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Nonfiction

Best True Crime Books

True crime earns its place when it treats its subjects — victims, perpetrators, systems — with rigour rather than sensationalism. These are the investigations that get to something true.

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In Cold Blood Truman Capote · 1966 Editor's Choice Get it on Amazon →
Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann · 2017 Essential Read Get it on Amazon →

More worth reading

I'll Be Gone in the Dark Michelle McNamara · 2018 Recommended Get it on Amazon →
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil John Berendt · 1994 Recommended Get it on Amazon →
Say Nothing Patrick Radden Keefe · 2018 Recommended See details →
A Mother's Reckoning Sue Klebold · 2016 Recommended See details →
All Dressed in White Mary Higgins Clark · 2015 Recommended See details →
Beyond the Body Farm William M. Bass · 2007 Recommended See details →
Billion dollar whale Tom (Wall Street Journal reporter) Wright · 2018 Recommended See details →
Black mass Dick Lehr · 2001 Recommended See details →
Cape May Court House Lawrence Schiller · 2002 Recommended See details →
Catch and Kill Ronan Farrow · 2018 Recommended See details →
Cosa Nostra John Dickie · 2004 Recommended See details →
Dead by Sunset Ann Rule · 1995 Recommended See details →
Deadly Angel Fred Rosen · 2009 Recommended See details →
Destination James Ellroy · 1999 Recommended See details →
Die, My Love Kathryn Casey · 2007 Recommended See details →
Filthy rich James Patterson · 2016 Recommended See details →
From Midnight to Guntown John Hailman · 2013 Recommended See details →
Frozen in time Owen Beattie · 1987 Recommended See details →
Furious Hours Casey Cep · 2019 Recommended See details →
Homicide David Simon · 1991 Recommended See details →
Hope Amanda Berry · 2015 Recommended See details →
Human Trafficking and Human Security Anna Jonsson · 2008 Recommended See details →
Mafia son Sandra Harmon · 2009 Recommended See details →
Memorial Drive Natasha Trethewey · 2020 Recommended See details →
Mindhunter John E. Douglas · 1995 Recommended See details →
Never Enough Joe McGinniss · 2007 Recommended See details →
Portrait of a Killer Patricia Cornwell · 1960 Recommended See details →
Ranger Games: A Story of Soldiers, Family and an Inexplicable Crime Ben Blum · 2017 Recommended See details →
Small sacrifices Ann Rule · 1987 Recommended See details →
Stolen Innocence Elissa Wall · 2008 Recommended See details →
Syndromes of Corruption Michael Johnston · 2005 Recommended See details →
The Authentic Life of Billy, The Kid Pat Garrett · 2008 Recommended See details →
The Best American Crime Writing 2005 Thomas H. Cook · 2005 Recommended See details →
The Black Hand Chris Blatchford · 2008 Recommended See details →
The Cinderella murder Mary Higgins Clark · 2014 Recommended See details →
The Devil and Sherlock Holmes David Grann · 2010 Recommended See details →
The Good Rat LP Jimmy Breslin · 2008 Recommended See details →
The Havana mob T. J. English · 1841 Recommended See details →
The Innocent Man John Grisham · 2006 Recommended See details →
The Monster of Florence Magdalen Nabb · 1996 Recommended See details →
The Nuclear Jihadist Douglas Frantz · 2007 Recommended See details →
The blooding Joseph Wambaugh · 1989 Recommended See details →
The complete Jack the Ripper Donald Rumbelow · 1975 Recommended See details →
The corner David Simon · 1997 Recommended See details →
The good mothers Alex Perry · 2018 Recommended See details →
The murder of King Tut James Patterson · 2009 Recommended See details →
The onion field Joseph Wambaugh · 1973 Recommended See details →
The only living witness Stephen G. Michaud · 1983 Recommended See details →
The profession of violence John Pearson · 1972 Recommended See details →
The rapist's wife Kathryn Casey · 1995 Recommended See details →
The real Lolita Sarah Weinman · 2018 Recommended See details →
Today's white-collar crime Hank J. Brightman · 2009 Recommended See details →
Transnational Organised Crime Adam Edwards · 2003 Recommended See details →
Under the Banner of Heaven Jon Krakauer · 2003 Recommended See details →
Understanding Violence Elizabeth Kandel Englander · 1997 Recommended See details →

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