Reading order · 36 books · 1989 to 2026 · Set in Minneapolis
Prey (Lucas Davenport) Books in Order
Lucas Davenport is a rich, clever and stylish Minneapolis detective who made his fortune designing games. Over more than thirty books he hunts killers across Minnesota and, later, the whole country, as a state agent and then a US marshal. Fast, sharp and often funny thrillers.
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Series facts
- Books
- 36
- Published
- 1989 to 2026
- First book
- Rules of Prey
- Latest
- Revenge Prey (2026)
- Setting
- Set in Minneapolis
The reading order
Every Prey (Lucas Davenport) book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
36 books · Set in Minneapolis
- 1Rules of Prey1989With Lucas DavenportLucas Davenport, a Minneapolis detective who designs games in his spare time, hunts a killer who leaves notes listing his rules.Buy on Amazon
- 2Shadow Prey1990With Lucas DavenportA series of ritual killings across Minneapolis, New York and Oklahoma brings Lucas together with a New York detective, Lily Rothenburg.Buy on Amazon
- 3Eyes of Prey1991With Lucas DavenportLucas hunts a pair of killers working together.Buy on Amazon
- 4Silent Prey1992With Lucas DavenportAn old enemy escapes in New York, and Lucas is called in to help.Buy on Amazon
- 5Winter Prey1993With Lucas DavenportAt his cabin in the Wisconsin woods, Lucas helps a small-town sheriff hunt a killer through a bitter winter, and meets the local doctor, Weather Karkinnen.Buy on Amazon
- 6Night Prey1994With Lucas DavenportA woman is found murdered, and a state investigator, Meagan Connell, asks Lucas to help her find a killer she believes has struck before.Buy on Amazon
- 7Mind Prey1995With Lucas DavenportA psychologist and her two daughters are kidnapped, and Lucas races to find them.Buy on Amazon
- 8Sudden Prey1996With Lucas DavenportAfter a police shoot-out during a bank robbery, the surviving gang members set out to take revenge on the police.Buy on Amazon
- 9Secret Prey1998With Lucas DavenportA banker is shot dead during a deer hunt in northern Minnesota.Buy on Amazon
- 10Certain Prey1999With Lucas DavenportClara Rinker, a professional killer, is hired by a Minneapolis lawyer to kill a rival’s wife.Buy on Amazon
- 11Easy Prey2000With Lucas DavenportA famous model is found murdered after a party in Minneapolis.Buy on Amazon
- 12Chosen Prey2001With Lucas DavenportA killer is murdering women in the Twin Cities, and the trail leads Lucas into the art world.Buy on Amazon
- 13Mortal Prey2002With Lucas DavenportLucas joins a hunt for Clara Rinker after she survives an attack.Buy on Amazon
- 14Naked Prey2003With Lucas DavenportLucas is sent to northern Minnesota after a couple are found dead, and meets Letty, a tough and resourceful twelve-year-old.Buy on Amazon
- 15Hidden Prey2004With Lucas DavenportA Russian sailor is found shot dead in Duluth, and the case reaches back to the Cold War.Buy on Amazon
- 16Broken Prey2005With Lucas DavenportA young woman is found murdered, and the trail leads to former patients of a state hospital.Buy on Amazon
- 17Invisible Prey2007With Lucas DavenportTwo elderly women are murdered in their wealthy home, and Lucas suspects a ring of art thieves.Buy on Amazon
- 18Phantom Prey2008With Lucas DavenportA wealthy widow’s daughter, a young Goth, disappears, and Lucas looks into it as a favour.Buy on Amazon
- 19Wicked Prey2009With Lucas DavenportThe national political convention comes to St Paul, bringing a professional robbery crew with it.Buy on Amazon
- 20Storm Prey2010Weather witnesses men fleeing from a robbery at her hospital’s pharmacy, and becomes a target.Buy on Amazon
- 21Buried Prey2011With Lucas DavenportThe remains of two girls who vanished in the 1980s are found during a demolition in Minneapolis, and Lucas returns to his first big case.Buy on Amazon
- 22Stolen Prey2012With Lucas DavenportA family is murdered in a wealthy Minneapolis suburb, and the case leads to a Mexican drug cartel.Buy on Amazon
- 23Silken Prey2013With Lucas DavenportA political operative goes missing, and a candidate for the Senate is caught up in a dirty-tricks campaign.Buy on Amazon
- 24Field of Prey2014With Lucas DavenportThe remains of many young women are found in an old cistern on a farm, and Lucas leads the hunt for the killer.Buy on Amazon
- 25Gathering Prey2015With Lucas DavenportLetty asks Lucas to help find a friend who has disappeared among a group of travellers.Buy on Amazon
- 26Extreme Prey2016With Lucas DavenportLucas, now working on his own, is asked to protect a presidential candidate in Iowa.Buy on Amazon
- 27Golden Prey2017With Lucas DavenportLucas, now a US marshal, hunts a crew of robbers who hit a drug cartel’s money house.Buy on Amazon
- 28Twisted Prey2018With Lucas DavenportLucas suspects a powerful senator of being behind a murder.Buy on Amazon
- 29Neon Prey2019With Lucas DavenportLucas follows a killer from Louisiana to Las Vegas.Buy on Amazon
- 30Masked Prey2020With Lucas DavenportPhotographs of the children of Washington politicians appear on a hate website, and Lucas is sent to find out who is behind it.Buy on Amazon
- 31Ocean Prey2021CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Virgil Flowers bookCoast Guard officers are murdered off the coast of Florida, and Lucas and Virgil join the hunt.Buy on Amazon
- 32Righteous Prey2022CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Virgil Flowers bookA group calling themselves the Five Fingers begins killing people they see as deserving to die, and Lucas and Virgil set out to stop them.Buy on Amazon
- 33Judgment Prey2023CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Virgil Flowers bookA federal judge and his family are murdered in St Paul, and Lucas and Virgil investigate.Buy on Amazon
- 34Toxic Prey2024With Lucas DavenportLucas investigates a scientist who may be planning to unleash a deadly virus.Buy on Amazon
- 35Lethal Prey2025CrossoverWith Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers · Also a Virgil Flowers bookLucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers team up to hunt a ruthless killer determined to keep a past crime buried.Buy on Amazon
- 36Revenge Prey2026With Lucas DavenportBuy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Rules of Prey, as Lucas’s life changes a great deal across the series. Most books also stand alone.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Lucas Davenport | Virgil Flowers | Del Capslock | Weather Karkinnen | Letty Davenport | Sloan | Marcy Sherrill | Rose Marie Roux |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Rules of Prey | LLead | ·Minor | ||||||
| 2 Shadow Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 3 Eyes of Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |||||
| 4 Silent Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 5 Winter Prey | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 6 Night Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 7 Mind Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 8 Sudden Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 9 Secret Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 10 Certain Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 11 Easy Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 12 Chosen Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 13 Mortal Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 14 Naked Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 15 Hidden Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 16 Broken Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 17 Invisible Prey | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 18 Phantom Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 19 Wicked Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 20 Storm Prey | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 21 Buried Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 22 Stolen Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 23 Silken Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 24 Field of Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 25 Gathering Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 26 Extreme Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 27 Golden Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 28 Twisted Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 29 Neon Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 30 Masked Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||||
| 31 Ocean Prey | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 32 Righteous Prey | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 33 Judgment Prey | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 34 Toxic Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||||
| 35 Lethal Prey | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||
| 36 Revenge Prey | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Prey (Lucas Davenport) books
12 characters from John Sandford’s chart, with the number of Prey (Lucas Davenport) books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Lucas DavenportMinneapolis detective, later a state agent and a US marshal | 36 | Rules of Prey 1989 |
| Virgil FlowersState investigator in rural Minnesota | 5 | Invisible Prey 2007 |
| Del CapslockDetective and Lucas’s closest partner | 35 | Shadow Prey 1990 |
| Weather KarkinnenSurgeon and Lucas’s wife | 32 | Winter Prey 1993 |
| Letty DavenportLucas’s adopted daughter, later a federal investigator | 23 | Naked Prey 2003 |
| SloanDetective and Lucas’s friend | 21 | Rules of Prey 1989 |
| Marcy SherrillDetective in Lucas’s team | 20 | Silent Prey 1992 |
| Rose Marie RouxPolice chief, later state commissioner | 14 | Sudden Prey 1996 |
| Jenkins and ShrakeState investigators | 10 | Broken Prey 2005 |
| Bob Shaffer and Rae GivensUS marshals working with Lucas | 8 | Twisted Prey 2018 |
| Frankie NoblesVirgil’s partner | 4 | Ocean Prey 2021 |
| Clara RinkerProfessional killer | 2 | Certain Prey 1999 |
Crossovers with John Sandford’s other series
- Virgil Flowers: 4 books shared (Ocean Prey, Righteous Prey, Judgment Prey, Lethal Prey); Virgil Flowers also appears in 12 of its books
- Letty Davenport: Lucas Davenport also appears in 2 of its books