True Crime

    Long Haul by Frank Figliuzzi

    Frank Figliuzzi was a special agent for the FBI for twenty-five years, so he knows his stuff and is in a great position to tell the story of the “Highway Serial Killings Initiative.” This special unit was formed to work on solving the Murders taking place across the country for many years. How many victims? …

    The True Crime Quiz Book by Chris Alan

    Publication Date May 9, 2024 This book is a great idea! True crime fans will love it, and at our group meeting, I found that even those who are not aficionados of true crime books had fun with it. There are hundreds of questions, in a variety of formats (multiple choice, etc) so it will …

    Bone Deep by Charles Bosworth and Joel Schwartz

    I’m a podcast fan…also a big fan of Keith Morrison. So I listened to the podcast a couple of years ago, and then read it was being made into a movie (starring Renee Zellwegger). And THEN I got a copy of the book Bone Deep (thanks to Kensington Books Citadel / NetGalley) in exchange for …

    Surviving Dirty John by Debra Newell and M. William Phelps

    A couple of years ago, I listened to to the Dirty John podcast. Having grown up in Orange County and having known more than a few people like Debra Newell and her daughters, I was totally drawn in to the story of the uber-rich woman who had made tons of money as an interior designer …

    We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps

    As a sucker for true crime and someone who has read a TON of books in this genre, M. William Phelps is one of the authors whose books are always on my TBR list, and one whose books generally are well written. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley, I received a copy of his latest, …

    The Book of Atlantis Black by Betsy Bonner

    Publication Date August 4, 2020 As a fan of true crime, particularly the woman-in-danger subgenre, I was happy to receive a copy of Betsy Bonner’s The Book of Atlantis Black from Tin House Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This sad story creeped me out a bit. The author’s sister disappeared, and …

    She’s So Cold by Donald McInnis

    My true crime interest in general and the fact that I have family members living in north San Diego County ensured that I REALLY wanted to read She’s So Cold by Donald McInnis, and thanks to J&E Publications and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for this honest review. Back in 1998, a 12-year-old …

    Death on the River by Diane Fanning

    Diane Fanning is one of the more prolific writers in the true crime genre, and I have read several of her titles, being appropriately creeped out and generally entertained by them all. Usually, I am not familiar with the topics, but I either had read something about this one, or possible listened to a podcast …

    Toxic Rage by A.J. Flick

    True crime is my guilty pleasure – has been for decades, and it seems the world is catching up, thanks maybe to podcasts and TV shows (ranging from sleazy and cheesy to straightforward factual documentaries). Wild Blue Press has published some interesting TC, so I was pleased to receive a copy of A. J. Flick’s …

    Dannemora by Charles A. Gardner

    Joyce Mitchell was a messed up, lonely woman living in the wildest part of upper New York State when she, like many residents in that area, went to work for the prison system…it seems prisons are a big industry in that part of the state. She met and married another employee and they worked at …

    The Menendez Murders by Robert Rand

      If you want a comprehensive book on the Menendez murders, your wait is over! I just read The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation by Robert Rand (thanks to BenBella Books and NetGalley) and now I know way more about this case than …

    Accused by Amber Hunt

    I loved the Accused podcast that discussed the (subtitle) “unsolved murder of Elizabeth Andes.” This book is essentially a transcript of the nine episodes that make up season #1 of the podcast. If you have listened to the podcast, this is nothing new except a nice introduction by Amber, and some comments in the epilogue. …

    Murder in My Hometown by Rebecca Morris

    The true crime genre is my guilty pleasure! I have read dozens of TC books, tend to gravitate to the 364.1523 shelf in the public library, and in my local used bookstore, I head straight for the back wall, lowest shelf. Thanks to Wild Blue Press and NetGalley, I got a copy of Murder in …

    With One Shot by Dorothy Marcic

    With One Shot, by Dorothy Marcic, is a well-written look at injustice in a small Wisconsin town. The crime seems straightforward: a man is murdered and his wife confesses. So, what is the book about? The victim, LaVerne Stordock, was a former police detective who disrupted his whole life to marry Suzanne. Their relationship was …

    Sidetracked by Richard T. Cahill

    I remember the bare outlines of the Tawana Brawley case, when a young African-American girl was reportedly raped and beaten…this was around the time when there were well-publicized racist incidents in places like Howard Beach…and in my memory, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are always on the scene, outraged and speaking publicly at every opportunity. …

    In Plain Sight by Kathryn Casey

    Over the years, I have read and enjoyed Kathryn Casey’s Texas-centric true crime books, including Deadly Secrets, She Wanted It All, and Shattered. TC is my “guilty pleasure” genre, and I have read a TON of books, ranging from the truly terrible to the incredibly interesting. And I was happy to receive a copy of …

    Better Off Dead by Michael Fleeman

    OK, guilty pleasure time! For fans of my guilty reading pleasure, True Crime. Not to be confused with “literature” but DEFINITELY entertaining!!! This story revolves around some truly disgusting people, whose level of hypocrisy is unmatched. Sabrina Limon is a young wife and mother living in Helendale (a town in the high desert of Southern …

    Deadly Obsessions: Three True Crime Sagas by Joan Barthel

    What a deal for true crime junkies!!! Three books in one, and all of them fascinating! The first story, A Death in California, is way more interesting than its generic title might suggest. More than thirty years ago, a beautiful Beverly Hills socialite named Hope Masters fell in love with Bill Ashlock, a handsome advertising …