When a supermodel is found strangled at a house party, her death creates a media frenzy. On top of this there is a second body found in the closet of the same house (though apparently nobody cares about this unknown person), and an undercover officer was at the party. It is a complicated situation facing Davenport and his team.

There are many suspects thanks to a house full of high and drunk people.

The crime in this one is less intriguing to me than in previous volumes. I really didn't care much about it. Lucas' personal life provides a lit of humor though. There is Weather whom he still loves may be interested in a reconciliation. There is a flirtation with an ex-model who is a potential witness. And an old girlfriend is a surprise appearance in his life.

Everything about this book feels different to me. It is funnier. It is less twisty. And we are rarely given glimpses into the killer's POV. I have to admit I missed it, and liked this one far less than the previous few.

Sanford is an excellent writer who develops a mystery that surprises at the end. Although I enjoyed this one, I believe several of his other are a little better, although I can recommend this one.

Not one of my favorites, but the plot is so complex and dense that it’d be hard for any fan of mystery or crime fiction to not enjoy it. It’s ironic, because when I started the series I really didn’t like the Davenport-Antagonist twin perspective where we learn, if not the killer’s identity, a shitload about them from the getgo. I grew to relish these opposing perspectives and watching them grow ever closer to the always-awesome climax.

Well, Secret Prey kind of broke the formula and it ended up being probably my least favorite Davenport so far. After the amazing last novel which was a return to said formula, I kind of groaned when I saw this one was gonna be another mystery where we have little to no idea who the one perpetrator is. I shouldn’t have worried, because this one was a super solid if not fantastic entry in the series. The black humor, rising tension and wonderful characters are all in full force. Del is probably still my favorite of Davenport’s crew, no idea why some dude named Flowers got a series before him.

One major thing that was irritating about this novel was Davenport’s ridiculous juggling of the women in his life. It was obnoxious but acceptable in the earlier novels, but Lucas had seemingly matured and deepened from the obnoxious asshole in Rules of Prey. Not so in this book, which has him bouncing around between Weather, Sherrill, some old fuckin’ flame Sandford introduced for no apparent reason, and a POI in the current case. Look, I get that a major theme of the series is obsession with women but gimme a break. Let’s just have Weather and Lucas get back together for good and start focusing on chasing some supervillain psychos.

An early Lucas Davenport has him chasing down the killer of a popular photographers model at a party as well as another guest. At the same time he is torn between an old college girlfriend his surgeon friend who seems to have forgiven him for problems in an earlier book and one of the women involved in the current case. Sandford always delivers a good read and as usual I enjoyed this one,

Notes to remember story:

Davenport called in for a new case
a famous model Alie’e.. after a night of partying, drugs, and sex with 2 other women has been found strangled
along with another woman also strangled that was stuffed in the closet
everytime they think they have the killer, that person is killed
Bill Spooner- involved in banking and Martin Scott- a cola driver end up being the killers

Davenport’s love life remains upside down and he is
reverting back to his man whore ways, while still trying to get Weather back

and the very end an unknown woman mysteriously calls

Not one of my favorites. The cops, including Davonport, had a hard time coming up with a coherent premise for their investigation. There were two many possible motives and too many suspects and not one of them turned out to be right. At the same time Davenport is also bungling his relationships with women. This felt more like a bridge book: it just doesn't stand up well on its own merits.

Brilliant. Love the ongoing back and forth for Lucas at this stage of the Prey series, between his bust-up with Weather, and his new interest in Jael and Catrin. Love how life just gets more and more complicated for him, never mind trying to find two killers.
The crime plot is solid as always with the typical twist after twist. This time the ending gets just a bit too crazy for me with the TV stations/hostage scenario, but I don't mind because it's Lucas, and its Sandford, and they're an incredible combo.

I expected a lot more

Easy Prey (Lucas Davenport Book 11) Summary: When Davenport is called to the white-stuccoed house, after the party, he knows it's for no usual case. For one thing, the strangulation victim is Alie'e Maison, she of the knife-edge cheek bones and jade-green eyes: as models go, one of the biggest. For another, there are a few small complications. Such as the drugs in her body and the evidence that she had recently made love to a woman. Such as the fact that one of Lucas's own men had been at the party, and is now a suspect. Such as the little surprise they are all about to find when they search the house: a second body, stuffed in a closet, with a deep dent in its skull. The whole case is going to be like this, Lucas knows - secrets piled upon secrets, the ground shifting constantly under his feet. but even he cannot suspect the earth tremors he is about to feel, when an old lover comes back into his life, a married woman now... whose own secrets may turn out to be the most dangerous ones of all.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Opening Line: "When the first man woke up that morning, he wasn't thinking about killing anyone."

Quote: "Why would the head of the state highway patrol call me up at home and say, 'Tell that fuckin' Davenport to knock it the fuck off'?"

Pretty typical Lucas Davenport. There were a lot of characters though, which I found a little difficult to keep up with... and half of them were Lucas' love interests. Well, I exaggerate, only about 3 or 4.

While the last several installments of the prey series have been more action/thriller based this book swings the plot back towards the mystery side of the street. While previously we have known exactly who the bad guy was in Easy Prey, Sandford keeps that information not only hidden but completely obfuscated with a truck load of red herrings. Honestly I am torn between the two styles this series seems to jump between and each has their merits. I am not sure if that is all due to the structure of Easy Prey itself or if it is an aftereffect of my enjoyment of the last book Certain Prey, which structure wise was so very different.

The on big thing that bothered me here was the throwing Lucas back to his old “man-whoring” ways. While some of the his romantic encounters here were ok and lead to some interesting character moments others, especially the run in with his married old flame, just felt off every at every turn. Not only did those moments come off as somewhat distracting but it really did not feel true to the where the character has developed. It feels like Sandford had written himself into a corner with the splitting of Lucas and Weather and did not really know where to take the character personal life.

While I enjoyed the mystery setup of this book overall it felt a big disjointed both in its character development and in the plotting. Not that this is a bad book. Even the worst of the prey series, which for me this book qualifies as, is still totally worth reading.

http://homeofreading.com/easy-prey/

Easy Prey

A model and another woman are found dead at a house party. It's a long and convoluted path but Lucas and his crowd figure out how it all happened and by whom. At the same time he has a fling with an artist, his college girlfriend gets in touch and Weather wants to talk. Marcy is shot and it was touch and go for a while but she's going to be fine.