The most recommended police procedural books

For more than three decades Ian Rankin has been the master of “tartan noir” – police procedural fiction set in Scotland. The curmudgeonly, hard-faced, no-nonsense detective Inspector John Rebus has a tendency to bend the rules as investigations take over his life.

A Song For The Dark Times starts with Rebus’ daughter Samantha calling him to say her husband is missing. Rebus fears the worst and from his experience realises that his daughter will be the prime suspect. You’re always on the edge of your seat wondering whether Rebus will have to prevent the truth from coming out and compromising his position as an upholder of the law.

John Sandford’s books aren’t as “literary” as those written by Mick Herron or Richard Price, but I love his books for their pacing—they always start out with a bang—and for Sandford’s sense of humor. I also admire the way he’s aged the recurring characters in the Prey books, taking Lucas Davenport from a young man in his thirties to the age of almost sixty in the last book. You can’t go wrong with any of the thirty-plus books in the Prey series, and I’m holding my breath for the next one. 

I pick Rendel’s books because she knows how to get inside the complex workings of the human mind. I have always been a keen enthusiast of Rendel’s crime fiction thrillers. What amazes me is her depth of understanding of human psychology. On the one hand, I just couldn’t put the book down, and yet due to the interest, it evoked I never wanted to finish it. The story revolves around a teenager Liza who is kept away from the outside world in an isolated rural mansion and is completely dominated by her mother. Secrets, murders, and love affairs interlock, twist and turn and evolve into a thrilling page-turner. 

This is a very different take on a police procedural, with more character development than usual and a real sense of place—one of the things that’s important to me as both a reader and a writer.

The plot is complex and engaging (I didn’t figure out the solution) and I found myself thinking of it even when I wasn’t actually reading the book. The descriptions are crystal-clear—you’ll feel that you are in the area yourself—and the author’s scattering of Scottish slang throughout contributes to a deeper sense of locale.

First in a series (the others so far haven’t disappointed either).

This is, quite simply, the greatest escape story of all time.

I’ve chosen this book because I’ve read it so often, at least five times, mostly when I was a teenager. It is brilliant storytelling, and it may just be the book that most got me hooked on World War 2 history.

It tells the story of a tunnel dug from under a vaulting horse in the middle of an exercise yard in a German POW camp. The original plan was for a mass escape of prisoners through the tunnel, but in the end, only three prisoners made it back to England and freedom. All brilliantly told.

The title character, Chicken Nugget learns to be brave and stand up for his family even when he feels small and helpless.

My son loves this book because the evil fox gets what is coming to him and is taken away in a police car so Chicken Nugget and his family are safe again.

Find Her was my introduction to the D.D. Warren series and a book I couldn’t put down. While the primary protagonist, Detective Warren, played a typical character often seen in crime fiction, Flora Dane completely stole the show. After being the victim of a long, torturous kidnapping, she evolves into a fascinating vigilante.

Flora Dane is such a complex and powerful character that it’s no wonder she appears in more books in this series. The author did her research, and her insight into human psychology and victims’ pathology helped build exceptional characters. The plot is excellent, tense, and full of twists. I found myself thinking about the story even when I wasn’t reading. I think Find Her is a must-read for mystery, suspense, and thriller lovers.  

If, like me, you enjoy police procedurals that involve working dogs, you’ll love the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries.

The author’s research and personal experience shine through as Mizushima offers spot-on explanations of search techniques and veterinary practices—she assists in her husband’s veterinary practice—bringing an authentic edge to the compelling storyline.

Thrilling ingredients like murder, cryptic notes, and kidnapping create an engaging read that leads to an exciting conclusion. And while it’s unnecessary to read the series in order, there’s a lovely character development arc, so I recommend starting at the beginning.

Another crime thriller, I loved this book because of the main character, William Wisting, a detective in the Norwegian city of Larvik, who has been brilliantly played in the TV series by Sven Nordin. In this novel, Wisting reopens a cold case after receiving a mysterious letter. The original crime took place twenty years earlier, when a young girl, Tone Vaterland, is killed on her way home from work. Her rejected boyfriend, Danny Momrak, is jailed for the murder, but the letter changes everything.

I loved the way Wisting relentlessly follows the trail of the reopened case. I also loved the way his daughter, Lene, a journalist for a local paper, is woven into the story and the Norwegian setting, replete with crisp snow and skiddy roads. 

Ruth Rendell is famous for her detective stories, but she also wrote exquisitely nuanced and layered psychological thrillers. Exploring love, greed, and selfishness, The Tree of Hands is about two very different women. Benet has achieved success as a writer but is grappling with bereavement. Carol, a goodtime girl, didn’t plan to have two-year-old Jason and is relieved when he goes missing.

Benet is tricked into looking after Jason and falls in love with him before discovering his identity. There is a heart-stopping moment when Benet takes Jason to Carol’s local library, intending to leave him there to be returned to his mother. Benet thinks she is doing the right thing, while the reader knows how hellish Jason’s life will be. Can Benet’s love overcome her scruples?