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If you’re a true crime reader, here are some must-reads to add to your list. 

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Deviant

From the author of “top-drawer true crime” (Booklist) books comes the definitive account of Ed Gein—the man whose shocking crimes inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.

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A Better Ending

A Brother's Twenty-Year Quest to Uncover the Truth About His Sister's Death

For fans of We Keep the Dead Close and The Night of the Gun, a propulsive and moving memoir about a brother’s decades-long investigation into the circumstances surrounding his sister’s tragic death—and his own journey to forgiveness and closure.

The Volunteer

The Failure of the Death Penalty in America and One Inmate's Quest to Die with Dignity

A riveting account of one death row inmate’s quest to die—and a fearless look at how America’s system of punishment has failed the public it claims to serve.

Deviant

From the author of “top-drawer true crime” (Booklist) books comes the definitive account of Ed Gein—the man whose shocking crimes inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.

Ghosts of Iron Mountain

The Hoax of the Century, Its Enduring Impact, and What It Reveals About America Today

Foreword by Kai Bird

A compelling work of investigative journalism that explores the surprising origins and hidden ramifications of an epic late 1960s hoax, perpetrated by cultural luminaries, including Victor Navasky and E.L. Doctorow. For readers curious about the surprising connections between John F. Kennedy, Oliver Stone, Timothy McVeigh, Alex Jones, and Donald Trump.

Raised by a Serial Killer

Discovering the Truth About My Father

The untold story behind the hit true crime podcast The Clearing, this unforgettable memoir traces one daughter’s moving quest to understand her larger-than-life childhood as she searches for the truth about her father, the serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards.

The Anatomy of Motive

The FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Explores the Key to Understanding and Catching Violent Criminals

“A marvelous, thrilling, chilling, and riveting” (Liz Smith, New York Post) look at the root of crime from FBI profiler John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, the authors behind Mindhunter, the inspiration of Netflix’s original series of the same name.

Now Streaming on Hulu

Under the Bridge

“A swift, harrowing classic perfect for these unnerving times.” —Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation

One moonlit night, fourteen-year-old Reena Virk went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Soon to be a limited series on Hulu.

Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder

And Other True Cases

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and true crime icon Ann Rule, the cases in this collection grapple with murder, false identity, and much more.

Cryptomania

Hype, Hope, and the Fall of FTX's Billion-Dollar Fintech Empire

For fans of Bad Blood and Too Big to Fail, an explosive, page-turning account of one of the largest financial frauds in US history, chronicling the utopian promises, human collateral, and incineration of billions of dollars in the 2022 crypto crash, by Time magazine’s technology correspondent.

A Fever in the Heart

Ann Rule's Crime Files Volume III

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and “undisputed master crime writer” (John Saul, New York Times bestselling author), a chilling tale of obsession, manipulation, and murder in small-town Washington.

Waco

David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage

The definitive account of the disastrous siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, featuring never-before-seen documents, photographs, and interviews, from former investigative reporter Jeff Guinn, bestselling author of Manson and The Road to Jonestown.

Also by Jeff Guinn

Manson

The Life and Times of Charles Manson

The New York Times bestselling, authoritative account of the life of Charles Manson, filled with surprising new information and previously unpublished photographs: “A riveting, almost Dickensian narrative…four stars” (People).

The Road to Jonestown

Jim Jones and Peoples Temple

2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime

“A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” (The Boston Globe)—the definitive story of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre, the largest murder-suicide in American history, by the New York Times bestselling author of Manson.

The Stranger Beside Me
Read by Lorelei King

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Rule, “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews), her unforgettable classic account of the horrifying murders in the Pacific Northwest and her shock when she discovered her friend—Ted Bundy—was not only a suspect but also one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.

Audio Download

LIST PRICE $29.99

PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER

Digital products purchased on SimonandSchuster.com must be read on the Simon & Schuster Books app. Learn more.

Get 30% off hardcovers with code MOM30, plus free shipping on orders of $40 or more. Terms apply.

Buy from Other Retailers

Selling the Dream

The Billion-Dollar Industry Bankrupting Americans

Peabody and Emmy Award–winning journalist Jane Marie expands on her popular podcast The Dream to expose the scourge of multilevel marketing schemes and how they have profited off the evisceration of the American working class.

What the Dead Know

Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator

A riveting, deeply personal memoir of more than twenty years of death-scene investigations by New York City death investigator Barbara Butcher.

Mindhunter

Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit

Now a Netflix original series

Discover the classic, behind-the-scenes chronicle of John E. Douglas’ twenty-five-year career in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to delve into the minds of the country’s most notorious serial killers and criminals.

The Man from the Train

Discovering America's Most Elusive Serial Killer

An Edgar Award finalist for Best Fact Crime, this “impressive…open-eyed investigative inquiry wrapped within a cultural history of rural America” (The Wall Street Journal) shows legendary statistician and baseball writer Bill James applying his analytical acumen to crack an unsolved century-old mystery surrounding one of the deadliest serial killers in American history.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden

WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY BOOK AWARD

In Cara Robertson’s “enthralling new book,” The Trial of Lizzie Borden, “the reader is to serve as judge and jury” (The New York Times). Based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence, this true crime and legal history is the “definitive account to date of one of America’s most notorious and enduring murder mysteries” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Devil's Knot

The True Story of the West Memphis Three

*A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON AND COLIN FIRTH*

The West Memphis Three. Accused, convicted…and set free. Do you know their story?

Cults

Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them

Mystery. Manipulation. Murder. Cults are associated with all of these. But what really goes on inside them? More specifically, what goes on inside the minds of cult leaders and the people who join them? Based on the hit podcast Cults, this is essential reading for any true crime fan.

The Babysitter

My Summers with a Serial Killer

This chilling true story and “harrowing account of the evil that can lurk around the edges of girlhood” (Carolyn Murnick, author of The Hot One)—reminiscent of Ann Rule’s classic The Stranger Beside Me—follows a little girl longing for love who finds friendship with her charismatic babysitter, unaware that he is a vicious serial killer.