WICKED PREY by John Sandford. (Berkley, May 2009) Paperback, 452 pages. ISBN #0424234606. (Lucas Davenport #19)
Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .
For twenty years, John Sandford's novels have been beloved for their "ingenious plots, vivid characters, crisp dialogue and endless surprises" (The Washington Post), and nowhere are those more in evidence than in the sudden twists and shocks of Wicked Prey.
Out of Lucas Davenport's past comes a psycho nursing a violent grudge. But why go after Davenport for revenge when Davenport's young daughter is so close-and so vulnerable?
My review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
I became hooked on Sandford's thrilling writing with the Virgil Flowers series, which was a spin-off from the main PREY books by Sandford.
This is the first book featuring BCA agent Lucas Davenport that I've read, and there will certainly be more. These are just as great as the Flowers books, but different in their own way.
Fascinating characters, captivating plots and side-plots. Sandford ties it all together in a very satisfying ending.
SAVAGES by Don Winslow (Simon & Schuster, January 2010) Hardcover, 302 pages. ISBN # 1439 183368 Literary Awards include Barry Award Nominee for Best Novel (2011), Dilys Award Nominee (2011), Deutscher Krimi Preis for 2. Platz International winner (2010), San Francisco Book Festival for General Fiction winner (2011)
Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Part-time environmentalist and philanthropist Ben and his ex-mercenary buddy Chon run a Laguna Beach-based marijuana operation, reaping significant profits from their loyal clientele.
In the past when their turf was challenged, Chon took care of eliminating the threat. But now they may have come up against something that they can't handle -- the Mexican Baja Cartel wants in, sending them the message that a "no" is unacceptable.
When they refuse to back down, the cartel escalates its threat, kidnapping Ophelia, the boys' playmate and confidante. O's abduction sets off a dizzying array of ingenious negotiations and gripping plot twists that will captivate readers eager to learn the costs of freedom and the price of one amazing high.
My review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Even though it runs over 300 pages, Savages is a masterful example of short story-telling. Winslow writes crisp quick chapters that get right to the point and move the story forward at a rapid pace.
You don't want to root for the main characters because they are criminals, despite the noble intentions and payback service to humanity and the environment (funded by their ill-gotten gains) from the mastermind of this dynamic dope duo. However, they happen to be the most emphatic characters in the novel. Most of the people in this book are dirtbags, although Winslow does add touches of humanity to all of them.
Savages is stark and brutal and the ending may disappoint readers, although it's not that difficult to envision where the rapid fire events and twists are going to resolve themselves.
If you enjoy one-and-done crime novels that don't depend on reoccurring characters, then you will want to read Savages. Forget about the movie, heard it's not very good. Glad I didn't see it. I might never have picked up the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment