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Literary Nonfiction » True Crime

Most Recommended Books

All The President’s Men by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

“It gave me a sense that reporting could have a nobility and a moral purpose behind it.”

David Grann, Journalist

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the murder at road hill house - true crime

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

“This is a completely gripping book that looks at a notorious Victorian murder case, often referred to as the Road Hill House case, involving the murder of the young boy, apparently taken from his bed, one night in 1860. Summerscale manages to balance the psychological dynamics of living in a house with many secrets and tensions in the Kent family and the mechanics of the crime solving plot, exactly where are the different members of the household at critical moments. So the story zips along, drawing out the central mystery, without sacrificing psychological depth or historical context.”

Cara Robertson,

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Browse book recommendations:

Literary Nonfiction

  • Biography
  • Essays
  • Memoir
  • Travel
  • True Crime

True crime books have enjoyed a resurgence since the podcast Serial and Netflix series Making a Murderer woke a new generation to the thrill of real-life investigations. For the new fan, there is a rich vein of excellent narrative nonfiction ready to tap into, not least Truman Capote's classic, genre-defining In Cold Blood, and Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song.

The resurgence of enthusiasm for true crime has also seen a wave of brilliant new writing in recent years. The New Yorker's David Grann, himself the author of the best-selling, award winning Killers of the Flower Moon, highlighted in an interview some of the best true crime books that had influenced his work, while the crime novelist Jax Miller independently contributed her favourite reads in the genre.

Casey Cep's book, Furious Hours, was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction in 2019.  Whilst Hallie Rubenstein's book, The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper won the Baillie Gifford Prize for nonfiction 2019

    The best books on True Crime, recommended by Cara Robertson

  • Read
    The best books on True Crime - Studies in Murder by Edmund Pearson

    1

    Studies in Murder
    by Edmund Pearson

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    The best books on True Crime - Classic Crimes by William Roughead

    2

    Classic Crimes
    by William Roughead

  • Read
    The best books on True Crime - The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

    3

    The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
    by Kate Summerscale

  • Read
    The best books on True Crime - Iphigenia in Forest Hills: Anatomy of a Murder Trial by Janet Malcolm

    4

    Iphigenia in Forest Hills: Anatomy of a Murder Trial
    by Janet Malcolm

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    The best books on True Crime - Crime and Punishment in American History by Lawrence Friedman

    5

    Crime and Punishment in American History
    by Lawrence Friedman

The best books on True Crime, recommended by Cara Robertson

Why do women kill? What does violence tell us about human nature? How do the methods of the criminal justice system speak to an era? Cara Robertson—a lawyer, author and expert on the famous Lizzie Borden case—picks five true crime books that deal in murder, individual psychology, public trials and justice.

    The best books on Forensic Science, recommended by Jim Fraser

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Science - The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science by Douglas Starr

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    The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
    by Douglas Starr

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    The best books on Forensic Science - Murder and the Making of English CSI by Ian Burney & Neil Pemberton

    2

    Murder and the Making of English CSI
    by Ian Burney & Neil Pemberton

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    The best books on Forensic Science - The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial by Maggie Nelson

    3

    The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial
    by Maggie Nelson

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Science - Killer in the Shadows: The Monstrous Crimes of Robert Napper by Laurence Alison & Marie Eyre

    4

    Killer in the Shadows: The Monstrous Crimes of Robert Napper
    by Laurence Alison & Marie Eyre

  • Read
    The best books on Forensic Science - Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification by Simon A. Cole

    5

    Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification
    by Simon A. Cole

The best books on Forensic Science, recommended by Jim Fraser

Jim Fraser, veteran forensic investigator and author of Murder Under the Microscope, selects five of the best books about forensic science. Forget what you think you know about the subject from crime fiction and television dramas, and bring a healthy scepticism: this line of work can be as much a craft as a science.

    The Best True Crime Books, recommended by David Grann

  • Read
    The Best True Crime Books - The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer

    1

    The Executioner's Song
    by Norman Mailer

  • Read
    The Best True Crime Books - The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale

    2

    The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher
    by Kate Summerscale

  • Read
    The Best True Crime Books - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

    3

    The Devil in the White City
    by Erik Larson

  • Read
    The Best True Crime Books - All The President’s Men by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

    4

    All The President’s Men
    by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

  • Read
    The Best True Crime Books - The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? by Francisco Goldman

    5

    The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?
    by Francisco Goldman

The Best True Crime Books, recommended by David Grann

True crime books can be all too easily chalked up as a genre of grisly murders and cheap, voyeuristic thrills—but to do so would be to overlook compelling evidence to the contrary. David Grann, whose true crime book revisits long-forgotten, or concealed, crimes in the Osage community of Oklahoma, raises the bar with examples of true crime books rich in historical discovery, literary merit and the kind of political inquiry these murky times are calling for

    The best books on Art Crime, recommended by Noah Charney

  • Read
    The best books on Art Crime - The Medici Conspiracy by Peter Watson and Cecilia Todeschin

    1

    The Medici Conspiracy
    by Peter Watson and Cecilia Todeschin

  • Read
    The best books on Art Crime - Florentine Art Under Fire by Frederick Hartt

    2

    Florentine Art Under Fire
    by Frederick Hartt

  • Read
    The best books on Art Crime - The Lost Masters by Peter Harclerode and Brendan Pittaway

    3

    The Lost Masters
    by Peter Harclerode and Brendan Pittaway

  • Read
    The best books on Art Crime - The Hollow Needle by Maurice Leblanc

    4

    The Hollow Needle
    by Maurice Leblanc

  • Read
    The best books on Art Crime - The Napoleon of Crime by Ben Macintyre

    5

    The Napoleon of Crime
    by Ben Macintyre

The best books on Art Crime, recommended by Noah Charney

Art historian Noah Charney takes us on a grand tour of art theft and looting, taking in the Romans, Cosa Nostra and the man who stole the most famous painting in the world and didn’t know what to do with it.

    The best books on Investigative Journalism, recommended by Nick Davies

  • Read
    The best books on Investigative Journalism - All The President’s Men by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

    1

    All The President’s Men
    by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

  • Read
    The best books on Investigative Journalism - A Hack’s Progress by Phillip Knightley

    2

    A Hack’s Progress
    by Phillip Knightley

  • Read
    The best books on Investigative Journalism - Good Times, Bad Times by Harold Evans

    3

    Good Times, Bad Times
    by Harold Evans

  • Read
    The best books on Investigative Journalism - Toxic Sludge is Good for You by John Stauber

    4

    Toxic Sludge is Good for You
    by John Stauber

  • Read
    The best books on Investigative Journalism - The New Journalism by Tom Wolfe

    5

    The New Journalism
    by Tom Wolfe

The best books on Investigative Journalism, recommended by Nick Davies

The investigative journalist says when he started out reporting PR copy was a real rarity. If you were writing about crime, you’d call the police station and speak to an officer.

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