Donald Harstad wrote some of the best novels about police work ever IMO. Set in small town Iowa they show a good balance between small departments, State investigators, feds, inter-State cooperation and some really weird characters.
Cop, Crime, Detective, Survival movies and books
- Thread starter Mexistrat
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HOUSTON RICK
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"Shakedown" is my favorite drug corruption/LEO movie.
DoubleAdobe
Member
This. In addition, the Steven F.Havill books involving New Mexico Sheriff Bill Gastner are excellent as well. Someone on this forum recommended them a few years ago, so I will pass it on.
Texas Star
US Veteran
I think it was me who recommended those Havill books. In the later ones, Gastner is basically retired, a cattle brand inspector. The sheriff is now a Latino, as is the female Undersheriff. PC at work, I guess, but that aside, I like them.
I haven't seen the books in several years. Need to Search for some. I hope he's still writing.
Victoria Houston's female police chief in small town Wisconsin is also good.
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da gimp
Member
I urge you guys to read any of the 6 different police or military novel series by W.E.B. Griffin, plus the slew of other books/novels he's written under pseudonyms. He is pro-American, & is both pro-US military & pro- police... but does show the warts/wrongs that can occur in both... His books are hard to put down when you start reading them... fairly large in size, nearly as large as a Tom Clancy ...and even more entertaining & faster reading... than a Clancy's & or Clive Custlers original novels.
ohioseabee
US Veteran
Gimp: I've read all of Griffin's books, and noted that the recurring theme of rich protagonists. Kinda boring disconcerting sometimes, but a good read nonetheless. My favorite series is the original "Brotherhood of War" which stretches from the closing days of WWII to the beginning of Vietnam.
I have always liked Charles Willeford's Hoke Mosely series, about a cynical Miami detective. Willeford had a knack for the viciously funny. Willeford's memoir, "Something About a Soldier", about his days in the army prior to WWII, is also well worth reading.
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da gimp
Member
Carl Hiaasen writes a good detective humorous novel too where good always triumphs over evil... he shows all the warts of Floridas various levels of society...
My favorite crime/detective books are by John Sandford. He has two main series, the "Prey" novels, with Lucas Davenport as the main character (25 books), and the Virgil Flowers series (8 books.) Both characters are Minneapolis police detectives, and then later agents for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A couple of the "Prey" novels were made into TV movies, and they were awful.
A couple of the "Prey" novels were made into TV movies, and they were awful.
Ah, Foyles War. An excellent series. Wife and l have all the seasons and are awaiting the new next season to hit Amazon. If you haven't seen it, recommend you watch a season; you'll be hooked.
Books
The Longmire books by Craig Johnson. Way better than the TV show.
The Longmire books by Craig Johnson. Way better than the TV show.
Inusuit
Member
Except he seems incapable of getting the guns right. I read his Cold Dish. The entire plot centers on the supposed rarity of .45-70 firearms. He ignores the fact that many current versions are available from a number of makers including a couple actually in Wyoming. Junk Yard Dogs is another that will lead knowledgeable gun people to fling it across the room. As a resident of Wyoming, I found the TV series disingenuous at best in its representation of the state and law enforcement.
Much better is anything by a Wyoming writer name C. J. Box. His series about a Wyoming Game Warden are very good, as are his others.
While he also occasionally gets the guns wrong, almost anything by James Lee Burke is excellent especially his Dave Robicheaux series. I just finished Rain Gods set in Texas and featuring an aging county sheriff. Very good.
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