Invisible Prey (Lucas Davenport Series #17) by John Sandford

From Barnes & Noble

Lucas Davenport had reason to be relieved when he was called off a morals case -- involving a Minnesota state senator accused of having sex with a minor -- and assigned to a double murder. For one thing, the killing of affluent widow Constance Bucher and her maid isn't politically sensitive; for another, it seems like a prosecutorial slam-dunk. The messy crime scene looks like the calling card of drug-addled thieves who, like many others before them, blundered into a situation they couldn't control. Looking closer, though, Davenport detects the scent of more sophisticated plunderers. And then the other murders begin….

From the Publisher

In the richest neighbourhood of Minneapolis, two elderly women lie murdered in their home, beaten to death with a metal pipe, the rooms ransacked, only small items stolen. It's clearly a random break-in by someone looking for money to buy drugs. But as he looks more closely, Davenport begins to wonder if the items are actually so small or the victims so random, if there might not be some invisible agenda at work here. Gradually, a pattern begins to emerge - and it will lead Davenport to somewhere he never expected. Which is too bad, because the killers - and there is more than one of them - the killers are expecting him.

Publishers Weekly

At the start of this engaging first in a new series from bestseller Cussler (Inca Gold) and Blackwood (An Echo of War), Sam Fargo and his wife, Remi, trade quips while wading waist deep in a Maryland swamp in search of hidden treasure. The couple stumble across a WWII Nazi minisub, which contains an intact bottle of wine, apparently part of a collection known as Napoleon's Lost Cellar. The bottle has a riddle hidden in its label, the solution to which leads the Fargos to other lost bottles and eventually points the way to two solid gold Persian columns discovered by Napoleon and hidden in the Pennine Alps in 1800. The book's villain, Hadeon Bondaruk, who covets the columns and will do anything to get them, sends his henchmen after the Fargos. The clever duo manage to stay one small step ahead of the hired killers until everyone arrives at the inevitable boffo ending. Solidly in the Cussler tradition, this adventure thriller is sure to please new fans and old. (Sept.)

Denise A. Garofalo - Library Journal

The 17th installment in Sandford's Prey series, this novel finds Lucas Davenport promoted to special agent for Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He investigates two cases-the brutal murders of an elderly heiress and her maid in an elegant St. Paul neighborhood and the sordid affair between Minnesota state senator Burt Kline and a minor. Lucas's home life with his wife, Weather, and their young son and his relationships with his boss, Marie, and police officers Jenkins and Shrake provide an ongoing backdrop to the investigations. The world of antiques and art is also detailed as the tale's body count increases, but Lucas looks for clues and steadily makes his way toward resolution. There is quite a bit of offensive language here, which may cause discomfort for some listeners. Richard Ferrone's intense, clear voice and breathless pacing create a powerful atmosphere. This thriller is well crafted, with a touch of humor, well-developed characters, and plenty of plot twists. Recommended.

Details from Seller

• ISBN: 0425221156
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Pub. Date: April 2008
• Condition:

Comments from the Seller: 2008 Paperback Good COVER IS WORN Clean, nice condition, good reading copy.