Monday, April 20, 2009

Rules of Prey by John Sandford


Copyright: 1989
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Mystery
Pages:353
Challenges: 1st in a series challenge(alternate)
New-to-me author? Yes
Author’s website

Simple Description
Lucas Davenport is a lieutenant with the local police station. He also creates computer games on the side. The story starts with a serial killer on the loose and Davenport being followed by the police. They have surveillance on him. Of course, Lucas isn’t supposed to know this, but he was able to pick up on it. When the serial killer strikes again, Lucas learns that he was being followed for fear that he was the serial killer. Now, he is put on the investigation. He might have an iffy track record (killing 5 times in the line of duty) and do things a little differently than the rules say, but he is one heck of an investigator.

The serial killer is maddog. He likes to leave notes with the victims. These notes are rules that he must follow so as not to be caught. He’s made it a game with the police.

Lucas has some relationships with the news broadcasters. In fact, we soon learn that one of them purposefully got pregnant with his child. He begins to weave a story regarding Maddog. He picks one of the news broadcasters and starts to leak information to her. However this info is incorrect, he knows that, but the news lady doesn’t. He’s trying to draw Maddog out in the open.
The story is good because we get the story and investigation from Lucas point of view. We also get a lot of other info regarding Lucas this way. However we also get info from the killer’s point of view. We know from the beginning who this guy is. So it’s fun to see the investigation come together and how it all happens.

Why did I read this book?
I’ve been wanting to read this book for while, I kept being told the series was really good. This is the author of the month for one of my yahoo groups, so that was just the push I needed to finally read it.

What I liked most:
I liked Lucas. He was a great character. He has his faults, but at the same time you can’t help but root for him and hope things all work out. The story also kept me interested from the very beginning.

Was there something I didn’t like?
Not really

Do I recommend the book?
I do. I think this is a mystery book/series that a lot of people will like. The characters are good, the story was interesting, and the writing was good.

Have you reviewed this book on your blog? Leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll link it below.
Sorry, no linked reviews yet.



Happy Reading and thanks for stopping by……Kris

9 comments:

Lezlie said...

If you keep going with this series, wait until you meet Dr. Michael Becker in Eyes of Prey and Silent Prey (Books 3 & 4). He is one of the creepiest villains ever!

Lezlie

bermudaonion said...

I like this series, too - I think I've read every book in it. Great review.

Unknown said...

Lezlie - oh wow - the creepiest villian? I just have to keep reading this series now!!!

Bermudaonion - Thanks. I do plan to continue reading them. It will probably just be slow going.. although, see above, I really want to get to this creepy villian now!

Dorte H said...

I have read 2-3 Lucas Davenport stories; I think they are interesting and well-written, and I am certainly going to read more as they find their way to our local library.

Unknown said...

Dorte - I hope more find their way to you! I don't know if I've heard a bad thing about this series.

Beth F said...

Thanks!! I'll have to add this one to my list. I love good mystery series. Now the questions is when to fit it in my reading schedule!

Ladytink_534 said...

Honestly I can't remember why I picked up this series or why I stopped reading it after the third (?) one either. Glad you enjoyed it though!

Unknown said...

Ladytink - haha! I think that happens to the best of us.

JoanneMarie Faust said...

This is one of the few series that I never tire of. I'm currently getting a kick out of the fact that Lucas Davenport was my mother's fantasy boyfriend (with very good reason), and now I'm finding that Virgil Flowers in a parallel series of Sandford books is mine.

I'm already on the waiting list for the next Prey book.