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legal thriller
Series · thriller
Prey
The Prey series by John Sandford has 36 known books (36 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Rules of Prey (1989). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Revenge Prey.
- Books
- 36 known books (36 novels)
- Published
- 36
- First published
- 1989
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: Rules of Prey (1989) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Rules of Prey
Rules of Prey is the book that opens John Sandford's Prey series, published in 1989 at 368 pages. It's the natural place to begin the 36-book series, and is followed here by Shadow Prey.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Rules of Prey - Book 2:
Shadow Prey
Shadow Prey is John Sandford's 2nd Prey novel, published in 1990 at 358 pages. It follows Rules of Prey and precedes Eyes of Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Shadow Prey - Book 3:
Eyes of Prey
Eyes of Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 3rd book, published in 1991 at 358 pages. It follows Shadow Prey and precedes Silent Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Eyes of Prey - Book 4:
Silent Prey
Silent Prey is the 4th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 1992 at 320 pages. It follows Eyes of Prey and precedes Winter Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Silent Prey - Book 5:
Winter Prey
Winter Prey sits as the 5th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 1993 at 343 pages. It follows Silent Prey and precedes Night Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Winter Prey - Book 6:
Night Prey
Night Prey is the 6th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 1994 at 336 pages. It follows Winter Prey and precedes Mind Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Night Prey - Book 7:
Mind Prey
Mind Prey (1995, 368 pages) is the seventh Prey novel, John Sandford's structure alternating between Lucas Davenport's investigation and the killer's own psychology continuing to play out as Davenport's Minneapolis career -- and his eventual marriage to surgeon Weather Karkinnen -- develops across the series in something close to real time.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mind Prey - Book 8:
Sudden Prey
Sudden Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 8th book, published in 1996 at 400 pages. It follows Mind Prey and precedes Secret Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sudden Prey - Book 9:
Secret Prey
Secret Prey is the 9th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 1998 at 408 pages. It follows Sudden Prey and precedes Certain Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Secret Prey - Book 10:
Certain Prey
Certain Prey sits as the 10th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 1999 at 368 pages. It follows Secret Prey and precedes Easy Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Certain Prey - Book 11:
Easy Prey
Easy Prey is the 11th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2000 at 407 pages. It follows Certain Prey and precedes Chosen Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Easy Prey - Book 12:
Chosen Prey
Chosen Prey (2001, 370 pages) is the twelfth Prey novel, following Lucas Davenport's willingness to bend the rules against an antagonist whose psychology Sandford dramatizes as fully as the investigation itself, part of a series John Camp has written under the Sandford pen name at roughly a book a year since 1989.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Chosen Prey - Book 13:
Mortal Prey
Mortal Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 13th book, published in 2002 at 400 pages. It follows Chosen Prey and precedes Naked Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mortal Prey - Book 14:
Naked Prey
Naked Prey is the 14th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 2003 at 423 pages. It follows Mortal Prey and precedes Hidden Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Naked Prey - Book 15:
Hidden Prey
Hidden Prey sits as the 15th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2004 at 325 pages. It follows Naked Prey and precedes Broken Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hidden Prey - Book 16:
Broken Prey
Broken Prey is the 16th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2005 at 390 pages. It follows Hidden Prey and precedes Invisible Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Broken Prey - Book 17:
Invisible Prey
Invisible Prey is John Sandford's 17th Prey novel, published in 2007 at 388 pages. It follows Broken Prey and precedes Phantom Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Invisible Prey - Book 18:
Phantom Prey
Phantom Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 18th book, published in 2008 at 384 pages. It follows Invisible Prey and precedes Wicked Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Phantom Prey - Book 19:
Wicked Prey
Wicked Prey is the 19th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 2009 at 402 pages. It follows Phantom Prey and precedes Storm Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Wicked Prey - Book 20:
Storm Prey
Storm Prey sits as the 20th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2010 at 411 pages. It follows Wicked Prey and precedes Buried Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Storm Prey - Book 21:
Buried Prey
Buried Prey is the 21st book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2011 at 400 pages. It follows Storm Prey and precedes Stolen Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Buried Prey - Book 22:
Stolen Prey
Stolen Prey (2012, 416 pages) is the twenty-second Prey novel, following Lucas Davenport -- by this point deep into an ensemble cast that would eventually spin off the Virgil Flowers series -- between Buried Prey and Silken Prey in Sandford's long-running Minneapolis crime saga.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Stolen Prey - Book 23:
Silken Prey
Silken Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 23rd book, published in 2013 at 430 pages. It follows Stolen Prey and precedes Field of Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Silken Prey - Book 24:
Field of Prey
Field of Prey is the 24th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 2014 at 407 pages. It follows Silken Prey and precedes Gathering Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Field of Prey - Book 25:
Gathering Prey
Gathering Prey sits as the 25th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2015 at 428 pages. It follows Field of Prey and precedes Extreme Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gathering Prey - Book 26:
Extreme Prey
Extreme Prey is the 26th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2016 at 448 pages. It follows Gathering Prey and precedes Golden Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Extreme Prey - Book 27:
Golden Prey
Golden Prey is John Sandford's 27th Prey novel, published in 2017 at 400 pages. It follows Extreme Prey and precedes Twisted Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Golden Prey - Book 28:
Twisted Prey
Twisted Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 28th book, published in 2018 at 400 pages. It follows Golden Prey and precedes Neon Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Twisted Prey - Book 29:
Neon Prey
Neon Prey is the 29th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 2019 at 400 pages. It follows Twisted Prey and precedes Masked Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Neon Prey - Book 30:
Masked Prey
Masked Prey sits as the 30th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2020 at 416 pages. It follows Neon Prey and precedes Ocean Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Masked Prey - Book 31:
Ocean Prey
Ocean Prey is the 31st book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2021 at 488 pages. It follows Masked Prey and precedes Righteous Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Ocean Prey - Book 32:
Righteous Prey
Righteous Prey is John Sandford's 32nd Prey novel, published in 2022 at 416 pages. It follows Ocean Prey and precedes Judgment Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Righteous Prey - Book 33:
Judgment Prey
Judgment Prey continues John Sandford's Prey series as the 33rd book, published in 2023. It follows Righteous Prey and precedes Toxic Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Judgment Prey - Book 34:
Toxic Prey
Toxic Prey is the 34th book in the Prey series, written by John Sandford, published in 2024 at 440 pages. It follows Judgment Prey and precedes Lethal Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Toxic Prey - Book 35:
Lethal Prey
Lethal Prey sits as the 35th book in John Sandford's Prey series, published in 2025 at 448 pages. It follows Toxic Prey and precedes Revenge Prey in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lethal Prey - Book 36:
Revenge Prey
Revenge Prey is the most recent entry in John Sandford's Prey series, published in April 2026. It follows Lethal Prey, the 36th of 36 books published in the series so far.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Revenge Prey
About the Prey series
The Prey novels follow Lucas Davenport, a wealthy, short-fused Minneapolis cop (later a Minnesota state investigator, then a U.S. Marshal) who hunts serial killers, political conspirators and organized predators using unconventional methods and a willingness to bend or break the rules when the law can't stop someone who deserves to be stopped. John Sandford (the pen name of journalist John Camp) alternates the story between Davenport's investigation and the killer's point of view, so most books are as much a study of the antagonist's psychology as a procedural — a structure that has defined the modern serial-killer thriller since Rules of Prey kicked the series off in 1989.
Across thirty-six novels the series ages Davenport in something close to real time: he marries surgeon Weather Karkinnen, becomes a father, moves between agencies, and hands off scenes to a recurring ensemble that eventually spun off its own spin-off series (Virgil Flowers). The books are fast, plot-driven, dryly funny about Minnesota and cop-shop politics, and reliably violent without being gratuitous. Fans of Lee Child, Michael Connelly or Harlan Coben who want a long-running, one-book-a-year procedural with a genuinely dangerous antagonist in every installment are the natural audience.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Prey series?
There are 36 Lucas Davenport novels as of Revenge Prey (April 2026).
What order should I read the Prey books in?
Publication order, starting with Rules of Prey (1989). Davenport's personal life and career evolve across the series, so reading in sequence matters.
Is there a new Prey book coming?
No new Prey novel is currently scheduled following Revenge Prey (April 2026), though John Sandford has published roughly one Davenport book a year for over three decades.
What's the difference between Prey and Virgil Flowers?
Both are John Sandford series set in the same world; Prey follows Lucas Davenport, while Virgil Flowers is a separate spin-off series starring a Davenport colleague, with occasional crossovers between the two.
Do I need to read Prey in order?
It isn't strictly required since each book's central case is self-contained, but Davenport's relationships and career arc build steadily, so publication order gives the fullest picture.
If you like the Prey series
Reading order last verified .