Modus Operandi: A Writer's Guide to How Criminals Work (Howdunit)

Offers writers information on how killers, armed robbers, arsonists, white collar criminals, and con men operate, and describes how these criminals are caught

If you set out to write a crime novel, you better get the facts right. Armchair detectives may not commit many crimes, but they can spot the holes in a plot quicker than you can say, "Dick Francis." The authors of this unique writer's guide are New Jersey police detectives, and they provide an overview of virtually every type of crime that readers are likely to encounter in mystery fiction. Care to get a feel for counterfeiting and forgery? It's all here. Want to get the details of a murder right? These guys will tell you how knife wounds bleed and what investigators notice when looking at a gunshot victim. Toss in the nuts and bolts of the prostitution game, bank robbery do's and don'ts, current drug prices, and much more. It's all well organized and concise but not so detailed that budding lawbreakers could use it as an instructional. Even if you don't aspire to be the next Dick Francis, this is fascinating reading. If you do see your name on the title page of a crime novel, it's essential. Wes Lukowsky