10 books for crime addicts

THE true crime wave shows no sign of stopping, with the recent success of true crime documentaries like Don’t F**k with Cats, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, and McMillion$.

Even America’s most famous reality star wants in on the action. The film Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project, released in April 2020, will see its star investigate miscarriages of justice. New true crime podcasts crop up daily as well, chasing the success of Serial, My Favourite Murder or Crime Junkies by focusing on shocking or unusual offenders.

The genre often faces accusations of sensationalism. You could argue that it’s cynical to profit from human suffering, or that it encourages worship of ‘evil genius’ serial killers at the expense of their victims.

Books, however, have the space to explore enthralling topics with context for the crimes and empathy towards the victims, if they’re done right.

If you want to explore the world of written crime journalism, check out these 10 titles which are gripping, thoroughly researched and critically-acclaimed:

1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 2. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

3. Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burn

4. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi 5. Party Monster by James St James 6. The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm

7. Unbelievable by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong 8. Columbine by Dave Cullen

9. The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial by Maggie Nelson

10. The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule.