"Naked Prey"

"Naked Prey" by John Sandford is his 14th novel in the Lucas Davenport series.  Each time I read one I think to myself that there's no possible way Sandford can come up with another original story but I'm always wrong and am I glad!  His mysteries are always a great read that I can't put down and "Naked Prey" was no exception.  I read it in two days.

When a naked white woman and a naked black man are found hanging from a tree in the woods of northern Minnesota the newly created task forced headed by Davenport's former boss, Rose Marie, and now Davenport's employer, are called out by the Minnesota governor to solve the case and do damage control asap.  Of course, the assumption is that it is racially motivated since the black man was one of only one or two in that area and he was living with a white woman.

However, as Lucas and his pal, Del, delve into the case, they uncover a lot more going on in the area than just these deaths and the problem is identifying which one of the illegal activities might have led to these murders.  Although local law enforcement is helping them with their inquiries, there's a twelve year old girl, Letty, who seems to miss nothing that goes on in her town and becomes invaluable "eyes and ears" for Lucas and Del until her life is endangered.

Only Sandford could spin a story with so many surprises that kept me guessing till the end!  pazt