About the Author

John Sandford is the pseudonym of Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist John Camp. He is the author of the Prey novels, the Kidd novels, the Virgil Flowers novels, The Night Crew, and Dead Watch. He lives in New Mexico.

Reviews

Camp's witty, engrossing sequel to The Fool's Run brings back artist/narrator Kidd, who makes the most of his skills as a kind of computer-mercenary. A beautiful black activist wants Kidd to help her oust the ``respectable'' people who are running the small Mississippi delta city of Longstreet, in the process lining their pockets. Kidd and friend/lover/burglar Luellen pose as arty tourists on a houseboat in a plan to flimflam the greedy gang and dig into their hidden bank accounts and stashes of diamonds, stamps, coins, etc. But the caper turns murderous as they run up against a sadistic chief of the department of ``animal control.'' Playing the good guys off the bad, who are led by ditzy, dangerous Mayor Chenille Dessusdelit,sp ok Kidd and Luellen wonder if they'll escape with their skins, and the loot, as events sweep them to a gory climax and bittersweet ending. This is a fast-moving, stylish delight, with dialogue that crackles. Camp also writes as John Sanford ( Shadow Prey ) . (Apr.)

Kidd, the rogue Tarot-reading computer-whiz-for-hire introduced in Fool's Run ( LJ 9/1/89) is back in another well-written suspense yarn. When good citizens of a small Mississippi town enlist his talents to clean up their corrupt local government, Kidd and a lovely cat-burglar cohort set up a scam operation designed to force the politicians' resignations. Cards and computers are important to the plot again, but more action and violence makes this a much livelier story than Fool's Run . The imaginative con scheme is clever yet believable, but the biggest thrills occur when events don't go as planned. Top-drawer escapist fare. Highly recommended for public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 12/90; as John Sandford, Camp is also the author of the forthcoming Eyes of Prey, Putnam, April, previewed in Prepub Alert LJ 1/91)-- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.