List Challenges
Movies Books Travel Food Other
Trending
New
Popular
Sign In
 Make a List Browse Lists Search Lists Leaders Help / Contact Newsletter

The 25 Best True Crime Books Every Person Should Read

"For every suspense novel that shocks and awes readers, there are real life stories that make fiction seem tame and predictable. True crime is a loaded genre: The best authors do not sensationalize violence and human suffering, but they provide context and depth to the crimes they study. In these excellent books we see how all lives—from the perpetrators and the investigators, to the victims and their families—are profoundly changed by the destruction detailed within."
480 users · 2,340 views
 
from esquire.com · made by AnnaBoots
avg. score: 3 of 25 (12%)
required scores: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 
type to search

How many have you read?

Page 1 of 1
Party Monster (James St. James)
Party Monster
1
James St. James
American Fire: Love, Arson and Life in a Vanishing Land (Monica Hesse)
American Fire: Love, Arson and Life in a Vanishing Land
2
Monica Hesse
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith (Jon Krakauer)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
3
Jon Krakauer
I'll Be Gone in the Dark (Michelle McNamara)
I'll Be Gone in the Dark
4
Michelle McNamara
Shot in the Heart (Mikal Gilmore)
Shot in the Heart
5
Mikal Gilmore
Suspicions of Mr. Whicher (Kate Somerscale)
Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
6
Kate Somerscale
Columbine (Dave Cullen)
Columbine
7
Dave Cullen
Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade (Walter Kirn)
Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade
8
Walter Kirn
The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir (Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich)
The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir
9
Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York (Deborah Blum)
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
10
Deborah Blum
Justice: Crimes, Trials and Punishments (Dominick Dunne)
Justice: Crimes, Trials and Punishments
11
Dominick Dunne
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets
12
My Dark Places: An L.A. Crime Memoir (James Ellroy)
My Dark Places: An L.A. Crime Memoir
13
James Ellroy
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (John Berendt)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
14
John Berendt
Killers of the Flower Moon (David Grann)
Killers of the Flower Moon
15
David Grann
Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three
Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three
16
The Brothers: The Road to an American Tragedy (Masha Gessen)
The Brothers: The Road to an American Tragedy
17
Masha Gessen
Blood of Emmett Till (Tyson)
Blood of Emmett Till
18
Tyson
The Devil in the White City (Erik Larson)
The Devil in the White City
19
Erik Larson
People Who Eat Darkness
People Who Eat Darkness
20
The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial (Maggie Nelson)
The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial
21
Maggie Nelson
Helter Skelter (Vincent Bugliosi)
Helter Skelter
22
Vincent Bugliosi
THE JOURNALIST AND THE MURDERER by Janet Malcolm
THE JOURNALIST AND THE MURDERER by Janet Malcolm
23
The Stranger Beside Me (Ann Rule)
The Stranger Beside Me
24
Ann Rule
In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
In Cold Blood
25
Truman Capote
Page 1 of 1
 Your Results
Click the SHOW MY RESULTS button
above to calculate your results.
Click books you've read
Lists Similar to 'The 25 Best True Crime Books Every Person Should Read'
Marlene's True Crime Books/Best True Crime Books
Marlene's True Crime Books/Best True Crime Books
225
167
True Crime Obsessed Podcast Films Covered So Far as of 7/31/19 (True Crime Documentaries)
True Crime Obsessed Podcast Films Covered So Far as of 7/31/19 (True Crime Documentaries)
171
76
True Crime Docket's 22 True Crime TV Episodes That Will Make You Want to Skip Thanksgiving
True Crime Docket's 22 True Crime TV Episodes That Will Make You Want to Skip Thanksgiving
25
22
True Crime Books Amelia Has Read or Wants to Read in the Future
True Crime Books Amelia Has Read or Wants to Read in the Future
117
138
Book Riot's 50 Must-Read True Crime Books
Book Riot's 50 Must-Read True Crime Books
385
50
Reading Murder Books Tryin' to Stay Hip: The Broken Token's True Crime Book Hit Parade...
Reading Murder Books Tryin' to Stay Hip: The Broken Token's True Crime Book Hit Parade...
211
88
Read Forward's 40 Best True Crime Novels of All Time
Read Forward's 40 Best True Crime Novels of All Time
208
40
18 Creepily Fascinating True Crime Books You Really Need to Read
18 Creepily Fascinating True Crime Books You Really Need to Read
322
18
27 True Crime Books Fans of "Serial" Should Read
27 True Crime Books Fans of "Serial" Should Read
270
27
True Crime Books FJ Read
True Crime Books FJ Read
151
31
True Crime Books Karen F. Has Read
True Crime Books Karen F. Has Read
153
111
True Crime Books Everyone Should Read
True Crime Books Everyone Should Read
129
26
The 33 Best Serial Killer Books [For All You True Crime Lovers]
The 33 Best Serial Killer Books [For All You True Crime Lovers]
215
33
10 Best True Crime Movies Based on Books
10 Best True Crime Movies Based on Books
130
10
Crime Fiction and True Crime 60
Crime Fiction and True Crime 60
271
61
20 Books Every Smart Person Should Read
20 Books Every Smart Person Should Read
13,967
20
Esquire's 80 Books Every Person Should Read
Esquire's 80 Books Every Person Should Read
6,934
80
80 Books That Virtually Every Single Person in the World Has Read
80 Books That Virtually Every Single Person in the World Has Read
1,418
80
80 Books Every Person Should Read
80 Books Every Person Should Read
1,084
76
BuzzFeed's 37 Books Every Creative Person Should Read
BuzzFeed's 37 Books Every Creative Person Should Read
251
37
37 Books Every Creative Person Should Be Reading
37 Books Every Creative Person Should Be Reading
197
37
Neil Degrasse Tyson's Eight Books Every Intelligent Person on the Planet Should Read
Neil Degrasse Tyson's Eight Books Every Intelligent Person on the Planet Should Read
142
10
True Crime I've Read So Far
True Crime I've Read So Far
173
20
The 25 Best Movies Based on True Crimes: Esquire
The 25 Best Movies Based on True Crimes: Esquire
321
25
The 25 Best Movies Based on True Crimes
The 25 Best Movies Based on True Crimes
313
25
49 Best True Crime Movies of All Time
49 Best True Crime Movies of All Time
264
49
The 50 Best True-Crime Docuseries According to Rotten Tomatoes
The 50 Best True-Crime Docuseries According to Rotten Tomatoes
175
50
10 Best Romantic Crime Movies Like True Romance
10 Best Romantic Crime Movies Like True Romance
117
10
100 Best TRUE CRIME Shows!
100 Best TRUE CRIME Shows!
116
100
The Best True Crime TV Shows
The Best True Crime TV Shows
101
80
All Similar Lists
Newsletter · Help/Contact · Privacy · Copyright Claim   © 2025 App Spring, Inc. · This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.
Seen It - Movies & TV 
Android & iOS
Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. You can view movies and shows in one place and filter by streaming provider, genre, release year, runtime, and rating (Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, and/or Metacritic). Also, you can track what you've seen, want to see, like, or dislike, as well as track individual seasons or episodes of shows. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Learn more at SEENIT.FUN