police procedural

Definitions

A subgenre of crime fiction which portrays the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. Unlike in other types of crime fiction, the perpetrator may be known at the outset of the story.

Equivalents

Examples

“But sometimes, what a devoted crime reader wants isn’t anything too fancy. Sometimes, what we want⟳ is a good, solid police procedural, preferably set⟳ somewhere interesting, preferably with a troubled, renegade investigator who refuses to listen⟳ when their boss tells them to leave⟳ an avenue of investigation alone.”

“Seeming “real” has been the aim since the earliest police procedurals, which began a long tradition of Hollywood productions acting as a mouthpiece for police departments.”

CEFR level