TWISTED PREY by John Sandford
It is amazing how certain authors develop a specific style of writing. Karin Slaughter is a raw writer; Michael Connelly infuses his stories with a bit of melancholy; Jeffery Deaver goes for the details. Then there is John Sandford. When he creates a novel, especially a “Lucas Davenport” story, he goes for the gusto. Every one of these books, and TWISTED PREY is the 28th in the Davenport series , is full of hard riding, hard shooting, go for broke enthusiasm.
Lucas Davenport is now a U. S. Marshall. He still lives in Minnesota but his work takes him across the country. This time out he gets a call from Senator Porter Smalls who asks him to investigate an assassination attempt on his life. Smalls thinks fellow senator Taryn Grant might have been behind it but he can’t prove it. Smalls, Davenport and Grant have a history so Lucas is eager to jump on board.
When he does, he gets involved in one of the most exciting chases of his career. It mostly takes place in the DC area and involves his stay at the notorious Watergate Hotel. He has called in his two assistants Bob and Rae and they go all out to find the person(s) behind the assassination plot on Smalls.
Grant is of course behind it but she is determined she will not be blamed. She lines up a full party of henchmen to go after Lucas. It turns into a gunfight at the OK Corral, or at least a gunfight at the Watergate Hotel. There are bullets blazing at every turn and the whole tempo and flavor of the story is like a western actioner at its best.
Sandford has certainly not lost any of his talent or steam as TWISTED PREY so efficiently proves. He is still hell-bent for leather as he moves Lucas from one confrontation to the next in the twists of TWISTED PREY. It is a wild and wooly ride but it is all still within the realm of possibility, no straying into fantasyland with this story.
Davenport has long been one of my favorite fictional characters, along with hiss wife Weather and daughter Letty. They are also included in this story and even Virgil Flowers makes a cameo appearance. It doesn’t get much better than that, and mysteries don’t get much better than TWISTED PREY
TWISTED PREY is published by G P Putnam’s Sons. It contains 400 pages and sells for $29.00.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
