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.

Chained Birds, an Emotional True Crime Memoir by Carla Conti

By

The Bottom Line: An emotional, eye-popping and personal expose of the American prison system that begins with an orchestrated stabbing and ends with a realistic exploration of second chances.  Chained Birds begins on a snowy Pennsylvania day in 2011, as Lewisburg prison inmate Steven “Oakie” Tremblay throws a snowball at a correctional officer named Captain MacDonald. Tremblay is then placed in a rec cage with two other inmates, […]

Chained Birds, an Emotional True Crime Memoir by Carla Conti READ MORE >

Their Little Lies, a Terrifying Psychological Thriller by Quinn Avery

By

The Bottom Line: Buried family secrets, steamy romance and a terrifying serial killer add up to a masterfully told psychological thriller. Coming off a botched murder investigation, Detective Josephine Kelly is contemplating early retirement. Feeling the need to regroup, she uses her father’s declining health as an excuse to take time off and return home to Ames, Iowa. But thanks to a troubled childhood, the truth

Their Little Lies, a Terrifying Psychological Thriller by Quinn Avery READ MORE >

Resurrection Walk, a Feast for Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer Fans

By

The Bottom Line: A literary feast that brings together fans of Connolly’s Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer book series. The great tragedy of Michael Connelly’s otherwise high-quality Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer streaming series is that they exist in a television universe where Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller are not related (presumably due to the two series being on competing networks). That’s one reason we’ve created a list

Resurrection Walk, a Feast for Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer Fans READ MORE >

Deadly Hush, a Mesmerizing Crime Thriller by Douglas Stewart

By

The Bottom Line: A mesmerizing crime thriller that deftly explores high society’s dark underbelly. Highly recommended.  The third installment in Douglas Stewart’s Detective Ratso series opens in Switzerland as a killer, who is obsessed with rigid adherence to schedules as well as numerical synchronicity, stalks his prey. While careful not to reveal the killers’ identity too early, we understand that he is OCD, highly intelligent and

Deadly Hush, a Mesmerizing Crime Thriller by Douglas Stewart READ MORE >

Shitamachi Scam, a Stunning Crime Thriller by Michael Pronko

By

The Bottom Line: A stunning crime thriller in which the brilliant, fussy Detective Hiroshi deftly unravels a truly masterful criminal enterprise.   Michael Pronko’s newest Detective Hiroshi novel finds the brilliant police investigator — who is typically more comfortable behind a desk – taking to the streets in a deadly undercover sting operation.  Hiroshi watches as the intended target, an elderly woman named Ueno, is accosted outside

Shitamachi Scam, a Stunning Crime Thriller by Michael Pronko READ MORE >

The Desert Saint, a Brilliantly Written Debut Crime Thriller

By

The Bottom Line: An emotionally charged, brilliantly-written debut crime thriller. Maria Varela’s entire identity is centered around her life as a detective. The daughter of a Las Vegas Police Department detective, she has earned a reputation as a dogged, determined cop in her own right with a spectacular track record. But the murder of her brother, Tommy, threatens to turn her entire life upside down.

The Desert Saint, a Brilliantly Written Debut Crime Thriller READ MORE >

Judge Not, a Must-Read Crime Thriller by Nikki Stern

By

The Bottom Line: The hunters become the prey in this must-read for fans of serial killer fiction. The fourth entry in Nikki Stern’s Sam Tate Mystery Series picks up as Pat McCready, a young detective working under Sam, spots potential similarities in the murder of two law enforcement officers in separate states. Sam advises Pat to focus on cases within their jurisdiction when he’s on

Judge Not, a Must-Read Crime Thriller by Nikki Stern READ MORE >

When Things Fall Apart, a Twisty Page Turner by Alan Brenham

By

The Bottom Line: A twisty, gut-punch crime thriller that manages to both enrage and entertain en route to its shocking conclusion. The definition of a page-turner. When Things Fall Apart opens with the brutal murder of Texas attorney Sydney Hanover. Told from the point of view of a jealous husband who is initially identified as “Ken” (a nickname from his wife, Elaine, who he calls “Barbie”), he cites a shortlist

When Things Fall Apart, a Twisty Page Turner by Alan Brenham READ MORE >

Scroll to Top