Silent Prey by John Sandford Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Silent Prey
Book Review: Not the greatest, but nothing really to complain about
Summary: 3 Stars
"Silent Prey" was a solid if unspectacular read. I guess I was a little disappointed that the complexity and richness promised by the set up, where two major plotlines are set in motion, didn't actually come about. Rather, you get a pretty good serial killer plotline (Lucas Davenport's rematch with the psychotic physician Michael Bekker) and a sketchy, not-often-mentioned secondary plot involving police vigilantes. This second plot was also a little gimmicky, relying on 11th hour "aha!" moments in Davenport's head as he pieces together the little details he's accumulated over the course of the story. Not bad stuff, mind you, but I guess I prefer more operatic, sweeping Davenport moments rather than the Sherlock Holmes-style deduction scenes on hand here.
Another quibble: The previous novel, "Eyes of Prey", had a terrific final-page revelation about one of the series major supporting players, so I quickly picked up this next installment to see how Lucas would deal with this person in light of the information he now had about the character. But "Silent Prey" deals only briefly with the issue, and not in the meaty fashion I was waiting for. Oh well, there's always the next book.
To conclude with some of the story's strengths, I once again enjoyed the cop banter (though Lucas is technically only a consultant to the cops this time out), the action scenes, the clever surprises (especially in the Bekker storyline) and the big confrontations. And Lucas' passionate yet troubled interaction with the fairer sex remains compelling.
Perhaps I'll give Lucas Davenport and John Sandford a bit of a break before moving on in this series, as maybe it's a little unfair of me to dive right into each installment with big expectations. So I think I'll first let another thriller writer or two entertain me before heading back to this series to check out "Winter Prey". But I will be back.
Book Review: One of the Best "Preys"
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read every book in Sandford's "Prey" series and this is one of the best. Once again the insane Dr. Bekker (die already) is back. This one is a must read, however, if you have not read EYES OF PREY, read it first...its makes this one much better. (For that matter, read them all, they are all very good!)Book Review: Ordinary Entertaining Prey Book.
Summary: 4 Stars
John Sandford's Silent Prey was an entertaining read. The most interesting thing about Silent Prey was the complexity of the plot. The plot in Silent Prey was complex because there were actually two cases of serial murder happening at the same time. One serial killing was by Dr. Michael Becker, a brilliant but insane pathologist; the other was by a group of vigilantes killing petty crooks and criminals. Lucas was called in by Lily Rothenburg (old friend) to help work on both cases. The rest of the story involves Lucas`s attempt to solve both cases and contains a nasty breach of trust.
I disliked the fact that Lucas Davenport seemed amoral in this story. Lucas showed no qualms for killing other people. At the start of Silent Prey, Lucas wanted to get into a bar fight just for fun. He threatened and physically abused people to get information. Bekker was also simply too good at committing crimes and escaping capture. And the fact that Bekker appeared almost supernatural reminded me that I was reading fiction.
Silent Prey was a fun read. I recommend it to people who like detective novels and thrillers.
Book Review: Sandford achieves excellence
Summary: 5 Stars
I was amazed to find that, as much as I enjoyed Eyes of Prey, Silent Prey was even better. This book has it all -- characters, suspense, mystery, scenery, and plot. If Sandford's Prey series is, as it should be, read in sequence (Rules, Shadow, Eyes, Silent,...), this book provides a nice continuity by revisiting characters from the preceding works. I don't give 5-star ratings lightly -- this is the first in the series which I think justifies it. But in this book the series reaches a level of excellence which is really memorable.Book Review: Sequel to Eyes of Prey is Okay
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read maybe half of the "Prey" series by John Sandford and one of its biggest strengths is Sandford's ability to create new, unique plots each time out. Based on reading other authors, it seems sometimes a series can be difficult to keep fresh and new. Silent Prey is one of two books that I know of that carry over a villian from one book to the next.
Michael Becker is the evil surgeon who Lucas Davenport mutilated but didn't kill at the end of Eyes of Prey. Becker escapes from prison and moves to New York and begins killing again. Lucas is called to consult on the case by ex-lover NYC cop Lily Rothenburg. Lily also wants Lucas to investigate some cops that are killing bad guys one the side. These guys went overboard and killed Lily's friend who was investigating them.
So, Silent Prey is somewhat repetitive with the Becker case but Stanford mixes in the police case equally well. This is another solid thriller by Sandford with believable police work and sustainable suspense.
Like all books in the series, the word "Jesus" is used more than in the bible and the "F-word" is used more than 99% of all R-rated movies. I don't know how realistic this is but it must be what Sandford's world is like. Still, this is a fun series and this entry doesn't disappoint.
One final note; Eyes of Prey ended with a sudden revelation of who Becker's wife's lover was. In Silent Prey the action ends then Sandford writes 3 more chapters filling the readers in on some of the unanswered questions. I appreciated that because many authors leave clues then fail to conclude them at the end.