A "Police Procedural" is a fiction genre where the protagonist is typically a police officer, or police investigator, who is working in concert with other law enforcement agencies. Sometimes, the perpetrator is either known to the reader, or the story from the perspective of the perpetrator is known to the reader. Often, these books are in a series where different protagonists share the same geographical "fictional universe" (John Sandford / Minnesota); they are connected across the criminal justice spectrum from the same area (Michael Connelly / police detective-FBI agent-Defense lawyer); they are a "type" of police officer (C.J.Box / Game Wardens); have a particular niche investigative perspective (Aaron Elkins / forensic anthropologist); or highlight a culture through the lens of the police (Tony Hillerman / Navajo Tribe).
The best of these books illustrate the culture of police work. Insular, defensive and with its own jargon, the police culture can be as humorous, strange and perplexing as the crimes themselves. These works can also explain methods and the forensic science as applied to these fictional and often sensationalized crimes and police.
If you are interested in fascinating, bizarre, or even weird crimes more accurately depicted, you might prefer the "True Crime" genre in non-fiction. If you are interested in quick dialogue, watching a series of events through different perspectives, and find "how are they ever going to catch him?" as interesting as "who done it?" then these "police procedurals" might be for you!
"Seven Police Procedural Novels You Can't Put Down" from MysteryTribune
Mari Hannah's "The Death Messenger" reviewed in MysteryTribune
