Silken Prey by John Sandford

This is the seventh John Sandford book that has been reviewed in the blog, and that in itself is a pretty favorable comment about this author. This is the most recent of the “Prey” series, the 23^rd, published this year. Lucas Davenport is the detective extraordinaire who has moved up to the weirdly titled BCA, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Davenport now takes special assignments from Minnesota’s Governor Henderson. This crime novel is built around a political intrigue. The incumbent Democratic senator Porter Smalls is expected to win reelection against the newbie politico, Taryn Grant. But, only days before the election, kiddie porn is found on Smalls’ personal computer. After only a couple days, Davenport figures out that the porn was planted there. All evidence points to Grant’s campaign as being the ones who would mostly likely benefit from a Smalls’ election loss. Grant is not a woman that is easy to like – a billionaire by inheritance, beautiful, and only interested in her own well being. Henderson directs Davenport to look further into the matter, and Tubbs, the guy who planted the kiddie porn, turns up dead. Then, there are more deaths, seemingly aimed at cutting of the trail that would lead to Grant.

Although the book started out a little slow during character development, it picked up speed quickly. The entire book covered a period of a week, and takes the reader right through election day events. Sandford included his usual cast of characters. He writes a good story, and I’d give this one an A-.