After 23 novels in the series there isn’t much Lucas
Davenport has not seen before. This scene is a new one and very disturbing. The
Brooks family home has been turned into a scene that screams of terror and
desperation. The dogs were just killed. The family, a dad, wife, and two kids
were tortured and eventually killed. Left behind written on a wall, most likely
using the blood and one of the dad’s cut off fingers, is a chilling message--
“Were Coming.”
What the missing apostrophe means and who is coming
are just two of the many questions the brutal crime scene raises for Lucas
Davenport and others in various law enforcement agencies. Considering the
carnage and the likely assumption that the family was tortured for information
it has all the appearances of the work of Mexican Drug Traffickers. However,
the family does not appear the type to be involved with that sort of thing. The
husband, Patrick Brooks, ran a software company while the mom, Candice Brooks,
was potentially a state senate candidate. There certainly isn’t anything at all
to explain the massacre. A massacre that becomes major news, not just in
Minneapolis/St Paul, but across the nation in this day and age of cable news
that eats this kind of story up.
A story that quickly comes to the attention to all of
those who started this murder ball rolling.
While the killers are happy to see word of their ongoing exploits on TV,
those who orchestrated the plan and unknowingly triggered events now know they
have a huge problem.
This latest in the series continues the recent trend
of heavy action, short scenes, constant changes in pov, and a relentless pace
that moves rapidly things forward for over 400 pages. There isn’t any new
character development for Lucas Davenport and his home family. None is expected
after so many books. As for his law enforcement family, all the regulars such
as his Del, Shaffer, Rose Marie, Sandy and other make their usual appearances. Even
Virgil Flowers makes an appearance in a secondary story line that eventually
provides several chuckles towards the end.
Some “reviewers” have publicly speculated that this
novel was not written by John Sandford. Beyond the fact that they have provided
zero evidence of such a dubious claim, this novel is exactly the tone and style
of the recent books. Clearly this reviewer was not present to watch the master
at work (would have been a wonderful experience), but the idea that it is not
his work is laughable after reading the novel.
Stolen
Prey: A Novel is another hard hitting action read in
this enjoyable series. Much like the Porsche Lucas drives, the story roars wide
open providing readers yet another high octane mystery ride.
Stolen
Prey: A Novel
John
Sandford
G.
P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group-USA)
May
2012
ISBN#
978-0-399-15768-4
Hardback
402
Pages
$27.95
Material supplied by the good folks
of the Plano Texas Public Library System. Again this year the summer reading
challenge for adults and kids is now underway. For more information go to
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
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