I’ve never read a novel by John Sandford before, this was my first one.
Certain Prey is about a beautiful, successful lawyer named Carmel Loan, who has her sights set on a handsome attorney named Hale Allen. Unfortunately, Hale is married.
Carmel hires a hitman (actually, a hitwoman in this case) named Clara Rinker who kills Hale’s wife Barbara. This allows Carmel to move in on her “certain prey”. But then Carmel finds herself being blackmailed by the person who put her in contact with hitwoman Clara, the two women team up to conspire and kill anyone who causes problems or gets in their way.
Certain Prey provides a fun glance into sick, twisted and psychotic characters—particularly Carmel, who is clearly a psycho. Clara is relatable, but Carmel is a crazy monster.
Tenured detective Lucas Davenport eventually figures out that Carmel is up to no good, and pulls out all the stops to incriminate both women—that is, if he can catch them.
The ending of Certain Prey is predictable, but the journey to getting there is fun. It’s worth your time if you enjoy mainstream thrillers. John Sandford also sprinkles in some genuine humor throughout the book.
Certain Prey is the 10th novel in the Lucas Davenport Prey series. There are now 36 books in this series. Wow!
The next books in the Prey series by John Sandford are:
- Easy Prey (2000)
- Chosen Prey (2001)
- Mortal Prey (2002)
Last Updated on November 18, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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