Lucas Davenport's boss is about to lose her job as chief of police, his fiancée is distracted with wedding plans, and his house-remodeling project is at a standstill. So when the FBI and DEA draft the Minneapolis cop to head off hit woman Clara Rinker's bloody murder spree, he's glad to oblige. The lady killer and the killer lady have tangled before in Sandford's Prey series, and their personal history seasons this fast-paced story of mayhem, murder, and revenge. After Rinker barely survives an assassination attempt that destroys her unborn baby and kills her lover, the son of a Mexican drug lord, she sets out to destroy the mobsters who ordered the hit, a journey that brings her into Davenport's sights again and also puts him back in action alongside a woman agent with whom he was once involved. But it's the grudging respect and even affection Sandford hints at between Rinker and Lucas that takes this crisp, confident thriller beyond the limitations of the genre and makes the characters flesh-and-blood human beings. A standout in a terrific series! --Jane Adams

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 fiancée 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.

As an avid reader of John Sandford's "Prey" novels I read through most of this book thinking "this is his best." The book revolves around Lucas Davenport, a Minneapolis cop and Sandford's most famous protagonist, working with the FBI to catch Clara Rinker, a mysterious for-hire killer on a vengeance run.

What's really great about this book, on top of the great writing and storytelling ability of Sandford, is that Lucas Davenport is unleashed. Normally in the Prey novels Davenport is limited in action by his superiors in Minneapolis, by politicians and rules. In this book, because it takes place in a different town, we really see Davenport unleashed. There aren't rules to follow, actions are made "off the record" and it all adds to the excitement of this thriller.

Even better is the antagonist in this novel is a very sympathetic character whom the readrs can identify with. Normally Sandford's antagonists are so evil and one sided the reader can't help but hope for some horrible death at the end of the book. This time it's clearly different, Clara Rinker is an eye-for-an-eye killer with a sense of justice.

Thus, 99% of the novel is great. However, in the final pages of the book everything falls apart. I won't reveal the ending but it is abrupt and anti-climatic. A terrible disappointment for what could have been Sandford's best work.

This is the first John Sandford book I have read. The author provides his readers with a well written, action packed, suspenseful story. The Clara Rinker character was well developed. I really liked the twist at the end. I am looking forwarding to reading more of John Sandford's books.

This book was very exciting. Very real humor and realistic. I love the characters. Difinitely suggest this one!

I have read just about all of the 'prey' books and have enjoyed most of them. This is another that was entertaining. However, I feel that this series has long since hit a wall and that one book is pretty much like the last. 'Mortal Prey' takes a step in a new direction by setting up a likable villain in the guise of a female hit-person. This is a character who appeared in 'Certain Prey', Clara Rinker. Rinker has killed a lot of people in her time and Sandford sets her up not as a terrible person, but as someone I personally wouldn't mind having as a best friend or next door neighbor. In fact its hard not to root for her as Davenport tracks her down.

A few things that kind of made me not get overly ecstatic about this book; One is that I really was never at the edge of my seat here. This is supposed to be a suspenseful novel but it wasn't. It just sort of goes along and Davenport comes across clues with little effort. Two is that as I said before, Rinker is just way too likable, nice, and the girl-next-door type. Three, Sanford's formula is getting old. and Four,what the heck was Davenport doing in St Louis or all across North America solving this crime? It makes no sense to have a local cop traipse across the globe hunting down international crime figures and taking on the mob.

Unless you have reached this book in the series and want to continue onwards, I would suggest that you shy away from this. 'No Country for Old Men' by Cormac McCarthy or 'Mystic River' by Dennis Lehane are far superior.

I recently finished Mortal Prey and it was a great read from first page to last. Clara Rinker is a great character. Would make an exciting movie; how would Cathy Bates be as Clara-