Broken Prey – Book Review(John Sandford)

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Broken Prey is the 16th installment of the bestselling crime thriller series called Prey series written by popular author John Sandford.

Broken Prey Book Review

This Prey book opens to a brutal murder of a young female who is scourged to death.

Top police detectives get involved including Sloan and the super cop, Lucas Davenport to solve this case. Sloan calls in Lucas to get his help and also calls up Elle Kruger for the psychological angle on the killer.

Next another killing is done, but this time its a male and Lucas Davenport gets fully engaged in the case. The killer calls up an ambitious reporter at the Star Tribune and tips him of the next murder. This leads to a chase by Lucas’s team but they unfortunately miss him by a few minutes and end up with another murder victim.

All the evidence points to an ex-con Charlie Pope, but Elle Kruger has her doubts. Lucas Davenport and Sloan try various leads and hit the right spot after several tries and investigations.

The way police too suffer from bouts of illnesses like all of us and still have to carry on their duties is shown on the lighter side, but in a thought-provoking manner.

Sloan has a bad cold but is unable to sleep because of the brutal murders. He plans his retirement and is very serious about it.

Copycat murders

The murders happen in a style that would be used by three of the prison hospital inmates known as the Big Three.  So, Lucas and Sloan suspect their involvement and look at everything that is related to them.

Finally, the Davenport team crack the clues and chase the killer who is placed in an unexpected position making the plot all the  more interesting. They go to many places like Mankato and other small towns for this investigation.

Fun

Lucas Davenport and his team try to nail down an exact list of 100 songs for Lucas to listen to on his new iPod, a  birthday present from his wife along with a gift certificate for 100 songs.

The selection of the songs constructs the lighter vein in the plot with everyone including inmates of the prison hospital having a say in what it should contain.

Family

Weather Davenport is in London for medical study for six months and takes everyone in the family with her including Sam, Letty and even the housekeeper, leaving Lucas Davenport all alone. He resumes his bachelor life without spirit and misses her and the family.

In the shootout that occurs when Lucas and his team chases down the murderer, he gets shot and tries to hide it from his wife. How Weather reacts to it as a wife who feels guilty for being away from her husband when he is hurt, is depicted very realistically by the author.

The Verdict

John Sandford expertly displays his suspenseful narrative skills with this novel by interlacing more than two subplots but getting them back on link to the main one, this book is simply an amazing read.

But surely this novel is not for the fainthearted. One who enjoys murder suspense novels will love this book. And this is definitely for a dark, rainy night!

Buy it now on Amazon available as Broken Prey (A Prey Novel).

More Prey Reviews

For the review of the next book in the Prey series read Invisible Prey.

For the review of the previous book in the Prey series read Hidden Prey.

For the complete list of Sandford’s Prey series books, check List Of Prey Series Books.