iBooks Top True Crime Ebooks

The top most popular and best selling true crime ebooks at the Apple iBookstore. Chart of the top true crime ebook best sellers updated daily.

Chart list of the top true crime ebook ebook best sellers was last updated:

Top True Crime Ebook Best Sellers

1

Under the Bridge - Rebecca Godfrey Cover Art

Under the Bridge

Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey

*Now a Hulu limited series starring Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, and Archie Panjabi!* “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. In this “tour de force of crime reportage” ( Kirkus Reviews ), acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey takes us into the hidden world of the seven teenage girls—and boy—accused of a savage murder. As she follows the investigation and trials, Godfrey reveals the startling truth about the unlikely killers. Laced with lyricism and insight, Under the Bridge is an unforgettable look at a haunting modern tragedy.

2

The Wager - David Grann Cover Art

The Wager

The Wager A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon , a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager , showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire. A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker , TIME , Smithsonian , NPR, Vulture, Kirkus Reviews “Riveting...Reads like a thriller, tackling a multilayered history—and imperialism—with gusto.” — Time "A tour de force of narrative nonfiction.” — The Wall Street Journal On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous senior officer and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang. The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann’s recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O’Brian, his portrayal of the castaways’ desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance , and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann’s work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound.

3

Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann Cover Art

Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon
The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Wager and The Lost City of Z, “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."— New York Magazine • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NOW A MARTIN SCORSESE PICTURE “A shocking whodunit…What more could fans of true-crime thrillers ask?”— USA Today “A masterful work of literary journalism crafted with the urgency of a mystery.” — The Boston Globe In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager !

4

Casino - Nicholas Pileggi Cover Art

Casino

Casino Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi

The true story behind the Martin Scorsese film: A “riveting . . . account of how organized crime looted the casinos they controlled” ( Kirkus Reviews ). Focusing on Chicago bookie Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and his partner, Anthony Spilotro, and drawing on extensive, in-depth interviews, the #1 New York Times –bestselling author of the Mafia classic Wiseguy —basis for the film Goodfellas —Nicholas Pileggi reveals how the pair worked together to oversee Las Vegas casino operations for the mob. He unearths how Teamster pension funds were used to take control of the Stardust and Tropicana and how Spilotro simultaneously ran a crew of jewel thieves nicknamed the “Hole in the Wall Gang.”   For years, these gangsters kept a stranglehold on Sin City’s brightly lit nightspots, skimming millions in cash for their bosses. But the elaborate scheme began to crumble when Rosenthal’s disproportionate ambitions drove him to make mistakes. Spilotro made an error of his own, falling for his partner’s wife, a troubled showgirl named Geri. It would all lead to betrayal, a wide-ranging FBI investigation, multiple convictions, and the end of the Mafia’s longstanding grip on the multibillion-dollar gaming oasis in the midst of the Nevada desert.   Casino is a journey into 1970s Las Vegas and a riveting nonfiction account of the world portrayed in the Martin Scorsese film of the same name, starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. A story of adultery, murder, infighting, and revenge, this “fascinating true-crime Mob history” is a high-stakes page-turner ( Booklist ).  

5

Little Lost Angel - Michael Quinlan Cover Art

Little Lost Angel

Little Lost Angel by Michael Quinlan

A tragic and riveting true crime story of teenage obsession, torture, the 1992 murder of a twelve-year-old Indiana girl, and its aftermath. Twelve-year-old Shanda Sharer carefully selected what she would wear on her first day at Hazelwood Junior High in New Albany, Indiana. She wanted everything to be perfect. Yet two days later model student Shanda was in detention for fighting with another girl. Within a week, Shanda and tough, swaggering Amanda were best friends. Slowly, Shanda began to change, and her worried parents transferred her to another school. But the girls’ relationship didn’t end, sparking homicidal jealousy in another girlfriend. Then, one night, after a rock concert, a clique of four teenage girls did the unimaginable: they drove to Shanda’s home, lured her into their car and committed horrific crimes. Afterwards they drove to McDonald’s for breakfast. Little Lost Angel chronicles this shocking story—along with the investigation and the sensational murder trial involving satanism and child molestation—in its entirety. This is the definitive account of a crime so hideous and tragic that it provoked international attention, and sent an alarming and important message to every family in America. “What is frightening . . . is just how close to normal [these girls] may actually be.” —Jim Adams, Louisville Courier-Journal

6

Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe Cover Art

Say Nothing

Say Nothing
A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Soon to be an FX limited series streaming on HULU • From the author of Empire of Pain— a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. "Masked intruders dragged Jean McConville, a 38-year-old widow and mother of 10, from her Belfast home in 1972. In this meticulously reported book—as finely paced as a novel—Keefe uses McConville's murder as a prism to tell the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Interviewing people on both sides of the conflict, he transforms the tragic damage and waste of the era into a searing, utterly gripping saga." — New York Times Book Review Jean McConville's abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes. Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders. From radical and impetuous I.R.A. terrorists such as Dolours Price, who, when she was barely out of her teens, was already planting bombs in London and targeting informers for execution, to the ferocious I.R.A. mastermind known as The Dark, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British Army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his I.R.A. past-- Say Nothing conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish.

7

If I Did It - O.J. Simpson & Dominic Dunne Cover Art

If I Did It

If I Did It Confessions of the Killer by O.J. Simpson & Dominic Dunne

Years after being acquitted of criminal charges in a case that was highly-publicised in the US, finally in November 2008, OJ Simpson was found guilty of the crime he committed as a result of the penury brought upon him by the efforts of the Goldman Family. This updated paperback edition brings together for the first time the whole story from start to finish. If I Did It includes the actual text Simpson approved of his notorious crime confession.

8

The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story - Ann Rule Cover Art

The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story

The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule

Utterly unique in its astonishing intimacy, as jarringly frightening as when it first appeared, Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me defies our expectation that we would surely know if a monster lived among us, worked alongside of us, appeared as one of us. With a slow chill that intensifies with each heart-pounding page, Rule describes her dawning awareness that Ted Bundy, her sensitive coworker on a crisis hotline, was one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He would confess to killing at least thirty-six young women from coast to coast, and was eventually executed for three of those cases. Drawing from their correspondence that endured until shortly before Bundy's death, and striking a seamless balance between her deeply personal perspective and her role as a crime reporter on the hunt for a savage serial killer -- the brilliant and charismatic Bundy, the man she thought she knew -- Rule changed the course of true-crime literature with this unforgettable chronicle.

9

Blood on Their Hands - Mandy Matney Cover Art

Blood on Their Hands

Blood on Their Hands Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty by Mandy Matney

The highly anticipated inside look at the collapse of the Murdaugh dynasty by the celebrated investigative journalist and creator of the #1 hit Murdaugh Murders Podcast, Mandy Matney. Years before the name Alex Murdaugh was splashed across every major media outlet in America, local South Carolina journalist Mandy Matney had an instinct that something wasn’t right in the Lowcountry. The powerful Murdaugh dynasty had dominated rural South Carolina for generations. No one dared to cross them. When Mandy and her reporting partner Liz Farrell looked closer at a fatal boat crash involving the storied family’s teenage son Paul, they began to uncover a web of mysteries surrounding the deaths of the Murdaughs’ long-time housekeeper and a young man found slain years earlier on a backcountry road. Just as their investigations were unfolding, the brutal double murder of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh rocketed Alex Murdaugh onto the international stage. From the newsroom to the courtroom, to the kitchen-table studio where Mandy recorded her #1 Murdaugh Murders Podcast, Blood on Their Hands is a propulsive true crime saga, an empathetic work of investigative journalism, and an excoriation of the “good old boy” systems that enabled a network of criminals.

10

The Family Next Door - John Glatt Cover Art

The Family Next Door

The Family Next Door
The Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the Thirteen Turpin Siblings and Their Extraordinary Rescue by John Glatt

From New York Times bestselling true crime author John Glatt comes the devastating story of the Turpins: a seemingly normal family whose dark secrets would shock and captivate the world. On January 14, 2018, a seventeen-year-old girl climbed out of the window of her Perris, California home and dialed 911 on a borrowed cell phone. Struggling to stay calm, she told the operator that she and her 12 siblings—ranging in age from 2 to 29—were being abused by their parents. When the dispatcher asked for her address, the girl hesitated. “I’ve never been out,” she stammered. To their family, neighbors, and online friends, Louise and David Turpin presented a picture of domestic bliss: dressing their thirteen children in matching outfits and buying them expensive gifts. But what police discovered when they entered the Turpin family home would eclipse the most shocking child abuse cases in history. For years, David and Louise had kept their children in increasing isolation, trapping them in a sinister world of torture, fear, and near starvation. In the first major account of the case, investigative journalist John Glatt delves into the disturbing details and recounts the bravery of the thirteen siblings in the face of unimaginable horror.

11

The Murders of Christopher Watts - Cheryln Cadle Cover Art

The Murders of Christopher Watts

The Murders of Christopher Watts by Cheryln Cadle

On August 13, 2018 Christopher Watts murdered his pregnant wife and two toddler daughters. Cheryln Cadle contacted him and started visiting him in prison. Christopher started writing her letters from his prison cell in Wisconsin. These letters had his confessions of things he had never told anyone else. Now she shares the letters and the truth about what happened that fateful night in Frederick Colorado to Shanann, Nico, Bella and Celeste Watts at the hands of their father. Was he just a monster or was it truly his girlfriend that he wanted to start a life with the reason he was willing to kill his family?

12

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote Cover Art

In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The most famous true crime novel of all time "c hills the blood and exercises the intelligence" ( The New York Review of Books ) — and haunted its author long after he finished writing it. 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.  In one of the first non-fiction novels ever written, Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, generating both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.

13

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt Cover Art

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

THE LANDMARK NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city: “Elegant and wicked.... [This] might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime." — The New York Times Book Review • 30th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword by the Author. Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this true-crime book has become a modern classic.

14

Among the Bros - Max Marshall Cover Art

Among the Bros

Among the Bros A Fraternity Crime Story by Max Marshall

“Among the Bros is a harrowing and disturbing book. I have read about fraternity life but nothing like this. This book will blow your mind, each page digging deeper into the unimaginable. Except every word is true.”—Buzz Bissinger, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito Bowl and Friday Night Lights A brilliant young investigative journalist traces a murder and a multi-million-dollar drug ring, leading to an unprecedented look at elite American fraternity life. When Max Marshall arrived on the campus of the College of Charleston in 2018, he hoped to investigate a small-time fraternity Xanax trafficking ring. Instead, he found a homicide, several student deaths, and millions of dollars circulating around the Deep South. He also opened up an elite world hidden to outsiders. Behind the pop culture cliches of “Greek life” lies one of the major breeding grounds of American power: 80 percent of Fortune 500 executives, 85 percent of Supreme Court justices, and all but four presidents since 1825 have been fraternity members. With unprecedented immersion, this book takes readers inside that bubble. Under the live oaks and Spanish moss of Travel + Leisure’s “Most Beautiful Campus in America,” Marshall traces several “C of C” boys’ journeys from fraternity pledges to interstate drug traffickers. The result is a true-life story of hubris, status, money, drugs, and murder—one that lifts a curtain on an ecstatic and disturbing way of life. With expert pacing and a cool eye, he follows a never-ending party that continues after funerals and mass arrests. An addictive and haunting portrait of tomorrow’s American establishment, Among the Bros is nonfiction storytelling at its finest.

15

The King of Diamonds - Rena Pederson Cover Art

The King of Diamonds

The King of Diamonds The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief by Rena Pederson

The thrilling story of a brazen, uncatchable jewel thief who roamed the homes of Dallas high society—and a window into the dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of the Swinging Sixties. As a string of high profile jewel thefts went unsolved, "the King of Diamonds," as he was dubbed by the press, eluded police and the FBI for more than a decade and took advantage of the parties and devil-may-care attitude of the Swinging Sixties. Like Cary Grant in "To Catch a Thief," the King was so bold that he tip-toed into the homes of millionaires while they were watching television, or hosting parties. He hid in their closets. And dared to smoke a cigarette while they were sleeping not far away. Rena Pederson, then a young cub reporter at the Dallas Morning News, heard the police reports trickle in while she managed the night desk. With gymnastic skill, this thief climbed trees or crawled across rooftops to get into these sprawling mansions. He took jewels from heiresses, oil kings, corporate CEOs. These were not just some of the richest people in Texas; they were some of the richest people of their time. Scotland Yard and Interpol were on the look-out. But the thief was never caught and the jewels never recovered. To follow the tracks of the thief, Rena has interviewed more than two hundred people, from veteran cops to strippers. She went to pawn shops, Las Vegas casinos, and a Mafia hangout—and discovered that beneath the glittering façade of Dallas debutantes and raucaous parties was a world of sex trafficking, illegal gambling, and political graft. When one of the leading suspects was found dead in highly unusual circumstances, the story darkened. What seemed to be taken from the pages of an Edna Ferber story now crashed head-first into Mickey Spillane. Like the stories of Fantomas or Raffles, the odd psychological aspects of the The King of Diamonds give us different kind of crime story. Detectives were stumped: Why did the thief break into houses when his targets were inside, increasing the risk of being captured? Why did he hide in their closets? Many times, he was so close he could hear their breathing as they slept. As one socialite put it, “It was a very peculiar business.”

16

American Kingpin - Nick Bilton Cover Art

American Kingpin

American Kingpin The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom—and almost got away with it   In 2011, a twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the ultimate free market: the Silk Road, a clandestine Web site hosted on the Dark Web where anyone could trade anything—drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, poisons—free of the government’s watchful eye.   It wasn’t long before the media got wind of the new Web site where anyone—not just teenagers and weed dealers but terrorists and black hat hackers—could buy and sell contraband detection-free. Spurred by a public outcry, the federal government launched an epic two-year manhunt for the site’s elusive proprietor, with no leads, no witnesses, and no clear jurisdiction. All the investigators knew was that whoever was running the site called himself the Dread Pirate Roberts.   The Silk Road quickly ballooned into $1.2 billion enterprise, and Ross embraced his new role as kingpin. He enlisted a loyal crew of allies in high and low places, all as addicted to the danger and thrill of running an illegal marketplace as their customers were to the heroin they sold. Through his network he got wind of the target on his back and took drastic steps to protect himself—including ordering a hit on a former employee. As Ross made plans to disappear forever, the Feds raced against the clock to catch a man they weren’t sure even existed, searching for a needle in the haystack of the global Internet. Drawing on exclusive access to key players and two billion digital words and images Ross left behind, Vanity Fair correspondent and New York Times bestselling author Nick Bilton offers a tale filled with twists and turns, lucky breaks and unbelievable close calls. It’s a story of the boy next door’s ambition gone criminal, spurred on by the clash between the new world of libertarian-leaning, anonymous, decentralized Web advocates and the old world of government control, order, and the rule of law. Filled with unforgettable characters and capped by an astonishing climax, American Kingpin might be dismissed as too outrageous for fiction. But it’s all too real.

17

The Midnight Assassin - Skip Hollandsworth Cover Art

The Midnight Assassin

The Midnight Assassin Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth

A New York Times bestseller, The Midnight Assassin is a sweeping narrative history of a terrifying serial killer--America's first--who stalked Austin, Texas in 1885. In the late 1800s, the city of Austin, Texas was on the cusp of emerging from an isolated western outpost into a truly cosmopolitan metropolis. But beginning in December 1884, Austin was terrorized by someone equally as vicious and, in some ways, far more diabolical than London's infamous Jack the Ripper. For almost exactly one year, the Midnight Assassin crisscrossed the entire city, striking on moonlit nights, using axes, knives, and long steel rods to rip apart women from every race and class. At the time the concept of a serial killer was unthinkable, but the murders continued, the killer became more brazen, and the citizens' panic reached a fever pitch. Before it was all over, at least a dozen men would be arrested in connection with the murders, and the crimes would expose what a newspaper described as "the most extensive and profound scandal ever known in Austin." And yes, when Jack the Ripper began his attacks in 1888, London police investigators did wonder if the killer from Austin had crossed the ocean to terrorize their own city. With vivid historical detail and novelistic flair, Texas Monthly journalist Skip Hollandsworth brings this terrifying saga to life.

18

Murder in Room 305 - Gary C. King Cover Art

Murder in Room 305

Murder in Room 305 by Gary C. King

Kathryn Ann Martini graduated from Yale with a bright future in the banking business. Young, beautiful and ambitious, she had everything going for her. Until she met Michael David Lissy, the sleazy proprietor of a scuba diving school who was a coke addict that consorted with pimps, prostitutes and other known criminals. Burned out and broke, he had nothing going for him. Then he met Kathryn...a match made in hell. On July 6, 1984, the raped and mutilated body of Kathryn Martini Lissy was found at the Valley River Inn in Eugene, Oregon. Soon afterward, police arrested Michael David Lissy, Kathryn's husband of one year. A few months earlier, Lissy had taken out a large insurance policy on Kathryn's life, naming him as sole beneficiary. Then he hired an underworld assassin to stalk and kill his wife. After one of the most sensational trials in Eugene's history, Lissy was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

19

Behind the Door - Amy Price Cover Art

Behind the Door

Behind the Door The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price

The disturbing true story of the notorious Cecil Hotel in downtown LA, by its general manager for a decade and star of the controversial Netflix documentary series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. When Amy Price took a temporary design job at an Art Deco hotel in Los Angeles to help a friend, she had no idea the path it would lead her down. Before long, she would become manager of the Cecil Hotel, seeking to make it more welcoming and correct its notoriety, not helped by sitting at the foot of Skid Row, or the fact that since its opening in 1927, there had been any number of deaths by suicide, and residents such as serial killers Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger. She cared about guests and residents alike, though she faced challenges on many fronts, with over eighty people dying during her decade of service. Among them was Elisa Lam, whose tragic death became the subject of a Netflix documentary series that captivated millions and led to its own controversies and unwarranted personal attacks on Amy. For the first time, Amy delves into her experiences at the Cecil Hotel. Equal parts memoir, true-crime, and cultural history, Behind the Door is essential to understanding one of America’s most enigmatic hotels.

20

The Riverman - Robert D. Keppel & William J. Birnes Cover Art

The Riverman

The Riverman Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer by Robert D. Keppel & William J. Birnes

From a detective who knew “more about identifying . . . serial killers than anyone else in the field,” an account of the search for the Green River Killer (Ann Rule, New York Times –bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me ). After a search of over twenty years, one of America’s most elusive serial killers was finally apprehended. Now, read the true story of one man’s attempt to get inside the mind of the Green River Killer July 15, 1982: a woman’s strangled body was found, caught on the pilings of Washington state’s Green River. Before long, the “Green River Killer” would be suspected in at least forty-nine more homicides, with no end in sight. Then the authorities received an unbelievable letter from the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy—then on Florida’s death row—offering to help catch the Green River Killer. But he would only talk to one man: Robert Keppel, the former homicide detective who had helped track Bundy’s cross-county killing spree. Now these conversations are revealed, in which Bundy speculates about the motive and methods of the Green River Killer—and reveals his own twisted secrets as well. Now, as never before, we look into the face of evil . . . and into the heart of a killer.

21

Chaos - Tom O'Neill & Dan Piepenbring Cover Art

Chaos

Chaos Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill & Dan Piepenbring

A journalist's twenty-year fascination with the Manson murders leads to "gobsmacking" (The Ringer) new revelations about the FBI's involvement in this "kaleidoscopic" (The New York Times) reassessment of an infamous case in American history.   Over two grim nights in Los Angeles, the young followers of Charles Manson murdered seven people, including the actress Sharon Tate, then eight months pregnant. With no mercy and seemingly no motive, the Manson Family followed their leader's every order -- their crimes lit a flame of paranoia across the nation, spelling the end of the sixties. Manson became one of history's most infamous criminals, his name forever attached to an era when charlatans mixed with prodigies, free love was as possible as brainwashing, and utopia -- or dystopia -- was just an acid trip away.   Twenty years ago, when journalist Tom O'Neill was reporting a magazine piece about the murders, he worried there was nothing new to say. Then he unearthed shocking evidence of a cover-up behind the "official" story, including police carelessness, legal misconduct, and potential surveillance by intelligence agents. When a tense interview with Vincent Bugliosi -- prosecutor of the Manson Family and author of Helter Skelter -- turned a friendly source into a nemesis, O'Neill knew he was onto something. But every discovery brought more questions:   Who were Manson's real friends in Hollywood, and how far would they go to hide their ties? Why didn't law enforcement, including Manson's own parole officer, act on their many chances to stop him? And how did Manson -- an illiterate ex-con -- turn a group of peaceful hippies into remorseless killers?   O'Neill's quest for the truth led him from reclusive celebrities to seasoned spies, from San Francisco's summer of love to the shadowy sites of the CIA's mind-control experiments, on a trail rife with shady cover-ups and suspicious coincidences. The product of two decades of reporting, hundreds of new interviews, and dozens of never-before-seen documents from the LAPD, the FBI, and the CIA, Chaos mounts an argument that could be, according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Steven Kay, strong enough to overturn the verdicts on the Manson murders. This is a book that overturns our understanding of a pivotal time in American history.  

22

Molly's Game - Molly Bloom Cover Art

Molly's Game

Molly's Game The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World by Molly Bloom

Now a major motion picture, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera—the true story of "Hollywood’s poker princess" who gambled everything, won big, then lost it all. Molly Bloom reveals how she built one of the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world—an insider’s story of excess and danger, glamour and greed. In the late 2000s, Molly Bloom, a twentysomething petite brunette from Loveland Colorado, ran the highest stakes, most exclusive poker game Hollywood had ever seen—she was its mistress, its lion tamer, its agent, and its oxygen. Everyone wanted in, few were invited to play. Hundreds of millions of dollars were won and lost at her table. Molly’s game became the game for those in the know—celebrities, business moguls, and millionaires. Molly staged her games in palatial suites with beautiful views and exquisite amenities. She flew privately, dined at exclusive restaurants, hobnobbed with the heads of Hollywood studios, was courted by handsome leading men, and was privy to the world’s most delicious gossip, until it all came crashing down around her. Molly’s Game is a behind the scenes look at Molly’s game, the life she created, the life she lost, and what she learned in the process.

23

The Man with Candy - Jack Olsen Cover Art

The Man with Candy

The Man with Candy by Jack Olsen

The mass murder of almost thirty young boys in Houston may well have been the most heinous crime of the century. How could such a series of murders go undetected for almost three years before being exposed? The Man with the Candy is a brilliant investigative journalist’s story of the crime and the answer to that question. The night David Hilligiest didn't come home was both like and unlike other nights when other Houston boys disappeared between the years 1971 and 1973. At three in the morning the police were called, but they just said that boys were running away from the best of homes nowadays and that they'd list David as a runaway. No, there would be no official search for the youngster. Aghast, the Hilligiests, in the months that followed, hired their own detective, put up posters, even sought the aid of clairvoyants. But David never did come home again because, along with at least twenty-six other Houston boys, he had been murdered and buried by the homosexual owner of a candy factory, the mass murderer of the century, Dean Corll, according to his two teenage confessed accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., and David Brooks. Many of the young boys had not even been reported as missing, and the fact that they were dead would probably never have come to light had not one of the murderers confessed. For in Houston, where in a typical year the total number of murders is twice that of London despite the fact that London is six times as large and far more densely populated, missing persons and violence are likely to be considered commonplace. In the months before the trial of Henley and Brooks, Jack Olsen interviewed and probed for answers about the criminals, the victims and the city itself, which remained for the most part silent, angry and defensive. The result is a classic of true crime reportage.

24

The Old Man and the Gun - David Grann Cover Art

The Old Man and the Gun

The Old Man and the Gun And Other Tales of True Crime by David Grann

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a mesmerizing collection of true-crime stories that includes "The Old Man and the Gun"—the inspiration for the movie starring Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek, along with two other riveting tales. "The Old Man and the Gun" is the incredible story of a bank robber and prison escape artist who modeled himself after figures like Pretty Boy Floyd and who, even in his seventies, refuses to retire. "True Crime" follows the twisting investigation of a Polish detective who suspects that a novelist planted clues in his fiction to an actual murder. And "The Chameleon" recounts how a French imposter assumes the identity of a missing boy from Texas and infiltrates the boy's family, only to soon wonder whether he is the one being conned. In this mesmerizing collection, David Grann shows why he has been called a "worthy heir to Truman Capote" and "simply the best narrative nonfiction writer working today," as he takes the reader on a journey through some of the most intriguing and gripping real-life tales from around the world. Look for David Grann’s latest bestselling book, The Wager !

25

Pablo Escobar: My Father - Juan Pablo Escobar & Andrea Rosenberg Cover Art

Pablo Escobar: My Father

Pablo Escobar: My Father by Juan Pablo Escobar & Andrea Rosenberg

THE POPULAR SERIES NARCOS CAPTURES ONLY HALF THE TRUTH. HERE, AT LAST, IS THE FULL STORY. THE INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER! Until now, we believed that everything had been said about the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the most infamous drug kingpin of all time, but these versions have always been told from the outside, never from the intimacy of his own home. More than two decades after the full-fledged manhunt finally caught up with the king of cocaine, Juan Pablo Escobar travels to the past to reveal an unabridged version of his father—a man capable of committing the most extreme acts of cruelty while simultaneously professing infinite love for his family. This is not the story of a child seeking redemption for his father, but a shocking look at the consequences of violence and the overwhelming need for peace and forgiveness.

26

Bad City - Paul Pringle Cover Art

Bad City

Bad City Peril and Power in the City of Angels by Paul Pringle

"Pringle’s fast-paced book is a master class in investigative journalism... when institutions collude to protect one another, reporting may be our last best hope for accountability." — The New York Times For fans of Spotlight and Catch and Kill comes a nonfiction thriller about corruption and betrayal radiating across Los Angeles from one of the region's most powerful institutions, a riveting tale from a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who investigated the shocking events and helped bring justice in the face of formidable odds. On a cool, overcast afternoon in April 2016, a salacious tip arrived at the L.A. Times that reporter Paul Pringle thought should have taken, at most, a few weeks to check out: a drug overdose at a fancy hotel involving one of the University of Southern California’s shiniest stars—Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the head of the prestigious medical school. Pringle, who’d long done battle with USC and its almost impenetrable culture of silence, knew reporting the story wouldn’t be a walk in the park. USC is one of the biggest employers in L.A., and it casts a long shadow. But what he couldn’t have foreseen was that this tip would lead to the unveiling of not one major scandal at USC but two, wrapped in a web of crimes and cover-ups. The rot rooted out by Pringle and his colleagues at The Times would creep closer to home than they could have imagined—spilling into their own newsroom. Packed with details never before disclosed, Pringle goes behind the scenes to reveal how he and his fellow reporters triumphed over the city’s debased institutions, in a narrative that reads like L.A. noir. This is L.A. at its darkest and investigative journalism at its brightest.

27

In Contempt - Christopher Darden Cover Art

In Contempt

In Contempt by Christopher Darden

#1 New York Times Bestseller. For more than a year, Christopher Darden argued tirelessly for the prosecution, giving voice to the victims in the 0.J. Simpson murder trial.  In Contempt is an unflinching look at what the television cameras could not show: behind-the-scenes meetings, the deteriorating relationships between the defense and prosecution teams, the taunting, baiting, and pushing matches between Darden and Simpson, the intimate relationship between Darden and Marcia Clark, and the candid factors behind Darden's controversial decision for Simpson to try on the infamous glove, and much more. Out of the sensational frenzy of "the trial of the century" comes this haunting memoir of duty, justice, and the powerful undertow of American racism.  A stunning masterpiece told with brutal honesty and courage.

28

Unmasked - Paul Holes Cover Art

Unmasked

Unmasked My Life Solving America's Cold Cases by Paul Holes

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "It’s a mark of the highest honor when I say it’s even more riveting than an episode of 'Dateline'." —The New York Times From Paul Holes, the detective who found the Golden State Killer, Unmasked is a memoir that "grabs its reader in a stranglehold and proves more fascinating than fiction and darker than any noir narrative." ( LA Magazine ) I order another bourbon, neat. This is the drink that will flip the switch. I don’t even know how I got here, to this place, to this point . Something is happening to me lately. I’m drinking too much. My sheets are soaking wet when I wake up from nightmares of decaying corpses. I order another drink and swig it, trying to forget about the latest case I can’t shake. Crime solving for me is more complex than the challenge of the hunt, or the process of piecing together a scientific puzzle. The thought of good people suffering drives me, for better or worse, to the point of obsession. People always ask how I am able to detach from the horrors of my work. Part of it is an innate capacity to compartmentalize; the rest is experience and exposure, and I’ve had plenty of both. But I have always taken pride in the fact that I can keep my feelings locked up to get the job done. It’s only been recently that it feels like all that suppressed darkness is beginning to seep out. When I look back at my long career, there is a lot I am proud of. I have caught some of the most notorious killers of the twenty-first century and brought justice and closure for their victims and families. I want to tell you about a lifetime solving these cold cases, from Laci Peterson to Jaycee Dugard to the Pittsburg homicides to, yes, my twenty-year-long hunt for the Golden State Killer. But a deeper question eats at me as I ask myself, at what cost? I have sacrificed relationships, joy—even fatherhood—because the pursuit of evil always came first. Did I make the right choice? It’s something I grapple with every day. Yet as I stand in the spot where a young girl took her last breath, as I look into the eyes of her family, I know that, for me, there has never been a choice. “I don’t know if I can solve your case,” I whisper. “But I promise I will do my best.” It is a promise I know I can keep.

29

The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land - Sally Denton Cover Art

The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land

The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land by Sally Denton

A Publishers Weekly Summer Reads Selection “The Colony is one of the most gripping and disturbing true stories I’ve ever come across.” —Douglas Preston An investigation into the November, 2019 killings of nine women and children in Northern Mexico—an event that drew international attention—The Colony examines the strange, little-understood world of a polygamist Mormon outpost. On the morning of November 4, 2019, an unassuming caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen on a desolate stretch of road in northern Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Firing semi-automatic weapons, the attackers killed nine people and gravely injured five more. The victims were members of the LeBaron and La Mora communities—fundamentalist Mormons whose forebears broke from the LDS Church and settled in Mexico when their religion outlawed polygamy in the late nineteenth century. The massacre produced international headlines for weeks, and prompted President Donald Trump to threaten to send in the US Army. In The Colony, bestselling investigative journalist Sally Denton picks up where the initial, incomplete reporting on the attacks ended, and delves into the complex story of the LeBaron clan. Their homestead—Colonia LeBaron—is a portal into the past, a place that offers a glimpse of life within a polygamous community on an arid and dangerous frontier in the mid-1800s, though with smartphones and machine guns. Rooting her narrative in written sources as well as interviews with anonymous women from LeBaron itself, Denton unfolds an epic, disturbing tale that spans the first polygamist emigrations to Mexico through the LeBarons’ internal blood feud in the 1970s—started by Ervil LeBaron, known as the “Mormon Manson”—and up to the family’s recent alliance with the NXIVM sex cult, whose now-imprisoned leader, Keith Raniere, may have based his practices on the society he witnessed in Colonia LeBaron. The LeBarons’ tense but peaceful interactions with Sinaloa deteriorated in the years leading up to the ambush. LeBaron patriarchs believed they were deliberately targeted by the cartel. Others suspected that local farmers had carried out the attacks in response to the LeBarons’ seizure of water rights for their massive pecan orchards. As Denton approaches answers to who committed the murders, and why, The Colony transforms into something more than a crime story. A descendant of polygamist Mormons herself, Denton explores what drove so many women over generations to join or remain in a community based on male supremacy and female servitude. Then and now, these women of Zion found themselves in an isolated desert, navigating the often-mysterious complications of plural marriage—and supported, Denton shows, only by one another. A mesmerizing feat of investigative journalism, The Colony doubles as an unforgettable account of sisterhood that can flourish in polygamist communities, against the odds.

30

Too Young to Kill - M. William Phelps Cover Art

Too Young to Kill

Too Young to Kill by M. William Phelps

The New York Times bestselling author of Love Her to Death shares the true-crime story of a small-town Midwestern teenager murdered by her own friends. Sixteen-year-old Adrianne Reynolds couldn't unravel the twisted tangles of jealousy and domination complicating her new life in East Moline, Illinois. What began as a fresh start after a troubled home life in Texas ended with Adrianne's body charred, stuffed into garbage bags, and scattered. It seemed the work of hardened criminals, but the truth was far more astonishing: her own “best friends” choked Adrianne to death and cut her up. Now, master crime writer M. William Phelps recounts this horrific saga of teen lust and violence in every gripping detail. Praise for Too Young to Kill “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.” —Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Tell No Lies Includes sixteen pages of revealing photos

31

The Girl on the Velvet Swing - Simon Baatz Cover Art

The Girl on the Velvet Swing

The Girl on the Velvet Swing Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century by Simon Baatz

From New York Times bestselling author Simon Baatz, the first comprehensive account of the murder that shocked the world. In 1901 Evelyn Nesbit, a chorus girl in the musical Florodora , dined alone with the architect Stanford White in his townhouse on 24th Street in New York. Nesbit, just sixteen years old, had recently moved to the city. White was forty-seven and a principal in the prominent architectural firm McKim, Mead & White. As the foremost architect of his day, he was a celebrity, responsible for designing countless landmark buildings in Manhattan. That evening, after drinking champagne, Nesbit lost consciousness and awoke to find herself naked in bed with White. Telltale spots of blood on the bed sheets told her that White had raped her. She told no one about the rape until, several years later, she confided in Harry Thaw, the millionaire playboy who would later become her husband. Thaw, thirsting for revenge, shot and killed White in 1906 before hundreds of theatergoers during a performance in Madison Square Garden, a building that White had designed. The trial was a sensation that gripped the nation. Most Americans agreed with Thaw that he had been justified in killing White, but the district attorney expected to send him to the electric chair. Evelyn Nesbit's testimony was so explicit and shocking that Theodore Roosevelt himself called on the newspapers not to print it verbatim. The murder of White cast a long shadow: Harry Thaw later attempted suicide, and Evelyn Nesbit struggled for many years to escape an addiction to cocaine. The Girl on the Velvet Swing , a tale of glamour, excess, and danger, is an immersive, fascinating look at an America dominated by men of outsize fortunes and by the women who were their victims.

32

Too Pretty to Live - Dennis Brooks Cover Art

Too Pretty to Live

Too Pretty to Live The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee by Dennis Brooks

M urder begins with the click of a button in this true crime  story  of Facebook, catfishing and deadly jealousy—as seen on Investigation Discovery. Chris was a CIA agent worried for the safety of Jenelle Potter. Contacting her parents and boyfriend, Chris warned them that Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth were bullying Jenelle online and posed an imminent, physical threat. Something needed to be done, Chris said. And he’d have their backs if they took action to protect Jenelle. And so they did.  Jenelle’s father and boyfriend murdered Payne and Hayworth in their own home—mercifully leaving the couple’s infant unharmed. But when they told their story to the police, they discovered a devastating truth: there was no Chris. It had been Jenelle the entire time, catfishing them to exact revenge over a Facebook feud.  Using forensic linguistics and diving through the brambles that Jenelle laid to cover her tracks, police were able to put together a chilling portrait of a sociopath who set a double murder in motion from the shadows of the internet. Dennis Brooks, the lead prosecutor in this strange and tragic case, examines the crime and trial from all angles in  Too Pretty to Live . What the police investigation turned up, though, made this crime all the more terrifying. Jenelle had been Chris the entire time, catfishing her family and her boyfriend to act in vengeance on her behalf. Using forensic linguistics and diving through the brambles that Jenelle laid to cover her tracks, police were able to put together a chilling portrait of a sociopath, made all the more ruthless by the anonymity of her online life. Bizarre and unforgettable, Dennis Brooks examines the crime and trial from all angles, bringing his expertise as the lead prosecutor in the strange and disturbing case.

33

Blood Aces - Doug J. Swanson Cover Art

Blood Aces

Blood Aces The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker by Doug J. Swanson

The astonishing story of Benny Binion—a rip-roaring saga of murder, money, and the making of Las Vegas   Benny Binion was many things: a cowboy, a pioneering casino owner, a gangster, a killer, and founder of the hugely successful World Series of Poker.   Blood Aces tells the story of Binion’s crucial role in shaping modern Las Vegas. From a Texas backwater, Binion rose to prominence on a combination of vision, determination, and brutal expediency. His formula was simple: run a good business, cultivate the big boys, kill your enemies, and own the cops.   Through a mix of cold-bloodedness, native intelligence, folksiness, and philanthropy, Binion became one of the most revered figures in the history of gambling, and his showmanship, shrewdness, and violence would come to dominate the Vegas scene.   Veteran journalist Doug J. Swanson uses once-secret government documents and dogged reporting to show how Binion destroyed his rivals and outsmarted his adversaries—including J. Edgar Hoover.   As fast paced as any thriller, Blood Aces tells a story that is unmatched in the annals of American criminal justice, a vital yet untold piece of this country’s history.

34

The Pastor's Wife - Diane Fanning Cover Art

The Pastor's Wife

The Pastor's Wife The True Story of a Minister and the Shocking Death that Divided a Family by Diane Fanning

When Pastor Matthew Winkler was found dead at his Fourth Street Church of Christ parsonage in Selmer, Tennessee, both police investigators and parishioners were shaken and mystified: How could evil strike this cradle of faith? Meanwhile, Mrs. Winkler and her three daughters were still missing… A frantic search for Mary Winkler and the girls ensued. Once they were found, on a beach in Alabama, Mary was charged with murdering her husband in cold blood. But why did Mary pull the trigger? What sexual and psychological abuses did she allege she had suffered? In the months that followed, the crime—and the Winkler's marriage—would be exposed by the national media; Mary herself even appeared on Oprah . Set in a world of domineering men, obedient wives, and unshakable faith, this is the true story about what happened to Matthew Winkler and THE PASTOR'S WIFE

35

One Nation Under Blackmail – Vol. 2 - Whitney Alyse Webb Cover Art

One Nation Under Blackmail – Vol. 2

One Nation Under Blackmail – Vol. 2 The Sordid Union Between Intelligence and Organized Crime that Gave Rise to Jeffrey Epstein Vol. 2 by Whitney Alyse Webb

Exposes vastly under-explored topics compared to other media reports and books on Jeffrey Epstein How did Jeffrey Epstein manage to evade justice for decades? Who enabled him and why? Why were legal officials told that Epstein “ belonged to intelligence” and to back off during his first arrest in the mid-2000s? Volume 2 of One Nation Under Blackmail examines the rise of Jeffrey Epstein and his closest associates, such as Leslie Wexner and Ghislaine Maxwell, and contextualizes them within the organized crime-intelligence networks detailed in-depth in Volume 1. It subsequently details their ties, with a focus on Epstein, to intelligence networks, espionage activity and the subversion of American institutions as well as the role of Epstein and the Maxwell family in the evolution of blackmail in the digital era.

36

The Tangled Web - Michael J. Cain & Jack Clarke Cover Art

The Tangled Web

The Tangled Web The Life and Death of Richard Cain-Chicago Cop and Hitman by Michael J. Cain & Jack Clarke

The Tangled Web tells the dramatic story of Detective Richard Cain, the man the FBI described as “possibly the most corrupt police official in the history of Chicago.” Cain led double life—at once a chief investigator and a “made” man, both a detective who led raids on gambling rings and a soldier carrying out hits for Mafia bosses. Using years of research, interviews, family anecdotes, and rare documents, Michael Cain creates a comprehensive and compelling biography of his half-brother. This edition features an all-new introduction by the author. In a story that reads like the plot of Martin Scorsese’s The Departed , Cain played both ends against the middle to become a household name in Chicago and a notorious figure in both the Mob and the world of Chicago law enforcement. Before his execution by shotgun in Rose’s Sandwich Shop, Cain’s legend would grow to the point of rumored involvement in the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the FBI’s plot to assassinate Fidel Castro. Filled with fascinating and until-now unknown facts, The Tangled Web tells the full story of this one-man crime wave.

37

Predator King - Melissa Cronin, Dan Dorsky & Mike Campi Cover Art

Predator King

Predator King Peter Nygard's Dark Life of Rape, Drugs, and Blackmail by Melissa Cronin, Dan Dorsky & Mike Campi

Jeffrey Epstein. Harvey Weinstein. Bill Cosby. Peter Nygard. With this book, the infamous hall of fame for billionaire sex predators has inducted another member.   Peter Nygard is the most famous and successful fashion designer that you might never have heard of. A Finnish-Canadian crowned the “polyester phenom” by Forbes , he built a nearly billion-dollar fortune shilling pants and blouses for the thirty-five and older set. Dillard’s, Sears, and Wal-Mart all called him one of their top providers, and he boasted a massive flagship store in the heart of Times Square.   As he was building his fashion empire, however, Nygard also was allegedly building a dark international web of sexual predation and corruption―one that countless girls and women around the world claim destroyed their lives.   Like in so many similar cases, Nygard stands accused of using his power, influence, and the trappings of success to ensnare and victimize vulnerable young women.   Dangling the promise of a glamorous international modeling career before them, his victims—some allegedly as young as fourteen—claim that Nygard lured them to his California beach house, Canadian bachelor pad, and massive Caribbean estate, only to subject them to horrors they never could have imagined.   Those are just some of the terrible acts that Nygard allegedly perpetrated behind the closed doors of his dens of evil. Meanwhile, Nygard’s invited guests—such as Britain’s Prince Andrew, former President George H. W. Bush, Robert De Niro, and Sylvester Stallone—were supposedly none the wiser.   Predator King shines a spotlight on how money, power, and political clout can come together to create a monster, one that leaves shattered lives in its wake once unleashed upon the world. How can we find such predators, as they prowl in the darkness? And more importantly, how can a man like Peter Nygard be stopped?  

38

The Life of John Wesley Hardin (Illustrated) - John Wesley Hardin Cover Art

The Life of John Wesley Hardin (Illustrated)

The Life of John Wesley Hardin (Illustrated) by John Wesley Hardin

In an era and an area notable for badmen and gunslingers, John Wesley Hardin was perhaps the most notorious. Considered by many of his contemporaries to be almost illiterate, he nevertheless left for publication after his death in 1895 this autobiography, which, though biased, is remarkably accurate and readable.

39

Unmasking the Killer of the Missing Beaumont Children - Stuart Mullins & Bill Hayes Cover Art

Unmasking the Killer of the Missing Beaumont Children

Unmasking the Killer of the Missing Beaumont Children by Stuart Mullins & Bill Hayes

On Australia day, 26 January 1966, Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont were abducted from Colley Reserve, Glenelg, South Australia and never seen again, leading to one of Australia's most extensive police investigations and manhunts. Five decades later, no trace of the children has ever been found. Over the years, several individuals have been put forward and investigated as suspects, resulting in false leads and dead ends and with no real suspect until now: Harry Phipps. On the surface, he was a gentleman: generous, charismatic, and intelligent-a person of wealth and influence in the community. However, a dramatically different person resided behind the walls of his Glenelg mansion, located a mere 190 metres in direct sight of Colley Reserve. In Unmasking the Killer, author Stuart Mullins (The Satin Man: Uncovering the Mystery of the Missing Beaumont Children (co-author), Joe Bugner: My Story (author)) and former South Australian police detective Bill Hayes expose Harry Phipps as the prime suspect in the abduction, disappearance, and likely murder of the Beaumont children. Over ten pieces of circumstantial evidence linking Phipps to the Beaumont abduction are explored in detail, supported by geographic and predator profiling chapters, which detail how these monsters operate. The authors explore a potential link to the 1973 Adelaide Oval abduction of Kirste Gordon and Joanne Ratcliffe and reveal conversations with Haydn Phipps, the eldest son of Harry and a possible eyewitness to events on that fateful day. Stuart and Bill answer the question: where to next? Along with other experts, they firmly believe the answer to this baffling mystery lay buried at Castalloy, a factory once owned by Harry Phipps.

40

Raging Heart - Sheila Weller Cover Art

Raging Heart

Raging Heart The Intimate Story of the Tragic Marriage of O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson by Sheila Weller

Raging Heart is so revealing that the book itself became part of the actual O.J. Simpson murder trial.  It is the only book to trace the path of O.J. and Nicole’s fatal love story through the eyes of the people who really knew them. Acclaimed journalist Sheila Weller gained the unprecedented cooperation of Nicole Brown Simpson’s family, and had exclusive access to O.J. and Nicole’s friends who reveal private information here for the first time. Though the story that unfolds in Raging Heart was never fully explored in court, the revelations from its incisive reporting sent shock waves through the trial. Raging Heart is full of explosive information from people who knew, but couldn’t—or wouldn’t—tell their stories on the witness stand.  As vivid as a home movie, Raging Heart is an explicit, heartrending look behind the verdict of the century—and the one book the O.J. Simpson jurors would be astonished to read.

41

Swamp Kings - Jason Ryan Cover Art

Swamp Kings

Swamp Kings The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power by Jason Ryan

The stranger-than-fiction story of the now-notorious Lowcountry clan, in all its Southern Gothic intensity—by an author with unparalleled access to and knowledge of the players, the history, and the place. The most famous man in South Carolina lives in prison. He stands convicted of a staggering amount of wrongdoing—more than 100 crimes and counting. Once a high-flying, smooth-talking, pedigreed Southern lawyer, Alex Murdaugh is now disbarred and disgraced. For more than a decade, prosecutors asserted that Alex was secretly a fraud, a thief, a drug trafficker, and an all-around phony. On the night of June 7, 2021, they claimed, he also became a killer, shooting dead his wife and son in a desperate bid to escape accountability. The many crimes of Alex Murdaugh, exposed piecemeal over the last two years, have appalled the general public. Yet his implosion—the spectacular manner in which he has turned his vaunted family name to mud—has also proved mesmerizing. With every revelation, Alex Murdaugh has been shown to be a man without bottom, though he insists he never harmed his family. Remarkably, all of his misdeeds have precedent. In Swamp Kings, Jason Ryan reveals Alex’s evil actions are only the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to the Murdaugh family of Hampton County, history has a way of repeating itself. For every alleged, headline-grabbing crime associated with Alex Murdaugh, mirror-image incidents have played out within his family’s past, including parallel instances of fraud, theft, illicit trafficking of babies and booze, calamitous boat crashes, and even alleged murder. There were some crimes committed by Alex’s kin that even he would not dare mimic. Covering a century of depravity in an impoverished and isolated stretch of the Deep South, Swamp Kings weaves together the jaw-dropping narratives of generations of Murdaughs before culminating in the telling of a murder trial for the ages. Page after page the family’s legacy is laid bare as a spotlight is finally trained on the Murdaugh men who have long lorded over the South Carolina Lowcountry.

42

No Angel - Jay Dobyns & Nils Johnson-Shelton Cover Art

No Angel

No Angel My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels by Jay Dobyns & Nils Johnson-Shelton

From the first federal agent to infiltrate the inner circle of the outlaw Hells Angels Motorcycle Club comes the inside story of the 21-month operation that almost cost him his family, his sanity, and his life. Getting shot in the chest as a rookie agent, bartering for machine guns, throttling down the highway at 100 mph, and responding to a full-scale, bloody riot between the Hells Angels and their rivals, the Mongols—these are just a few of the high-adrenaline experiences Dobyns recounts in this action-packed, hard-to-imagine-but-true story. Dobyns leaves no stone of his harrowing journey unturned. At runs and clubhouses, between rides and riots, Dobyns befriends bad-ass bikers, meth-fueled “old ladies,” gun fetishists, psycho-killer ex-cons, and even some of the “Filthy Few”--the elite of the Hells Angels who’ve committed extreme violence on behalf of their club. Eventually, at parties staged behind heavily armed security, he meets legendary club members such as Chuck Zito, Johnny Angel, and the godfather of all bikers, Ralph “Sonny” Barger. To blend in with them, he gets full-arm ink; to win their respect, he vows to prove himself a stone-cold killer. Hardest of all is leading a double life, which has him torn between his devotion to his wife and children, and his pledge to become the first federal agent ever to be “fully patched” into the Angels’ near-impregnable ranks. His act is so convincing that he comes within a hairsbreadth of losing himself. Eventually, he realizes that just as he’s been infiltrating the Hells Angels, they’ ve been infiltrating him. And just as they’re not all bad, he’s not all good. Reminiscent of Donnie Brasco’s uncovering of the true Mafia, this is an eye-opening portrait of the world of bikers--the most in-depth since Hunter Thompson’s seminal work—one that fully describes the seductive lure criminal camaraderie has for men who would otherwise be powerless outsiders. Here is all the nihilism, hate, and intimidation, but also the freedom—and, yes, brotherhood—of the only truly American form of organized crime.

43

BARE FEET - DEBBIE ALI Cover Art

BARE FEET

BARE FEET by DEBBIE ALI

BARE FEET SYNOPSIS This real life dramatic true crime is based on the abduction of Debbie Ali. A shy, humble and hard working wife and mother of two, Debbie plans to celebrate her birthday with a family lunch. Little does she know of the horrifying events that would follow her 10am phone call, as she is abducted from inside of her home and held hostage for two weeks. During that time she suffers her worse fears; severe torture, brutal beatings, starvation and the most unthinkable sexual assaults. While Debbie's husband negotiates her ransom, her mental and physical torture takes her to a place of desperation where she learns almost supernatural skills to enable her to stay alive. Debbie battles the seeming certainty of death never knowing at what point and how she would die.  While stewing in her own sweat and anxiety, she begins to discover an inner strength she never knew she possessed. Her anguish however, becomes unbearable at the thought of never seeing or touching her young children again or never being able to watch them grow into life. Debbie's mother prays ceaselessly every evening after reading her Bible while her daughter questions her own faith in God for the first time. Why is God allowing such suffering in her life? What has she done to deserve to be treated like trash? With no sensible forthcoming answers to her burning questions, Debbie gives in to exhaustion and death while a sliver of faith lingers. Weak, starved for food and sleep, and delirious Debbie suffers alone in her horrific space of captivity; chained to a bed like an animal, she gives over her seemingly impossible situation to God.  Her trust and prayers initiates a shocking change in one of her captors who after many conversations, eventually repents, becomes her protector and a changed man. The stone cold self professed murderer swears to guard her with his life and see to it that she returns to her children. Mere days away from imminent death, Debbie falls into a sudden deep sleep, or so she believes, until she sees her own body and the room in which she lies. Her journey continues into Heaven with Jesus Christ, during which she finds answers to many of her questions and the awe of the experience remains with her to date. Debbie has deep spiritual encounters with angels and saints and is given the choice to stay in Heaven or return to her children. She makes her choice and is allowed to return to her body, but blessed in mind and spirit knowing that all will be well.  Debbie's vivid recollection of her near death experience has been shared thousands of times over. Upon her release a few days after this divine experience, Debbie uncharacteristically begins spreading her story and the events of Heaven, thus keeping her promise of sharing hope, comfort and counseling to many women and families. Her struggles and story continues...

44

American Predator - Maureen Callahan Cover Art

American Predator

American Predator The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An Amazon “Best Book of 2019” A  Washington Post  “10 Books To Read in July” A  Los Angeles Times  “Seven Highly Anticipated Books for Summer Reading” A  USA Today  “20 of the Season’s Hottest New Books” A  New York Post  “25 Best Beach Reads of 2019 You Need to Pre-Order Now” A Bustle “The Best New True Crime Books You Can Read Right Now” “Maureen Callahan’s deft reporting and stylish writing have created one of the all-time-great serial-killer books: sensitive, chilling, and completely impossible to put down.” —Ada Calhoun, author of  St. Marks Is Dead Ted Bundy. John Wayne Gacy. Jeffrey Dahmer. The names of notorious serial killers are usually well-known; they echo in the news and in public consciousness. But most people have never heard of Israel Keyes, one of the most ambitious and terrifying serial killers in modern history. The FBI considered his behavior unprecedented. Described by a prosecutor as "a force of pure evil," Keyes was a predator who struck all over the United States. He buried "kill kits"--cash, weapons, and body-disposal tools--in remote locations across the country. Over the course of fourteen years, Keyes would fly to a city, rent a car, and drive thousands of miles in order to use his kits. He would break into a stranger's house, abduct his victims in broad daylight, and kill and dispose of them in mere hours. And then he would return home to Alaska, resuming life as a quiet, reliable construction worker devoted to his only daughter. When journalist Maureen Callahan first heard about Israel Keyes in 2012, she was captivated by how a killer of this magnitude could go undetected by law enforcement for over a decade. And so began a project that consumed her for the next several years--uncovering the true story behind how the FBI ultimately caught Israel Keyes, and trying to understand what it means for a killer like Keyes to exist. A killer who left a path of monstrous, randomly committed crimes in his wake--many of which remain unsolved to this day. American Predator is the ambitious culmination of years of interviews with key figures in law enforcement and in Keyes's life, and research uncovered from classified FBI files. Callahan takes us on a journey into the chilling, nightmarish mind of a relentless killer, and to the limitations of traditional law enforcement.

45

The Lost Tomb - Douglas Preston & David Grann Cover Art

The Lost Tomb

The Lost Tomb And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston & David Grann

Douglas Preston, the #1 bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God , presents the jaw-dropping discovery of a vast Egyptian tomb containing dozens of sealed burial chambers, as well as recounting tales of pirate treasure, mysterious deaths, archaeological mysteries, and more…  What’s it like to be the first to enter an Egyptian burial chamber that’s been sealed for thousands of years? Where might a blocked doorway or newly excavated corridor lead? And what might this stupendous tomb reveal about the most powerful pharaoh in Egyptian history?  From the jungles of Honduras to macabre archaeological sites in the American Southwest, Douglas Preston's journalistic explorations have taken him across the globe. He broke the story of an extraordinary mass grave of animals killed by the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, he explored what lay hidden in the booby-trapped Money Pit on Oak Island, and he roamed the haunted hills of Italy in search of the Monster of Florence. When he hasn't been co-authoring bestselling thrillers featuring FBI Agent Pendergast, Preston has been writing about some of the world’s strangest and most dramatic mysteries. The Lost Tomb brings together an astonishing and compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present.

46

Framed - John Grisham & Jim Mccloskey Cover Art

Framed

Framed Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham & Jim Mccloskey

In his first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man , #1 bestselling author John Grisham and Centurion Ministries Founder Jim McCloskey share ten harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions. Impeccably researched and grippingly told, Framed offers an inside look at the injustice faced by the victims of the United States criminal justice system. A fundamental principle of our legal system is a presumption of innocence, but once someone has been found guilty there is very little room to prove doubt. Framed shares ten true stories of men who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, wives, and decades of their lives to prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of the stories, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey recount the dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration. They take a close look at what leads to wrongful convictions in the first place, and the racism, misconduct, flawed testimony, and the corrupt court system that can make them so hard to reverse. Told with page-turning suspense as only John Grisham can deliver, Framed is the story of overcoming adversity when the battle already seems lost, and the deck is stacked against you.

47

The Hillside Stranglers - Darcy O'Brien Cover Art

The Hillside Stranglers

The Hillside Stranglers The Inside Story of the Killing Spree That Terrorized Los Angeles by Darcy O'Brien

The riveting true crime account of the Hillside Stranglers and the horrific serial killings they unleashed on 1970s Los Angeles.   For weeks that fall, the body count of sexually violated, brutally murdered young women escalated. With increasing alarm, Los Angeles newspapers headlined the deeds of a serial killer they named the Hillside Strangler. The city was held hostage by fear.   But not until January 1979, more than a year later, would the mysterious disappearance of two university students near Seattle lead police to the arrest of a security guard—the handsome, charming, fast-talking Kenny Bianchi—and the discovery that the strangler was not one man but two.   Compellingly, O’Brien explores the symbiotic relationship between Bianchi and his cousin Angelo Buono, their lust for women as insatiable as their hate, before examining the crimes they remorselessly perpetrated and the lives of the unsuspecting victims they claimed.   Equally riveting is O’Brien’s account of the trial—one of the longest and most controversial criminal court cases in American history—with the defense team parading, one after another, expert witnesses who had been effectively duped by Bianchi’s impersonation of a man suffering multiple personality disorder. It’s one way a man might contrive to get away with murder.   Like Truman Capote in In Cold Blood and Norman Mailer in The Executioner’s Song , Darcy O’Brien weds the narrative skill of an award-winning novelist with the detailed observations of an experienced investigator to unravel this chilling true-crime story.  

48

Zenith Man - McCracken Poston Jr. Cover Art

Zenith Man

Zenith Man Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom by McCracken Poston Jr.

“ Wildly entertaining …. Zenith Man By McCracken Poston, Jr. is a true crime book but the events described seems more like a John Grisham novel.” — Mystery Tribune Like a nonfiction John Grisham thriller with echoes of Rainman, Just Mercy, and a captivating smalltown Southern setting, this is the fascinating true story—sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking—of an idealistic young lawyer determined to free an innocent neurodivergent man accused of murdering the wife no one knew he had. An inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice for readers of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Just Mercy. Was this small-town TV repair man “a harmless eccentric or a bizarre killer” (Atlanta Journal Constitution). For the first time, Alvin Ridley’s own defense attorney reveals the inside story of his case and trial in an extraordinary tale of friendship and an idealistic young attorney’s quest to clear his client’s name—and, in the process, rebuild his own life. In October 1997, the town of Ringgold in northwest Georgia was shaken by reports of a murder in its midst. A dead woman was found in Alvin Ridley’s house—and even more shockingly, she was the wife no one knew he had.  McCracken Poston had been a state representative before he lost his bid for U.S. Congress and returned to his law career. Alvin Ridley was a local character who once sold and serviced Zenith televisions. Though reclusive and an outsider, the “Zenith Man,” as Poston knew him, hardly seemed capable of murder.  Alvin was a difficult client, storing evidence in a cockroach-infested suitcase, unwilling to reveal key facts to his defender. Gradually, Poston pieced together the full story behind Virginia and Alvin’s curious marriage and her cause of death—which was completely overlooked by law enforcement. Calling on medical experts, testimony from Alvin himself, and a wealth of surprising evidence gleaned from Alvin’s  junk-strewn house, Poston presented a groundbreaking defense that allowed Alvin to return to his peculiar lifestyle, a free man. Years after his trial, Alvin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a revelation that sheds light on much of his lifelong personal battle—and shows how easily those who don’t fit societal norms can be castigated and misunderstood. Part true crime, part courtroom drama, and full of local color, Zenith Man is also the moving story of an unexpected friendship between two very different men that changed—and perhaps saved—the lives of both.  

49

Released - Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, Melissa Moore & Michele Matrisciani Cover Art

Released

Released Conversations on the Eve of Freedom by Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, Melissa Moore & Michele Matrisciani

Gypsy-Rose Blanchard discovered that her whole life was a lie. After eight-and-a-half years of incarceration , she can finally tell you the truth—with this exclusive collection of interview transcripts and journal entries, plus her own illustrations and photos.   While incarcerated for her role in her mother’s death, Gypsy saw her story told by others again and again in the media, from news reports and podcasts to TV series like The Act (Hulu). Now, granted early parole and preparing to start a new life, she’s free to speak directly to her supporters and the world.    Falsely told that she suffered from debilitating, chronic illnesses, Gypsy grew up enduring physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother Dee Dee, including unnecessary medication and surgery. But her desperate attempts to escape a lifetime of isolation led Gypsy into the grip of another abuser, ultimately resulting in her mother’s murder.   Released is Gypsy’s frank, unflinching, and deeply personal reflection on her past, present, and hoped-for future, and includes: Exclusive interviews with Gypsy recorded during her time in prisonGypsy’s contemplative writing on trust and betrayal, love and freedom, self-worth and identity, prison life, her marriage, and other personal issuesPersonal photos, drawings, and other memories from years past Created with writers Melissa Moore and Michele Matrisciani, Released is a declaration of Gypsy’s resolve to turn her pain into perseverance, take accountability for her actions, and help others escape the trap that circumscribed her life for so long.

50

Born in the Life; Gene Borrello - Louis Romano Cover Art

Born in the Life; Gene Borrello

Born in the Life; Gene Borrello by Louis Romano

What does a real life Mafia enforcer actually do on a day-to-day basis? Born in the Life illustrates the profound treachery which Gene Borrello lived with in the Bonanno crime family and the penalties that he was forced to live with for a third of his life.

Books

Ebook Charts

Apple Books Ebook Best Sellers

Fiction Ebook Best Sellers

Non-Fiction Ebook Best Sellers

iTunes Audio Book Charts

Audiobook Best Sellers

iTunes Music Charts

Most Popular Music Charts

iTunes Movie Charts

Top Movies

iTunes TV Charts

Top Television Shows

iTunes iOS App Charts

Top iPhone Apps

Top iPad & iPad Mini Apps

International iTunes Charts

Apple Books Best Selling Ebook Charts