7 True Crime Books You Might Have Missed
By: Jean Campbell
Tags: Books, True Crime, Biography, Murder, Bestsellers

7 True Crime Books You Might Have Missed

By Joe Sharkey

The story is part police-procedural, part geography lesson, and all-riveting. Sharkey, a former New York Times columnist, has written several great true crime tales but this one stands out. He expertly develops the two central characters: a rookie FBI agent assigned to a tiny West Virginia town, and the hard-scrabble informant who grows close to him. Their relationship ultimately backfires, scattering carnage throughout both their lives.

This book takes you inside a tight-knit, impoverished community where you’ll find the people both relatable and frightening. It also takes the reader on a journey into the life of an FBI agent, including the pitfalls of working closely with criminals to solve cases.

By Kate Summerscale

For mysterious reasons, this book got a perplexing 4 stars on Amazon. It received the Edgar Award, so don’t let 4-stars dissuade you from giving it a try. If you love history, England, and the puzzle of child crimes, The Wicked Boy will captivate you from page one.

The story begins in 1895 London where a mother was murdered by her two sons. The crime was horrific, the boys’ (aged 13 and 11) actions afterward mortifying, and the punishment swift. It’s clear early on that the younger brother was barely more than a witness. His character quickly fades from the narrative.

The older brother did not receive the kind of punishment young criminals might get today, and the fascinating life of child murderer Robert Coombes is what this story is all about.

His life story plays out at the famous Broadmoor hospital, the battle of Gallipoli, and concludes with a satisfying and surprising third act in Australia.

By Thomas Thompson

Thompson was an award-winning journalist who also wrote bestselling fiction (Celebrity). In Serpentine, he chronicles the story of the man sometimes called “the bikini killer.” What makes this book special is its exhaustive research to understand its central character, the half-French, half-Vietnamese Charles Sobhraj. From chaotic childhood as a budding con artist, Thompson sketches a cold-blooded sociopath who manipulates women, betrays his own brother, and escalates in brutality over the years.

The story stretches over decades and ranges from Quebec to Paris and to east Asia — finally coming to a conclusion in 1970s India. The acceleration of Sobhraj’s crimes intertwines with an international travelogue. His sidekick and partner-in-crime, Marie, makes another fascinating character study.

If you think you already know the story of the bikini killer, there is plenty more to learn. In Thompson’s masterful hands, the story takes on fresh life.

By Deanne Stillman

Set in an off-the-beaten-track town not far from Palm Springs in the desolate California desert, the crime is horrific — but there is little mystery about who did it. The murderer was connected to the huge Marine base in town. Yet, the story begins long before the murder, chronicling the impoverished, working-class lives of the victims.

What makes this story special is how well you get to know the victims and their families. The reader journeys with them, from childhood and family life to news of the crimes to suffering through agonizing court proceedings.

Deanne Stillman captures what it feels like to be down-and-out, struggling, and hoping your kids will have a better future. This is one of those great true crime books that transcends its genre — or maybe brings out the best in it.

By Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James

Another story from the annals of history, but if you hear the word “history” and want to run for the hills out of boredom, think twice. Because this haunting story is written by a former sportswriter/sports statistician who knows how to keep the plot moving and puts action at center-stage.

Who was the man from the train? The authors figure it out, but not before leading you along severals paths scattered with eerie similarities, across dozens of murder scenes, and recounted in vivid detail over 100 years after the crimes. James and his daughter skillfully researched the events of the first two decades of the twentieth century to recreate life between 1900 and the first world war.

This is a page-turning masterpiece, especially if you are familiar (or interested) in the history of forensics and criminology.

By Ann Rule

If you haven’t read Ann Rule or much true crime, this book makes the perfect beginning. The story is well-known as it involves a notorious serial killer, but the perspective is singular.

Newly minted journalist Rule decides to pursue a mysterious string of Seattle murders, following the story to Florida where it turns out her friend, Ted Bundy, is about to face trial.

Rule lived through the terror in Seattle while she was working a volunteer crisis hotline job with Bundy. At first, she couldn’t believe he was the killer. Over time, as she talked with him and interviewed the cops who brought him to justice, she came to terms with reality.

This is a unique book, a bestseller, is a must-read for true crime fans.

By Carlton Stowers

All of Carlton Stowers books are winners. He is a master of the craft of writing and an expert in crime and punishment. Stowers empathizes as well as Ann Rule or Deanne Stillman. Perhaps because his own son committed murder, he understands how heartbreaking it is for the families of victims on both sides of crimes.

In Scream at the Sky, he chronicles solving and convicting a serial rapist and killer who terrorized Wichita Falls, Texas in the 1980s. Five women were killed over a 17-month period, but Farylon Wardrip was finally brought to justice. From their disappearance to Wardrip’s conviction, the story will capture your heart and mind.

But Stowers doesn’t just excel at helping the reader care about the characters, he is also a pro at building suspense. His books are intelligent page-turners.