Product Description
Originally published in 1888.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (127)

"Once I had a secret love, that lived within this heart of mine." Song lyrics
I give this gem a 4 1/2 star rating.

Just when the reader is thinking that John Sandford's "Secret Prey," is going to be a somewhat predictable story, the author provides his magic touch and the novel soars to a most dramatic and memorable thriller.

Bank president Daniel Kresge is murdered while on a hunting trip. He had been in the process of leading his bank into a merger that would have made him rich but would cost many of his employees their jobs. Kresge was also in the midst of a costly divorce so there were endless possibilities as to who the killer might be.

The two employees in line to take over the bank are Susan O'Dell and James Bone. They begin maneuvering for control while placing Wilson McDonald in charge during the transition.

It was almost as if the story was an afternoon soap opera with the various conspirators and Bone having an affair with Kresge's wife.

Deputy Police Chief Lucas Davenport is leading the investigation. Just as he and his team feel that they are close to identifying the killer, another bank executive is murdered and they are back to the chalk board. The hunt for the killer intensifies as Davenport takes certain steps and the killer counters. It's almost a dance of the dead.

Sandford does a masterful job. He makes the reader wonder who the killer could be, then, when Lucas has narrowed it down to one person, Davenport must get the evidence to stop the killing put away a ruthless killer.

The characters are excellent and well described. The author portrays the Minnesota countryside nicely so that the reader can visualize what the setting must look like.

I enjoyed the novel and recommend it highly.

Lucas Davenport takes on greedy executives, a cunning murderer, and a few surprises
The terrifically entertaining "Secret Prey" starts out as a clever whodunit set in the world of high-priced corporate politics: several top-tier bank executives are manuveuring for power during a merger when one of them is murdered.But as fun as it is to witness the watching-every-dime cops (well, except for Lucas Davenport, who certainly isn't poor) grilling the millionaire executives, the book becomes even more interesting later on, when it becomes clear who the culprit is.

At that point, about two-thirds of the way into the book, the story morphs into one about dysfunctional families and the broken personalities they can produce.Yet everything, the earlier straight-up whodunit and the latter dark psychological study, fits together nicely.And, have no fears, both aspects feature well done thriller elements that will keep you devouring chapters.

Adding further texture to the proceedings are the latest developments in Lucas Davenport's love life, which center around the sad dissolving of Lucas' relationship with surgeon Weather Karkinnen and the subsequent spicy affair Lucas initiates with a colleague. Well, it's really she who does the initiating, in a funny, memorable scene.

This ninth book in John Sandford's "Lucas Davenport" series is a particularly strong entry and shouldn't be missed if you have any affinity for this character or series.

Another good read
Another Sandford novel.Reading them all in the order that they were written.Each is better than the last. I have almost rate Sandford right on top with Johansen, Gerritson and Patterson.

Another Davenport hit
I read this as part of a trilogy of Davenport novels (#s 7, 8 and 9). Based on the brief synopsis of each on the book jacket, I thought I'd like this one the least. I was wrong - this was a great book. Much deeper than one can imagine - even after a slightly slow start. As with the Davenport novels up to this point, we see ongoing development of characters and a depth of the main character that grows with each book. Plenty of action in this one and a great "escapism" type novel.

No Secret; It's Another Good One
This is not only a good murder mistery of "Who Done It", but also of why were the victims picked; only the murderer knows for sure. Lucas and detectives Sherrill, Del, and Sloan do a great job unraveling the case and the author keeps you guessing the whole time. Oh you got small town cover up and big time banking politics in the one. Lucas has a new love interest in this one too, to help his recurring depression. I'll give you a hint; he works with her, but it's not the Chief. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

Sandford's second Lucas Davenport mystery/thriller/police prodecural novel
This is the second of John Sandford's successful series of mystery/thriller/police procedural novels starring Detective Lucas Davenport of the Minneapolis Police Department.The antagonist is a cabal of Native Americans attempting to avenge society's mistreatment of their ethnic group through a nationwide series of murders.Sandford instills a morally ambiguious theme to their crusade: in the introduction, he explains that this novel originally had more political overtones before he softened the presentation.Having fathered a child with his ex-reporter girlfriend Jennifer, Lucas now is attracted to NYPD detective Lily Rotherburg who has traveled to Minneapolis to help with the case.The story drags at times (especially some Lucas/Lily scenes) but builds to an explosive ending.Like other reviewers, I did not enjoy this as much as the first novel "Rules Of Prey" but I still plan to continue with this series.

Davenport and Rothenburg against the Crows
An Indian uprising of sorts is the plot of the second "Prey" novel and is a gripping page-turner from start to finish. The killers are headquartered in Minneapolis, which gets Lucas Davenport involved in a case that already has claimed three high-profile victims. Lily Rothenburg, a New York detective, is assigned to Lucas to track down the murderers, and this pairing results in a romantic, whirlwind relationship. Sparks fly between Lucas and Lily but they know that their smoldering passion for each other must take a back seat to solving the puzzle of who and why is behind the gory killings. An FBI director, the youngest bureau chief since J. Edgar Hoover, figures prominently in the story and he has a deep, dark secret he must keep hidden in the shadows of his early life. The Crows, self-appointed avengers of past wrongs and injustices suffered by Indians, are ritualistic killers, but it is Billy Hood and Shadow Love who pose the greatest danger to Davenport and Rothenburg. This book is a wonderful follow-up to the first successful novel in this series.

No Go
I really wasn't too impressed with the book from page 1. What really cinched it for me was the portrayal of Davenport's love interest, Lily. Mr. Sandford described Lily as a hardcore, overweight, police lieutenant with huge, bushy eyebrows. Not exactly romance material. I didn't finish the book. I know Lily is in the next book, so I'll pass that one up too.

Sandford's "Shadow Prey" does not Belly Up to the Bar.
In his crackerjack debut RULES OF PREY, New York Times bestselling author John Sandford did a phenomenal job in providing his readers with a womanizing and no-nonsense hero in Minneapolis homicide detective Lucas Davenport. He has amazed his readers in portraying Lucas' breeching tactics upon catching the villains. Such literary elements like the ones mentioned are lacked in his following entry SHADOW PREY.

In chapter two of his notorious Prey series, the ball that Sandford hits with this book falls right into the sandpit. Throughout the entire police procedure, enter through the investigation of several murders, those of a slumlord, welfare supervisor, rising politician and federal judge. For those that may ask on what the connection lies in between all of them, it is in regard to every victim having their throat cut out with an Indian ceremony knife. Throughout the investigation, Lucas partners up with Lily Rothenberg, a married NYPD detective on a personal pursuit of her own to find the killers. Together on the case, both Lucas and Lily ramshackle their way through the derelict streets of Minneapolis; they go on their cat-and-mouse pursuit through urine-stenched residencies to hunt down a group of Native Americans who are driven with a distinct purpose. The ringleader of this particular group, Shadow Love, is one is self-willed and will allow nothing to stand in his way of what he attempts to achieve. It is up to both Lucas and Lily to prevent the body count from rising...that is if they can.

SHADOW PREY, nonetheless, falls short to Sandford's standards with writing a good, solid story. He fails to indulge his readers with the story elements that made him successful in his previous Prey novel RULES OF PREY. The myriad number of inconsistencies that the author tends to draws can and will annoy his fans scene in and out. For starters, the pace of the book in a few of the scenes tends to drag on from time to time. It thereby has the reader finding the storyline to become tiresome at times. Aside form the slow pacing, Sandford fails to weave together all of the loose ends of the story; it makes for nothing but an execrable hodgepodge. Chapter in and out, you are sitting in your seat at home constantly cheering for Sandford to resolve the issues he has going on in the story, only to find yourself disappointed at the end of the road. In addition to all of that, the biggest mistake that torpedoes SHADOW PREY is that Sandford gets too caught up and focused into the loving relationship between Lucas and Lily rather than the case at hand. Readers will find this element portrayed by the writer to rather distracting from scene to scene.

Despite the endless flaws in SHADOW PREY, Sandford does nevertheless make an attempt to compensate them through a few of the intriguing elements that he creates. In one of the good strengths that he portrays through the book, Sandford does a great job with providing his readers with a different lens on the main storyline involving racism. He cleverly gets his readers to view the morality of racism through the vendetta that this Native American group has, especially through a background of people that nobody hears about. The author's most enjoyable function upon creating this entry involves portraying to his readers a more sensitive and vulnerable side of Lucas Davenport. Throughout midway of the story, Davenport almost loses his life in a hostage negotiation with one of the killers. Following the sudden takedown of this particular villain, Lucas is thereby traumatized and plagued with the ghosts of this ordeal.

Overall, it is sad to say that Sandford lets his readers down after a heart-stopping debut. The major inconsistencies throughout the book make it read like a rough draft. As you read along, you will find the many mistakes he uses to become a major headache. Any reader that intends on picking up one of John Sandford's books will be better off if they skip this particular entry.

In the Shadows
It was a decent novel but not quite the best that I have read of John's novels.

Hope Lucas gets back with the mother of his child, they seem meant for each other on some level. ... Read more

Product Description
With the return to Athens of the Olympic Games in 2004, this well timed book focuses its attention on the homegrown Panathenaic festival, held in the city every four years in antiquity. While not one of the Panhellenic "crown" festivals, the weeklong religious and civic celebration held in the city was a dramatic event which drew competitors from all over the Greek world by its prestige and valuable prizes. The amount of excavated material recovered from the Agora means that the Panathenaic festival is also one of the best known events in the ritual calendar, and the authors are able to provide a rich level of detail, right down to a program of events. Vividly illustrated in full color, this booklet provides a perfect guide to the visible remains of Greek sporting achievement. ... Read more

Product Description
While this booklet is illustrated solely with materials from the Athenian Agora, it also provides a concise introduction to building styles and techniques which will be useful to anyone interested in ancient Greek architecture. From financing to tools, and from mason's marks to the clamps that held blocks together, no detail is omitted in this well illustrated text. The different parts of monumental buildings, from the foundations to the tile roofs, are all discussed with clear drawings to indicate how the whole was put together. ... Read more

Product Description
This colorful overview is intended primarily for visitors to the site, but also provides a useful introduction to the visible remains. After a brief history of the Agora, the principal monuments are described, and then the reader is taken on a counterclockwise tour around the site. The author is the current Director of Excavations at the Athenian Agora, and this guide therefore presents the most up-to-date information available. ... Read more

Product Description