Book Review of Sudden Prey

Sudden Prey is a different kind of story in the Lucas Davenport series. There aren’t any serial killers, rather a bunch of hardened criminals looking for vengeance.

I really liked Sudden Prey since, for once, Lucas is on the backfoot. He, as well as his team, is also paying for the various extra-judicial ways by which he dealt with certain irredeemable hard cases. The action is non-stop and I felt this was enough to overlook the minor deficiencies in the writing and plot.

That said, John Sandford continues his poor portrayal of women characters. Weather wants to go back to the hospital in spite of the threat against her life and the lives of others. She seems quite contrary and against common sense. The same is true with Jennifer. This just didn’t sit well with me because these otherwise smart and strong women make these kind of dumb decisions. Sandy does something similar too.

Lucas Davenport is quite a bit different from his original appearance in Rules of Prey. Over there, he was insouciant and didn’t seem to be so hard. He was an ass to women. But over the course of the the next seven stories, he has becomes much more serious, much more willing to take lives and less of a philanderer.