True crime books have enjoyed a resurgence since the podcast Serialand Netflix seriesMaking a Murderer woke a new generation to the thrill of real-life investigations. For the new fan, there is a rich vein of excellent narrative nonfiction ready to tap into, not least Truman Capote's classic, genre-defining In Cold Blood (1966), and Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song(1979).
The resurgence of enthusiasm for true crime has also seen a wave of brilliant new writing in recent years. The New Yorker's David Grann, himself the author of the bestselling, award-winning Killers of the Flower Moon, highlighted in an interview some of his favourite true crime books, as did lawyer Cara Robertson, author of The Trial of Lizzie Borden.
For more specific areas of true crime, we also recommend:
Books about serial killers
Books about art crime
Books about cybercrime
The Best True Crime Books, recommended by David Grann
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1The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
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2The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
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3The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
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5The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? by Francisco Goldman
True crime books can be all too easily chalked up as a genre of grisly murders and cheap, voyeuristic thrills—but to do so would be to overlook compelling evidence to the contrary. David Grann, whose true crime book revisits long-forgotten, or concealed, crimes in the Osage community of Oklahoma, raises the bar with examples of true crime books rich in historical discovery, literary merit and the kind of political inquiry these murky times are calling for.
The Best True Crime Books, recommended by David Grann
True crime books can be all too easily chalked up as a genre of grisly murders and cheap, voyeuristic thrills—but to do so would be to overlook compelling evidence to the contrary. David Grann, whose true crime book revisits long-forgotten, or concealed, crimes in the Osage community of Oklahoma, raises the bar with examples of true crime books rich in historical discovery, literary merit and the kind of political inquiry these murky times are calling for.
The Best True Crime Books, recommended by David Grann
The best books on Forensic Science, recommended by Jim Fraser
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1The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science by Douglas Starr
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3The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial by Maggie Nelson
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5Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification by Simon A. Cole
Jim Fraser, veteran forensic investigator and author of Murder Under the Microscope, selects five of the best books about forensic science. Forget what you think you know about the subject from crime fiction and television dramas, and bring a healthy scepticism: this line of work can be as much a craft as a science.
The best books on Forensic Science, recommended by Jim Fraser
Jim Fraser, veteran forensic investigator and author of Murder Under the Microscope, selects five of the best books about forensic science. Forget what you think you know about the subject from crime fiction and television dramas, and bring a healthy scepticism: this line of work can be as much a craft as a science.
The best books on Forensic Science, recommended by Jim Fraser
The best books on True Crime, recommended by Cara Robertson
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1Studies in Murder by Edmund Pearson
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2Classic Crimes by William Roughead
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3The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
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4Iphigenia in Forest Hills: Anatomy of a Murder Trial by Janet Malcolm
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5Crime and Punishment in American History by Lawrence Friedman
Why do women kill? What does violence tell us about human nature? How do the methods of the criminal justice system speak to an era? Cara Robertson—a lawyer, author and expert on the famous Lizzie Borden case—picks five true crime books that deal in murder, individual psychology, public trials and justice.
The best books on True Crime, recommended by Cara Robertson
Why do women kill? What does violence tell us about human nature? How do the methods of the criminal justice system speak to an era? Cara Robertson—a lawyer, author and expert on the famous Lizzie Borden case—picks five true crime books that deal in murder, individual psychology, public trials and justice.
The best books on True Crime, recommended by Cara Robertson
The best books on Art Crime, recommended by Noah Charney
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1The Medici Conspiracy by Peter Watson and Cecilia Todeschin
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2Florentine Art Under Fire by Frederick Hartt
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3The Lost Masters by Peter Harclerode and Brendan Pittaway
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4The Hollow Needle by Maurice Leblanc
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5The Napoleon of Crime by Ben Macintyre
Art historian Noah Charney takes us on a grand tour of art theft and looting, taking in the Romans, Cosa Nostra and the man who stole the most famous painting in the world and didn’t know what to do with it.
The best books on Art Crime, recommended by Noah Charney
Art historian Noah Charney takes us on a grand tour of art theft and looting, taking in the Romans, Cosa Nostra and the man who stole the most famous painting in the world and didn’t know what to do with it.
The best books on Art Crime, recommended by Noah Charney
Lasdun didn't have much trouble getting a book contract after a long story he wrote for The New Yorker called “The Corrupt World Behind the Murdaugh Murders” attracted widespread attention and became the magazine's most popular story for 2023. Lasdun's provisional title is “The Family Man.”
People are drawn to these sensational stories by curiosity about the motivations of the criminals, concerns about justice and the legal system and the thrill of solving a real-life whodunnit.
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, MR MERCEDES, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award.
South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh (Bill Pullman) becomes the prime suspect in the double homicide of his wife and son. South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh (Bill Pullman) becomes the prime suspect in the double homicide of his wife and son.
Content collapsed. Even if you've seen the series and you've been following the current trial of Alex Murdaugh on charges of killing his wife and son, the story is so incredible, so bizarre and so chilling that the Netflix doc makes for a compelling viewing experience. Content collapsed.
The first true crime book in English, dating back to 1635, was John Reynolds' The Triumphe of God's Revenge Against the Crying and Execrable Sinn of Murther.
True Crime Story is a work of fiction, written as a true crime novel. It's told through interview transcripts and newspaper articles... along with email correspondence between Evelyn and Joseph.
Jack the Ripper. We call him “Jack the Ripper,” but we don't really know who the person behind one of the older and most notorious murder sprees was. ...
But how can too much true crime impact our mental health? “It can increase our anxiety because we become hypervigilant. We're always looking for the bad person. Every white van becomes the van of a killer or murderer,” explained Chivonna Childs, PhD, a psychologist with Cleveland Clinic.
Hybristophilia, deriving from the Greek hybridzein, meaning to perpetuate an outrage against another, has been defined as the phenomenon of an individual being sexually aroused by a criminal offender.
The first modern detective story is often thought to be Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, a short story published in 1841 that introduced the world to private detective Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin.
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Introduction: My name is Msgr. Benton Quitzon, I am a comfortable, charming, thankful, happy, adventurous, handsome, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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