John Sandford: Phantom Prey (USA 2009)

From the Publisher:
John Sandford's most recent Davenport novel, Invisible Prey, was hailed as "one of his best books in recent memory" (The Washington Post); "as fresh and entertaining as ever" (Chicago Sun-Times); and "rivetingly readable" (Richmond Times-Dispatch). But this time, he's got something quite special in store.

A widow comes home to her large house in a wealthy, exclusive suburb to find blood everywhere, no body -- and her college-aged daughter missing. She's always known that her daughter ran with a bad bunch. What did she call them -- Goths? Freaks is more like it, running around with all that makeup and black clothing, listening to that awful music, so attracted to death. And now this.

But the police can't find the girl, alive or dead, and when a second Goth is found slashed to death in Minneapolis, the widow truly panics. There's someone she knows, a surgeon named Weather Davenport, whose husband is a big deal with the police, and she implores Weather to get him directly involved. Lucas begins to investigate only reluctantly -- but then when a third Goth is slashed in what is now looking like a Jack-the-Ripper series of killings, he starts working it hard. The clues don't seem to add up, though. And then there's the young Goth who keeps appearing and disappearing: Who is she? Where does she come from and, more important, where does she vanish to? And why does Lucas keep getting the sneaking suspicion that there is something else going on here... something very, very bad indeed?

Filled with his brilliant trademark suspense and some of the most interesting characters in thriller fiction, Phantom Prey is further proof that "Sandford is in a class of his own" (The Orlando Sentinel).

John Sandford: Phantom Prey. Berkley, ISBN: 9780425227985 (May, 2009), 469 p., $9.99.

John Sandford: Phantom Prey (UK 2009)

From the Publisher:
Returning to her luxurious home in an exclusive Minneapolis suburb, a wealthy widow is horrified to discover blood everywhere - and her student daughter missing. Instantly she suspects the involvement of the weird Goth crowd her daughter was hanging around with. With no sign of the widow's daughter, dead or alive, a second Goth is found slashed to death. But it's only when a third turns up dead that Luca Davenport is reluctantly dragged into the case. But for all Davenport's expertise, the clues don't seem to add up. And then there's the young Goth who keeps appearing and disappearing. Who is she? Where does she come from - and, more importantly, where does she vanish to? Why does Davenport suspect that there's something else going on here? Something very, very bad indeed...

John Sandford: Phantom Prey. A missing daughter. An unknown killer. A Lucas Davenport Thriller. Pocket Books, ISBN: 9781847392053 (May, 2009), 438 p., £6.99.

John Sandford: Phantom Prey (UK 2008)

From the Publisher:
A wealthy widow returns to her large home in an exclusive Minneapolis suburb to find blood everywhere, no body - and her student daughter missing. Instantly, she suspects the involvement of the weird Goth crowd her daughter was hanging around with. With no sign of the widow's daughter, dead or alive, a second Goth is found slashed to death - but it's only when a third dead Goth turns up that Lucas Davenport gets involved. But the clues don't seem to add up. And then there's the young Goth who keeps appearing and disappearing. Who is she? Where does she come from and, more importantly, where does she vanish to? And why does Davenport get the sneaking suspicion that there is something else going on here - something very, very bad indeed...

John Sandford: Phantom Prey. Haunted by a vicious killer... A Lucas Davenport Thriller. Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 1847371698 (June, 2008), 373 p., £18.99.

John Sandford: Phantom Prey (USA 2008)

From the Publisher:
Lucas Davenport has had disturbing cases before -- but never one quite like this, in the shocking new Prey novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.
John Sandford's most recent Davenport novel, Invisible Prey, was hailed as "one of his best books in recent memory" (The Washington Post); "as fresh and entertaining as ever" (Chicago Sun-Times); and "rivetingly readable" (Richmond Times-Dispatch). But this time, he's got something quite special in store.

A widow comes home to her large house in a wealthy, exclusive suburb to find blood everywhere, no body -- and her college-aged daughter missing. She's always known that her daughter ran with a bad bunch. What did she call them -- Goths? Freaks is more like it, running around with all that makeup and black clothing, listening to that awful music, so attracted to death. And now this.

But the police can't find the girl, alive or dead, and when a second Goth is found slashed to death in Minneapolis, the widow truly panics. There's someone she knows, a surgeon named Weather Davenport, whose husband is a big deal with the police, and she implores Weather to get him directly involved. Lucas begins to investigate only reluctantly -- but then when a third Goth is slashed in what is now looking like a Jackthe- Ripper series of killings, he starts working it hard. The clues don't seem to add up, though. And then there's the young Goth who keeps appearing and disappearing: Who is she? Where does she come from and, more important, where does she vanish to? And why does Lucas keep getting the sneaking suspicion that there is something else going on here... something very, very bad indeed?

Filled with his brilliant trademark suspense and some of the most interesting characters in thriller fiction, Phantom Prey is further proof that "Sandford is in a class of his own" (The Orlando Sentinel).

John Sandford: Phantom Prey. Putnam's, ISBN: 0399155007 (May, 2008), 373 p., $26.95.