John Sandford Reading Order

3 books (2014–2017)

John Sandford contributed to three anthology collections published between 2014 and 2017, completing this series. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with FaceOff, followed by MatchUp, and concluding with The Best American Mystery Stories 2017. The anthologies showcase Sandford's work within the mystery and thriller genre alongside contributions from other authors.

Start with FaceOff and read in order.

#	Title
1	FaceOff 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	MatchUp 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Best American Mystery Stories 2017 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1989–2003)

John Sandford's Kidd & LuEllen series comprises four mystery and thriller novels published between 1989 and 2003, now complete. The books follow a cast of computer experts and thieves navigating high-stakes heists and technological crime. Read in publication order beginning with The Fool's Run, followed by The Empress File, The Devil's Code, and concluding with The Hanged Man's Song.

Start with The Fool's Run, the first of 4 books in the Kidd & LuEllen series.

#	Title
1	The Fool's Run 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Empress File 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Devil's Code 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Hanged Man's Song 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2022–2024)

John Sandford's Letty Davenport series comprises three mystery thrillers published between 2022 and 2024, with more books planned. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Investigator, followed by Dark Angel and Toxic Prey. This ongoing series follows the adventures of its protagonist through interconnected cases across the three installments.

Start with The Investigator and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Investigator 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dark Angel 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Toxic Prey 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2013–2026)

The Lincoln Rhyme Short Stories and Novellas series comprises five works published between 2013 and 2026, written by Jeffery Deaver and featuring the forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme. These shorter pieces should be read in publication order and form an ongoing series. The collection includes crossover content with other characters and serves as supplementary material to Deaver's broader mystery and thriller catalog.

Start with A Textbook Case(By: Jeffery Deaver), the first of 5 books in the Lincoln Rhyme Short Stories/Novellas series.

1 book (2014–2014)

56 books (1989–2026)

The Prey Universe is a 56-book mystery thriller series by John Sandford that began in 1989 and continues through 2026. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with Rules of Prey, as each installment builds on previous cases and character development. Several early entries were published under the pseudonym John Camp before Sandford established the series under his primary name. This ongoing collection represents one of the longest-running detective series in contemporary American crime fiction.

Start with Rules of Prey, the first of 56 books in the Prey Universe series.

#	Title
1	Rules of Prey 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Fool's Run(As:John Camp) 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Shadow Prey 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Eyes of Prey 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Empress File(As:John Camp) 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Silent Prey 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Winter Prey 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Night Prey 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Mind Prey 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Sudden Prey 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Secret Prey 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Certain Prey 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Easy Prey 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The Devil's Code 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Chosen Prey 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Mortal Prey 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Naked Prey 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	The Hanged Man's Song 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Hidden Prey 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Broken Prey 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Dark of the Moon 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Invisible Prey 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Heat Lightning 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Phantom Prey 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Rough Country 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Wicked Prey 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Bad Blood 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Storm Prey 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Buried Prey 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Shock Wave 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Mad River 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Stolen Prey 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Silken Prey 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Storm Front 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Deadline 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Field of Prey 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Rhymes With Prey: Lincoln Rhyme vs. Lucas Davenport(With: Jeffery Deaver) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38	Gathering Prey 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39	Escape Clause 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40	Extreme Prey 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41	Deep Freeze 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42	Deserves to Be Dead(With: Lisa Jackson) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43	Golden Prey 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44	Holy Ghost 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45	Twisted Prey 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46	Bloody Genius 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47	Neon Prey 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
48	Masked Prey 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
49	Ocean Prey 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
50	Righteous Prey 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
51	The Investigator 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
52	Dark Angel 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
53	Judgment Prey 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
54	Toxic Prey 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
55	Lethal Prey 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
56	Revenge Prey 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

37 books (1989–2027)

John Sandford's Prey series follows Lucas Davenport across 36 books published from 1989 to 2026, with the sequence still expanding. Begin with Rules of Prey and proceed in publication order to follow Davenport's character development and the interconnected cases that define this long-running mystery thriller franchise. The series remains ongoing, offering readers a deep dive into a detective's evolving career across nearly four decades of storytelling.

Start with Rules of Prey, the first of 36 books in the Prey/Lucas Davenport series.

#	Title
1	Rules of Prey 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Shadow Prey 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Eyes of Prey 1991Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Silent Prey 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Winter Prey 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Night Prey 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Mind Prey 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Sudden Prey 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Secret Prey 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Certain Prey 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Easy Prey 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Chosen Prey 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Mortal Prey 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Naked Prey 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Hidden Prey 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Broken Prey 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Invisible Prey 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Phantom Prey 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Wicked Prey 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Storm Prey 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Buried Prey 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Stolen Prey 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Silken Prey 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Field of Prey 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Gathering Prey 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Extreme Prey 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Golden Prey 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Twisted Prey 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Neon Prey 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Masked Prey 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Ocean Prey 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Righteous Prey 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Judgment Prey 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Toxic Prey 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Lethal Prey 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36	Revenge Prey 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
37	Ruthless Prey 2027Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2014–2016)

John Sandford's Singular Menace trilogy is a three-book mystery and thriller series comprising Uncaged, Outrage, and Rampage, published between 2014 and 2016. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Uncaged. This standalone trilogy showcases Sandford's signature blend of literary fiction and suspenseful storytelling in a self-contained narrative arc.

Start with Uncaged and read in order.

#	Title
1	Uncaged 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Outrage 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Rampage 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1997–2015)

John Sandford has written three complete standalone novels across the mystery, thriller, and science fiction genres, published between 1997 and 2015. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Night Crew, followed by Dead Watch, and concluding with Saturn Run. Each novel stands alone with its own plot and characters, offering variety in Sandford's storytelling while maintaining the literary quality readers expect from this acclaimed author.

Start with The Night Crew and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Night Crew 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Dead Watch 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Saturn Run 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

11 books (2017–2019)

The MatchUp Collection is a complete mystery and thriller series comprising 11 books published between 2017 and 2019. Each entry features a different pair of acclaimed authors collaborating on an original novella, making this an anthology-style series best read in publication order. Begin with Deserves to Be Dead by John Sandford and Lisa Jackson, followed by subsequent volumes that pair bestselling crime and thriller writers for standalone stories within the broader collection.

Start with Deserves to Be Dead(With: Lisa Jackson), the first of 11 books in the The MatchUp Collection series.

15 books (2007–2023)

The Virgil Flowers series spans fifteen mystery and thriller novels published between 2007 and 2023, following the investigations of its titular protagonist. While the series appears to be complete, each book can be enjoyed as a standalone entry, though reading in publication order starting with Dark of the Moon provides the richest experience as character relationships and personal circumstances evolve throughout the arc. The novels take readers through Virgil's cases from his early days through the most recent Judgment Prey, offering consistent mystery-solving alongside character development across the full sequence.

Start with Dark of the Moon, the first of 15 books in the Virgil Flowers series.

#	Title
1	Dark of the Moon 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Heat Lightning 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Rough Country 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Bad Blood 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Shock Wave 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Mad River 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Storm Front 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Deadline 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Escape Clause 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Deep Freeze 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Holy Ghost 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Bloody Genius 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Ocean Prey 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Righteous Prey 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Judgment Prey 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible