Who Would Like This Book:
If you love gritty, fast-paced police procedurals with relentless serial killers and flawed, larger-than-life detectives, this is right up your alley. Lucas Davenport is a compelling antihero - charming, brilliant, and totally unpredictable - while the Minnesota setting adds an atmospheric chill. Sandford’s ability to get into both the killer’s and detective’s heads gives the story extra suspense. Fans of Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and classic '80s/'90s crime fiction will feel right at home.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers bounce off Davenport’s brash, sometimes chauvinistic attitude and his complicated relationships with women - he’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. The book can be graphic, especially when it comes to violence and the killer’s POV, so it’s not ideal for those who prefer their mysteries on the Cozy end of the spectrum. Additionally, the writing style, with frequent POV shifts, might feel jarring or dated to modern readers.
About:
"Rules of Prey" by John Sandford follows the story of Lucas Davenport, a tough and unconventional police lieutenant, as he hunts down a psycho serial killer in the Twin Cities. The killer leaves behind notes with 'Rules' for other serial killers, creating a cat and mouse game with Davenport. The book is a gritty and action-packed police procedural that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, blending suspense with a complex character like Lucas Davenport who is both a brilliant detective and a womanizer.
The writing style of "Rules of Prey" is described as fast-paced, taunt, and engrossing, with a well-developed setting and a plot that keeps the tension high as Davenport races against time to catch the killer. The book introduces readers to a range of fascinating characters within the Minneapolis police department and sets the stage for a series filled with thrilling crime-solving adventures.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic depictions of sexual violence, misogyny, and general violence associated with the serial killer.
Has Romance?
While there are romantic elements involving Lucas Davenport's relationships, they are often superficial and entwined with the darker themes of the story.
From The Publisher:
#1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford's "haunting, unforgettable, ice-blooded thriller"* that introduced Lucas Davenport...
The killer was mad but brilliant.
He left notes with every woman he killed. Rules of murder: Never have a motive. Never follow a discernible pattern. Never carry a weapon after it has been used...So many rules to his sick, violent games of death.
But Lucas Davenport, the cop who's out to get him, isn't playing by the rules.
"Terrifying...Sandford has crafted the kind of trimmed-to-the-bone thriller that is hard to put down…scary...intriguing...unpredictable."-Chicago Tribune
"Rules of Prey is so chilling that you're almost afraid to turn the pages. So mesmerizing you cannot stop...A crackle of surprises."-*Carl Hiaasen
"Sleek and nasty...A big scary, suspenseful read, and I loved every minute of it."-Stephen King
"A cop and a killer you will remember for a long, long time."-Robert B. Parker
Ratings (52)
Incredible (7) | |
Loved It (23) | |
Liked It (17) | |
It Was OK (3) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (106):
Read It (55) | |
Want To Read (27) | |
Not Interested (24) |
3 comment(s)
Based on suggestions I gave a try on prey series. But the story doesn't have anything to make it interesting.. Have to rethink about going for another one from this series..
Didn't found this suspenseful or entertaining as I had hoped. Found it tedious to follow maddog. Not a book for me
It’s a great, pacey, serial killer thriller. There’s a bad guy with a plan, a successful plan. There are well-meaning cops with little or no chance of catching the guy unless he makes a mistake, and finally, there’s the lead, a man determined, capable and ruthless enough to force that mistake.
There’s a convoluted, soap opera-ish back-story that should detract from my enjoyment but that is so well written and so subservient to the plot that it doesn’t. And when I say it’s subservient, I mean that it is both secondary in the story and secondary in the lives of the characters. A trick that allows you to enjoy the private life of the hero without ever worrying that it will take over the book.
What can you read after
Rules of Prey?
About the Author:
John Sandford is the pseudonym for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. He is the author of the Prey novels, the Kidd novels, the Virgil Flowers novels, and six other books, including three YA novels co-authored with his wife Michele Cook.
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