Buried Prey

By: John Sandford

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 John Sandford (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"One of Sandford’s best." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Edgy and taut, inventive, and intense." (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

"John Sandford shows why readers love his Prey police procedurals...this case is an emotional dynamo." (Midwest Book Review)

Well worth the wait.

John Sandford is at the absolute top of his game in the much awaited (by me, anyway) return of Lucas Davenport, and Richard Ferrone does another superb job as the narrator.
Flashing back to Davenport's earliest days as a beat cop on the Minneapolis police force, we get to meet and get a good feel for the various characters that populate later novels, as well as get a handle on Davenport's less-than-exemplary motivations and very believable character flaws. It's a great device that allows the listener to enjoy the earlier, more devious Davenport before he became so happily married to the wonderful Weather.
But then we flash forward to the present to find him consumed with personal hatred towards a horrible and truly creepy killer, without really causing too much trouble at home.
In all, it's a great listen that is difficult to interrupt. But like a favorite meal you haven't had in a long time, it's best if you make yourself slow down and enjoy every bite of it.

First half, three stars, second half, five stars

The splitting of this story into two time periods wasn't necessarily a bad idea, but the part that happened 20 years ago when Lucas was but a puppy seemed to drag a bit. Better a slow start and a strong finish than the reverse. The villain in this novel was really an evil guy but we didn't learn much about him until the second half of the story. There was a twist with one of the main recurring characters that really added to the intrigue of this story. It got me more emotionally involved than I usually get with the Davenport series. Narrator Ferrone performed as well as I've come to expect. He's really nailed down the perfect tone for reflecting a sense of frustrated acceptance for what life or fate has brought to many of the characters. I look forward to the next Sandford effort involving Davenport or Virgil Flowers (who appeared briefly in this one).

Not a fan

I came really close to giving up on this book in just the first hour when there was an unnecessary amount of time spent on Davenport (as a young man) debating the adequacy of his favorite physical attribute with his married lover. I was also not pleased with the level of vulgar language that went beyond common swear words to racial and gender epithets that were off-putting to say the least. The first half of the book made Davenport a very unlikeable character and the story moved slowly, focusing more on the back stories of characters that I gather have been recurrent, so for series veterans, had to be old information. For me as a new reader, it was not very interesting.

I did perservere and found the second half to be much better, giving needed momentum to the story and showing Davenport to have matured (not just aged) to a more appropriate degree. The mystery itself was a pretty good story but fairly predictable, and the end (I can't really call it a climax) was flat and felt just thrown in to wrap things up.

I did not like the narrator. Except for Davenport's voice, which was ok, it sounded like he was talking out of the corner of his mouth with a nasally "wise guy" sound for the cops and the suspects, and the women mostly sounded like they were high on dope - kind of drawn out dreamy sounding voices. This was a major source of my dissatisfaction with the book, and why I will be reluctant to try another Sandford that is read by the same person.

Glad I got it!

I confess to some trepidation when purchasing Sanford or some of my other usually reliable authors...some of these characters need to be retired. I divorced myself from from Lee Child after listening to the awful "61 Hours" and Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch is getting tedious also...these characters have achieved a certain level of competence over time. I get irritated as a result when I know something before the super-sleuth does. Continued listening expecting the books to surprise me because it can't be so simple...was disappointing. This book was refreshing in meshing the early Davenport with the experienced character we have come to know. We get to see things from the perpetrator's point of view and he's not brilliant, just lucky. I get a bit tired of the "super" criminal playing a "deadly cat and mouse game" with whatever new super detective in whatever new thriller.

Buried Prey

Excellent, as always! I love Lucas Davenport! et al...
Enjoying the Virgil Flowers series as well..."that f--king Flowers..."

Enjoyable but,

I love all the Prey books and will continue to read them as long as Sanford writes them. I liked the way he went back to the past but something about this book fell short for me perhaps it was the narrator. I think he took away from the story and I truly hated the way he did the female voices made them all sound like idiots. Anyway bottom line is it is still a Lucas Davenport book and who isn't going to read it? Now I want a new Virgil Flowers book!

BURIED PREY

Typical great Davenport story. I like the way John Sandford brought the past and present together. Bring on more Davenport!

Pure Gold

What made the experience of listening to Buried Prey the most enjoyable?

It was a two part book that had flashbacks to the beginning of Lucas Davenports career and what a hound he was. It showed how he started his tenure as a police officer. It illustrated his motivation and drive at the beginning of his career and was abso fascinating.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It was masterful with twists and turns in the plot that kept me guessing and when the villain was revealed it was jaw dropping for me. I shook my head and said "well played John Sanford".

Have you listened to any of Richard Ferrone’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He does a great job. You feel like you are sitting behind a two way mirror watching the cops and the perps and witnesses. He make the suspense ratchet up notch by notch.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh Yeah. It made me greedy and I stayed up too late and couldn't shift away from it.

Any additional comments?

I have not listened to a "prey" book or read one for a few years and now I am deep into it. I have become the "prey".ha

Not up to usual J. Sandford story.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, it was still entertaining, just not as fast paced at usual for John Sandford.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

More action.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

I love Sandford's books!

I have become hooked on this series. I feel I know Lucas and want to know the next twists and turns in his life. He seems like a real cop.