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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Helltown : the untold story of a serial killer on Cape Cod
—Sherman, Casey, 1969- author.
Paper Book
**Soon to be an Amazon limited series directed by Academy Award winner Ed Berger from Robert Downey Jr.'s Team Downey** Before Charles Manson, there was Tony Costa--the serial killer of Cape Cod 1969: The hippie scene is vibrant in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Long-haired teenagers...
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...
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...
The forever witness : how DNA and genealogy solved a cold case double murder
—Humes, Edward
Paper Book
When Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle in the 1980s, detectives had few leads. They assumed Tanya and Jay were victims of a serial killer - but without any leads, the case seemed doomed. In deep-freeze, long-term storage, biological evidence from the crime sat...
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...
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 On January 21, 1958, nineteen-year-old Charles Starkweather changed the course of crime in the United States when he murdered the parents and sister of his...
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...
Among the bros : a fraternity crime story
—Marshall, Max (Journalist)
Paper Book
"Among the Bros is a harrowing and disturbing book. I have read about fraternity life but nothing like this. This book will blow your mind, each page digging deeper into the unimaginable. Except every word is true."--Buzz Bissinger, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The...
Homegrown : Timothy McVeigh and the rise of right-wing extremism
—Toobin, Jeffrey
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin comes the definitive account of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the enduring legacy of far-right terrorist Timothy McVeigh, including the January 6th insurrection.   The Oklahoma City Bombing was a...
Sandy Hook : an American tragedy and the battle for truth
—Williamson, Elizabeth (Journalist)
Paper Book
On December 14, 2012, 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., including 20 children barely older than toddlers, were shot and killed. It felt like a line in the sand, on gun violence and safety. Instead, nine years on, Sandy Hook has become a foundational story, and a symbol: of...
A murder in Hollywood : the untold story of Tinseltown's most shocking crime
—Sherman, Casey, 1969- author.
Paper Book
The dark story behind the bright lights of Tinseltown From the outside, Hollywood starlet Lana Turner seemed to have it all-a thriving film career, a beautiful daughter, and the kind of fame and fortune that most people could only dream of. But when the famous femme fatale began dating...
The colony : faith and blood in a promised land
—Denton, Sally
Paper Book
On the morning of November 4, 2019, an unassuming caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen on a desolate stretch of road in northern Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Firing semi-automatic weapons, the attackers killed nine people and gravely injured five more. The...
The perfect father : the true story of Chris Watts, his all-American family, and a shocking murder
—Glatt, John
Paper Book
In The Perfect Father, New York Times bestselling author John Glatt reveals the tragedy of the Watts family, whose seemingly perfect lives played out on social media--but the truth would lead to a vicious and heartbreaking murder. In the early morning...
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...
Slenderman : online obsession, mental illness, and the violent crime of two midwestern girls
—Hale, Kathleen, 1986- author.
Paper Book
The first full account of the Slenderman stabbing, a true crime narrative of mental illness, the American judicial system, the trials of adolescence, and the power of the internet On May 31, 2014, in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin, two twelve-year-old girls attempted to...
Hearts of darkness : serial killers, the behavioral science unit, and my life as a woman in the FBI
—Monroe, Jana
Paper Book
For fans of Mindhunter, Criminal Minds, and My Favorite Murder, a riveting memoir of a trailblazing woman's life hunting down serial killers as one of the first female profilers of the FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit and the real-life model for Clarice Starling in The Silence...

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