Finally Sandford returns to the focus on investigation which he does well. While late in the series, this book takes us back to Davenport's very early days as a cop, and it's one of the better books, since the emphasis is on investigation.While a block of old buildings is being torn down as part of a redevelopment project, the skeletons of two girls are dug up while working on the foundation for a new building. That triggers Davenport's memory back many years before, when he was a uniform cop, two young girls disappeared. Driven to both find evidence of the girls and to track down the "perp" and to get noticed by the brass so he can get out of uniform, Lucas works 24/7 chasing down every possible lead, but they consistently run up against dead ends. And the girls are never found. The one major suspect is tracked down, but - well you'll have to find out for yourself which suspect I reference.
Fast forward to the present and the skeletons, Lucas, despite that it's a Minneapolis Police case, with renewed energy, starts his own re-investigation. It's the hunt that provides interest for me and the killer in Buried Prey is especially devious which makes the chase that much more interesting. It's when Sandford starts in on the peripheral personal relationships that I have difficulty controlling my snooze control and anti-barf mechanisms. But then Richard Ferrone's excellent narration brings it back.
As much as I find the Prey series a pleasant way to kill time, I'm always disturbed by the undercurrent of support for vigilantism. He surrounds himself with colleagues who can keep their mouths shut about his own law-breaking, which he justifies in the name of the law. Lucas wants to be on the scene first when they find the killer so he can kill him. No attempt to verify that he has the right person or even thought of a trial. (I suppose that's just evidence of Davenport's arrogance yet he is the instrument of the innocent Scrape's (sp?) killing.) When those charged with enforcing the law take it into their own hands we are perilously close to despotism.
