About
Reviews
Search
Submit
Home

Mystery Books for Sale

[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]


  

INVISIBLE PREY
by John Sandford
Simon & Schuster, June 2007
400 pages
11.99 GBP
ISBN: 0743276256


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

INVISIBLE PREY opens bloodily enough, with two robbers becoming murderers. They bash two elderly women to death, then set about stealing some valuable antiques, while leaving many more within the house. Clearly, there is something even more psychologically wrong with one of the murderers than is common for his ilk. Despite his victim being definitely dead, he insists on beating her some more.

Meanwhile Lucas Davenport is discussing what becomes the sub-plot of the novel: politician Burt Kline has been accused of statutory rape by a 16-year-old girl who claims the relationship has been continuing for a year. As proof, she provides what might be called punctuation-related evidence! I don't know about politically correct, but let's hope the senator's grammar is up to any court action.

The reader is introduced to the duo responsible for the murders and the robberies. A pair knowledgeable (naturally) about antiques but Murderer One cares for the items themselves whilst Murderer Two is more interested in the cash available for them.

While, one way or another, there is considerable gore tastefully decorating the novel, there is almost as much humour blackly ornamenting the text, some of it more obvious than some other. The characterisation is done well although the most vivid is of the baddies, whose names are bestowed, surely, with humorous intent.

I like the way the author has applied layer upon layer of subplot over the foundation of the plot. The interaction between the villains is a good example of this. The culmination of that relationship is rather delicious and certainly tastefully neat.

Altogether, the book is very well done. There is a nice balance between characters and plot, although at times I felt some of the domestic situations of the people might have been brought more to the fore, just to add more human interest. The humour could well be described as irrepressible and certainly provides a welcome contrast to some of the violence.

Reviewed by Denise Pickles, August 2007

[ Top ]


QUICK SEARCH:

 

Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]