Hey there, fellow thrill-seekers! As the nights grow longer and Halloween approaches, what could be better than curling up with a bone-chilling nonfiction book that makes your heart race and your mind race even faster? I've curated a list of ten gripping true stories that dive into the dark realms of murder, crime, and mystery.
Warning: Sometimes the scariest tales are the ones that actually happened.
The best part? Five of these eerie adventures are available now to immerse yourself in, while we've got a sneak peek at five upcoming releases that are bound to send shivers down your spine. So grab a comfy blanket and a flashlight, because it's time to embark on a journey through the twisted corridors of the human psyche.
Available Now:
Blood & Ink: The Scandalous Jazz Age Double Murder That Hooked America on True Crime by Joe Pompeo (9/13/22) William Morrow | Blood & Ink freshly chronicles what remains one of the most electrifying but forgotten murder mysteries in U.S. history. It also traces the birth of American tabloid journalism, pandering to the masses with sordid tales of love, sex, money, and murder.
Frank Sinatra and the Mafia Murders by Douglas Thompson and Mike Rothmiller (1/10/23) Ad Lib Publishers | The authors draw on previously secret LAPD intelligence files, a cache of FBI documents released to the authors in 2021, and extensive interviews with prime sources, including many who worked with Frank Sinatra and many more who tracked his long and fatal association with the American Mafia.
We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America by Roxanna Asgarian (3/14/23) Farrar, Straus & Giroux | The shocking, deeply reported story of a murder-suicide that claimed the lives of six children--and a searing indictment of the American foster care system. Immersive journalism of the highest order, Roxanna Asgarian's We Were Once a Family is a revelation of precarious lives; it is also a shattering exposé of the foster care and adoption systems that produced this tragedy.
What the Dead Know: Learning about Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher (6/20/23) Simon & Schuster | A riveting, deeply personal memoir of more than twenty years of death-scene investigations by New York City death investigator Barbara Butcher. The second woman ever hired for the role of Death Investigator in Manhattan, she was the first to last more than three months. The work was gritty, demanding, morbid, and sometimes dangerous—she loved it.
Talking with Psychopaths: Letters from Serial Killers by Christopher Berry-Dee (8/22/23) Diversion Press | This rare collection has Berry-Dee at his steeliest best, exploring the downright creepy correspondence with murderers, serial killers, and psychopaths behind bars, with exclusive scans of letters and eerily decorated envelopes. A must-have for fans of the Talking with Serial Killers and Talking with Psychopaths series, a collection that will be bequeathed to the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit at its headquarters in Quantico, Virginia.
Coming Soon:
Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty by Mandy Matney (11/14/23) William Morrow | From the newsroom to the courtroom, to the kitchen-table studio where Mandy recorded her #1 Murdaugh Murders Podcast, Blood on Their Hands is a propulsive true crime saga, an empathetic work of investigative journalism, and an excoriation of the "good old boy" systems that enabled a network of criminals.
The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston (12/3/23) Grand Central Publishing | The Lost Tomb brings together an astonishing and compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present.
A Lethal Legacy: A History of Ireland in 18 Murders by Fin Dwyer (12/19/23) Harpernorth | Astonishing, illuminating, and compelling, A Lethal Legacy chronicles Ireland's turbulent past through one of our most enduring fascinations—the act of killing—and in mapping the causes and aftermath of these cases, Dwyer offers us a fresh new understanding of the fires that forged modern Ireland.
Mistress of Life and Death: The Dark Journey of Maria Mandl, Head Overseer of the Womens Camp at Auschwitz-B Irkenau by Susan J. Eischeid (12/26/23) Citadel Press | In this riveting biography, Susan J. Eischeid explores how Maria Mandl, regarded locally as "a nice girl from a good family," came to embody the very worst of humanity. Born in 1912 in the scenic Austrian village of Münzkirchen, Maria enjoyed a happy childhood with loving parents, who later watched in anguish as their grown daughter rose through the Nazi system.
The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free by Gregg Olsen (1/1/24) Thomas & Mercer | The #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen solves a murder among the Amish and reveals the conspiracy to keep it a secret in a heartbreaking and horrifying true-crime story.
And there you have it—ten pulse-pounding true tales to keep you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the shadows and unravel the secrets within. Whether you're a true crime fanatic or just love a good mystery, these nonfiction books are your ticket to a suspenseful ride. Warning: Brace yourself for the frightening reality, because sometimes the truth is scarier than fiction.
Let's Read Nonfiction is a weekly newsletter that showcases the newest nonfiction titles, with a new topic or theme each week. Some recent topics have been:
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community. If you make a purchase using the links in this post, I will make a small commission. Thank you!