True Crime

True crime is surging in popularity these days thanks in large part to an explosion of true crime podcasts and documentaries. Recent bestsellers like I’ll Be Gone in the Dark have brought true crime into the mainstream, and its readership continues to be primarily women. True crime is known for dealing with such dark subjects as domestic violence, sex crimes, and serial murders. While this drives much of its appeal, 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 March 18, 2024
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The Witch of New York : The Trials of Polly Bodine and the Cursed Birth of Tabloid Justice
Hortis, Alex.
Paper Book
Before the sensational cases of Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony--before even Lizzie Borden--there was Polly Bodine, the first American woman put on trial for capital murder in our nation's debut media circus. On Christmas night, December 25, 1843, in a serene village on Staten...
I know who you are : how an amateur DNA sleuth unmasked the Golden State Killer and changed crime fighting forever
Rae-Venter, Barbara
Ebook
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...
Tangled Vines : Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders
Glatt, John.
Paper Book
2024 EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FACT CRIME NOVEL New York Times bestselling author John Glatt's unputdownable account of the rise and fall of the prestigious Murdaugh family. In South Carolina, the Murdaugh name means power. But when attorney Alex...
The stranger beside me [abridged]
Rule, Ann
Ebook
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.
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 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. Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an...
Tremors in the blood : murder, obesession and the birth of the lie detector
Katwala, Amit
Paper Book
Nominated for the CWA Dagger Award 2023 'A wonderful book' - Guardian Truth, murder and the birth of the lie detector Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife's blood. But was he a grieving...
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...
Dopesick : dealers, doctors, and the drug company that addicted America
Macy, Beth
Paper Book
Now a major TV series on Disney+ 'A shocking investigation... Dopesick is essential' The Times 'Unfolds with all the pace of a thriller' Observer 'A deep - and deeply needed - look into the troubled soul of America' Tom Hanks ...
Behold the monster : confronting America's most prolific serial killer
—Lauren, Jillian
Paper Book
Jillian Lauren had no idea what she was getting into when she wrote her first letter to prolific serial killer Samuel Little. All she knew was her research had led her to believe he was good for far more murders than the three for which he had been convicted. While the two exchanged dozens of...
Homegrown : Timothy McVeigh and the rise of right-wing extremism
—Toobin, Jeffrey
Paper Book
The definitive account of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the enduring legacy of Timothy McVeigh, leading to the January 6 insurrection--from acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin. Timothy McVeigh wanted to start a movement. Speaking to his lawyers days after the...
A murder in Hollywood : the untold story of Tinseltown's most shocking crime
—Sherman, Casey, 1969- author.
Paper Book
USA TODAY BESTSELLER "A wild ride beneath the glitz and glamour of 1950s Hollywood, proving once again that Casey Sherman is a master of the genre." --Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of Dumb Money, Bringing Down the House, and...
A taste for poison : eleven deadly molecules and the killers who used them
—Bradbury, Neil
Paper Book
"A fascinating tale of poisons and poisonous deeds which both educates and entertains." --Kathy Reichs A brilliant blend of science and crime, A TASTE FOR POISON reveals how eleven notorious poisons affect the body--through the murders in which they were used.
The case of the murderous Dr. Cream : the hunt for a Victorian era serial killer
Jobb, Dean
Ebook
A true crime page-turner about a Victorian doctor, a serial killer ahead of his time, using poison for an international murder spree that kept ahead of the burgeoning field of forensics. "A tour de force of storytelling." --Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author...
Helter skelter : the true story of the Manson murders
—Bugliosi, Vincent
Paper Book
In the summer of 1969, in Los Angeles, a series of brutal, seemingly random murders captured headlines across America. A famous actress (and her unborn child), an heiress to a coffee fortune, a supermarket owner and his wife were among the seven victims. A thin trail of circumstances eventually...
A thread of violence : a story of truth, invention, and murder
—O'Connell, Mark, 1979- author.
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES AND ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the award-winning author comes the gripping tale of one of the most scandalous murderers in modern Irish history, at once a propulsive work of true crime and an act of literary subversion. "A...

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