LUCAS DAVENPORT # 3 | Eyes of Prey

Addicted... | Eyes of Prey | John Sandford

books:


	• Eyes of Prey John Sandford Berkley, 2007 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 80 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Sandford provides great literary elements in EYES OF PREY. But is it enough?

Without a doubt, former beat reporter John Sandford has mesmerized audiences throughout the country with his continuous Prey series, featuring the notorious homicide detective Lucas Davenport, the dark-humored, womanizing, and no BS taking cop who investigates different cases through the Twin Cities. He has won many readers through his vividly crisp description, disturbing scenes, along with his venomous dialogue. Though he has won a majority of his readers in the third series entry EYES OF PREY, he does create some elements that deprive the readers of the author's normal routine of providing a fast paced read.

In this introduction of his first sub-series, Sandford begins to innovate an intensifying, disturbing tour into the mind of a madman in which readers can categorize as the Devil himself. At the beginning of EYES OF PREY, Davenport reluctantly agrees to pursue another homicide despite the traumatizing aftermath that he has conducted through a pair of previous cases he has taken. In Sandford's latest adventure, the wife of a well-respected pathologist as been brutally murdered. The thing that horrifies the town the most is none other than the mutilation of her eyes. From the testimonies of the witnesses, the killer at the scene happened to be a "troll" like figure, turning out later in the book to be Carlo Druze, a nonchalant and hideously scared individual who has no personal sentiment into committing a crime. While Davenport, along with his fellow partners in crime, investigate the case with more murders occurring, they later discover that Druze's puppeteer is none other than the one and only Dr. Michael Bekker, a brilliant madman who is cunningly one step ahead of Davenport. Despite the ghosts that have haunted Davenport in the past, he later realizes that he has met his match, one with a man whose mind, body, and soul is plagued with every aspect of death.

Those of all who have heavily praised EYES OF PREY have mostly indicated that this is one of the best Prey novels written by Sandford. Depending on the literary elements focused, such indication by them has to be questioned. The storyline, overall, will have readers seesawing their views on whether or not to recommend this to their friends.

EYES OF PREY is one of Sandford's best efforts based on some of the elements that he portrays in it. To give an example, the author yet again strongly portrays his biggest strength as a wordsmith. His descriptions of the scenes and emotions of the characters are phenomenal. By involving themselves in his lively scenes and settings, the reader can therefore identify the imagery of the book. In particular, the one that the majority of them will find impressive is the one at the beginning of Chapter 3 where Sandford cleverly describes the double life of Michael Bekker.

Another great element that the author portrays is the brilliant and cunning persona of this villainous doctor. His ability to get ahead of the authorities marvelously has the reader guessing on not only how Sandford will resolve the conflict in the story but, let alone, on how Davenport will prevail over him. The signature that the book portrays in this series is unforgettable. Sandford does a great job in portraying the true dark side of Lucas Davenport and Michael Bekker.

Despite of all of the positives mentioned about EYES OF PREY, the book nevertheless has some elements in it that are rather disappointing. For starters, the relationship that Lucas has between himself and Cassie is not very likeable. Her constant raunchy persona that she portrays toward Davenport makes it very implausible to believe the fact that the two have ever had a genuine rapport to begin with. Thereby, readers can easily categorize Cassie as the "hometown hooker."

The second and most important flaw of the book involves the lack of mystery that the book portrays in the storyline. Throughout chapter after chapter, Sandford waltzes around the story with regard to the same circumstantial evidence pointing toward Bekker; he continuously does donuts in asking the reader on whether or not Bekker actually committed the crimes and whether or not he, let alone, has a partner in crime. The reader, thus failing to drive the story forward, can consider this endless pounding of the same questions very annoying.

EYES OF PREY is one of the spookiest novels that Sandford has created in the series. He has illustrated to readers on how vivid his imagination can be, in addition to how dark and graphic of a story he can write. Nevertheless, the root of the storyline can be considered a little too foreshadowed. Excessive amounts of foreshadowing, just like what Sandford does in this entry, can be categorized as a hint to a weak storyline.

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LUCAS DAVENPORT # 3

Once again thank you John Sandford for the Prey series. EYES OF PREY is the third book in the series and I am here to say Lucas Davenport is one of the best detectives out there and the series through this third book is outstanding. How often have you picked up a book and read an author's introduction that warns you of the violence and sicko bad guy in the book?? Actually two bad guys, Carlo Druze and Dr. Michael Bekker, the really bad drugged out maniac. The opening murder, of Bekker's wife, is so different from what I have read. One man kills, one man plans, a third sees it and in a panic cleans up the crime scene. Very unusual. Lucas Davenport is a nasty guy, to other cops, superior officers, friends, but he is a cops cop. Watch him nail this sicko killer and enjoy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. On to SILENT PREY.

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Addicted...

I've been reading all of the Prey series books by John Sandford...haven't been disappointed in any of them. Eyes of Prey was no exception...how does he come up with this stuff?!

Now, if only Lucas Davenport would move in next door to me...it would never be boring!! Of course, who knows, my house could be bombed, burned to the ground or invaded by psycho killers...

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Pehraps the best thriller in this great series

The third novel of the "Prey" series is an excellent mystery of a deranged killer who is completely without a moral compass and becomes Lucas Davenport's worst nightmare. Michael Bekker, doctor, drug addict and psychopath is obsessed with what people see who depart this life as they cross to the other side. Bekker leaves a repulsive calling card on his victims as a means of covering up his dark deeds but a series of missteps by an accomplice puts Bekker on Davenport's radar screen. An interesting parallel to the story is the identity of "lover boy", who stumbled on the first killing by accident but refuses to come forward with information to help catch the killer. Another sidebar is Davenport's relationship with a young actress who unwittingly becomes a major player during the investigation and finds herself in harm's way. The unabridged audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Richard Ferrone who is the voice of hero Lucas Davenport.

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Missing Sight

Very different - lots of drugs involved with one of the killers. He is a real sicko.
Lucas again has his trysts but still thinks of his ex. I'm not sure that all the extra romance(??) is necessary for a good mystery.

Just about finished with this book and will start the next in Sandford's writing order.

Number-one New York Times bestselling author John Sandford pits Lieutenant Lucas Davenport against two killers, men as different as night and day-except in the method of their madness. It's all in the eyes...