[Littlejohn]

I'd be interested to see Sandford do a prequel novel. A lot of times they don't turn out well, but I think he could pull it off. Something between the first five books, or before the series altogether.

Yes, if he thought he had a problem, which apparently he does not, then he should do that (in my opinion). Worked well (IMO) for Lee Childs, with his latest Jack Reacher story (The Affair). I thought it was excellent, and I enjoyed it very much.

David

 

[Littlejohn]

Spenser in fact has a family, it's just not a wedded family, but it's roots, somewhere he can go and eat dinner, and who wouldn't want a BIG brother like Hawk to stand behind him - or to stand behind?

As for Reacher, I was sad when he became old and seedy, and we were offered his peers and subordinates in his Army days as comparisons of ex-soldiers who had adapted better to civilian life, in Bad Luck and Trouble. I thought that was unnecessary.

Yep, Spenser is lucky in that he has 'somewhere he can go and eat dinner', and a buddy who can watch his back as required, and he still does not have the responsibilities that come with a 'family'. And for me, having had both type of arrangements at one time or another in my lifetime, they are vastly different.

But, having said all that, I say that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion I will respect yours even though I don't agree with it.

And wouldn't it be great to have the kind of success with writing that those two (Child and Parker) have had?

David

 

[Polly Iyer]

Coming in on this discussion late, and it seems like I'm the only female in the latest posts. I've read all the Prey books except the last 2 or 3, and I agree with David. The series was much more interesting when Lucas was single. He got sort of boring in the latter books. Maybe that's why Sanford wrote the thrice-married Virgil. I also liked Kidd and read all of those. Maybe he'll kill off Weather. Sorry, Weather, but you really aren't that important to the series.

 

[Andre Jute]

Yep, Spenser is lucky in that he has 'somewhere he can go and eat dinner', and a buddy who can watch his back as required, and he still does not have the responsibilities that come with a 'family'. And for me, having had both type of arrangements at one time or another in my lifetime, they are vastly different.

But, having said all that, I say that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion I will respect yours even though I don't agree with it.

And wouldn't it be great to have the kind of success with writing that those two (Child and Parker) have had?

David

You're singing every writer's song...

 

[Littlejohn]

You're singing every writer's song...

Roger that!

 

[Littlejohn]

Coming in on this discussion late, and it seems like I'm the only female in the latest posts. I've read all the Prey books except the last 2 or 3, and I agree with David. The series was much more interesting when Lucas was single. He got sort of boring in the latter books. Maybe that's why Sanford wrote the thrice-married Virgil. I also liked Kidd and read all of those. Maybe he'll kill off Weather. Sorry, Weather, but you really aren't that important to the series.

So we agree on Lucas Davenport, for sure.

BTW, looked at your books. Think I will read "Hooked". Getting tired of re-reading Davenport.

David

 

[Steph H]

Coming in on this discussion late, and it seems like I'm the only female in the latest posts. I've read all the Prey books except the last 2 or 3, and I agree with David. The series was much more interesting when Lucas was single. He got sort of boring in the latter books. Maybe that's why Sanford wrote the thrice-married Virgil. I also liked Kidd and read all of those. Maybe he'll kill off Weather. Sorry, Weather, but you really aren't that important to the series.

On the other hand, as another female, I like Lucas's family okay, and don't feel like they really trespass on the series all that much. He's still a kick-butt guy when he needs to be and hasn't changed his job or how he does it *because of* his family -- and if his family becomes threatened, he'll do WHATEVER he has to do to protect them. As I recall, Weather even left him for awhile (before kids) because of that, not liking the violence. He may be slowing down due to age, or some of his job description may have changed due to 'politics' of one kind or another, but I don't think the essential nature of him has changed at all.

 

[Steph H]

Yep, Spenser is lucky in that he has 'somewhere he can go and eat dinner', and a buddy who can watch his back as required, and he still does not have the responsibilities that come with a 'family'.

I'm not sure I agree with that entirely. Susan is his family, and he'd protect her at all costs if something happened. Yeah, they may not live together, but there are few days/evenings they don't spend together, and I think there are plenty of responsibilities involved on both sides. Hawk perhaps a little less so since there are weeks that go by without them getting together, but even still I think they are a family of sorts with some responsibility to each other. And what about that kid he practically adopted after first finding him after he ran away and then not returning him to his family because it was a bad situation, then keeping up with him at college (can't remember offhand his name or the books involved where he showed up)? Spenser is not a footloose and fancy free kind of guy by any means, he takes his connections and responsibilities to people very seriously.

 

[Littlejohn]

Well...I see there are folks on both sides of this issue, as I guess there are on most issues, and that's as it should be.

Personally, I stand by what I said in the first place...not interested in Prey books beyond the last one I read, which was Phantom Prey, which I did not enjoy.  Intend to continue re-reading some of the earlier ones (have finished Rules of Prey, am currently reading Winter Prey, which may well be my all-time favorite) and I think that I will soon be looking into the other series, the Virgil Flowers series, about which I've read good things.

Enjoy what you do, and do what you enjoy (wherever possible). 

David

 

[Littlejohn]

And the beat goes on...I simply cannot understand how I can like some books in the Prey series so much, and not like others...not just the later ones, but all through the series. I'd seen where the movie of Certain Prey was going to be re-broadcast and I wanted to watch it again, so I decided I'd re-read the book first and, well, I really enjoyed it once again. And the movie also, primarily because I'm a very big fan of Mark Harmon.

Go figure...

David