After a fantastic business trip with a girlfriend, I found myself marveling and police forces both abroad and domestic. These men and women work tirelessly, giving of themselves in the line of duty to (in most cases) protect people they do not even know. It's astounding to me. Especially in this world that has taken steps closer and closer to being independently anonymous. I love to see the spirit of giving. Hence, I thought this month I would dedicate my genre month to the men and women who serve in the police force and those courageous authors who write to romanticize the genre.

We've all watched C.H.i.P.S or Kojak, and who doesn't harbor somewhere in their heart a truly soft spot for Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon)? I know he's embedded in mine forever as is John McLane (Die Hard). These are the edgy heroes who live life on the edge. They would die to protect you and aren't afraid to get their hands a little dirty in the process of bringing in the bad guy.

      
Sometimes the lines have crossed between novel hero/heroine and mainstream media. As was the case with James Patterson's Alex Cross series or Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme.

One of my favorite police/medical novelists is Patricia Cornwell and her Kay Scarpetta series. I own all of the books, proudly displayed on my keeper shelf. These novels may not fall into tradition romance categories, but I think the grittier dirtier side sometimes calls for a certain amount of leeway.

While there are the series lines such as Harlequin Intrigue that often have novels featuring police officers, I have found the majority of books fitting into this genre in the book store under thriller or suspense although technically they could just as easily be filed under romance. I think this is a strategic marketing move on the house's part, trying to bring in cross-genre readers. So, while we, the romance fans, hold tight to our roots let us not forget to look everywhere and see love romance about us.

      
Julie Miller writes about a hearing impaired heroine who witnesses a professional hit in Police Business.

Sherry Lewis gives the readers a time travel twist in her novel An Echo In Time.

Here are some authors to check out if you think this genre might be the thing for you.

Lynda Sue Cooper/Lynda Sandoval
K.N. Casper
Karen McCollough
Raina Wissing Harris
Linda Castillo
J.D. Robb
Jasmine Cresswell
Jaye Roycraft
Jane Graves
Julie Garwood
Cynnara Tregarth
Ed McBain
Judith McNaught

      
Other Police Romance Movies to check out if you are looking for something to watch on these summer nights:

True Romance - Tony Scott, Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt
Blue Steel - Kathryn Bigelow, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Elizabeth Peña, Louise Fletcher, Philip Bosco, Kevin Dunn, Richard Jenkins
Blink - Madeline Stowe, Adian Quinn, James Remar, Laurie Metcalf, Matt Roth, Paul Dillon
The Fugitive - Andrew Davis, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore, Joe Pantoliano, Andreas Katsulas, Jeroen Krabbé
Angel Eyes - Luis Mandoki, Jennifer Lopez, James Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto, Terrence Dashon Howard, Sonia Braga, Victor Argo, Monet Mazur, Shirley Knight
The Big Easy - Jim McBride, Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman, Lisa Jane Persky, Ebbe Roe Smith, Tom O'Brien (II), Charles Ludlam
Shaft - John Singleton, Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa L. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Busta Rhymes, Dan Hedaya, Toni Collette, Richard Roundtree
The Bone Collector - Phillip Noyce, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Mike McGlone, Luis Guzmán, Leland Orser, John Benjamin
Beverly Hills Cop - a Martin Brest film starring Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold
Basic Instinct - Paul Verhoeven, Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Denis Arndt, Leilani Sarelle, Bruce A. Young
Speed - Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandram Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck, Beth Grant, Hawthorn James
The Hard Way - John Badham, Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, John Capodice, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Mary Mara, Delroy Lindo
Kindergarten Cop - Ivan Reitman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, Cathy Moriarty

Thanks for stopping by!

Article Written by Izzy

 

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