True crime is a nonfiction genre that explores real criminal cases through investigative storytelling. It blends elements of journalism, psychology, criminology, and law enforcement.
This genre focuses on actual events—murder investigations, unsolved disappearances, courtroom dramas, and forensic breakthroughs. It provides readers with a deep dive into the motives, methods, and consequences of criminal behavior.
Best True Crime Books
The best true crime books go beyond surface-level reporting. They reconstruct timelines, examine evidence, and unpack the social, legal, and psychological dimensions of crime.
Whether you’re interested in profiling serial offenders, understanding the criminal justice system, or analyzing cold cases, true crime literature offers unmatched insight into the real world of crime and investigation.
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe: A True Crime Thriller
- Hardcover Book
- Patterson, James (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 416 Pages - 12/01/2025 (Publication Date) - Little, Brown and Company (Publisher)
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
- Olsen, Gregg (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 429 Pages - 12/01/2019 (Publication Date) - Thomas & Mercer (Publisher)
Bye Bye Black Sheep: The True Story of the Notorious Miami Fingernail Bandit
- Wells, Celeste Yvonne (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 153 Pages - 11/19/2025 (Publication Date) - Black Sheep 305 Publishing (Publisher)
Then She Was Gone: A Novel
- Then She Was Gone: A Novel Paperback – November 6, 2018
- Jewell, Lisa (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 384 Pages - 11/06/2018 (Publication Date) - Atria (Publisher)
The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy
- Hardcover Book
- Patterson, James (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 448 Pages - 07/14/2025 (Publication Date) - Little, Brown and Company (Publisher)
The Family Next Door: The Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the Thirteen Turpin Siblings and Their Extraordinary Rescue
- Glatt, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 04/28/2020 (Publication Date) - St. Martin's True Crime (Publisher)
The Shadowed Circle #8 (The Shadowed Circle Library)
- Donoso (Editor), Steve (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 72 Pages - 12/16/2025 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
- Callahan, Maureen (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 06/09/2020 (Publication Date) - Penguin Books (Publisher)
American Black Widow: The shocking true story of a preacher’s wife turned killer
- Olsen, Gregg (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages - 01/16/2024 (Publication Date) - Grand Central Publishing (Publisher)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
- Named a best book of the year by Amazon, Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, GQ, Time, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine, NPR, Vogue, Smithsonian, Cosmopolitan, Seattle Times, Bloomberg, Lit Hub, and Slate
- From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lost City of Z, a twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history
- In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.
- Grann, David (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 416 Pages - 04/03/2018 (Publication Date) - Vintage (Publisher)
True Crime Case Histories - (Books 1, 2 & 3): 32 Disturbing True Crime Stories (3 Book True Crime Collection)
- Neal, Jason (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 418 Pages - 12/05/2019 (Publication Date) - iDigital Group (Publisher)
The Ultimate Serial Killer Trivia Book: A Collection Of Fascinating Facts And Disturbing Details About Infamous Serial Killers And Their Horrific Crimes (Perfect True Crime Gift)
- Rosewood, Jack (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 184 Pages - 10/11/2022 (Publication Date) - LAK Publishing (Publisher)
Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions
- Hardcover Book
- Grisham, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 10/15/2024 (Publication Date) - Doubleday (Publisher)
Small Sacrifices: The Shocking True Crime Case of Diane Downs
- Rule, Ann (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 496 Pages - 07/05/1988 (Publication Date) - Berkley (Publisher)
The Most Bizarre True Crime Stories Ever Told: 20 Unforgettable and Twisted True Crime Cases That Will Haunt You
- Rosewood, Jack (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 176 Pages - 10/05/2023 (Publication Date) - LAK Publishing (Publisher)
Our Little Secret: The True Story of a Teenage Killer and the Silence of a Small New England Town
- Flynn, Kevin (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 320 Pages - 05/04/2010 (Publication Date) - Berkley (Publisher)
The Silent Patient
- Michaelides, Alex (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 05/04/2021 (Publication Date) - Celadon Books (Publisher)
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
- Chicago Exposition
- Nineteenth Century
- True Crime
- Serial Killer
- Thriller
- Erik Larson (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 447 Pages - 02/10/2004 (Publication Date) - Vintage (Publisher)
The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder
- Glatt, John (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 320 Pages - 03/30/2021 (Publication Date) - St. Martin's Paperbacks (Publisher)
College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight
- Cohen, Shawn (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 272 Pages - 05/28/2024 (Publication Date) - Sourcebooks (Publisher)
The best true crime books illuminate real stories that expose the complexities of human behavior and societal flaws. They bring together criminal profiling, forensic science, victim advocacy, and judicial processes in compelling narratives.
These stories don’t just inform—they provoke thought, raise awareness, and foster a deeper understanding of crime’s impact on individuals and communities.
If you’re drawn to criminal psychology, investigative procedures, or legal ethics, exploring this genre can be both educational and immersive.
True crime is not just about the crime—it’s about truth, justice, and the pursuit of understanding what drives people to commit unthinkable acts.
