Nonviolent True Crime

Updated June 6, 2026
Rochester Public Library RPL Staff
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Nonviolent True Crime

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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 dinosaur artist : obsession, betrayal, and the quest for Earth's ultimate trophy
Williams, Paige
Paper Book
In this 2018 New York Times Notable Book,Paige Williams "does for fossils what Susan Orlean did for orchids" (Book Riot) in her account of one Florida man's attempt to sell a dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia--a story "steeped in natural history, human nature, commerce, crime, science...
Empire of pain : the secret history of the Sackler dynasty
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paper Book
A grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin, by the prize-winning, bestselling author of Say Nothing The Sackler name adorns the...
Bad blood : secrets and lies in a Silicon Valley startup
Carreyrou, John
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The gripping story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos--one of the biggest corporate frauds in history--a tale of ambition and hubris set amid the bold promises of Silicon Valley, rigorously reported by the prize-winning journalist. With a new Afterword.
The orchid thief
Orlean, Susan.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK * THE BASIS FOR THE FILM ADAPTATION DIRECTED BY SPIKE JONZE AND STARRING NICOLAS CAGE AND MERYL STREEP The "eccentric, illuminating, [and] hilarious" (New York Daily News) true story of...
Sex on the Moon : the amazing story behind the most audacious heist in history
Mezrich, Ben
Paper Book
Thad Roberts, a fellow in a prestigious NASA program had an idea--a romantic, albeit crazy, idea. He wanted to give his girlfriend the moon. Literally.   Thad convinced his girlfriend and another female accomplice, both NASA interns, to break into an impregnable laboratory at NASA--past...
Gentleman and a Thief : The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue
Jobb, Dean
Paper Book
National Bestseller Globe and Mail Bestseller List Toronto Star Bestseller List Finalist Chicago Writers Association Nonfiction Book of the Year Award An Amazon.com Editors' Pick as a Best Book, Best History & Best Biography Catch Me If You Can meets...
Run, hide, repeat : a memoir of a fugitive childhood
Dakin, Pauline
Paper Book
Winner of the 2018 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction Longlisted for British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction 2018 Shortlisted for the 2018 Evelyn Richardson Non-fiction Award Shortlisted for the 2018 Atlantic...
American fire : love, arson, and life in a vanishing land
Hesse, Monica
Paper Book
The arsons started on a cold November midnight and didn't stop for months. Night after night, the people of Accomack County waited to see which building would burn down next, regarding each other at first with compassion, and later suspicion. Vigilante groups sprang up, patrolling the rural...
Empire of deception the incredible story of a master swindler who seduced a city and captivated the nation
Jobb, Dean
Paper Book
It was a time of unregulated madness, and nowhere was it madder than Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties. As Al Capone rose to underworld domination, corrupt politicians held court in thriving speakeasies and stock market gambling was rampant. Enter slick, charismatic lawyer Leo Koretz,...
Gator country : deception, danger, and alligators in the Everglades
Renner, Rebecca
Paper Book
A New York Times Editors' Choice "Delivers everything its title promises and much more." - NPR "Remarkable... Every species, and every person who fights for its continued existence, deserves a book like this." -- The New York Times
Napoleon of Crime : The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief
Macintyre, Ben
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK From the bestselling, acclaimed author of A Spy Among Friends, The Spy and the Traitor, and Rogue Heroes, the vastly entertaining saga of Adam Worth, the most notorious bank thief of Victorian society and the...
Master thieves the Boston gangsters who pulled off the world's greatest art heist
Kurkjian, Stephen A.
Paper Book
The definitive story of the greatest art theft in history.In a secret meeting in 1981, a low-level Boston thief gave career gangster Ralph Rossetti the tip of a lifetime: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was a big score waiting to happen. Though its collections included priceless artworks by...
Diamond Doris : the true story of the world's most notorious jewel thief
Payne, Doris
Paper Book
Soon to be a Major Motion Picture In the ebullient spirit of Ocean's 8, The Heist, and Thelma & Louise, a sensational and entertaining memoir of the world's most notorious jewel thief--a woman who defied society's prejudices and norms to carve her own path, stealing...
The woman who stole Vermeer : the true story of Rose Dugdale and the Russborough House art heist
Amore, Anthony M.
Paper Book
The extraordinary life and crimes of heiress-turned-revolutionary Rose Dugdale, who in 1974 became the only woman to pull off a major art heist. In the world of crime, there exists an unusual commonality between those who steal art and those who repeatedly kill: they are almost...
The last job : the "bad grandpas" and the Hatton Garden heist
Bilefsky, Dan
Paper Book
The definitive account of one of the most brazen jewel heists in history. Over Easter weekend 2015, a motley crew of six English thieves, several in their sixties and seventies, couldn't resist coming out of retirement for one last career-topping heist. Their target: the Hatton...
American animals : a memoir
Borsuk, Eric
Paper Book
AS SEEN IN THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE "One of the most esoteric and far-fetched crimes in 21st-century annals." --The Hollywood Reporter "A rare book heist that Danny Ocean may have applauded--except for one mistake." --Vanity Fair "A...
The map thief : the gripping story of an esteemed rare-map dealer who made millions stealing priceless maps
Blanding, Michael
Paper Book
Once considered a respectable rare-map dealer, E. Forbes Smiley made millions and was highly esteemed for his knowledge; until he was arrested for slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. Though pieces of the story have been told before, Blanding is the first reporter to gain...
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