The first of the Lucas Davenport series, Rules, of Prey, was published in 1989 and the most recent, Toxic Prey, this year. If you like police procedurals and thrillers, this is the series for you. I’ve read them all and there’s not a dud in the bunch. The last one felt especially timely and scary since it seems like it could actually happen.

He started as a Minneapolis detective, then worked special cases for politicians, and now he’s a US marshal. I love that he’s a tough guy, but he always has me rethinking moral decisions. He talks politics in relation to his job, but takes no side, a rarity. We’ve watched him meet his wife, adopt a child from a case, and have kids of his own. His friend Virgil Flowers and daughter Letty each have their own series, but I don’t read them. They both show up in this one so I don’t have to.

You can jump in anywhere in the series, but this is one that’s fun to read from the beginning.

I didn’t start reviewing them on here until book #24, but here are a few things I’ve said about the series…

Lucas, a detective, handles only those cases that the politicos need to have disappear.  His role is more of a mentor as he works with the police all over Minnesota, but he still manages to get his hands dirty.  He is great at what he does and possesses an authority that others look to in a time of crisis.

In this 25th book of the series, there is a shift of sorts that signals changes are afoot and it’s been this progression of Lucas that has made this a standout, must read series for me.  As he turns 50 and the winds of local politics change direction it’s clear that Lucas has some decisions to make.  This case involves his adopted daughter, Letty, and I love that she has had larger roles in the last few books.

More of my other Top 100 series picks here.