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Quick answer: If you like Lucas Davenport, read John Sandford's Rules of Prey, then Michael Connelly's The Poet, Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, Jeffery Deaver's The Bone Collector and Lee Child's Killing Floor. All are fast thrillers with tough detectives and clever, ruthless killers.
Lucas Davenport is John Sandford's Minneapolis cop, a wealthy, charming and sometimes ruthless detective who stars in the Prey series, starting with Rules of Prey. The books mix police procedure, black humour and violent cat-and-mouse games. The books below offer similar crime thrillers and detective series.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules of Prey | John Sandford | Adult | the Davenport start |
| The Poet | Michael Connelly | Adult | investigative thriller |
| The Black Echo | Michael Connelly | Adult | modern procedural |
| Red Dragon | Thomas Harris | Adult | profiler thriller |
| The Silence of the Lambs | Thomas Harris | Adult | classic FBI thriller |
| The Bone Collector | Jeffery Deaver | Adult | forensic puzzles |
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | action thriller |
| Kiss the Girls | James Patterson | Adult | fast crime |
| The Monkey's Raincoat | Robert Crais | Adult | the Elvis Cole start |
| Open Season | C. J. Box | Adult | Wyoming game warden |
| The Godwulf Manuscript | Robert B. Parker | Adult | Spenser start |
| Deal Breaker | Harlan Coben | Adult | Myron Bolitar |
| The Lincoln Lawyer | Michael Connelly | Adult | legal thriller |
| Postmortem | Patricia Cornwell | Adult | the series start |
| The Surgeon | Tess Gerritsen | Adult | Rizzoli and Isles |
1. Rules of Prey by John Sandford
Davenport hunts a killer who leaves notes with his rules. Fast and violent.
Best for: the Davenport start.
2. The Poet by Michael Connelly
A crime reporter investigates a serial killer who targets detectives. Tightly plotted and fast, from a master of procedurals.
Best for: investigative thriller.
3. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
Detective Harry Bosch investigates a body in a drain. A tight modern classic.
Best for: modern procedural.
4. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
An FBI agent consults Hannibal Lecter to catch a killer. Dark and precise.
Best for: profiler thriller.
5. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Clarice Starling consults Hannibal Lecter to catch Buffalo Bill. Essential.
Best for: classic FBI thriller.
6. The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver
A quadriplegic forensic expert, Lincoln Rhyme, guides a young officer through crime scenes by reading evidence. Clever, twisty and heavy on detail.
Best for: forensic puzzles.
7. Killing Floor by Lee Child
Jack Reacher arrives in a Georgia town and is arrested for murder. Fast and tough.
Best for: action thriller.
8. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
Alex Cross hunts a collector of women. Short chapters make it a quick read with a strong focus on the killer's methods.
Best for: fast crime.
9. The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais
Elvis takes a missing-person case that turns deadly. Fast and funny.
Best for: the Elvis Cole start.
10. Open Season by C. J. Box
Joe Pickett finds a body in the woods. Atmospheric and humane.
Best for: Wyoming game warden.
11. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker
Boston detective Spenser investigates a stolen manuscript and a murder. Witty and clean.
Best for: Spenser start.
12. Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben
A sports agent tracks a missing fiancee. Funny and twisty.
Best for: Myron Bolitar.
13. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
Mickey Haller works out of his car. Sharp and fast.
Best for: legal thriller.
14. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
The first Scarpetta novel, in which the medical examiner chases a serial killer in Richmond. If you have not started the series yet, begin here.
Best for: the series start.
15. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Detective Jane Rizzoli hunts a killer with a surgeon's precision. It launched a long Boston series and is fast, tense and unsettling.
Best for: Rizzoli and Isles.
How to Choose
To start with Sandford read Rules of Prey and continue in order. For police thrillers choose Michael Connelly, James Patterson or Tess Gerritsen. For serial-killer cat-and-mouse pick Thomas Harris or Jeffery Deaver. For tough private eyes read Robert Crais, Robert B. Parker or Harlan Coben. The Prey series is long and fast, so these picks suit readers who like a dark joke with their murder. Sandford's Prey series has more than thirty novels, and he also writes the Virgil Flowers books and others, so fans have a lot to read. Many are on audio, narrated by Richard Ferrone.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lucas Davenport?
A Minneapolis detective in John Sandford's Prey series.
Where should I start?
With Rules of Prey.
Do I need to read in order?
It helps because Davenport's life develops.
How many Prey books are there?
More than thirty. Check current listings.
Are they violent?
Yes, with graphic crimes.
Is Sandford his real name?
It is a pen name of John Camp.
Are there spin-offs?
Yes, the Virgil Flowers series.
What should I read next?
Try The Poet or Red Dragon.
Which book here is best for profiler thriller?
Try Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, which suits readers looking for profiler thriller.
Which book here is best for action thriller?
Try Killing Floor by Lee Child, which suits readers looking for action thriller.
Which book here is best for Wyoming game warden?
Try Open Season by C. J. Box, which suits readers looking for Wyoming game warden.
Which book here is best for legal thriller?
Try The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly, which suits readers looking for legal thriller.