Best True Crime Books

Discover gripping true crime books that explore the depths of the criminal mind, the lives of the victims, the cultural and historical settings of crimes, and more with our vast selection at Barnes & Noble®. Follow the unbelievable life of the world’s most successful art thief in the aptly-titled The Art Thief and track the footprints of America’s Jack the Ripper in American Demon. The FBI’s founding is steeped in the pages of Killers of the Flower Moon, and conspiracy theories have never looked more convincing than in the modern classic Behold A Pale Horse.

The best true crime books give us a glimpse into the minds and lives of scary serial killers, mysterious murder investigations and secrets of the mob. Many are written with the hair-raising suspense of a novel with unbelievable stories that you’ll have to remind yourself actually happened. Explore true crime stories about missing persons or read about shocking scandals where the perpetrator got away.

If you love the crime, but not so much the true, you can find similar stories in the mystery, thriller and horror sections. You can revel in cozy mysteries from Richard Osman or solve a murder mystery with Agatha Christie. While they can feel real, and some may be based on real events like Bright Young Women, you can enjoy the tension of a crime story in the safety and comfort of a fictional narrative.

10 Best True Crime Books to Read Right Now

Bandit Heaven by Tom Clavin
Blood and the Badge by Michael Cannell
The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy
A Hunger to Kill by Kim Mager
Swamp Kings by Jason Ryan
Framed by John Grisham
The Barn by Wright Thompson
Long Haul by Frank Figliuzzi
The Witch of New York by Alex Hortis
The Incorruptibles by Dan Slater

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