To write a credible police story, writers need to know how police investigations really work. This 2007 addition to the Howdunit series, Police Procedure & Investigation, by former detective Lee Lofland, gives the lowdown on how police work, and was just recognized as a Macavity nominee for Best Nonfiction in 2007.

Other nominees in this category include:

• Rough Guide to Crime Fiction by Barry Forshaw (Penguin Rough Guides)
• Chester Gould: A Daughter's Biography of the Creator of Dick Tracy by Jean Gould O'Connell (McFarland & Company)
• Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters, edited by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower & Charles Foley (HarperPress/Penguin)
• The Essential Mystery Lists: For Readers, Collectors, and Librarians, compiled and edited by Roger Sobin (Poisoned Pen Press)

The Macavity Award is named for the mystery cat of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats). Each year the members of Mystery Readers International nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories. Click here to visit their online announcement and see nominees across all categories. The awards will be presented during opening ceremonies at Bouchercon in Baltimore in October 2008.

Click here to read an excerpt from Police Procedure & Investigation.