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 …
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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 …
Midnight in Peking by Paul French
In Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China (Penguin, 2013) author Paul French takes the reader back to January 1937 and sheds light upon the gruesome murder of Pamela Werner. The case was never solved and has been largely forgotten for more than half a …
Details are Unprintable by Allan Levine
One could not possibly ask for a more thorough, suspenseful, and fascinating true crime story than Allan Levine’s Details are Unprintable: Wayne Lonergan and the Sensational Café Society Murder (Lyons Press 2020). A consummate historian and writer, Levine provides a compelling account of one of the most brutal transnational murder cases of the mid-twentieth century. …
The Irish Assassins by Julie Kavanagh
Inspired by the discovery of notebooks belonging to her late father, in The Irish Assassins: Conspiracy, Revenge, and the Phoenix Park Murders That Stunned Victorian England (Grove Press, 2021), Julie Kavanagh digs deeper into the historical record to fully reveal the brutal slaying of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Thomas Burke in Dublin’s Phoenix Park by …
Golden Boy by John Glatt
Prolific true crime author John Glatt’s latest book, Golden Boy: Murder Among the Manhattan Elite (St. Martin’s Press 2021) is a thorough and harrowing journey through a story of wealth, mental illness, and murder. Golden Boy details the consequences of a culture of privilege that led to a son’s untreated illness and a father’s tragic …
Black River Road by Debra Komar
In her book Black River Road: An Unthinkable Crime, an Unlikely Suspect, and the Question of Character (Goose Lane, 2016), Debra Komar brings a new perspective to the Maggie Vail murder case of 1869. Passed down in local folklore for generations, the story of Maggie Vail, her child Ella May, and their murderer, upstanding architect …
Murder at No. 4 Euston Square by Sinclair McKay
Murder at No. 4 Euston Square: The Mystery of the Lady in the Cellar by Sinclair McKay is just the kind of true crime I enjoy: historical, full of intrigue, and the well-researched work of an experienced historian. Not only is this crime compelling, but McKay does not miss a single detail in his …
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Empire of Deception by Dean Jobb
Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated a Nation (Harper Avenue, 2015) by Dean Jobb is the story of perhaps the greatest swindler of the twentieth century. Although the better-known Charles Ponzi is remembered today as the greatest con artist of all time, the elaborate schemes …
What Happened to Paula by Katherine Dykstra
Katherine Dykstra’s What Happened to Paula: On the Death of an American Girl (Norton 2021) is a thoroughly researched and deeply personal account of a woman’s investigation into the death of a midwestern American teenager. It also discusses the through lines that Paula’s victimization has with women’s lives across time, including the author’s own. Late …
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