June 21st Fatjer's Day! All the best gift ideas. Shop NowJune 21st Fatjer's Day! All the best gift ideas. Shop Now

True Crime Books

Whether you love getting into the weeds of forensic investigations, can’t get enough of real-world whodunits or live for serial killer puzzles, the best true crime books like Zodiac and American Demon will have you hooked from the start. Grab the latest crime nonfiction from David Grann and Eric Larson or uncover the shocking truth in The Barn.

Gleaming Streets Hide Dangerous Secrets - Shop Now - London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe
Gleaming Streets Hide Dangerous Secrets - Shop Now - London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

True Crime Categories

Murder & Serial Killers

Organized Crime

Crimes & Scandals

Family Violence

Kidnapping & Abduction

Missing Persons

Assassination & Conspiracy

Narcotics

True Crime Classics

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry

Current price$19.99

Told by the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trials, this unflinching look at all the evidence compiled in the case illuminates a dark episode in American history.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

John Berendt

Current price$21.00

A true crime book of no equal set against the backdrop of the wild and tumultuous social life of Savannah, Georgia, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil reads like a game of Clue on LSD. You won't believe it’s real.

The Stranger Beside Me

The Stranger Beside Me

Ann Rule, Georgia Hardstark

Current price$19.95

Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me is a true crime classic for every bookshelf. A deep, dark dive into the world of Ted Bundy by someone who got to know him before he wreaked havoc on society.

She Redefined the Crime Genre. Now Read Her Life Story - Shop Now - True Crime by Patricia Cornwell
She Redefined the Crime Genre. Now Read Her Life Story - Shop Now - True Crime by Patricia Cornwell

The Architect and the Assassin

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

By Erik Larson

A chilling and very real true crime story from the turn of the 20th century that reads like a thriller.

$21.00
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True Crime

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

  1. Nobody's Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
  2. The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe by James Patterson
  3. Brothers of the Gun by Mark Lee Gardner
  4. The Idaho Four by James Patterson
  5. Only God Can Judge Me by Jeff Pearlman
  6. Framed by John Grisham
  7. The Barn by Wright Thompson
  8. Captain's Dinner by Adam Cohen
  9. Murderland by Caroline Fraser
  10. The Fort Bragg Cartel by Seth Harp