Secret Prey
SECRET
PREY
JOHN SANDFORD
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
SECRET PREY
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by John Sandford.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is
http://www.penguinputnam.com
ISBN: 1-101-14618-4
BERKLEY©
Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
A division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
Berkley and the “B” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.
First edition (electronic): June 2001
P
RAISE FOR
J
OHN
S
ANDFORD
AND
S
ECRET
P
REY
‘‘How good is
Secret Prey
? Well, when I get the time, I intend to take a look at
Rules of Prey
—the first in the Lucas Davenport series.’’
—
USA Today
‘‘Satisfying.’’
—San Francisco Examiner
‘‘Sandford is back in top form.’’
—Associated Press
‘‘With further explorations into Davenport’s psyche, and the creation of a truly memorable villain, Sandford has fashioned a topnotch whodunit/thriller.’’
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
‘‘Explosive . . . Inventive and daring . . . No one who starts this novel will be able to put it down . . . Another winner from Sandford.’’
—
The Daily Sun
(GA)
‘‘Sandford keeps all of his plots and subplots humming along in apparent effortless harmony.’’
—
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
‘‘Events from earlier
Prey
novels weave intriguingly through this one, inviting the reader to plunge into the entire series. Not a bad idea.’’
—
Kirkus Reviews
‘‘A sparkling mystery . . . Sandford writes at the top of his game.’’
—
Lexington Herald-Leader
‘‘Exciting . . . His best work to date. The hero is drawn to perfection . . . This book has heart, action, and moxie.’’
—
Without a Clue
‘‘Nicely done . . . Sandford keeps it fresh.’’
—
St. Paul
(MN)
Pioneer Press
‘‘The best Prey in some years . . . Davenport continues to develop: tougher, coarser, and more vulnerable.’’
—
San Antonio Express News
‘‘Sandford has allowed his character to change and improve . . . without sacrificing any of the action and thrills.’’
—
Orlando Sentinel
R
ULES
OF
P
REY
Sandford’s smash bestselling debut—introducing
Lucas Davenport . . .
‘‘Sleek and nasty . . . it’s a big, scary, suspenseful read, and I loved every minute of it.’’
—Stephen King
‘‘A haunting, unforgettable, ice-blooded thriller.’’
—Carl Hiaasen
S
HADOW
P
REY
Lucas Davenport goes on a city-to-city search for
a bizarre ritualistic killer . . .
‘‘When it comes to portraying twisted minds, Sandford has no peers.’’
—Associated Press
‘‘Ice-pick chills . . . excruciatingly tense . . . a doublepumped roundhouse of a thriller.’’
—
Kirkus Reviews
E
YES
OF
P
REY
Davenport risks his sanity to stalk the most brilliant and dangerous man he has ever known, a doctor named
Michael Bekker . . .
‘‘Relentlessly swift. Genuinely suspenseful . . . excellent.’’
—
Los Angeles Times
‘‘Engrossing . . . oneof the most horrible villains this side of Hannibal the Cannibal.’’
—
Richmond Times-Dispatch
S
ILENT
P
REY
Michael Bekker, a psychopath Davenport captured in
Eyes of Prey,
escapes . . .
‘‘Sleek and nasty . . . superb!’’
—
St. Paul Pioneer Press
‘‘
Silent Prey
terrifies . . . just right for fans of
The Silence of the Lambs
.’’
—
Booklist
W
INTER
P
REY
In the icy woods of rural Wisconsin, Davenport searches for a brutal killer known as the Iceman . . .
‘‘Vastly entertaining . . . a furious climactic chase . . . One of the best
Preys
yet.’’
—
Kirkus Reviews
‘‘An intense thriller with an unlikely killer.’’
—Playboy
N
IGHT
P
REY
Davenport faces a master thief who becomes obsessed with a
beautiful woman—then carves her initials into his victims . . .
‘‘One of the most engaging characters in contemporary fiction.’’
—Detroit News
‘‘
Night Prey
sizzles . . . positively chilling.’’
—St. Petersburg Times
M
IND
P
REY
Lucas Davenport tracks a vicious kidnapper who knows more about mind games than Lucas himself . . .
‘‘His seventh, and best, outing in the acclaimed
Prey
suspense series.’’
—People
‘‘Grip-you-by-the-throat thrills . . . impossible to put down.’’
—Houston Chronicle
S
UDDEN
P
REY
Davenport falls prey to the purest, simplest criminal motivation: revenge . . .
‘‘The story will clamp down like a bear trap on all who open its covers.’’
—Publishers Weekly
‘‘Unquestionably the best [
Prey
] yet, a tale of perverse revenge that strikes very close to home.’’
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
T
HE
N
IGHT
C
REW
A
People
magazine ‘‘Page-Turner’’
A mobile unit of video freelancers, they prowl the midnight streets for news to sell to the highest network bidder.
Murders. Robberies. High-speed chases. For them, it is an exhilarating life. But tonight, two deaths will change everything . . .
‘‘This is fresh ground for Sandford.’’
—Chicago Tribune
‘‘With its pulse-quickening plot and attractive heroine, you’ll be hooked to the finish.’’
—People
‘‘This is riveting, intense crime fiction . . . lean-andmean . . . Perfect for the high-tech ’90s, replete with bursts of black prose that zap the reader like quick video cuts.’’
—Cedar Rapids Gazette
And don’t miss John Sandford’s thrilling novels of stings and swindles . . .
T
HE
E
MPRESS
F
ILE
Kidd and LuEllen are a pair of lovers and liars plotting the ultimate scam . . . until everything goes wrong . . .
‘‘Alfred Hitchcock would have been delighted.’’
—Philadelphia Inquirer
‘‘The imaginative con scheme is clever . . . but the biggest thrills occur when events don’t go as planned.’’
—Library Journal
T
HE
F
OOL’S
R
UN
Kidd and LuEllen return for a killer con in the high-tech world of industrial espionage . . .
‘‘A gripping, ultramodern novel . . . fast-paced and suspenseful.’’
—Chicago Tribune
‘‘Fast-paced action, high-intellect puzzle-solving, dandy characters . . . if you start guessing outcomes, you are fooled.’’
—Minneapolis Star & Tribune
‘‘Sandford is one of the most skilled thriller writers at work in this country or any other.’’
—Richmond Times Dispatch