This book explains, for mystery and crime writers, how a wide range of criminals operate and how investigators catch them. Topics covered include murder, arson, armed robbery, safecracking, forgery and fencing, smuggling, con artists, white collar crime and money laundering, carjacking and auto theft, prostitution, kidnapping, shoplifting, and other common criminal methods. The tone is practical and procedural, written by experienced detectives to help writers make fictional crimes believable and provide realistic investigative detail. / The book is a handbook for crime and detective writers. Two experienced detectives describe the practical methods and motives of various types of criminals and the techniques used by police and investigators to encounter them. By thematic category (murder, arson, robbery, forgery, fraud, smuggling, burglary and safecracking, money laundering, etc.), the book explains typical steps, tools used, leads, and common mistakes made by perpetrators, as well as pointers on how an author can incorporate plausible clues and deceptions into a plot. The text also includes an index and reference materials and is intended to make fiction realistic and believable.