Even though it has been a few weeks since I finished Patrick Radden Keefe’s Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (Penguin Random House, 2021), the book does not feel over for me. The book has not left me. Part of the reason why I still feel very much in the middle of this …
The Donnellys: Powder Keg (Vol. 1) by John Little
In The Donnellys: Powder Keg, 1840-1880, Vol. 1 (ECW Press, 2021), author John Little delves into the history of the infamous Irish-Canadian family known as the ‘Black’ Donnellys. The notoriety of the Donnelly family has lived on within the popular imagination of many Canadians, their crimes and escapades often being recounted by academic historians and writers of popular history …
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White Hot Hate by Dick Lehr
A thoroughly researched and incredibly expansive true crime text about a recent case and its social, political, and geographical contexts, Dick Lehr’s White Hot Hate (Mariner Books 2021) is perfect for readers interested in the US justice system and the complex consequences of fanaticism and misinformation. Lehr’s book is a deep-dive into a 2016 case …
The Uninnocent by Katherine Blake
Katherine Blake’s The Uninnocent: Notes on Violence and Mercy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021) is one of the best non-fiction books I have read in recent memory. I purposefully do not call this book true crime because although it has many true crime elements—a violent murder and the search for the reasons why that crime was committed—Blake’s …
Murder, Madness, and Mayhem by Mike Browne
In Murder, Madness and Mayhem: Twenty-Five Tales of True Crime and Dark History, Mike Browne, host of the popular Canadian Podcast, Dark Poutine, recounts some of his favourite true crime stories. His book, which features episodic, compelling writing that reminds the reader of a podcast, is a must-read for true crime lovers looking for a …
Murder in Matera by Helene Stapinski
From the time she was a young girl growing up in urban New Jersey, Helene Stapinski heard family stories about her Italian forbearers, many in particular about her great-great-grandmother Vita Gallitelli who immigrated to America in 1892 after committing murder. In Murder in Matera: A True Story of Passion, Family, and Forgiveness in Southern Italy …
Mystery at the Blue Sea Cottage
Mystery at the Blue Sea Cottage by James Stewart James Stewart’s Mystery at the Blue Sea Cottage: A True Story of Murder in San Diego’s Jazz Age (Wild Blue Press 2021) is a compelling true crime tale of murder, mystery, and the glitz and glamour of California’s performance culture in 1920s America. The text recounts …
Psychopathy: A Very Short Introduction by Essi Viding
Essi Viding’s Psychopathy: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2019), a part of Oxford’s A Very Short Introduction series, identifies the common misconceptions about psychopathy and instead explores the term medically, psychologically, and sociologically. There is no shortage of both popular and academic texts on psychopathy, especially as the term relates to serial killers, but Viding’s text distills that …
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Cultish by Amanda Montell
Amanda Montell’s Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (Harper Wave 2021)is a deep-dive into the linguistics surrounding cults and other groups. Montell’s study covers various groups whose affiliations are based on adherence to a set of core values that are reinforced through the use of language. A compelling new book, Montell’s well-researched and humorous text tries …
Children Under Fire by John Woodrow Cox
John Woodrow Cox’s Children Under Fire: An American Crisis (Ecco, 2021) is an unflinching look at gun violence in the United States. Cox, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his Washington Post series Children Under Fire presents a detailed account of two elementary school children—Ava from South Carolina and Tyshaun from Washington, D.C.—and explores how they have both been affected …
True Crime Index 