Police Procedural Books

The best police procedural book reviews. A subgenre of crime fiction, police procedurals focus on the methods and tactics used by law enforcement to solve cases and catch criminals.

FREEZE BEFORE BURNING, a riveting whodunnit by Nikki Stern

The Bottom Line:Ā  A riveting whodunnit featuring a truly creative killer and one of the most compelling new sleuths in the genre. A serial killer is at work in New York City. The three seemingly unrelated victims – a priest, a librarian and a bartender – have been forced to swallow dry ice. And we’re not talking about a trace amount. Somehow, investigators believe, the …

FREEZE BEFORE BURNING, a riveting whodunnit by Nikki Stern READ MORE >

The Best Crime Thriller Books of the Decade

The 2010s was a decade chock full of amazing mysteries and thrillers. In particular, the crime thriller genre – inclusive of detective fiction, FBI thrillers, serial killer fiction, heist thrillers, police procedurals and many other whodunnits – has burned brightly. While the genre’s old guard continued to crank out plenty of winners, the decade’s best crime thrillers arguably came from relative newcomers like Gillian Flynn, …

The Best Crime Thriller Books of the Decade READ MORE >

Tokyo Zangyo, the Year’s Best Mystery Novel

The Bottom Line: Pronko’s best Hiroshi series book yet. Hiroshi is now as synonymous with Tokyo crime fiction as Harry Bosch is to LA noir. Voted the Best Mystery of 2021. Detective Hiroshi’s latest case revolves around the likely suicide of a Japanese media executive who appears to have jumped from the roof of a 20-story building. He died in the exact same spot as …

Tokyo Zangyo, the Year’s Best Mystery Novel READ MORE >

Strangers’ Kingdom, a Big-Hearted Police Procedural by Brandon Barrows

The Bottom Line: A small town police procedural with a big heart and a shocking finale. Set in the early 1990s, Strangers’ Kingdom tells the story of police detective Luke Campbell’s quest for a fresh start. The former Albany cop had the city’s second-highest closure rate in the major crimes division before he shot a politician’s son in self-defense, leading to a career-threatening internal affairs …

Strangers’ Kingdom, a Big-Hearted Police Procedural by Brandon Barrows READ MORE >

Send Me No Flowers, a Fast-Paced Police Procedural Filled with Sex, Romance and Longing

The Bottom Line: A fast-paced Lori Daniels novel filled with steamy sex, romance and longing. In keeping with the style author Tom Preschutti established with Lover Come Back, the third series book Send Me No Flowers is a seamless continuation of its predecessor. Hardboiled police detective Lori Daniels is once again convinced that someone from her past – in this case, a high-ranking police officer …

Send Me No Flowers, a Fast-Paced Police Procedural Filled with Sex, Romance and Longing READ MORE >

Brushed Off, a Darkly Comic Whodunnit by Lee Musgrave

The Bottom Line: A darkly comic and original whodunnit featuring a truly memorable amateur sleuth. Is there a serial killer at work in Los Angeles, or just someone particularly motivated by greed, jealousy or love? Whichever the case, why has the killer chosen the LA art scene as his hunting ground? LA homicide detective Cisco Rivas, and his unlikely partner, public TV host James Terra, …

Brushed Off, a Darkly Comic Whodunnit by Lee Musgrave READ MORE >

Now & Then, an Expertly Paced Serial Killer Thriller by Justin M. Kiska

The Bottom Line: This expertly paced tale of a resurgent serial killer and his seasoned adversary delivers multiple shockers that fans won’t soon forget. First-time novelist Justin M. Kiska puts a delicious spin on the ā€œone last jobā€ trope as small town police chief Ben Winters is thrust into a career-defining nightmare just before retirement. Forty years earlier, then-rookie detective Ben and his partner, Tommy, …

Now & Then, an Expertly Paced Serial Killer Thriller by Justin M. Kiska READ MORE >

Unseen: Evil Lurks Among Us, a Sophisticated Crime Thriller by Jeffrey James Higgins

The Bottom Line: A sophisticated crime thriller that simmers with menace, passion and heart. Malachai Wolf had planned to follow in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a PhD in economics. But when his father was killed in the Boston Marathon bombing, he decided to dedicate his life to the pursuit of justice. As Unseen begins, Wolf has transformed into a D.C. detective hungry to solve …

Unseen: Evil Lurks Among Us, a Sophisticated Crime Thriller by Jeffrey James Higgins READ MORE >

Stolen Lives, an Unforgettable FBI Thriller by Joseph Lewis

The Bottom Line: A harrowing and unforgettable FBI thriller. On a Navajo reservation in Arizona, 14-year-old George Tokay witnesses the brutal murder of another boy in the desert. FBI Agent Pete Kelliher arrives soon thereafter, and is counting on George’s testimony to find the murderer of the new victim and a dozen others like him. Kelliher believes the killers are running a sex trafficking operation. …

Stolen Lives, an Unforgettable FBI Thriller by Joseph Lewis READ MORE >

Faux Friends, a Potent Crime Thriller by A.J. McCarthy

The Bottom Line: A potent, briskly-paced crime thriller featuring a detective whose vulnerability creates first-class suspense. Homicide detective Chantal Pouliot wants action. After being held captive by a psychopath in a remote cabin months earlier, she’s endured months of therapy, and is itching to solve murders. Unfortunately, the psychologist treating her feels she’s not quite ready, and Chantal is instead assigned to a cyber-crime case. …

Faux Friends, a Potent Crime Thriller by A.J. McCarthy READ MORE >

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top