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...
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. <...
The stranger beside me /
Rule, Ann
Paper Book
In 1971, while working the late-shift at a Seattle crisis clinic, true-crime writer Ann Rule struck up a friendship with a sensitive, charismatic young coworker: Ted Bundy. Three years later, eight young women disappeared in seven months, and Rule began tracking a brutal mass murderer. But she...
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, obsession, and the birth of the lie detector
—Katwala, Amit
Paper Book
BEWARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE: This "rollicking true crime" story reveals the surprising origins of the lie detector through shocking murders and dramatic trials (WIRED). "Everything a reader wants in a true crime book--murder, mystery, gunfights, courtroom theatrics and...
22 murders : investigating the massacres, cover-up and obstacles to justice in Nova Scotia
—Palango, Paul, 1950- author.
Paper Book
As news broke of a killer rampaging across the tiny community of Portapique, Nova Scotia, late on 18th April 2020, details were oddly hard to come by. The RCMP was largely silent then, and continued to obscure the actions of denturist Gabriel Wortman after an officer shot and killed him at a gas...
The five : the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper
—Rubenhold, Hallie
Paper Book
Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction and of the Goodreads Choice Award for History & Biography The award-winning, best-selling book that changes the narrative of the "Ripper" murders forever Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine, and...
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...
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 were shot and killed. Nine years on, parents of the young victims are being accosted on the street and harassed online. Conspiracy theorists have asked them to defend that the event even occurred. At the centre of conspiracy theorists'...
Someone you know : an unforgettable collection of Canadian true crime stories
—Fogarty, Catherine
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER Someone You Know takes you into dangerous territory--behind closed doors where family, friendship and love can ultimately turn fatal Someone You Know is an anthology of twelve unforgettable Canadian true-crime stories by Story Hunter podcast producer, host and...
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...
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, 1958- author.
Paper Book
Winner of the CrimeCon Clue Award for True Crime Book of the Year "When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals," Sherlock Holmes observed during one of his most puzzling murder investigations. Incredibly, at the time the words of the world's most famous fictional detective...
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
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 Con Queen of Hollywood : the hunt for an evil genius
—Johnson, Scott C.
Paper Book
"This book is as engrossing as anything by Agatha Christie, as unsettling as a novel by Stephen King, and reported with a vigorous empathy that leaves Truman Capote in the dust. Scott Johnson's courage, his relentless quest for the truth behind a set of brilliantly obscured...
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...
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...
Murder, madness and mayhem : twenty-five tales of true crime and dark history
—Browne, Mike
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER Mike Browne, host of the popular Canadian podcast Dark Poutine, chronicles some of his all-time favourite stories of true crime and dark history from Canada and around the world. Divided into four sections --Murders with a Twist, Perpetual Puzzles, The Madness of...
Blood in the water : a true story of revenge in the Maritimes
—Cameron, Silver Donald, 1937-2020
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER   WINNER of the 2021 Atlantic Book Awards' Robbie Robertson Dartmouth Book Award Shortlisted for the 2021 Crime Writers of Canada Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book A brutal murder in a small...
Missing from the village : the story of serial killer Bruce McArthur, the search for justice, and the system that failed Toronto's queer community
—Ling, Justin
Paper Book
The tragic and resonant story of the disappearance of eight men--the victims of serial killer Bruce McArthur--from Toronto's queer community.   Shortlisted for the 2021 Toronto Book Awards In 2013, the Toronto Police Service announced...
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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