Abandoned by Booklikes

Wow. This was just terrible from beginning to end. You got Nazis and a child killer at loose and something something both sides are equally messed up in this country. I don’t even know what to say except Davenport needs to just stop being a Marshal. The series went downhill when he stopped investigating murders and turned into a fixer. Sandford really needs to consider putting Davenport back in Minnesota and investigating cases again with Del and crew. His new cohorts, Bob and Rae are actually getting on my nerves now.

"Masked Prey" is the 30th book in the Prey series. We have followed Lucas as he worked for the Minnesota Police department, as a consultant to the FBI, then as an investigator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), acting occasionally as a special troubleshooter for the governor of Minnesota. Then we get this mess now with Lucas being a U.S. Marshal. After the cannibal case Lucas is at loose ends. When his two favorite politicians call in a favor for Lucas to investigate a Nazi site targeted the children of Senators, he reluctantly agrees. Lucas goes to Washington, DC and Virginia when tracking how the site was created. His newish side-kicks Bob and Rae come on in when it looks like a child may get killed over the site. The book also follows a man who believes this site is the next thing that the people need to do in order to control Senators in the U.S. If a Senator is scared their child will be killed, his organization can influence how they vote (yes this is really gross). The book jumps back and forth between Lucas and the potential killer.

I have to say that Lucas and friends was boring. The killer was too. I just don't care about the whole why do Nazis and child killers do things. I think trying to tie this into politics made the book murkier. I think Sandford was trying to throw shade at both Democrats and Republicans, but both sides are bad is only one political party's talking point. I also hated how Lucas is made to be somehow above politics. Whatever. Sandford has followed some of the real world things going on in the United States (ICE, immigrants, etc.) through the years but he is waffling on this is laughable to me.

I can't even recall the killer's name. He is not as infamous as some of the killers that Lucas has brought down. Also I was really disappointed with the whole Lucas is a hunter of killers thing. I mean, it was so dramatic and made me roll my eyes. He didn't even really solve the last case he was involved in with the whole cannibal rapist guy. Yes this was a character in the previous book.

The writing was eh and the flow was awful from beginning to end. I think there were some funny moments though here and there.

The ending was a real letdown. I don't mind these books because I don't buy them, but Sandford either needs to fully retire Lucas, or just bring in a new character that is young and being mentored by Lucas.