11 Fascinating Books That Will Turn You Into a True Crime Junkie

11 Fascinating Books That Will Turn You Into a True Crime Junkie

From “Serial” to “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” the true crime genre has seen a recent renaissance in pop culture. Here are expertly written true crime books where you can discover some of the darkest and oddest moments in history. Even if you’re not a true crime junkie, you’ll enjoy these compelling narratives and fascinating tales.

Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the early morning hours of May 2, 1981. For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this beautiful and isolated remnant of the Old South. John Berendt’s sharply observed and suspenseful account of this landmark murder case is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

With the overwhelming success of the musical “Hamilton,” interest in this Founding Father has reached a fever pitch lately. Yet many aren’t aware that he teamed up with his bitter rival, Aaron Burr—creating the United States’s first legal dream team—to defend a man accused of murdering his young lover.

Dangerous obsession and greed meet in this wickedly funny modern classic, which follows an eccentric plant dealer as he attempts to poach the endangered ghost orchid from a Florida preserve and clone it for profit. This true crime book is actually a charming, passionate underdog story.

Musical theater fans know “Chicago” as one of Broadway’s most popular musicals. In this glitzy and fast-paced narrative, we meet the real women who inspired the murderous Velma and Roxie and learn how one female journalist turned these dangerous “jazz babies” into pop culture icons.

On Elizabeth’s wish list

As days grew shorter and nights colder I (naturally) began listening to more podcasts and watching documentaries about a cheery subject: serial killers. I’m excited to curl up with THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY because of Erik Larson’s fantastic eye for character, storytelling, and impeccable research in his true-crime investigation into the serial killer who haunted the 1893 World’s Fair. Cocoa and killers go well together, right?

When a local madman dies after a physician transfused calf’s blood into him in 1600s France, the physician—and science—go on trial for murder. A fascinating look at how far we’ve come and how far we have to go in medicine, BLOOD WORK clearly illustrates the fears of scientific advances, the battle over superstition, and their relationships to crime.

At the height of the Gilded Age, a brutal conman and his infatuated mistress murdered a court official. Together, the lethal couple escaped to Paris and soon became the subject of sensationalized French tabloids. The unexpected plot twists and passionate writing in this book will transport you to the gaslights and boulevards of Paris at its golden zenith.

From Sherlock Holmes to Jack the Ripper, Victorian England has long been romanticized as the foggy scene of countless brutal crimes. This book explores why the Victorians were fascinated with—and even entertained by—murder and how it helped invent the modern detective.

Few events of the early United States were as shocking as the trial of eighteen-year-old Nancy Randolph. Did she kill her illegitimate infant? And how were several of the Founding Fathers, including Patrick Henry, involved? Nancy’s indomitable spirit shines through this intriguing and intimate narrative.

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