For Readers: Blog

Criminally good reading

Today's true crime books are much more than the rumor-packed paperbacks of decades past. Mixing personal stories, lesser-known history, and a range of outlandish crimes, the standouts in the genre hook us just like the investigative podcasts and TV series we can’t get enough of. Like our favorite fiction, these are stories that are hard to put down. Because these true-crime-light titles touch on multiple topics and are highly readable, they’re great for book clubs and for anyone who isn’t normally a fan of nonfiction. After all, sometimes fact really is stranger than fiction!

The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson eases readers into the criminal underworld with a museum robbery and goes on to reveal the unexpected subculture around fly-tying for anglers and the black market it has created for feathers. This well-researched, easy-to-read book bounces between historical insights and the details behind a bizarre crime. This book caught the attention of fans of science and history writing as well as true crime readers. You’ll be left wondering about the motivations behind the crime and the human urge to capture the beauty of nature. [e-book | print]

In Say Nothing, author Patrick Radden Keefe emphasizes the human toll of the devastating conflict in Northern Ireland by examining the abduction and murder of a widowed mother of ten. A moving portrait of the Troubles on a personal and societal level, this book looks at the lasting effects of this traumatic period (1968–98) while also trying to find answers about a murder that never saw justice. Audiobook listeners will find that the narrator’s accent makes for an especially powerful telling. [e-book | print | audiobook]

American Fire by Monica Hesse is an oddly compelling story of love and loss, centered around an arson spree. Early in her investigation, Hesse reveals the culprits behind more than 80 fires in a five-month period. While Hesse follows the outcomes of the crimes, she also tries to understand the motive behind the arson: was it blind love or something bigger than the couple? Partially a social commentary about the pressures of small town life and the struggles of rural America, this is a well-written examination of how this isolated crime streak divided and united a community. [e-book | print | audiobook]

The King of Confidence by Miles Harvey is a quirky bit of American history, introducing readers to the greatest Midwestern fraudster you’ve never heard of. Harvey takes us back to antebellum America and the inexplicable rise of James Jesse Strang, a charismatic preacher who declared himself divine king and set up an outpost of his own Mormon sect. What followed was a string of questionable and often criminal activity. This page-turner will appeal to fans of The Devil in the White City, mixing history and larger-than-life figures to paint a vivid picture of the unruly and rapidly evolving era that allowed Strang to get away with so much bad behavior. [e-book]

In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann highlights a dark but important episode of American history. In 1920s Oklahoma, the discovery of oil beneath Osage Nation meant the Osage had become some of the richest people in the world. One by one, these wealthy figures were targeted and killed, eventually tallying more than two dozen unsolved murders. Grann reveals the conspiracy and corruption that allowed for such violence and gives a history of the fledgling FBI and its involvement in the investigation. Multiple narrators in the audio version help distinguish between the investigation, trials, and background story. [e-book | print | large type | audiobook]

If you’re still not quite in the mood for true crime, here’s a compromise: Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber is a psychological thriller about a woman who has put her traumatic past behind her, until a viral true crime podcast brings everything back to the surface. Told partially through podcast transcripts, articles, and social media posts, this novel is about more than solving the mystery; it's about family dynamics and the power of the public eye. [print]

--Laura