John Sandford: Certain Prey

John Sandford: Certain Prey (USA 2014)

From the Publisher:
"One of [the] best" (Orlando Sentinel) Lucas Davenport Novels -- now with a New Introduction by the Author.

Clara Rinker is twenty-eight, beautiful, charmingly southern -- and the best hit woman in the business. She just goes about her business, collects her money, and goes home. Her latest hit sounds simple: a defense attorney wants a rival eliminated. No problem -- until a witness survives. Clara usually knows how to deal with loose ends: cut them off, one by one, until they're all gone. This time, there's one loose end that's hard to shake.

Lucas Davenport has no idea of the toll this case is about to take on him. Clara knows his weak spots. She knows how to penetrate them, and how to use them. And when a woman like Clara has the advantage, no one is safe.

John Sandford: Certain Prey. A Lucas Davenport Novel. Putnam's, ISBN: 9780425274316 (December, 2014), 390 p., $9.99.

John Sandford: Certain Prey (UK 2004)

From the Publisher:
Clara Rinker is a Southern woman, trim, pleasant, attractive - and the best hitwoman in the business. She isn't showy, not one of those movie killers; she just goes about her business, collects her money and goes home. Its when she's hired for a job in Minnesota that things become complicated.

A defence attorney wants a rival eliminated, and that's fine. But unexpectedly, loose ends strut popping up faster than a sweater unravelling as a witness survives, the attorney starts behaving oddly and a cop called Lucas Davenport gets on her case. Clara knows only one way to deal with loose ends and Davenport is suddenly up against the most efficient and ruthlessly intelligent killer he's ever faced. And Clara Rinker knows his weak spots better than anyone else...

John Sandford: Certain Prey. Pocket Books, ISBN: 0743484193 (June, 2004), 368 p., £6.99.

John Sandford: Certain Prey (USA 2000)

From the Publisher:
In Certain Prey, Davenport confronts an entirely new kind of adversary. Clara Rinker is a southerner, trim, pleasant, attractive - and the best hit woman in the business. She isn't showy, not one of those movie killers; she just goes quietly about her business, collects her money, and goes home. It's when she's hired for a job in Minnesota that things become complicated for her. A defense attorney wants a rival eliminated, and that's fine. But then a witness survives, the attorney starts acting weird, this big cop Davenport gets on her case, and loose ends begin popping up faster than a sweater unraveling. Clara hates loose ends, and knows of only one way to deal with them: You start cutting them off, one after another, until they're all gone. Lucas thinks the case is worrisome enough, but he has no idea of the toll it is about to take on him. For of the many criminals he has hunted during his life, none has been as efficient or as ferociously intelligent as the one who is about to start hunting him - and none knows so well what his weak spots are... and how to penetrate them.

John Sandford: Certain Prey. Berkley Books, ISBN: 0425174271 (March, 2000), 368 p., $7.99.

John Sandford: Certain Prey (UK 2000)

From the Publisher:
Clara Rinker is a Southern woman, pleasant, attractive - and the best hitwoman in the business. She isn't showy; she just goes about her business, collects her money and goes home. It's when she's hired for a job in Minnesota that things become complicated. A defense attorney wants a rival eliminated, and that's fine. But then a witness survives, the attorney starts acting weird, this big cop Davenport gets on her case, and loose ends begin popping up faster than a sweater unravelling. Clara hates loose ends, and she only knows one way of dealing with them: you start cutting them off until they're all gone. Suddenly Davenport is up against the most ruthlessly intelligent killer he's ever faced.

John Sandford: Certain Prey. Headline Feature, ISBN: 0747274142 (February, 2000), 439 p., £5.99.

John Sandford: Certain Prey (UK 1999)

John Sandford: Certain Prey. Headline Feature, ISBN: 0747274142 (May, 1999), 279 p., £17.99.

John Sandford: Certain Prey (USA 1999)

From the Publisher:
"You know life is good when you have a new Lucas Davenport thriller to escape into," said The Chicago Tribune of Secret Prey, and everyone agreed that it was one of Sandford's very best. "Enthralling... Everything works," said USA Today. "Sandford is at the top of his game," agreed the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Now Davenport confronts an entirely new kind of adversary. Her name is Clara Rinker, a Southern woman, trim, pleasant, attractive -- and the best hit-woman in the business. She isn't showy, not one of those movie killers; she just goes quietly about her business, collects her money and goes home.

It's when she's hired for a job in Minnesota that things become complicated for her. A defense attorney wants a rival eliminated, and that's fine. But then a witness survives, the attorney starts acting weird, this big cop Davenport gets on her case, and loose ends begin popping up faster than a sweater unraveling. Clara hates loose ends, and knows of only one way to deal with them: You start cutting them off, one after the other, until they're all gone.

Lucas thinks the case is worrisome enough, but he has no idea of the toll it is about to take on him. For of all the criminals he has hunted during his life, none has been as efficient or as ferociously intelligent as the one who is about to start hunting him -- and none knows so well what his weak spots are... and how to penetrate them.

Filled with the brilliant characters and exceptional drama that have been his trademarks, Certain Prey is John Sandford's most suspenseful novel yet -- the author once again "at the top of his game."

John Sandford: Certain Prey. Putnam's, ISBN: 039914496X (May, 1999), 339 p., $24.95.