Book Description
With Naked Prey, John Sandford proved again that his writing is as fresh and compulsively readable as ever. "This is vintage Sandford, which is to say all but impossible to put down," said The Washington Post. "Sprawling, suspenseful, tough-minded [and] sheer fun."

Six months ago, Lucas Davenport tackled his first case as a statewide troubleshooter, and he thought that one was plenty strange enough. But that was before the Russian got killed. On the shore of Lake Superior, a man named Vladimir Orslov is found shot dead, three holes in his head and heart, and though nobody knows why, everybody-the local cops, the FBI, and the Russians themselves-has a theory. And when it turns out he had very high government connections, that's when it hits the fan.

A Russian cop flies in from Moscow, Davenport flies in from Minneapolis, law enforcement and press types swarm the crime scene-and, in the middle of it all, there is another murder. Is there a relationship between the two? What is the Russian cop hiding from Davenport? Is she-yes, it's a woman-a cop at all? Why was the man shot with . . . fifty-year-old bullets? Before he can find the answers, Davenport will have to follow a trail back to another place, another time, and battle the shadows he discovers there-shadows that turn out to be both very real and very deadly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (93)

Are The Russians Still Coming?Davenport in an murder with overtomes of the Cold War
Lucas Davenport is back in the "Prey" series.

Instead of a book focused on Davenport, they elelemnt of the Prey series is quite ploy centered.Meaning in my mind you don't have to be that familiar with the previous character development in the series."Hidden Prey" very much can stand alone without the rest of the series.

The plot starts with a Russian found dead in a Minnesota port.Three holes in his head and heart.Due to the connections of the victim, this becomes at least a low level international incident, and a Russian cop (or is it an intelligence agent?) come in from Moscow to conduct her own investigation.

The other oddity is that the murder weapon appears to be a fifty year old gun and evidence is pointing to a very deep sleeper cell of Communists and their 90 year old leader.

I found the plot of the book fascinating and it kept me enthralled to the end.

International Intrigue in Iron Range
When a Russian worker on a grain ship is killed near Duluth, at first it seems random.However, soon it comes out that the man is not who he appears to be - he is the son of one of the New Russian wealthy class, an oil tycoon, and his father wants to know why he was killed, and why he was presenting himself under an assumed name (not to mention carrying several other sets of identification with him).Accordingly a Russian will be coming over to assist and oversee the investigation.The governor sends in Lucas Davenport to to find out what is going on.

Lucas, working with Nadya (the Russian agent) and local police officer Jerry Reasons (and Lucas' own undercover assistant Micky Andreno, who is called up from St. Louis), soon realizes that there is a lot more to this whole situation than meets the eye, but it seems that the more they pry into things, the more people are being threatened, and the more people are being killed.Can he discover the answer in time?

I really enjoyed this entry in the series - to see this country from the eyes of Nadya ("everywhere there are signs - why do you have so many signs?" and "everything is work work work money money money - in every other country people enjoy sitting, drinking, dancing") alone was worth reading the book.Sandford did a wonderful job portraying her and I wonder how he did the research to create this character, because she feels VERY real.Although we know more than the investigators do, we don't know everything and the intrigue and tension stays high throughout the course of the book, keeping the reader glued to the pages throughout.

Definitely a must-read recommendation from me!

Not what they used to be
Lucas Davenport continues his employment for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension working for his long time employer Rose Marie.The Governor is concerned about a Russian man that was found dead near Duluth that is discovered was a Russian spy.Lucas is sent to assist the local police with the investigation to ensure that there will be no political fallout that will cause problems for the Governor.But before the investigation really gets started, the body count begins to add up and Lucas and friends realize that this investigation is going to be more complicated than they originally realized.Lucas finds himself in the middle of learning about Soviet spy rings as well as family dynamics in a local small town.He must connect all the dots before more people die.

The Prey series has disappointed me for a while, but this one was a huge letdown.It wasn't so much that it was bad as that it just wasn't good.The plot was somewhat random and hard to follow at times.There really was not any suspense as the killers are revealed from the start and we just watch to see if Lucas will figure them out.And the killers' motive is never adequately explained which makes it difficult to get interested in what is going on.The end could not be more anticlimactic.Overall it is just a boring book.The pages do not turn.And Lucas' relationship with his family and wife, Weather, have taken such a backseat that it doesn't even have that as a redeeming quality.A big disappointment from what this series once was.

Another Great Book!
Another great book by John Sandford. The plot involves a Soviet spy ring withering on the vine at the end of the Cold War coming back to life to protect itself. Lucas Davenport with the help of a Russian intellignce operative, Major Nadezha Kalin (Nadya), takes us thru twists and turns as they slowly piece together the puzzle. One thing I liked about this book is that not every loose end is neatly tied up at the end resembling the true reality of crimes. Maybe they got 90%, but they still were pondering a couple of things. I liked it - a good read!

Sub-par Prey novel. Marginal at best.
Sandford diverged from his typical Prey novel here with Lucas Davenport following a Russian spy ring in Minnesota. I can understand why Sandford went this direction since once you write so many novels about the same character they might seem to be following a tired pattern. I have not had any complaints about the Prey novels so far, and this was the first one I have been truly disappointed in.

The storyline wasn't necessarily difficult to follow, it just did not feel right and it lacked that spy thriller edge that I believe Sandford was going for. I applaud the effort, but I wish Lucas Davenport would have been Lucas Davenport, up to his old tricks again. This book lacked what the previous ones had as Davenport skirts back and forth all over the country trying to figure out what this spy ring is all about.

If you are a Lucas Davenport fan then I recommend reading this book; however, don't be looking for what we as readers have come to expect with respect to Davenport's antics and escapades. All other readers, skip this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com
When twelve-year-old muskrat trapper Letty West stumbles on the naked bodies of Jane Warr and Deon Cash, deep in the snowy woods of northern Minnesota, it's more than another bizarre episode in her already unusual life, as Lucas Davenport discovers in this new outing in Sandford's popular series featuring the midwestern lawman who moonlights as a computer game designer. Lucas has a new wife, a new baby, and a new job as a political troubleshooter for his old boss Rose Marie Roux, but the blunt-spoken Davenport's instructions to hush the racially charged implications of what looks suspiciously like a lynching won't deter him from whomever left Warr and Cash twisting in the wind. The well-peopled plot, involving a hot car ring, an ex-nun who smuggles cancer drugs over the Canadian border, and the usual internecine wranglings between the FBI, the local cops, and Davenport, races to a satisfying denouement, but this time it's a little girl with a difficult past and an uncertain future who lingers in the reader's mind. Fortunately, Sandford comes up with an ending that makes it all but certain that his fans will meet her again. Meanwhile, all the author's usual trademarks are on display--excellent writing, an interesting scenario, and terrific pacing. --Jane AdamsBook Description
Abridged read by Eric Conger
Unabridged read by Richard Ferrone

Lucas Davenport finds some changes-and some nasty surprises-in store, in the chilling new Prey novel by the number-one-bestselling author.

Abridged * Four cassettes * 6 hoursDownload Description
"In Naked Prey, John Sandford puts Lucas Davenport through some changes. His old boss, Rose Marie Roux, has moved up to the state level and taken Lucas with her, creating a special troubleshooter job for him for the cases that are too complicated or politically touchy for others to handle. In addition, Lucas is now married and a new father, both of which are fine with him: he doesn't mind being a family man. But he is a little worried. For every bit of peace you get, you have to pay - and he's waiting for the bill.It comes in the form of two people found hanging from a tree in the woods of northern Minnesota. What makes it particularly sensitive is that the bodies are of a black man and a white woman, and they're naked. ""Lynching"" is the word that everybody's trying not to say - but, as Lucas begins to discover, in fact the murders are not what they appear to be, and they are not the end of the story. There is worse to come - much, much worse.Filled with the rich characterization and exceptional drama that are his hallmarks, this is Sandford's most suspenseful novel yet." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

Winter in Minnesota brings a potential tinder-box blaze
In this, the 14th Lucas Davenport novel, John Sandford keeps doing what he does best - that is writing a book that keeps us wanting more.When a black man and white woman are found hanged, a potential race issue is quickly brought forward and Lucas - who is the governor's "fix stuff" guy - is sent up to the Broderick/Armstrong area to do what he can to defuse the situation before people start talking about "lynching" over what is obviously a murder.

Lucas brings Del along and once there and investigating, they realize there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.But what exactly is going on and how it all relates - that is difficult to discover.It is relatively easy to discover who is responsible for the hangings, but before they can arrest him, he is himself murdered.Then a little girl who has been helping show them around town is attacked - her mother is killed and her house burned, but she just manages to escape - but not without damage.Letty West ends up with a terribly cut up hand, sprained ankle, and bullet wound to her side.Lucas sends her to Minneapolis to have her hand fixed and ends up taking her in.

Will they be able to find the person responsible?Will they even be able to figure out what is going on?This is a terrific entry into the Davenport storyline and one I can readily recommend.

Please note: this review refers to Berkley Mass Market paperback edition May 2004.

Naked just not too thrilling for me
I entered into the "Prey(Lucas Davenport)" series with "Chosen Prey" and followed that up with "Mortal Prey."I enjoyed those enough to pick up the next in the series "Naked Prey."All I can ask is "What happened?"

The story starts off brutal but fast when a couple, a black man and white woman, are viciously beaten and hanged. The story then goes into "simultaneous" mode, as the others did, where it moves back and forth between the main lead, Lucas Davenport, attempting to solve the crime while taking you into the world of the seedy characters who may or may not be the culprits. Of course, the fun and suspense is provided by you anxiously awaiting the collision between all the parties.

Unfortunately, this one did not move very well for me. I simply got bored with the bad guys and the fact so many law enforcement or political characters enter into the mix made the story seem like it was all over the place. Instead of suspense, I found myself dropping off to sleep way to easily. I guess it's trouble when the character that involves you the most is an 11 year old girl who be a valuable link to the entire story.

I can't put my finger on it but I just think in the previous books, it was easy to get a grip on the bad guys and I could not wait for the ultimate confrontations.As I ended up discarding this at the halfway point, I guess you could say this one created too few anxious moments. If you are a casual or first time Prey reader, I suggest you pass on this one.

Compelling Novel
If your looking for a novel which is written in a poetic style this isn't it. It is, however, a well written, fast paced murder mystery which wastes no time. It brings you right into the story from the introduction. There is no wasting of your time by the author using useless descriptions and useless repetition. The book is poignant & very entertaining reading which you'll find difficult to put down. The book grips you right to the final page. Pick it up, you'll like it

Sandford does it again!
John Sandford's Lucas Davenport is a detective's detective. He's smart, handsome, and wealthy. He's got the goods and Sandford's long since had the rythm down for his detective.

Again, we're witness to a murder that ends up turning into more and more murders as the murder(s?) try to cover up their initial crime.

This time, we've got a twelve year old girl in peril as well.

Sanford knows people and that is why his books are so good. He writes about real people, like you and me.

His voice rings clear and the story is absolutely page turning and gripping.

You'll love it.

A must for Davenport addicts
Lucas, Del and team using their talents in the usual way(known to fans of course). Don't put the book down until you got his next unread novel at hand! ... Read more

Book Description
A #1 New York Times bestselling author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Not good
I came to this book in the series late, having read most of the othere. I can't recall the others being this bad or I wouldn't have read any more. I couldn't find anything to like about Lucas Davenport, he has the morals of an animal and his foul mouth I can't even find a comparison to.I agree totally with one reviewer from Oklahoma City.

I stopped reading it once, read another book and then went back to this and skimmed through it. Couldn't find anything that warranted a more detailed reading of it.And one reviewer has read it more than once.There's no shortage of books at our library and I sure wouldn't need to read this one again.

great ending salvages crime novel ... well, not really
'Shadow Prey' is the dullest of several John Sandford "Prey" novels I've read.It rambles on incoherently about several radical Native Americans in Minnesota who gruesomely kill white guys who've had a history of abuse towards them.No drama, characterizations are choppy, and our cop-hero Lucas Davenport doesn't even arouse the reader's interest because he's too busy chasing a lady cop from New York.

Thankfully the last fifty pages of 'Shadow Prey' are very suspenseful and enjoyable.However in no way this makes up the initial three hundred pages of literary churn.


Bottom line: pretty lame, mostly.Don't bother.

Worst
This is the worst book I've ever read. I've read almost all of John Sanford's books and usually enjoy them. I'm about 3/4 finished with this one and I'm not sure I can even finish it. Most of what I can remember about what I've read is being disgusted by the explicit sex and not being to define the characters. Really disappointing.

Shadow Prey
What interresting characters John Sanford developes.Be they good or bad or something in between they become very real to the reader.Even though we find out early who the guilty party is its interesting to see how Lucas Davenport, our somewhat flawed hero, figures things out.As the end nears it seems impossible to put the book down because you are never sure exactly what will come next.The crime grabs you, the characters hold you and the climax gets you.I think I will need to read more......

I'm glad this wasn't my first Sanford book because it would have been my last.
I am a big Sanford fan but this was my least favorite book in his Prey series.If this is the only one you have ever read pleas read another in the series because if you like murder mysteries you will be missing out on a great series.This is the only book in the series that I did not read in two days or less. ... Read more

Book Description
Through twenty-one novels featuring Lucas Davenport, Kidd, or the razor-edge world of the Night Crew, John Sandford has been writing brilliantly suspenseful, consistently surprising thrillers filled with rich characters and exceptional drama.

But Dead Watch sets a whole new level.

Early morning, Virginia, and a woman is on the run. Her husband, a former U.S. Senator, has been missing for days. Kidnapped? Murdered? She doesn't know, but she thinks she knows who's involved, and why. And that she's next.

Hours later in Washington, D.C., a cell phone rings. The White House chief of staff needs Jacob Winter now. His chief investigator and an Army Intelligence veteran, Winter knows how to move quickly and decisively, but he's never faced a problem like this. The disappearances are bad, but when the blackened body shows up barbed-wired to a tree, Winter knows there is much worse to come. And soon enough, there is. Large forces are at work, determined to do whatever it takes to achieve their ends. Winter will have to use all his resources not only to prevail but also to survive. And so will the nation. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (83)

Jake Winter is no Lucas Davenport
In Dead Watch, John Sandford brings us a new realm of characters, this time with the main character being Jake Winter. An ex-soldier with a gimpy leg who works at the highest levels of the White House as a 'fixer.'
There is a great, twisted plot delivered as only John Sandford can, though not quite as compelling as those from the Prey series. Sandford mixes high-political intrigue and inventive new characters to form a slow-moving plot.
Good story, though not quite as driving as a Lucas Davenport novel.

Room for improvement
Political suspense novels are a popular venue, but most authors try to avoid having to name political parties.In Dead Watch, John Sandford creates a fast-paced plot that names parties and shows both Republicans and Democrats to be flawed politicians.Members of both parties are generally shown to be more involved in trying to maintain power than in trying to uphold principles. So, while this novel does not have a liberal agenda, there are several occasions when the author's liberal bias emerges, primarily through the thoughts of the protagonist, Jake Winter.

The one embodiment of liberal bias that seems inappropriate is Mr. Winter bemoaning students at University of Wisconsin who might be reading books written by Newt Gingrich and Ayn Rand.I understand that many people do not appreciate or understand Newt Gingrich.I suppose it is also possible not to embrace the powerful arguments in defense of freedom found in the writings of Ayn Rand, but why is Mr. Sandford illustrating his bias this way?Most universities, including University of Wisconsin, are primarily liberal, and students who are adherents of Mr. Gingrich and Ms. Rand are definitely not in the majority.

While this novel might be a best seller and it might be a page turner, it is not literature.Mr. Sandford has as much use for a figure of speech as Al Gore has for an understatement.His descriptions of people and situations are uninspired, and there is very little dialogue that does not utilize four letter words.

The only examples of literary creativity that I uncovered were one anagram and one semi-clever piece of wordplay.The anagram shows that Mr. Sandford is attempting to earn his author's fee, but it is not as much fun as Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code anagrams because readers probably do not have enough information to work out the solution.The modest wordplay endeavor occurs when a Wisconsin politician is found to be corrupt; one character describes him as "toast," and another character contradicts him by referring to his home state and calling him "grilled cheese."While this is not a Shakespeare-quality figure of speech, I appreciate it and I would have liked to have read more.

A Minor Effort from Sandford
I enjoy John Sandford's books a lot, especially his PREY series involving Lucas Davenport.DEAD WATCH is not a PREY novel, but is instead a standalone featuring a completely new cast of characters.It's a decent political thriller, but I think it pales in comparison to most of Sandford's other work.

I won't discuss the plot in depth, but DEAD WATCH involves the disappearance and apparent murder of an ex-Senator from Virginia.The main character of this novel is a Davenport-like character who "fixes" problems for the President.Most of this book details his investigation of the murder, and all the interesting twists and turns along the way.

The problem with DEAD WATCH is that the political plot is rather silly and unbelievable.Further, most of the supporting characters are very thin and have little personality.Although this novel is something of a mystery, nearly all of the mystery is pretty much resolved at the halfway point.The second half of the novel is mainly action, and involves little surprise or true suspense.I was bored by most of it, and found the ending of the story surprisingly lame and unsatisfying.

Sandford's a really good writer, and his prose is strong enough to make DEAD WATCH into a readable book.That being said, you can do much better than this novel, so I can only give it a tepid recommendation.My advice is to instead read the early PREY books if you have not done so.

A standalone novel by Sandford
In John Sandford's Dead Watch, the author takes a break from his Lucas Davenport and Kidd novels (as is obvious to Sandford fans because the title features neither the word "Prey" nor a Tarot reference) to tell a standalone story featuring a hero with a most unique profession.I've read or heard of mysteries with protagonists with almost every career - cop, reporter, sports agent, chef, rabbi, monk, psychologist, etc. - but Jacob Winter is the first hero I can think of who is a bureaucrat.

Sure, Winter may be an ex-soldier with some decent combat skills, but at heart, he merely works the political system and knows how to cut through red tape:he is not merely a bureaucrat but is the uber-bureaucrat, and all his skills will be required when ex-Senator Lincoln Bowe disappears.Suspicion immediately falls on The Watchmen, a citizen's group with some similarity to The Minutemen or Guardian Angels.They are the brainchild of Governor Arlo Goodman, and depending on who is describing them, the Watchmen are either Boy Scouts or Brownshirts.Bowe and Goodman are bitter political rivals and it is theorized that the Watchmen kidnapped Bowe.

Or is it all a ploy by Bowe's people to discredit Goodman?That is what Winter is tasked to find out by the President's Chief of Staff (who is in the same part as Goodman).Bowe's body is soon found, but the answer to his whereabouts only opens up new issues that Winter soon unearths.The apparent killer is missing; Bowe is revealed to have been a closeted gay man; and there are rumors of a "package" that can severely damage the President.Winter works all the angles even as he begins to become romantically entangled with Bowe's widow Madison, a woman with her own secrets.

Sandford is in top form with this novel.Dead Watch is suspenseful, well-plotted and a fast read.Winter may not be the most exciting hero, but he is likeable enough and that goes a long way.Whether you've read Sandford before or not, Dead Watch is worth reading if you enjoy political thrillers.

excrutiatingly boring
I was really disappointed in this book because I have been a loyal John Sandford reader since the first "Prey" book. During the best of the "Prey" years, I always looked forward eagerly to reading the new installments in the series. Recently even the Prey novels have been inconsistent, never matching up to the best, "Chosen Prey" and "Certain Prey", and reaching an all time low with "Easy Prey". However "Dead Watch" is the most boring John Sandford book I have ever read. After the first few chapters I lost interest--the entire story was wrapped up in the first half of the book. The rest of the book was just an exercise in drawing the story out to fit into the minimum required pages. I hope that with his next books, Mr. Sandford is back on track with interesting characters, dialogue and pacing. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In the 10th installment of his popular Prey series, John Sandford (a.k.a. John Camp) pits his popular antihero, Lucas Davenport, against a pair of cunning killers unlike any he has encountered before.

Attorney Carmel Loan is preternaturally beautiful, intelligent, and ambitious. When she becomes infatuated with fellow barrister Hale Allen, she isn't going to let a little thing like his being married get in her way. A quick meeting with an ex-client sets up the hit on Hale's wife, Barbara.The professional killer, Clara Rinker,is one of the best in the business. Smart, attractive, with a gentle Southern drawl, no one would suspect her of being a top Mafia hit man... er, hit person. When she takes the Allen assignment, she figures it will be easy money for a day's work. But things go wrong from the beginning. Loan's ex-client made a tape of the meeting, and is shaking her down for money. Worse, the shooting of a witness--a cop--brings deputy inspector Lucas Davenport into the case.Somehow Davenport has not only linked Loan to the killing, but seems to have a lead on Rinker as well. Carmel and Clara team up to clean up the loose ends, which includes getting Davenport off their back by whatever means necessary.

Like all of Sandford's books, Certain Prey is a fast and furious ride. Fans of previous Prey books will find Davenport a little older, a little more wary, but no less sharp-witted and determined. Though parts of the plot may stretch the limits of credulity and the dialogue falls a little flat in places, this is still a wonderfully crafted thriller, possibly one of the best of 1999. Certain Prey cements Sandford's standing among such luminaries as James Lee Burke, Lawrence Block, and Thomas Harris.--Perry AtterberryBook Description
The #1 New York Times Bestselling series featuring Lucas Davenport.

Of all the criminals that Lucas Davenport has hunted, none has been as frighteningly intelligent as the woman who's hunting him now.

Of all the criminals that Lucas Davenport has hunted, none has been as frighteningly intelligent as the woman who's hunting him...Download Description
"When a wealthy socialite is murdered, the brilliant killer sets her sights on the one man who can solve the case--Lucas Davenport." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Something happened to Sandford...
I've been an avid fan of John Sandford's books for a decade now and was sorry to see that Lucas Davenport seemed to have lost his edge. I was wary when I picked up the book: I didn't want to get disappointed but Sandford surprised the hell out of me.
His latest in the Prey series is his best yet. The story has frightening insights: Sandford was able to draw the profile of a memorable serial killer perfectly. His portrayal ranks amongst the very best ones I've ever read. But not only the story is superb. Something happened to Sandford. His prose whas never beenextremely vivid or pewrful but in Certain Prey he not only exceeded himself but most of the genre. His style breathes it's so fresh. Not one bad sentence in his dialogues. His conversations with his bride-to-be Weather, his interactions with his peers are so vividly written that I felt for the first time: Lucas Davenport is a living, almost larger than life cop, not just an interesting character who seeks the advice of a nun, who drives a Porsche and who designs softwares.
If you haven't read Sandford and want to know him, this is the best book to start with. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Just about everybody knows John Sandford for his long and successful Prey series. But just as well written and maybe more fun are his Kidd books, of which this is the fourth. Kidd is a professional thief for the Internet age: a cyberprowler, a hacker extraordinaire. In The Hanged Man's Song, he gets word that one of his key contacts--a superhacker known only as Bobby, whom Kidd has never met but has relied on many times--has disappeared. Kidd and an old buddy, both of whom could be compromised by data in Bobby's files, go looking for him. Finding his brutally murdered body draws them into a Hitchcock-esque intrigue that eventually involves stolen government secrets, crooked politicians, and a rogue CIA agent who's as crafty as he is creepy.

While filling his tale with fascinating and authentic-sounding lore about the hacker subculture, identity theft, and security cracking, Sandford keeps the action brisk with plenty of white-knuckle chases, tense stakeouts, and hairsbreadth escapes. Couple that with a smart, agreeable narrator and a cast of vivid characters evoked with an old pro's ease, and you've got one winning thriller. --Nicholas H. AllisonBook Description
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the phenomenal Prey novels returns with The Hanged Man's Song. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Disappointing
Both in character development and in plot, this is not up to Sandford's usual strength. Much of the plot limps along with inept episode after inept episode, while the finale, with mysterious black vigalentes pulled mysteriously out of nowhere, is simply implausible. All this is a pity since ome of the main points of the book can therefore be overlooked:No information kept of a computer that is linked directly or indirectly through a network to the internet is secure. It can be obtained for illicit purposes and can be manipulated by unauthorized people. All that is much more scary than the villain of this piece whose motives and personality are largely left blank. Sandford is an engaging write, but this is one to read only if you have already exhausted the large supply of better novels by him.

Not exactly a techno-thriller...
...but entertaining enough.I listened to HMS on the daily commute.If, as Publishers Weekly reports, "The early entries in this series have aged badly because of the advances in technology," that's all I need to read to know that I won't be exploring earlier entries in the "Kidd" series.HMS hardly fictionalizes technology at the cutting edge.As techno-capers go, it's pretty lame.But the story is decently paced, and its characters sufficiently well drawn (for a book of the genre).Score HMS an OK distraction, nothing more.

Another Kidd Novel!!
Even though it may be the last Kidd Novel for John Sanford, it did make me pick up all the others and read them once again. with this story it doesn't paint much of the hero/criminal of Kidd. you do get the idea that he's a righteous criminal with an overwhelming conscience to make him do good. and even though the other books brought you up to speed on the characters, this one still lets you know where they stand. love the little romance Sanford writes in with Kidd and LuEllen, putting a little sexual fantasy in a story does add some spice. but when reading this book don't make the mistake that Kidd is some geeky hacker. he's been military trained and even though he's very computer savoy, he's also an artist, which humbles his character down a bit. John Sanford writes up Kidd as an interesting hero who you just want to read more into. atleast this was from my point of view.

Probably the Best of the Kidd Series!!!
With the death of Bobby and the whole world closing in on Kidd and LuEllen. This book gives me to believe that it is the final book in the Kidd Series, but the ending definitely leaves the door open for Kidd.

A good book
After reading 8 Prey novels by Sandford, I read the latest Kidd novel, The Hanged Man's Song, and enjoyed solid yet unremarkable effort by Sandford.Kidd, don't think his first name was ever mentioned, is a computer hacker who tries to find out what happened to "Bobby" when he is no longer online.Bobby is the ultimate hacker that has info that if it is in the wrong hands, could destroy many people including Kidd and his squeaze LuEllen.

This book draws on some past characters I was unfamiliar with, including John, a black man with a militant past that he too wants hidden.They find Bobby murdered in his home and know they can't call the authorities without bringing suspicion upon themselves.Kidd draws attention to the case in a unique way and then after that its up to Kidd, LuEllen and John to track down the most valuable thing in the world, Bobby's laptop computer.Bobby's computer contains enough hacked information to destroy the USA.Kidd must operate outside the law while at the sametime work with Senators and congressmen.

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't overwhelm me like the first Prey novel I read.Kidd seems a lot like Lucas Davenport to me.Sure, he doesn't know how to use a gun and isn't a good fighter, but he is smart and cunning and comes across as a man without much depth, or at least we are not given a history to sympathize with why Kidd is the way he is.

I have yet to read Sandord novel I didn't enjoy and will probably go back and read the first Kidd novel and then the rest of the series.
... Read more

Book Description
Kidd and LuEllen, a wining pair of lovers and liars, get embroiled in a deadly con involving false identities, small-town scandals, and big-time murder.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author

Get stung by con artists Kidd and LuEllen... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

a bit dated
it is a good sanford book but it is easy to tell that it was wrote 20-30 years ago by the products in the story, but as all sanford novels a good read

The Kidd Series
Sanford has written another in his laudable Kidd series. Taut writing, complex characters, and fast moving plotting provide high quality entertainment with a thoughtful edge. Each in the series of four unveils new aspects of Kidd, the artist who has some unusual and lucrative, if less than legal, skills. With LuEllen, his new twist on a sidekick and Bobby, who we never quite get to see as he guides them via computer, the plots twist and wind to satisfying conclusions. Read them all, and try to read them in order to enjoy the full effect.

Note Author Names: Camp and/or Sandford
Some printings of this book list the author as John Camp; others as John Sandford. Either way, it's a Kidd and LuEllen adventure. Don't be put off by the author names.

Another Great Kidd and LuEllen Adventure!!!
Interesting story in a sleepy Mississippi River town. Kidd and LuEllen doing what they do best, plus Kidd's use of his Tarot Cards to influence the Mayor. The down trodden citizens getting even with a corrupt City Council, makes the crimes used against them to justify the means.

Kidd and LuEllen are back!
This is the second book in the Kidd and LuEllen series. It is much lighter than Sandford's Prey series, but is quite good in its own right. The dialogue is great, and the plot is complex yet easy to follow. There are also some quite funny parts. The story shows that the lines between right and wrong, good guys and bad guys can often become a bit blurred. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great insight...
enjoyed reading this book because of the perspective on life from the eyes of both a pastor and a parent's viewpoint.

Arrived in great condition.
We have not read this book yet, we like the title so ordered it ahead of intended use. ... Read more

Book Description
Before Lucas Davenport and the brilliant Prey novels, there was Kidd-artist, computer whiz, and professional criminal-and his sometime partner/sometime lover, LuEllen. The Army had left Kidd with a dislike for bureaucratic organization and the skills to do something about it, but it hadn't prepared him for the day a woman appeared at his door and told him that his colleague Jack Morrison had vanished, and that Kidd and his friends were the target of a national manhunt. It wasn't the official agencies that worried Kidd so much as the very

dangerous men with the very different agenda that he suspected were acting behind the scenes. And he knew that unless he and LuEllen found what had really happened to Jack, and quickly-the next people to vanish might very well be themselves.

Filled with the atmosphere, characters, and exceptional drama that have made Sandford one of the America's best-loved thriller writers, The Devil's Code is a masterpiece of suspense.Download Description
When Kidd-artist, computer whiz, and professional criminal-learns of a colleague's murder, he doesn't buy the official story: that a jittery security guard caught the hacker raiding the files of a high-tech Texas corporation. It's not what his friend was looking for that got him killed. It's what he already knew. For Kidd and LuEllen, infiltrating the firm is the first move. Discovering the secrets of its devious entrepreneur is the next. But it's more than a secret-it's a conspiracy. And it's landed Kidd and LuEllen in the cross-hairs of an unknown assassin hellbent on conning the life out of the ultimate con artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

Kidd novel is a fun adventure
The Devil's Code is the second Kidd book I've read by John Sandford after reading the Hanged Man's Song.There are only four in this series of a part time artist/part time computer hacker, and I've read the last two.The Devil's Code is a fun book, where the differences in Sandford mainstay Lucas Davenport and artist Kidd are more fleshed out.Kidd is a funny guy who enjoys his life and his relationship with LuEllen.LuEllen is a thief who likes golf and cocaine and can help Kidd out with the dirty work that he isn't quite used too.

In the Devil's Code, a fellow hacker is killed and his sister comes to Kidd for help.Kidd begins to look into it and finds out that the hacker, named Standford, was researching AmMeth.Meanwhile, the US government is after a group of terrorist hackers named Firewall.The members of firewall include Kidd.There's only one problem, Kidd is on the list of terrorists and Kidd knows that isn't true.Someone must be setting him up.

In Davenport novels, Sandford spends a fair amout of time with the villian, giving the readers all the gory details of his methods.In the Devil's Code, St. John Corbeil is the villain and we get to meet him be he isn't given the center stage in this novel.There are a lot of twists and turns as Kidd and LuEllen run around the country trying to discover what's going on and also not leave any tracks for the authorities.There isn't much cat and mouse like in the Davenport novels, but there is a sense of fun, even when things get violent.

I'll move on to the first two books in the series, which by now are seriously outdated.And I hope there may be another Kidd novel in the series coming soon.

The Devil's Code
I am a good fan of John Sandford.I liked this book by him as well.He keeps you interested.There are no slow starts as he gets right to the action.I do prefer his Prey series but these others didn't dissapoint me.

I don't usually like books, but
It started when I was housitting at my buddy's condo and the power went out during the superbowl.WTF?I had nothing to do and all I could find was one flashlight.On his coffee table I saw a copy of Devil's Code and once I picked it up I could not put it down. This book is far from what you think it is, but everything that you hope it will be! I would compare it most to watching a really good Russel Crowe or Brude Willis movie, but with powerful and exciting thoughts and situations instead of explosions! Forget all those other "code" book out there. Now this book REALLY changed the way I think about what goes on in government.Something tells me that they're not telling us everying that is going on.You'll never look at life the same again.Now I'm usually a slow reader, but the amount of action that takes place in this book is increadible.To think about the fact that a guy could jump out of an air plane and his parachute could not work and he could still live is increadible.

Quit with 40 pages to go
I got to page 320 or so and didn't care enough to finish it.I still don't know what happened.For me the wall was an inane discourse on art having nothing to do with story in the run up to the climax.I think i've been reading too many classics lately.I just can't stomach this writing any more.

Crap-o-la. Move on to the next one on your list
Not worth your time, not worth your money, not worth 3 stars, not worth it.....

and definitely not worth my time writing this review. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

John Sandford is a literary genius!!
Johns books are addictive,if you buy one, you will ultimatly want to buy them all.Exspecially if you start with this book
rules of prey,it reads fast....and your heartbeat does its
best to keep up.

3 Prey's back to back. What more could you want?
If you want a book that will you can't put down, well then this is the one for you. I have all the Prey novels and to date I can trully say that they have been the best reads ever. Davenport is one hell of a cop, and delivers justice in the best two fisted way I've come to read. The Criminals are dark and sinister, and I know these three stories will keep the reader rivited till the end and still wanting more. I know I did, and can't wait for the next one.

John Sanford is the best !
I have read all of the Prey series and am a really big fan. I wasn't always a person who does alot of recreational reading . But once i started the Prey series I can't stop I have read them all and am ready for his nextrelease. I still think my favorite was Rules of Prey.

The most evil villains I have ever read.
I have read five of the "Prey" novels so far, including thesethree stories.Obviously, there is something about them that I findattractive, but in retrospect, I cannot honestly say what.The writingstyle is pleasant, but not taxing, and draws you along.The villains arethe most evil people that I have ever read about, and always come to thesame end.The number of psychos inhabiting John Sandford's Midwest istruly frightening, yet doesn't seem to surprise the locals.These booksare the "sitcom-lites" of literature, but easy and quick to read.

Three great mystery books in one.
Sandford is a master at weaving this type of story.He keeps you reading through all three novels like it was one story.It was nice to see a author finally pick the great state of Minnesota for a setting ... Read more

Book Description
Virgil Flowers-tall, lean, late thirties, three times divorced, hair way too long for a cop's-had kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. First, it was the army and the military police, then the police in St. Paul, and finally Lucas Davenport had brought him into the BCA, promising him, "We'll only give you the hard stuff." He'd been doing the hard stuff for three years now-but never anything like this. In the small town of Bluestem, where everybody knows everybody, a house way up on a ridge explodes into flames, its owner, a man named Judd, trapped inside. There is a lot of reason to hate him, Flowers discovers. Years ago, Judd had perpetrated a scam that'd driven a lot of local farmers out of business, even to suicide. There are also rumors swirling around: of some very dicey activities with other men's wives; of involvement with some nutcase religious guy; of an out-of-wedlock daughter. In fact, Flowers concludes, you'd probably have to dig around to find a person who didn't despise him. And that wasn't even the reason Flowers had come to Bluestem. Three weeks before, there'd been another murder-two, in fact-a doctor and his wife, the doctor found propped up in his backyard, both eyes shot out. There hadn't been a murder in Bluestem in years-and now, suddenly, three? Flowers knows two things: This wasn't a coincidence, and this had to be personal. But just how personal is something even he doesn't realize, and may not find out until too late. Because the next victim...may be himself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not worth it
I realy thought I was going to enjoy this book, but the authors arogant attitude turned me off very quickly. Within the first 30 pages of the book he claims to have delivered more people than almost anybody and he boasts how he and his Elija House team have to clean up the messes made by others performing deliverances. Most disturbing is his boast that he had a demon that he had aquired while involved in occult practices, but it didn't manfest for some time because of his superior moral character. 1st a demons power is in their hiddeness. If we know they are there they can be delt with. 2nd if the demon realy did not manifest or did not influence him it was by the power of the Holy Spirit, not his own moral character. He also claims that sometimes its best not to expell all the demons right away. I don't remember Jesus doing any partial deliverances and I can't fathom any biblical principal that promotes leaving anyone in demonic bondage. As for inner healing, as best as I understand it, it seems to be the removing of demonic footholds in a persons life. I don't know why the author seperates the fields of deliverance and inner healing. The only biblicly based deliverance ministries that I know of incorporate what is refered to as inner healing as part of the deliverance process. The author also promotes feelings over logic and intellect. While philosophic naturalism has led to dead churchs and a denial of anything supernatural, feelings can easily be deceptive which is fertil ground for the father of lies. So it is important to know biblical truth to counter false feelings. Dr. Ed Murphy's Handbook for Spiritual Warfare or any of Mark Bubecks books including the Adversary, Overcoming the Adversary, or The Adversary at Home are much better books on this topic.

Deliverance and Healing Go Together for Optimum Health
This book looks at attachments of darkness, spirits, and how they suppress the body and mind. There is good and powerful information here. I have read many books on the subject, and have been trying to fit in where alternative medicine and these "things" that I know fit together. If you want to go even further, about where these things come from, and more precise methods to "dis-attach" them, pick up Dr. Snow's book on alternative medicine, hands on healing and prayer power, called The Power of Divine, a Healer's Guide on Miracles. The changes that occur often include "undiagnosisable" medical and emotional problems disappearing. Jesus did also - deliverance right along side healing. Many of the illnesses that conventional medicine can't get rid of are actually demon infestation. Read these books, and keep learning where ever you can!

Demons no match for God
I have found the advice of John and Paula Sandford very helpfull in the past.So I was intrested in this colaboration with his son Mark. First I liked how they directed you to take resposibility for your actions, and made it clear that we can not use Demons as an excuse for our harmful acts, we provide the furtile ground. In the end it is God who leads us to God, but it is great to have people like John and Mark, dedicated to helping us when we get stuck along the way. If you are ready to take responsibility for your life, this is a great book to help you along.

Wisdom for the wise.
Mr. sandford does an excellent job of explaining the interrelation of deliverance and inner healing.I have witnessed an attempt to deliver a person without the necessary inner healing follow up.The results weredisastrous.Many take for granted the healing power of God, omitrepentance and never deal with the root of the problem.Perhaps arrogancemotivates people to wield the power of the Holy Spirit without usingwisdom.This book is a must for anyone interested in deliverance.

Solid food about deliverance and inner healing.
Most books are either about inner healing or about deliverance. Though there are more and more books that deal with both subjects, there is hardly any book that integrates the two ministries better than this one. It dealswith both subject on a deep level ("Defeating Dark Angels" fromCharles Craft was also pretty good I thought, only it took him another book"Deep Wounds, Deep Healing", to totally cover the subject ofinner healing). You could see this book as an introduction to his earliermore extensive books like "The Transformation of the Inner Man"and "Healing the Wounded Spirit", but better see it as a'complete' introduction to his earlier books, in that it covers a lot ofinformation and also integrates the ministry of deliverance, what hasn'tbeen done before. It is clear where the books of the Sandford's stand.Somebody who want to be merely 'introduced' with the subject should readother books first, like the three books from David A. Seamands. But to beeven better informed you should definitively read "Deliverance andInner Healing"! ... Read more