Silent Prey – Lucas Davenport, Book 4 Tokybook
I just couldn’t stop listening to this book. The plot and exposition, especially the sub-plot about the “Robin Hood” cops just held me until it was over. It also got me thinking.
This story takes place mostly in NYC during the last days of the Dinkins administration, when the city is on the brink of falling apart. The subplot about the Robin Hood cops who decide to take out some of the more egregious low-lifes making the city a hell-hole, presents some great arguments both pro & con. However, history shows that when the next administration, headed by Rudy Giuliani came in and started enforcing ALL the laws, especially the quality of life laws lawlessness went way down. The city now seems quite decent. This kept running through my head all the while reading the book.
I used to live in NY state, not too far from the city and saw all this happen, so the story resonates with me, and I could understand the discouragement of those cops.
I love Lucas Davenport — which is why I don’t like this book at all.
The Lucas Davenport I like is the smart, wise-cracking, deucedly clever cop — I love his city as he describes it, the guys he works for, his friends and family — this is a little early for Weather, but… I love how he contrives to outwit the most dastardly criminals.
But this book spends at least 80% of the time either in the mind of the the evil guy Bekker, or watching this depraved creature as he goes about his disgustingly way-beyond-gruesome deeds. What makes it worse is that the usually excellent Ferrone interprets Bekker in the most dire, disaster-looming tones — it gets old, real fast. I want to go take a bath every time I turn off the iPod.
