Twisted Prey

I can't believe this is the 28th book in the Prey Series!!!! I have loved all of them with the exception of one, Silken Prey. Maybe I was expecting too much of Sandford to have every book wrap up at the end with a pretty little bow, but after over 20 books, it's exactly what I wanted but didn't get, until now. In book 23, Lucas went up against Taryn Grant, a wealthy, narcissistic, psychopathic would-be politician. The thing that I didn't like about Silken Prey was that Ms. Grant seemingly got away with everything that she had done. Now fast forward to Lucas being a Marshall and he gets a call from Senator Smalls to help find out who tried to assassinate him. Senator Smalls suspects now-Senator Grant. This is Lucas' opportunity to catch the bad guy that got away. This book has everything that I love about Sandford's writing: suspense, witty dialogue, some of my favorite characters, and a storyline that kept me riveted from start to finish. I do miss Shrake and Jenkins' cameos in the Prey Series but Rae and Bob have been an awesome addition to this series. *This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

The one that got away is back with a vengeance. We first saw Taryn Grant in Silken Prey, and considering the circumstances in that one, Lucas is more than happy to be on her trail again - this time as a US Marshall. In addition to Lucas, we get to revisit with some favorites from the series, both old and new. Naturally, we get some time with the family, including Lettie. Bob and Rae, the Marshall's version of Jenkins and Shrake, are back and we even get a bit of Kidd when Lucas is need of internet help. Add in a couple of peeks at Del and Virgil and a lot of the gang is covered. Twisted Prey takes off pretty quickly with a not so accidental car crash that has Lucas sniffing around Washington DC. The tension rapidly builds from there with political intrigue, murder, and some shady deals from our bad guys and as the body count rises, so does the danger. With lots of action and plenty of twists to keep a reader guessing, along with a conclusion that is classic Lucas Davenport, this one is absolutely unputdownable.

If you haven't read the Prey series, you wouldn't get lost, but the richness of the characters really comes through from knowing them through 20 some odd books. This one was very good as are most. Worth the time, but not the $. Wait for the price drop.