Helpful Score: 3
Russians, spys, cops, street person, murder! Makes you wonder if something like this could have happened. Exciting, didn't want to put it down!
Helpful Score: 2
Kept me interested throughout. Good international thriller.
Helpful Score: 1
This is another GREAT Lucas Davenport story. I feel like I know this guy in person after so many great books!! Gotta love him!!
I have read John Sanford for years. His "Prey" books are the very best, and this one was no exception.
Helpful Score: 1
A thriller that is a fast read on a long afternoon.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoy Sanford's books and this one is a winner. Starts off good and finishes even better. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
Det. Lucas Davenport has battled some real demons over the past 15 Prey novels and drifted in and out of lust and love with a host of women. But now he's happily married to the lovely Weather; has a nine-month-old son, Sam; and takes care of his 12-year-old ward, Letty West. Sure, he's got a measure of the old angst, but he's growing accustomed to the good life, spending quality time alone on the couch drinking beer and watching TV golf. His new job is running the Office of Regional Research at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension where he looks into various crimes and "fixes shit" for the governor. So when a dead Russian shows up on the docks in Duluth, Lucas is assigned to shepherd the lady investigator, Nadya Kalin, being sent by the Russian government. From the very first pages, the reader knows it's teenager Carl Walther who has killed the Russian. What makes the book intriguing is the manner in which the sagacious Davenport goes about uncovering the rest of the co-conspirators-a gang of Minnesota-based Communist spies headed by Carl's grandpa, 92-year-old ex-KGB colonel Burt Walther. That Sandford makes this unlikely plot believable is a mark of his mastery of the technical aspects of the mystery form and a testament to his overall writing skills. Readers will be pleased with this relaxed version of the moody Minneapolis investigator. In past novels, the womanizing Davenport would have romanced the good-looking Russian lady, but the new Davenport is content to play the part of friend and protector and go back to his cozy family with an unstained and remarkably contented soul.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
Helpful Score: 1
Started off slow, hard to get into story, because various characters showed up suddenly without any apparent link to each other-or to the plot. Almost gave up reading book when suddenly, everything began to fall together. Almost seemed like the first part of the book was written by another author, and the second part was true to John Sanford's style. A very odd book, not up to his usual standards.
Helpful Score: 1
A Russian is killed with a fifty year old bullet. Davenport and a Russian cop join together and trace a trail of evil that runs back to the cold war.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a pretty good example of what I call a good book. I enjoy a good suspense or mystery, but without un-needed sex or gross details. My interest stayed high with this book and I enjoyed having a good read.
Excellent read.
We're admittedly big Sandford fans, having enjoyed the entire preceeding set of "Prey" adventures starring Lucas Davenport. Promoted to a position where he works on anything with political overtones at the behest of the Minnesota governor, Lucas is soon embroiled with the murder of a Russian stranger down at the docks, and in escorting Nadya, an "investigator" (read, spy) sent over from Russia to look into the matter. Her presence adds both a great deal of suspense to the story, as we're never quite sure whether she's "legit" or not, as well as many funny lines as she puzzles over American colloquialisms.
We readers soon know the shooter is young Carl, grandson of Grandpa Walther, a communist spy who has been running a ring of families engaged in Russian "assistance" in northern Minnesota for some six decades!! A clever analyst and fearless assassin in his own right, he's teaching teenager Carl the tricks of the trade, including heartless executions. So while there's no doubt whodunit, not to mention some more murders along the way, the clues and hunches Lucas pursues to uncover the spy ring and the killer keep the novel moving at a fun pace. A slightly moralistic twist at the end even gives one pause for thought about truth and justice.
It's surprising Sandford can keep these characters and stories fresh after some 16 or so in this series. While Lucas has settled down with wife Weather, and young son and ward, Letty, (who got barely more than a mention), he is still a smart and clever fellow and one whose success we care about. We thought the humor generated by the consternation of the Russian lady over various comical English sayings (like how does a foreigner translate something like "keep in under your hat"!) was a light-hearted touch, breaking up the contrasting horror of the various slayings and suicide populating the plot. Lastly, a sub-plot involving a "bag lady" who witnesses the first crime, was so interesting, we wish it had been expanded upon even further.
So kudos to Sandford on his latest "Prey" -- it's a book very well done and thus enjoyable entertainment!
We readers soon know the shooter is young Carl, grandson of Grandpa Walther, a communist spy who has been running a ring of families engaged in Russian "assistance" in northern Minnesota for some six decades!! A clever analyst and fearless assassin in his own right, he's teaching teenager Carl the tricks of the trade, including heartless executions. So while there's no doubt whodunit, not to mention some more murders along the way, the clues and hunches Lucas pursues to uncover the spy ring and the killer keep the novel moving at a fun pace. A slightly moralistic twist at the end even gives one pause for thought about truth and justice.
It's surprising Sandford can keep these characters and stories fresh after some 16 or so in this series. While Lucas has settled down with wife Weather, and young son and ward, Letty, (who got barely more than a mention), he is still a smart and clever fellow and one whose success we care about. We thought the humor generated by the consternation of the Russian lady over various comical English sayings (like how does a foreigner translate something like "keep in under your hat"!) was a light-hearted touch, breaking up the contrasting horror of the various slayings and suicide populating the plot. Lastly, a sub-plot involving a "bag lady" who witnesses the first crime, was so interesting, we wish it had been expanded upon even further.
So kudos to Sandford on his latest "Prey" -- it's a book very well done and thus enjoyable entertainment!
Good Read
Great reading. Terrific storyline. Fast paced.
Another great "prey" book.
I always enjoy the "Prey" books, but this one just didn't grab me.
"Vintage Sandford" "One of the strongest in the "Prey" series. Theories abound when a Russian gets killed on shore of Lake Superior shot with 50-yr old bullets. Lucas Davenport gets the call....along with a misterious Russian cop with secrets of her own.
Admittedly, this wasn't my favorite book among the Prey series. This one involves a murdered Russian, spy rings, and a Russian cop tagging along with Davenport to catch the killer. It moves along quickly enough, but the storyline just wasn't as interesting to me as past Prey books.
Another thriller in the Alex Delaware series of who done its!
Good read with excellent ending.
Hard to put down. Sanford is always a good read and this is no exception.
As always, a good one from John Sandford.
Love all of the John Sandford books. Haven't been disappointed yet!
My favorite author
Another great "Prey" book by John Sandford! Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter, and he thought that one was plenty strange enough. But that was before the Russian got killed. On the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Rodion Oleshev is found shot dead, three holes in his head and heart, and although nobody knows why he was killed, everybody- the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves- has a theory. And when it turns out that Oleshev had very high government connections, that's when it hits the fan. A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, Law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene- and in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she a cop at all? ...
Again, John Sandford's Prey nove;ls are excellent reads!
Great book. First I've read by Sandford. Couldn't put it down after I started it.
A good read.
Not John Sanford's best Prey book. But a good read anyhow
Det. Lucas Davenport has battled some real demons over the past 15 Prey novels and drifted in and out of lust and love with a host of women. But now he's happily married to the lovely Weather; has a nine-month-old son, Sam; and takes care of his 12-year-old ward, Letty West. Sure, he's got a measure of the old angst, but he's growing accustomed to the good life, spending quality time alone on the couch drinking beer and watching TV golf. His new job is running the Office of Regional Research at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension where he looks into various crimes and "fixes shit" for the governor. So when a dead Russian shows up on the docks in Duluth, Lucas is assigned to shepherd the lady investigator, Nadya Kalin, being sent by the Russian government.
I love the Prey series and this one was no disappointment, very good book
The prey series goes just a little "cloak and dagger" in this one. But it's still a great read!
Exciting addition to the Prey series. Sandford is the only detective/suspense author I read.
A really exciting book..you won't be sure tht the murderer
will be caught until the last page.
will be caught until the last page.
great book...love this author!
Loved it! The shadow of the Cold War up on the Range. Generations holding on to their past. The normal murder and mayhem in Davenport's world. John Sandford makes it so hard to get sleep once you start one of his books.
Another great book from one of my favorite authors
Great series.
"DEFT, ACTION-PACKED, AND SLYLY FUNNY. Just when you thought the silky smooth Sandford couldn't possibly get better, he does."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Good -- another Lucas Davenport.
Yet another book in the Prey series that I am glad I read.
A very good suspense novel.
Once you start - -you can't put it down!
A Lusas Davenport suspense novel - the prey series.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter, and he thought that one was plenty strange enough. But that was before the Russian got killed. On the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Vladimir Oleshev is found shot dead, three holes in his head and heart, and though nobody knows why he was killed, everybody - the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves - has a theory. And when it turns out he had very high government connections, that's when it hits the fan." A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene - and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she - yes, it's a woman - a cop at all? Why was the man shot with ... fifty-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there - shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
"Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter, and he thought that one was plenty strange enough. But that was before the Russian got killed. On the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Vladimir Oleshev is found shot dead, three holes in his head and heart, and though nobody knows why he was killed, everybody - the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves - has a theory. And when it turns out he had very high government connections, that's when it hits the fan." A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene - and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she - yes, it's a woman - a cop at all? Why was the man shot with ... fifty-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there - shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
Lucas Davenport returns in a skillfully-written adventure with a dash of Russian influence.
AS with all the John Sandford "Prey" series books, a very well written and easy reading book. Loved it.
Lucas and the Russians have to work together on this one, as a Russian with high government connections gets killed and they hand it to Lucas to solve. There are all kinds of twists and turns in this Prey novel.
Well, to be honest, I forgot what it was about the minute I closed the back cover. I feel sorry for the author, who must have wasted a year or so of his life writing this. It wasn't horrible, just another silly bit of espionage fluff.
This is a great series
Another good read in the Davenport series.
Dark humor and the macabre. Good Sanford as always
Good Read
Lucas Davenport keeps getting better.
Strange story "left over" from Cold War days,but it works well. Reader is invitedto into the story with authority and humor, though this isn't a "funny" book.
Great book as usual from Sandford.
Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter, and he thought that one was plenty strange enough. But that was before the Russian got killed. On the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Vladimir Orslov is found shot dead, three holes in his head and heart, and though nobody knows why, everybody-the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves-has a theory. And when it turns out he had very high government connections, that's when it hits the fan.
A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene-and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she-yes, it's a woman-a cop at all? Why was the man shot with . . . fifty-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there-shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
Good story as always wih this author.
A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene-and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she-yes, it's a woman-a cop at all? Why was the man shot with . . . fifty-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there-shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
Good story as always wih this author.
hard to put it down
John Sanford, continues his "Prey" series,
with a fascinating read.
with a fascinating read.
It wasn't the best of the Prey series. It was okay but not as good as most of the others.
Great, great, great!
Lucas Davenport mystery. A Russian sailor is killed on shore of Lake Superior with 50 yr old bullets. Strange convoluted tale of old cold war methods clashing with new order philosophies.
One of the better ones in this outstanding series.
Has John Stanford ever written a bad book?
Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter, and he thought that one was plenty strange enough. But that was before the Russian got killed. On the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Vladimir Oleshev is found shot dead, three holes in his head and heart, and though nobody knows why he was killed, everybody - the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves - has a theory. And when it turns out he had very high government connections, that's when it hits the fan. A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene - and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she - yes, it's a woman - a cop at all? Why was the man shot with ... fifty-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there - shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
Sandford is one of my favorite authors, and this is among my favorites of his Davenport books.
I really liked this book, but I have always been a fan of the prey series and Lucas Davenport.
One of Sandford's later Prey books. I like his earlier Preys better, but this one is pretty good.
Another good Prey book.
every story John Sandford writes is very SUSPENSEFUL AND INTRIGUING.
HE NEVER LETS ME DOWN
HE NEVER LETS ME DOWN
Vintage Sanford! Fabulous! What a writer! I live for the "Prey" books! Sanford is truly a master of suspense! Love his books! You can't go wrong with any of Sandford's books!
GREAT !!!
great
goog story
I listened to this as an audio book, and liked it so well I had to read the book as well. Interesting take on Russians that have been in the country for years and waiting for a chance to strike out at America. Thrilling read.
Am nearly finished. Quite an interesting plot.
Theories abound when a Russian gets himself killed on the shore of Lake Superior-shot with fifty-year-old bullets. But when it turns out he had very high government connections, state troubleshooter Lucas Davenport gets the call. Well, Lucas and a mysterious Russian cop with secrets all her own. Together they'll follow a trail back to another place and another time, and battle the shadows they discover there-shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
This is the Book of the Month Club edition. The text is the same as the original; the size of the book is just a little smaller.
Theories abound when a Russian gets himself killed on the shore of Lake Superior -- shot with fifty-year-old bullets. But when it turns out he had very high government connections, state troubleshooter Lucas Davenport gets the call. Well, Lucas and a mysterious Russian cop with secrets all her own. Together they'll follow a trail back to another place and another time, and battle the shadows they discover there -- shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
Theories abound when a Russian gets himself killed on the shore of Lake Superior---shot with fifty-year-old bullets. But when it turns out he had very high government connections, state troubleshooter Lucas Davenport gets the call. Together they'll follow a trail back to another time and place and battle the shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly.
