Mortal Prey

By: John Sandford

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Minnesota Book Award winner

Years ago, Lucas Davenport almost died at the hands of Clara Rinker, a pleasant, soft-spoken, low-key Southerner, and the best hitwoman in the business. Now retired and living in Mexico, she nearly dies herself when a sniper kills her boyfriend, the son of a local druglord, and while the boy's father vows vengeance, Rinker knows something he doesn't: The boy wasn't the target, she was, and now she is going to have to disappear to find the killer herself.

The FBI and DEA draft Davenport to help track her down, and with his fiance deep in wedding preparations, he's really just as happy to go, but he has no idea what he's getting into. For Rinker is as unpredictable as ever, and between her, her old bosses in the St. Louis mob, the Mexican druglord, and the combined, sometimes warring, forces of U.S. law enforcement, this is one case that will get more dangerous as it goes along. And when the crossfire comes, anyone standing in the middle won't stand a chance.

Filled with the rich characterization and exceptional drama that are his hallmarks, Mortal Prey proves that John Sandford just keeps getting better.

Hear Lucas Davenport on the case in more of John Sandford's Prey novels.

©2002 John Sandford (P)2002 Putnam Berkley Audio, a member of Penguin Putnam, Inc., and Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"With lyrical Southern accents and charm, Eric Conger transports the listener to the Deep South as he dramatizes Sandford's latest suspense-filled thriller." (AudioFile)

“Vivid cast, bristling action, neat surprises - and it’s funny. Probably the cop novel of the year.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

“Sandford’s eye for the tell-all character quirk remains finely tuned, as does his deadpan humor, rivaled by few in the crime-drama ranks.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

First Class Excitement

This is Sandford at his absolute best, a terrific sequel (Mortal Prey) to a terrific original (Certain Prey).

Clara Rinker is a baddie with plenty on her side for the empathy of the reader, and the duel between her and Lucas Davenport is well drawn.

I was disappointed when the book ended, and have re-read it many times since.

A brilliant work, such a pity Audible hasn't seen fit to include the original 'Certain Prey' unabridged in its catalogue.



brendan (atlanta)

Great sequel to the 1st Clara Rinker story

What about Richard Ferrone’s performance did you like?

He captures the humor & the stone cold killer that is Davenport. It is hard to hear anyone else as Davenport.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The death of the FBI woman & Clara herself, are both rather tragic.

Any additional comments?

Sanford manages to portray the killer as ruthless & sympathetic at the same time. A female assassin version of Davenport. Love all of his Davenport stories.

Great Davenport Story. one of my favorites!

I have read mNy of these novels and Lucas and Clara Rinker made a great combinatiion.

Clara Rinker is back!

One of the things I really like about this series is that it is apparent that life went on between books.
This time we find out that Lucas Davenport is re-engaged to Weather, she is pregnant, and their new home is almost complete. He is also in his last days with the Minneapolis police. He will be moving to a position with the state police.

But then he gets THAT call -- from the FBI, about Clara Rinker! Obviously that makes him drop everything.

In my favorite book of the series so far, Clara Rinker escaped his grasp. She was a hitwoman hired to kill, and living in Kansas where she owned a bar. Now living in New Mexico, living with a new love and pregnant, she is retired and happy. However some of her old employers have hired someone to kill her, leaving her lover and child dead. And Clara is out of retirement with revenge on her mind. All of this also exposed her real identity which brought the FBI (and now Davenport) into the hunt.

Rinker was by far the best villain of the series until this book so I m very glad that Mr Sandford brought her back. This woman is smart, ruthless and sad. But she also inspires compassion and empathy. It is easy to root for her, and as a reader it made me sad to learn that she had found happiness and allowed herself to leave behind the life, only to lose it to violence. This character is the most real of all the villains. She isn't pure evil, or a caricature of a bad person.

In the end Davenport must hatch the most brilliant (and perhaps the most ridiculous) plan to trap her. It is a triumphant victory that almost made me angry with Davenport and sad for Rinker. Thankfully even he seemed to be disappointed in the way it had to go down.

One element about this that I loved was that much of the action took place in St. Louis. Early in the series the story took place in northern Minnesota (where he met Weather) and I enjoyed the change of location in that book too.

4.5 stars rounded down.

All was Good

just another davenport story. not for everyone, but the dialog just makes me burst out laughing every so often, reminiscent of life long ago when the culture was so very different.

Exciting thriller

The best narrated one yet. Decent story with many different twists that are not easily understood

Excellent as always

John Sandford never disappoints! This is my second time through the Prey series and I'm sure it won't be the last.

A read you can count on

I will miss Richard Ferrone ,forever the voice of Lucas Davenport. How that baritone can still sound feminine when needed is a magical mystery. A long time fan, I am reading the series in order. I highly recommend it..

Follow up to Certain Prey

This novel is a follow up to Certain Prey and is best read after that novel but can be read stand alone. This novel takes Lucas away from the twin cities and the usual cast - there is very little of Del, Sloan and Cheryl but plenty of good characters from Certain Prey make a return and a few new ones as well.

This novel is in a way an end to the first half of the Lucas series as it will see him transfer from City cop to State cop, last novel pre-marriage and second child and is a good farewell to this part of Lucas' journey.

Sandford is my favourite crime writer and I am really enjoying going back through the older stuff. There is such a strong arc for Lucas and each noel builds a little without making him superman.

SO SO GOOD!

I've read a lot of crime novels. I've read some pretty good ones, but no one compares to John Sanford.