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

Mauro V. Corvasce (Author), Joseph R. Paglino (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0898796490 | ISBN-13: 978-0898796490 | Publication Date: March 1995 | Edition: 1st

Writers will see how to create cunning criminals who still leave clues protagonists can follow. The authors explain how law-breakers perform the dirty deeds of murder--from contract killers to seemingly ordinary people--armed robbery, arson, smuggling, white collar crime, prostitution, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Betterway Books; 1st edition (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898796490
• ISBN-13: 978-0898796490
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,051,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very basic without good research into the subject matter, August 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Modus Operandi: A Writer's Guide to How Criminals Work (Howdunit) (Paperback)

This book was a surprise based on the excellence of the others in the Howdunit series. Usually these books provide well researched and accurate information for criminal fiction authors. This particular book, however, seems to focus only on what the author(s) were able to glean from other writing books, and contains many mis-statements and incorrect information. A far superior book in this series is Malicious Intent, which covers everything that Modus Operandi does, but in a clearer and more accurate form.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars CSI tells more, August 27, 2008

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Modus Operandi: A Writer's Guide to How Criminals Work (Howdunit) (Paperback)

This is a very basic book written by 2 detectives. It seems a bit dated to me (1995) and doesn't seem very writer-oriented either. While there is a wealth of material (from a detective's perspective), most of it was already known to me from watching TV & reading. While it could be used as a reference for writers, I don't think it would be much help in actually writing a mystery or detective novel or story. One would be better off IMHO reading some of the great mystery writers (e.g. Christie, Marsh) and current ones (e.g. Marcia Muller, Grafton). However, I did enjoy reading it--it's a very easy read.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference for Crime Writers, August 31, 2001

By 

Jamie R. Wilson (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Modus Operandi: A Writer's Guide to How Criminals Work (Howdunit) (Paperback)

Modus Operandi is a great reference book for writers who want to understand how criminals work. Written by two detectives who draw heavily on their experience the book is a packed with useful information ranging from con artists to murderers, carjackers to smugglers. What makes this book good is that it not only covers how the crimes are committed, but also the psychology behind the criminal, police slang and inside information. This is a definite "must have" reference for crime writers.