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

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.

i couldn't wait to recieve this book and now that i have; i find it the most helpful book in my howto library. the terms are spelled out and the way criminals work their different crimes is spelled out, most times a detailed description is given. i find this most helpful in getting an insight into my criminals mind....and making it realistic. good work, Mauro V Corvasce and Joseph R Paglino. thanks for making this book available.
mary speranza (author of POOKIE) a murder story

I bought this book, and read it many weeks ago but forgot to write a review over. Honestly I enjoyed the book, and it was terrific entertainment for me the evening I read it in which I remember well.

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.

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.