug Swanson and Dan Long are standing by. Able Peterson is SWAT as is Dick McGuire.
St. Paul PD
Lieutenant Don Parker caught Weimer's case. Dick Clay. Detective John Elleson catches Benson. Harrington is the chief of police. Sergeant Larkin gets in on the St. Andrew affair.
Hudson PD in Wisconsin
Officer Charles Dee won't be on the force long. Joshua Martin and Kyle Wayne were on the hotel desk when Dee came in.
NYPD
Captain Lily Rothenburg is with the NYPD, and we met her in Shadow Prey, 2, and Silent Prey, 4.
Washington D.C. District PD
Detective Sams investigated Raphael's death.
LAPD
Detectives Lance Barr and Harvey Cason are investigating a suspicious fire.
Elena Diaz lives in the Lu house in Venice with Martha Knofler (or Laura or Lauren or…). Louise Janowitz has insurance with State Farm. Dick and Carly are their neighbors. David Harelson does all sorts of photography.
The Republican National Convention
Dan Jacobs runs the convention-security coordination committee for the Convention. Sondra is his secretary. The people who assign the hotel rooms include Helen Fumaro, Cheryl Ann, and Lucy. Raphael Sabartes had been with them before he died.
The lobbyists include…
…John Wilson, a little guy with a temper, and Lori Johnson is his, um, assistant; Bart Spellman is thinking ahead to the future; Ray Landy; Dick McCollum; Shelly Weimer; Buddy Snider and Sally Craig; Whitehead; Schott; and, the lucky Chuck Prince are more lobbyists.
Seems the lobbyists aren't worried about who'll be the next president, they're "covered both ways".The St. Andrews hotel
Rob Benedict is a consultant in Washington D.C. who'll be an example. Ann and Karen are usually on the front desk at night.
Channel Three is…
…the TV station where Letty's been working as an unpaid intern for the past two years. Jennifer Carey, the mother of Lucas' daughter, is Letty's mentor. Frank (he's got a nasty, well-known secret that comes in handy) and Lois Cline are part of the camera crew. Lorenzo who is a lawyer for Channel Three, Nelly Cassesford, Larry Johnston, and Andy Cramer who happily drives the van all work for the station.
Brutus Cohn, a.k.a., John Lamb, is a brutal and efficient thief. (Billy Joe Wakefield is another possibility.) Rosie Cruz, who blends so easily, has worked with him before, and she has multiple agendas. The rest of the gang includes Jesse Lane who owns a farm in Alabama and turns out fast cars for moonshiners, Tate McCall has been clean for eight years and has a part ownership in a diner in Malibu, and Jack Spitzer is from Austin and mostly unemployed. Lindy is a long-time girlfriend of Brutus'.
Randy Whitcomb (we first met him in Eyes of Prey, 3, and again in Chosen Prey, 12) is a major sleaze bag who should have been drowned at birth; now, he's a paraplegic with a major hate on for Lucas and delights in switches. Juliet Briar is a teen runaway who thinks Randy loves her. Yeah, as long as she keeps hooking for him. Ranch is Randy's male go-fer and an insane idiot. George is a teetotalling resaler. Don Johnson is the perverted mailman dating Juliet's mother.
Dubuque and Moline Pollish are twins working as sexual entertainment managers, ahem. They're ticked that Randy is runnin' Jasmine on their street. Jorgenson is another pimp.
Justice Shafer is a guerrilla, skinhead nutcake and a good sniper. An eighty-eight is a Nazi skinhead. Terry, the Jenkins brothers, and Bob Harper each run a gunshop. Jane works at the Wayfarer Motel. Bill Hefner is the "boyfriend" "tracking" the anarchists.
John and Jeff are a couple of Letty's friends from school — Lucas has a problem with them. They're too much like he was, lol. Oh, the agony…*more laughing* Emily Grissom is a nasty little schoolmate.
Achmed Mansoor owns a sandwich shop. Lucy's husband is one of the marchers. Marv is the leader of a skate gang. Jean is part of the gang, and she has a great face. Dan Eller is an association president of a block of condos; another building is run by Ken Jacobsen. Carl Bishop manages another block. The Hassans are Ethiopian janitors. Max Gomez is a welder. Dr. Grigor Papirian works at Regions Hospital.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the deep, dark green of night as we look down a forlorn alley, the neon green bright lights in the distance highlighting doorways and puddles on the pavement. The author's name is red and large and in charge of the creamy Wicked Prey, the men Lucas and his team are after.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I have never taken five days to read a Sandford novel.
The Republican convention is in Minneapolis, brining a lot of cash with some lobbyists - and a group of killers/thieves intent on stealing enough money form the lobbyists, and jewelry from the Republicans, that they can retire.
Our side plot involves Lettie who is 14 and working an internship at the tv station where Lucas’ ex is an anchor. Lettie meets a 16 yr old girl who works for Randy Whitcomb, a paraplegic pimp who believes that Lucas is responsible for the accident that caused his paralysis. (Lucas was responsible for Whitcomb being sent to prison, but not for the accident). Juliet tells Lettie that Randy is going to kill her dad - and Lettie works out a plan that involves Randy, Juliet, the wheelchair and a ravine behind Randy’s house.
The convention thieves start hitting the hotel rooms of lobbyists - walking out with tons of cash. They kill two cops. While Lettie is befriending Juliet in the guise of a story for Channel 4, Lucas is working with New York police, secret service, federal agents and Wisconsin police to find Brutus Cohn, Rosie Cruz and their gang.
It’s a solid Davenport book - although the violence at the hotel in the end was a bit formulaic. Sandford does let one of the bad guys escape - with quite a bit of money - and “retire” on his farm in the South.
Points off for some lesbophobia. For some reason I let the Shrake and Jenkins repartee go as “goonish” - but the one cop referencing Rosie Cruz and her girlfriend was unnecessary and not “cop talk”
The Republican convention is in Minneapolis, brining a lot of cash with some lobbyists - and a group of killers/thieves intent on stealing enough money form the lobbyists, and jewelry from the Republicans, that they can retire.
Our side plot involves Lettie who is 14 and working an internship at the tv station where Lucas’ ex is an anchor. Lettie meets a 16 yr old girl who works for Randy Whitcomb, a paraplegic pimp who believes that Lucas is responsible for the accident that caused his paralysis. (Lucas was responsible for Whitcomb being sent to prison, but not for the accident). Juliet tells Lettie that Randy is going to kill her dad - and Lettie works out a plan that involves Randy, Juliet, the wheelchair and a ravine behind Randy’s house.
The convention thieves start hitting the hotel rooms of lobbyists - walking out with tons of cash. They kill two cops. While Lettie is befriending Juliet in the guise of a story for Channel 4, Lucas is working with New York police, secret service, federal agents and Wisconsin police to find Brutus Cohn, Rosie Cruz and their gang.
It’s a solid Davenport book - although the violence at the hotel in the end was a bit formulaic. Sandford does let one of the bad guys escape - with quite a bit of money - and “retire” on his farm in the South.
Points off for some lesbophobia. For some reason I let the Shrake and Jenkins repartee go as “goonish” - but the one cop referencing Rosie Cruz and her girlfriend was unnecessary and not “cop talk”
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
First, Sandford overestimated a great deal that I care about lobbyists being robbed.
Second, Lucas is a disappointment since he allows himself to be used as a political tool (no matter how much he tells himself it's about cops) and as a parent when he condones Letty's manipulating a situation so a teenager is beaten and raped.
Third, If Sandford wanted a final confrontation with Randy, then let Lucas handle it. Letty, who was already a rural Lucas, has suddenly developed urban skills the equivalent of a decades-experienced cop. Implausible and her behavior is even more egregious and offensive than when we first met.
Fourth, Jennifer is culpable as well--why doesn't she tell both Weather and Lucas what is going on as soon as she learned the full story? She was comfortable running the risk that Randy would actually avenge himself on Letty?
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced