Phantom Prey Hardcover - 2008

by John Sandford

Lucas Davenport has had disturbing cases before but never one quite like this, in the shocking new Preynovel from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author.

John Sandford's most recent Davenport novel, InvisiblePrey, was hailed as 'one of his best books in recent memory'(The Washington Post); 'as fresh and entertaining asever' (Chicago Sun-Times); and 'rivetingly readable' (RichmondTimes-Dispatch). But this time, he's got something quite specialin store.

A widow comes home to her large house in a wealthy, exclusivesuburb to find blood everywhere, no body and her collegeageddaughter missing. She's always known that her daughterran with a bad bunch. What did she call them Goths? Freaks ismore like it, running around with all that makeup and blackclothing, listening to that awful music, so attracted to death.And now this.

But the police can't find the girl, alive or dead, and when asecond Goth is found slashed to death in Minneapolis, thewidow truly panics. There's someone she knows, a surgeonnamed Weather Davenport, whose husband is a big deal withthe police, and she implores Weather to get him directlyinvolved. Lucas begins to investigate only reluctantly but thenwhen a third Goth is slashed in what is now looking like a Jackthe-Ripper series of killings, he starts working it hard. The cluesdon't seem to add up, though. And then there's the young Gothwho keeps appearing and disappearing: Who is she? Where doesshe come from and, more important, where does she vanish to?And why does Lucas keep getting the sneaking suspicion thatthere is something else going on here . . . something very, verybad indeed?

Filled with his brilliant trademark suspense and some of themost interesting characters in thriller fiction, Phantom Prey isfurther proof that 'Sandford is in a class of his own' (The OrlandoSentinel).