I've followed John Sandford's "Prey" series of detective books for years.

Just bought, "Extreme Prey" and, "Golden Prey."

Haven't read them yet, but about 30 pages in on the first , looks good. He hasn't lost his touch.

Anyone else here read his books?

Never heard of him. I'll have to check him out.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I've read every one that I could get my hands on over the years. Have lost count, too often I've read them more than once.

I've read them all many times. Golden Prey is very good. Extreme Prey didn't appeal to me all that much. Gathering Prey is one of his best, in my opinion.

He's a very generous man. I photographed him in May of this year.

I have read a couple, but never bonded. If I was stuck in a cabin with a pile of them, I would read them, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them.

Yeah, that's him. His real name is John Camp. He used to be a columnist for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. I read him, but not faithfully. Lived for a number of years in a small city I represented. He always seemed to be a decent enough guy. He has done very well for himself with his books.

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Not in jail.

He's moved from MN to New Mexico. I wonder if it'll affect his plots in future.

He's a liberal, but does hunt and fish. Real name is John Camp.

Amazon has excerpts and reviews of his books.

That's a good photo and background. I'm impressed. Had you gotten him to adjust his coat collar, he might have used that pic on a book cover.

I just got hold of Gathering Prey but I've got about 30 more pages in Night School by Lee Child (Reacher novel) be fore I start it. Looking forward to that. And I'll be getting around to Golden Prey and Extreme Prey ASAP.

The pics I see of him on the dust covers of his books perfectly match what I imagine Lucas Davenport would look like if he were real. His general appearance especially his facial expression seem to be that of a rich but somewhat jaded homicide detective. He looks like he would not go looking for **** but he would certainly not take any and would not run from it. It would be your worst, last mistake to mess with him. Yep...he baaad!

Edit to add that I have also enjoyed his Virgil Flowers books.

Soime other very good writers in this genre are Micdhael Connelley, James Lee Burk and Robert Crais (pronounced Cray)

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Real men love cats!

Actually, I've always pictured Davenport as looking like a certain former Dallas city manager. The darkness...

And Davenport has that scar on his forehead and looks like the former hockey player he was. Six feet, 200 lbs.

If you look at the cover of the hardback ed. of David Lindsey's, In the Lake of the Moon, you'll see a picture VERY like my doctor. She was amazed when she looked it up. Thought I was just flirting. Check it out on the Net.

I've got the first three "Prey" novels on my Amazon wish list. You guys had better be right.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I have read them all and the Virgil Flowers and Kidd series as well. He did a si-fi with another author I got from the library that was well done also.

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Front sight and squeeze

I've read a few of his Virgil Flowers books. They were enjoyable. I haven't read any of the Prey series . . . yet.

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Or something like that . . .

Virgil Flowers is okay. He's too much of a laid back semi hippie for my tastes. Can't even keep his gun on him sometimes.

I prefer Davenport, and I like his college student stepdaughter. That girl is smart and has pluck.

Enjoy the reads, like well done mind candy. Never disappointing but for me quickly forgettable. The female half is always well represented and demanding of respect and the recurring characters and their quirks make for good filler.


I've read one of the Kidd novels, Devil's Code, the 2nd of his and did not care much for the story... not sure why, maybe trying too hard to portray an anti antihero. Finished the book, perhaps if I see the first I'll give it a try.

Rules of Prey, the first in the series, may seem a bit dated in parts, but it's a fast paced novel, so you don't notice that all that much. It was published twenty-eight years ago, after all, and there have been hundreds of books written about serial killers since then.

Shadow Prey holds up remarkably well, and is one of my favorites. Eyes of Prey is genuinely creepy.

You should enjoy the books, especially if you're going to read them in chronological order. Reading them in order allows you to see the development of the Lucas Davenport character, along with that of the supporting characters.

It might also interest you to know, since you live in Iowa, that John Sandford is originally from that state. Iowa is often mentioned in his books, though not always in a positive manner.

John Sandford won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism in 1986 for his series about the farm crisis of the eighties, and how one family endured it.

It isn't as if he "can't" keep his gun on him, or that he forgets to carry it. He often chooses not to keep it on. Virgil really doesn't want to shoot anyone.

Virgil is sort of laid back, but that doesn't make him any less effective. He's also subject to fits of temper and behavior that might be considered just outside the law. Unlike Davenport, he's an Army veteran, a former military policeman. Lucas Davenport is really a thinly-veiled killer, himself...Flowers is not.

It wouldn't have made much sense (especially from a commercial standpoint) for Sandford to have created a Davenport clone for a separate series of thrillers.

I have read every one of his novels, and look forward to his next. The majority are on my Kindle, and I have read most of them a 2nd time. One of the "good" things about the mid 70's, your memory isn't very good, and you can enjoy a lot of the books you have previously read all over again.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I think I have read them all. That's no big deal, because he really only has one plot, he just changes the scenery and his agency once in a while. Now he's a U.S. Marshal who can pick his own assignments? Yeah, don't see that happenin' any time soon.

Speaking of one plot that varies with the scenery, do you read Jack Higgins's books? I mean those featuring Sean Dillon and that cast.

Read all but the latest; good plot, good pace, and believeable characters. The Flowers novels are about on par. The Kidd novels...well, not for me.

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50 Years of Wish You Were Here

The guy can really write a good story. Be aware once you start reading his books you won't stop. Just saying...

Sanford is a great writer with several series of books. Wish he could write faster. They are easy reads and a great way to spend an evening!

Read Dead Watch, very engaging story.

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Bob

i read them all until he started throwing political **** in the books...
no more...
that was years ago.

bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

I think I have read all his books and like them. A few gun errors but actually interesting stories that keep you going. I am currently reading the Sci fi he wrote named Saturn Run. Some very interesting concepts.

Nope, but I just got completely hooked on Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series.

I've read a couple of his Mickey Haller books, too, and will get back to them in chronological order once I've finished off Bosch.

Yep. Oct 31 "Two Kinds of Truth" will be released. Been waiting all summer.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

GA 1911, thanks for the Amor Towles tip. Looks good — I will check him out.

I have read some of John Sanford’s stuff, but did not enjoy it enough to go out of my way to read it all, as I do with some authors.

I will throw James Lee Burke into the conversation, especially his Dave Robicheaux (sp?) series.

I've read many of the Prey series titles--most were good stories, some a little creepy, but generally decent reads. I would add to the list of suggestions presented here the author Alan Furst. Mission To Paris, Spies Of Warsaw, Blood Victory, and a few others: all great espionage stories set in Europe of the 1930s and 40s. Good stuff.

It'll be a longer wait for me.

I'm trying to go chrono. I read "The Burning Room" first then went to the start off the Bosch series and am up to "The Last Coyote."

Try David Lindsey. Especially, "Spiral", ""Mercy" and,"A Cold Mind."
"Requiem For a Glass Heart" is also terrific.

I don't think he's still writing, but most libraries and book stores, especially for used books, should have his novels. Amazon probably has them.

He's more cerebral than many mystery writers, and his tales have an elegance lacking in most. His Sgt. Stuart Haydon and other lead characters are among the best yet created.

The gunfight in, "Spiral" that killed Detective Ed Mooney is the most realistic I've read.

I've read all of Sandford's books, and just finished "Deep Freeze" his latest Virgil Sanders book. I've actually come to like the Virgil series better than the Prey series, since Lucas Davenport got married and became a family man. Even Virgil is in a committed relationship now, though...they just seem to be "settled down" more than they used to be. These are still are very enjoyable reads, IMO.

Some crime/thriller/detective writers hit their peak years ago. James Lee Burke and Robert Crais come immediately to mind.

I've completely stopped reading Lee Child. I'm sure he won't miss my business, but still, the whole Reacher character and concept just got old really fast for me.

But Michael Connelly just keeps getting better and better. He really began to hit his stride with 1997's Trunk Music, which I consider to be a masterpiece of the genre.

His series featuring attorney Mickey Haller is excellent, and are almost as popular as the Bosch series.

I read every one of Sandfords novels up to a couple years ago. Then I realized several of his "new" PREY novels were merely re-issues of older books. Same experience with Clive Cussler. Lots of new stuff out there, so I don't read re-runs. Just me

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John

I'd be interested to know which books you consider to be re-issues of his older books. Seriously.

Here's a list of Sandford/Camp works:

John Sandford - The Official Website

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Bob

Agree with you about Connellys time line. Angels Flight was the first I read, and it got me reading all of his work.

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Halfway and one more step

Agreed. One of his Micky Haller stories was made into a movie staring Mathew McConahay (SP). I'm not a fan of that guy so I couldn't stay with the movie but the books are good.

And for a BIG FYI, Sanford has written a science fiction book titled SATURN RUN. I've seen the synopsis and It sounds good. I will be checkin' THAT ONE out, Don'tcha know.

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Real men love cats!

Those early books were great. Trunk Music, Concret BLond, etc were awesome. And did you know that one of his books titled Blood work was made into an movie. Clint Eastwood his good self played Bosh. It was a good movie.

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Real men love cats!

Angels Flight is excellent.

The thing about Connelly's books, no matter who he's writing about...Bosch, Haller, etc....his "bad guys" are completely realistic in nature. They aren't exaggerations of a type like you'll find in most of James Lee Burke's books about Dave Robicheaux, and even some of the Elvis Cole novels by Robert Crais. I do love Burke's work, especially the early stuff, and have read just about everything he's ever written.

Well, Jack, I hate to correct you, but for literary factualness, I reckon I gotta.

In the film Bloodwork, Clint Eastwood played the part of FBI agent Terry McCaleb. McCaleb was also a successful heart transplant patient.

I bought the book, Bloodwork, when it was first published. I did read it, but only once. For some reason, the McCaleb character just didn't work for me, so the book went back on the shelf, never (so far) to be read again. If I'm not mistaken, Connelly killed off McCaleb after about three books.

DOAH! Man is my face red. You are correct. I appreciate the correction. One morning really soon I'm gonna lose what's left of my mind. Y'all keep and eye on me and be sure and lemme know if I wander off some where...

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Real men love cats!

Well, after the above I am reluctant to offer anything else pertaining to what I remember about anything. But I DO remember that one of the good things about the early prey books like Eyes of prey, Winter Prey etc was that you get some of the story through the eyes and point of view of the killer. I don't think I've noticed any other writer in this genre doing that and the way Sanford did it made for a good story.

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Real men love cats!

Victoria Houston has a good series about a small town WI police chief who's a woman. She also fishes, and the author has studied flyfishing under Joan Wulff. Also does a little wingshooting with her Browning B-SS, I think in 20 ga.

She's one of the few mystery writers who actually owns a gun and hunts. Sandford (not Sanford) is another.

You may like David Lindsey's books, "Spiral" and, "Requiem For a Glass Heart" then. Both include the killer's view and there are reasons to sympathize with these killers. One was killing expatriate Mexican politicians who were corrupt and fled the country with vast sums. The other was killing for a Russian mobster who held her daughter to force her to kill for him.

One of the coldest and most dangerous was the killer in, "A Cold Mind", who used rabies virus to murder. Even the description of his apartment is chilling.

Lindsey was/is also a superb writer, who makes you feel as if you're there, watching everything unfold. You can practically SEE the settings and people. He works Houston as well or better than Robt. B. Parker did Boston in his Spencer books.

Robert B. Parker. Now there is one of my favorite writers. He wrote the Spenser novels and for a brief time it was a tv series called Spenser for Hire starring Robert Urich. It didn't last because you just can't get Spenser's smart mouth and quick wit on tv Maybe Urich just wasn't up to it. To do that you'd pretty much have to be a 24 hour a day smartaleck like Spenser. BTW that is the way the character spelled his name instead of the traditional Spencer....

Parker also wrote a couple of westerns that one of was made into a tv movie called Apolusa (SP) Not the horse but the name of a town. Starred Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. Very good movie I thought. Having a senior moment and can't remember the other western he wrote.

Having grown up in the Houston area I'll be interested in the Lindsey books. Can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for the heads up

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Real men love cats!

Yep. At the ripe old age of 73 I'm finding out that loosing your mind ain't all bad. actually, at this point in my deterioration I only really need about a dozen each of books and Movies.

Case in point, I am reading Sandford's Gathering Prey right now and was only a few pages into it when it dawned on me that I've already read it. I can remember the the things as I read them but I have no memory of what I haven't read this time around.

Lucky me.

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Real men love cats!

Me too...I've read 18 of his novels, but they just aren't interesting for me any more.

Ironically, I was prepared to hate the Jack Reacher movie when I heard that Tom Cruise was playing Jack Reacher. My son insisted I go see it, and even paid for my ticket...and I found that I really enjoyed the movie. I haven't seen the second one yet (it's available on Amazon Prime) but I plan to.

There have been two movies made featuring the Lucas Davenport character, and they were both lousy (and that's putting it charitably, IMO.)

I was okay with Cruise as Reacher until I read the books. Reacher's size is a big deal in the books and explains a lot. Changed the dynamic for me about the character.

I read them all this year and now our town library has them.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I get the books from the library. Several times I've gotten books home and find I've already read them. I remember the story's but not the titles especially when several are something prey. I've read a lot of Sandfords, liked the Davenport & Flowers books, couldn't get into the Kidd novels. Now I'm reading Robert Parkers. I like the Spenser series and the westerns. I liked the Jesse Stone books but they had a couple of the movies on tv a while ago and I didn't care for them.