The best true crime books are a popular genre for TV series and podcasts, but many of the most shocking and riveting investigations into murder, scams, and other unlawful crimes began on the page. In fact, some of the most popular true crime series are based on books (many of them are extended versions of magazine articles).
So, if you want to explore the depths of human depravity—or see what good people do to bring such criminals to justice—read on for 11 of the best true crime books ever written. We’ve got in-depth looks at serial murders, fraud, addiction, and even stealing feathers.
1. Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
Ronan Farrow’s 2019 book details his role in the inception of the #MeToo movement. The author, who formerly worked for NBC News, had conducted considerable investigative reporting on the numerous rape and sexual assault charges involving prominent Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
However, NBC refused to air the story owing to what Farrow claims was Weinstein’s coercion, causing him to take his investigation to the New Yorker for what would become a blockbuster exposé. Catch and Kill is a compelling story about journalism and the lengths that powerful men would go to conceal their misdeeds.
2. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
Not all true crime involves murder. In his 2018 book Bad Blood, writer John Carreyrou expands on his investigation for the Wall Street Journal on biotech startup Theranos. The firm claimed to have produced a game-changing medical device that could do multiple medical tests with a single drop of blood, and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, was positioned as the next Steve Jobs. Bad Blood demonstrates that it was all lies and fraud.
3. Erik Larson’s “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America”
Erik Larson’s immensely enjoyable 2003 book (it’s in every airport bookstore for a reason) tells two twin stories set in late-nineteenth-century Chicago. The first is about the 1983 Chicago World’s Fair and the numerous efforts that went into organizing such a significant and memorable event. The other is that of H. H. Holmes, maybe the first serial killer in American history, whose spree peaked around the time of the fair.
4. Patrick Radden Keefe’s book, Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, published by Doubleday.
This 2021 book builds on journalist Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker piece about the Sacklers, the family behind Purdue Pharma, the firm widely blamed for the opioid crisis. Empire of Pain follows the family’s history, the development of Oxycodone, and the Sacklers’ efforts to avoid being held accountable for the catastrophic consequences of the extremely addictive narcotic.
5. Columbine by Dave Cullen
Dave Cullen’s 2009 book delves into the tragic Columbine High School mass shooting, often in graphic detail. The book follows the two gunmen in the days leading up to the April 20, 1999 massacre, as well as many of the survivors’ struggles in the decades that followed. The book also dispels other myths about the tragedy, including the commonly accepted assumption that the shooters were intimidated or motivated by shock rocker Marilyn Manson.
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6. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, by Michelle McNamara
Few true crime books can claim that they were personally responsible for bringing the culprit to justice. Michelle McNamara became interested in a relatively unknown serial killer who tormented California in the 1970s and 1980s, earning the nickname “the Golden State Killer” as her work drew increased attention to the case and resulted in breakthroughs.
The author tragically died before the book could be completed, but her widower, comedian Patton Oswalt, finished it with the help of crime writer Paul Haynes and investigative journalist Bill Jensen, and it was released in February 2018. Two months later, the Golden State Killer was apprehended and brought to justice.
7. Kirk Wallace Johnson’s book The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
If you’re looking for a real crime narrative that doesn’t involve murder, violence, or anything else that could make you depressed, check out Kirk Wallace Johnson’s 2018 book about a very unique case. In 2009, a guy stole many priceless taxidermied birds and feathers from London’s Royal Academy of Music.
Why? Because the culprit was a member of the salmon fly-tying specialist subculture, and several Victorian-era fly-fishing lure designs included rare feathers, including those from a few extinct birds. The Feather Thief delves into the history of fly-tying, this unusual crime, and its consequences.
8. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry
The Manson Family’s gruesome 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate and her companions in the Hollywood Hills is one of the most notorious crimes in American pop culture, and Helter Skelter is the authoritative account of the atrocities. Vincent Bugliosi, who co-wrote the 1974 book with Curt Gentry, had direct knowledge of Charlie Manson when he served as the prosecutor in his 1970 trial. At the time of Bugliosi’s death, Helter Skelter was the best-selling true crime book ever.
9. Gregg Olsen’s book If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
Gregg Olsen’s 2019 book is a gripping true story about abuse, murder, survival, and perseverance. Growing up in Raymond, Washington, sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek were tortured by their mother, but instead of breaking down, the three established a strong relationship that enabled them to fight for their freedom.
10. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
To Kill a Mockingbird has what is usually recognized as one of the best court cases in all of literature, so it’s not surprising that author Harper Lee, who was also pals with Truman Capote from In Cold Blood, dabbled in true crime. Casey Cep’s 2019 book details Lee’s life and experiences documenting the vigilante death of an Alabama preacher who was acquitted of murdering five family members for insurance money.
11. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Full disclosure: Truman Capote’s classic 1966 work of narrative nonfiction fails to meet journalistic standards. To construct a better story, the author made up and altered information regarding a Kansas farm family’s quadruple homicide in 1959. Nonetheless, In Cold Blood is an engrossing read and possibly the first genuine crime novel.
