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mvptp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
So This was a slow read and I have a hate/love relationship with Davenport but even though thi !s feels very outdated in language and I didn't love the case, I still want to know what happens next so I'll be reading the next one in the series
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
3.0
This book focuses on Lucas Davenport, a senior investigator in the Minneapolis Police Department, as he tries to investigate a number of deaths that were caused by Native American locally, and nationally (if the seeming manor of death isn't too much of a coincidence). This leads him to clash (of sorts) with the FBI, who are involved nationally, and the NYPD, where one of the other deaths occurs.
The book wasn't a bad read, but I personally felt it.. was of its' time (it's almost 25 years old now). As an example, the edition I read referred to Native Americans as Indians, which left me feeling slightly disconcerted (though this might me Sandford's aim, as a way of implying how the police department thought of the locals). In addition, the story isn't very computerised, meaning they were faxing photos, and waiting on forensic reports, which took an age to process.
My other grumble is that I was surprised how quickly they made connections between the murders, given their geographic distance (Arizona, Minnesota, and New York). I mean I know they were murdered in a particular way, by a particular ethnic group, but the speed with which they made the connection (prior to any claim of responsibility being made) did seem a little... odd.
This said, if you can set these aside, it's a good enough read that rattles along at a good rate, if you like simply structured, but generally readable thrillers. I am glad though that the series got more readable with age.
The book wasn't a bad read, but I personally felt it.. was of its' time (it's almost 25 years old now). As an example, the edition I read referred to Native Americans as Indians, which left me feeling slightly disconcerted (though this might me Sandford's aim, as a way of implying how the police department thought of the locals). In addition, the story isn't very computerised, meaning they were faxing photos, and waiting on forensic reports, which took an age to process.
My other grumble is that I was surprised how quickly they made connections between the murders, given their geographic distance (Arizona, Minnesota, and New York). I mean I know they were murdered in a particular way, by a particular ethnic group, but the speed with which they made the connection (prior to any claim of responsibility being made) did seem a little... odd.
This said, if you can set these aside, it's a good enough read that rattles along at a good rate, if you like simply structured, but generally readable thrillers. I am glad though that the series got more readable with age.
lethaldose's review against another edition
1.0
I wish I could give this book a 0 star rating, that is what it deserves. And here is the sad thing, there is actually a decent case at the heart of it, but it is absolutely utterly ruined by the slimey, pervy, sleazy, adulterous main character. I am not going to stop with this series because the writing is good and the cases have been good, but I am not going to keep going much longer if Lucas Davenport doesn't become a redeemable or likeable character. I want to just blow this off as well the times have changed, but just randomly cheating on a woman you continually propose marriage too was never a high character trait. In the last book you could write off his wandering ways with Jennifer Carey pushing him away and manipulating him, you can't do that here. And it would still almost be redeemable if he was in love with the woman he was cheating with, but at no point do you ever get the sense that he is in love with her, he just lusts for her and wants her. It is gross and disgusting and disappointing because what books like these need are a hero, and this kind of stuff in not what guys like Alex Delaware, Harry Bosch, or Jack Reacher ever get up to. There is a decent story with sympathetic villains who you genuinely feel conflicted about, but to enjoy it you have to put up with Lucas Davenport, which is totally not worth it.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Second in the Lucas Davenport thriller series set in Minneapolis and revolving around Lucas Davenport.
My Take
This one is so disgusting. It makes me so angry that cops would abuse their power like this. It’s bad enough that any man would do this to a young girl, but for cops…it’s just worse…arghhhh! Even more infuriating, if that is at all possible, is that the police dispatcher announces the location of victims for other cops to abuse. There are no words for how angry this makes me.
It’s almost a tour of Lucas’ life as he escorts Lily around Minneapolis as they work to dig up hints, clues, ideas on who’s killing all these people.
I do like this twist on a cop’s life. One who creates games: war games, fantasy games, role-playing games. And Sandford provides lots of background on how Lucas approaches this hobby of his. He also shows up a dirty cop. One who breaks in to people’s homes, twists arms. There is a lot I like about Lucas, and there’s a lot I don’t like about him. He lies, he cheats, he manipulates. Yet, he is also honest. He doesn’t set people up to permanently hurt them, just to get to the end result with the right people, the guilty people, arrested. He also seduces women into sleeping with him simply because he’s attracted to them, whether they’re married or not. He’s going to end up paying big for his actions in this one. Yeah, that fire fight at the end, with the baby and Jennifer in danger, that’s bad, but Lucas has already set himself up for the fail with Jennifer.
Hoo-ee, Lily is a piece of work. All condescending, having to interact with these shitkickers in the outback of the U.S. She’s so pushy and overweening, and then she gets taken down a few pegs. Her husband has a similar reaction, and I loved Lucas’ response to David’s fears and angry denouncements.
It’s sad that this is the only recourse the Crows can see. It’s a circular argument about the Native Americans. Whites took so much from them, kept them penned in on reservations with nothing, tossed them scraps, left them with no dignity, and they have so little pride left. The traumas the families go through whether they’re self-imposed by parents who shouldn’t be reproducing or the system which doesn’t care.
Well, as opposed to my usual niggles at the writer, this time I’m irritated with some of the characters’ choices, such as Barbara’s argument. She knew damn well what Shadow was up to. Then there’s that mayor — he’ll swing whichever way he can look good, jerk. Then Jennifer gets a taste of what she’s dished out in the past when she finally gets to experience the invasive nature of the press when she’s injured.
Sandford tosses in some metaphysical scenes with the bones of dead Sioux crying out, descriptions of conditions on the res, and he doesn’t hold back on the negative side of how some Indians react to life. I’m torn between wondering if the bones bit was gratuitous or whether it was essential so we understand where the Crows are coming from…or even both.
What is with these cops who have to pee on a case to make it theirs. So arrogant they couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about the scene. I do love how Daniel turned it around. That jerk FBI guy who screwed it all up…although, it was an essential to get the best results for the good guys — and I don’t mean the cops.
The Story
The spark was rape, years ago. In the years since, the anger and frustration has grown over white intolerance, the power they hold over Native Americans.
No more.
Lucas’ contacts, his network won’t be much help on this. Too many Indians see this as payback for what they’ve had to suffer.
The Characters
Lucas Davenport is a lone detective working Intelligence, working networks of people, set on special cases for his intelligence and his popularity with the press. He’s independently wealthy from his game designing that he can afford that Porsche. Jennifer Carey with TV3, although she’s taken a partial leave of absence, is his girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, Sarah. Lucas keeps asking her to marry him; she keeps saying no. Elle Kruger, Sister Mary Joseph, is a woman Lucas knew as a kid and now she’s a psychologist.
Other cops include
Jim Wentz is with Homicide, Harry Meany is a shift commander, Harrison Sloan, Captain Quentin Daniel is the chief of police, Frank Lester is the deputy chief for investigations, Harmon Anderson is his assistant and a computer savant, Shearson, Del, and Jack Dionosopoulos is to be the first one in.
Lieutenant Lily Rothenburg is NYPD, sent out by the Andretti family to ensure justice; her husband, David, is a sociology professor at NYU and a bicyclist. Larry Hart is Sioux and with the Minneapolis Welfare office. Gary Kieffer is the very righteous idiot of an FBI man.
Larry Clay is the youngest son of a wealthy man, and the scum of the earth. He uses and abuses his power as a cop, then lawyer, state senate, police chief, then assistant U.S. attorney general, and finally FBI director. He and fellow street cop Carl Reed set the scene with their rape of a young Indian girl.
Ray Cuervo is a slumlord with a wife, Harriet, with a mouth like barbed wire. Bald Peterson is Harriet’s “associate”. John Lee Benton is a parole officer eager to send Indians back to prison. John Andretti heads up the welfare office in New York City. Judge Merrill Ball had taken a bribe in a case on illegal waste disposal. Elmer Linstad is an attorney general.
Native Americans include:
Aaron Sunders and Samuel Close are cousins, Mdewakanton Sioux born the same day. To their own people they are the Crows, named for their mothers’ father and they have been inseparable for the past 60 years after a harrowing winter they spent with their families. Shadow Love is related to them; he’s a killer, a weapon, a psychopath. Rose E. Love was his mother and the Crows his fathers. Barbara Gow is a lover the Crows had been with in the past and are with now. She’s also Shadow’s godmother.
Leo Clark is an old customer. Betty Sails is a receptionist shared by the people in Benton’s office. Tony Bluebird, a sun-dancer, was seen by three people. Lila Bluebird is his wife. Dick Yellow Hand is a teen addicted to crack. Billy Hood is quite enterprising; Roger was his brother-in-law. Leo Clark. Dick. John Liss is in surgery. His wife, Louise, caves when Lucas sets their son up.
Some of Lucas’ network includes:
William Dooley is a barber. Betty and Earl May run Dakota Hardware. Elwood Stone is a drug dealer.
Louis Wink is the StarTribune’s editor, Harold Probst the publisher, and Kelly Lawrence is the city editor. Shelly Breedlove is a reporter for Channel 8.
Corky Drake is a pimp who specializes in a particular age range of girls.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a black background with a fuchsia feathery slash in it revealing a terrified woman — eyes wide and mouth open in terror — with the title and author’s name in silver.
The title is more about what brings the Crows down: Shadow Prey.
My Take
This one is so disgusting. It makes me so angry that cops would abuse their power like this. It’s bad enough that any man would do this to a young girl, but for cops…it’s just worse…arghhhh! Even more infuriating, if that is at all possible, is that the police dispatcher announces the location of victims for other cops to abuse. There are no words for how angry this makes me.
It’s almost a tour of Lucas’ life as he escorts Lily around Minneapolis as they work to dig up hints, clues, ideas on who’s killing all these people.
I do like this twist on a cop’s life. One who creates games: war games, fantasy games, role-playing games. And Sandford provides lots of background on how Lucas approaches this hobby of his. He also shows up a dirty cop. One who breaks in to people’s homes, twists arms. There is a lot I like about Lucas, and there’s a lot I don’t like about him. He lies, he cheats, he manipulates. Yet, he is also honest. He doesn’t set people up to permanently hurt them, just to get to the end result with the right people, the guilty people, arrested. He also seduces women into sleeping with him simply because he’s attracted to them, whether they’re married or not. He’s going to end up paying big for his actions in this one. Yeah, that fire fight at the end, with the baby and Jennifer in danger, that’s bad, but Lucas has already set himself up for the fail with Jennifer.
Hoo-ee, Lily is a piece of work. All condescending, having to interact with these shitkickers in the outback of the U.S. She’s so pushy and overweening, and then she gets taken down a few pegs. Her husband has a similar reaction, and I loved Lucas’ response to David’s fears and angry denouncements.
It’s sad that this is the only recourse the Crows can see. It’s a circular argument about the Native Americans. Whites took so much from them, kept them penned in on reservations with nothing, tossed them scraps, left them with no dignity, and they have so little pride left. The traumas the families go through whether they’re self-imposed by parents who shouldn’t be reproducing or the system which doesn’t care.
Well, as opposed to my usual niggles at the writer, this time I’m irritated with some of the characters’ choices, such as Barbara’s argument. She knew damn well what Shadow was up to. Then there’s that mayor — he’ll swing whichever way he can look good, jerk. Then Jennifer gets a taste of what she’s dished out in the past when she finally gets to experience the invasive nature of the press when she’s injured.
Sandford tosses in some metaphysical scenes with the bones of dead Sioux crying out, descriptions of conditions on the res, and he doesn’t hold back on the negative side of how some Indians react to life. I’m torn between wondering if the bones bit was gratuitous or whether it was essential so we understand where the Crows are coming from…or even both.
What is with these cops who have to pee on a case to make it theirs. So arrogant they couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about the scene. I do love how Daniel turned it around. That jerk FBI guy who screwed it all up…although, it was an essential to get the best results for the good guys — and I don’t mean the cops.
The Story
The spark was rape, years ago. In the years since, the anger and frustration has grown over white intolerance, the power they hold over Native Americans.
No more.
Lucas’ contacts, his network won’t be much help on this. Too many Indians see this as payback for what they’ve had to suffer.
The Characters
Lucas Davenport is a lone detective working Intelligence, working networks of people, set on special cases for his intelligence and his popularity with the press. He’s independently wealthy from his game designing that he can afford that Porsche. Jennifer Carey with TV3, although she’s taken a partial leave of absence, is his girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, Sarah. Lucas keeps asking her to marry him; she keeps saying no. Elle Kruger, Sister Mary Joseph, is a woman Lucas knew as a kid and now she’s a psychologist.
Other cops include
Jim Wentz is with Homicide, Harry Meany is a shift commander, Harrison Sloan, Captain Quentin Daniel is the chief of police, Frank Lester is the deputy chief for investigations, Harmon Anderson is his assistant and a computer savant, Shearson, Del, and Jack Dionosopoulos is to be the first one in.
Lieutenant Lily Rothenburg is NYPD, sent out by the Andretti family to ensure justice; her husband, David, is a sociology professor at NYU and a bicyclist. Larry Hart is Sioux and with the Minneapolis Welfare office. Gary Kieffer is the very righteous idiot of an FBI man.
Larry Clay is the youngest son of a wealthy man, and the scum of the earth. He uses and abuses his power as a cop, then lawyer, state senate, police chief, then assistant U.S. attorney general, and finally FBI director. He and fellow street cop Carl Reed set the scene with their rape of a young Indian girl.
Ray Cuervo is a slumlord with a wife, Harriet, with a mouth like barbed wire. Bald Peterson is Harriet’s “associate”. John Lee Benton is a parole officer eager to send Indians back to prison. John Andretti heads up the welfare office in New York City. Judge Merrill Ball had taken a bribe in a case on illegal waste disposal. Elmer Linstad is an attorney general.
Native Americans include:
Aaron Sunders and Samuel Close are cousins, Mdewakanton Sioux born the same day. To their own people they are the Crows, named for their mothers’ father and they have been inseparable for the past 60 years after a harrowing winter they spent with their families. Shadow Love is related to them; he’s a killer, a weapon, a psychopath. Rose E. Love was his mother and the Crows his fathers. Barbara Gow is a lover the Crows had been with in the past and are with now. She’s also Shadow’s godmother.
Leo Clark is an old customer. Betty Sails is a receptionist shared by the people in Benton’s office. Tony Bluebird, a sun-dancer, was seen by three people. Lila Bluebird is his wife. Dick Yellow Hand is a teen addicted to crack. Billy Hood is quite enterprising; Roger was his brother-in-law. Leo Clark. Dick. John Liss is in surgery. His wife, Louise, caves when Lucas sets their son up.
Some of Lucas’ network includes:
William Dooley is a barber. Betty and Earl May run Dakota Hardware. Elwood Stone is a drug dealer.
Louis Wink is the StarTribune’s editor, Harold Probst the publisher, and Kelly Lawrence is the city editor. Shelly Breedlove is a reporter for Channel 8.
Corky Drake is a pimp who specializes in a particular age range of girls.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a black background with a fuchsia feathery slash in it revealing a terrified woman — eyes wide and mouth open in terror — with the title and author’s name in silver.
The title is more about what brings the Crows down: Shadow Prey.
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
4.0
Started November, 26th 2012.
Just after the first book from Sandford.
End was not signalled, but no surprise either.
Oh well, at least it was gripping and different.
Another 4 star, but if the next one ends in much the same way ...
Next!
Just after the first book from Sandford.
End was not signalled, but no surprise either.
Oh well, at least it was gripping and different.
Another 4 star, but if the next one ends in much the same way ...
Next!
jsdrown's review against another edition
1.0
I'm dropping this one. I enjoyed the first book as just straight entertainment and could forgive the weaknesses in the writing. This one fails to even be entertaining. On a surface level this is about solving some murders? I guess? But the half of the book I could be bothered to read is about how our protagonist really badly wants to cheat on his baby mama with his new co-worker. Oh... and the only thing making him question if he should cheat with his co-worker is that said "has a few extra pounds."
I get this stuff being in decent literature. There are gray areas for that kind of fiction. But when you shoehorn it into your annual crime fiction series it just feels really gross and sexist. There is a part where our "hero", Lucas Davenport, is sitting next to his potential affair/tryst at booth and feels her leg warmth. He has to reassure himself that it's not a huge deal that she's chubby. No joke.
There are other things that compound on top of this. I don't think John Sanford gets how game development works. Lucas is a detective and game developer but the descriptions of him creating games doesn't make a ton of sense. It's written in a way that makes it sound like Davenport is writing a novel, not creating a game. I guess this is why they say authors should write what they know, because it comes off as completely phony and disingenuous.
I get this stuff being in decent literature. There are gray areas for that kind of fiction. But when you shoehorn it into your annual crime fiction series it just feels really gross and sexist. There is a part where our "hero", Lucas Davenport, is sitting next to his potential affair/tryst at booth and feels her leg warmth. He has to reassure himself that it's not a huge deal that she's chubby. No joke.
There are other things that compound on top of this. I don't think John Sanford gets how game development works. Lucas is a detective and game developer but the descriptions of him creating games doesn't make a ton of sense. It's written in a way that makes it sound like Davenport is writing a novel, not creating a game. I guess this is why they say authors should write what they know, because it comes off as completely phony and disingenuous.
the_windrunner94's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
thecurseofchris's review against another edition
2.0
I love John Sandford but this one just did not do it for me. Luckily I know that his writing improves in time, so I'll just forget this one and move on.
annemarie246's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Digital audiobook performed by Richard Ferrone.
2.5** (rounded up)
From the book jacket: A war of wits between the street-smart sleuth and a warrior-assassin from an ancient. A slumlord and a welfare supervisor butchered in Minnesapolis ... a rising political star executed in Manhattan … an influential judge taken in Oklahoma City. All the homicides have the same grisly method – the victim’s throat is slashed with an Indian ceremonial knife – and in every case the trail leads back through the Minnesota Native American community.
My reactions:
Book number two in the Lucas Davenport series went a bit off the rails. My audiobook included an interview with the author where he explains that he had wanted to include some current “social justice” issues. Sandford admits in the interview that he wound up rather sidetracked from the main thriller and so abandoned his first effort and rewrote like mad. In my estimation, he was only partly successful.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy many a book with a social justice message. I want to learn about the ugly truths, even when it makes me uncomfortable. But that’s not the reason I read mysteries or thrillers. And that’s a problem with this book. I felt that the message frequently detracted from the forward momentum of the basic thriller plot. The result: neither the social justice message NOR the thriller were fully satisfying. Clearly not Sanford’s best effort.
Richard Ferrone does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. He keeps a good pace and has an ability to differentiate the characters sufficiently so there is never any confusion about who is speaking.
2.5** (rounded up)
From the book jacket: A war of wits between the street-smart sleuth and a warrior-assassin from an ancient. A slumlord and a welfare supervisor butchered in Minnesapolis ... a rising political star executed in Manhattan … an influential judge taken in Oklahoma City. All the homicides have the same grisly method – the victim’s throat is slashed with an Indian ceremonial knife – and in every case the trail leads back through the Minnesota Native American community.
My reactions:
Book number two in the Lucas Davenport series went a bit off the rails. My audiobook included an interview with the author where he explains that he had wanted to include some current “social justice” issues. Sandford admits in the interview that he wound up rather sidetracked from the main thriller and so abandoned his first effort and rewrote like mad. In my estimation, he was only partly successful.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy many a book with a social justice message. I want to learn about the ugly truths, even when it makes me uncomfortable. But that’s not the reason I read mysteries or thrillers. And that’s a problem with this book. I felt that the message frequently detracted from the forward momentum of the basic thriller plot. The result: neither the social justice message NOR the thriller were fully satisfying. Clearly not Sanford’s best effort.
Richard Ferrone does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. He keeps a good pace and has an ability to differentiate the characters sufficiently so there is never any confusion about who is speaking.