Phantom Prey

March 10, 2008
In bestseller Sandford’s solid 18th Prey novel (after Invisible Prey
), Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport, who’s received numerous promotions in the course of the series, ought to be taking the desk aspects of his job more seriously. But the man remains more comfortable working a stakeout, interviewing suspects and taking down bad guys than he is filling out personnel evaluation forms on his staff—which explains why he’s still getting shot at, peeping at a cocaine dealer’s wife hoping for a glimpse of her husband and, at his wife’s behest, looking into the unsolved kidnapping and presumed murder of a wealthy young woman into the goth scene. It becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting goths as well as anyone, including Lucas, who gets in the way. While some pretty murky psychology encumbers the plot, Sandford delivers the kind of riveting action that keeps thriller fans turning the pages.