True Crime

True crime is surging in popularity these days thanks in large part to an explosion of true crime podcasts and documentaries, and is known for dealing with such dark subjects as domestic violence, sex crimes, and serial murders. Other aspects of crime feature prominently too such as corporate malfeasance (Dopesick), fraud (Bad Blood, My Friend Anna) and cults (The Road to Jonestown).

Updated August 27, 2025
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Murderland : crime and bloodlust in the time of serial killers
—Fraser, Caroline
Paper Book
A National Bestseller "Scorching, seductive . . . A superb and disturbing vivisection of our darkest urges." --Los Angeles Times "This is about as highbrow as true crime gets." --Vulture "Fraser has outdone herself, and just about everyone else...
The Idaho four : an American tragedy
—Patterson, James, 1947- author.
Paper Book
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller! "A vivid portrait...a sensitive tribute...a paean to youth, community, and the tenacity of local law enforcement." --New York Times  "A mesmerizing read and a great detective...
While Idaho slept : the hunt for answers in the murders of four college students
Appelman, J. Reuben
Paper Book
The author of the acclaimed true-crime memoir, The Kill Jar, tells the inside story of the "University of Idaho Murders," offering a memorable, thoughtful dive into our societal fascination with true crime, the media's seeming blood-frenzy, and the future of homicide investigations, while...
The House of My Mother : A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
Franke, Shari.
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Heart-wrenchingly personal...dizzying." --Rolling Stone From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog--now the subject of a new Hulu...
The stranger beside me
—Rule, Ann
Paper Book
A new edition of the iconic, best-selling account of America's most fascinating serial killer, "perhaps the most unnerving true-crime book ever published" (Victoria Beale, The New Yorker). In 1971, while working the late-shift at a Seattle crisis clinic, true-crime writer Ann...
Helter skelter : the true story of the Manson murders
—Bugliosi, Vincent
Audiobook
In 1839, after decades of conflict, the Russian army and the Muslims of Chechnya are on the verge of a truce. To prove his commitment to peace, warrior chief Imam Shamil offers a hostage: his son Jamal Eddin. But once the truce is signed, the Russians spirit Jamal Eddin back to Russia, where Czar...
The devil in the white city : murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America
—Larson, Erik.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The true tale of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death. A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century Two...
I know who you are : how an amateur DNA sleuth unmasked the Golden State Killer and changed crime fighting forever
—Rae-Venter, Barbara
Paper Book
EDGAR AWARD FINALIST ."A true-crime masterpiece written by a cold-case-cracking master."-John Douglas, New York Times bestselling co-author of Mindhunter "Barbara Rae-Venter isn't just the genealogy expert who helped capture the Golden State Killer-she's an...
Tangled vines : power, privilege, and the Murdaugh family murders
—Glatt, John
Paper Book
2024 EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FACT CRIME NOVEL In Tangled Vines, bestselling true crime author John Glatt reconstructs the rise of the prestigious Murdaugh family and the shocking double murder that led to the downfall of its patriarch, Alex Murdaugh. <...
Say nothing : a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland
—Keefe, Patrick Radden, 1976- author.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NOW AN FX LIMITED SERIES STREAMING ON HULU * NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER * From the author of Empire of Pain--a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. One...
The art thief : a true story of love, crime, and a dangerous obsession
—Finkel, Michael
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century * "The Art Thief, like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing."--The New Yorker A...
The five : the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper
—Rubenhold, Hallie
Paper Book
Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction Five devastating human stories and a dark and moving portrait of Victorian London--the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine...
I'll be gone in the dark one woman's obsessive search for the Golden State Killer
McNamara, Michelle
Paper Book
THE BASIS FOR THE MAJOR 6-PART HBO® DOCUMENTARY SERIES #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Washington Post | Maureen Corrigan, NPR | Paste | Seattle Times | Entertainment Weekly | Esquire | Slate | Buzzfeed | Jezebel | Philadelphia Inquirer | Publishers Weekly |...
Dopesick : dealers, doctors, and the drug company that addicted America
Macy, Beth
Paper Book
A Hulu limited series inspired by the New York Times bestselling book by Beth Macy.  Journalist Beth Macy's definitive account of America's opioid epidemic "masterfully interlaces stories of communities in crisis with dark histories of corporate...

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