The classical detective novels that established the basic formula Sandford plays off of include all the classics of the genre including the Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Rex Stout mysteries. The hard-boiled precedents most significantly include Raymond Chandler's and Dashiell Hammett's mysteries, which appear to influence Sandford's "Prey" series in regard to its cynical, tough detective and the corrupt nature of society.