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...
The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
Shari Franke
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
Paper Book
A national bestseller--over 7 million copies sold. "[A] social document of rare importance."--The New Republic. Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth...
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
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 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
Michelle McNamara
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 |...
Starkweather : the untold story of the killing spree that changed America
MacLean, Harry N.
Paper Book
THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF CHARLES STARKWEATHER, often considered to be the first mass killer in the modern age of America "Starkweather is a story about a different time in a different America . . . [A] grim story, and that grimness is the paradoxical joy of reading MacLean--the...
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...
Behold the monster : confronting America's most prolific serial killer
—Lauren, Jillian
Ebook
The case of the murderous Dr. Cream : the hunt for a Victorian era serial killer
—Jobb, Dean, 1958- author.
Paper Book
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...
Blood in the water : a true story of revenge in the Maritimes
—Cameron, Silver Donald, 1937-2020
Ebook
INTERNATIONAL TRUE CRIME BESTSELLER: An "instant true crime classic" about a brutal Nova Scotia murder for fans of Say Nothing and Furious Hours (Publishers Weekly). "Fascinating! A must-read for all concerned about how humans manage to live together. Or...
Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks
Patrick Radden Keefe
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...

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