True to form, John Sandford in Naked Prey presents us with another gripping tale of suspense in which Twin Cities Detective Lucas Davenport works to uncover the mystery behind the seemingly racially motivated murder of Jane Warr (a white woman) and Dion Cash (an Afro-American man). In the process he must uncover the mystery surrounding a cloister of nuns, a car chopping racket and valiantly protect twelve-year-old Letty from the psychotic villain who is stalking her.

Sandford’s writing technique is unmatched and his ability to describe the scene brings you into the story as if you actually participating in the events taking place. Furthermore, his characters are fleshed out to the point where you really care what happens to them like Lettie West, the fatherless daughter of the town’s drunk who is wise beyond her years.

The complicated cast of characters must be closely followed, however, as first one and then another murder is committed only to find out that different people and motives were responsible for the killings. However, to unravel all the threads Lucas must dig to uncover the town’s deep, dark secrets. One problem in the story bothered me, however, and that was when Letty was allowed to return to the area where she had been stalked and shot without any type of police protection despite the fact that the man trying to silence her was still at large.

Naked Prey is written in typical John Sandford style with easily read dialogue and characterizations that make it a great mystery filled with secrets that revealed layer by layer. The reader will also find the various schemes that are interwoven, as well as, independent of the original murders fascinating causing the reader to continue reading late into the night. I can only say that this book once again reminds the reader of how well a mystery can be written when the author takes the time to write a first class novel instead of racing to get another book on the market. It is clearly one of the best books written by John Sandford and one that mystery readers should take notice of.

Tags: fiction, murder, mystery, suspense, racial bigotry, drugs, nuns, naked prey, john sandford, book review, lucas davenport, twin cities, police investigator, detective story