# John Sanford "prey" books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [March 29, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977 "2021-03-29T17:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stosh1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@stosh1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh1)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/1 "2021-03-29T17:56:38Z")
I really like these books and was wondering if any other authors are like him. I don’t want some super cop B.S… ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/2 "2021-03-29T18:01:15Z")
I recommend the Bosch books by Michael Connelly. He’s not quite as funny as the Lucas Davenport character, but I think the mysteries are just as good, if not better. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/3 "2021-03-29T18:36:16Z")
Authors similar to John Sandford > **[Authors similar to John Sandford](https://www.goodreads.com/author/similar/4610.John_Sandford)** > > Find authors like John Sandford from the world’s largest community of readers. Goodreads members who like John Sandford also like: Lee Child, Robert Crai... Literature Map: > **[Authors similar to John Sandford](https://www.literature-map.com/john+sandford)** Authors Like John Sandford: > **[Top authors like John Sandford](https://tastedive.com/authors/like/John-Sandford)** > > Similar authors like John Sandford include Stuart Woods, Jonathan Kellerman, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Robert B. Parker... ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/4 "2021-03-29T21:13:09Z")
PastTense, thank you, those are wonderful resources, and I had no idea about them until now. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/5 "2021-03-29T22:44:45Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > PastTense, thank you, those are wonderful resources Seconded. Great resources, indeed. I, too, am a huge fan of the ‘Prey’ books by Sandford. Unfortunately for me, I’ve also read many of the books by the authors that are close to Sandford. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/6 "2021-03-30T00:08:13Z")
> [@stosh1](#): > > I don’t want some super cop B.S… In many ways, Davenport _is_ a super cop. Maybe less so now that the character is aging. Lucas describes himself as a hunter, so in a similar vein, I’d recommend the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly. Completely different style, but Parker hunts the bad guys too. Have you tried the Virgil Flowers books, also by Sandford? What could be better Sandford than more Sandford? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/7 "2021-03-30T00:46:58Z")
There is also the “Kidd and LuEllen” series by John Sandford, if you like him. The difference is, they are thieves instead of cops or detectives or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/8 "2021-03-30T05:11:57Z")
Lee Child ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/9 "2021-03-31T13:28:54Z")
Brian Freeman ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/10 "2021-03-31T13:43:06Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Lee Child Child’s Jack Reacher books aren’t much like Sandford’s Davenport books. > [@stosh1](#): > > I don’t want some super cop B.S… Jack Reacher is the ultimate super-cop. Well, I guess he’s not actually a cop, he’s a retired military police officer, but still, he’s one step away from being Robocop. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/11 "2021-03-31T15:18:14Z")
Hmm…the Literature Map puts Lee Child right next to John Sandford and Michael Connelly, smack dab in the middle of the page. CJ Box Craig Johnson Paul Doiron ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/12 "2021-03-31T18:04:14Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Literature Map puts Lee Child right next to John Sandford and Michael Connelly, smack dab in the middle of the page. I’m not sure what their metrics are. But those authors are not very much alike (to my mind). Their similarity is that they’re all better writers than most mystery/thriller writers, I guess. But Child isn’t even trying to be realistic. He’s writing some kind of Robocop/Superman fantasy stuff. He’s good at it, but that’s what it is. They’re not “police procedurals,” they’re just his Reacher character applying his awesome detective skills and beating up enormous numbers of people. Connelly writes like he’s trying to write literary detective stories (like, for example, James Lee Burke). He’s okay at it. But you can _feel_ the effort. His protagonist does a lot of _deep thinking_. And _feeling_. He _feels_ stuff. In a very macho, masculine way, of course. Sandford is a very good writer. He’s good at the craft of writing. His characters, including his protagonist, Davenport, are fairly fleshed-out, realistic (within the parameters of the genre) characters. He’s got a sense of humor, which Connelly entirely lacks. Completely. Child isn’t much better. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/13 "2021-03-31T18:06:13Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > He’s got a sense of humor, which Connelly entirely lacks. Completely. Child isn’t much better. Nodding in agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/14 "2021-03-31T18:46:28Z")
I enjoy the Flowers novels even more. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/15 "2021-03-31T20:30:27Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Connelly writes like he’s trying to write literary detective stories (like, for example, James Lee Burke). He’s okay at it. But you can _feel_ the effort. His protagonist does a lot of _deep thinking_. And _feeling_. He _feels_ stuff. In a very macho, masculine way, of course. I love Connelly’s books (I also love Burke’s, for that matter), but this is a hilarious (and accurate) description of his writing. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/16 "2021-03-31T20:33:40Z")
BTW, if anyone’s interested in a police-procedural-ish mystery story on a spaceship (with some action-thriller stuff thrown in), there’s a great book called [Spindown](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07HVWCFFJ/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_4368549507?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8) by [an author who’s also an active Doper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii/). ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/17 "2021-03-31T22:37:39Z")
Is it u/shameless? 😃 I also like Connelly a lot, and never really thought about his sense of humor. It’s a fair rap. The literature map puts Dennis Lehane right up next to Sandford and Child, which makes no sense at all. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/18 "2021-03-31T23:50:21Z")
If I have to choose between getting rid of shame or book sales, I know which one I’m dropping! ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/19 "2021-05-06T20:03:59Z")
OP might be happy to know that the latest entry in the series, _Ocean Prey,_ was released a few weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977/20 "2021-05-06T22:20:03Z")
Just finished John Sandford’s latest Virgil Flowers book, HOLY GHOST. Really good, a page-turner as always. Michael Harvey is a similar author. I think his first book is called THE CHICAGO WAY. > **[Michael Harvey Books](http://www.michaelharveybooks.com/)** > > Michael Harvey Books features Michael Harvey and his books–best-selling author of seven crime novels, The Chicago Way, The Fifth Floor, The Third Rail, We All Fall Down, The Innocence Game, The Governor’s Wife and Brighton, slated for release in June... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-sanford-prey-books/938977.md?page=2)