I’ve written several reviews of John Sandford’s work praising his ability to tell an entertaining story. Not this time. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a negative review. This is a ‘meh’ review.
The problem is that Mr. Sandford sets a high bar for thrillers in general and his work in particular. He offers two strong elements: his writing and his bad guys. I believe there are four essential elements to a great thriller: 1) the concept*, 2) the writing, 3) the plot, and 4) the characters. Any combination of those can carry the others. Mr. Sandford does such a great job with 2 and 4, that his formula concepts are not only forgivable, they’re hardly noticeable. And his bad guys usually carry his plot with a dangerous unpredictability.
Something went horribly wrong in Silken Prey. His regular character, Lucas Davenport, is the same ol’ solid, daring guy who does the same stand-up things for those who need him. But the bad guys, where Mr. Sandford rules the literary world, just don’t work. For one thing, we know all about them, they came from central casting, they lack imagination, and, worst of all, he lets us in on all their plans and machinations.
The book boils down to ‘how’s he gonna catch them’ and—because the plot and concept are formula driven—it’s pretty easy to predict. This is unfortunate because the first half of the book promised political intrigue that never materialized and the second half was full of solutions that seemed invented by the writer as he wrote. For example, there was a sympathetic couple who discovered evidence in a convenient twist that might have worked if James Rollins wrote it in one of his near-fantasy thrillers, but it doesn’t fit the gritty-reality based books by Mr. Sandford.
Maybe I’m in a bad mood because I paid full price for hardcover of a mediocre work.
Those disappointments aside, this story is a good, solid story because he’s a great writer. Due to the fact that I’ve spent many spell-bound hours enthralled in a Sandford story, he gets a pass this time. If you’re a die-hard Sandford fan, you’ll find this pleasant enough. But I’d recommend waiting to find a copy on sale somewhere.
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Peace, Seeley
* Da Vinci Code, Twilight, and 50 Shades are examples of great concept.
