Chosen
Prey by
John Sandford
Published by Simon & Schuster, U.K, 2002
This
is the latest book by John Sandford in the PREY series, which are
all set in Minneapolis and feature Deputy Chief Lucas Davenport
as the central character. This time the story concerns the hunt
for a serial killer when the discovery of the body of a young woman
leads to a further six bodies being unearthed. We follow the course
of the investigation from the police point of view, but we are also
given an insight into the mind of the killer. The killer is a monster,
but a clever one who has been able to maintain a veneer of respectability
while indulging his murderous tastes. His total self-obsession and
his feelings of rejection and being misunderstood are very well
described - from his point of view he does not have a choice in
killing his victims. They 'ask' to be killed because they have in
some way let him down or not lived up to his standards. The killer
has a superficial charm but is fundamentally a cold, unfeeling psychopath,
incapable of relating to anyone on a human level.
His
pursuer is the opposite - he likes women and women like him. Lucas
Davenport's life is a bit disorganised - he has a relationship with
a surgeon whose biological clock is ticking and who wants to have
a child. He is drawn as the sort of person you would like to have
on your side in a crisis. The progress of the investigation is well
described. Overall, for those who like gory thrillers with a seasoning
of psychological thrills, this is a book to keep you awake at night.
Reviewed
by a Clare County Library staff member.
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