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11 True Crime Novels That Every Armchair Detective Will Love

Oct 24, 2019 8:00 pm·

By Sarah M. Vazquez

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For the true crime-obsessed, hunting down the best books on the most fascinating cases is a must. Long gone are the days when an interest in the macabre parts of humanity was something to be embarrassed of. Now, thanks in part to the popularity of TV shows like Dateline and 20/20, as well as true crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Serial, devouring everything true crime has become mainstream.

The Best True Crime Novels of All Time

While our collective societal obsession with the morbidly fascinating is nothing new — just binge-watch the hundreds of episodes of Forensic Files if you need a reminder — this is especially true in literature. After all, there’s a reason the Sherlock Holmes novels and the works of Edgar Allen Poe were (and still are) so successful. But when these books tell real-life stories, it’s even more interesting. Because while fiction can undoubtedly shake us, nothing is more terrifying than the truth.

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Keep scrolling for the 11 best true crime novels bound to become your next obsession!

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Best true crime novels truman capote in cold blood

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In Cold Blood

If there’s one book on this list that’s an absolute must-read for the true crime-obsessed out there, it’s Truman Capote’s groundbreaking 1966 classic In Cold Blood. Detailing the savage and seemingly random 1959 murders of Herb, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon Clutter, Capote lays out the case from top to bottom, beginning with that chilly November day and ending with the eventual capture, trial, and execution of the two killers. In this masterful work, Capote writes with both an air of suspense and empathy for all involved, culminating in a book that is less a cut-and-dry recount of a heinous crime and more a revelation about America’s relationship with violence. It’s essentially the granddaddy of the true crime genre.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels ann rule the stranger beside me

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The Stranger Beside Me

Even with dozens of books to her name, there’s one case lauded true crime author Ann Rule will forever be tied to thanks to her chilling debut. The Stranger Beside Me tells the story of Ann’s close relationship with trusted co-worker Ted Bundy — and the slow realization that he wasn’t just her sensitive co-worker, but also a prolific serial killer. The book is both an impressive work of reporting on the infamous case as well as a suspenseful firsthand account of a woman dawning on a fact would strike fear into anyone’s heart: Sometimes the monsters we fear live right beside us.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels ill be gone in the dark michelle mcnamara

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I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

For late crime reporter and True Crime Diary‘s own Michelle McNamara, there was only ever one goal on her task list: Unmask the man she dubbed the “Golden State Killer.” Written as a continuation of her L.A. Magazine piece, “In the Footsteps of a Killer,” I’ll Be Gone in the Dark recounts the crime spree that resulted in at least 12 murders and 45 rapes up and down the California coast between 1976 and 1986. Filled with years of research and chilling descriptions of the crimes, it’s an example of true crime reporting at its best. Over the 10 years the Golden State Killer was active, he was known by several monikers, including the East Area Rapist, the Diamond Knot Killer and the Original Night Stalker. But it was Michelle’s epithet that would be broadcasted worldwide in April 2018 when this elusive criminal was finally brought to justice. Despite her unfortunate absence, it felt like a posthumous win.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels adnans story rabia chaudry

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Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial

It’s the case at the heart of the true crime podcast heard around the world, Serial. In Adnan’s Story, attorney and family friend Rabia Chaudry reveals that there is much more to Adnan’s story than we previously thought. Filled with everything from key evidence pointing to a potential new suspect to stories about life after Serial for both her and Adnan, this book gets to the heart of the 18-year-old case that is anything but closed.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels crime of the century dennis l breo

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The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murders That Shocked a Nation

It’s a crime that, in a world post-Manson and Dahmer, has been largely overshadowed, but ask anyone around in 1966 about a man named Richard Speck and you might just see the color drain from their face. The Crime of the Century tells the story of that violent July night, the murders of eight innocent, young nurses and the harrowing tale of the crimes’ only survivor, Corazon Amurao. Told from the vantage point of Dennis L. Breo, a journalist who extensively covered the case, and William J. Martin, the prosecutor who put Speck away for life, this book explores the truth of the investigation, the crime itself and the subsequent life of the only survivor of “the crime that murdered American innocence.”

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels lost girls robert kolker

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Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery

As you read this, there is a serial killer loose on Long Island, 40 miles outside of New York City. Believed to be behind the murders of 10 to 16 people (mainly sex workers) over the last 20 years, the Long Island Serial Killer — also known as the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper — is the subject of award-winning investigative reporter Robert Kolker’s bestseller, Lost Girls. A humanizing account of victims’ stories as well as the hunt for their killer, Kolker provides readers with an in-depth look into the shadowy world of online escorts while also presenting a riveting critique on society’s treatment of “high-risk” women and how it (along with law enforcement) seem to continually let them down.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels helter skelter vincent bugliosi

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Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

He was the most notorious murderer to ever enter the American psyche, and in Helter Skelter, author and prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi tells the true story of Charles Manson and the murders that made him famous. Covering everything from the crimes themselves to how Bugliosi built his case against Manson and his “family,” the book is a captivating breakdown of the murders that marked the end of the Swinging Sixties and the beginning of a darkness that would come to define following decades in America.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels devil in the white city erik larson

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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Though it reads like a fictional account of a vicious murderer loose at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, Erik Larson’s incredibly popular tale of serial killer H. H. Holmes is anything but fiction. Filled with an incredible amount of research layered upon riveting storytelling, The Devil in the White City recounts the life of H. H. Holmes and the “murder house” that made him a household name. As suspenseful as it is informative, this book ultimately examines the depravity of man on the cusp of modern times.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels amy james renner

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Amy — My Search for Her Killer: Secrets and Suspects in the Unsolved Murder of Amy Mihaljevic

It’s a story close to the hearts of many in the true crime community. For the first time, author James Renner tells the tale of Amy Mihaljevic‘s disappearance and his subsequent obsession with solving the case. In 1989, 10-year-old Amy disappeared. Her image, side ponytail and all, was plastered across local news, leaving a mark on the mind of then 11-year-old James some 50 miles away. Sadly, Amy’s body was found a few months later, and the case remains unsolved. The book picks up with a now adult James and his journey to find the truth behind what happened to the girl with the sideways ponytail that never left his mind.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels columbine dave cullen

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Columbine

It’s a story that has unfortunately become all too common. In 1999, however, the events that took place at Columbine High School ushered in a new era of school violence, forever changing the world as we knew it. In Columbine, reporter Dave Cullen lays out the entire narrative of what really happened that day, delivering in-depth profiles of the shooters as well as stories of the community’s struggle to cope in the aftermath of America’s first major school shooting. 10 years in the making, the 2010 book draws on hundreds of interviews and police evidence to show that what transpired that fateful day was a result of so much more than bullying and a love of Marilyn Manson.

Where to buy: Amazon

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Best true crime novels mind hunter john douglas

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Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit

For every armchair detective out there, the idea of hunting serial killers as a day job sounds like a dream. But in John E. Douglas’ classic book, you’re presented with a real, behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to catch these criminals — as well as the nightmare that hunting monsters can truly become. Based on Douglas’ 25-year tenure in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, Mindhunter delves into his pursuit and profiling of some of the nation’s most feared serial killers, including Charles Manson, Ed Gein and the Green River Killer, a case that almost ended in his demise. Inspiring both the John Douglas character in Silence of the Lambs and a Netflix series of the same name, this book is bone-chilling in its detail and one you won’t be able to put down.

Where to buy: Amazon

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