For a change of pace, Supper Sleuths investigated the mystifying and scary world of true crime. All the books on this list are non-fiction—either accounts of true crimes or investigative reports that have been published in book form. Some crimes are capers and frauds, but most books on this list are about murders that happened to real people who left real survivors and sometimes went unsolved.

So speculate about the culprits, murderers, and thieves, and try to figure out the real life mysteries. Few on this list are for the Cozy lover, so hold on for a bumpy ride.

The following is a list of authors who fit into this category. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and please let us know if you feel that an author should be here.

Frank Abagnale
Frank Abagnale

Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story of the Most Extraordinary Liar in the History of Fun and Profit (2000)

George Anastasia
Anne Marie Fahey

The Summer Wind: Thomas Capano and the Murder of Anne Marie Fahey (1999)

Mark Arax
Ara Arax
In My Father’s Name: A Family, a Town (1993

Trevor Armbrister
Joseph A.Yablonsky
Act of Vengence: The Yablonski Murders and Their Solution (1975)

Burl Barer
Robert Lee Yates
Body Count (2002)

Edward Baumann
Jeffrey Dahmer
Step Into My Parlor: The Chilling Story of Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer (1991)

David Black
Helen Hagnes Mintes
Murder at the Met (1984)

Jana Bommersbach
Winnie Ruth Judd
The Trunk Murderess, Winnie Ruth Judd: The Truth About American Crime Legend Revealed at Last (1992)

Susan Braudy
Ann & Billy Woodward
This Crazy Thing Called Love: The Golden World and Fatal Marriage of Ann and Billy Woodward (1992)

Arnold R. Brown
Lizzie Borden
Lizzie Borden, the Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter (1991)

Anthony Bruno
Richard Kulklinski
Iceman: tHe True Story of a Cold-blooded Killer (1993)

Vincent Bugliosi
Charles Manson
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (1974)

Lorenzo Carcaterra
Lorenzo Carcaterra
A Safe Place: The Sotry of a Father, a Son, a Murder (1993)

Teresa Carpenter
Robin Benedict/Massachusetts
Missing Beauty: A True Story of Murder and Obsession (1988),

Lowell Cauffiel
Catherine May Wood
Forever and Five Days (1992)

Alston Chase
Theodore John Kaczynski
Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist (2003)

Wensley Clarkson
Andrew Cunanan/Kevin Spann
Death at Every Stop (1997)
The Mother’s Day Murder (2000)

Marion Collins
Robert Durst
Without a Trace (2002)

Bernard Collins
James Arlon Call
Tailspin: The Strange Case of Major Call (2002)

Patricial D. Cornwell
Jack the Ripper
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper, Case Closed (2002)

Kieran Crowley
Gail Bierenbaum
The Surgeon’s WIfe: A True Story of Obsession, Rage, and Murder (2001)

Lionel Dahmer
Jeffrey Dahmer
A Father’s Story (1994)

Don Davis
Ken Arrasmith
A Father’s Rage (1997)

William Dear
Dean Milo
Please Don’t Kill Me: The True Story of the Milo Murder (1989)

James Deakin
Robert Cosgrove Greenlease
A Grave for Bobby: The Greenlease Slaying (1990)

Timothy Dumas
Martha Moxley
Greentown: Murder and Mystery in Greewich, America’s Weathilest Community (1998)

Peter Earley
Jeffrey Lundgren
Prophet of Death: The Mormon Blood-atonement Killings (1991)

Andy Edmonds
Thelma Todd
Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood’s Most Sensational Murder (1989)

Dianne Fanning
Tommy Lynn Sells
Through the Window (2003)

Michael Fleeman
Margaret Ruding-John David Smith
If I Die (2002)
Stranger in My Bed (2003)

Maria Flook
Christa Worthington
Invisible Eden: A Story of Love and Murder on Cape Cod (2003)

Johnny FranceJonny France & the Mountain Men
Incident at Big Sky: The True Story of Sheriff Johnny France and the Capture of the Mountain Men (1986).

Eric Francis
Fred Neulander Half & Susanne Zantop
Broken Vows (2002)
The Dartmouth Murders (2002)

Thomas French
George A.Lewis
Unanswered Cries: A True Story of Friends, Neighbors, and Murder in a Small Town (1992)

Shirley Frondorff
Steven Steinberg
Death of a Jewish American Princess(1988).

Mark Furhman
Martha Moxley
Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley?(1998).

Terry Ganey
Charles R. Hatcher
St. Joseph’s Children: A True Story of Terror and Justice (1989)

Gregory Gibson
Gregory Gibson/Simon’s Rock, MA
Gone Boy: A Walkabout (1999)

John Giatt
Julie Marie ScullyMarie NoeRichard Sharpe
Blind Passion: A True Story of Seduction, Obsession, and Murder(2000).

Cradle of Death (2000).

Twisted: The Secret Desires and Bizarre Double Life of Dr. Richard Sharpe(2003).

Robert Graysmith
David Joseph CarpenterRobert Hall Starr
The Sleeping Lady: The Trailside Murders Above the Golden Gate (1990).

Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of AMerica’s Most Elusive Serial Killer Revealed (2002).

Brenda Gunn
Shannon Richardson
Deadly Deception: A True Story of Duplicity, Greed, Dangerous Passions, and One Woman’s Courage (2001)

Richard Hammer
Joyce AparoJoseph J. Coffey
Beyond Obsession (1992).

The Vatican Connection (1982).

Miles Harvey
Joseph Gilbert Bland
The Island of Lost Maps: True Story of Cartographic Crime (2000)

David Heilbroner
Virginia McGinnis
Death Benefits: A Lawyer Uncovers a Twenty-year Pattern of Seduction, Arson, and Murder (1993).

Tom Henderson
Leann Fletcher
A Deadly Affair (2001).

Darcy Henton
Charles Chitat Ng
No Kill, No Thrill (1991)

Hal Higdon
Nathan F. Leopold & Richard Loeb
Leopold and Loeb: The Crime of the Century (1999)

Steve Hodel
Elizabeth Short
Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder (2003)

William Hoffer
Ron Goldman
His Name Is Ron (1997)

Sue Horton
Joe Hunt
Billionare Boys Club (1989)

Gary Indiana
Andrew Cunanan
Three Month Fever: The Andrew Cunanan Story (1999)

Joyce Johnson
Joel Barnet Steinberg
What Lisa Knew: The Truth and the Lies of the Steinberg Case (1990)

Aphrodite Jones
Dianne Whipple
Red Zone: The Behind-the-scenes of the San Francisco Dog Mauling (2003)

Brian Kaits
Phyllis Iannotta
The Murder of a Shopping Bag Lady (1985)

Susan Kelly
Henry Albert De Salvo
The Boston Stranglers (1999)

David Kent
Lizzie Borden
Forty Whacks: New Evidence in the Life and Legend of Lizzie Borden (1992)

Sidney Kirkpatrick
William Desmond Taylor
A Cast of Killers (1986)

Gary C. King
Terry King
Angels of Death (2003)

Lawrence Klausner
David Richard Berkowitz
Son of Sam: Based on the Authorized Transcription of the Tapes, Official Documents and Diaries of David Berkowitz (1981)

Dena Kleiman
Cheryl Pierson
A Deadly Silence: The Ordeal of Cheryl Pierson, a Case of Incest and Murder (1988)

Janice Knowlton
George F. Knowlton
Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer (1995)

Gera-Lind Kolarik
Larry Eyler
Freed to Kill: The True Story of Larry Eyler (1990)

Tom Lange
O.J.Simpson
Evidence Dismissed: The Inside Story of the Police Investigation of O.J.Simpson (1997)

Ruth Langlos
Ruth Langlos
Murder, No Doubt: A Widow’s Real Life Nightmare (1993)

Erik Larson
Herman W. Mudgett
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (2003)

Dick Lehr
Whitey Bulger
Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI, and the Irish Mob (2001)

Stephen Levy
Ira Einhorn
The Unicorn’s Secret: Murder in the Age of Aquarius: A True Story (1988)

Clifford L.Linedecker
Amy DeChant
Blood in the Sand: A Shocking True Story of Murder, Revenge, and Greed in Las Vegas (2000)

Rod Lurie
Jon Emr
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Moviemaking, Con Games, and Murder in Glitter City (1995)

Harry N. MacLean
Ken Rex McElroy
In Broad Daylight (1988)

Brian Masters
Dennis Andrew Nilson
Killing For Company: The Story of a Man Addicted to Murder (1993)

Frank McAdams
Richard Overton
Final Affair: The Shocking True Story of Marriage and Murder (2002)

Dennis McDougal
Randy Steven KraftCary Stayner
Angel of Darkness (1991)

The Yosemite Murders (2000)

Joe McGinnis
Bonnie & Lieth Von SteinJeffrey MacDonald
Cruel Doubt (1991)

Fatal Justice: Reinvestigating the MacDonald murders (1995)

Michele McPhee
Christian Paciello
Murder Over Miami (2002)

Angus McLaren
Thomas Neill Cream
A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream (1993)

Lyle Menendez
Lyle Menedez
The Private Diary of Lyle Menedez: In His Own Words, As Told to Norma Novelli, with Mike Walker (1995)

Joyce Milton
Victoria Lynn Morgan
Vicki (1986)

Gene Mustain
Roy DeMao
Murder Machine: A True Story of Murder, Madness, and the Mafia (1992)

Michael Newton
Harvey GlatmanCharles Starkweather
Rope: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Harvey Glatman (1998)

Waste Land (1998)

Martin Obler
Devon Cardou
Fatal Analysis: A True Story of Professional Privilege and Serial Murder (1997)

Darcy O’Brien
John Dale Cavaness
Murder in Little Egypt (1989)

Gregg Olsen
Sharon Lynn Nelson
Confessions of an American Black Widow: A True Story of Greed, Lust, and a Murderous Wife (1998)

Jack Olsen
George Russell, Jr.Keith Hunter Jesperson
Charmer: The True Story of a Ladies’ Man and His Victims (1994)]
I: The Creation of a Serial Killer (2002)

Maureen Orth
Andrew Cunanan &Gianni Versace
Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Manhunt in FBI History (1999)

David Owen
Forensic Science
Hidden Evidence: 40 True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped Solve Them (2000)

Richard T. Pienciak
Eric Napolitano
Mama’s Boy: The True Story of a Serial Killer and His Mother (1996)

Margaret L. Press
Martha Brailsford
Counterpoint: A Murder in Massachusetts Bay (1996)

A Scream on the Water: A True Story of Murder in Salem (1996)

Gary Provost
Konstantine FotopoulosDee Casteel
Perfect Husband: The True Story of the Trusting Bride Who Discovered Her Husband Was a Cold-blooded Killer (1991)

Without Mercy: Obsession and Murder Under the Influence (1990)

Lisa Beth Putlitzer
Jeremy Akers
Fatal Romance: A True Story of Obsession and Murder (2001)

John Ramsey
JonBenet Ramsey
The Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenet’s Murder and How Its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth (2000)

Ann Rule
Thomas Capano,Sheila Bellush,Pat Allanson,David Arnold Brown,Anthony Pignataro,Ted Bundy
–And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano, the Deadly Seducer (1999)
Empty Promises and Other True True Cases (2001)
Every Breath You Take: A True Story of Obsession, Revenge, and Murder (2002)
Everything She Ever Wanted: A True Story of Obsessive Love, Murder, and Betrayal (1993)
If You Really Love Me: A True Story of Desire and Murder (1991)
Last Dance, Last Chance: And Other True Cases (2003)
The Stranger Beside Me (2000)

Mary S.Ryzuck
Danny Rolling
Gainsville Ripper: A Summer’s Madness, Five Young Victims–the Investigation, the Arrest and the Trial (1995)

Aram Saroyam
Andrea Sand
Rancho Mirage: An American Tragedy of Manners, Madness, and Murder (1993)

Harold Schecter
Jane Toppan, Jesse Harding Pomeroy
Fatal: The Poisonous Life of a Female Serial Killer (2003)
Fiend: The Shocking True Story of America’s Youngest Serial Killer (2000)

Lawrence Schiller
JonBenet Ramsey
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenet and the City of Boulder (1999)

Morris B. Schnapper
Sharee Miller
Fatal Error (2003)

Joe Sharkley
Charles Stuart
Deadly Greed: The Riveting True Story of the Stuart Murder Case that Rocked Boston and Shocked the Nation (1991)

Casey Sherman
Henry Albert DeSalvo
A Rose for Mary: The Hunt for the Real Boston Strangler (2003)

Carlton Smith
Kenneth Fitzhugh, Cary Stayner
Blood Will Tell (2003)
Murder at Yosemite (1999)

David Smith
Susan Smith
Beyond All Reason: My Life with Susan Smith (1995)

Gerry Spence
Joe Esquibel
Of Murder and Madness (1983)

Suzy Spencer
Andrea Yates
Breaking Point (2002)

Frank Spiering
Lizzie Borden
Lizzie (1984)

Andy Stack
Randall Brent Woodfield
The I-5 Killer (2000)

James B.Stewart
Michael Swango
Blind Eye: How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away With Murder (1999)

Carlton Stowers
Joy Aylor
Open Secrets: A True Story of Love, Jealousy and Murder (2001)

Bella Strumbo
Betty & Dan Broderick
Until the Twelfth of Never: The Deadly Divorce of Dan and Betty Broderick (1993)

Randall Sullivan
Tupac Shakur & Notorious B.I.G.
Labyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angelos Police Scandal (2002)

Robert Tanenbaum
Charles Yuki
The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer (1987)

Marjorie Thernstrom
Sinedu Tadesse, Roberta Lee
Halfway Heaven: Diary of a Harvard Murder (1997)
The Dead Girl (1990)

Steve Thomas
JonBenet Ramsey
JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation (2000)

Helen Thomson
George Parkman
Murder at Harvard (1971)

James Tully
Jack the Ripper
Prisoner 1167: The Madman Who Was jack the Ripper (1997)

Eric Van Hoffman
Gerald Armand Gallego
A Venom in the Blood (1990)

Kent Walker
Sante Kimes
Son of a Grifter: The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America: A Memoir by the Other Son (2001)

John Walsh
America’s Most Wante
No Mercy: The Host of America’s Most Wanted Hunts the Worst Criminals of Our Time–in Shattering True Crime Cases (1998)

Joseph Wambaugh
Susan Reinert, Karl Hettinger
Echoes in the Darkness (1987)
The Onion Field (1973)

Ronald J.Watkins
Suzanne Maria Rosetta
Evil Intentions: The Story of How an Act of Kindness Led to Senseless Murder (1992)

Mike Weiss
Dan White
The San Francisco City Hall Killings (1984)

Sheila Weller
Diane Pikul
Marrying the Hangman: A True Story of Privilege, Marriage and Murder (1998)

Linda Wolfe
Richard Caputo, Jennifer Levin
Love Me to Death (1998)
Wasted: The Preppie Murder (1989)

WIlliam Wright
Claus Von Bulow
The Von Bulow Affair (1983)

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