Crime Writing

Have you ever read a book of crime and been astonished at the writer's lack of knowledge of police procedure? I have, and I threw the book down in disgust. If you want to be a crime writer, you need to do your research. You might be wonderful prose writer, but if you can't get your facts right, you won't be read.

If it's to be a book about murder, what will be the method of murder you will use in your book? Will it be gun, poison, staged accident, knife ... even if you think you know everything about the method you choose, you will still need to do your research. What about the disposal of the body? How will your protagonist achieve this and what will be the end results. Following on from this will be the methods of detection; forensics is a field that is changing almost daily as new ways of catching criminals out are discovered.

If your work is going as far as the courtroom, there will be criminal law to be researched. What is allowed or not allowed in a courtroom in the country your novel is set in?

Having an expert cast their eye over your work will help but this is not always easy, unless you are lucky enough to know a policeman, or a lawyer. However, you may be able to find a law or forensics student at your local university who would be happy read your manuscript in return for a few dollars.