Rules of Prey is the first novel in what has become a rather extensive series featuring Lucas Davenport, part playboy, part rogue cop, part vigilante. And the Davenport character is a good one. Throw in a generic psychopath playing the part of serial killer and you've got a decent but predictable thriller.
Readers of thrillers are familiar with portrayals of the bad guys and usually writers delve deeply into the motivations behind their actions. One strange thing about Rules of Prey is that Sandford does not elaborate on the killer's motivations. While I was curious what was driving him, I must say that I found the lack of childhood flashbacks and psychological ramblings refreshing.
Overall, the story was simple, neat and effective. The writing was good, the characters far more developed than those normally encountered in this genre, the action fast paced and the outcome surprising. I will definitely be continuing this series.
