From the Bookshelf of 2-3-4 Challenge…

Shadow Prey (Lucas Davenport, #2)

John Sandford

Start date: February 1, 2024

Finish date: February 29, 2024

Discussion: Series Group Read - 2024

Discussion leader: Jonetta

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Series Group Read - 2024

* Winter Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #5) - July/August 2024
By Jonetta · 3 posts · 9 views

last updated Jul 02, 2024 06:05AM

* Lucas Davenport by John Sandford
By Jonetta · 16 posts · 20 views

last updated Dec 09, 2023 01:12PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 22, 2024 Jonetta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller, group-read, 2024-beat-the-backlist, audiobook, 2024-audiobook-challenge, 3500-2022

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 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.
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Mar 07, 2024 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-crime, audio, indigenous-people-in-na

I read Shadow Prey many years ago, but reread it for a group read and realized that I had forgotten most of the story. The book opens with a few murders spread throughout the US, a slum lord in Minneapolis, a judge in Oklahoma, and an up and coming politician in New York. All of these victims have had their throats slashed with a Native American ceremonial knife. Because the first crime was in Minneapolis, Lucas Davenport teams up with Lieutenant Lily Rothenburg, an NYPD detective, to stop the m ...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Connie rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. It was very fast paced and everything made sense from beginning to end. There was not much talk about Lucas and his game playing in this one because there was so much going on with the Indians in this story.

This book didn't really go over the past book at all. It assumed you remembered what happened in the first one so didn't spend half the book telling you the past. I like that about this book. It had a story and it was told in chronological order.

I would class this one in ...more

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Feb 04, 2024 Charlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: follow-this-series, mystery, crime, rated-not-reviewed, search-ohio, adult-themes, investigative-journalism, law-enforcement, public-library, series-by-author

The time of this story was about 1990, and the reader recalls things that we had to use instead of the conveniences we now have; e.g. pay and home telephones, and cassette tapes to record.

I must admit that Lucas Davenport's amorality bothers me, in his relationships with women (even a married woman) and the way he operates on the streets to get the "bad guys." The latter, I think, must be common police procedure.

The setting in Minneapolis is somewhat familiar to me, since my husband was from Nor ...more

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Feb 25, 2024 Sharon Kallenberger Marzola rated it liked it

Shelves: series, mystery, suspense-thriller, audio-whispersync, review-needed, buddy-read, police-procedural

I need to think about my review.

Generally, I was captivated by the social commentary but taking the law in your own hands doesn't work even when I think it is justified. I'm angry with the Lucas and Lily subplot. I don't know if I can continue reading about Lucas cheating. In the first book, Jennifer seems to play his game, so his extracurricular activities didn't bother me so much. The events in this book are over a year later, and Lucas' shenanigans didn't work. Also, this series paints a sad ...more

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