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Buried Prey
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Buried Prey
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Buried Prey
Audiobook10 hours

Buried Prey

Written by John Sandford

Narrated by Richard Ferrone

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Some secrets just can't stay buried, in the brilliant new Lucas Davenport thriller from the number-one New York Times- bestselling author.

"One of the best," said Kirkus Reviews of Storm Prey. "Razor-sharp dialogue, a tautly controlled pace and enough homicides for a miniseries. What more could fans want?"

A house demolition provides an unpleasant surprise for Minneapolis-the bodies of two girls, wrapped in plastic. It looks like they've been there a long time. Lucas Davenport knows exactly how long.

In 1985, Davenport was a young cop with a reputation for recklessness, and the girls' disappearance was a big deal. His bosses ultimately declared the case closed, but he never agreed with that. Now that he has a chance to investigate it all over again, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: It wasn't just the bodies that were buried. It was the truth.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 10, 2011
ISBN9781101526224
Unavailable
Buried Prey
Author

John Sandford

John Sandford is the pseudonym for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. He is the author of thirty-three Prey novels, two Letty Davenport novels, four Kidd novels, twelve Virgil Flowers novels, three YA novels co-authored with his wife, Michele Cook, and five stand-alone books.

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Reviews for Buried Prey

Rating: 3.991400445208845 out of 5 stars
4/5

407 ratings32 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I came late to this series and I will probably never read them all. This one came out in 2011 so maybe I can read all the ones since then.In this book Lucas Davenport has to come to terms with a case that was never resolved. Two girls were kidnapped and never found again. Lucas was still a beat cop but he got asked to help the detectives and he proved his worth as an investigator. Lucas got a hint that a homeless man was involved and he tracked him down to a cave in the banks of the Mississippi but the man got away. Meanwhile Lucas was also trying to find a man known as John Fell who had given the first hint about the homeless guy. John Fell was not his real name and he was very elusive. Lucas wanted to keep following up on him but when the homeless guy was shot by the detectives sent to pick him up the department considered the case closed. Twenty years later the bodies of the two girls were found under the basement of a house being demolished and everyone realized the homeless man could not have transported them so far because he did not have a vehicle. Lucas is determined to find the true perpetrator this time and he starts back where he left off trying to find John Fell. He finds a woman who escaped from this man and gets a better description and then he is off to the races. Before he can apprehend the man a few more bodies must fall though.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Oh how I have missed you Lucas Davenport! I've been sitting on this book for quite some time, as I knew based on description, a good majority of the book would be reminiscent of pre-domesticated Davenport. I sat on this book quite frankly, because I dreaded reaching the end, and knowing this is likely to be the last I see my favorite, but aging, detective in his glory days again.

    Ever since Davenport married, he's lost some of his roughness that made him so attractive in the earlier series. This title more than makes up for the last few. We get to see the Davenport that has gradually worked his way up the ranks, but most importantly we also get a peek back at his very first investigating case, and the old Davenport we adore.

    This book really made Lucas take a good, hard, long look at himself, as he is pushed farther than he's ever been pushed before, choosing between being the vigilante consumed with rage and doing things "by the book" to avoid ruining the careers of those closest to him.

    I was not disappointed with Sandford this time. I devoured this book in one sitting, and am now contemplating starting from the beginning of the series (again) so that I may savor this for just a little longer.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Over the years, Lucas has risen from patrol to detective, now a top investigator in the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. And like every seasoned detective, one case has burdened Davenport's conscience, the abduction and assumed murder of two young girls that occurs just as Lucas is breaking out of patrol work, angling for detective. Davenport accepts his superior's resolution to the case in spite of serious reservations. Now, twenty-five years later, the bodies of the Jones sisters are discovered at a construction site and Lucas is reexamining the case that has haunted his career. How many other victims have died through his willingness to acquiesce to authority?

    Of all his characters, Lucas Davenport is the most iconic, Sandford developing his protagonist over time, his personal and professional life grist for the series. This novel is a skilled blend of personalities and circumstances, pitting the mind of a serial killer against the determination of a dedicated career detective. Once the chase is on and Davenport scents the killer, it's only a matter of time. As fans of this series know, getting there is the best part, from the outrageous crime to the final confrontation, a cold-blooded killer matching wits with a BCA agent who needs to close a painful period in his history and grieve a heartbreaking loss.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow! This sure was a wild ride from start to finish. There was a little bit at the beginning where they did a flashback portion and I thought it went a little overlong and started to edge toward tedious but once it was over Sandford didn't do anymore flashbacks and it turned out to be super important to the plot for the reader to be able to see what happened in the past.I loved the characters. Each one has their own voice and personality and it really shines through. I loved the way Lucas and Del played off each other, I loved Lucas's sense of humor, and I loved his relationship with his adoptive daughter, Letty.This is the 21st book in the Lucas Davenport series, but it's the first one I've read and I didn't feel as though I was missing a single thing by picking it up right here. It really is its own self-contained story and it's really got me interested in looking into more Lucas Davenport novels. I also really enjoyed the fact that there was some crossover with at least one other Sandford series, the Virgil Flower series. It wasn't a lot, but it was definitely nice. I've read one of the Virgil Flowers novels as well, and so it was really fun to see that crossover and then to also see many areas where there was crossover from the Lucas Davenport series with the Virgil Flowers book I read but hadn't known was happening at the time because I hadn't read a Davenport book yet.I think Lucas Davenport is probably going to turn out to be one of my favorite characters I've read about it, that's for sure.The plot was solid and the mystery was great and had me thinking and on the edge of my seat the whole way through right up to the climax. That was kind of where I ran into a problem, though. I loved the climax itself, but I wasn't so fond of the conclusion to the climax. However, I think I would be in the minority opinion here and the vast majority of readers will love it.I also enjoyed the last chapter and the way things were tied up well and we got to find out what happened with a lot of the characters. I was kind of annoyed with Todd and Kelly Barker, but really I wasn't at all surprised either.I will caution that there is some homophobic language and some homophobic attitudes during the flashback portion of the book, but it doesn't last long and there's no indication to me that Lucas shared those opinions or the attitude. Just...be aware of it so that you aren't blindsided and I think you'll be fine.One other thing that I really enjoyed about this book involving the characters was that nobody was a perfect person and I liked that bit of realism. Each character was complex and interesting in their own right, and the reader was challenged to think about the things they said and did and the positions they took, even the characters that you end up liking. And that's pretty awesome, as far as I'm concerned.All in all, definitely happy and so very pleased with this book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys detective novels and/or mysteries. It's not a short book, but it's still a fast, easy read and difficult to put down with interesting characters and a strong plot.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I like my homicide detectives conservative without the little jabs here and there against concealed carry, conservatives, Republicans, and generally all things that are not Demoncat. It's OK that Sandford created Davenport to be a Demoncat detective that lives up in the frozen lib-land of Minnesota. I just can't help but think that a little bit of Sandford leaks out through Davenport's eyes and mouth.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another good Davenport outing, with interesting backstory about when he was a rookie cop. Excellent and hilarious cop speak, and a thrilling plot. The hits just keep on coming.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not his best.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Synopsis: Lucas Davenport hears that the bodies of two girls have been found in an old building. As it turns out, he worked on their murder when he was a young detective. At that time he really didn't believe that the murderer was captured, but he wasn't senior enough to change the course of the investigation. Now, as a senior member of the BCA, he can follow this cold case, and link it to more current murders.Review: Interesting story that makes the reader wonder about lots of loose ends that might lead in other directions.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another fine effort by John Sandford, one of my favorite writers in the genre. Great story and, unlike a few of the negative reviewers I've read, I actually liked the flashback to the earlier crime investigation. I thought the dialogue was great and believable as always, and Lucas Davenport remains one of the best characters in this type of fiction.

    If you've liked other 'Prey' novels, you should enjoy this one as well. I did have a little problem with how the ending took place, but I'd rather not spoil it for others. All-in-all, another great job by one of the most consistent authors out there, John Sandford.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really good read, full of action and suspense! It starts out when two girls bodies are found and the detective, Lucas Davenport, flashes back to their disappearance. Half of the book is about the flashback to 1985, and the other half is about clearing the case in present time. Quite a thriller!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love the repartee between Lucas Davenport and the other characters, especially his sometime partner Del. These books go down like a creamy milkshake without the calories. This is about the discovery of the bodies, in the present day, of two little girls who disappeared when Davenport was just starting out. He worked the case, and never believed that the homeless guy who was tagged as the murder was actually guilty. There is a large chunk of the narrative set back in that time. And in the present, well, there wouldn't be a book now, would there, if his instincts were wrong back then
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Finally Sandford returns to the focus on investigation which he does well. While late in the series, this book takes us back to Davenport's very early days as a cop, and it's one of the better books, since the emphasis is on investigation.

    While a block of old buildings is being torn down as part of a redevelopment project, the skeletons of two girls are dug up while working on the foundation for a new building. That triggers Davenport's memory back many years before, when he was a uniform cop, two young girls disappeared. Driven to both find evidence of the girls and to track down the "perp" and to get noticed by the brass so he can get out of uniform, Lucas works 24/7 chasing down every possible lead, but they consistently run up against dead ends. And the girls are never found. The one major suspect is tracked down, but - well you'll have to find out for yourself which suspect I reference.

    Fast forward to the present and the skeletons, Lucas, despite that it's a Minneapolis Police case, with renewed energy, starts his own re-investigation. It's the hunt that provides interest for me and the killer in Buried Prey is especially devious which makes the chase that much more interesting. It's when Sandford starts in on the peripheral personal relationships that I have difficulty controlling my snooze control and anti-barf mechanisms. But then Richard Ferrone's excellent narration brings it back.

    As much as I find the Prey series a pleasant way to kill time, I'm always disturbed by the undercurrent of support for vigilantism. He surrounds himself with colleagues who can keep their mouths shut about his own law-breaking, which he justifies in the name of the law. Lucas wants to be on the scene first when they find the killer so he can kill him. No attempt to verify that he has the right person or even thought of a trial. (I suppose that's just evidence of Davenport's arrogance yet he is the instrument of the innocent Scrape's (sp?) killing.) When those charged with enforcing the law take it into their own hands we are perilously close to despotism.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a high paced engaging thriller as is Sandford's wont. While I find the character of Davenport overblown and bigger than life, he is still within acceptable boundaries. A personal fluke which I rather dislike is the penchant for fashion, although I'm sure it is a literary device meant to be woven into the fabric of the character. I have read almost all the prey series and they are so good that each time I see one I am psyched and want to obtain it, cannot resist pulling it off the shelf and into my shopping cart. I now have read so many that I need to carry the list with me so as not to accidentally "double up." One of the things in this novel that I really enjoyed was the development of secondary characters such as the adopted daughter, Letty...and Del. This clever technique helps to magnetize the novel and draw a smooth even patina across the entire series. The facet of the intra-departmental rivalry is carried off well, and it is interesting to see the use of sacrificing a semi-heroic figure (Marcy) is exchange for dramatic value. Technically suave and well written, certainly very engaging; a good value for money, page turning thriller that will keep you up later than you should be. Another Sandfor hit.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    One of the better Prey novels that almost make up for the terrible ones...almost. When Lucas is crusading for child victims, it earns a pass. If he was looking for the killers who offed a couple of lunch ladies 30 years ago, it would be a 2 star review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent addition to a great series. Great cop talk, salty and aptly profane, throughout appropriately flavors the setting . Flashback to Lucas' early days as a cop and his transition with a very steep learning curve from patrol to detective. Sadly though, we lose a solid and interesting character in the process of solving the 30 year old crime.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The best thing about this installment is the 170 pages or so when you get to go back to 1985, three years before the first Prey novel takes place. Lucas is 23, and he's spent three years as a uniformed patrolman. He finally gets his chance to make his bones as a plainclothes homicide dude. This is when he's first getting to know some of our favorite characters like Del Capslock and Sloan. Loved it! That first case from 1985 resurfaces (so to speak, heh heh) in the present day, and Lucas is all over it. As always, Sandford writes the absolute best "just among us guys" dialogue EVER. Realistic and sometimes hilarious. Some of the male/female dialogue is pretty stinkin' funny, too. I have to add that this is the only book in the Prey series that has ever made me cry. I can't say why. It would be an enormous spoiler. If you read it I'm sure you can guess what got me choked up. Oh, one other thing. I now know more than I ever wanted to about the finer points of peeing off a fishing boat, male version.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lucas Davenport picks up a cold case of 2 missing girls when their bodies are unearthed. He cut his investigative teeth on this very case 25 years ago and never did feel right about how the case was closed. Did they get the right guy?The book is told in 2 parts. "Then" covers the original case beginning immediately when the sisters go missing, shows how Lucas moved from patrol to investigation and explores his early relationships with his now best friends. "Now" follows the cold case and the original crew gets back together to track the real killer and stop him from preying on more young girls.I really liked seeing a young Lucas trying to maneuver his way up the police ladder. He was kind of a jerk, but he was sincere and I liked him. As usual the dialogue was a spot on. I love when an author can make characters rag on each other in an off-hand way in general conversation, the way friends do in real life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of the first cases Lucas Davenport ever had involved the disappearance of two young girls whose bodies were never found. Now, 20 years later, the bodies have been found. Davenport feels he caved to pressure to end the search for the murderer. The case all pointed to a vagrant who died. Lucas, feeling guilty about giving up to pressure is bound and determined to find the real killer. Sandford keeps the pace rolling in this one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read many of John Sandford’s “Prey” novels 20 years ago and enjoyed them and their recurring protagonist Lucas Davenport. But as is often the case, I got rather tired of the formulaic stories—they were always about serial killers. So I was interested to see what had changed since then when I picked up “Buried Prey.”“Buried Prey” is told in two parts, aptly named “Then” and “Now.” “Then” is about the investigation of two girls who go missing when Davenport is a patrol officer back in the 80s. He gets bumped up to temporary detective because of all the leads he’s running down. While the bodies of the girls are never found, the case is “solved” but Lucas never really feels right about it. “Now” starts when the bodies are discovered 20 years later. Davenport picks up the cold trail.One of the things I really enjoyed about the series years ago was how Davenport manipulated the press to get the results he wanted. There wasn’t as much of this. I also discovered that Lucas was a jerk when he was younger, and because of this, I didn’t enjoy the “Now” section as well as I did the “Then” part.What I did like was how the investigation flowed. The connections Davenport makes were pretty realistic and interesting.Not a bad book, but it’ll be a while before I return to the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My first Sandford read and I liked it a lot' I'll read more Prey series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    OK - Sandford is back on my 'hot author' list. I found this tale exciting and riveting right to end. Nasty language - but marvelous dialog - and perfectly natural to use in this case. I still have trouble with his relationship with his potty mouth step daughter ... but it is what it is.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Even more gripping that the typically Lucas Davenport novel in that it concerns the first case he was ever involved as an investigator.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I started to read Prey novels at its start and enjoyed it for a while. Then when I thought that author lost his touch I stopped. This is my first Sandford novel after the long break and I enjoyed it again. Not a masterpiece, but generally a good paced thriller
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book irritated me beyond recognition. i've been reading Sandford since his first Prey book and Lucas Davenport is one of my all time favorite literary characters. Over the last few years Sandford's grasp of the character has been tenacious at best. In this one he completely loses it. The character of Davenport in this book is so watered down that he's almost unrecognizable. The plot is also mundane. While interesting to revisit the old days when Del and Lucas first started working together, once the story enters the present day it becomes quite pedestrian. I may go back and read "Winter's Prey" to remember why I loved this series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Disappointing. I stopped reading Sandford in mid-2000's due to excessive violence in his Davenport series. Returned to him the last few years and enjoyed them again (especially his Virgil Flowers series). "Buried Prey" is very different from what Sandford usually writes because it was dull. The actual crime took place 12 years before present time. The book is split into 2 parts: then and now. There was no real suspense. I didn't care who the real killer was. Lots of details, but little action. A waste of time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Buried Prey is one of the better entries in the Prey series. The discovery of two bodies unearthed at a construction site leads to a flashback of Lucas Davenport and his early years as a uniformed cop. He is loaned to the detective squad to assist in searching for the two missing girls and shows his investigative skills that quickly lead to a detective's position. The missing girls never turn up and the person charged with the crime leaves Davenport feeling uneasy. Moving forward to the discovery of the little sisters' bodies Davenport takes a personal interest in the case and works nonstop to solve the case. It's a wonderfully written story that is well plotted, memorable characters, and the usual surprise or two that kept me reading well into the night.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The discovery of bodies of two young girls revives one of Lucas Davenport's old cases with the terrible realization that the suspected killer who was killed years ago was not the murderer.This book had a much slower pace than some of his other titles, and, although not one of my favorite Sandford books, it, nonetheless, filled my Davenport craving.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Spoilers ahoy!I mean it. No mercy. Don't even flick your eyes down there if you want to read this book.I hate you John Sandford. Why did you have to do it? Marcy. To Marcy. Why couldn't it have been Weather? Literally gobsmacked when I read that scene. I had to read it again to see if I read it wrong or something, but no, you killed her. Not many authors have made me mourn a character like you did. I mean really mourn. I had to take a break from reading, just for a little while though since now I had to see Lucas hunt down her killer, but I did pause for a while. I will miss her. She was a hot ticket. A pistol. A cop's cop as you said. After something like 20 years it's as if I knew her, so I hate you John Sandford. But in a good way.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I just love the way Sandford puts a story together and slowly reveals the clues that reel in the killer.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sandford is a great story teller -- even after 20 + Davenport books, he is still going strong.