Ashley

BLUF: I didn't find the main character appealing.

I feel guilty writing reviews of books that were written in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s. It was a whole different world back then. I would love to get into some of these popular author's books, but they seem to be mostly in series from this time and I just don't know where to start.

Rules of Prey follows “maddog”, a serial rapist/murderer who is obsessive about leaving no traces at his crime scenes with the exception to his own notes – each of which lists a rule that he keeps in order to ensure he doesn't get caught. Lucas Davenport, a playboy detective, will do anything to catch this killer – including feeding lies to the media, setting up unsuspecting victims, and withholding information from his station.

Rules of Prey introduces us to the murderer from the beginning. There isn't any mystery in who he is or his motives, but rather, when the police will uncover these truths. He's described as highly intelligent, but never shows this trait. Rather he is a player who enjoys the game he creates between him and the police.

Another individual described as intelligent is Lucas Davenport. I'm not buying it. I know it's indicative of the times, but I just can't respect a man who uses women as if they aren't worth anything ESPECIALLY a man who chooses to act this way after finding out one of the women, who he actually likes as a person, is pregnant. Talk about chauvinistic.. but hey, he only sleeps with smart women – maybe he hopes they'll rub off on him.

“You know enough of [the women that I have dated] to see the pattern,” he said. “I don't go out with dummies.”

BLUF: This book is exactly how you think it will be. Good, but dated.

Plot: Eccentric Billionaire, John Hammond, owns a bioengineering firm which ventures into the re-creation of dinosaurs with the purpose of creating a zoo – the first of its' kind. It's not entertaining to have only omnivores; Hammond creates the carnivores too. Due to investor concerns (specifically, the deaths of some workers due to “construction accidents”, EPA investigations, and lizard attacks on nearby islands), Hammond's lawyers advises that outside experts be brought in as a test trail for the park. What should have been an enlightening weekend trip soon turns into a nightmare when the park's system crashes.

My Apathy: I'm disappointed in myself for not liking this book more than I did. I have read Michael Crichton outside this series and enjoyed it, but there is something about horror books with animals as the scare factor that just doesn't work for me. Ghosts, paranormal, etc. scare me. Dinosaurs, killer insects, etc. do not. That said, if you are a person who does get scared by man-eating dinosaurs, you will love this book. There are many close calls and enough tension to keep you on edge.

As for the rest: The story is pretty darn good. It's everything you could want: there are those in the shop trying to bring the park back on line, those in the field fighting for their lives and to get back in the resort, and many deaths in between the groups. The characters were realistic in their flaws and personality, but I don't really have anything to say about them. (Three weeks later and they don't stick in my head. Hmm...)

Comparison to the movie: The movie does not majorly deviate from the story until after the car crashes down the tree. This is perfect for those of us who cannot envision a book after seeing a movie, as it allows us to view the book from our perspectives. (I hate the feeling of déjà vu that comes when this happens.)

My real only complaint: As with The Lost World, Ian Malcolm drove me up the wall. This character will talk your ear off and it is absolutely painful. I'm not sure if this is because he is into himself or if it is simply the content of his speech. Thankfully, he has much less of a role in this book than he does in The Lost World.