Thursday, May 6, 2010

Days of Prey Blog Tour: Sudden Prey by John Sanford

To celebrate the release of John Sanford's 20th Prey novel, Storm Prey, on May 18, 2010, TLC Book Tours organized this special book tour that covers all of the earlier Prey novels starring Detective Lucas Davenport.

From May 3 until May 18, bloggers answer a few questions about each of the earlier Lucas Davenport novels for leading up to Storm Prey's release. To celebrate Storm Prey's release, the publisher is sponsoring a giveaway of the book that I'm focusing on today, Sudden Prey, & an advanced reader's copy of the soon to be released Storm Prey! Every blog participating in this tour will be giving away one of the earlier Prey novels and an ARC of the latest Storm Prey. So head over to Penguin's Days of Prey site at www.penguin.com/stormprey where you can learn more about John Sanford, Detective Lucas Davenport, read excerpt of the 19 Prey novels, and link to the participating blogs to read reviews and join book contests.

Today, at Starting Fresh, we're focusing on Sudden Prey, the 8th book in the Lucas Davenport series.

Sudden Prey (Lucas Davenport, #8)
Title and series number of the book:
Sudden Prey, #8 in the Lucas Davenport series
ISBN-10: 0425157539

Year published: 1997
genre: detective mystery/thriller

About Lucas Davenport

What is Lucas doing when he first appears in the book? Set up the scene.
We hear about Lucas Davenport before he appears on the scene. In downtown Minneapolis, men are shadowing a 30-something blond woman who seems to be aimlessly window shopping during the Christmas rush. The woman's movements have the men on alert and man suddenly says that it's time to call in Lucas Davenport. Davenport arrives, dons a bulletproof vest, makes small talk as he scopes out the area.

Give us a sense of time and place.
The story opens in Minneapolis, during the holiday season, in the 1990s.

What is Lucas's occupation or professional role?
A deputy chief and political appointee.
His sideline software business makes him independently wealthy.

Lucas's personal status (single, dating, married)
In a serious relationship with Weather Karkinnen.

Lucas Davenport is a known clothes horse - did you notice any special fashion references?
"He was wearing a blue wool suit, a white shirt with a long soft collar and what looked like an Hermes necktie -- one of the anal numbers with eight million little horses prancing around."

Let's talk about the mystery. Avoiding spoilers, what was the crime/case being solved?
Lucas Davenport and his colleagues are desperately trying to find the escapee and his companions to prevent the spread of violence. The gang are specifically trying to kill policemen -- they're heavily armed, unhinged, and unafraid of the consequences.

Does the title of your book relate to the crime?
Sudden Prey refers to how the tables turn in this book. Several cops stopped violent criminals in a shootout. The cops involved in the shootout are now being hunted by the criminals' associates. The police have become the prey in this novel and the hunters are well versed in violence.

Who was your favorite supporting character, good or evil?

Two characters stood out for me:

Sloan, a detective who works closely with Lucas Davenport. Sloan comes across as a nice guy, normal, easy to talk to - but his mind is sharp. He has the gift of eliciting important information from people by getting them to feel at ease.

AND

Sandy Darling - sister-in-law to LaChaise, Sandy had taken a different path from her sister. Sandy has a small horse ranch that she worked hard to set up, she works hard and stays out of trouble. Her sister and brother-in-law call on her for help and she's somehow dragged into their mess. Sandy has a strong bullshit meter, is smart, and usually isn't afraid to call people on their lies.

What was your favorite scene or quote?
There are two again:

First: The trail of illegal cigarette smoke followed Marie Roux down the darkened marble halls from the chief's office to Homicide. The chief was a large woman, getting larger, her face going hound-dog with the pressure of the job and the passing of the years. She stopped outside of homicide, took a drag on the cigarette, and blew smoke.

Second:
"Hey, I just showed up with a gun. What happened after that, that was their choice. Not mine."

Finally, how do you envision Lucas Davenport? If he were to be portrayed in a movie, which celebrity would play him?

Josh Charles (who plays Will Gardner in The Good Wife) OR Kevin McKidd (from Rome & Grey's Anatomy). Both actors combine smart, good looks, and physicality.

Final thoughts -
I'm glad to have discovered the Prey novels -- the characters and plot are carefully crafted and don't follow predictable lines. Sudden Prey is very much a detective thriller but it gives you a little something more, something extra. I'm looking forward to reading the others in this series.

Review copy provided by TLC Book Tours and the publisher.

CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, please (1) visit Penguin's Days of Prey website and choose which Prey novel you'd like to read most.

CLARIFICATION: Although the contest task is to choose which Prey novel you'd like to read most, I'm only authorized to give away a copy of Sudden Prey (book 8) and an ARC of the upcoming release Storm Prey.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win. No email address, no entry.
2. You must be a follower to join the contest.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at noon on May 30, 2010.

Thank you so much to Lisa, TLC Book Tours and Penguin for this review opportunity!

14 comments:

  1. I don't know either of those actors you referenced. I'm woefully ignorant of pop culture.

    I'm stoked you liked the book! Thanks for being on the tour!

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  2. This one sounds good too. I just finished Shadow Prey for the tour and enjoyed it. It was my first John Sanford novel.

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  3. I had to look up the actors as I wasn't familiar with either of them. I did recognize the first one but I'm not sure from where!! I'm such a bookish weirdo that I hardly watch any tv.

    Thanks so much for being on the tour!! I'd love to be entered into the contest for Mind Prey and Storm Prey!

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  4. I've read all the Prey novels, love them all, and have Storm Prey preordered. I wouldn't know which one to choose.

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  5. Hi,
    I am a follower and I love John/Lucas! I have read all of the Prey novels and would love to win a copy of "Prey 20"!!! If I am the winner of your drawing could I receive one of the Virgil Flowers series like "Dark of the Moon"...I have not read the Virgil series. Otherwise I'd take any of the beg. Prey books, like "rules of Prey".
    Thanks so much,
    Darby
    darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

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  6. I have read several of the Prey novels and enjoyed every one of them. I have done them patchwork style. One of these days I am going to go back and read the series from beginning to end. They stand alone very well, but I'd like to see the character development.
    Actually, I would like SUDDEN PREY since it is one I've not yet read and don't have on my TBR shelf.

    I am a Follower.

    librarypat AT comcast DOT net

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  7. I would like to win Eye of Prey.
    I am a follower

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  8. This is an easy answer because I have read and own all the Prey books..adore Sanford's writing. So the book I would want most is the newest, STORM PREY.

    I am a google friend connect follower and thanks for the chance at this one!

    kdhaney at gmail dot com

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  9. Interesting choices to play Lucas! I admit I had to google both of them, but I think Josh has the coloring I more imagine for Lucas, but Kevin definitely has the tougher looking exterior - good picks! I've read many books of the Prey series, but highly suggest CERTAIN PREY as one of my favorites, featuring a female killer!

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  10. Okay, I have it ...if I win, I'd like a copy of "Wicked Prey" along with a copy of "Prey #20".
    If only allowed one then of course "Prey #20", yet I thought on the website (?) it stated a previous release plus the newest.
    Thanks so much for the opportunity!
    Darby
    darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

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  11. Sudden Prey happens to be the one I want! :)
    Thank you for the giveaway!
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

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  12. I would most like to read Eyes of Prey. But actually all the books sound really good. Please enter me. Thanks for having this wonderful giveaway.

    I am a follower!

    ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

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  13. GFC follower
    I'd love to read 'Winter Prey'.
    Thanks ~ megalon22 at yahoo dot com

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  14. Which book did Lucas get in the bar room fight with the local red neck law officer??

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