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The Procedural is all about the police work and stresses realism of action. An actual police department is used; however, all the personnel are fictional. Most of the novels in this genre are written in the third person but the tone of the book may not always be objective. Many writers of this genre are policemen (or women) or ex-policemen. The popularity of procedurals has been encouraged by its television equivalent, the police show. Ironically, the best procedurals minimize the police procedure and heighten suspense, character, and surprise–their writers try to write like novelists.
In 1956, Ed McBain began his long running 87th Precinct series (U.S), which placed the police procedural firmly on the map. In many ways, this genre is a sub-set of the police detective novel. It is an ensemble piece which brings in all of the skills and demands at a local police station or precinct rather than focusing on any one detective. However, the lone police detective that acts more like a private PI is also popular like P.D.James’ Adam Dagliesh who is rarely seen in a police station or with a partner.
British or English procedurals abound. Scotland Yard is a favorite setting; indeed, it should probably have its own category.
The following is a list of authors who fit into this category. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and please let us know if you feel that an author should be here. The titles in each series is given.
Catherine Aird
C.D.Sloane
Religious Body(1966)
Most Contagious Game (1967)
Stately Home Murder (1969)
A Late Phoenix (1970)
His Burial Too (1973)
Slight Mourning (1975)
Parting Breath(1978)
Some Die Eloquent (1979)
Passing Strange (1980)
Last Respects (1982)
Harm’s Way (1984)
Dead Liberty (1987)
Body Politic (1989)
A Going Concern (1994)
Injury Time (1995)
After Effects (1996)
Stiff News (1999)
Little Knell (2000)
Amendment of Life (2002)
Jeffrey Ashford
P.C.Ballard Michael Keene
Honest Betrayal (1999)
Murder Will Out (2000)
Jo Bannister
Frank Shapiro
Bleeding of Innocents (1993)
Charisma (1994)
Taste For Burning (1995)
No Birds Sing (1996)
Broken Lines (1998)
Hireling’s Tale (1999)
Changelings (2000)
Robert Barnard
Inspector Perry Trethowen/Detective Charlie Peace/Chief Inspector Meredith
Death By Sheer Torture (British: Sheer Torture) (1981)
Death and the Princess (1982)
Case of the Missing Bronte (British: Missing Bronte) (1983)
Bodies (W/Charlie Peace) (1986)
Cherry Blossom Corpse (W/Charlie Peace)(British: Death in Purple Prose) (1987)
Death and the Chaste Apprentice (1989)
Fatal Attachment (incl Oddie) (1992)
Hovering of Vultures (incl Oddie) (1993)
Bad Samaritan (incl Oddie) (1995)
At Death’s Door (1988)
Pauline Bell
Inspector Browne
Murder at St. Oswald’s (1991)
Stephen Booth
Ben Cooper
Black Dog (2000)
Dancing With the Virgins (2001)
Blood on the Tongue (2002)
Ken Bruen
James Roberts
The McDead (2000)
Burley, W(illiam) J(ohn)
Charles Wycliffe
Three-Toed Pussy (1968) Not in NOBLE.
To Kill a Cat (1970)
Guilt Edged (1971)
Death in a Salubrious Place (1973)
Death in Stanley Street (1974)
Wycliffe and the Pea-green Boat (1975)
Wycliffe and the Schoolgirls (1976)
Wycliffe and the Scapegoat (1978)
Wycliffe in Paul’s Court (1980)
Wycliffe’s Wild Goose Chase (1982)
Wycliffe and the Beales (1982)
Wycliffe and the Four Jacks (1985)
Wycliffe and the Quiet Virgin (1986)
Wycliffe and the Winsor Blue (1987)
Wycliffe and the Tangled Web (1989)
Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death (1990)
Wycliffe and the Dead Flautist (1991)
Wycliffe and the Last Rites (1993)
Wycliffe and the Dunes Mystery (1994) Not in NOBLE.
Wycliffe and the House of Fear (1996)
Wycliffe and the Redhead (1997)
Gwendoline Butler
John Coffin
Receipt for Murder 1st in series,(1956) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Dead in a Row 2nd in series,(1957) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Dull Dead 3rd in series,(1958) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Murdering Kind 4th in series,(1958) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
The Interloper 5th in series,(1959) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Death Lives Next Door (1960/1992)
Make Me a Murderer 7th in series,(1961) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin in Oxford 8th in series,(1962) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin for Baby 9th in series,(1963) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin Waiting 10th in series,(1964) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin in Malta (1964)
Nameless Coffin (1966)
Coffin Following 13th in series,(1968) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin’s Dark Number 14th in series,(1969) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin from the Past (1970)
Coffin for the Canary 16th in series,(1974) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Coffin on the Water (1986)
Coffin in Fashion (1987)
Coffin Underground (1988)
Coffin in the Museum of Crime (1990)
Coffin and the Paper Man (1990)
Coffin on Murder Street (1992)
Cracking Open a Coffin (1992)
Coffin for Charley (1994)
Coffin Tree (1996)
Dark Coffin (1996)
Double Coffin (1998)
Coffin’s Game (1999)
Grave Coffin (1999)
Coffin’s Ghost (2001)
Coffin Knows the Answer (2003)
Elizabeth Corley
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick
Fatal Legacy (2001)
Mat Coward
Detective Inspector Don Packham &Constable Frank Mitchell
Up and Down (2000)
In and Out (2001)
Deborah Crombie
Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James
A Share in Death (1993)
All Shall Be Well (1994)
Leave the Grave Green (1995)
Mourn Not Your Dead (1996)
Dreaming of the Bones (1997)
Kissed a Sad Goodbye (1999)
A Finer End (2001)
And Justice There Is None (2002)
Now May You Weep (2003)
Clare Curzon
Mike Yeadings
I Give You Five Days 1st in series, (1983) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Masks and Faces 2nd in series, (1984) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
The Trojan Hearse 3rd in series, (1985) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
The Quest for K 4th in series, (1986) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Three-core Lead (1988)
Cat’s Cradle (1991)
Blue-eyed Boy (1991)
First Wife, Twice Removed (1992)
Death Prone 9th in series, (1994) NOT IN NOBLE
Nice People (1995)
Past Mischief (1996)
Close Quarters (1997)
All Unwary (1998)
Cold Hands (1999)
Don’t Leave Me (2002)
The Body of a Woman (2003
Judith Cutler
Detective Sgt. Kate Power
Power on Her Own (1998/2003),
Freda Davies
Detective Inspector Keith Tyrell
A Fine and Private Place (2001)
Colin Dexter
Chief Inspector Morse
Last Bus to Woodstock (1975)
Last Seen Wearing (1976)
Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (1977)
Service of All the Dead (1979)
Dead of Jericho (1981)
Riddle of the Third Mile (1983)
Secret of Annexe 3 (19866)
Wench Is Dead (1989)
Jewel That Was Ours (1991)
Way Through the Woods (1992)
Daughters of Cain (1994)
Death is Now My Neighbor (1997)
Marjorie Eccles
Inspector Gil Mayo
More Deaths Than One (1990)
Late of This Parish (1994)
Death of Distinction (1995)
Company She Kept (1996)
Accidental Shroud (1997)
A Species of Revenge (1999)
Killing Me Softly (1999)
Superintendent’s Daughter (2000)
Sunset Touch (2002)
Untimely Graves (2004)
Kate Ellis
Police Sgt. Wesley Peterson
Merchant’s House (1999)
Armada Boy (1999)
An Unhallowed Grave (1999)
Funeral Boat (2000)
Bone Garden (2000)
Caroline Graham
Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby
Killings at Badger’s Drift (1987)
Death of a Hollow Man (1989)
Death in Disguise (1993)
Written in Blood (1995)
Faithful Unto Death (1998)
A Place of Safety (1999)
J(ames) M(ichael) Gregson
Detective Inspector Percy Peach & Detective Srg. Lucy Blake
Missing, Presumed Dead ?1st in series, (reissue 1997) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
To Kill a Wife (1999)
An Unsuitable Death (2000)
A Turbulent Priest (2000)
Lancashire Leopard (2001)
Murder at the Lodge (2003)
Patricia Hall
Chief Inspector Michael Thackeray
The Poison Pool (1991)
Death By Election (1994)
Dying Fall (1994)
Dead of Winter (1997)
Perils of the Night (1997)
Italian Girl (1998)
Dead on Arrival (1999)
Skeleton at the Feast (2002)
Deep Freeze (2003)
Death in Dark Waters (2004)
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Bill Slider
Orchestrated Death (1991)
Death Watch (1992)
Death To Go (1993)
Grave Music (1995)
Blood Lines (1996)
Killing Time (1998)
Shallow Grave (1999)
Blood Sinister (1999)
Gone Tomorrow (2001)
Roy Hart
Douglas Roper
Seascape With Dead Figures (1987)
Pretty Place for Murder (1987)
Fox in the Night (1989)
Remains to be Seen (1990)
Robbed Blind (1990)
Breach of Promise (1990)
Blood Kin (1992)
Final Appointment (1993)
Deadly Schedule (1994)
John Harvey
Charlie Resnick
Lonely Hearts (1989)
Rough Treatment (1990)
Cutting Edge (1991)
Off Minor (1992)
Wasted Years (1993)
Cold Light (1994)
Living Proof (1995)
Easy Meat (1996)
Still Waters (1997)
Last Rites (1998)
Mo Hayder
Detective Insp. Jack Caffrey
Birdman (1999)
The Treatment (2001)
Reginald Hill
Supt. Andrew Dalziel &Sgt. Peter Pascoe
A Clubbable Woman (1970)
An Advancement of Learning (1971)
Ruling Passion (1973)
An April Shroud (1975)
A Pinch of Snuff (1978)
A Killing Kindness (1980)
Deadheads (1983)
Exit Lines (1984)
Child’s Play (1987)
Underworld (1988)
Bones and Silence (1990)
One Small Step (Novella) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Recalled to Life (1992)
Pictures of Perfection (1994)
The Wood Beyond (1995)
Asking for the Moon (4 Short Stories) (1996)
On Beulah Height (1998)
Arms and the Women (1999)
Dialogues of the Dead; or Paronomania!: a word game for two players (2001)
Death’s Jest Book (2003)
Graham Ison
Chief Sup. John Gaffney/Det. Chief Insp. Harry Brock
Confirm or Deny (1989)
The Home Secretary Will See You Now (1989)
Working Girl (2002)
Bill James
Colin Harpur, DCS & Desmond Iles, DC
You’d Better Believe It (1985)
The Lolita Man (1986)
Halo Parade (1987)
Protection (1988)
Come Clean (1986)
Take (1990)
Club (1991)
Astride a Grave (1991)
Gospel (1992)
Roses, Roses (1993)
In Good Hands (1994)
The Detective is Dead (1995)
Top Banana (1996)
Panicking Ralph (1998, reissue 2001)
Lovely Mover (1998)
Eton Crop (1999)
Kill Me (2000)
Pay Days (2001)
Naked at the Window (2001)
P.D.James
Adam Dagliesh
Cover Her Face (1962)
Mind to Murder (1963)
Unnatural Causes (1967)
Shroud for a Nightingale (1971)
Black Tower (1975)
Death of an Expert Witness (1977)
Taste for Death (1986)
Devices and Desires (1989)
Original Sin (1995)
A Certain Justice (1997)
Death in Holy Orders (2001)
Murder Room (2003)
Katherine John
Sgt.Trevor Joseph
Six Foot Under (1996) NOT IN NOBLE|Out of Print
Murder of a Dead Man (1997)
H(enry) R(eymond) F(izwalter) Keating
Det. Chief Insp.Harriet Martens
The Hard Detective (2000)
Detective in Love (2001)
Detective Under Fire (2003)
Susan B. Kelly
Gregory Summers
Lone Traveller (2000)
Killing the Fatted Calf (2001)
Little Girl Lost (2002)
Michael Kenyon
DCI Henry Peckover & DC Jason Twitty
Elgar Variation (British: Zigzag) (1981).
Man At the Wheel (British: God Squad Bod) (1982).
Free-range Wife (1983).
A Healthy Way to Die (1986).
Peckover Holds the Baby (1988).
Kill the Butler! (1991).
Peckover Joins the Choir (1993).
Peckover and the Bog Man (1994).
Simon Kernick
Dennis Milne
Business of Dying (2002)
Gay Longworth
Det. Insp. Jesse Driver
Dead Alone (2002)
Peter Lovesey
Chief Sup. Peter Diamond
The Last Detective (1991).
Diamond Solitaire (1992).
Summons (1995).
Bloodhounds (1996).
Upon a Dark Night (1997).
The Vault! (2000).
Diamond Dust (2002).
House Sitter (2003).
Barry Maitland
Det. Sgt. Kathy Kolla & DCI David Brock
Marx Sisters (1994).
The Malcontenta (1995).
All My Enemies (1996) NOT IN NOBLE
The Chalon Heads (1999).
Silvermeadow (2000).
Babel (2003).
Max Marquis
DI Harry Timberlake
Undignified Death (1994)
Iain McDowall
DCI Jacobson & Det. Sgt. Kerr
A Study in Death (2000)
Jill McGown
DCI Lloyd & Officer Hill
Perfect Match (1983).
Gone to Her Death (1989).
Murders of Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Beale (1991).
Murder at the Old Vicarage (1991).
Other Woman (1992).
Murder–Now and Then (1993).
Shred of Evidence (1995).
Verdict Unsafe (1997).
Picture of Innocence (1997).
Plots and Errors (1999).
Scene of the Crime (2001) NOT IN NOBLE
Death in the Family (2003).
Jennie Melville
Det. Sup. Charmain Daniels
Making Good Blood (1989).
Witching Murder (1990).
Footsteps in the Blood (1993).
Dead Set (1993).
Whoever Has the Heart (1994).
A Death in the Family (1995) NOT IN NOBLE
Morbid Kitchen (1996).
Hugh Miller
Det. Insp. Mike Fletcher
An Echo of Justice (1990)
Skin Deep (1991) NOT IN NOBLE
Kay Mitchell
Chief Insp. John Morrisey
Lively Form of Death (1990).
In Stony Places (1992).
Roots of Evil (1993).
A Portion for Foxes (1995).
A Rage of Innocents (1998).
Stephen Murray
Det. Insp. Alec Stainton
Noose of Time (1989)
Janet Neel
DCI John McLeish & Francesca Wilson
Death’s Bright Angel (1988).
Death on Site (1998).
Death of a Partner (1991).
Death Among the Dons (1993).
Timely Death (1996).
To Die For (1998).
O Gentle Death (2001).
Frank Palmer
Det. Insp. Jacko Jackson
Testimony (1992).
Unfit to Plead (1993).
Bent Grasses (1993).
Blood Brother (1993).
Nightwatch (1994).
China Hand (1994) NOT IN NOBLE
Double Exposure (1995) NOT IN NOBLE
Dead Man’s Handle (1995) NOT IN NOBLE
Ann Quinton
Michael Croft & Nick Holroyd
Mortal Coil (1998)
Put Out the Light (2000)
Bought With Blood (2001) NOT IN NOBLE
Ian Rankin
Det. Sgt. John Rebus
Knots and Crosses (1987)
Hide and Seek (1991)
Tooth and Nail (British: Wolfman) (1992)
Strip Jack (1992)
A Good Hanging: Short Stories (1992)
Black Book (1993)
Mortal Causes (1994)
Let It Bleed (1995)
Black and Blue (1997)
Hanging Garden (1998)
Death is Not the End (1998)
Dead Souls (1999)
Set in Darkness (2000)
The Falls (2001)
Resurrection Men (2002)
Question of Blood (2003)
Fleshmarket Alley (2005)
The Naming of the Dead (2007)
Exit Music (2008)
Ruth Rendell
Chief Insp. Reginald Wexford
From Doon with Death (1964)
New Lease of Death (1967)
Sins of the Fathers (1970)
Wolf to Slaughter (1967)
Best Man to Die (1969)
A Guilty Thing Surprised (1970)
No More Dying Then (1971)
Murder Being Once Done (1972)
Some Lie and Some Die (1973)
Shake Hands Forever (1975)
Sleeping Life (1978)
Death Notes (British: Put on By Cunning) (1981)
Speaker of Mandarin (1983)
Unkindness of Ravens (1985)
Veiled One (1988)
Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter (1992)
Simisola (1994)
Road Rage (1997)
Harm Done (1999)
Babes in the Wood (2002)
Peter Robinson
DCI Alan Banks
Gallows View (1987)
A Dedicated Man(1988)
A Necessary End (1989)
Hanging Valley (1989)
Past Reason Hated (1991)
Wednesday’s Child (1992)
Final Account (1994)
Innocent Graves (1996)
Dead Right (1997) NOT IN NOBLE
Blood at the Root (1997)
In a Dry Season (1999)
Cold in the Grave (2000)
Aftermath (2001)
Close to Home (2001)
Playing with Fire (2004)
Jonathan Ross (John Rossiter)
Det. Supr. George Rogers
Blood Running Cold (1968)
Diminished By Death (1968) NOT IN NOBLE
Dead at First Hand (1969) NOT IN NOBLE
Deadliest Thing You Ever Saw (1969) NOT IN NOBLE
Here Lies Nancy Frail (1972)
Burning of Billy Toober(1974) NOT IN NOBLE
I Know What It’s Like to Die (1976) NOT IN NOBLE
Rattling of Old Bones (1979)
Dark Blue and Dangerous (1981)
Death’s Head (1982)
Dead Eye (1983)
Drop Dead (1984) NOT IN NOBLE
Burial Deferred (1985)
Fate Accomplished (1987)
Sudden Departures (1988)
A Time for Dying (1989)
Daphne Dead and Done For (1990)
Murder Be Hanged (1992) NOT IN NOBLE
None the Worse for a Hanging (British: Body of a Woman) (1994)
Murder! Murder! Burning Bright (1996) NOT IN NOBLE
Jack S. Scott
DCI Pete Parsons & Sgt. Wimbush/DCI Alfred Stanley Rosher
A Time of Fine Weather (1985)
A Little Darling, Dead (1986)
All the Pretty People (1984)
A Death in Irish Town (1985)
A Knife Between the Ribs (1987)
Dorothy Simpson
Insp. Luke Thanet
Night She Died (1981)
Six Feet Under (1982)
Puppet for a Corpse (1983)
Close Her Eyes (1984)
Last Seen Alive (1985)
Dead on Arrival (1986)
Element of Doubt (1987)
Suspicious Death (1988)
Dead By Morning (1989)
Doomed to Die (1991)
Wake the Dead (1992)
No Laughing Matter (1993)
Day for Dying (1995)
Once Too Often (1998)
Dead and Gone (1999)
Frank A. Smith
DCI Neil Paget
Fatal Flaw (1996)
Stone Dead (1998)
Candles for the Dead (1999)
Thread of Evidence (2001)
Acts of Vengeance (2003)
Sally Spencer
DCI Charlie Woodward
Death of a Cave Dweller (2000)
Rebecca Tope
Den Cooper
A Dirty Death (2000)
Death of a Friend (2000) NOT IN NOBLE
A Death to Record (2003)
Peter Turnbull
Chief Insp. Hennessey & Sgt. Yellich
Fear of Drowning (1999)
Deathtrap (2000)
Perils and Dangers (2001)
The Return (2001)
After the Flood (2002)
Dark Secrets (2003)
All Roads Leadeth (2003)
John W. Wainwright
DCI Lyle
Brainwash (1979)
Duty Elsewhere (1980)
Dominoes (1980)
A Very Parochial Murder (1988)
Man Who Wasn’t There (1989)
Hangman’s Lane (1992)
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