For today's #TuesdayTip, I want to look at the topic of sentencing.
Caveat: I am NOT a legal expert, so bear that in mind when reading the following.
For the vast majority of crime novels, the culprit is caught and convicted, and sent to jail. In the UK, if they committed murder, they will have received a mandatory life sentence. Generally speaking, that's about as much detail as the writer will include.
But sometimes you want more. Perhaps you'd like to state how long your antagonist will go to jail for? Perhaps they previously served time in jail and had been released - in which case what were they in for, and how long did they serve? Were they released on licence or is their original sentence spent? A mandatory life sentence comes with a minimum tariff to be served before they can be considered for parole. How is that decided?
Needless to say, determining a sentence is a complex and controversial process. Most writers have limited legal expertise, but want their stories to ring true. So how can you find out what is an appropriate sentence for your character?
The Basics:

• All jurisdictions have their own rules and often their own terminology.

In the UK, England & Wales follow the same guidelines, whilst Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legal systems. So first of all, ensure that you understand the requirements of your jurisdiction (Scotland differs from England & Wales for example by having a fifteen person jury, rather than twelve, and the prosecutor is the Procurator Fiscal, rather than the Crown Prosecution Service).

• If you are writing a book set in the US, the law is a patchwork quilt of Federal (country-wide), State and even county. You will need to figure out whose jurisdiction your offender falls under (a combination of location and type of offence).

​The law and sentencing guidelines change and evolve - make sure you consider the time in which your story is set.
For the purposes of this article, I am going to stick with what I know best, modern-day England & Wales.

• First, check if your crime would be dealt with by a Magistrate Court or a Crown Court.
• As a rule of thumb, Magistrates deal with offences that would ordinarily be dealt with by fines, community service or short custodial sentences. There is no jury. They will also determine if the accused should be committed for a jury trial in the Crown Court. This link to the Sentencing Council lists the sort of offences that a magistrate may deal with.

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/

• Some charges carry potential sentences that are outside the remit of the magistrates court and so should be committed to a jury trial in a crown court. Other offences can be triable either way - in other words the magistrate can either deal with it or send to the crown court. This link to the Sentencing Council lists the sort of offences that a crown court may deal with.

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/crown-court/
Notice that the list of offences is very similar, reflecting how many crimes are triable either way, depending on the circumstances and severity. However, there are some obvious differences: Attempted murder is only dealt with by the crown court, for example.
OK, so what now?
As a writer, you probably want a sentence that is broadly plausible and ideally fits the needs of your story (somebody convicted of murder isn't going to be back on the street in six years unless their conviction is quashed. You need to either change the timelines in your story, or consider having them convicted of manslaughter or wounding with intent).
You basically have three options:
1) contact a solicitor or relevant legal professional and ask them how long they think your character would get (or work backwards - I want my character to go to prison for this long, what aggravating or mitigating circumstances would mean that length of sentence is plausible?). There are some Facebook groups where there may be experts willing to advise writers - just remember to specify where and when it is set and also read the answers carefully. Despite clearly stating your book is set in the UK, a lot of Americans will still chip in and recommend the death penalty, then start waffling on about plea deals and other such nonsense.
2) Search the internet for similar cases (check the dates, in case the law has changed since the real-life offence was committed) and see what sort of sentence was handed down. Assuming that there are no unusual aggravating or mitigating circumstances, you can probably just have your fictional character receive a similar sentence.
3) Look up the range of sentencing options on the Sentencing Council Website.
Despite what the tabloids would have you believe, judges actually follow a strict set of guidelines. Obviously, it requires an experienced judge to evaluate each case on its individual merits, but it will give a set of principles for them to follow.
Basically, each crime would have a 'starting point'.

• From there the judge must consider aggravating factors (things that increase the severity of the crime and thus the sentence) and mitigating circumstances (things that may decrease the severity of the crime and therefore the sentence). You sometimes hear about defence teams giving pleas in mitigation, which is their professional duty (however they or society may feel about the person and/or crime).
• Offenders are also given credit for a guilty plea, on a sliding scale, with a hefty reduction for admitting it at the first opportunity, to a lesser reduction for pleading guilty at the last moment (perhaps after the trial has already started).
• Time spent remanded in custody awaiting their trial (time spent) should also be considered.
• Should multiple sentences be served concurrently (at the same time) or consecutively (one after another)? This is another complex subject, but the principles are here https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/overarching-guides/crown-court/item/totality/

What about release?
First of all, prisoners must serve their whole sentence. However, they don't have to spend it all in prison. Typically, unless the judge has specified a minimum tariff (as in a life sentence), the prisoner is eligible for release halfway through. Then they will be released on licence to serve the remainder of the sentence in the community. The licence comes with rules, and if they breach those rules they will be recalled to prison, to potentially serve the remainder of their original sentence behind bars.
Life Sentences - an exception to the above.
Life sentences are mandatory for those convicted of murder, and can be given in some other extremely serious situations, such as rape or terrorism offences, if the judge feels it is justified.
Life sentences are slightly different to other offences. In these cases, the sentence lasts for the rest of the prisoner's life. However, unlike other offences, where the prisoner is automatically released at the half-way point, the judge will set a minimum tariff that must be served behind bars before the prisoner can be considered for release by the parole board. If they are successful (and many aren't on their first attempt) they will be released under strict licencing conditions, which they have to follow for the rest of their life. They can be recalled to prison to serve more time if they breach those conditions. The sentencing act 2020 lays out the guidelines in legislation here:  
In exceptional circumstances, a judge can specify a whole-life tariff, where the prisoner will never be released. There are only 60 or so prisoners currently serving those sentences. You can probably guess which scumbags they are.
What are your thoughts on accuracy regarding sentencing in fiction? Do you know of any clearer websites that break down the guidelines further?
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time, all the best, Paul.
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

Today's Tuesday Tip is another TV review. This time it's The Force: Manchester.
There have been several seasons of this fly-on-the-wall policing documentary, dating back to 2015. We have been watching it weekly in repeats on the Pick TV channel, however it is available across several different streaming platforms.
Previously I have reviewed 24 Hours in Police Custody (Tip#129), an occasional series which looks at an individual investigation from 999 call to trial. I then reviewed Night Coppers (Tip#145) which focuses on response police officers doing the night shift in Brighton.
The Force: Manchester again deals with uniformed response officers, but covers day and night shifts across Greater Manchester. Like Night Coppers, this is less about the investigation, more the day-to-day policing and the incidents that police are called to. There is a good mix of roads policing, drugs raids, mass disturbances (including policing volatile football matches), dog searches and domestic disputes.
As always, there is good entertainment to be had in some of the bizarre interactions officers deal with, as well as scenes that will make you feel anger or despair. As a writer, it is again full of useful nuggets of information and little details. What I really like though, is the candid nature of the officers when talking to the camera. One particular roads policing officer is very open about his thoughts regarding bad and dangerous driving. Other officers are openly exasperated at the time wasted by domestic disputes (note: I'm not talking about domestic violence - rather 'my neighbour keeps on moving my wheelie bin' etc). As more than one officer observed, there are too many people who are incapable of resolving disagreements in an adult fashion and automatically call the police.
The show is several years old now, so one can only assume that the ongoing budget cuts have made things even worse, especially with the Covid crisis.


Definitely one worth watching.
Have you watched any decent documentaries or fly-on-the-wall series that you would recommend?
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time.
Paul
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

Today's Tuesday Tip is another TV review. This time it's the three-part documentary Gaia: A Death On Dancing Ledge.
The programme is available on the BBC iPlayer.
The documentary, presented by Zara McDermott, explores the mysterious disappearance of nineteen-year-old Gaia Pope-Sutherland.

Many of the documentaries I recommend delve into the mechanics of investigating serious crime, such as police procedure and forensics. This one is a little different. As writers of crime fiction, we often portray ultimately successful police investigations. Also, we can sometimes skirt over the victims' stories to focus on the detectives. This series redresses that balance, somewhat.

In a nutshell, Gaia went missing from Swanage, Dorset in November 2017. She was missing for eleven days, before being found dead. The initial police investigation was described as 'amateurish' in that the officers handling the initial report incorrectly categorised her as low-risk, rather than high-risk, perhaps leading to her unnecessary death. During the search, three individuals were arrested on suspicion of murder, although they were subsequently released without charge and Gaia's death ruled non-suspicious.

That in itself is an interesting story. But the backstory leading up to these tragic events is a convoluted, dark and heart-breaking tale. Gaia's family and friends are at the heart of this story and McDermott is an engaging and sensitive presenter. She delves deep into the circumstances surrounding Gaia's disappearance and death, and goes to some very dark places, unearthing an online culture of abuse and toxic masculinity.

I recommend this documentary as a reminder that the police don't always get it right, and that behind even a seemingly accidental death, there is often a complex and upsetting story.

Did you see the programme? What did you think? Have you any other recommended shows?
Feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time.
Paul
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

This week's #TuesdayTip is a recommended watch. Code Blue: The Killing of June Fox-Roberts, available free on ITVX in the UK.
https://www.itv.com/watch/code-blue-the-killing-of-june-fox-roberts/2a5302
I'm recommending this two-part documentary because not only is a fascinating fly-on-the-wall documentary following a horrific and tragic murder investigation, but because it shows the police investigation beyond just the usual 'forensics and following leads' that we see in many of these shows.
I'm not going to give away too many details, in case you are unfamiliar with the investigation and want to follow it through to the end. But in summary, June Fox-Roberts, a 65-year-old grandmother, was found by her daughter dead in her home near Pontypridd, South Wales in November 2021. She had been dismembered and beheaded with an axe and an attempt had been made to clean up the scene. Her limbs and head were missing.
The documentary follows the police from the very start of the investigation, and includes lengthy interviews with June's family as they come to terms with the horrific circumstances of the killing. As a writer of crime fiction, I found it a useful reminder of the human cost behind such crimes. The investigation itself was pretty standard fare; it yielded little in the way of new procedural details for me to incorporate into future books, although others may find it more useful. That being said, if you are looking to build a realistic investigative team for your books, the various job titles for the different specialists are worth noting and it was interesting to see the meetings between detectives and forensic and search experts as they formulated their strategies before commencing their tasks. All too often in fiction you could be forgiven for believing that a body is found and within half-an-hour, the paper-suit brigade are traipsing around the crime scene hunting for clues.
You might not want to incorporate all the details of these meetings in your book, but references to them taking place adds authenticity. Since this occurred in November 2021, there were some interesting clues as to how the police, like the rest of society, were learning to live with covid; some officers were without masks, whilst others clearly felt more comfortable with them.
Most of all, the candid interviews with family and police gave me insight into the impact on all concerned. It was clear to see that for many of the officers involved, the scene that greeted them was something they could never unsee. June's daughter, who found the body, was clearly still in shock months later. She admitted that she hadn't really started grieving properly. June's other daughter had to endure cruel speculation on social media that she was the culprit and her interview was heart-rending.
As crime writers, it is important not to forget that there is a human story behind the crimes we portray. And that everyone involved, whether it be the victim, their loved-ones or the professionals that deal with the crime, will be impacted in some way.
Did you see the programme? What did you think? Have you any other recommended shows?
Feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time.
Paul
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

Today's #TuesdayTip looks at the way in which a whodunnit narrows down the field of suspects until only one or two remain, before the big reveal identifies the culprit. In many ways, this goes hand-in-hand with the setting of Red Herrings #TuesdayTips153.
There are lots of different ways to do this, and a full-length novel will often (but not always) have more than a short story. But here is a commonly-used structure for many novels.
Opening: The crime occurs.
First section: One or more viable suspects are introduced.
Second section: More suspects are introduced. Some of the earlier suspects are ruled out. Perhaps try and keep one of the early suspects in the game here (it could be the culprit or a Red Herring). This can help fixate readers and characters on one person, who with a few twists and turns either makes it to the end and is revealed as the killer, or is eventually dismissed.
Third section: More of the suspects are eliminated, but there is still more than one possibility.
The second and third sections can be repeated more than once, if you want a longer, more twisty tale.
Fourth section: Now you really need to start working on the remaining suspects. Do you eliminate them gradually, narrowing the field, or keep them all in the game until the very end?
Denouement: Finally, all the evidence is pointing to the culprit(s) and there is the big reveal.

But this isn't the only way to structure a novel, and there are plenty of alternate structures.
Here are a few more popular formats:
Lots of initial suspects introduced simultaneously, before being whittled down to one.
Popular with 'stuck on an island with the killer' thrillers or similar. There are countless examples of this, especially in Golden Age fiction. A typical scenario might be a deserted mansion with an eclectic bunch of guests (each with their own secrets and agendas). Someone is murdered. We know that the killer has to be one of these guests. Over the course of the book, each of the guests is eliminated (either through evidence or by becoming the next victim). Eventually, there are just a couple left, and finally the culprit is revealed. A variant might be that there is more than one killer.
Two suspects - each remains viable until the final reveal (although the reader might alternate between who they think it is). This structure lends itself really well to psychological thrillers or unreliable narrators. Someone is telling the truth (or at least a partial truth), whilst the other is lying (again with some partial truths mixed in). Ideally, the reader (and other characters) will find themselves switching between who they believe. Given that the odds of guessing the culprit from the outset is 50/50, the goal is to have the reader change their mind repeatedly (see TuesdayTip151 for why readers guessing who did it halfway through isn't a disaster).
Everyone is guilty - for obvious reasons I won't be naming any particular stories here, but suffice to say there are some extremely good examples where it turns out that multiple characters played their part in the crime. The trick here is to falsely eliminate some of those characters early on, so that the reader doesn't guess where you are leading.
The late entrant - this is a very dangerous approach that risks alienating readers and leaving them feeling short-changed. As mentioned before in Tip151, it is largely accepted that all the suspects should be present in the story early on, so that readers have a sporting chance of working out who did it. Suddenly revealing at the end that the culprit was someone that hasn't featured at all is a bad idea. My advice would be to either steer clear of this entirely, or if you must, perhaps introduce them in a very minor role early on (eg a faceless delivery driver scoping out the scene before they commit the crime, or an unknown face at the victim's funeral); easily forgotten by the reader, but still there. But treat this with caution (and I recommend testing this with honest and open beta readers to see if they think you've played fair).


Are there any other story structures that I haven't included here? As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until we meet again, Paul.
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

In last week's #TuesdayTip (Tip149) I discussed how it is important to make your procedure authentic, rather than realistic; to craft a compelling story without burdening your readers with too much detail. This week I want to look at a related idea - how to get away with using artistic licence.
It's something that we all struggle with. Artistic licence is the need to 'break the rules' to create a compelling story. We often see this in police procedurals. An admittedly unscientific survey I conducted of the books on my bookshelf, reveals that the main character in most of these books (especially those in a series) is usually an implausibly high rank. A Detective Chief Inspector or Detective Inspector, or even a Superintendent. This dogged individual will visit crime scenes, interview witnesses and suspects, chase bad guys and even perform the arrest at the end. My own series of books centre around DCI Warren Jones, who does all of the above.
Unfortunately, in real-life this is far from what really happens. In the UK, inspector ranks and above are largely office-based. They are likely to be the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) in charge of a major investigation, but it is an organisational role. They direct the case, but the legwork is usually carried out by detective constables or detective sergeants. Interviewing is a highly specialised role these days, conducted by interview specialists, which are almost exclusively DCs and sometimes DSs. SIOs will often visit a crime scene, but they are usually being shown around by other experts who have already been on site for some time. And they certainly don't go running after suspects and arrest them.
But for narrative purposes, a DI or DCI is an extremely useful rank. The implied level of seniority means that they can plausibly decide how the case is going to be solved, with a team below them to carry out the work, whilst still having to answer to those above them (a great source of narrative conflict). In theory, they see all the evidence and can piece together all the pieces to 'solve the case'. That's not how it works in real-life. In reality it is far more of a team effort, but for the purposes of story-telling readers (and viewers) need a 'hero' they can focus on.


I came up against another instance of reality getting in the way of my story very early in the series. My books are set in a fictional north-Hertfordshire town called Middlesbury, but Warren and his team are officers in the very real Hertfordshire Constabulary. About halfway through writing book one, The Last Straw I was doing some research and realised to my horror that ALL major crime in Hertfordshire and the adjoining counties of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire is investigated in one big building in Welwyn Garden City run by the three constabularies to increase efficiency and save costs. I had already set up the team structure as described above, with Middlesbury CID consisting of a Detective Superintendent in overall charge, my hero DCI Warren Jones as SIO and then a small team of officers below him. This places Warren in the centre, and limits the number of major characters that readers need to get to know. It also allows those characters to remain consistent from book to book, rather than each investigation being staffed by a different selection of officers assigned from a pool (conveniently, none of my main characters are on annual leave when each year's murder happens!).


As a writer, I therefore had two choices. Either ignore reality and hope my readers will forgive me because it's a cracking story. Or address it head-on. In my series, I decided to address it head on. I explain that Middlesbury CID (which is geographically quite distant from Welwyn Garden City and semi-rural) is a unique 'first response CID unit'. Middlesbury deals with major crime in the local area and recruits additional officers as needed from Welwyn. This is a complete fiction, as far as I am aware.
This set-up also helped me address the other big use of artistic licence; DCI Jones being the heart of the action. I've made it a bit of an in-joke, with Warren being acknowledged as probably the only officer of his rank who still interviews suspects and visits crime scenes (some of his peers are jealous that he gets to poke around crime scenes whilst they are stuck in budget meetings). Narratively, it also means that Middlesbury and Warren are always under pressure to justify their unique (and costly) status.
Touch wood, my readers seem happy to accept this and I have had few, if any criticisms. I've even had the odd retired police officer comment that 'it sounds like something we might do'.
So my advice is this:
If you are going to use artistic licence to break the rules, first know the rules so you can break them effectively. Then decide whether you are going to ignore this on the grounds "it's fiction, innit?" or if you are going to explain it away.
Lee Child once said that readers will forgive one big instance of implausibility. He was specifically referring to the fact that about once a year, Jack Reacher will wander into a small American town where there is a problem bubbling beneath the surface, which he will then fix in his own unique way (spoiler alert: there will be violence and mayhem and the evildoers will usually end up buried in the ground, before Reacher moves on, never to be seen again until it's time for the next book).
So, decide what your instances of implausibility are and decide whether you are going to keep them or fix them. And if you keep them, whether or not to address them head on.
Do you have examples of artistic licence? How do you think they should be dealt with?
As always feel free to comment here or on social media.
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.
Until next time,
Paul 

With a bumper crop of bank holiday's coming up, you have a choice to make: Mow the lawn or sit on your bum and binge-watch boxsets (not during the coronation, obviously, that would probably be treason). Assuming you choose the latter, this week's #TuesdayTip is another TV recommendation.
In Tip129 I reviewed the fantastic 24 Hours in Police Custody. Channel 4's incredible documentary series that follows the investigation of a major crime from the 999 call to the outcome of the court case.
Night Coppers looks at the other side of policing. This time, Channel 4 are following the uniformed response officers who are policing Brighton's nightlife. Unlike 24 Hours in Police Custody, this isn't about investigative techniques. It won't directly help you craft your detectives. However, policing is a collaborative effort and all detectives came originally from the street, so it's important not to neglect or dismiss your non-detective characters as faceless 'uniformed officers'.


The series largely showcases the challenges of policing drunks in a city renowned for its nightlife (my wife and I refer to it as 'Brighton's Biggest Bell-ends', given some of the idiots that these poor officers find themselves dealing with). However they also get called out to crimes in progress, and are the first on scene at serious incidents that may require detectives at a later date.
For me, the show is full of little nuggets of detail. From the way the officers address each other and chat, to the equipment they have on their belts and the strategies they deploy to de-escalate a situation and hopefully avoid the need to arrest. The show can be extremely funny at times, with some of the officers genuinely witty. Other times we see the grind of the job and the toll of years of chronic under-investment by the government, not only in the police, but other key services.
They say that the police are the service that 'can't say no'. The officers find themselves dealing with the fallout from a failing mental health service and the people they meet are a mixture of the mad, the bad and sometimes just sad.
It's well worth a watch.
Select episodes are available for streaming on the All4 service from Channel 4.
Visit https://www.channel4.com/programmes/night-coppers for details.
What do you think? Do you have any recommendations for shows that are worth watching for crime writers?
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.
Until next time,
Paul 

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Today's #TuesdayTip is another book review. This time it's the brilliant "The Real CSI. A Forensic Handbook For Crime Writers", by Kate Bendelow.
Bendelow has the unusual distinction of not only being a currently serving forensic scientist with Greater Manchester Police, but she is also the author of two novels featuring CSI Maya Barton. Because of this, the handbook is very much geared towards writers.

I was really impressed with this book. Although it has been around for a few years (2017), it's still going to be pretty much up-to-date for a few more years yet, and of course a lot of things don't change. These sort of books tend to fall into two categories - what I call 'dippy books', where you dip into or out of them using the extensive index to find the specific topic you want to read about, and 'cover to cover' books, where you sit down with a cuppa and read from the beginning to the end.

Unusually this book is both. The first chapter, 'A day in the life of a real CSI' is a chapter to be read in one sitting. As are the next couple, 'Dealing with death' and 'Crime scene preservation'. After then, the book is divided into more broad chapters with lots of subsections, such as Fingerprints, DNA, Footwear, Trace evidence, Fire scenes, Drugs and toxicology, and Firearms. You can either read the whole chapter, or home in on a subsection, such as "issues affecting fingerprint quality".

​The science is well written and detailed and aimed broadly at a general audience. Those who haven't studied science since they were at school may find themselves Googling the odd term that they aren't familiar with or accessing the glossary at the end, but generally speaking it's pretty accessible.
Another advantage that this book has over some in the field, is that Bendelow is still working as a CSI, rather than looking back on a career or observing from afar. This is real boots-on-the-ground stuff and helps dispel the myths as portrayed on TV or in fiction. Obviously, as writers we are more concerned with telling a story than 100% accuracy, but it's always best to learn what the rules are before you decide to break them.

One of the things I like about this book is that the writing is very personable, with plenty of examples of true life cases. Both infamous tales that you may have heard of, and those that Bendelow has encountered personally in her day job. What demonstrates that Bendelow is herself a writer, is that almost every section ends with thoughts about how a writer could use what she has just described or things to be careful of.

Overall, I was very impressed and very much recommend it to both writers and those who just want to know a bit more. And to quote the wonderful Lynda La Plante 'Every crime writer should have a copy of this book on their desk.' Who am I to disagree?

If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me.

Until next time,
All the best,
Paul

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Welcome back, and a Happy New Year! This week's #TuesdayTip is a review of a fantastic book I received for Christmas.
Murder Investigation Team - How Killers Are Really Caught - is a brilliant account from recently retired Scotland Yard detective inspector Steven Keogh.
Released in 2022 (and containing data up to March 31st 2020 when things changed somewhat!), this is an in-depth insight into the process of solving murders and taking them to trial.
Although it deals specifically with the Metropolitan (London) Police Service, who divide Greater London into autonomous Murder Investigation Teams (MITs) and thus might be operationally slightly different to the way other police forces deal with such crimes, most of it is generally applicable to other forces in England and Wales.


Unlike some books, which are more like reference guides designed to be dipped into and out of, this can be read cover to cover (which I did over three days). I was really impressed with it, and heartily recommend it to authors writing British Police Procedurals, and non-writers who want to learn more about what really goes on. Keogh's writing style is both personal and personable and very accessible, without feeling patronising for those with previous knowledge. It feels almost as if he has been invited to give a lengthy talk to a room full of interested laypeople. And I mean that as a compliment and endorsement.

Divided into chapters, he first takes us through some of the technicalities of what is murder, how it differs from manslaughter and some of the potential defences or partial defences (ie when you would push for a murder prosecution, when you might decide no offence has been committed, and why a person might be convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder). He also describes the structure of an MIT (it might be subtly different in other forces) and the roles of individuals.

The remainder of the book is broadly chronological, dealing first with the crime scene(s). This includes forensics and what they are specifically looking for. Of particular note is the section on phone data. Keogh is fascinated by this and voluntarily took on this role in many investigations, so he has real expertise.
The next chapter is the longest and concerns the investigation itself, but is sub-divided. He looks at investigative thinking, lines of investigation and the arrest and interview of suspects. In this subsection, he describes how modern interviews are conducted. There is then a section where he answers some of the questions that people regularly ask.
Finally, there is a chapter describing a trial and the aftermath.

Throughout the book, he illustrates his points with anonymised case files. As a mark of respect, he doesn't name any victims or suspects, although afficionados of true crime will probably recognise some of the more well-publicised cases. He also has regular "Myth Busters" and "Did You Know?" facts. All crime fiction writers accept that the relating of an investigation in exacting detail would be rather less exciting than they hope for, but I'm a firm believer in the adage that to break the rules, you need to know the rules first. Knowing how your book needs to differ from real life for dramatic purposes can help you choose what liberties to take, whilst minimising the gnashing of teeth (and smart-arse Amazon reviews) of the armchair detective.

The book is refreshingly honest. Keogh is not afraid to admit to mistakes that he and his team have made, and the learning that came from them, and whilst the book is understandably very pro-police, he admits to failings. He is also quite happy to point the finger where necessary at the impact of government cuts, the sometimes cut-throat and often underhand or callous tactics of defence barristers, and the sometimes inexplicable decisions made by juries. Throughout it, he is clearly in awe of the dignity shown by victims' loved-ones.

My wife, who is not a writer, commented that she is looking forward to reading it next because it looks really interesting. I think she'll thoroughly enjoy it, and so will you.

Steven Keogh runs The Murder Academy website that looks at True Crime and the solving of crimes.

For today's #TuesdayTip, I have chosen to review a TV documentary series that I highly recommend for those seeking an authentic insight into UK policing.
If true crime is what you are after for your TV viewing, there is no shortage of programmes to choose from. There are whole channels that are devoted to it. But the quality varies enormously, from the down-right sensationalist to the truly insightful. Unfortunately, you can't always be certain what you are tuning into. Some of the US series in particular are quite bad.
Furthermore, police procedure varies enormously between the US and the UK, so if you are looking to write a UK police procedural they are of limited use. That's not to say they should be dismissed out of hand; I've certainly found inspiration for plot ideas over the years.
However, if you want an authentic UK-based series (specifically England and Wales - Scotland and Northern Ireland have slightly different justice systems), I heartily recommend 24 Hours In Police Custody. Aired on Channel 4 in the UK, many (but strangely not all) programmes are archived on the free All 4 streaming service.

The name of the show is something of a misnomer, and is why I was rather late to the party, only finding it during lockdown. It conjures up images of fly-on-wall scenes from cameras above the custody desk as an endless parade of drunken idiots are booked into the cells for the night - think Big Brother, but everyone is wearing a grey tracksuit. However it is far from that.
Based primarily in Luton, it follows detectives from Bedfordshire police as they solve serious crimes. Camera crews follow them from the initial 999 call right through the investigative process, including interviews with witnesses and suspects, candid discussions with the detectives and specialists involved, and occasionally victims' loved-ones. Forensic specialists are shown going about their business and if necessary, the science explained. Sometimes body-worn camera footage is also shown. My wife and I sometimes joke that you can guess who is guilty, as they are the only person who hasn't had their face pixelated for legal reasons!
An individual episode might span several years, with the programme only aired once all the legal proceedings are completed (and the outcomes are given before the end credits). There are a couple of special episodes that pick-up detectives revisiting a cold case many years after the original crime was committed.

As a writer of police procedurals, I have found it invaluable. The interview scenes are especially useful. Conducted by trained interview specialists, the days of banging the table and trying to intimidate the suspect into a confession are long gone. In fact, most interviews are 'no comment'. However, there is a real science to effective interviewing, plus a raft of legislation that has to be adhered to.
Equally insightful is the CID office and the team briefings. This is where you get a real sense of the scale of a major murder investigation. As writers, we tend to keep our cast of characters limited, so that readers don't get confused with too many names, and all characters get a chance to shine. In reality there are dozens of police officers and civilian specialists, each of whom plays their part. You should aim to reflect this in your books, without swamping the story with detail and too many featured characters.
It also captures the sheer banality of most murders. Generally speaking, the victims knew each other, and it's less about working out who the suspects are than figuring out what role they played in what transpired. Yet it is still a fascinating watch. Occasionally the investigations are more of a whodunnit, especially some of the special episodes that might have several parts.

If you want your writing to be realistic, you would do well to watch a few episodes of this excellent show.
Do you have any recommendations for useful documentaries? Feel free to comment here or on social media.
Are you a writer with a tip to share? Don't be shy, I'm always looking for guest bloggers or ideas for future posts.

I am going on a brief hiatus for the holiday period. I'll be back in the new year. Until then, happy holidays!
Paul