Invisible Prey by John Sanford

Synopsis

Super detective Lucas Davenport is back in action. While he is investigating a politician for sexual impropriety with a teenage girl, Lucas gets sidetracked on a double murder of an elderly lady and her housekeeper who are bludgeoned to death in their St. Paul, Minnesota, mansion.

The mansion is ransacked and contains countless pieces of art and antique furniture. At first it appears to be a robbery for drug money due to the odd items that are missing and the even more odd collection of valuables that are left behind. Either the killers had no clue as to the value of the antiques - just looking for items that would sell quickly - OR they knew exactly what they were looking for and avoided some of the obvious loot in favor of some of the more obscure items.

The killers are identified to the reader very early in the book, allowing the reader to take part in their conniving plot to avoid getting caught. They are a rather pathetic pair who might have committed the perfect crime had they not botched their cover-up. * * *

My Two Cents Worth

Although the characters are shallow, the plot is well-paced and fairly interesting. Overall I found it to be entertaining, but not particularly endearing. Sanford's strong suit is writing a straightforward story without filling it full of distractions that kill the momentum. He does include a few false leads and he changes tack at times, but it doesn't confuse the reader. The plot is far more visceral and may not be suitable for those looking for an intellectual challenge.

I liked the book for what it is, a well-told story. I have not read previous books from the Prey series that I can use to relate to this one, which seems to have all the fans in such a tailspin. My advice - lighten up and try some different authors for a while to broaden your perspective.

Paperback
420 pages
just under 4 hours