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Product Description

The bestseller that introduced Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport -- and John Sandford's deft touch for heartstopping suspense. ..

Customer Reviews:

• FAST PACE Audio Unabridged 10cds
  Rules of Prey is the first in an incredibly long and successful series by author John Sandford.
  
  Davenport is a maverick, brilliant, somewhat-womanising detective. A cocky loner on the surface, but the deeper you dig the more sensitivity and warmth you find.
  
  The story is a good one and involves a serial killer whose identity is introduced to the reader at the beginning of the book. We get into the killer's head and we follow him around to the scenes of his crimes but also into his everyday life at work and home as well.The killer, referred to as "maddog", has certain rules that he follows so not to get caught. He never kills anyone he knows, only kills women, never has a motive, and never uses the same weapon twice He always leaves a note at each crime scene communicating one of his rules. Not only does this serve as a challenge to our main character, Lucas Davenport, it is also the killer's "in your face" way of letting Lucas know that he is someone to be reckoned with.
  
  
  
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• Okay, but unlikeable protagonist
  I liked this book because it held my interest and it wasn't like other serial killer books I'd read. However, Lucas Davenport has to be one of the most cliche, least likeable main characters I've ever read about.

  First off, Sandford shamelessly makes him into a Hollywood bad-boy. Lucas is rich, because he designs computer games in addition to his police work, so he drives around in a Porsche and wears flashy Miami Vice-style suits. (Clearly Sandford was making the character marketable in case Hollywood decided to do a movie based on the book.)

  And naturally, he has rugged good looks, a facial scar that doesn't disfigure but merely makes him look tough, he sleeps with every woman he makes eye contact with (and I've never seen a character other than Bond who manages to meet so many beautiful women just by walking down the street), and, I almost forgot--he plays by his own rules.

  This book had me going until, at every corner, Lucas would break the law to catch the killer. This shows just how little Sandford knows about police investigative procedures, as he has created a character who is far too lazy to catch criminals legitimately and instead resorts to strong-arm tactics. If every cop was like Davenport, this country would be a police state. But what's worst is the way Sandford makes it seem like breaking the law like this is necessary to catch the bad guys, what with all the "legal red tape." Please.

  Besides the main character, the book flowed smoothly and holds your interest. Fast paced and a good read....more info

• Superb debut to my favorite new series!
  My wife bugged me for months to read this series and when I finally broke down, I kicked myself for not starting it sooner. Sandford's books following Minneapolis Police Detective Lucas Davenport are some of the best I've discovered in a long time. I'm working my way through the series and loving it!

  Davenport is a maverick, brilliant, somewhat-womanizing detective.? I wasn't sure at first whether or not I'd like the character, but I quickly found myself a big fan of his. He's a cocky loner on the surface, but the digger you deep, the more sensitivity and warmth you find. Sandford has done a wonderful job of creating a character who is both intriguing and believable. (If you're hoping to create a mystery series, you'd better come up with a compelling protagonist and Sandford has certainly done that.)

  This book finds Davenport on the trail of a cunning serial killer who sticks to a carefully thought-out set of rules in an attempt to escape capture (hence the title of the book). The mystery really kept me on my toes, wondering how Lucas would manage to capture this deranged murdered.

  John Sandford's Prey series is recommended to fans of Michael Connelly, Robert B. Parker, and anyone who enjoys a good detective novel....more info

• Could have used more character development
  I liked this book, though I am a little lukewarm with the hero, Lucas Davenport. I liked the bouncing from villain to hero perspective. I liked setting every thing in Minneapolis, a great city. I liked Davenport being a flawed hero, not all good, but not a bad guy: he's a gambler, he's willing to plant evidence in order to get the bad guy, he's morally ambiguous in sleeping with a news reporter he leaks crime details to and sleeping with a near murder victim. In general, I like flawed characters, but I think I found Davenport a little to over the top.
  
  The villain being a lawyer was genius on Sandford's part I think. However, I think he would have been more terrifying if he had been more likable. Other than being ugly, we have no reason not to like him and his being rejected by women seems to be the sole drive for his killing urges. There are some flashbacks to a female figure that seems to be the basis of his corrupted psyche, but it is never explored. By the end of the book, we still have no idea what made Louis Vullion tick.
  
  The book is a fun read with good tempo. I could break away from the book no problem, but I looked forward to picking it up. The ending was good. I'm not convinced I would try another Prey book. If I did it would be to see if Sandford adds any depth of character to his characters. Maybe I will try The Night Crew instead.
  
  For more details, go to aj.huff.org. Thanks.
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• A Great Start To An Amazing Series
  This is the first book in John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series and it is one of the best. In recent years the series has not lived up to these earlier books, so I strongly suggest starting with Rules of Prey. Lucas Davenport is an interesting character and the plot is very suspenseful. Any fan of thrillers will love this book....more info
• Rules of Prey
  This book was very suspenseful. Sandford keeps you hooked from the first page to the last. This was the first book I have read by him and I plan on read the whole prey series. I recommend this book to any one who loves to read. It doesn't matter the types of book you read, this book will keep you excited and wondering will Maddog get caught or who will be his next victim....more info
• Introducing Lucas Davenport!
  This was his first Prey novel, and it was great, Lucas Davenport is one kicking detective. He's tough, and he's not afraid to bend the rules if something needs done. He's a interesting guy, and I hope John Sandford keeps these books going for a long time....more info
• a good police procedural
  first of a series, with a charismatic cop as central character. great reading for the commute or exercise bike... i will order more of the series. ...more info
• Rules of a great thriller
  This is the first Prey book and my first by Sandford and I loved it. The police side and the killer's thoughts and actions are excellently portrayed. Lucas Davenport and associates and friends are great and the ending was fantastic. I have started Shadow Prey already....more info
• Scary---Scary-----Scary
  This is my second Prey book. I read one and went back and read Rules, which is the first one and will read them in order. It got my attention on the fist page and held it all the way through. Lucas Davenport is excellent in his mind games with the killer. He does what ever he has to. I could actually feel chills going over my body when he finally figured out the mans name. Then could he get to the last kill on time or not????? I really did not like Jennifer Carey, I guess if the author has written a character so well you despise her he has done a good job. If you like a thriller that will hold you attention this is it....more info
• 1st in a series - very promising
  RULES OF PREY introduces Minneapolis cop Lucas Davenport, on the trail of a brutal serial killer known as the "maddog". Davenport, like so many fictional detectives, is a driven lone wolf who's work puts strain on his personal relationships. He's also a creator of elaborate role-playing games and a lover of (many, in this book) women.

  The case proceeds through the usual twists and turns, and the maddog (who gets some POV time in the narrative), is a frighteningly capapable adversary. Sandford never resorts to shock or violence, the narrative logic is impeccable, and this is, literally, a page turner. Sandford's been writing a long time, where have I been? I look forward to reading more. Recommended....more info

• a good police procedural
  first of a series, with a charismatic cop as central character. great reading for the commute or exercise bike... i will order more of the series. ...more info
• First Davenport novel a definite thriller!!
  The first Lucas Davenport novel was thrilling. It introduces readers to manly man, Lucas Davenport, whose masculinity is often heavy-handed. We get it, he can be with any woman and do everything. But beyond that there is a great cat & mouse game played between hero and villain. We also see how much a huge role the media can play in crime. Overall, a very good read....more info
• good story compromised by average prose/characterizations
  'Rules of Prey' is the first book of John Sandford's 'Prey' series, and its the first book of John Sandford I've read. Coming off of reading my first Dennis Lehane book, which was simply terrific, 'Rule of Prey' in comparison seemed ... amateurish. Oh, the story is fine. Serial killer, enigmatic police investigator, plenty of twists and turns. But Sandford's prose seems rather flat; it read like a script to a good TV crime program or film. And the leading protaganists seemed very formulaic. The likes of Lehane, (Patricia) Highsmith, and (Jim) Thompson have all done much better in dissecting the mind of psychopaths and delivering compelling stories. Having said all this 'Rules of Prey' is a fast and compulsive read.

  Now back to the story, we have your psychotic monster who gets sexual pleasure by killing women. He knows he's psychotic. And he knows he's very intelligent. The local police department recruits supercop, who is naturally "a sex machine with all the chicks", to find this monster. As I mention above the story has bumps and turns. It also has a decent ending (no spoilers here).

  Bottom line: certainly this territory has covered by better writers than Sandford. Still, 'Rules of Prey' is an enjoyable read....more info

• Never-ending Excitement
  Rules of Prey, which is written by John Sandford, is a great tale between a heroic detective and a serial killer. This story is a part of a series that is written by John Sandford. A theme common among many books, but this novel keeps getting more interesting throughout the entire plot. It is an exciting book to read and easy to follow along. Any person would enjoy reading this book.

  The characters Lucas Davenport, the detective, and Louis Vullion, also known as the maddog killer, are unique on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Davenport is the typical masculine male figure with his good looks and charm; he sleeps with basically every woman in town ... you can't help but enjoy his lifestyle. The maddog, on the other hand, is more of the quiet character; he is the most grotesque personality imaginable, which, once again, keeps any reader interested. For example the maddog once leaves the message on Davenport's answering machine, "It was lovely," after one of the murders. Both are quite intelligent and know how to play the game.

  The thoughts of both characters are written clearly, which creates two stories that tie together at the end. The characters are compelling in the highest forms. Depending on your personality, you'll be rooting for one or the other. Throughout the entire story, you begin to understand the reasoning for each character. The story also includes action that keeps the pages turning the whole time. It is a very enjoyable book to read especially reading in solitude....more info

• Rules Of Prey-Breaks the Rules
  Lucas Davneport, the hero of the story, proves time and time again to be as cold-blooded and violent as any killer he encounters, and this book gives the perfect example of this. To see how humans really react when they take a life (assuming they are not psychopaths, which Davenport may well be), read Dennis Lehane's books such as A Drink Before the War, featuring Patrick Kenzie and Angie Somethingorother.
  Aside from this little fact, this book was a very good read, filled with suspense and violence. If you're in to those things, you will probably like this very twisted novel....more info
• A Gripping, Hold-on-to-your-seat Page-turner
  This book is a typical hold-on-to-your-grip page-turner. It is
  about a serial killer named Mad Dog who calls his prey 'the
  chosen'. Mad Dog is pursued by a cop named Lucas Davenport who
  is a Don Juan and game maker on the side. He drives a Porsche
  and has sex with one of the chosen.
  
  The book is gory, fun and good for the genre....more info
• First Davenport novel a definite thriller!!
  The first Lucas Davenport novel was thrilling. It introduces readers to manly man, Lucas Davenport, whose masculinity is often heavy-handed. We get it, he can be with any woman and do everything. But beyond that there is a great cat & mouse game played between hero and villain. We also see how much a huge role the media can play in crime. Overall, a very good read....more info
• I loved it! I can't wait to read his other novels!
  Rules Of Prey is the first of thrillers in a series by John Sandford. I picked this up, since I'm interested in suspense novels. This does not disappoint. The characters were well thought out and believable. The plot had it twists and the storyline held together very well. The pace was excellent and it kept you reading and in suspense the entire time. Highly recommended!!...more info
• best of the prey books
  I've read all but the last two of the many Prey books by Sandford. I do believe that this, the first in the series, is the best. But I'd probably give them all 4 stars. Sandford is a good writer and this cop, who moonlights as a nerdy D&D game designer, is a pretty fun guy to follow around, kinda like a more dorky version of Connelly's Harry Bosch. If you like well written thrillers then you cant go wrong here with any of these Prey novels.
  
  As a side note, I do not know why the publishers are changing the formats of the traditional paperback novel. They are now bigger, longer, bulkier and about $3.00 more. 'For easier reading' they say. But obviously it is to get $3.00 more out of us. This is fine that they want to make mony. just charge us the $3.00 more if you want. Don't completelly change the format of your paperbacks thinking that you're fooling us, thinking that you're providing us with a more 'easy to read' format. We all like the old paperback size and would gladly pay more just to have you return to publishing them that way again.
  
  brian d ...more info
• Entertaining, explicitly violent thriller.
  I bought this purely on reviews on Amazon and was not disappointed. A good quality, hard to put down cop/killer book. Davenport, the main cop is a complex character - it's not quite a straight good v evil struggle and the end leaves you with a little to chew over....more info
• A Gripping, Hold-on-to-your-seat Page-turner
  This book is a typical hold-on-to-your-grip page-turner. It is
  about a serial killer named Mad Dog who calls his prey 'the
  chosen'. Mad Dog is pursued by a cop named Lucas Davenport who
  is a Don Juan and game maker on the side. He drives a Porsche
  and has sex with one of the chosen.
  
  The book is gory, fun and good for the genre....more info
• Rules of a great thriller
  This is the first Prey book and my first by Sandford and I loved it. The police side and the killer's thoughts and actions are excellently portrayed. Lucas Davenport and associates and friends are great and the ending was fantastic. I have started Shadow Prey already....more info
• Hard to Put Down
  Very suspenseful tale about a "Ted Bundy" type individual who has singlehandedly placed fear in every brunette in the Twin Cities area. He's a very twisted bloodthirsty yet highly intelligent professional man who makes these rules for killing individuals. Davenport plays the cynical yet smart and passionate detective who uses unorthodox but effective methods of tracking the killer.

  Very heart pounding in your face thriller and quite a debut for Sandford. Davenport's character is very easy to dislike in this one because he demonstrates the thin line that separates him and the killer.

  Sandford has given us a hero who is very flawed but he's being realistic in his approach. Face it, not every individual who hunts down bad guys is a highly moral self-righteous church goer who wants us all to get along. DAvenport is highly selfish and very much a womanizer. He is also smart, ruthless and tough. These attributes are necessary when going after a cold-blooded killer....more info

• Decent read
  I had read easy prey. It remains the only book i've read in less than a day. I got this one, the 1st in the series..Pretty good cat and mouse with the maddog and his victims. Lucas the main player, a term not yet coined when the book was written, plays the main role. He, a supercop, ladies man, marksman, and game inventor, is a little much, but a good character non the less. The clever maddog is over matched. Lucas still carries on with his life, as it should be in good versus evil. The book was probably ultra-modern 12 years ago with the computer game stuff. I give Mr. Sandford credit for the start of a good series....more info
• Good, page-turning thriller
  While the plot of this book seemed a bt formulaic and predictable, Sandford still manages to keep the reader hooked using some well-written characters and an interesting plot that keeps you wanting to know what is going to happen next.

  I don't normally read many thrillers, but I picked this up when I was starved for something to read, and I was not disappointed. This book is definitely worth reading, but be careful, because it's possible you will get hooked. After reading Rules of Prey, I continued reading the Prey series for another 10 or 11 books before I was finally able to wrestle myself away from them....more info

• Top notch - intense and clever - will not dissappoint.
  This book is one of a kind. Enter Lucas Davenport. He's a clever rogue cop whos network of informants includes all the people he should be arresting. He makes deals to keep cops off of the crack dealers for the time being in exchange for information. He's a womanizer - sleeps with a lot of women. He also manipulates people like it's his job. He's a guy that earned my respect, though in a semi-strange way. You'll understand.

  The plot line is simple enough - the antagonist serial killer versus the Minneapolis Police Squad. Then it become personal as the two brilliant characters (serial killer and Davenport) get wrapped up in the mind games involved with the chase. It's almost cat and mouse, except Davenport doesn't know who the killer is and blindly makes guesses that seem to have some relevence.

  This book is intense and fast paced. I couldn't put it down. It picks up at the beginning and doesn't let down until the final showdown. The only problem was the last two or three pages were a big drag because everything had pretty much been resolved in a high impact, hard hitting scene. Oh well though, character development I guess.

  You will not be dissappointed....more info