![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lindabrinson.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/johnsandford.jpg\" "\\"johnsandford\\"")
<\/a>Nonetheless, I had never read any of his books until I came across an audio version of one. I was in between books for listening, so I thought I\u2019d give it a try. As I\u2019ve written before, I\u2019m inclined to try books in the audio form that I wouldn\u2019t sit down and read in print. The reason I hadn\u2019t tried a Sandford novel in print is that I like some police detective\/thriller books, but I find many of them longer on violence, gore and misogyny than on plotting and character development.. Sandford\u2019s, I now see, do not fall into that category.<\/p>\nHaving now listened to at least a couple of books in each of Sandford\u2019s two series involving agents of Minnesota\u2019s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, I am eager for new ones. I\u2019d also love to listen to (or even read in print; they are that good) the earlier ones in the series. Sandford does allow his characters to go through life changes, such as marriages and new jobs, but a reader can pick up the series at any point without feeling at a loss. It\u2019s like making new friends, accepting them for the relationships you have, and gradually learning more about their backgrounds.<\/p>\n
If you listen to audiobooks while traveling with others, Sandford\u2019s books may be good candidates. At the risk of indulging in stereotype, I would venture that some books women like are too \u201cgirly\u201d for men. And some books in the thriller\/detective genre would not find favor with a lot of women. But fans of intelligent, well-plotted and suspenseful fiction with interesting characters ought to be able to agree on John Sandford\u2019s books. (That\u2019s not to say these are good books for listening with the kids in the car. Things can get pretty graphic.)<\/p>\n
Here are brief looks at three of Sandford\u2019s latest audiobooks.<\/p>\n
FIELD OF PREY. By John Sandford. Read by Richard Ferrone. Penguin Audio. 9 CDs, 11.5 hours. $39.95.<\/p>\n
This time, he\u2019s called in to help out when after the shocking discovery that a serial killer has been at work in the Red Wing area. A couple of teenage lovers stumble onto a smelly cistern on an abandoned farm, which turns out to be filled with the remains of young women. As the body count mounts well into the teens, evidence suggests that the killings took place over a number of years.<\/p>\n Besides the horrifying thought that a killer apparently has getting away with murders for a long time, the sensational discovery brings unwanted publicity to Minnesota and pressure on Davenport\u2019s boss.\u00a0 Not wanting to deal with the bureaucratic challenges of orchestrating a massive investigation, Davenport stays on the fringes at first. But when the killer becomes a threat to the investigators, he moves into high gear. The killer, he realizes, must be someone who lives in one of the area\u2019s small towns, right in plain sight.<\/p>\n The plotting is deft, as Sandford not only tells us what Davenport is doing and thinking, but also what\u2019s going on with the killer. We are also able to see minor clues that Davenport and the other investigators don\u2019t quite grasp, a device that heightens the tension.\u00a0 But as the story progresses, the reader, too, is in for some surprises.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the audiobook equivalent of a \u201cpage turner\u201d? Maybe a \u201cgas burner,\u201d as those who listen to this one while driving are likely to go a few extra miles if they reach their destination while the tale is still unfolding.<\/p>\n SILKEN PREY. By John Sandford. Read by Richard Ferrone. Penguin Audio. 10 CDs, 12.5 hours. $39.95.<\/p>\n<\/a>This is the 24th<\/sup> in Sandford\u2019s \u201cPrey\u201d novels starring Lucas Davenport. Earlier in his career, new readers of the series learn, Davenport was an unusual but effective officer for the Minneapolis Police Department. For some time now, however, he\u2019s worked for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, handling some of its most sensitive cases.<\/p>\n