As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases Affiliate disclosure
John Sandford Books in Order
Below is the complete list of John Sandford books in order of publication. This is the recommended reading sequence for the series.
Jump to a Series:
show
Prey / Lucas Davenport Series
- Rules of Prey (1989)
Buy on Amazon - Shadow Prey (1990)
Buy on Amazon - Eyes of Prey (1991)
Buy on Amazon - Silent Prey (1992)
Buy on Amazon - Winter Prey (1993)
Buy on Amazon - Night Prey (1994)
Buy on Amazon - Mind Prey (1995)
Buy on Amazon - Sudden Prey (1996)
Buy on Amazon - Secret Prey (1998)
Buy on Amazon - Certain Prey (1999)
Buy on Amazon - Easy Prey (2000)
Buy on Amazon - Chosen Prey (2001)
Buy on Amazon - Mortal Prey (2002)
Buy on Amazon - Naked Prey (2003)
Buy on Amazon - Hidden Prey (2004)
Buy on Amazon - Broken Prey (2005)
Buy on Amazon - Invisible Prey (2007)
Buy on Amazon - Phantom Prey (2008)
Buy on Amazon - Wicked Prey (2009)
Buy on Amazon - Storm Prey (2010)
Buy on Amazon - Buried Prey (2011)
Buy on Amazon - Stolen Prey (2012)
Buy on Amazon - Silken Prey (2013)
Buy on Amazon - Field of Prey (2014)
Buy on Amazon - Gathering Prey (2015)
Buy on Amazon - Extreme Prey (2016)
Buy on Amazon - Golden Prey (2017)
Buy on Amazon - Twisted Prey (2018)
Buy on Amazon - Neon Prey (2019)
Buy on Amazon - Masked Prey (2020)
Buy on Amazon - Ocean Prey (2021)
Buy on Amazon - Righteous Prey (2022)
Buy on Amazon - Judgment Prey (2023)
Buy on Amazon - Toxic Prey (2024)
Buy on Amazon - Lethal Prey (2025)
Buy on Amazon - Revenge Prey (2026)
Buy on Amazon
Virgil Flowers Series
- Dark of the Moon (2007)
Buy on Amazon - Heat Lightning (2008)
Buy on Amazon - Rough Country (2009)
Buy on Amazon - Bad Blood (2010)
Buy on Amazon - Shock Wave (2011)
Buy on Amazon - Mad River (2012)
Buy on Amazon - Storm Front (2013)
Buy on Amazon - Deadline (2014)
Buy on Amazon - Escape Clause (2016)
Buy on Amazon - Deep Freeze (2017)
Buy on Amazon - Holy Ghost (2018)
Buy on Amazon - Bloody Genius (2019)
Buy on Amazon - Ocean Prey (2021)
Buy on Amazon - Righteous Prey (2022)
Buy on Amazon - Judgment Prey (2023)
Buy on Amazon
Lucas Davenport vs. Lincoln Rhyme Short Stories/Novellas Series
- Rhymes With Prey: Lincoln Rhyme vs. Lucas Davenport (2014)
(With: Jeffery Deaver)
Buy on Amazon
Letty Davenport Series
- The Investigator (2022)
Buy on Amazon - Dark Angel (2023)
Buy on Amazon
Kidd Series
- The Fool’s Run (1989)
Buy on Amazon - The Empress File (1991)
Buy on Amazon - The Devil’s Code (2000)
Buy on Amazon - The Hanged Man’s Song (2003)
Buy on Amazon
The Singular Menace Series
- Uncaged (2014)
Buy on Amazon - Outrage (2015)
Buy on Amazon - Rampage (2016)
Buy on Amazon
Standalone Novels Series
- The Night Crew (1997)
Buy on Amazon - Dead Watch (2006)
Buy on Amazon - Saturn Run (2015)
Buy on Amazon
About John Sandford
John Sandford is the pen name of American author and journalist John Camp, best known for his bestselling crime and thriller novels. His work is widely associated with the long-running Prey series, which follows Minnesota investigator Lucas Davenport as he pursues complex criminal cases. Over several decades, Sandford has built a reputation for fast-paced storytelling, sharp dialogue, and detailed depictions of modern investigative work.
John Camp was born on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He grew up in the Midwest and later attended the University of Iowa, where he studied American studies and journalism. His career initially developed in the field of reporting rather than fiction. After graduating, he began working as a journalist and eventually joined the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where he became known for his investigative reporting.
During his journalism career, Camp won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as part of a reporting team recognized for a series of investigative stories about agriculture and business practices. His background in investigative journalism had a lasting influence on his fiction, particularly in the way he portrays police procedures, legal systems, and the complexity of criminal investigations.
Camp began writing novels in the late 1980s under the pen name John Sandford. His breakthrough came with Rules of Prey (1989), the first book in the Lucas Davenport series. The novel introduced readers to Davenport, a highly intelligent and unconventional investigator working for the Minneapolis Police Department. Unlike many traditional detectives, Davenport combines sharp analytical thinking with a willingness to take calculated risks while tracking dangerous criminals.
Reading John Sandford’s books in publication order reveals the steady development of the Lucas Davenport character and the evolving world around him. In the early novels, Davenport works primarily as a homicide detective in Minneapolis. As the series progresses, his career expands into broader investigative roles within Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, allowing him to pursue cases across a wider geographic and political landscape.
The Prey series is known for its strong focus on criminal psychology. Many of the novels present readers with detailed portraits of both investigators and offenders, often revealing the motivations and thought processes behind complex crimes. Sandford’s ability to portray both sides of an investigation contributes to the tension and realism that define his storytelling.
In addition to the Lucas Davenport novels, Sandford created the Virgil Flowers series, which follows another Minnesota investigator with a very different personality and investigative style. Virgil Flowers, who first appears as a supporting character in the Prey books, later becomes the protagonist of his own set of mysteries. The two series occasionally intersect, reinforcing the shared fictional world that Sandford has developed.
Sandford has also written standalone thrillers and historical novels, demonstrating his versatility beyond police procedurals. Regardless of the setting, his books typically emphasize tight pacing, layered investigations, and characters whose professional lives intersect with personal challenges.
Another hallmark of Sandford’s work is the strong sense of place that comes from his Midwestern background. Many of his novels are set in Minnesota and the surrounding region, drawing on the landscapes, cities, and communities he came to know during his years as a journalist.
Over the course of his career, John Sandford has produced dozens of novels and maintained a consistent presence on bestseller lists. Following his books in publication order highlights how the Lucas Davenport series evolved from a straightforward detective story into a broader thriller franchise that explores crime, justice, and investigative work across multiple decades of storytelling.
Series: John Sandford