 His novels usually center around one or two police officers that follow detailed police procedures to solve a crime, and he also used some sensational elements of thrillers.He did not write with an outline, preferring to let the plot evolve unpredictably as he was writing.Caunitz died in 1996 from pulmonary fibrosis His last novel, "Chains of Command", was half-completed at the time of his death and finished by Christopher Newman.