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Books We Like: True Crime
Published 9/21/2020 by Amelia Poovey
Of the many things I said I wanted to be when I grew up, a forensic scientist was one of them. I then took one chemistry class and, well, that list of could-be careers shortened itself. It’s still a field that interests me and I’m sure has contributed to my love of true crime. Also, humans are fascinating. For better or worse, what we’re capable of doing to each other connects us. But so does what we’re able to endure.
Below I’ve listed a few of my favorites, a few honorable mentions, and a few stories that, believe it or not, don’t have to do with murder.
The "Greatest of All Time"
“In Cold Blood”
Truman Capote
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues. As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates mesmerizing suspense and empathy.
I remember having to read this in high school, as if being of a certain age isn’t traumatic enough, making this the first experience with the genre and the way reporting can meet storytelling. This remains one of the most haunting stories I’ve ever read, such that it will still creep into my nightmares. In terms of narrative true crime nonfiction, it feels like everyone else is just playing for second. Here’s to where it all began.
Overall favorite
“The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America”
Erik Larson
Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death.
I recommend this to everyone, nonfiction fans or otherwise. It’s just stunning.
Favorite recent read
“American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI”
Kate Winkler Dawson
Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of America's greatest--and first--forensic scientists, with an uncanny knack for finding clues, establishing proof and deducing answers with a skill that seemed almost supernatural. In a time of sensationalized crime reporting and limited study of evidence, Heinrich spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic methods that police still use today. His work, though not without serious, perhaps fatal, flaws, changed the course of American criminal investigation.
Dawson’s writing is mesmerizing and balanced, blending her knack for journalism and research, with accessible yet enthralling prose. This is a wonderful tribute to an astonishingly capable individual whose contributions helped so many, yet took a heavy personal toll and didn’t always contribute to the collective good. History can take advantage of ability but not ensure a legacy. Genius, love, loss, sacrifice, murder, rivalry. I devoured it. She’s also the author of Death In The Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City which is definitely in the to-be-read pile.
Honorable mention:
“The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer”
Kate Summerscale
Early in the morning of Monday 8 July 1895, 13-year-old Robert Coombes and his 12-year-old brother Nattie set out from their small, yellow-brick terraced house in East London to watch a cricket match at Lord's. In the absence of both parents, the boys spent extravagantly, pawning their parents' valuables to fund trips to the theatre and the seaside over the next several days. But a strange smell had begun to emanate from the building. When the police were finally called to investigate, the discovery they made sent the community into a frenzy of horror, alarm, and a criminal trial that echoed the outrageous plots of the 'penny dreadful' novels.
I pretty much love all things Victoria-era London so I really enjoyed this. Summerscale’s writing is well-researched and atmospheric, striking a lovely balance between crime novel and a peer-reviewed journal article. The grime becomes nearly palpable, as though you’ll smudge your fingers turning the pages but I don’t think you’ll mind. It’s really well done. I’m currently reading The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective also by Kate Summerscale. So far, as suspected, so good.
“Hell’s Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men”
Harold Schechter
Belle Gunness was the rarest of female psychopaths, a woman who engaged in wholesale slaughter, partly out of greed but mostly for the sheer joy of it. Between 1902 and 1908, she lured a succession of unsuspecting victims to her Indiana “murder farm.” Some were hired hands. Others were well-to-do bachelors. All of them vanished without a trace. When their bodies were dug up, they hadn’t merely been poisoned, like victims of other female killers. They’d been butchered.
This is technically a biography but it’s probably fair to assume that true crime fans are also interested in human psychology and the whys as much as the how. Also, like, way to literally start dismembering the patriarchy, Belle.
“The Man From The Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery”
Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James
Between 1898 and 1912, families across the country were bludgeoned in their sleep with the blunt side of an axe. Some of these cases received national attention but most incidents went almost unnoticed outside the communities in which they occurred. Few people believed the crimes were related and fewer still would realize that all of these families lived within walking distance to a train station. After sifting through thousands of local newspapers, court transcripts, and public records, James and his daughter, Rachel, made an astonishing discovery: they learned the true identity of this monstrous criminal and uncovered one of the deadliest serial killers in America.
Reader beware that Bill James is a statistician in addition to an author. I may or may not have just skimmed the entire chapter dedicated to the statistical probabilities that a certain percentage of these crimes were committed by the same or different people. My college statistics professor who generously gave me a C would not be surprised. It’s really horrifying what this person was able to get away with, which also makes this a great case study in how law enforcement practices, trial procedures, and news reporting have advanced for the better.
Non-homicidal titles:
“The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird”
Joshua Hammer
“News Of A Kidnapping”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land”
Monica Hesse
“How To Ruin A Queen: Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Affair”
Jonathan Beckman