,

Police procedurals - This is a subcategory of mystery fiction in which the protagonist(s) are police detectives.

Best: You love the book and would recommend it to anyone; it has great reader and/or critics' reviews; it won awards.

What doesn't fit:

- Investigator is an amateur, a private detective, a journalist, a forensics specialist, an attorney, etc.

- True crime or other nonfiction

Example that doesn't fit the category "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
1

by
4.14 avg rating — 213,534 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.23 avg rating — 78,300 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
4.18 avg rating — 67,205 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
4.20 avg rating — 194,132 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
4.04 avg rating — 69,416 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.26 avg rating — 83,720 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
4.13 avg rating — 93,030 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
4.23 avg rating — 67,889 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.16 avg rating — 66,703 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
4.19 avg rating — 64,663 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 351,168 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
4.26 avg rating — 581,949 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
4.14 avg rating — 62,550 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
14

by
3.95 avg rating — 5,878 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
3.76 avg rating — 78,364 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
16

by
3.71 avg rating — 4,754 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
17

by
4.24 avg rating — 742 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
4.11 avg rating — 93,345 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
3.80 avg rating — 56,840 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.10 avg rating — 174,545 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
21

by
3.78 avg rating — 433,541 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
4.22 avg rating — 76,131 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
23

by
4.20 avg rating — 73,632 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
4.01 avg rating — 55,481 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
25

by
4.23 avg rating — 107,925 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
4.22 avg rating — 67,714 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
27

by
4.16 avg rating — 30,260 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
4.22 avg rating — 87,881 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
29

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 31,272 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
4.23 avg rating — 93,507 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.13 avg rating — 482,917 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
3.99 avg rating — 767 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
3.96 avg rating — 16,342 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
3.99 avg rating — 10,671 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
4.05 avg rating — 15,253 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
4.13 avg rating — 123,424 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
4.21 avg rating — 27,101 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.08 avg rating — 13,514 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
4.10 avg rating — 356,319 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
4.06 avg rating — 55,980 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
4.17 avg rating — 10,887 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
4.21 avg rating — 31,822 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
4.27 avg rating — 30 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
3.78 avg rating — 94,425 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
4.14 avg rating — 28,849 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
4.19 avg rating — 62,226 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
4.09 avg rating — 18,538 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
3.83 avg rating — 8,594 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
4.35 avg rating — 95,645 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
4.16 avg rating — 54,826 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
4.26 avg rating — 39,661 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
4.14 avg rating — 62,471 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
4.08 avg rating — 346,693 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
4.77 avg rating — 175 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
4.19 avg rating — 62,525 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
3.83 avg rating — 25,236 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
4.05 avg rating — 14,399 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
4.12 avg rating — 14,011 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
4.22 avg rating — 25,417 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
4.23 avg rating — 87,557 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
4.25 avg rating — 46,832 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.93 avg rating — 7,440 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
4.09 avg rating — 33,415 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
64

by
4.07 avg rating — 368,331 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
65

by
3.82 avg rating — 18,030 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
66

by
4.20 avg rating — 24,485 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
4.21 avg rating — 24,420 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
68

by
3.98 avg rating — 79,304 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
4.01 avg rating — 14,152 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
70

by
4.12 avg rating — 45,389 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
71

by
4.27 avg rating — 22,767 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
72

by
3.83 avg rating — 19,579 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 42,607 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
74

by
4.03 avg rating — 50,478 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
4.14 avg rating — 71,327 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
76

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 20,600 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
77

by
3.90 avg rating — 16,868 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
78

by
4.20 avg rating — 24,921 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79

by
4.08 avg rating — 122,928 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
80

by
4.04 avg rating — 6,380 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
4.11 avg rating — 11,235 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
82

by
3.88 avg rating — 16,935 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
83

by
3.95 avg rating — 27,232 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
84

by
3.92 avg rating — 17,649 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
85

by
4.19 avg rating — 31,451 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
86

by
4.11 avg rating — 89,180 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
4.17 avg rating — 80,209 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
88

by
4.02 avg rating — 11,253 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
89

by
3.97 avg rating — 15,688 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
89

by
4.10 avg rating — 82,433 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
4.22 avg rating — 25,676 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
92

by
4.05 avg rating — 12,673 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
93

by
3.55 avg rating — 128,785 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
3.86 avg rating — 678 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
95

by
3.90 avg rating — 278,140 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
96

by
4.07 avg rating — 101,613 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
97

by
4.03 avg rating — 51,300 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
98

by
4.05 avg rating — 20,786 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
4.12 avg rating — 71,342 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
100

by
4.24 avg rating — 25,568 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
1,073 books · 820 voters · list created May 1st, 2009 by jo (votes) .
197 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


jo 2849 books
365 friends
Kate 1060 books
26 friends
Don 981 books
57 friends
Xidmary 3588 books
9 friends
Steve 106 books
0 friends
Jill 366 books
0 friends
John 2396 books
24 friends
Christine 785 books
8 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-12 of 12 (12 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Cindy (new)

Cindy I have to admit that I really prefer these types of books to the private investigator ones, and definitely to the 'total amateur who keeps stumbling over dead bodies' ones. That premise only works so many times. At least with a PI they have a reason to be investigating. But the police ones seem to have more going for them right now, IMO.


message 2: by John (new)

John Sorry, but any list that places something by Patterson over something (anything!!!) over Ellroy is disqualified.


message 3: by Liz (new)

Liz I was surprised there was nothing with Sheriff Joanna Brady or the homicide detective Beaumont by JA Jance.
I included Anna Pidgeon the Park ranger as a National Park cop by Nevada Barr and Trooper Liam Campbell books by Dana Stabenow set in Alaska. Hope those meet the criteria.


message 4: by Betsy (new)

Betsy John wrote: "Sorry, but any list that places something by Patterson over something (anything!!!) over Ellroy is disqualified."

Not every one is an Ellroy fan.


message 5: by Joel (new)

Joel John wrote: "Sorry, but any list that places something by Patterson over something (anything!!!) over Ellroy is disqualified."

Absolutely!!


message 6: by Joel (new)

Joel Betsy wrote: "John wrote: "Sorry, but any list that places something by Patterson over something (anything!!!) over Ellroy is disqualified."

Not every one is an Ellroy fan."


But he can write and he writes for readers. Patterson writes for people who want plot but not prose.


message 7: by Ashley (new)

Ashley I really don't think Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series should be on this list. They're great books but they don't fit the criteria.


message 8: by DW (new)

DW Why are there Jack Reacher books on this list? He's an ex-military police officer.


message 9: by jaadhimalli (new)

jaadhimalli Robert Langdon isnt a police detective. The Da Vinci code shouldnt be in this list. Right ?


message 10: by Vicki (new)

Vicki While there are police in The Da Vinci Code, the protagonist is a college professor.

One or more of the Jack Reacher books, such as Night School, take place back when he was still a military policeman. I'm not sure about the one I noticed on this list, though.


message 11: by Tim (new)

Tim Kern Would any of you police procedural readers help my by reading my new book before it comes out?
I'd like some feedback from real readers.
Thanks.Tim Kern


message 12: by Tony (new)

Tony "The Blooding" by Joseph Wambaugh is a good book, but it's non-fiction.


back to top



Related News

Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we sort through a lot of books each month. Our monthly Readers' Most Anticipated Books feature is exactly...

Anyone can add books to this list.