Reading True Crime: 6 Books Full of Mystery and Controversy
Whether it’s because of the drama, the problem solving, or the history, there is no denying that true crime is having a serious moment in pop culture lately. While these experiences are mostly shared via podcast or Netflix documentary, I wanted to share some excellent books on the subject! Here are six books that range from mafia bombings, to testing on cadavers. I hope there’s a little something for everyone!
The Black Hand follows the life of “Italian-American Sherlock Holmes” Joseph Petrosino. We follow his journey navigating his life in New York in the early 1900s where the police department refused to acknowledge his family and neighbors because the new Italian immigrants often couldn’t speak English. He was instrumental in making an ‘Italian Squad’ and most famously, his dealings with the bomb-loving crime syndicate The Black Hand. It’s full of history and was a great read!
Following two different story lines set in the 1890s in Chicago, we learn about the creation and construction of the Chicago World’s Columbian Expo but also of H.H. Holmes and his murder castle. Thought to be one of the first serial killers on record, H.H. Holmes built a twisted murder hotel just in time for all the visitors coming to see the Columbian Expo. It’s filled with not only murder and horror but lots of history about a time I didn’t know much about. It took me a while to finish this (multiple reads over multiple years) but I enjoyed it in small doses.
The quintessential true crime novel. Truman Capote took thousands of pages of notes and interviewed every person in a small town in Kansas to be able to write about a 1959 murder with incredible detail. It almost feels like a work of fiction because of his deep understanding of each character and their thoughts. It’s undeniably a wonderfully written novel, though some parts are dramatized.
Dave Cullen takes us into the world before, during, and after the horrific shooting at Columbine High School. It doesn’t set out to make the two boys look sympathetic at all, but it does go into who they were and how they came to do such a thing. The aftermath is even more interesting because it delves into the media and how its coverage of the event has lasting consequences to this day.
Set in the 1920s in New York, we learn about the rise in research and understanding of poison and its detection. A bit of forensics, a bit of true crime, this book was a quick and interesting look at a world I didn’t know existed.
I remember reading this book in high school and laughing out loud at Mary Roach’s writing. Stiff looks into the world of cadavers and the testing that they are often used for. For someone who loves CSI, this is a must. It is humorous and light so those with a dark sense of humor will enjoy :)