If you’re a fan of true crime, you love to dive inside a criminal mind. It doesn’t matter if you’ve just started reading these books or if you’re a seasoned vet; the books on our list are guaranteed to keep you on high alert. It will also help you see how some people can become victims or the opposite.
A Death In Belmont
This book refers to the case of Bessie Goldberg. There have been unsolved murders because of the Boston Strangler. A man who’d cleaned their home was convicted, though he swore he was innocent. Years later, Albert DeSalvo confessed to the murders, and a neighboring family remembered that he’d done work in their house the same day Bessie died, doors away. This book is not for the faint of heart.
The Stranger Beside Me
It’s a personal account of Ted Bundy and has made Ann Rule popular in the genre. It turned out this single mother of four was not only working beside a serial killer, but he befriended her. She was volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline and didn’t realize that the same person she was researching for a story was the ‘handsome’ younger co-worker she’d made friends with.
Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed
The Kennedys were a family that people thought could do no wrong. Well, they could. In fact, one journalist wasn’t afraid to tell people the truth. Maureen published the book to show that the women in this family endured mental abuse, physical abuse, and trauma. Learn their stories through this book.
There Is No Ethan
For those who like catfishing stories, this one might be one you’d like. This is a true crime/memoir crossover, and it details how Anna met Ethan online. He seemed perfect (as they do), and had degrees. They talked for ages, but could never meet. When she finally ended it, she found that two other women had been caught in the trap too, and that was just the start.
Catch And Kill
Women have tried to come forward about Harvey Weinstein for years, and Hollywood didn’t care. However, there were those who refused to be silent, and his story was revealed in 2017. In 2019, this book came out, and it shows the intensive research and interviews that were done to bring him down.
The Last Season
Randy was a service ranger who disappeared in an area that he knew like the back of his hand, better than anyone else. By 54, he was the best person for high country knowledge. But then he disappeared in 1996 without a trace, and a search party headed out. While not necessarily true crime, it does have a lot of mayhem.
A Gentleman and A Thief
Arthur is a con artist, but he was also a cat burglar. He stole from America’s elite and hung out with the British royalty. He would crash party after party, and after casing each area, he’d return later through the upstairs windows. In the 1920s, he had stolen about $60 million (by today’s standards).
Starkweather
Charlie Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate were dating when he was 19 and she was 14. He murdered her family, and the two ran away to terrorize Lincoln, Nebraska, on a killing spree that killed ten people. The author has a personal connection to the story. He was 15 and lived in the town. His older brother was Charlie’s classmate.
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit
If you have seen the show, this is going to be a good book for you if you were a fan. The author has been thorough in profiling serial killers and getting inside the heads of psychopaths. It was his job for over two decades. It’s gruesome, and the book is graphic. If you can’t stomach hardness, this one won’t be for you.
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark
Obsession is always going to be a powerful force. This book is the story of a criminal who started out breaking and entering and moved up to murder. Without the author of this book, they wouldn’t have been able to keep the case alive. Putting the reader inside the story, she died before completing the book. However, it wasn’t in vain; they caught the killer after it was published.
True Crime: An American Anthology
A forensic pathologist who used to be a former chief medical examiner recommended this book. It’s a 50-story collection that was published more than fifteen years ago and is considered to have some of the best writing from colonial times and onward. Some say it might be textbook worthy. Some of the most prolific cases are here.
Killings
This was first released in 1985 and was updated about eight years ago. The author has a reputation for being a master of American journalism, and this reputation was earned because he was a long-term staff writer. He has a way of giving a sharp eye to these stories, and his writing finds sympathy among readers.
Just Mercy
The author was 23 and a law student when he met his first death-row inmate. He descended from enslaved forbearers, and upon graduation, went back to the Deep South. He wanted to help the condemned, poor, or incarcerated. He had a case that was reminiscent of To Kill A Mockingbird, and the book reveals firsthand the disparities in race that are present in the justice system.
What The Dead Know
Barbara Butcher was a forensic investigator, and her writing is done in such a way that it pulls you in. She claimed she could smell death after being around it so much. She had more than two decades on the job, she investigated hundreds of deaths, and was able to distinguish almost 22,000 body parts of victims after 9/11.
In Cold Blood
This book has been around for a while and is one of the reasons this genre is so popular. Capote wrote about the murder of Herb Clutter and his family. Two paroled ex-cons came upon his farm and, because he was well-to-do, thought that they would get a fortune, but there was very little in the home.
Finding The Truth
The books on this list are a great choice for those who are fans of true crime. They will open your eyes to cases long past and ensure that you know the truth behind the story—families who faced trauma, pain, and unending sadness. Choose what sounds good and dive into true crime.
