Nonviolent True Crime

Updated June 6, 2026
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
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...
Rogues : true stories of grifters, killers, rebels and crooks
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the award-winning author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing--and one of the most decorated journalists of our time--twelve enthralling true stories of skulduggery and intrigue "An excellent collection of Keefe's detective...
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...
The feather thief : beauty, obsession, and the natural history heist of the century
Johnson, Kirk W.
Paper Book
As heard on NPR's This American Life "Absorbing . . . Though it's non-fiction, The Feather Thief contains many of the elements of a classic thriller." --Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air "One of the most peculiar and memorable true-crime...
Empire of pain : the secret history of the Sackler dynasty
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR * 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. From...
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.
American kingpin : the epic hunt for the criminal mastermind behind the Silk Road
Bilton, Nick
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom--and almost got away with it   In 2011, a twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the ultimate free market: the...
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...
Billion dollar whale : the man who fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the world
Wright, Tom (Wall Street Journal reporter)
Paper Book
Named a Best Book of 2018 by the Financial Times and Fortune, this "thrilling" (Bill Gates) New York Times bestseller exposes how a "modern Gatsby" swindled over $5 billion with the aid of Goldman Sachs in "the heist of the century" (Axios). Now a #1...
The King of Diamonds : the search for the elusive Texas jewel thief
Pederson, Rena
Paper Book
The thrilling story of a brazen, uncatchable jewel thief who roamed the homes of Dallas high society--and a window into the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of the Swinging Sixties. As a string of high profile jewel thefts went unsolved during the Swinging Sixties, the...
Catch me if you can : the amazing true story of the youngest and most daring con man in the history of fun and profit
Abagnale, Frank W.
Paper Book
The uproarious, bestselling true story of the world's most sought-after con man, immortalized by Leonardo DiCaprio in DreamWorks' feature film of the same name, from the author of Scam Me If You Can.  Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad,...
Nowhere girl : a memoir of a fugitive childhood /
Diamond, Cheryl
Paper Book
By the age of nine, I will have lived in more than a dozen countries, on five continents, under six assumed identities. I'll know how a document is forged, how to withstand an interrogation, and most important, how to disappear . . . To the young Cheryl...
American heiress : the wild saga of the kidnapping, crimes and trial of Patty Hearst
Toobin, Jeffrey
Paper Book
From New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of The Nine and The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson, the definitive account of the kidnapping and trial that defined an insane era in American history   On February 4, 1974, Patty...
The less people know about us : a mystery of betrayal, family secrets, and stolen identity
Betz-Hamilton, Axton
Paper Book
AN EDGAR AWARDS 2020 WINNER AND WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER In this powerful true crime memoir, an award-winning identity theft expert tells the shocking story of the duplicity and betrayal that inspired her career and nearly destroyed her family. ...
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...
Priceless : how I went undercover to rescue the world's stolen treasures
Wittman, Robert K.
Paper Book
The Wall Street Journal called him “a living legend.” The London Times dubbed him “the most famous art detective in the world.”   In Priceless, Robert K. Wittman, the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, pulls back the curtain on his...
The billionaire's vinegar : the mystery of the world's most expensive bottle of wine
Wallace, Benjamin
Paper Book
In 1985 a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson was sold for the sum of $156,000. Benjamin Wallace goes on the trail of this most expensive of wines, and meets along the way Nazis, conspiracies and millionaires.
A gentleman and a thief : the daring jewel heists of a Jazz Age rogue
Jobb, Dean
Paper Book
A captivating Jazz Age true-crime caper about "the greatest jewel thief who ever lived" (Life Magazine), Arthur Barry, who charmed everyone from Rockefellers to members of the royal family while simultaneously planning and executing the most audacious and lucrative heists of the...
The man who loved books too much : the true story of a thief, a detective, and a world of literary obsession
Bartlett, Allison Hoover.
Paper Book
Rare book theft is even more widespread that fine art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit - but John Charles Gilkey stole purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered...
The forger's spell : a true story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the greatest art hoax of the twentieth century
Dolnick, Edward
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller "Dolnick brilliantly re-creates the circumstances that made possible one of the most audacious frauds of the 20th century. And in doing so Dolnick plumbs the nature of fraud itself . . . an incomparable page turner." --Boston Globe As riveting as a World...
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...
Ghost in the wires : my adventures as the world's most wanted hacker
Mitnick, Kevin D.
Paper Book
In this "intriguing, insightful and extremely educational" novel, the world's most famous hacker teaches you easy cloaking and counter-measures for citizens and consumers in the age of Big Brother and Big Data (Frank W. Abagnale). Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break...
Heist : the oddball crew behind the $17 million Loomis Fargo theft
Diamant, Jeff
Paper Book
The inspiration behind the major motion picture Masterminds starring Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis! The bizarre true story of the criminals behind the second-largest bank heist in American history. One night in a small North Carolina town, a down...
The Gardner heist : the true story of the world's largest unsolved art theft
Boser, Ulrich.
Paper Book
"Boser cracks the cold case of the art world's greatest unsolved mystery." --Vanity Fair
The falcon thief : a true tale of adventure, treachery, and the hunt for the perfect bird
Hammer, Joshua
Paper Book
A rollicking true-crime adventure about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs--and the wildlife detective determined to stop him. On May 3, 2010, an Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain's Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious...
Empire of deception : the incredible story of a master swindler who seduced a city and captivated the nation
Jobb, Dean
Paper Book
"A brilliantly researched tale of greed, ambition, and our desperate need to believe in magic, it''s history that captures America as it really was--and always will be. A great read." --Douglas Perry, author of Eliot Ness It was a time of unregulated...
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
The Napoleon of crime : the life and times of Adam Worth, master thief
Macintyre, Ben
Paper Book
The Victorian era's most infamous thief, Adam Worth was the original Napoleon of crime. Suave, cunning Worth learned early that the best way to succeed was to steal. And steal he did. Following a strict code of honor, Worth won the respect of Victorian society. He also aroused its fear by becoming a...
Confident women : swindlers, grifters, and shapeshifters of the feminine persuasion
Telfer, Tori
Paper Book
A thoroughly entertaining and darkly humorous roundup of history's notorious but often forgotten female con artists and their bold, outrageous scams--by the acclaimed author of Lady Killers. From Elizabeth Holmes and Anna Delvey to Frank Abagnale and Charles Ponzi,...
The confidence men : how two prisoners of war engineered the most remarkable escape in history
Fox, Margalit
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The Great Escape for the Great War: the astonishing true story of two World War I prisoners who pulled off one of the most ingenious escapes of all time. FINALIST FOR THE EDGAR® AWARD * ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post,<...
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...
Conspiracy of fools : a true story
Eichenwald, Kurt
Paper Book
In a study of the Enron scandal, the author goes behind the scenes to profile the players and expose business practices involved in the financial and political debacle that had a profound impact on both Washington and Wall Street.
The rescue artist : a true story of art, thieves, and the hunt for a missing masterpiece
Dolnick, Edward
Paper Book
In the predawn hours of a gloomy February day in 1994, two thieves entered the National Gallery in Oslo and made off with one of the world's most famous paintings, Edvard Munch's Scream. It was a brazen crime committed while the whole world was watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter...
Con/artist : the life and crimes of the world's greatest art forger
Tetro, Tony
Paper Book
The world's most renowned art forger reveals the secrets behind his decades of painting like the masters--exposing an art world that is far more corrupt than we ever knew while providing an art history lesson wrapped in sex, drugs, and Caravaggio. The art world is a...
Gentleman bandit : the true story of Black Bart, the Old West's most infamous stagecoach robber
Boessenecker, John
Paper Book
As seen on Netflix's Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War New York Times bestselling author and award-winning historian John Boessenecker separates fact from fiction in the first new biography in decades of Black Bart, the Wild West's most mysterious gentleman...
Tree thieves : crime and survival in North America's woods
Bourgon, Lyndsie
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM J. ANTHONY LUKAS BOOK AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 PEN/JOHN KENNETH GALBRAITH AWARD FOR NONFICTION FINALIST FOR THE NELLIE BY CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FOR JOURNALISTIC NON-FICTION...
Can you ever forgive me? memoirs of a literary forger
Israel, Lee
CD
Now a major motion picture starring Melissa McCarthy--Lee Israel's hilarious and shocking memoir of the astonishing caper she carried on for almost two years when she forged and sold more than three hundred letters by such literary notables as Dorothy Parker, Edna Ferber, Noel Coward, and...
The woman who wasn't there : the true story of an incredible deception
Fisher, Robin Gaby.
Paper Book
The astounding story of Tania Head, whose heartrending account of surviving the World Trade Center attacks made her a celebrity--until it all turned out to be an elaborate hoax.  It was a tale of loss and recovery, of courage and sorrow, of horror and inspiration. Tania Head...
The dead duke, his secret wife, and the missing corpse : an extraordinary Edwardian case of deception and intrigue
Eatwell, Piu Marie
Paper Book
In 1898, an elderly widow, Anna Maria Druce, came to the British court with an astonishing request. She stood among the overflowing pews of St. Pauls Cathedral claiming that the merchant T. C. Druce, her late father-in-law, had in truth been a secret identity for none other than the deceased and...
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...
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...
The Bettencourt affair : the world's richest woman and the scandal that rocked Paris
Sancton, Thomas
Paper Book
Liliane Bettencourt is the world's richest woman, and the tenth wealthiest in the entire world. But at 93, she's embroiled in incredible controversy - controversy so great it almost took down the French government. It's all become Europe's biggest scandal in years, uncovering a shadowy corporate...
The spider network : the wild story of a math genius, a gang of backstabbing bankers, and one of the greatest scams in financial history
Enrich, David
Paper Book
SHORT-LISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR The term "Libor" is obscure, but it determines a good deal of our financial lives-the interest rate on our credit card; our student loans; our mortgages; our car payments. How did a math genius, a handful of...
There is no Ethan : how three women caught America's biggest catfish
Akbari, Anna
Paper Book
Part memoir, part explosive window into the mind of a catfisher, a thrilling personal account of three women coming face-to-face with an internet predator and teaming up to expose them. In 2011, three successful and highly educated women fell head over heels...
The spy who couldn't spell : a dyslexic traitor, an unbreakable code, and the FBI's hunt for America's stolen secrets
Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit
Paper Book
Before Edward Snowden's infamous data breach, the largest theft of government secrets was committed by an ingenious traitor whose intricate espionage scheme and complex system of coded messages were made even more baffling by his apparent dyslexia. In this fast-paced, true-life spy thriller,...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.