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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Book on CD read by Richard Ferrone
This is the first book in the Lucas Davenport series. He’s a lieutenant with the Minneapolis Police, and also a creator of computer games which have made him very wealthy. He’s somewhat of a lone wolf, though he has carefully cultivated a wide variety of “sources” over the years. And he’s more than friendly with a number of very attractive women, too.
As the book opens, Davenport’s being shadowed by a couple of undercover cops; he’s on to their surveillance and figures he’ll eventually find out why internal affairs has chosen to follow him, but he doesn’t let on. But all becomes clear after a psychotic serial killer murders his latest victim while the cops are watching Lucas at leisure. The chief soon lets him know that a few previously undisclosed details of the killer’s modus operandi, led some to think the killer might be a cop, and Lucas (of course) fit the limited profile they had. Now he’ll be leading the team searching for this “maddog” killer.
Sandford is really skilled at writing a taut, suspenseful, psychological thriller. We always know the identity of the killer, so it’s not a typical mystery. But, boy oh boy, is this an exciting ride!
Richard Ferrone does a pretty good job of narrating the audio. He has a very low-pitched voice, that tends to be a little gravelly. This works very well for the male characters, but his skills as a voice artist are really tested when women are speaking. I really enjoyed the author notes that explained how Sandford came to write this series.
This is the first book in the Lucas Davenport series. He’s a lieutenant with the Minneapolis Police, and also a creator of computer games which have made him very wealthy. He’s somewhat of a lone wolf, though he has carefully cultivated a wide variety of “sources” over the years. And he’s more than friendly with a number of very attractive women, too.
As the book opens, Davenport’s being shadowed by a couple of undercover cops; he’s on to their surveillance and figures he’ll eventually find out why internal affairs has chosen to follow him, but he doesn’t let on. But all becomes clear after a psychotic serial killer murders his latest victim while the cops are watching Lucas at leisure. The chief soon lets him know that a few previously undisclosed details of the killer’s modus operandi, led some to think the killer might be a cop, and Lucas (of course) fit the limited profile they had. Now he’ll be leading the team searching for this “maddog” killer.
Sandford is really skilled at writing a taut, suspenseful, psychological thriller. We always know the identity of the killer, so it’s not a typical mystery. But, boy oh boy, is this an exciting ride!
Richard Ferrone does a pretty good job of narrating the audio. He has a very low-pitched voice, that tends to be a little gravelly. This works very well for the male characters, but his skills as a voice artist are really tested when women are speaking. I really enjoyed the author notes that explained how Sandford came to write this series.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story and plot are good and it’s fast paced with some tense moments. However, I wasn’t a huge fan. The main character is awful to women (sleeping with two women at the same time with no qualms about how disrespectful that is to both of them), the women are not likeable, the villain is mutilating and killing women, and it just bothered me. Maybe because this was written back in 1989 when the mysogyny was more acceptable but it seems like the author does not like women very much. Putting that aside, Davenport’s reactions to the way Jennifer Carey treated him getting pregnant (probably on purpose based on one of her statements) and using personal and private conversations on the news and trying to run his life were so unrealistic that I had a hard time reading this. I may read another book in the series to see if Davenport gets more likeable because I did like the plot and pace. I feel like this book was a plane read or filler book.
dark
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:
No
What if Dirty Harry wasn't a loose cannon brawler, but a war games nerd?
That's basically the premise of Rules of Prey. Lucas Davenport, described by the Chief of Police as "the smartest man on the force" is called in from his normal position to run down a serial killer.
Much of this book is very well done. The parts from the point of view of the killer I found particularly sharp. His character development, and the differences between his perception of himself and that of others were nicely done. It was nice that these differences weren't really pointed out, just left there for us to notice (or not.)
The day to day police work stuff also rings pretty true. Boring stake outs, office gossip, frustrating interviews.
Davenport himself, however, is just too much. He's the smartest guy on the force. He somehow manages to make tabletop games that are so popular he's wealthy. He does this in his off time, staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning but still working full time as a cop. He rolls into meetings late without being reprimanded, and just decides to take multiple days off to leave town in the middle of a big, public investigation. No one seems to care. Somehow during all this genius game development, full time police work and extra time spent grooming sources, he manages to carry on multiple conflict-of-interest affairs. Despite his lack of sunshine, sleep or exercise he somehow remains a dangerous hand to hand combatant.
And, like Harry in the opening sentence of this review, he has a very laissez-faire relationship with the law.
It's also very much a product of its time and setting, full of casual misogyny. But I was prepared for that.
It makes for a difficult review. The prose is good, many of the characters were enjoyable, and the basic storyline was entertaining. But the fact that the main character reads like every idea at a wish fulfillment power fantasy brainstorming session piled on a single person really detracts.
I can't decide if I'll ever pick up one of the later books.
That's basically the premise of Rules of Prey. Lucas Davenport, described by the Chief of Police as "the smartest man on the force" is called in from his normal position to run down a serial killer.
Much of this book is very well done. The parts from the point of view of the killer I found particularly sharp. His character development, and the differences between his perception of himself and that of others were nicely done. It was nice that these differences weren't really pointed out, just left there for us to notice (or not.)
The day to day police work stuff also rings pretty true. Boring stake outs, office gossip, frustrating interviews.
Davenport himself, however, is just too much. He's the smartest guy on the force. He somehow manages to make tabletop games that are so popular he's wealthy. He does this in his off time, staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning but still working full time as a cop. He rolls into meetings late without being reprimanded, and just decides to take multiple days off to leave town in the middle of a big, public investigation. No one seems to care. Somehow during all this genius game development, full time police work and extra time spent grooming sources, he manages to carry on multiple conflict-of-interest affairs. Despite his lack of sunshine, sleep or exercise he somehow remains a dangerous hand to hand combatant.
And, like Harry in the opening sentence of this review, he has a very laissez-faire relationship with the law.
It's also very much a product of its time and setting, full of casual misogyny. But I was prepared for that.
It makes for a difficult review. The prose is good, many of the characters were enjoyable, and the basic storyline was entertaining. But the fact that the main character reads like every idea at a wish fulfillment power fantasy brainstorming session piled on a single person really detracts.
I can't decide if I'll ever pick up one of the later books.
Left off at Chapter 9. Sandford introduces a surprise pregnancy and the womanizing main character is suddenly hell-bent on marrying the mother before the kid is born. Also, the chapters where it was from the point of view of the antagonist were just very confusing and I didn't feel they really added anything to the story.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It was OK. I found the main protagonist a little bit too perfect at first. I am really not a fan of the "cop who is also a rich guy in his spare time" trope. Like with the Pendergast series. Or where the cop simply knows what to do at all times which is how I felt the book started out. However, I also feel towards the later quarter of the book this improved and the protagonist seemed much more fallible.
I also found the main love interest very unlikeable and the main protagonist's reactions to her extremely hard to believe. If I read more of the series I hope she is somehow written out.
Again, I wanted to like this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, much more than I did. But in the end, I was just not very invested in the characters and it's one of the few books I would have been OK with pretty much any character dying in.
I also found the main love interest very unlikeable and the main protagonist's reactions to her extremely hard to believe. If I read more of the series I hope she is somehow written out.
Again, I wanted to like this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, much more than I did. But in the end, I was just not very invested in the characters and it's one of the few books I would have been OK with pretty much any character dying in.
Although I've filed this in my "mystery" shelf, there's no mystery here - from the very beginning the reader knows who's committing these crimes. So it's more of a thriller; it's all about the chase, the cat-and-mouse game. And in this sense, the book was well-done. I couldn't put it down once I got through the first half.
Lucas Davenport is a larger-than-life character, and there's no way he could be real. He's a rich, womanizing, talented police officer, who bucks the police bureaucracy and cultivates underworld contacts. But at the same time, he's friends with a nun. He writes games (from context I am guessing these are generally either very complex board games or tabletop roleplay games like D&D) and plays them with a random group of people (including the nun). But Mr Sandford appears to realize this, since he acknowledges similar points in his foreward. Hey, it's a novel, who said the detective has to be realistic?
Since this is obviously a long-running series, will be interesting to see how Davenport develops over the other books. From the list of his traits above, you may assume that I don't always approve of his behavior. But then, I didn't approve of the behavior of just about anyone in the book. (How about the female reporter who takes advantage of sleeping with Davenport to listen in on confidential phone calls at his house? Oh, and yeah, that bit where she got pregnant by him without discussing it with him first, and then just assuming he'd stay faithful to her for a few years. Someone hire these characters a therapist!)
Although 1989 isn't really that long ago, it's funny to hear how much some things have changed. (WOW, a 28-inch TV! A DOS computer! How technologically advanced!)
Lucas Davenport is a larger-than-life character, and there's no way he could be real. He's a rich, womanizing, talented police officer, who bucks the police bureaucracy and cultivates underworld contacts. But at the same time, he's friends with a nun. He writes games (from context I am guessing these are generally either very complex board games or tabletop roleplay games like D&D) and plays them with a random group of people (including the nun). But Mr Sandford appears to realize this, since he acknowledges similar points in his foreward. Hey, it's a novel, who said the detective has to be realistic?
Since this is obviously a long-running series, will be interesting to see how Davenport develops over the other books. From the list of his traits above, you may assume that I don't always approve of his behavior. But then, I didn't approve of the behavior of just about anyone in the book. (How about the female reporter who takes advantage of sleeping with Davenport to listen in on confidential phone calls at his house? Oh, and yeah, that bit where she got pregnant by him without discussing it with him first, and then just assuming he'd stay faithful to her for a few years. Someone hire these characters a therapist!)
Although 1989 isn't really that long ago, it's funny to hear how much some things have changed. (WOW, a 28-inch TV! A DOS computer! How technologically advanced!)
adventurous
dark
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:
Yes
Just finished this. It is a typical suspenseful. fiction of the 90s. A type rogue detective, main character Lucas Davenport is the star of the Minneapolis, Minnesota police force whom all the ladies love. Realistically he breaks the law as he tries to catch a serial killer. It was perfectly serviceable book, if a bit formulaic. Think beach read or plane read.
This is the first book in the Lucas Davenport series. It's also my first John Sandford book. After recommendations from several folks whose opinions I trust, I decided to give him a try. As it turns out, I'm glad I did.
This isn't a perfect book, by any means. Some of the writing is clunky, and the characterization isn't anything earth-shattering, but it was very entertaining. There are some moments of genuine suspense, and the protagonist is a compelling lead.
It's not a book for the squeamish, since it deals pretty graphically with a serial killer and his stalking of his victims. (It isn't overly gross or gory, though, and it's not much worse than what you see on a typical episode of CRIMINAL MINDS.)
As an added bonus, it's set in the Minneapolis, MN Metro area, so I had some fun recognizing locations in the book, since that's near my hometown. (I believe Sandford lives in the area, as well.)
I will certainly be reading more of these books. (I think there's over twenty in the series as of the time of this writing, 2013!)
This isn't a perfect book, by any means. Some of the writing is clunky, and the characterization isn't anything earth-shattering, but it was very entertaining. There are some moments of genuine suspense, and the protagonist is a compelling lead.
It's not a book for the squeamish, since it deals pretty graphically with a serial killer and his stalking of his victims. (It isn't overly gross or gory, though, and it's not much worse than what you see on a typical episode of CRIMINAL MINDS.)
As an added bonus, it's set in the Minneapolis, MN Metro area, so I had some fun recognizing locations in the book, since that's near my hometown. (I believe Sandford lives in the area, as well.)
I will certainly be reading more of these books. (I think there's over twenty in the series as of the time of this writing, 2013!)