Easy Prey

Year 2000
Pages 407

Worth buying if: You want a smart, morally messy detective who bends rules to get results.

Skip it if: You prefer gentle mysteries or cozy, non-violent whodunits.

Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780399146138. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.

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Summary

Lucas Davenport returns in Easy Prey, a taut thriller that follows his race to stop a calculating murderer targeting young women; the case forces Davenport to confront dark limits of law, violence, and his own methods. Sandford pairs relentless pacing with razor-sharp procedural detail.

Why this book now

Revisit one of Sandford’s most chilling Davenport novels to appreciate how character-driven procedural suspense still sets the benchmark for modern crime fiction.

30-second preview

Two quick cards, fifteen seconds each.

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1-sentence hook

A hardened detective chases a ruthless serial killer through Minnesota’s backroads, where nothing is as ordinary as it seems.

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Best for readers who...

Good fit if you want...

  • You want a smart, morally messy detective who bends rules to get results.
  • You appreciate meticulous forensic detail and relentless pacing.

Maybe skip if...

  • You prefer gentle mysteries or cozy, non-violent whodunits.
  • You avoid novels with graphic scenes or protagonists who operate in gray areas.
  • You only want something with very current references and examples.

Mood / Vibe Tags

tense gritty relentless procedural Medium length

Decided it fits?

Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780399146138

Worth buying if: You want a smart, morally messy detective who bends rules to get results.

Skip it if: You prefer gentle mysteries or cozy, non-violent whodunits.

Buy This Edition on Amazon

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Reader guide

Cues to help you decide faster.

Reading commitment

Steady Needs some room

At 407 pages, this is a committed thriller—plan several focused evenings to absorb the casework, character developments, and mounting momentum that build to a brutal payoff.

What stands out here

This Putnam edition preserves Sandford’s original sharp prose and pacing; readers will notice the period details of 2000-era police work that highlight Davenport’s resourcefulness.

Best way to approach it

Read in concentrated sessions to keep track of clues and character threads; the novel rewards attention to procedural detail and recurring characters across Sandford’s series.

Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780399146138

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.