Do you love true crime books that are so unbelievable that it makes you wonder if it is fiction? If so today’s list of true crime books is for you!
Real-life is often stranger than fiction and nothing proves that quite like true crime books. A well-written true crime book will read like fiction. It will draw you into a story that is so obscure that you can’t believe it is true.
A good true crime book will also share the story of the person or crime in a fascinating way without glorifying or sensationalizing the crime that was committed. It will dig deep into the story of the person and their history without justifying their actions.
Most people, including my family, love true crime books because the stories are so twisted and fascinating that you can’t put them down.
We put together a list of our favorite true crime books. If you love true crime movies and TV, try picking up one of these true crime books!
And if you have a true crime book that you love, share it in the comments. We would love to find more true crime books to read.
True Crime Books
Blood and Ivy
Blood and Ivy combine Harvard and murder in the 1800s. If you love true crime mixes with how the medical system and college worked in the 1800s, this is one that you will probably enjoy.
Devil In the White City
The subtitle, A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America, says exactly what Devil In the White City is all about. I think this is true crime at its best. I could not put this book down. It is like reading a real-life thriller. My dad recently read this, and he enjoyed it as well.
Duel with the Devil
Duel with the Devil is a true crime story from 1799. A young Quaker woman was found dead in Burr’s newly constructed Manhattan Well. It is our nation’s longest-running cold case.
Bad Blood
Bad Blood is the book my husband and I can’t stop talking about. We both read and loved this modern-day true crime story. It mixes the tech world with the medical world in an unbelievable true crime story that happened less than ten years ago.
Above Suspicion
Above Suspicion reads like fiction. This is such a well-written book, and I am now wanting to read more by this author.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon is well written and has a fascinating story that is almost so bizarre that it sounds like fiction. It is Native American history mixed in with the history of Oklahoma and the FBI. If you love interesting, little-known history, I think you will enjoy this one. I highly recommend this book for history lovers and those who love good mystery books.
Catch Me if You Can
This book had me laughing at some points and shocked at other times. It is unimaginable what Frank Abagnale got away with on his crime spree. Catch Me if You Can is a fascinating true crime story.
American Fire
American Fire is a book about fire and crime in rural Virginia. It is about how a close community of people lived in fear of being the next victim. The book is in a way a journalistic type of book, but at the same time, it is a page-turner. If you want to read about a modern-day crime story that you probably have never heard about, this is a great read.
Convicted
The authors of the book Convicted tell their life experiences and how those experiences changed them. It is amazing what faith and forgiveness can do.
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist
I read The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist as part of my nonfiction book for every state challenge This book was so fascinating, yet so sad. It is a story that is so hard to believe happened and yet it happened and happened in recent history. My husband read this and enjoyed it so much that he recommended it to several friends.
The Man From the Train
If you love conspiracy stories, ideas, or just plain crime tales, The Man from the Train is a great book for you. I learned so much about early police work and fingerprints and how the justice system was sometimes misused.
Death In the Air
The author Dawson did an amazing job of intertwining the smog and the killer together In Death In the Air. In December 1952, London was brought to a halt by a historic smog event. One killer took advantage of the smog to hide his crimes. The Great Smog of 1952 is mixed with one of the worst serial killers of modern times. This book is part history, part crime, and part thriller.
What true crime books do you love?
This is a great list! I haven’t read too many true crime books, but they always sound interesting.
My husband and I recently watched the documentary Murder Among the Mormons. That is a fascinating look at a true crime case that happened in the 1980’s involving the Mormon church. I reviewed it on my blog here: https://clearwaterdaybook.blogspot.com/2021/03/documentary-review-murder-among-mormons.html .
One book written about this case is called A Gathering of Saints: A True Story of Money, Murder and Deceit by Robert Lindsey.
Thanks for sharing your list.
That sounds like a very interesting book and documentary!