Certain Prey

By John Sandford

I found this one at the airport. After taking 3 weeks or so to read GGS ( I only have time at work now to read) I was looking for something that would be a quick, entertaining read. I found it. I mean on the cover there is a quote from the Minneapolis Star Tribune “Pulse-pounding, page-turning excitement.” If that didn’t convince me there are two more things that hint at the fluff piece of writing that this book is. The authors name is BIGGER than the title. Well I guess that it’s the same size but his name is more prominent, probably because it’s more important you see John Sandford and think “Oh man, a JS book, I gotta read it!!” Not. “Certain Prey, hmm that sounds interesting, what’s it about?” Which leads us to item two. Flip the book over. What do you see? Yeah an old man. Is he squinting because of the sunlight or because he needs glasses? Maybe he’s angry. Hell I’m angry that you have to open the book to get a short non-synopsis of the plot. Really great way to make me want to read your book, John.

Oh, the story? Well the Minneapolis Star Tribune was right. It was a suspenseful page turner. I mean I read it in about 6 hours or so. It’s not really a mystery novel as you follow the killers as they do their thing. There isn’t gory violence and the sex isn’t descriptive, but a gripping story, yes it is. So what’s my gripe? Well at 369 pages, John Sandford didn’t fluff it out too much but he pretty abruptly ended the book in the last chapter. I mean the one killer goes crazy and commits suicide, the other killer gets away, taunts the police by phone and then what, leaves an opening for a sequel? Guessing by the list of book titles all ending in Prey – John Sandford writes about the same police characters in his books. Yeah I guess I’m pissed because some suspenseful police/killer chase story abruptly ended.