Where to start with John Sandford
Begin with Righteous Prey, the first book in the Prey series, published in 1990. This novel introduces the character Lucas Davenport, a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent whose investigations form the core of the series. Proceed in publication order through the 32 Prey novels, which continue to follow Davenport’s cases across the years. The series is ongoing, with new books released annually. After completing the Prey series, consider the Virgil Flowers novels, which began in 2009 with Bloody Genius. These feature a different protagonist, Virgil Flowers, a special agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and are best read in publication order. The standalone novels—Dead Watch, Naked Prey, Dark of the Moon, Mad River, and Neon Prey—are not connected to the series and can be read in publication order, though they are not part of the main narrative arcs.
Series by John Sandford
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Buy on AmazonRules of Prey (Lucas Davenport Mysteries)
1989 · John Sandford
Louis "Maddog" Vullion is a young attorney and a murderer who kills for the sheer contest, playing an elaborate game according to terrifying rules he…
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Buy on Amazon1991 · John Sandford
The third book in its series, this novel features one of the nastiest villains in crime fiction: an evil, drug-abusing doctor whose access to any…
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Buy on Amazon1993 · John Sandford
In the dead of winter, a killer unlike any other turns a small Wisconsin town into a death trap. The threat is closing in on Lucas Davenport as he…
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Buy on Amazon1994 · John Sandford
A body found in the Carlos Avery game reserve on a cold, clear morning shows stab wounds that seem familiar to a state investigator, though…
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Buy on Amazon1995 · John Sandford
In "Mind Prey," Detective Virgil Davenport confronts a determined kidnapper whose victims are being driven toward an unimaginable fate. The case…
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Buy on Amazon1998 · John Sandford
Lucas Davensport uncovers a web of dark secrets in this novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling series with a new introduction by the author. A…
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Ruthless Prey📅 Expected Mar 30, 2027
Lucas Davenport must avenge the murder of a loved one, in this latest thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford. When the mother of…
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Buy on Amazon2009 · John Sandford
Virgil Flowers, a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator, is called by Lucas Davenport to investigate a murder at a women-only resort…
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Buy on Amazon2010 · John Sandford
In this Virgil Flowers novel, a young man is arrested for murder and found dead in his jail cell the next morning, prompting the sheriff to call…
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Buy on Amazon2011 · John Sandford
The fifth Virgil Flowers novel. A billion-dollar superstore targets a small Minnesota river town, angering local merchants and environmentalists.…
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Buy on Amazon2013 · John Sandford
An Israeli police officer tailing a man in possession of a stolen religious relic approaches Virgil Flowers, who learns the artifact reveals…
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Buy on Amazon2014 · John Sandford
A school board in southeast Minnesota votes four to one on whether a local reporter should die. Meanwhile, Virgil Flowers, investigating a dognapping…
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Buy on Amazon2016 · John Sandford
Two rare Amur tigers vanish from the Minnesota zoo, and authorities worry they were stolen for body parts prized in traditional Chinese medicine.…
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Buy on Amazon2017 · John Sandford
In a class-reunion mystery, Virgil Flowers knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota a little too well after previously investigating its corrupt,…
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Buy on Amazon2018 · John Sandford
In Pinion, Minnesota, a town of about seven hundred people where nothing ever happens, the mayor schemes to put the town on the map by staging a fake…
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Buy on Amazon1989 · John Sandford
John Sandford, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Prey novels, gives suspense an ingenious twist as he takes readers into the mind games…
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Buy on Amazon1991 · John Sandford
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Prey series comes a crime novel of “classic stings” (Booklist). With the same sharp human…
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Buy on Amazon2000 · John Sandford
“Crime fiction doesn’t have nearly enough droll master thieves like Kidd and his stunning partner in righteous crime, LuEllen.”—Los Angeles Times…
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Buy on Amazon2003 · John Sandford
“Hard-boiled computer hacker Kidd and his sometime girlfriend LuEllen make for a refreshingly roguish couple” (Entertainment Weekly). Now they’re…
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Frequently asked questions
How many books has John Sandford written?
We list 48 books by John Sandford across 3 series, published between 1989–2026 — each shown in full reading order.
When is the next John Sandford book coming out?
The next book is “Ruthless Prey”, book 37 in the series, expected Mar 30, 2027. That is the publisher's announced date and can change; this page updates when it does.
What order should I read John Sandford's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Righteous Prey.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy John Sandford's books?
Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.