Storm Prey begins as a simple robbery when one of the physicians at Weather's hospital recruits three not-very-bright bikers to rob the hospital pharmacy of more than $500K in street drugs in return for a supply of cocaine to support his addiction. The robbery turns to murder when one of the bandits kicks the elderly pharmacist who happens to be on the blood thinning agent Coumadin. This not only attracts the attention of the police but the bandits themselves who call for outside assistance from the aptly named hit-man "Cappy."

On her way to work, Weather rides the elevator with one of the thieves and later when an attempt is made on her life, Lucas' interests ratchet up exponentially. Lucas even calls Virgil Flowers (hero in another John Sandford series) to serve as a bodyguard for Weather who is in the midst of planning the surgical separation of 18 month-old twins joined together at the skull.  

Storm Prey is the 20th Lucas Davenport novel and does not disappoint. It is a detailed police procedural with frequent stops to review the case and postulate the why and who dunnits mixed with a medical mystery centered around Weather and the conjoined twins. Storm Prey lacks the psychological undertones and has a much less intricate plot than earlier Prey novels which makes Lucas more detective than deductive genius. John Sandford continues to write consistently good, suspenseful novels with good character development set in often bitter cold Minnesota.

--Jerry Solot