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Lucas Davenport #2
Shadow Prey
The #1 'New York Times' bestselling series.
Lucas Davenport goes on a city-to-city search for a bizarre ritualistic killer of a slumlord and a welfare supervisor butchered in Minneapolis . . . a rising political star executed in Manhattan . . . and 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 twisted trail leads back through the Minnesota Native American community to an embodiment of primal evil known as Shadow Love. Once unleashed, Shadow Love's need to kill cannot be checked, even by those who think they control him. Soon he will be stalking Lucas Davenport — and the woman he loves...
Never get involved with a cop, that's what Lieutenant Lucas Davenport has been warning women for years, but now he finds himself on dangerous ground with a policewoman named Lily Rothenburg, on assignment from New York to help investigate the murders. Both have other commitments, but neither can stop, and as their affair grows more intense, so too does the mayhem surrounding them, until the combined passion and violence threaten to spin out of control and engulf them both. Together, Lucas and Lily must stalk the drugged-out, desperate world of the city's meanest streets to flush out Shadow Love.
Librarian's note: the first five books in the Lucas Davenport series are #1, Rules of Prey, 1989; #2, Shadow Prey, 1990; #3, Eyes of Prey, 1991; #4, Silent Prey, 1992; and #5, Winter Prey, 1993.
Lucas Davenport goes on a city-to-city search for a bizarre ritualistic killer of a slumlord and a welfare supervisor butchered in Minneapolis . . . a rising political star executed in Manhattan . . . and 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 twisted trail leads back through the Minnesota Native American community to an embodiment of primal evil known as Shadow Love. Once unleashed, Shadow Love's need to kill cannot be checked, even by those who think they control him. Soon he will be stalking Lucas Davenport — and the woman he loves...
Never get involved with a cop, that's what Lieutenant Lucas Davenport has been warning women for years, but now he finds himself on dangerous ground with a policewoman named Lily Rothenburg, on assignment from New York to help investigate the murders. Both have other commitments, but neither can stop, and as their affair grows more intense, so too does the mayhem surrounding them, until the combined passion and violence threaten to spin out of control and engulf them both. Together, Lucas and Lily must stalk the drugged-out, desperate world of the city's meanest streets to flush out Shadow Love.
Librarian's note: the first five books in the Lucas Davenport series are #1, Rules of Prey, 1989; #2, Shadow Prey, 1990; #3, Eyes of Prey, 1991; #4, Silent Prey, 1992; and #5, Winter Prey, 1993.
449 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 1990
3258 people are currently reading
5441 people want to read
About the author
John Sandford
248 books9,511 followersJohn Sandford is the pen name of John Roswell Camp, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author known for his gripping thrillers and popular crime series. After earning degrees in history, literature, and journalism from the University of Iowa, Camp began his writing career as a reporter, first at The Miami Herald and later at The Saint Paul Pioneer Press, where he earned critical acclaim for in-depth series on Native American communities and American farm life. His work won him the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1986.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
In 1989, Camp transitioned into fiction, publishing two novels: The Fool's Run under his real name and Rules of Prey under the pseudonym John Sandford. The latter launched the long-running “Prey” series, starring Lucas Davenport, a sharp, fearless investigator navigating politically sensitive crimes across Minnesota and beyond. The series grew to include spin-offs and crossovers, notably featuring characters like Virgil Flowers, a laid-back BCA agent with a sharp wit, and Letty Davenport, Lucas's equally determined daughter, who stars in her own series starting in 2022.
Sandford’s books have consistently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with over two dozen debuting at number one. Known for his dynamic storytelling, fast pacing, and keen attention to detail, Sandford combines his journalistic roots with a gift for character-driven narratives. He remains an avid reader and outdoorsman, and continues to write compelling fiction that resonates with readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers grounded in realism and driven by memorable protagonists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,271 reviews
August 18, 2017
The second entry in John Sandford's Prey series barrels along at the same breakneck pace as the first, Rules of Prey. It opens with the ritualistic murder of a Minneapolis slumlord by one of his Indian tenants. That is quickly followed by the similar slaying of three other men known for their prejudicial treatment of American Indians. Lucas Davenport is assigned to lead the investigation, but he's hampered by the fact that he has few contacts in the Indian community.
The killings are being orchestrated by two elderly Indian men known as the Crows, who have developed a plan to settle some long-standing scores, particularly with a high-level government official whom they are attempting to lure into their trap. But can Davenport and his colleagues foil the scheme before it comes to fruition?
The investigation pits Davenport against the Crows and their son, a particularly twisted man named Shadow Love. (Both of the Crows were sleeping with his mother when Shadow Love was conceived and so they both act as his father.) But Shadow Love has an agenda of his own and even the Crows may not be able to deal with him.
This is a high-energy novel with a lot of great scenes as well as the particular brand of humor that would come to mark this series. Davenport's character is still taking shape, but his love life is front and center here. He's still involved with Jennifer Carey, the mother of his infant daughter, but he's also enormously attracted to Lily Rothenberg, a New York cop who comes out to Minnestota to assist in the investigation. Complications will ensue.
The plot moves very swiftly, and the plot of Indians redressing their legitimate grievances in this fashion is unique and interesting. Rereading the book, it's also great fun to go back and see Lucas Davenport in the early stages of his development. It's hard to imagine that there's a fan of crime fiction out there somewhere who still has not stumbled across this series, but if you are that rare creature, do yourself a favor and check it out.
The killings are being orchestrated by two elderly Indian men known as the Crows, who have developed a plan to settle some long-standing scores, particularly with a high-level government official whom they are attempting to lure into their trap. But can Davenport and his colleagues foil the scheme before it comes to fruition?
The investigation pits Davenport against the Crows and their son, a particularly twisted man named Shadow Love. (Both of the Crows were sleeping with his mother when Shadow Love was conceived and so they both act as his father.) But Shadow Love has an agenda of his own and even the Crows may not be able to deal with him.
This is a high-energy novel with a lot of great scenes as well as the particular brand of humor that would come to mark this series. Davenport's character is still taking shape, but his love life is front and center here. He's still involved with Jennifer Carey, the mother of his infant daughter, but he's also enormously attracted to Lily Rothenberg, a New York cop who comes out to Minnestota to assist in the investigation. Complications will ensue.
The plot moves very swiftly, and the plot of Indians redressing their legitimate grievances in this fashion is unique and interesting. Rereading the book, it's also great fun to go back and see Lucas Davenport in the early stages of his development. It's hard to imagine that there's a fan of crime fiction out there somewhere who still has not stumbled across this series, but if you are that rare creature, do yourself a favor and check it out.
May 21, 2019
Well, Shadow Prey was underwhelming. There wasn't as much action as with Rules of Prey. The last third had a faster pace and it kept my attention.
In Shadow Prey, we have Lucas Davenport investigating a series of murders done by Native Americans. The attacks seem to be coordinated by a pair of brothers, Sam and Aaron Crow and committed by different individuals including Shadow Love. Once the media and the FBI get involved, everything becomes much more dangerous.
Lucas' personal life seems to be stable. He's with Jennifer Carey and they have a daughter together. Yet, we know this won't last. Lucas is a womanizer. He "loves" women and can't live without them. He's unable to be faithful.
When one of the slayings involves the city of NYC, a NY cop is sent to assist with the investigation. This is how Lily Rothenberg becomes Lucas' sidekick.
The first time Lucas sees Lily, he knows she's his next conquest.
I had some issues with the plot. I wish John Sanford would've explained more about why the Crows had taken the time to plan and coordinate the attacks. I felt like it was glossed over which is a shame because the slayings were done with purpose and the readers should be clear on why.
I liked Lucas much less in this one. He didn't care about Jennifer's feelings. He just looks at a woman and he decides he's going to convince her to be with him. He doesn't care if she's married. He doesn't care about the consequences. He didn't even care about the case while he was trying to get into Lily's pants. Quite a disappointment. I do wonder if he will learn from his mistakes in later books.
My recommendation for any reader is to wear their 90's hat when they read this series. It will avoid a lot of irritation.
I'm committed to the Lucas Davenport books, so Eyes of Prey is next for me.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
September 10, 2016
Two aging radical Sioux named Sam and Aaron Crow have planned a murderous terror campaign in which they’ve sent their followers to several locations across the country to kill various government officials and other people they consider enemies of Native Americans. When throats start getting cut from Minnesota to New York, Lucas Davenport and the other Minneapolis cops find themselves in the middle of a national crisis.
While John Sandford greatly expanded the scale from the first book to the second, he doesn’t skimp on adding new dimensions to his main character. Lucas is often frustrated in this one because he doesn’t have good contacts in the Native American community of Minneapolis. Feeling useless pushes him in reckless directions and prompts him to try a fairly ugly and shady scheme to work people for information.
In addition to the work, Lucas is dealing with being a new father with his semi-regular girlfriend but he’s also a chronic womanizer so a visiting NYPD detective named Lily Rothenberg catches his eye and the feeling is mutual. Fortunately, Sandford spices up the trope of having the hero hook up with someone in an action story by putting some weight and consequences to the relationship between Lily and Lucas. Davenport cares about his girlfriend but that doesn’t stop him from seeing other women. Lily is in a supposedly happy marriage, but can’t help feeling attracted to Lucas. Their relationship highlights their flaws and makes this whole romantic sub-plot a lot easier to take than the usual cliche of the main characters in a thriller falling for each other instantly and tumbling into bed.
Sandford displays another aspect he’d continue to give us throughout the series: memorable villains. The Crows actually seem like good and honorable guys in their own way, and the plan they’ve come up with is fiendishly clever with a definite goal in mind. There’s another level of evil added with the man they consider their son, Shadow Love. Shadow is such a psycho that the Crows are hesitant to use him in a rampage that’s designed to kill multiple people. When people think that a guy is too crazy to be used in a killing spree, that’s when you know he’s nuts.
Sandford also showed off his knack for creating tense scenarios that imagine large scale manhunts amidst media freakouts. This was written in 1990, but Sandford foreshadowed some elements that would become all too familiar. When one character refers to the killings as the first large scale and organized acts of terror on American soil, it’s chilling. Even creepier is when one of the murders takes place in the Oklahoma City federal building which would become infamous just a few years later.
It’s another action-packed and smart thriller which showed that Davenport would be doing more than just chasing serial killers in every book.
Next: Lucas beats up a pimp and tracks a couple of serial killers in Eyes of Prey.
While John Sandford greatly expanded the scale from the first book to the second, he doesn’t skimp on adding new dimensions to his main character. Lucas is often frustrated in this one because he doesn’t have good contacts in the Native American community of Minneapolis. Feeling useless pushes him in reckless directions and prompts him to try a fairly ugly and shady scheme to work people for information.
In addition to the work, Lucas is dealing with being a new father with his semi-regular girlfriend but he’s also a chronic womanizer so a visiting NYPD detective named Lily Rothenberg catches his eye and the feeling is mutual. Fortunately, Sandford spices up the trope of having the hero hook up with someone in an action story by putting some weight and consequences to the relationship between Lily and Lucas. Davenport cares about his girlfriend but that doesn’t stop him from seeing other women. Lily is in a supposedly happy marriage, but can’t help feeling attracted to Lucas. Their relationship highlights their flaws and makes this whole romantic sub-plot a lot easier to take than the usual cliche of the main characters in a thriller falling for each other instantly and tumbling into bed.
Sandford displays another aspect he’d continue to give us throughout the series: memorable villains. The Crows actually seem like good and honorable guys in their own way, and the plan they’ve come up with is fiendishly clever with a definite goal in mind. There’s another level of evil added with the man they consider their son, Shadow Love. Shadow is such a psycho that the Crows are hesitant to use him in a rampage that’s designed to kill multiple people. When people think that a guy is too crazy to be used in a killing spree, that’s when you know he’s nuts.
Sandford also showed off his knack for creating tense scenarios that imagine large scale manhunts amidst media freakouts. This was written in 1990, but Sandford foreshadowed some elements that would become all too familiar. When one character refers to the killings as the first large scale and organized acts of terror on American soil, it’s chilling. Even creepier is when one of the murders takes place in the Oklahoma City federal building which would become infamous just a few years later.
It’s another action-packed and smart thriller which showed that Davenport would be doing more than just chasing serial killers in every book.
Next: Lucas beats up a pimp and tracks a couple of serial killers in Eyes of Prey.
May 19, 2023
This is a reread for me, the third one. I was floundering about looking for a contemporary book to grab my attention and hold. I went through many in my TBR pile without any luck. So as I have done many times in the past I started rereading my one my favorite authors. This is the second one in the last month (most recently reread Rules of Prey). I read the first and second book side by side and loved them both. Actually can't believe how much I truly enjoyed this one. Memory always had this one rated a shade behind the first and best Rules of Prey. But in the reread (and one so close on the heels of Rules) I find that I like this almost as well or maybe even better.
Emotion is the reason readers read and conflict is emotion. This book is loaded with every sort of conflict, physical, impending threat, and romance, (You can't ask for more then that). Each one of these conflicts takes the reader right to the edge of suspense then while buried deep in the "Fictive Dream," manipulates the emotions of the reader. As I write this I realize that book is better constructed than the first in the series, (Eyes of Prey is next and my memory has it the best out of the first three. We'll have to see).
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series (and now the Dave Beckett series)
Emotion is the reason readers read and conflict is emotion. This book is loaded with every sort of conflict, physical, impending threat, and romance, (You can't ask for more then that). Each one of these conflicts takes the reader right to the edge of suspense then while buried deep in the "Fictive Dream," manipulates the emotions of the reader. As I write this I realize that book is better constructed than the first in the series, (Eyes of Prey is next and my memory has it the best out of the first three. We'll have to see).
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series (and now the Dave Beckett series)
September 27, 2018
Not quite as good as book one but still a great read. There were an awful lot of dead bodies, some excellent police work and a great story.
Problematically the author gives us a main character who is at once charming and talented and morally bereft. I wanted to like him, in fact I did like him, but I was frequently uncomfortable with his actions. Actually I coped with his attitude to women which is basically self serving but did not like some of his policing methods which included planting drugs on a youth in order to blackmail information from the mother. Not worthy of you Lucas!
Nevertheless this is an exciting, fast paced and intelligent police procedural. The story is interesting and the characters well defined. I enjoyed it and look forward to moving on to book three.
Problematically the author gives us a main character who is at once charming and talented and morally bereft. I wanted to like him, in fact I did like him, but I was frequently uncomfortable with his actions. Actually I coped with his attitude to women which is basically self serving but did not like some of his policing methods which included planting drugs on a youth in order to blackmail information from the mother. Not worthy of you Lucas!
Nevertheless this is an exciting, fast paced and intelligent police procedural. The story is interesting and the characters well defined. I enjoyed it and look forward to moving on to book three.
February 23, 2024
the setup…
It begins with the brutal murder of a slumlord in Minneapolis who targets the Native American community. The next is an Oklahoma City judge followed by a New York agency head with a brilliant political career path. All were murdered in the same way, their throats slashed. Since it started in Minneapolis, they take the lead on the investigation and Lucas Davenport, detective lieutenant in the Office of Special Intelligence, heads the team. He’s fresh off the maddog case he brought to a successful conclusion and is teamed with Lieutenant Lily Rothenburg, an NYPD detective dispatched by the family of the murdered politician.
the heart of the story…
I got a clue where this might be headed from the tragic opening and know from the start who is leading the team of Native assassins on this killing spree. Their rage is justified and there’s a part of me that understood the why but I just couldn’t condone their method of retribution. Lucas and Lily were smart about their investigative approach but there were times the process crossed too many ethical lines, adding further fuel to the maltreatment of those in the Native communities. And then there’s Lucas who doesn’t seem to be able to keep a commitment even though he’s sharing a child with a woman he claims to want to marry. For me, the jury is still out on him.
the narration…
I made the right decision to listen to this series as Ferrone is an exceptional storyteller. His pacing and tone is well suited for this kind of story.
the bottom line…
There were times when I questioned whether this was a thriller or a moral commentary about society’s bigotry towards the Native communities. Based on the author’s afterword it was originally intended to be both but in the end he had to pick one and left it to the reader to choose a side. I certainly was conflicted, having little sympathy for the victims but could never condone vigilante violence. Lucas paid a big price here, both personally and professionally, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. And, I found the ending brilliant, making the mission’s objective chillingly clear.
It begins with the brutal murder of a slumlord in Minneapolis who targets the Native American community. The next is an Oklahoma City judge followed by a New York agency head with a brilliant political career path. All were murdered in the same way, their throats slashed. Since it started in Minneapolis, they take the lead on the investigation and Lucas Davenport, detective lieutenant in the Office of Special Intelligence, heads the team. He’s fresh off the maddog case he brought to a successful conclusion and is teamed with Lieutenant Lily Rothenburg, an NYPD detective dispatched by the family of the murdered politician.
the heart of the story…
I got a clue where this might be headed from the tragic opening and know from the start who is leading the team of Native assassins on this killing spree. Their rage is justified and there’s a part of me that understood the why but I just couldn’t condone their method of retribution. Lucas and Lily were smart about their investigative approach but there were times the process crossed too many ethical lines, adding further fuel to the maltreatment of those in the Native communities. And then there’s Lucas who doesn’t seem to be able to keep a commitment even though he’s sharing a child with a woman he claims to want to marry. For me, the jury is still out on him.
the narration…
I made the right decision to listen to this series as Ferrone is an exceptional storyteller. His pacing and tone is well suited for this kind of story.
the bottom line…
There were times when I questioned whether this was a thriller or a moral commentary about society’s bigotry towards the Native communities. Based on the author’s afterword it was originally intended to be both but in the end he had to pick one and left it to the reader to choose a side. I certainly was conflicted, having little sympathy for the victims but could never condone vigilante violence. Lucas paid a big price here, both personally and professionally, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. And, I found the ending brilliant, making the mission’s objective chillingly clear.
April 19, 2013
I've read this book before. In fact, I've read many of the books in this series and I don't remember them being quite so...so...misogynistic. There, I said it. At first while I was listening to this I was appalled thinking, "and I wrote that I was really liking this series. I told people Sandford was writing a police procedural book that was fun too." Yikes.
This second book reads like a primer for how to have an affair.
Our hero, Lucas Davenport, feels a little bad about his behavior, but as he keeps telling us over and over again, "I just love women." Mind you, that's okay, because his idea of women come in all shapes and sizes and even though he moves back and forth from one to another, he just LOVES them.
Oh, oh, and it's okay because the married woman in this case finds her faithful husband boring. She decides she can't leave him but she is going to lie to him. Davenport says, "just don't tell him for the first five minutes and then you'll be able to get over it." Something like that. See, a primer for how to have an affair.
T.S. Eliot's saying came to me 2/3rds of the way through the novel. "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." Wow. Remembering that saying brought me an epiphany. You see, I read this book during the first years of my marriage, right after we'd moved clear across country and I didn't know anyone and I had a small child.
And I can't help but feel like this book did not help me feel secure in my stay-at-home, watching-the-baby life. Tonight I'm going to tell my husband it wasn't my fault I was such a ....rhymes with witch. It was Lucas Davenport's fault. The creep. :0)
So. Now we've got that out of the way. Yes, the writing is still fun. This one isn't as strong as the first. Will I go on? I don't know. Let me think. Do I feel my husband is out there having an affair because he can't help it because he just LOVES women?
March 2, 2021
Didn't know Lucas was wild back in the days. No wonder he and Virgil are buddies.😉
September 1, 2019
Sandford’s 2nd offering in the Lucas Davenport police procedural series is disjointed. There are great action scenes that foretell Sandford’s ability to write engaging thrillers. But Sandford flounders when handling the Native American aspect—his characters became caricatures that reflect poorly on the social commentary that Sandford is presumably trying to include. Plus, Sandford continues to have the lieutenant pursue other women despite the fact that he has a serious relationship with the mother of his infant daughter. Yuck! This ‘good ole’ boy’ aspect feels dated and I can’t wait until his character evolves to have a more mature moral compass.
May 16, 2025
He’s back! Lucas and the usual suspects (his fellow officers) are back along with Jennifer, Lucas’s girlfriend. In this installment though, Jennifer has a new moniker, baby mama. Yep, Lucas and Jennifer are now parents of baby Sarah. While Lucas has proposed marriage many times, Jennifer has yet to accept his proposal. They’re also not living together either, but Lucas spends enough time at her place in order to get in as much daddy/daughter time and diaper duty as he can (yes, he changes diapers and is pretty good at it too). However, their romantic relationship seems as up in the air as ever. Idk about anyone else, but they have always seemed like the fwb type to me and that hasn’t changed. Seems they both still have “other interests”. Hmmm……
The book summary introduces the storylines and basically lays out the first half of the story. Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the killings and with a little help from Sister Mary Joseph who tells Lucas that he is probably looking for a group of killers from the Indian nations and are seeking justice and retribution on white people who have harmed “the people” (local Indian tribes). Sister Mary Joseph is a psychologist and she and Lucas are long-time friends and fellow gamers of a local gaming club. Along with being a cop, Lucas is also a brilliant and successful (ie, rich) game developer.
As for the cop part, the first installment alluded that Lucas has a “special” type of position within the department, basically he gets to work on whatever case he wants to whether it be a homicide, or vice or robbery or whatever. There is a scene with Lucas and Chief Daniel and the local FBI Chief who alludes as to why the Minneapolis PD keeps Lucas around. Once again, Sanford lets the reader know from the get-go who the killers are, so no trying to figure out “whodunit” here, which is something I do enjoy occasionally. Just like the first installment, the end comes in a blaze of glory for Lucas.
The continuing character development of Lucas, Jennifer, and to some degree Lily, was well done. Lily, a NYPD cop who tracked one of killers from NY back to MN, was a good character and was the love interest for Lucas even though Lily claimed to be happily married. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline was interesting enough to keep me engaged. It probably would have been more interesting if the killers weren’t revealed from the get-go. Figuring out whodunit is exciting and I believe I speak for a lot of readers when I say that. The writing was so typical for the time period (circa 1990). I chuckled at some of the references like phone books and booths or answering machines and beepers. Don’t even get me started on the blatant chauvinism and racism that is still alive and well today, just maybe a little more toned down in certain environments.
Once again, I enjoyed the Author’s Notes and how Sanford wanted to write a thriller with social commentary regarding MN Sioux citizens. However, his editor was not all that impressed with his first draft. So, he threw most of the social commentary out and simply wrote a thriller. Probably a wise decision. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.8 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review.
The book summary introduces the storylines and basically lays out the first half of the story. Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the killings and with a little help from Sister Mary Joseph who tells Lucas that he is probably looking for a group of killers from the Indian nations and are seeking justice and retribution on white people who have harmed “the people” (local Indian tribes). Sister Mary Joseph is a psychologist and she and Lucas are long-time friends and fellow gamers of a local gaming club. Along with being a cop, Lucas is also a brilliant and successful (ie, rich) game developer.
As for the cop part, the first installment alluded that Lucas has a “special” type of position within the department, basically he gets to work on whatever case he wants to whether it be a homicide, or vice or robbery or whatever. There is a scene with Lucas and Chief Daniel and the local FBI Chief who alludes as to why the Minneapolis PD keeps Lucas around. Once again, Sanford lets the reader know from the get-go who the killers are, so no trying to figure out “whodunit” here, which is something I do enjoy occasionally. Just like the first installment, the end comes in a blaze of glory for Lucas.
The continuing character development of Lucas, Jennifer, and to some degree Lily, was well done. Lily, a NYPD cop who tracked one of killers from NY back to MN, was a good character and was the love interest for Lucas even though Lily claimed to be happily married. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline was interesting enough to keep me engaged. It probably would have been more interesting if the killers weren’t revealed from the get-go. Figuring out whodunit is exciting and I believe I speak for a lot of readers when I say that. The writing was so typical for the time period (circa 1990). I chuckled at some of the references like phone books and booths or answering machines and beepers. Don’t even get me started on the blatant chauvinism and racism that is still alive and well today, just maybe a little more toned down in certain environments.
Once again, I enjoyed the Author’s Notes and how Sanford wanted to write a thriller with social commentary regarding MN Sioux citizens. However, his editor was not all that impressed with his first draft. So, he threw most of the social commentary out and simply wrote a thriller. Probably a wise decision. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.8 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review.
August 16, 2017
Three stars is quite optimistic, but there. I find JS's books mediocre so far, not sure whether I will go on reading the series.
October 23, 2015
Book two starts off at least a year or so after the events in book one. Lucas and his sometimes girlfriend (when he's not looking for other women to sleep with) had a daughter together. Lucas still does something for the police department. It absolutely makes no sense that he kind of drifts around and is called in to help with cases. Lucas is called in once again when it appears that Native Americans are murdering those in the local community that have done them wrong. When a rising politician is murdered in New York, the NYPD, and the FBI come to Minnesota in order to track the murderers down.
It would have been a good book if John Sandford had actually kept in some of the historical notes he wanted to. I had a special copy of Shadow Prey that actually had a short introduction by Sanford explaining how he re-wrote the book. Frankly, I wish that book had made it into the final cut.
Told in the third person we once again get to read how Lucas and his band of merry men go about trying to track down these killers. Or I should say, how other people do it, and Lucas gets one good idea that helps wrap everything up.
We also already know early on who the killers are and why they are doing what they do. I wish that I could arouse some sympathy for these characters (which I think that Sandford wanted us to) but I don't agree with murdering innocent people to get to your own ends of justice. I wish that we had as readers been put into a moral dilemma of wanting the killers to get away with what they were doing. Instead, I was pretty much disgusted with them the whole book.
Lucas is rich, not handsome, but still has something that draws women in. Still thinks with his penis the entire case even though people are dying around him. The whole aspect of Lucas being into gaming is just a joke at this point. I don't know if Sanford gets gaming, or gets how games are created, how coding works, etc. but he makes it sound like Lucas is writing games at his computer (i.e. just writing down how it will work, players, etc) and is not actually involved with the coding, graphics, etc. I know that you don't need these things to create a game in this time and place. However, this book takes place in 1990 and every time we have a scene with Lucas talking about gaming or working on one I just kind of roll my eyes. It all sounds pretty vague. I guess he didn't want to just make Lucas independently wealthy to explain his money. He had to make him a genius in gaming. He pretty much sucks at being a cop so I guess this is one way to go.
Lily Rothenberg is just so aggravating. I don't mind reading about affairs in books. I just hate it when the characters involved are such cliches. Though frankly I would argue having an affair is just one big cliche anyway. Lily is drawn to Davenport because he is not "safe" or "kind" like her husband. He just takes what he wants and does what he wants. And even though Lily knows all about Davenport's baby mama and how he will happily go back to her when things are over and oh by the way sleeps with other women, you get the feeling that she wishes she could mean more or thinks she means more than she does.
A good 60 percent of this book is taken up by Davenport examining Lily and deciding that he would totally still sleep with her though she's not in shape like his other women. Yes that happened. Yes my head momentarily exploded.
And then after that we have them playing a cat and mouse game with each other in about every scene because you know they are horny and just want to have sex. I mean screw all these people dying and who have died. Sex is most important. When the deed is finally done we just read about it over and over again and I just rolled my eyes. There is a lot of angst going on from Lily for having an affair, Lucas coaches her through that and then they have sex again.
The only bright spot that I saw was that Lucas's girlfriend Jennifer finally has enough. I wanted her to kick him in his balls myself, but you know she had bigger fish to fry. I was just out and out appalled by the entire direction of this book.
I think that if Sanford had kept it to Lucas wrestling with the fact he is only human (he almost is murdered in this one) and his flashbacks to what happened I would have liked him more. Lucas initial reactions wanting to see Jennifer and his daughter were normal. Then he just seemed to roll it off and get obsessed with Lily again and then goes back to having PTSD when Jennifer is finally done with him.
The writing was gritty and often times gross and too much.
The flow was all over the place. Jumping back to the masterminds of this plot, the one crazy they have in their midst, to Lucas, Jennifer, Lily, etc. was too much. I think that first person would have been a better fit and you just stay in Lucas's head. If you do third person you cannot do all of these characters. It becomes a jumbled mess. Also it's not that much of a thriller to me if I know who the murderers are and why.
The setting of Minnesota was not as well done in this book either. The last book there was care to describe the cold, the trees, lake, etc. This book really doesn't do that. It could have occurred in a town anywhere in the Midwest of the United States. It jumps to New York and also to Oklahoma City and once again there are no really good descriptions to make one believe that the action is taking place there so to speak.
The ending was blah. I just rolled my eyes again at that point. If every book is going to end this way I am not sure that I can make them through anymore.
A friend told me after book three the series improves in leaps and bounds. I don't know if that is true or not. He did say that even Sanford realized the way he was writing Lucas was problematic so he started to change him from being a total psycho who is only thinking of getting laid.
It would have been a good book if John Sandford had actually kept in some of the historical notes he wanted to. I had a special copy of Shadow Prey that actually had a short introduction by Sanford explaining how he re-wrote the book. Frankly, I wish that book had made it into the final cut.
Told in the third person we once again get to read how Lucas and his band of merry men go about trying to track down these killers. Or I should say, how other people do it, and Lucas gets one good idea that helps wrap everything up.
We also already know early on who the killers are and why they are doing what they do. I wish that I could arouse some sympathy for these characters (which I think that Sandford wanted us to) but I don't agree with murdering innocent people to get to your own ends of justice. I wish that we had as readers been put into a moral dilemma of wanting the killers to get away with what they were doing. Instead, I was pretty much disgusted with them the whole book.
Lucas is rich, not handsome, but still has something that draws women in. Still thinks with his penis the entire case even though people are dying around him. The whole aspect of Lucas being into gaming is just a joke at this point. I don't know if Sanford gets gaming, or gets how games are created, how coding works, etc. but he makes it sound like Lucas is writing games at his computer (i.e. just writing down how it will work, players, etc) and is not actually involved with the coding, graphics, etc. I know that you don't need these things to create a game in this time and place. However, this book takes place in 1990 and every time we have a scene with Lucas talking about gaming or working on one I just kind of roll my eyes. It all sounds pretty vague. I guess he didn't want to just make Lucas independently wealthy to explain his money. He had to make him a genius in gaming. He pretty much sucks at being a cop so I guess this is one way to go.
Lily Rothenberg is just so aggravating. I don't mind reading about affairs in books. I just hate it when the characters involved are such cliches. Though frankly I would argue having an affair is just one big cliche anyway. Lily is drawn to Davenport because he is not "safe" or "kind" like her husband. He just takes what he wants and does what he wants. And even though Lily knows all about Davenport's baby mama and how he will happily go back to her when things are over and oh by the way sleeps with other women, you get the feeling that she wishes she could mean more or thinks she means more than she does.
A good 60 percent of this book is taken up by Davenport examining Lily and deciding that he would totally still sleep with her though she's not in shape like his other women. Yes that happened. Yes my head momentarily exploded.
And then after that we have them playing a cat and mouse game with each other in about every scene because you know they are horny and just want to have sex. I mean screw all these people dying and who have died. Sex is most important. When the deed is finally done we just read about it over and over again and I just rolled my eyes. There is a lot of angst going on from Lily for having an affair, Lucas coaches her through that and then they have sex again.
The only bright spot that I saw was that Lucas's girlfriend Jennifer finally has enough. I wanted her to kick him in his balls myself, but you know she had bigger fish to fry. I was just out and out appalled by the entire direction of this book.
I think that if Sanford had kept it to Lucas wrestling with the fact he is only human (he almost is murdered in this one) and his flashbacks to what happened I would have liked him more. Lucas initial reactions wanting to see Jennifer and his daughter were normal. Then he just seemed to roll it off and get obsessed with Lily again and then goes back to having PTSD when Jennifer is finally done with him.
The writing was gritty and often times gross and too much.
The flow was all over the place. Jumping back to the masterminds of this plot, the one crazy they have in their midst, to Lucas, Jennifer, Lily, etc. was too much. I think that first person would have been a better fit and you just stay in Lucas's head. If you do third person you cannot do all of these characters. It becomes a jumbled mess. Also it's not that much of a thriller to me if I know who the murderers are and why.
The setting of Minnesota was not as well done in this book either. The last book there was care to describe the cold, the trees, lake, etc. This book really doesn't do that. It could have occurred in a town anywhere in the Midwest of the United States. It jumps to New York and also to Oklahoma City and once again there are no really good descriptions to make one believe that the action is taking place there so to speak.
The ending was blah. I just rolled my eyes again at that point. If every book is going to end this way I am not sure that I can make them through anymore.
A friend told me after book three the series improves in leaps and bounds. I don't know if that is true or not. He did say that even Sanford realized the way he was writing Lucas was problematic so he started to change him from being a total psycho who is only thinking of getting laid.
January 24, 2023
I desperately needed something to break up all the medievalish swordfighting that has been in my queue. Did I love this? No, but it was just the switchup I needed.
This is the one where Davenport investigates what's behind a group of seemingly unrelated murders - except they're all killed with a stone knife across the throat. A pair of radical Native American oldsters known as the Crows are behind it all, and their secret weapon is a man with an uncontrollable rage.
Not a big fan of all the casual cheating in this one. There's something about the way it's treated in novels from the 80s-90s that bugs the shit outta me. In here, it's as if Davenport's urge to sleep with a woman other than the mother of his six-month-old daughter isn't just beyond his control; really, his girlfriend should have expected it and been more understanding. 🤮 And don't get me started on the other woman - she's married to a man she says she loves (although he doesn't excite her like Davenport does.) 🤮🤮
I hope future books in this series chill out on all that crap, or I'll be dropping this series quicklike - which would be a shame because there are a few I'm really looking forward to, based on the back cover blurbs.
This is the one where Davenport investigates what's behind a group of seemingly unrelated murders - except they're all killed with a stone knife across the throat. A pair of radical Native American oldsters known as the Crows are behind it all, and their secret weapon is a man with an uncontrollable rage.
Not a big fan of all the casual cheating in this one. There's something about the way it's treated in novels from the 80s-90s that bugs the shit outta me. In here, it's as if Davenport's urge to sleep with a woman other than the mother of his six-month-old daughter isn't just beyond his control; really, his girlfriend should have expected it and been more understanding. 🤮 And don't get me started on the other woman - she's married to a man she says she loves (although he doesn't excite her like Davenport does.) 🤮🤮
I hope future books in this series chill out on all that crap, or I'll be dropping this series quicklike - which would be a shame because there are a few I'm really looking forward to, based on the back cover blurbs.
September 6, 2016
6.5/10
Not as enjoyable as the first one in the series, the main antagonist here just isn’t as compelling as the first outing. The main character is still a massive ass and that is what makes this series stand out for me; where the drunk/loner cop routine has been done to death it’s not often I read about a cop who is sober, a game creator, rich and openly a dick and doesn’t apologise for it.
This book concentrates around the Native American (or whatever the PC term is, forgive me I’m not au faux with the culture) tribes who are wrongly treated so take matters into their own hands by slaying a few people of varying importance. This sets a nationwide hunt and low and behold, Davenport is dragged into it.
There is a new love interest in this outing rivalling with the main woman who Davenport is with from the last book. He makes no apologies for the way he is and what he does and just gets on with it, like in his coppering (sure that’s a term…) he gets his girl as he would get his perp.
Whereas the main lead not being likeable could put people off from the series I’m enjoying it, rooting for a man with a certain code who will get his bad guy and make sure he gets got entering a very grey area. It makes it slightly different and a bit more of an angle to keep me hooked in what could be another cop series. Whilst not as good as the previous book there is plenty here which will make me pick up the next one in the not too distant future. Worth a read.
Not as enjoyable as the first one in the series, the main antagonist here just isn’t as compelling as the first outing. The main character is still a massive ass and that is what makes this series stand out for me; where the drunk/loner cop routine has been done to death it’s not often I read about a cop who is sober, a game creator, rich and openly a dick and doesn’t apologise for it.
This book concentrates around the Native American (or whatever the PC term is, forgive me I’m not au faux with the culture) tribes who are wrongly treated so take matters into their own hands by slaying a few people of varying importance. This sets a nationwide hunt and low and behold, Davenport is dragged into it.
There is a new love interest in this outing rivalling with the main woman who Davenport is with from the last book. He makes no apologies for the way he is and what he does and just gets on with it, like in his coppering (sure that’s a term…) he gets his girl as he would get his perp.
Whereas the main lead not being likeable could put people off from the series I’m enjoying it, rooting for a man with a certain code who will get his bad guy and make sure he gets got entering a very grey area. It makes it slightly different and a bit more of an angle to keep me hooked in what could be another cop series. Whilst not as good as the previous book there is plenty here which will make me pick up the next one in the not too distant future. Worth a read.
May 8, 2024
A badly missed opportunity!
The plot of SHADOW PREY, Sandford’s second entry in the Lucas Davenport Prey series is summarized easily enough. A terrorist native American cabal is ritually murdering white politicians in gruesome fashion to put their grievances in front of a racist, intolerant white population in the USA. Lucas Davenport to the rescue! If that sounds trite, narrow and shallow, that’s because the novel isn’t any deeper or more interesting than that summary.
Whatever political grievances the native Americans may have had that prompted such an extreme response, whether they were great or small, real or imagined, past or ongoing, isn’t explored at all. The novel simply accepts the fact of the terrorism and turns loose the full force of the Minneapolis police department and the FBI to resolve the problem by whatever means are considered most expedient. That the “good guys” were venal, small-minded, intolerant, ignorant, complacent, racist, misogynist and corrupt didn’t seem to matter. Racial profiling by the police force is systemic. Minor considerations such as the legalities of searches were tossed aside as a matter of routine. Cowboy tactics and gunplay were the norm. Nothing subtle, nothing intelligent, nothing challenging!
What a shame! On the basis of Lucas Davenport’s exciting introduction in RULES OF PREY, I went to a second hand bookstore and purchased no less than six more novels in the series including SHADOW PREY. I’ll be giving #3 EYES OF PREY a chance but the opportunity to prove itself will be limited to a very few pages. Otherwise, it’s off the shelf they go.
Paul Weiss
The plot of SHADOW PREY, Sandford’s second entry in the Lucas Davenport Prey series is summarized easily enough. A terrorist native American cabal is ritually murdering white politicians in gruesome fashion to put their grievances in front of a racist, intolerant white population in the USA. Lucas Davenport to the rescue! If that sounds trite, narrow and shallow, that’s because the novel isn’t any deeper or more interesting than that summary.
Whatever political grievances the native Americans may have had that prompted such an extreme response, whether they were great or small, real or imagined, past or ongoing, isn’t explored at all. The novel simply accepts the fact of the terrorism and turns loose the full force of the Minneapolis police department and the FBI to resolve the problem by whatever means are considered most expedient. That the “good guys” were venal, small-minded, intolerant, ignorant, complacent, racist, misogynist and corrupt didn’t seem to matter. Racial profiling by the police force is systemic. Minor considerations such as the legalities of searches were tossed aside as a matter of routine. Cowboy tactics and gunplay were the norm. Nothing subtle, nothing intelligent, nothing challenging!
What a shame! On the basis of Lucas Davenport’s exciting introduction in RULES OF PREY, I went to a second hand bookstore and purchased no less than six more novels in the series including SHADOW PREY. I’ll be giving #3 EYES OF PREY a chance but the opportunity to prove itself will be limited to a very few pages. Otherwise, it’s off the shelf they go.
Paul Weiss
July 18, 2025
"Shadow Prey" is John Sandford's second novel to feature his long-running detective, Lucas Davenport. Sandford's gifts lie in his ability to create taut thrillers, realistic police procedurals, and believable characters, which explains why he has consistently been a NY Times bestseller since he started publishing in the late-80s.
In "Shadow Prey", Davenport is investigating the brutal murders of seemingly unrelated men across the country by different killers, all of whom appear to be Native Americans, and all of whom appear to originate from Minneapolis. What's their connection, and why are they targeting these specific men?
Davenport, with the help of a sexy New York City detective, Lilly Rothenberg, uncovers a conspiracy among a group of old Indians trying to avenge a thirty-year-old crime. While the murder mystery at the heart of the book moves at a break-neck speed, Sandford lingers a bit long on Davenport's private life.
Davenport, a new father with his long-time on again-off again girlfriend, Jennifer, starts up a relationship with his new partner, Lilly. What bothered me about this seemingly unnecessary foray into Davenport's sex life is that it breaks up the momentum of the story. That's probably my biggest complaint, because I certainly don't mind an occasional steamy sex scene.
Sandford, however, doesn't seem to have purely prurient motives for including this. If anything, Davenport comes across as kind of an asshole in all this, as he essentially seduces Lilly, who is happily married and repeatedly tells Davenport that what they are doing is wrong. (Davenport doesn't seem to give a shit.) He also ends up nearly ruining his relationship with Jennifer and his newborn daughter. (Again, he doesn't seem to give a shit about this, as well.)
Davenport would probably be diagnosed with sex addiction today. He's also pretty narcissistic and could be labelled "psychotic".
I wasn't sure where Sandford was attempting to go with all this until the last two chapters of the book. I won't spoil it for you. I will say that, after some reflection, I give kudos to Sandford for creating a very flawed hero in Davenport. He is a complicated character, one in which the term "good guy" could apply but the term "good man" can't.
In "Shadow Prey", Davenport is investigating the brutal murders of seemingly unrelated men across the country by different killers, all of whom appear to be Native Americans, and all of whom appear to originate from Minneapolis. What's their connection, and why are they targeting these specific men?
Davenport, with the help of a sexy New York City detective, Lilly Rothenberg, uncovers a conspiracy among a group of old Indians trying to avenge a thirty-year-old crime. While the murder mystery at the heart of the book moves at a break-neck speed, Sandford lingers a bit long on Davenport's private life.
Davenport, a new father with his long-time on again-off again girlfriend, Jennifer, starts up a relationship with his new partner, Lilly. What bothered me about this seemingly unnecessary foray into Davenport's sex life is that it breaks up the momentum of the story. That's probably my biggest complaint, because I certainly don't mind an occasional steamy sex scene.
Sandford, however, doesn't seem to have purely prurient motives for including this. If anything, Davenport comes across as kind of an asshole in all this, as he essentially seduces Lilly, who is happily married and repeatedly tells Davenport that what they are doing is wrong. (Davenport doesn't seem to give a shit.) He also ends up nearly ruining his relationship with Jennifer and his newborn daughter. (Again, he doesn't seem to give a shit about this, as well.)
Davenport would probably be diagnosed with sex addiction today. He's also pretty narcissistic and could be labelled "psychotic".
I wasn't sure where Sandford was attempting to go with all this until the last two chapters of the book. I won't spoil it for you. I will say that, after some reflection, I give kudos to Sandford for creating a very flawed hero in Davenport. He is a complicated character, one in which the term "good guy" could apply but the term "good man" can't.
August 3, 2024
5 Stars. Sandford is among the few authors I can turn to knowing that my read will be exciting, with good characterization and complicated situations, every time. This early Lucas Davenport fits the bill. He's still a detective in the Minneapolis PD, but there's already something special in the way others treat him. Someone, or a small group, is slashing the throats of slum landlords, judges, and the like in the mid-west. Then a rising political personality in New York falls to the same gruesome crime. The urban Indian sub-culture becomes the focus with past injustices, collective and individual in the spotlight. As a Canadian, I struggled with phraseology; isn't it "Aboriginal" or now "Indigenous," and aren't reserves "First Nations?" I confess to not knowing the US terminology. Sandford's 1990 thriller is partly a commentary on the misunderstandings between police and the Indian community, especially the inadequate training and conduct of law enforcement. As to Davenport, he's having his own difficulties, what with his partner Jennifer and their new daughter Sarah, and the arrival of NYPD Detective Lily Rothenburg. Oh Lucas. Oh Lucas, (Se2019/Au2024)
October 2, 2016
4.5 Stars
Sandford's writing has gained assurance in this, his second novel. The pacing is mostly very good, at least in the first half, and the main characters are well-developed. There is a superb action scene about half-way through, followed by more detective work and a romance that could have been good. The ending is satisfying, but perhaps a bit too-familiar (although avoiding cliché).
The strongest and most poignant aspect of the book is the plight of native Americans today, and in the past. Social abuse continues, theft and trespass of land, poverty and cruelty that made my heart ache.
The detective, Lucas Davenport, is expanded somewhat, and not always in positive ways. He is shown to make some selfish and even cruel decisions here, perhaps to "harden his character". If this was Sandford's intention, it has misfired a bit.
On the negative (4-star), the pacing does lag for short periods in the second half of the book, but to compensate (5-star) the motives and character development of the villains is a great surprise.
There is some poetry in the book; the first time I have encountered Sandford opening his heart to express life so beautifully -
She’s old. Sixty, anyway. Two years younger than he was. He remembered her from the early fifties, the Ojibway bohemian student of French existentialists, her dark hair pulled back in a bun, her fresh heart-shaped face without makeup, her books in a green cloth sack carried over her shoulder. Her beret. She wore a crimson beret, pulled down over one eye, smoked Gauloises and Gitanes and sometimes Players, and talked about Camus.
Barbara Gow had grown up on the Iron Range, the product of an Ojibway father and a Serbian mother. Her father worked in the open-pit mines during the day and for the union at night. Her mother’s Bible sat in a small bookcase in the living room. Next to it was her father’s Das Kapital. As a teenager, she had done clerical work for the union. After her mother died, leaving a small insurance policy, she’d moved to Minneapolis and started at the university. She liked the university and the talk, the theory. She liked it better when she heard the news from existential France.
Sam could still see all of that in her, behind the wrinkled face and slumping shoulders.
She shivered nude in the cold air and pulled on a housecoat, then turned and smiled at him, the smile lighting his heart.
Barbara said. “I look at myself in the mirror, on the door . . . and I see this old woman, shriveled up like last year’s potato. A clerk at the historical society, all gray and bent over. But I feel like I’m eighteen. I want to go out and run in the park with the wind in my hair, and I want to roll around on the grass with you and Aaron...
Sandford's writing has gained assurance in this, his second novel. The pacing is mostly very good, at least in the first half, and the main characters are well-developed. There is a superb action scene about half-way through, followed by more detective work and a romance that could have been good. The ending is satisfying, but perhaps a bit too-familiar (although avoiding cliché).
The strongest and most poignant aspect of the book is the plight of native Americans today, and in the past. Social abuse continues, theft and trespass of land, poverty and cruelty that made my heart ache.
The detective, Lucas Davenport, is expanded somewhat, and not always in positive ways. He is shown to make some selfish and even cruel decisions here, perhaps to "harden his character". If this was Sandford's intention, it has misfired a bit.
On the negative (4-star), the pacing does lag for short periods in the second half of the book, but to compensate (5-star) the motives and character development of the villains is a great surprise.
There is some poetry in the book; the first time I have encountered Sandford opening his heart to express life so beautifully -
She’s old. Sixty, anyway. Two years younger than he was. He remembered her from the early fifties, the Ojibway bohemian student of French existentialists, her dark hair pulled back in a bun, her fresh heart-shaped face without makeup, her books in a green cloth sack carried over her shoulder. Her beret. She wore a crimson beret, pulled down over one eye, smoked Gauloises and Gitanes and sometimes Players, and talked about Camus.
Barbara Gow had grown up on the Iron Range, the product of an Ojibway father and a Serbian mother. Her father worked in the open-pit mines during the day and for the union at night. Her mother’s Bible sat in a small bookcase in the living room. Next to it was her father’s Das Kapital. As a teenager, she had done clerical work for the union. After her mother died, leaving a small insurance policy, she’d moved to Minneapolis and started at the university. She liked the university and the talk, the theory. She liked it better when she heard the news from existential France.
Sam could still see all of that in her, behind the wrinkled face and slumping shoulders.
She shivered nude in the cold air and pulled on a housecoat, then turned and smiled at him, the smile lighting his heart.
Barbara said. “I look at myself in the mirror, on the door . . . and I see this old woman, shriveled up like last year’s potato. A clerk at the historical society, all gray and bent over. But I feel like I’m eighteen. I want to go out and run in the park with the wind in my hair, and I want to roll around on the grass with you and Aaron...
November 22, 2024
A fast paced and turbulent killing spree almost causes Davenport to meet his maker. Like the Stone Barrington character, he always has time for a dalliance along the way. I don’t always like him but I do appreciate him. Justice comes in the end. This was a satisfying second novel in the Prey series.
December 27, 2020
My reread of the Prey series continues!
Lucas was more of a bystander for most of this book and I like him more involved in the action, hence the three stars. It was also a lot slower for the first 75%, and only got truly thrilling at the end. Lucas was so disconnected from things, despite his almost dying.
I think this is the first book where we meet Del, but we don't get to know him yet. Sloan still cracks me up and I like Harmon Anderson getting a personality.
I think the book would have been better with a little more of the background that Sandford took out. There were also too many people doing too many killings, and I got confused with so many bad guy characters.
The whole book just felt disjointed and I ... I don't know, he told us a lot that Shadow Love is nuts but we didn't really see it until the end. I would have liked some childhood stories about his supposedly utterly fucked up behavior or something
Anyway..... The ending, the last 100 pages was much more classic Sandford and I hope that Lucas picks the action back up in the next novel! I hope to have time to read another one in January!
P.s. I was reading reviews for kicks and see that a lot of people don't like Lucas sleeping with Lily, blah blah, Jenn's feelings... LOL Jenn turned down marriage and went on at least one date, before Lucas did. I think he's got a green light to do whatever he wants, if Jenn does. I would have dropped the "I just love women and can't help it" approach and had Lucas say - "hey listen, my daughter's mom is not interested in marriage, is playing with dates, so whatever. I offered marriage." I just don't like Jenn, she was a complete psycho in book one and used him as a sperm donor. Lucas treats her extremely well for the shit she pulled on him and I wish he'd fight her for custody, even though he would lose. The hell right does she have to keep the baby away ugh I hate her!
Lucas was more of a bystander for most of this book and I like him more involved in the action, hence the three stars. It was also a lot slower for the first 75%, and only got truly thrilling at the end. Lucas was so disconnected from things, despite his almost dying.
I think this is the first book where we meet Del, but we don't get to know him yet. Sloan still cracks me up and I like Harmon Anderson getting a personality.
I think the book would have been better with a little more of the background that Sandford took out. There were also too many people doing too many killings, and I got confused with so many bad guy characters.
The whole book just felt disjointed and I ... I don't know, he told us a lot that Shadow Love is nuts but we didn't really see it until the end. I would have liked some childhood stories about his supposedly utterly fucked up behavior or something
Anyway..... The ending, the last 100 pages was much more classic Sandford and I hope that Lucas picks the action back up in the next novel! I hope to have time to read another one in January!
P.s. I was reading reviews for kicks and see that a lot of people don't like Lucas sleeping with Lily, blah blah, Jenn's feelings... LOL Jenn turned down marriage and went on at least one date, before Lucas did. I think he's got a green light to do whatever he wants, if Jenn does. I would have dropped the "I just love women and can't help it" approach and had Lucas say - "hey listen, my daughter's mom is not interested in marriage, is playing with dates, so whatever. I offered marriage." I just don't like Jenn, she was a complete psycho in book one and used him as a sperm donor. Lucas treats her extremely well for the shit she pulled on him and I wish he'd fight her for custody, even though he would lose. The hell right does she have to keep the baby away ugh I hate her!
April 18, 2018
"People die all the time. Now some folks are dying who were hurting the Indian people. That's too bad for them and it's a crime, but I can't get too upset about it."
We're right on the borderline between four and five stars here, and I'm holding back only because I have it on good authority that the series gets even better later.
Shadow Prey takes place roughly a year after Rules of Prey. Lucas Davenport has a new infant daughter and an affectionate but tenuous relationship with Jennifer, the girl's mother. He's called to assist in investigating a carefully-planned, nationwide series of murders--obsidian knife executions of men who went out of their way to do harm to the American Indian population. There's a slum lord who doesn't hesitate to drop-kick people out onto the street, a parole officer who takes special vindictive pleasure in sending Indian offenders back to jail, a politician with "interesting" views on welfare, and so on. No one can miss that it's all leading up to something big, but Minnesota law enforcement doesn't have many connections in the Indian community. Even Lucas, king of the informant network, only has a handful, and he's not sure they'll be too helpful. After all, most of them don't mind seeing these guys drop off the face of the earth, and it's hard to blame them for that.
The murders are organized by the Crows, two cousins who understand themselves as one soul split between two bodies. They've been at the forefront of radical Indian politics for decades, and now they're ready to end their work and their lives in open, if unusual, warfare. Their planned conclusion is the execution of an FBI Director and future presidential candidate who has gone out of his way over the years to hit Indians as hard as he can every way he can--ever since the Crows beat him half to death for his rape of a twelve year-old Indian girl. The rape is part of a general and much-indulged predilection for very young girls, so all in all, fuck this guy, I'm rooting for the Crows on that one. Lucas, don't rush.
Lucas has a very particular distraction on this case, too: Lily Rothenberg, an NYPD cop who has come out to assist with the case. She's not his usual type, but he quickly finds himself enthralled with her. Sometimes the romance subplots of thrillers are unconvincing or featherweight, but Sandford makes this one matter: Lucas and Lily have terrific chemistry and rapport and are incredibly drawn to each other, but they're also already with other people. Lily's married to a smart, loving, virtually flawless man whose niceness is beginning to feel like a weight she can't deal with; Lucas is still ostensibly trying to get Jennifer to marry him. There's no way to get into or out of this romance without getting people hurt.
"They say he does dope, he does vice, he does intelligence work with violent criminals. I say he's a gunman, and I don't hold with that. Except for Davenport, we don't have the death penalty in Minnesota. He's a gunman, plain and simple."
I said in my review of Rules of Prey that I liked that Sandford doesn't go out of his way to get you to approve of Lucas, and that streak continues here as Lucas, among other things, cheats on Jennifer and effectively frames a teenager for possession with intent to distribute to leverage him for information.
The wild card in the book is Shadow Love, the Crows' son (they were both sleeping with his mother at the same time and so he considers them his fathers). Angry, isolated, and possibly schizophrenic, Shadow Love is, by his fathers' way of thinking, a killer first and a warrior second. They can't trust him to draw the same lines they would, and when he ricochets around like a pinball, leaving bodies in his wake, he mucks up their political point. The Crows are sympathetic and complex--however extreme their actions are, they're coming from a place of principle, while Shadow Love is driven much more by rage. Interestingly, though, as part of the book's overall moral complexity, he's still more of a tragic figure than Rules of Prey's maddog killer. He's ruthless and relentless, but he's not a complete sadist and there's a logic to his actions: the people he's killing are
This is a taut, hard-to-put-down book. You've got a procedural race to figure out how to track down the Crows and stop the killings, you've got slightly torn sympathies about how to react to the killings at all, you've got Lucas and Lily's complicated relationship, and you have one of the best, most suspenseful action sequences I've ever read as Lucas finds himself with a shotgun taped to his head and all his cool evaporated. (Sandford plays the complications of that gratifyingly straight, too, again treating Lucas like a real person, someone who throws up after trauma and spends the rest of the book having flashbacks, sometimes at inopportune moments.) All in all, perfect thriller.
We're right on the borderline between four and five stars here, and I'm holding back only because I have it on good authority that the series gets even better later.
Shadow Prey takes place roughly a year after Rules of Prey. Lucas Davenport has a new infant daughter and an affectionate but tenuous relationship with Jennifer, the girl's mother. He's called to assist in investigating a carefully-planned, nationwide series of murders--obsidian knife executions of men who went out of their way to do harm to the American Indian population. There's a slum lord who doesn't hesitate to drop-kick people out onto the street, a parole officer who takes special vindictive pleasure in sending Indian offenders back to jail, a politician with "interesting" views on welfare, and so on. No one can miss that it's all leading up to something big, but Minnesota law enforcement doesn't have many connections in the Indian community. Even Lucas, king of the informant network, only has a handful, and he's not sure they'll be too helpful. After all, most of them don't mind seeing these guys drop off the face of the earth, and it's hard to blame them for that.
The murders are organized by the Crows, two cousins who understand themselves as one soul split between two bodies. They've been at the forefront of radical Indian politics for decades, and now they're ready to end their work and their lives in open, if unusual, warfare. Their planned conclusion is the execution of an FBI Director and future presidential candidate who has gone out of his way over the years to hit Indians as hard as he can every way he can--ever since the Crows beat him half to death for his rape of a twelve year-old Indian girl. The rape is part of a general and much-indulged predilection for very young girls, so all in all, fuck this guy, I'm rooting for the Crows on that one. Lucas, don't rush.
Lucas has a very particular distraction on this case, too: Lily Rothenberg, an NYPD cop who has come out to assist with the case. She's not his usual type, but he quickly finds himself enthralled with her. Sometimes the romance subplots of thrillers are unconvincing or featherweight, but Sandford makes this one matter: Lucas and Lily have terrific chemistry and rapport and are incredibly drawn to each other, but they're also already with other people. Lily's married to a smart, loving, virtually flawless man whose niceness is beginning to feel like a weight she can't deal with; Lucas is still ostensibly trying to get Jennifer to marry him. There's no way to get into or out of this romance without getting people hurt.
"They say he does dope, he does vice, he does intelligence work with violent criminals. I say he's a gunman, and I don't hold with that. Except for Davenport, we don't have the death penalty in Minnesota. He's a gunman, plain and simple."
I said in my review of Rules of Prey that I liked that Sandford doesn't go out of his way to get you to approve of Lucas, and that streak continues here as Lucas, among other things, cheats on Jennifer and effectively frames a teenager for possession with intent to distribute to leverage him for information.
The wild card in the book is Shadow Love, the Crows' son (they were both sleeping with his mother at the same time and so he considers them his fathers). Angry, isolated, and possibly schizophrenic, Shadow Love is, by his fathers' way of thinking, a killer first and a warrior second. They can't trust him to draw the same lines they would, and when he ricochets around like a pinball, leaving bodies in his wake, he mucks up their political point. The Crows are sympathetic and complex--however extreme their actions are, they're coming from a place of principle, while Shadow Love is driven much more by rage. Interestingly, though, as part of the book's overall moral complexity, he's still more of a tragic figure than Rules of Prey's maddog killer. He's ruthless and relentless, but he's not a complete sadist and there's a logic to his actions: the people he's killing are
This is a taut, hard-to-put-down book. You've got a procedural race to figure out how to track down the Crows and stop the killings, you've got slightly torn sympathies about how to react to the killings at all, you've got Lucas and Lily's complicated relationship, and you have one of the best, most suspenseful action sequences I've ever read as Lucas finds himself with a shotgun taped to his head and all his cool evaporated. (Sandford plays the complications of that gratifyingly straight, too, again treating Lucas like a real person, someone who throws up after trauma and spends the rest of the book having flashbacks, sometimes at inopportune moments.) All in all, perfect thriller.
February 6, 2017
Wasn't a huge fan of Shadow Prey (book 2), especially when you compare it to the first book in the series, Rules of Prey.
Native Americans are taking revenge on men who have harmed them in the past. The attacks seem to be random, however there is a common element, the victim's throat being slashed. Davenport as well as a team from NYC are on the case to catch whoever is behind these murders.
First of all, I wasn't too into the murders. I found that there was too many people getting killed and killing people that I was a bit confused. I didn't get pulled into the murder plot. Second, the mystery was non existent because we knew early on who the killers were, we knew the motives and we knew who the final target was. The only mystery was how was Davenport going to figure it out.
Then there is a whole new annoyance with Davenport's personal life. Davenport is a new father and is kind of living with the baby's mother, and they seem to be making it work. And then all of a sudden a woman appears and Davenport has to have her. So a large part of the novel was about their relationship.
Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the novel. The last 50 pages or so were really intensive, which made up for some parts of the novel.
Native Americans are taking revenge on men who have harmed them in the past. The attacks seem to be random, however there is a common element, the victim's throat being slashed. Davenport as well as a team from NYC are on the case to catch whoever is behind these murders.
First of all, I wasn't too into the murders. I found that there was too many people getting killed and killing people that I was a bit confused. I didn't get pulled into the murder plot. Second, the mystery was non existent because we knew early on who the killers were, we knew the motives and we knew who the final target was. The only mystery was how was Davenport going to figure it out.
Then there is a whole new annoyance with Davenport's personal life. Davenport is a new father and is kind of living with the baby's mother, and they seem to be making it work. And then all of a sudden a woman appears and Davenport has to have her. So a large part of the novel was about their relationship.
Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the novel. The last 50 pages or so were really intensive, which made up for some parts of the novel.
November 27, 2023
Makes you wonder what Lucas Davenport's top priority is. Solving the case or getting inside the pants of every female colleague involved in that case. The whole Lucas & Lily thing; awkward is putting it mildly.
It makes Davenport look like an overaged romeo pimp and, worse, it gets in the way of what -I guess- could have been something of a thundering culture clash. This book needed more mystical Indians and less Lily, if you ask me. Or, even better, no Lily at all.
I wasn't very fond of Shadow Love's role either. Unlike the Crows -by far the strongest element of the story- it lacks proper motivation and logic. Senseless loose cannon-stuff. Disappointing book.
It makes Davenport look like an overaged romeo pimp and, worse, it gets in the way of what -I guess- could have been something of a thundering culture clash. This book needed more mystical Indians and less Lily, if you ask me. Or, even better, no Lily at all.
I wasn't very fond of Shadow Love's role either. Unlike the Crows -by far the strongest element of the story- it lacks proper motivation and logic. Senseless loose cannon-stuff. Disappointing book.
May 24, 2014
My only complaint about the Lucas Davenport character is how easily he is trusted as a cop, despite his shady dealings with his informants. The second half of this is much better than the first. Some of the victims get what they deserve. 7 of 10 stars
August 5, 2018
This second book was as good as the first. It wasn't an easy task as Sandford explains in the afterword. New to writing a series, he wrote, submitted, & wound up completely rewriting it. The results are impressive. Similar pacing, expansion of characters, & a great ending.
I was rooting for the bad guys half the time. Is that strange? Even one of the worst had a rather admirable internal logic that made it tough to really hate him. As for some of the 'good' guys... Let's just say I was satisfied with how it all worked out.
Davenport is a bad ass, but we get to see that he's no superman. Well done! Made him believable.
I'll certainly continue this series. They definitely need to be read in order. I'm glad I put off reading them until I could do so.
I was rooting for the bad guys half the time. Is that strange? Even one of the worst had a rather admirable internal logic that made it tough to really hate him. As for some of the 'good' guys... Let's just say I was satisfied with how it all worked out.
Davenport is a bad ass, but we get to see that he's no superman. Well done! Made him believable.
I'll certainly continue this series. They definitely need to be read in order. I'm glad I put off reading them until I could do so.
October 26, 2013
The second book in the Lucas Davenport series is a little bit of a letdown from the first book, RULES OF PREY. This is not to say it isn't a good book, because it is. Unfortunately, its just not as good as RULES OF PREY was.
Most of the blame falls on the romantic subplot, which just isn't very compelling, and relies heavily on Davenport's apparent ability to have every woman in the world fall in love with him. It's just not all that convincing, and I found it distracting.
The A-plot of the book is actually quite interesting, about a group of Native Americans who follow an elaborate revenge plot. Again, though, there were times I had to suspend just a little too much of my disbelief.
The action is quite good, and there are some genuinely suspenseful moments. I'm told these books get better as the series progresses, so I'll definitely read the next in the series eventually.
Most of the blame falls on the romantic subplot, which just isn't very compelling, and relies heavily on Davenport's apparent ability to have every woman in the world fall in love with him. It's just not all that convincing, and I found it distracting.
The A-plot of the book is actually quite interesting, about a group of Native Americans who follow an elaborate revenge plot. Again, though, there were times I had to suspend just a little too much of my disbelief.
The action is quite good, and there are some genuinely suspenseful moments. I'm told these books get better as the series progresses, so I'll definitely read the next in the series eventually.
January 16, 2025
This was my second Lucas Davenport (Prey series) book, and the second in the series. I'm a huge Virgil Flowers fan, another Sandford character who works for Lucas Davenport for most of the series. So I'm really hoping to get into the Prey series, but so far, I'm disappointed. A lot of people like this series, some better than the other, so I'm planning to continue for at least another few books, in the hopes that it will get better with experience - and hoping for an appearance from that damn Flowers, too.
My main problem with this one is that so far, Lucas Davenport is not that likeable. He drives around in a Porche, which seems like a poor choice for a cop, unless your name is Sonny Crockett (Miami Vice). Also, there's too much womanizing in my opinion. Even though he's got a serious girlfriend he wants to marry, and has a kid with her, he still plays around, saying he can't help himself. These things make him seem a bit weak to me. Especially after giving out confidential information to his girlfriend, a reporter, in the first book.
This story was fairly interesting, with several bad guys working more or less together. We knew who they were for most of the story, and in fact, the police also knew, or at least were pretty certain for much of the story. But they were hard to catch, and somewhat ruthless.
The story continued a bit after everything was solved and the bad guys were all dealt with. I'm not too sure this was really necessary; to me, at least, it was mostly pretty boring and seemed to drag on too long.
EDIT: After reading a lot more of the series, I've done a reversal and it has become a favorite series, plus I now like Lucas Davenport better than Virgil Flowers, I believe. But Virgil is fading from my memory, and his brief appearances in this series are usually not very interesting.
My main problem with this one is that so far, Lucas Davenport is not that likeable. He drives around in a Porche, which seems like a poor choice for a cop, unless your name is Sonny Crockett (Miami Vice). Also, there's too much womanizing in my opinion. Even though he's got a serious girlfriend he wants to marry, and has a kid with her, he still plays around, saying he can't help himself. These things make him seem a bit weak to me. Especially after giving out confidential information to his girlfriend, a reporter, in the first book.
This story was fairly interesting, with several bad guys working more or less together. We knew who they were for most of the story, and in fact, the police also knew, or at least were pretty certain for much of the story. But they were hard to catch, and somewhat ruthless.
The story continued a bit after everything was solved and the bad guys were all dealt with. I'm not too sure this was really necessary; to me, at least, it was mostly pretty boring and seemed to drag on too long.
EDIT: After reading a lot more of the series, I've done a reversal and it has become a favorite series, plus I now like Lucas Davenport better than Virgil Flowers, I believe. But Virgil is fading from my memory, and his brief appearances in this series are usually not very interesting.
March 20, 2025
2nd read - A Minneapolis landlord, universally despised, is killed in a ritualistic manner. How do you narrow the field of suspects when it could be anyone he ever met? Thus begins the second in the Davenport series.
Native Americans who call Minnesota their home have devised a plan to exterminate higher up lowlifes, but their ulterior motive is to pull in a Washington D.C. government type who is even worse than they are.
Lucas and Jennifer have had their baby, but when a N.Y.C. policewoman comes to town to help, the fury begins! Great story, action, and we see Del for the first time.
1st read - The 2nd installment in the Lucas Davenport storyline. The Minneapolis detective is pulled into the hunt for someone who is killing people who have no connection to one another. The only link is that it seems to be Native Americans doing the killing.
Lucas is balancing his girlfriend, their new baby and his net of informers. Soon, a female detective arrives from New York City, and his already chaotic life accelerates towards the deep end.
These stories are an andrenaline ride, mixed with humor and cringe-worthy male chauvinism.
Native Americans who call Minnesota their home have devised a plan to exterminate higher up lowlifes, but their ulterior motive is to pull in a Washington D.C. government type who is even worse than they are.
Lucas and Jennifer have had their baby, but when a N.Y.C. policewoman comes to town to help, the fury begins! Great story, action, and we see Del for the first time.
1st read - The 2nd installment in the Lucas Davenport storyline. The Minneapolis detective is pulled into the hunt for someone who is killing people who have no connection to one another. The only link is that it seems to be Native Americans doing the killing.
Lucas is balancing his girlfriend, their new baby and his net of informers. Soon, a female detective arrives from New York City, and his already chaotic life accelerates towards the deep end.
These stories are an andrenaline ride, mixed with humor and cringe-worthy male chauvinism.
Read
February 22, 2016I had to DNF this book because I just could not get into. There are several reasons why. One I just can't connect to the protagonist, Lucas Davenport. He has an attitude of nonchalance it seems, like his sh*t don't stink, he is a player, and he is as much of a criminal as the criminals are.
Also I don't enjoy that there really is not any mystery to the book. You see the crimes happen, but you already know who the culprit is. I want a mystery that holds mystery, and I get to help solve it. I just don't get that in this series so far. I will not be rating this book since I did not finish it. It is just not a series for me. I will not b going any further with this series.
Also I don't enjoy that there really is not any mystery to the book. You see the crimes happen, but you already know who the culprit is. I want a mystery that holds mystery, and I get to help solve it. I just don't get that in this series so far. I will not be rating this book since I did not finish it. It is just not a series for me. I will not b going any further with this series.
February 26, 2016
I started reading this series as a buddy read and from all of the great reviews, I thought it was right up my alley, however, I just can't connect with the main character. He is an intelegent, womanizing, adulterous cad. The story was okay but tedious and I found myself loosing attention. The ending was exciting but not satisfying. I've been told Lucas becomes more interesting and not so demeaning in the next books, I'm just not sure I'm going to continue.
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