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.

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Top True Crime Ebook Best Sellers

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The Cases That Haunt Us - John E. Douglas Cover Art

The Cases That Haunt Us

The Cases That Haunt Us From Jack the Ripper to Jon Benet Ramsey, The FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Sheds New Light on the Mysteries That Won't Go Away by John E. Douglas

The #1 New York Times bestselling authors of Mindhunter revisit eight of the most infamous true crime cases of all time—from Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac Killer to JonBenet Ramsey—in this updated 25th anniversary edition exploring unsolved murders, FBI criminal profiling, and forensic science. Violent. Provocative. Shocking. Call them what you want…but don’t call them open and shut. Did Lizzie Borden murder her own father and stepmother? Who killed JonBenet Ramsey, and why? In this updated edition, legendary FBI criminal profiler John Douglas and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and journalist Mark Olshaker—the team behind the famous Mindhunter series—explore these tantalizing questions and more in this mesmerizing work of detection. Using modern forensic science and criminal profiling techniques developed by Douglas within the FBI, The Cases That Haunt Us challenges conventional theories, dissects investigative missteps, and exposes the societal biases that have shaped some of history’s most notorious murder investigations. From the Boston Strangler to the Zodiac Killer, these are the eight cases that just won’t go away because of their senseless depravity, the doubts about whether justice was done, or because, in some instances, no suspect has ever been identified or caught. The Cases That Haunt Us not only offers convincing and controversial conclusions, it deconstructs the evidence and widely held beliefs surrounding each case and rebuilds them—with fascinating, surprising, and haunting results.

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At Any Cost - Rebecca Rosenberg & Selim Algar Cover Art

At Any Cost

At Any Cost A Father's Betrayal, a Wife's Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice by Rebecca Rosenberg & Selim Algar

At Any Cost unravels the twisted story of Rod Covlin, whose unrepentant greed drove him to an unspeakable act of murder and betrayal that rocked New York City. Wealthy, beautiful, and brilliant, Shele Danishefsky had fulfillment at her fingertips. Having conquered Wall Street, she was eager to build a family with her much younger husband, promising Ivy League graduate Rod Covlin. But when his hidden vices surfaced, marital harmony gave way to a merciless divorce. Rod had long depended on Shele's income to fund his tastes for high stakes backgammon and infidelity--and she finally vowed to sever him from her will. In late December 2009, Shele made an appointment with her lawyer to block him from her millions. She would never make it to that meeting. Two days later, on New Year's Eve, Shele was found dead in the bathtub of her Upper West Side apartment. Police ruled it an accident, and Shele's deeply Orthodox Jewish family quickly buried her without an autopsy on religious grounds. Rod had a clear path to his ex-wife's fortune, but suspicions about her death lingered. As the two families warred over custody of Shele's children—and their inheritance— Rod concocted a series of increasingly demented schemes, even plotting to kill his own parents, to secure the treasure. And as investigators closed in, Rod committed a final, desperate act to frame his own daughter for her mother's death. Journalists Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar reconstruct the ten years that passed between the day Shele was found dead and the day her killer faced justice in this riveting account of how one man's irrepressible greed devolved into obsession, manipulation, and murder.

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Guilty Creatures - Mikita Brottman Cover Art

Guilty Creatures

Guilty Creatures Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida by Mikita Brottman

From critically acclaimed author Mikita Brottman, a true “psychological thriller as intricately organized as a Hitchcock movie” (Madison Smartt Bell, author All Souls’ Rising ) about sex, religion, and murder in the deep South. Mike and Denise Williams had a tight knit, seemingly unbreakable bond with childhood friends, Brian and Kathy Winchester. The two couples were devout, hardworking Baptists who lived perfect, quintessentially Southern lives. Their friendship seemed ironclad. That is, until December 16, 2000, when Denise’s husband Mike disappeared while hunting on Lake Seminole. After no body was found, everyone assumed that Mike had drowned in a tragic accident, his body eaten by alligators. But things took an unexpected turn when, within five years of Mike’s disappearance, Brian Winchester divorced his wife and married Denise. Their surprising romance set tongues talking. People began wondering how long they had been a couple, and whether they had anything to do with Mike’s death. It took another twelve years for the truth to come out—and when it did, it was unimaginable. Now, the full, “richly atmospheric, deeply researched, and terrifying true crime” (Betsy Bonner, author of Round Lake ) tale is revealed as never before. Through tenacious research and clear-eyed prose, Guilty Creatures probes the psychology of a couple who killed and explores how it feels to live for eighteen years with murder on the soul.

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London Falling - Patrick Radden Keefe Cover Art

London Falling

London Falling A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling, prizewinning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain , a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface “Another blockbuster feat of reportage. . . . I sprinted through this addictive book in three days and gasped more than once at the true story’s twists and turns.” — Esquire A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR In the early morning of November 29th, 2019, surveillance cameras at the headquarters of MI6, Britain’s spy agency, captured video of a young man pacing back and forth on a high balcony of Riverwalk, a luxury tower on the bank of the river Thames. At 2:24 a.m., he jumped into the river. In a quiet London neighborhood several miles away, Rachelle Brettler was worried about her son. Zac had told her that he had gone to stay with a friend for the weekend, but then he did not come home. Days later, a police car pulled up and two officers relayed the dreadful news: Her son was dead. In their unbearable grief, Rachelle and her husband, Matthew, struggled to understand what had happened to Zac. He had had his troubles, but in no way seemed suicidal. As they would soon discover, however, there was a lot they did not know about their son. Only after his death did they learn that he had adopted a fictitious alter ego: Zac Ismailov, son of a Russian oligarch and heir to a great fortune. Under this guise, Zac had become entangled with a slippery London businessman named Akbar Shamji and a murderous gangster known as Indian Dave. As the Brettlers set about investigating their son’s death, they were pulled into a different and more dangerous London than the one they’d always known, and came to believe that something much more nefarious than a suicide had claimed Zac’s life. But to their immense frustration, Scotland Yard seemed unable—or unwilling—to bring the perpetrators to justice.  In a bravura feat of reporting and writing, Patrick Radden Keefe chronicles the Brettlers’ quest, peeling back layers of mystery and exposing the seedy truths behind the glamorous London of posh mansions and private nightclubs, a city in which everything is for sale, and aspirational fantasies are underwritten by dirty money and corruption. London Falling is a mesmerizing investigation of an inexplicable death and a powerful narrative driven by suspense and staggering revelations. But it is also an intimate and deeply poignant inquiry into the nature of parental love and the challenges of being a parent today, a portrait of a family trying to solve the riddle not just of how their son died, but of who he really was in life.

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What the Dead Know - Barbara Butcher Cover Art

What the Dead Know

What the Dead Know Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher

A “remarkably candid and sensitive” ( The Wall Street Journal ) true crime memoir from Barbara Butcher, a trailblazing New York City death investigator, who reveals the untold stories behind more than 5,500 death scenes, including the nation’s most horrific tragedy: the 9/11 attacks. When Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism, she found an unexpected lifeline in a job at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC. As only the second woman ever hired for the role—and the first to last more than three months—she became a vital force in the world of forensic science and criminal investigations. Over the next two decades, Butcher worked thousands of cases: gruesome homicides, suspicious suicides, heartbreaking scenes involving underage victims, and complex mass casualty investigations. In her unforgettable account, she invites readers into the gritty, high-stakes world of crime-scene investigation, from the autopsy room and morgue to tense moments at active crime scenes. Along the way, she uncovered how confronting death every day gave her a new perspective on life—and ultimately saved her from becoming a statistic herself. In vivid, darkly humorous prose, Butcher recounts how she narrowly avoided a boobytrapped suicide scene, and how, during 9/11, she and her colleagues worked tirelessly to identify victims using scraps of clothing, DNA, and the memories of grieving loved ones. Her honesty, resilience, and sharp wit make this a standout in the genre of first responder memoirs and women in law enforcement. “Breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw” (Patricia Cornwell) and “completely unputdownable” (Adriana Trigiani), What the Dead Know is a powerful, insider’s look at the world of death and the lessons it teaches us about how to live. Fans of forensic memoirs, cold case investigations, true crime, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, and TV series like CSI or Mindhunter won’t be able to put this down.

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The Vampire's Cult - Chet Hardin Cover Art

The Vampire's Cult

The Vampire's Cult The Untold Story of Obsession, Control, and a Shocking Small-Town Murder by Chet Hardin

A self-proclaimed vampire. His harem of “witches.” And the small-town murder that shocked America. When twenty-four-year-old Sydney Loofe disappeared after a Tinder date, the quiet town of Wilber, Nebraska was stunned. Days later, her dismembered body was found scattered across nearby fields—and the horrifying truth began to emerge. Sydney hadn’t just met the wrong man. She had crossed paths with a deeply disturbed psychopath and his dangerous accomplice. In The Vampire’s Cult , investigative journalist Chet Hardin exposes the twisted world of Aubrey Trail, an aging con man who presented himself as an all-powerful being, and Bailey Boswell, the woman who called herself his “queen.” Together, they lured vulnerable young women into a spiral of sex, theft, and psychological manipulation—with deadly consequences. Through exclusive interviews, firsthand reporting, and chilling detail, Hardin unravels the making of a modern cult—and the social desperation that feeds it. In an era defined by false realities and toxic charisma, The Vampire’s Cult reveals just how easily darkness can disguise itself as devotion.

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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.

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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

NEW YORK TIMES  BESTSELLER | NOW A NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY 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.  

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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.

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Mafia Summit - Gil Reavill Cover Art

Mafia Summit

Mafia Summit J. Edgar Hoover, the Kennedy Brothers, and the Meeting That Unmasked the Mob by Gil Reavill

The true story of how a small-town lawman in upstate New York busted a Cosa Nostra conference in 1957, exposing the Mafia to America. In a small village in upstate New York, mob bosses from all over the country—Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino, Joe Bonanno, Joe Profaci, Cuba boss Santo Trafficante, and future Gambino boss Paul Castellano—were nabbed by Sergeant Edgar D. Croswell as they gathered to sort out a bloody war of succession. For years, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had adamantly denied the existence of the Mafia, but young Robert Kennedy immediately recognized the shattering importance of the Apalachin summit. As attorney general when his brother JFK became president, Bobby embarked on a campaign to break the spine of the mob, engaging in a furious turf battle with the powerful Hoover. Detailing mob killings, the early days of the heroin trade, and the crusade to loosen the hold of organized crime, this momentous story will captivate fans of Gus Russo and Luc Sante. Reavill scintillatingly recounts the beginning of the end for the Mafia in America and how it began with a good man in the right place at the right time. "The best, and best-written, true-crime story I've ever read. It's as suspenseful, detailed, racy, and knowing as a novel by Hammett or Chandler." —Howard Frank Mosher, award-winning author of North Country "A close investigation into the crime bosses' upstate New York summit and its grisly aftermath, Reavill's book accurately recreates one of the golden eras of American organized crime." — Publishers Weekly

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Helter Skelter - Vincent Bugliosi & Curt Gentry Cover Art

Helter Skelter

Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi & Curt Gentry

The #1 True Crime Bestseller of All Time—7 Million Copies Sold In the summer of 1969, in Los Angeles, a series of brutal, seemingly random murders captured headlines across America. A famous actress (and her unborn child), an heiress to a coffee fortune, a supermarket owner and his wife were among the seven victims. A thin trail of circumstances eventually tied the Tate-LeBianca murders to Charles Manson, a would-be pop singer of small talent living in the desert with his "family" of devoted young women and men. What was his hold over them? And what was the motivation behind such savagery? In the public imagination, over time, the case assumed the proportions of myth. The murders marked the end of the sixties and became an immediate symbol of the dark underside of that era. Vincent Bugliosi was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, and this book is his enthralling account of how he built his case from what a defense attorney dismissed as only "two fingerprints and Vince Bugliosi." The meticulous detective work with which the story begins, the prosecutor's view of a complex murder trial, the reconstruction of the philosophy Manson inculcated in his fervent followers…these elements make for a true crime classic. Helter Skelter is not merely a spellbinding murder case and courtroom drama but also, in the words of The New Republic, a "social document of rare importance."

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Whoever Fights Monsters - Robert K. Ressler, Tom Shachtman & Charles Spicer Cover Art

Whoever Fights Monsters

Whoever Fights Monsters My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI by Robert K. Ressler, Tom Shachtman & Charles Spicer

LEARN THE TRUE STORY OF ONE OF THE FBI PROFILERS WHO COINED THE PHRASE "SERIAL KILLER" Face-to-face with some of America's most terrifying killers, FBI veteran Robert K. Ressler learned how to identify the unknown monsters who walk among us -- and put them behind bars. In Whoever Fights Monsters , Ressler— the inspiration for the character Agent Bill Tench in David Fincher's hit TV show Mindhunter —shows how he was able to track down some of the country's most brutal murderers. Ressler, the FBI Agent and ex-Army CID colonel who advised Thomas Harris on The Silence of the Lambs , used the evidence at a crime scene to put together a psychological profile of the killers. From the victims they choose to the way they kill to the often grotesque souvenirs they take with them—Ressler unlocks the identities of these vicious killers. And with his discovery that serial killers share certain violent behaviors, Ressler goes behind prison walls to hear bizarre first-hand stories from countless convicted murderers, including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy; Edmund Kemper; and Son of Sam. Getting inside the mind of a killer to understand how and why he kills is one of the FBI's most effective ways of helping police bring in killers who are still at large. Join Ressler as he takes you on the hunt for the world's most dangerous psychopaths in this terrifying journey you will not forget.

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The Fort Bragg Cartel - Seth Harp Cover Art

The Fort Bragg Cartel

The Fort Bragg Cartel Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces by Seth Harp

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A New Yorker Best Book of 2025 A Forbes Best True Crime Book of 2025 “Probably the most gripping, memorable, eye-opening book I’ve read in months.” —David Wallace-Wells, The New York Times “Propulsive.” — The Washington Post “Engrossing. . . . Truly shocking.” — The New Republic “The most mind-blowing piece of investigative journalism I’ve read since Chaos .” —Spike Carter, Air Mail A groundbreaking investigation into a string of unsolved murders at America’s premier special operations base, and what the crimes reveal about drug trafficking and impunity among elite soldiers in today’s military In December 2020, a deer hunter discovered two dead bodies that had been riddled with bullets and dumped in a forested corner of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One of the dead men, Master Sergeant William “Billy” Lavigne, was a member of Delta Force, the most secretive “black ops” unit in the military. A deeply traumatized veteran of America’s classified assassination program, Lavigne had done more than a dozen deployments in his lengthy career, was addicted to crack cocaine, dealt drugs on base, and had committed a series of violent crimes before he was mysteriously killed. The other victim, Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Dumas, was a quartermaster attached to the Special Forces who used his proximity to clandestine missions to steal guns and traffic drugs into the United States from abroad, and had written a blackmail letter threatening to expose criminality in the special operations task force in Afghanistan. As soon as Seth Harp, an Iraq war veteran and investigative reporter, begins looking into the double murder, he learns that there have been many more unexplained deaths at Fort Bragg recently, other murders connected to drug trafficking in elite units, and dozens of fatal overdoses. Drawing on declassified documents, trial transcripts, police records, and hundreds of interviews, Harp tells a scathing story of narco-trafficking in the Special Forces, drug conspiracies abetted by corrupt police, blatant military cover-ups, American complicity in the Afghan heroin trade, and the pernicious consequences of continuous war.

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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, NOW A MAJOR MUSICAL COMING SOON TO BROADWAY • 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.

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Death of an Angel - Donald Davis Cover Art

Death of an Angel

Death of an Angel A True Story of a Vicious Triple-Murder that Broke the Heart of a Town by Donald Davis

From a New York Times –bestselling author, the true crime story of a Rhode Island family murdered by a Sunday school teacher. When prosperous lawyer Ernest Brendel mysteriously disappeared, along with his wife Alice, and their eight-year-old daughter Emily, friends in the close-knit Rhode Island neighborhood worried that family had been kidnapped. It would be agonizing months in a massive FBI search before they would know the heartbreaking truth. The shaken community began to lose hope that the family would ever be found alive. Their worst fears were confirmed when heavy rains from a tropical storm uncovered Alice and Ernest Brendel's badly decomposed bodies—shot with a giant crossbow, strangled, and buried in the quiet woods of the town. Lying under her mother's corpse was little Emily's lifeless body, now a silent witness to her killer's shocking identity. Like a hand pointing from the grave, the evidence led authorities to one of Ernest Brendel's closest and most trusted friends. What Ernest couldn't have known was that Christopher Hightower—a Sunday school teacher and respected member of the community—was a psychotic liar obsessed with greed, jealousy, and murderous revenge.

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Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule Cover Art

Small Sacrifices

Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule

Ann Rule 's shocking and powerful account of the destructive forces that drove Diane Downs , a beautiful young mother, to shoot her three young children in cold blood.

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A Death in California - Joan Barthel Cover Art

A Death in California

A Death in California A True Account of Love and Murder Among the Very Rich by Joan Barthel

A troubled Los Angeles socialite is both terrorized and tempted by a killer in this "brilliantly written" true story by the author of A Death in Canaan (Ann Rule). Hope Masters lived in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Beverly Hills—but was entitled to food stamps. Pretty, petite, and privileged, she was recovering from two failed marriages and a string of poor decisions. But when Hope met and fell in love with a handsome advertising executive, she believed her life was finally back on track—until the morning she woke up to find the barrel of a gun in her mouth.   Hope's fiancé lay dead in the next room. His killer was a new acquaintance who'd been visiting the couple in a remote ranch in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. He claimed to be a journalist, but his real identity was as mysterious as his motivations. Even more bizarre, however, was what happened at the end of the long, nightmarish weekend in which Hope saw everything she cared about destroyed: She began to fall in love with her tormenter.   A fascinating and frightening portrait of the power of evil to lead the most innocent of victims down the darkest of paths, A Death in California is "a first-rate piece of reporting" ( Kirkus Reviews ) on "one of the strangest cases in the annals of American crime" ( The New York Times ).

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When a Killer Calls - John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker Cover Art

When a Killer Calls

When a Killer Calls A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small Town by John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker

From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling true crime journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him. On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor’s repeated and taunting calls to the family, law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal. A letter arrived the next day entitled “Last Will & Testament,” in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas. Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith’s murder was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and in this gripping criminal investigation, the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to use Shari’s lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously agreed. One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas’s storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he created with the Behavioral Science Unit—alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer’s psychology—combined with dedicated police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror. As Shari’s family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless killer. This landmark case in the annals of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit reveals: A Killer’s Taunts: The chilling, real-life story of a serial killer who terrorized a family with phone calls after abducting their teenage daughter, Shari Smith, just two days before her graduation. The Mindhunter Technique: Go inside the FBI’s elite serial crime unit as legendary profiler John Douglas develops a revolutionary psychological profile to get inside the killer’s head. A Family’s Courage: Witness the incredible bravery of Shari’s family after they agree to a high-stakes plan to use her lookalike sister, Dawn, as bait to lure the murderer out of the shadows. Landmark Forensic Investigation: Discover how cutting-edge forensic science and meticulous police work combined with behavioral analysis to end a terrifying crime spree that also claimed the life of nine-year-old Debra May Helmick.

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Sole Survivor - Holly K. Dunn & Heather Ebert Cover Art

Sole Survivor

Sole Survivor The Inspiring True Story of Coming Face to Face with the Infamous Railroad Killer by Holly K. Dunn & Heather Ebert

One woman's story of survival, healing, and hope in the wake of a serial killer who took her boyfriend's life and left her for dead.  On August 28, 1997, just as she was starting her junior year at the University of Kentucky, Holly Dunn and her boyfriend, Chris Maier, were walking along railroad tracks on their way home from a party when they were attacked by notorious serial killer Angel Maturino Reséndiz, aka The Railroad Killer. After her boyfriend is beaten to death in front of her, Holly is stabbed, raped, and left for dead. In this memoir of survival and healing from a horrific true crime, Holly recounts how she lived through the vicious assault, helped bring her assailant to justice, and ultimately found meaning and purpose through service to victims of sexual assault and other violent crimes. She has worked as a motivational speaker and activist and founded Holly's House, a safe and nurturing space in her hometown of Evansville, Indiana. 

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The Trial of Lizzie Borden - Cara Robertson Cover Art

The Trial of Lizzie Borden

The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson

The definitive account of the Lizzie Borden murders—the subject of Netflix’s Monster anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. In Cara Robertson’s “enthralling” book, The Trial of Lizzie Borden , “the reader is to serve as judge and jury” ( The New York Times ). Based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence, this true crime narrative of the Lizzie Borden murder trial and legal history is the “definitive account to date of one of America’s most notorious and enduring murder mysteries” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review). When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her murder trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone—rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars, and laypeople—had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she? An essential piece of American mythology, the popular fascination with the Borden murders has endured for more than one hundred years. Told and retold in every conceivable genre, the murders have secured a place in the American pantheon of mythic horror. In contrast, “Cara Robertson presents the story with the thoroughness one expects from an attorney…Fans of crime novels will love it” ( Kirkus Reviews ). Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden is “a fast-paced, page-turning read” ( Booklist , starred review) that offers a window into Gilded Age America. This “remarkable” ( Bustle ) book “should be at the top of your reading list” ( PopSugar ).

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To Kill or Be Killed - Joni Ankerson Cover Art

To Kill or Be Killed

To Kill or Be Killed A True Crime Memoir From Prison by Joni Ankerson

A convicted murderer tells the story of the years of domestic abuse she endured that drove her to kill her police sergeant husband. The day we met in October of 1997, I was working at the District Court in Traverse City, Michigan as a Deputy Clerk. It was like most other days with arraignments, sentencings, civil case hearings and the like. People shuffling in and out, everyone taking care of their important business with court appearances, document filings, paying tickets, fines and bonding loved ones out of jail. I loved my job. It was extremely satisfying and interesting with constant interaction with all walks of life, including people on either end of the judicial spectrum and many in between. Suddenly, there he was. Tall, handsome, and looking so impressive and important in his Michigan State Police uniform with his hat, gun belt and badge. A powerful man who had chosen a profession to serve and protect. He was extremely friendly and upbeat, smiling profusely. Best of all, he, too, was unattached. What could go wrong? He was like a dream man. We clicked, immediately, and began dating exclusively. But he was not a dream man. He was a nightmare . . . as I learned over the next twelve years. Twelve years of enduring domestic violence at its absolute worst. Constant abuse, control, manipulation, and threats. Sadistic sexual deviance and sexual violence. It was only going to end one way: someone would die in our bed and someone would go to prison for murder. This is my story about domestic violence, resilience, reckoning and survival.

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El traidor - Anabel Hernández Cover Art

El traidor

El traidor by Anabel Hernández

El traidor es uno de los trabajos periodísticos más ambiciosos en la trayectoria de Anabel Hernández. El traidor es uno de los trabajos periodísticos más ambiciosos en la trayectoria de Anabel Hernández. Su historia se remonta a enero de 2011, cuando la contactó uno de los abogados de Vicente Zambada Niebla, mejor conocido como Vicentillo, quien enfrentaba un juicio en una corte de Chicago. La intención era compartir con la periodista documentos y hechos que ampliaban y esclarecían varios de los episodios que acababa de dar a conocer en Los señores del narco . Entre los documentos a los que tuvo acceso se encuentran el inquietante autorretrato como payaso que aparece en la portada y los diarios realizados por Vicentillo durante las negociaciones para colaborar con el gobierno norteamericano , los cuales hasta ahora eran secretos. En ellos el capo reconstruyó su historia y la historia de una de las organizaciones de tráfico de estupefacientes más grandes del planeta . A lo largo de estas páginas, la autora se adentra en el Cártel de Sinaloa a través del relato de Vicentillo , quien exhibe de manera descarnada cómo funciona el sistema interno que da vida a la organización criminal, la violencia, las mil formas de traficar droga y la complicidad entre políticos, empresarios y fuerzas del orden. Pero sobre todo devela el perfil de quien durante el último medio siglo ha sido el rey del narcotráfico. Quien nunca ha pisado la cárcel y quien desde su trono ha visto caer a amigos, enemigos, socios, competidores, familiares, empleados del gobierno y hasta sus propios hijos, sin que eso haga mella en su poder, el padre de Vicentillo: Ismael el Mayo Zambada.

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Member of the Family - Dianne Lake & Deborah Herman Cover Art

Member of the Family

Member of the Family My Story of Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness That Ended the Sixties by Dianne Lake & Deborah Herman

In this poignant and disturbing memoir of lost innocence, coercion, survival, and healing, Dianne Lake chronicles her years with Charles Manson, revealing for the first time how she became the youngest member of his Family and offering new insights into one of the twentieth century’s most notorious criminals and life as one of his "girls." At age fourteen Dianne Lake—with little more than a note in her pocket from her hippie parents granting her permission to leave them—became one of "Charlie’s girls," a devoted acolyte of cult leader Charles Manson. Over the course of two years, the impressionable teenager endured manipulation, psychological control, and physical abuse as the harsh realities and looming darkness of Charles Manson’s true nature revealed itself. From Spahn ranch and the group acid trips, to the Beatles’ White Album and Manson’s dangerous messiah-complex, Dianne tells the riveting story of the group’s descent into madness as she lived it. Though she never participated in any of the group’s gruesome crimes and was purposely insulated from them, Dianne was arrested with the rest of the Manson Family, and eventually learned enough to join the prosecution’s case against them. With the help of good Samaritans, including the cop who first arrested her and later adopted her, the courageous young woman eventually found redemption and grew up to lead an ordinary life. While much has been written about Charles Manson, this riveting account from an actual Family member is a chilling portrait that recreates in vivid detail one of the most horrifying and fascinating chapters in modern American history. Member of the Family includes 16 pages of photographs. How does a fourteen-year-old girl survive the inner circle of a monster and find her way back to a normal life? Youngest Family Member: At just fourteen, Dianne Lake was drawn into Manson’s world, given permission to leave by her own hippie parents. Psychological Control: A harrowing look at the manipulation and abuse Dianne endured as Manson’s messiah complex spiraled into a demand for total devotion. A Witness to Madness: Though insulated from the murders, Dianne’s unique position provides a chilling look at the Family’s descent, from acid trips at Spahn Ranch to the influence of the Beatles’ White Album . A Unique Path to Healing: Arrested with the Family, Dianne ultimately found the courage to testify against them and was later adopted by the very cop who took her into custody.

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A Rip in Heaven - Jeanine Cummins Cover Art

A Rip in Heaven

A Rip in Heaven A Memoir of Murder and Its Aftermath by Jeanine Cummins

The acclaimed author of American Dirt reveals the devastating effects of a shocking tragedy in this landmark true crime book—the first ever to look intimately at the experiences of both the victims and their families. A Rip in Heaven is Jeanine Cummins’ story of a night in April, 1991, when her two cousins Julie and Robin Kerry, and her brother, Tom, were assaulted on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River just outside of St. Louis. When, after a harrowing ordeal, Tom managed to escape the attackers and flag down help, he thought the nightmare would soon be over. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Tom, his sister Jeanine, and their entire family were just at the beginning of a horrific odyssey through the aftermath of a violent crime, a world of shocking betrayal, endless heartbreak, and utter disillusionment. It was a trial by fire from which no family member would emerge unscathed.

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Invisible Darkness - Stephen Williams Cover Art

Invisible Darkness

Invisible Darkness The Strange Case Of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka by Stephen Williams

Perfect for fans of Making a Murderer and The People v. O. J. Simpson, Invisible Darkness is the story of one of the more bizarre cases in recent memory—killings so sensational that they prompted the Canadian government, in the interests of justice, to silence its national press and to lock foreign journalists out of the courts. To all appearances, Paul and Karla Bernardo had a fairytale marriage: beautiful working-class girl weds bright upper-middle-class guy and they buy a fashionable dream house in the suburbs. But, bored with his straight, prestigious accounting job, Paul soon went freelance as an international smuggler. He also revealed his boredom with conventional sex—enough so that, one Christmas Eve, he persuaded his wife to drug her own sister and engage in a menage a trois, during which the sister died (a bungling coroner ruled her death accidental). The couple then upped the ante, kidnapping and imprisoning several high school girls for sexual marathons, which they videotaped before savagely murdering their captives. When the girls’ bodies were found, the police were stymied (although Paul had been accused of rape and given a DNA test that vanished for two years and only recently was linked to some fifty sexual-assault cases) until Karla tried to have her husband arrested for wife beating. During questioning, she confessed to the crimes and is now serving two concurrent twelve-year sentences for manslaughter in exchange for testifying against her husband, who was jailed for life.

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El Sicario - Molly Molloy & Charles Bowden Cover Art

El Sicario

El Sicario The Autobiography of a Mexican Assassin by Molly Molloy & Charles Bowden

In this unprecedented and chilling monologue, a repentant Mexican hitman tells the unvarnished truth about the war on drugs on the American. El Sicario is the hidden face of America's war on drugs. He is a contract killer who functioned as a commandante in the Chihuahuan State police, who was trained in the US by the FBI, and who for twenty years kidnapped, tortured and murdered people for the drug industry at the behest of Mexican drug cartels. He is a hit man who came off the killing fields alive. He left the business and turned to Christ. And then he decided to tell the story of his life and work. Charles Bowden first encountered El Sicario while reporting for the book "Murder City". As trust between the two men developed, Bowden bore witness to the Sicario's unfolding confession, and decided to tell his story. The well-spoken man that emerges from the pages of El Sicario is one who has been groomed by poverty and driven by a refusal to be one more statistic in the failure of Mexico. He is not boastful, he claims no major standing in organized crime. But he can explain in detail not only torture and murder, but how power is distributed and used in the arrangement between the public Mexican state and law enforcement on the ground - where terror and slaughter are simply tools in implementing policy for both the police and the cartels. And he is not an outlaw or a rebel. He is the state. When he headed the state police anti-kidnapping squad in Juarez, he was also running a kidnapping ring in Juarez. When he was killing people for money in Juarez, he was sharpening his marksmanship at the Federal Police range. Now he lives in the United States as a fugitive. One cartel has a quarter million dollar contract on his head. Another cartel is trying to recruit him. He speaks as a free man and of his own free will - there are no charges against him. He is a lonely voice - no one with his background has ever come forward and talked. He is the future - there are thousands of men like him in Mexico and there will be more in other places. He is the truth no one wants to hear.

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A Criminal and An Irishman - Patrick Nee, Richard Farrell & Michael Blythe Cover Art

A Criminal and An Irishman

A Criminal and An Irishman The Inside Story of the Boston Mob-IRA Connection by Patrick Nee, Richard Farrell & Michael Blythe

A former rival and associate of Whitey Bulger tells all in this “profane, often brutal” true crime memoir about the inner workings of life in the Irish mob ( The Boston Herald )   After serving in Vietnam as a combat Marine, Irishman Pat Nee returned to the gang-filled streets of Boston. A member of the Mullen Gang since the age of 14, Nee rejoined the group to lead their fight against Whitey Bulger’s Killeen brothers. Years later, the two gangs merged to form the Winter Hill Gang, at first led by Howie Winter and then by Bulger. But by the time Bulger took over, a wide rift had opened up between the infamous crime boss and Pat Nee, who was disgusted by Bulger's brutality. A Criminal and an Irishman is the story of Pat Nee’s life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a Marine and convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former rival-turned-associate of James “Whitey” Bulger. His narrative transports readers into the criminal underworld, taking them inside preparation for armored car heists, gang wangs, and revenge killings. Nee details his evolution from tough street kid to armed robber to dangerous potential killer, disclosing for the first time how he used his underworld connections as a secret operative for the Irish Republican Army. For years, Pat smuggled weapons and money from the United States to Ireland—in the bottoms of coffins, behind false panels of vans—leading up to a transatlantic shipment of seven and a half tons of munitions aboard the fishing trawler Valhalla . No other Southie underworld figure can match Pat’s reputation for resolve and authenticity.

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She Kills - Skip Hollandsworth Cover Art

She Kills

She Kills The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Bank Robber, and Other True Crime Tales by Skip Hollandsworth

"I love Skip Hollandsworth. I love his extraordinary stories, I love his rabid curiosity, and I love that as a writer, he personifies toeing the line between horror, humor, and absurdity. I am inspired by every single character he has introduced us to. "—Laura Dern A superb collection of true-crime stories—written by  Texas Monthly’s  legendary feature writer Skip Hollandsworth—that reminds us why America is perennially obsessed with the genre. Skip Hollandsworth has been covering true crime since long before the podcasts, networks, and television shows discovered it. Raised in Texas, the revered journalist joined  Texas Monthly  in 1989, and the stories he has written over three-plus decades have helped define a locale and a culture. Curated by Hollandsworth,  She Kills  brings together beloved stories that focus in particular on female perpetrators—from the high schooler who was so desperate to move back in with Mom that she had no choice but to poison her father’s refried beans, to the wallflower nurse in small-town Texas who one day started killing off her patients, to the lovelorn dental hygienist who ordered a hit on her rival. These are expertly crafted tales that will stop readers in their tracks and leave them gasping with shock and pleasure. Each story is updated by Hollandsworth, who provides background on his original storytelling and new information on the perpetrators and victims, where available. She Kills  is a jaw-dropping, addictively readable compendium of women whose often sensational crimes and circumstances put them on the wrong side of the law.  She Kills  is illustrated with 44 black-and-white photos throughout. This stunning collection of investigative journalism explores the chilling side of human nature: Female Criminals: Meet the wallflower nurse who started killing her patients, the high schooler who poisoned her father’s refried beans, and the socialite accused of murdering her millionaire husband. Masterful Storytelling: From legendary Texas Monthly writer Skip Hollandsworth, whose rabid curiosity and empathetic eye for detail bring these complex women and their chilling stories to life. Small-Town Secrets: Uncover the desperation and resentment that can well up in two-stoplight towns, where a trip to the Dairy Queen can be the prelude to murder. Updated Cases: Each story is updated by Hollandsworth, providing new information on the perpetrators and victims and offering a modern perspective on these classic tales. Illustrated Edition: Featuring 44 black-and-white photographs that provide a haunting, visual dimension to these unforgettable stories of crime and consequence.

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Killer Charm: The Double Lives of Psychopaths - Linda Fairstein Cover Art

Killer Charm: The Double Lives of Psychopaths

Killer Charm: The Double Lives of Psychopaths by Linda Fairstein

Linda Fairstein unmasks the true face of psychopathy, and reveals the warning signs that every woman should know The 2009 "Craigslist Killer" murder case shocked America, not just because of the heinous nature of the crimes but because their perpetrator—a handsome young law student with an unsuspecting girlfriend—seemed a very unlikely suspect. This killer, like others before him, had learned to leverage his charm and golden-boy looks to lure his victims, a skill many psychopaths learn to master. In Killer Charm , legal expert Linda Fairstein draws on her decades of experience in the Manhattan District Attorney's office to uncover what traits psychopaths often share, and how to spot them. She illustrates these points with the stories of some of America's most notorious sex criminals, such as Ted Bundy and Marvin Teicher.   Originally published in  Cosmopolitan , this essay is now available in digital format for the first time and features a new introduction by the author.

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Zenith Man - McCracken Poston Jr. Cover Art

Zenith Man

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

Finalist, CrimeCon Clue Award, True Crime Book of the Year Winner, Georgia Independent Author of the Year Winner, Georgia Spotlight Award 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 undiagnosed neurodivergent man wrongfully 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 in a courtroom fight that revealed the truth and 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.

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Terror in East Lansing: The Tale of MSU Serial Killer Donald Miller (A True Crime Short) - R. Barri Flowers Cover Art

Terror in East Lansing: The Tale of MSU Serial Killer Donald Miller (A True Crime Short)

Terror in East Lansing: The Tale of MSU Serial Killer Donald Miller (A True Crime Short) by R. Barri Flowers

From R. Barri Flowers, award-winning criminologist and international bestselling author of the true crime classic, The Sex Slave Murders, comes a gripping new true crime short, Terror in East Lansing: The Tale of MSU Serial Killer Donald Miller. In the late 1970s, a serial killer prowled the campus of Michigan State University, terrorizing students and faculty alike. Donald Miller was a graduate of MSU’s renowned School of Criminal Justice, but somehow went awry and turned into a monster, targeting pretty coeds for sexual assault and murder. Miller’s victims included his ex-fiancée. Only after the killer was brought to justice could the campus return to normal as a place for education and enjoyment. Donald Miller’s path from promising Criminal Justice grad to deadly criminal is chronicled in this riveting short. Included is a complete second story, “The Midwest Murders.” This is the shocking tale of serial killer couple Alton Coleman and Debra Denise Brown, who went on a killing spree across four Midwestern states during the summer of 1984, showing no mercy to those in their murderous path. Bonus material includes excerpts from R. Barri Flowers’ bestselling true crime book, The Sex Slave Murders: The True Story of Serial Killers Gerald & Charlene Gallego, and top selling true crime shorts, The Sex Slave Murders 3: The Horrific Tale of Serial Killers Leonard Lake & Charles Ng; and The Amityville Massacre: The DeFeo Family's Nightmare. Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Yahoo, Goodreads, and Wikipedia. *** Praise for True Crime Books by R. Barri Flowers *** "Selected as one of Suspense Magazine's Best of 2011 books." -- John Raab, CEO/Publisher on The Sex Slave Murders “Formidable combination of criminological expertise and sheer storytelling ability.” -- Harold Schechter, true crime historian author on Murder Chronicles “A gripping account of the murders committed by husband-and-wife serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego." -- Gary C. King, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders "R. Barri Flowers always relates an engrossing story." -- Robert Scott, true crime author on The Sex Slave Murders “A model of exposition not to be missed by anyone interested in the annals of American criminal behavior.” -- Jim Ingraham, PhD, professor emeritus of American Studies at Bryant University on The Pickaxe Killers "Striking, well-written tales sparkle in this ocean of murder." -- Diane Fanning, true crime author on Masters of True Crime “Exhaustively researched, each storyteller brings their own unique prose to these pages, creating what will soon become a true crime classic." -- Kevin M. Sullivan, true crime author on Masters of True Crime “This book should be a mandatory purchase and read for any true-crime buff.” -- Steven A. Egger, PhD, associate professor on Masters of True Crime “Incredible cases, psychopathic killers, unwitting victims, along with the very best writers, make for an exciting, no-holds-barred, soon-to-be true-crime classic.” -- Dan Zupansky, host of True Murder on Masters of True Crime "An indispensable sourcebook for anyone interested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionals to armchair criminologists." -- Harold Schechter, criminologist on The Dynamics of Murder “Vivid case studies of murder to complement this well researched criminology text." -- Scott Bonn, PhD, criminology professor on The Dynamics of Murder

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Zombie Files - Max Kail Cover Art

Zombie Files

Zombie Files Gangs, Drugs, Politics and Voodoo under the Mandate of the United Nations by Max Kail

Zombie Files is the true story about the Zombie Hunters Union, a group of Security Specialists who worked together in a hostile environment against criminal gangs in Haiti. They operated in the shadows since an evil cabal rules the country with the power of violent gangs and the black magic of Voodoo. They came together in their fight against the violent street gangs in the worst slums of the northern hemisphere and soon became the biggest threat to the evil forces in power. They were more effective and successful in combating organized kidnapping gangs than thousands of blue helmet soldiers deployed with the United Nations Mission MINUSTAH. The international peacekeeping forces had to follow the directives of the Haitian government, which was controlled by the cabal. The Zombie Hunters Union didn’t have directives, officially they never existed.  Max Kail was a United Nations Security Officer who wanted to make a difference in his last mission and joined the Zombie Hunters with some of his colleagues. This is his confession.

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Deadly Innocence - Scott Burnside & Alan Cairns Cover Art

Deadly Innocence

Deadly Innocence The True Story of Paul Bernardo, Karla Homolka, and the Schoolgirl Murders by Scott Burnside & Alan Cairns

This true crime exposé reveals a chillingly intimate portrait of the newlywed serial killers who preyed on schoolgirls in suburban Niagra Falls. Karla and Paul seemed like a picture-perfect couple, but their wholesome smiles and charming good looks hid a sinister reality. Together, they abducted, sexually tortured and murdered innocent schoolgirls—gleefully videotaping their evil acts. When their vicious crimes came to light, they became known as the Ken and Barbie Killers.  Billed as the crime of the century in Canada, this case has received a great deal of media coverage on both sides of the border. Deadly Innocence presents an inside account of their life and crimes through exlusive interviews with their closest friends. It includes eight pages of photos.

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No Angels - Steve Jackson Cover Art

No Angels

No Angels The Short Life And Brutal Death Of Brandaline Rose Duvall by Steve Jackson

New York Times –Bestselling Author: The true story of a teenager's horrific murder by a vicious Denver gang—and the investigation and trials that followed.   A little before midnight on May 30, 1997, fourteen-year-old Brandy DuVall waited at a bus stop in the Denver area for a ride back to her grandparents' home after spending the evening at a friend's. She was wearing a bright-red Chicago Bulls jersey bearing the number of her favorite player, Michael Jordan.   It was the shirt that attracted the five young Bloods gang members in the car that circled the block and came back to where she stood. Why Brandy got in the car that night would remain an unanswered question. Was it voluntary? Was she abducted?   Whatever the answer, the consequence was an unimaginable nightmare of torture, rape, and murder at the hands of a vicious Denver street gang, particularly "Pancho," a violent psychopath, and other members of the Deuce-Seven. The crime, the investigation, the betrayals and deals cut with the devil, and the subsequent court cases—including four murder trials and two death penalty hearings—tore apart families, and affected all who were caught up in the brutal crime and its aftermath. No Angels delves into the circumstances that would forever change the fate of Brandy, two previously inseparable brothers, and the mothers who sat on opposite sides of the courtroom and yet shared a common grief.   "[Steve Jackson] writes with both muscle and heart." —Gregg Olsen, #1 New York Times -bestselling author of If You Tell.

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Carl Panzram: The Gruesome True Crime Story of the Savage Serial Killer - Ryan James Cover Art

Carl Panzram: The Gruesome True Crime Story of the Savage Serial Killer

Carl Panzram: The Gruesome True Crime Story of the Savage Serial Killer by Ryan James

Unmask the savagery behind Carl Panzram with this morbidly fascinating true crime story. Providing a chilling glimpse into the twisted psychology of the infamous serial killer Carl Panzram, this disturbing true crime book offers readers an unparalleled look at what makes a murderer. Expertly recounting Panzram's gruesome killing spree and the cruel ideas that drove his grisly murders, this story sheds light on his tragic upbringing and adolescence, his frequent clashes with the law, and the daring escape attempts he made in countless prisons. Drawing on real-life historical letters and filled with artful, gritty prose that makes each larger-than-life figure leap from the page, Carl Panzram: The Gruesome True Crime Story of the Savage Serial Killer exposes his failed stint in the army, his ordeals in prison, and how his bloodlust and cruelty shaped his entire worldview. As a deeply fascinating read for fans of true crime, this book will satisfy your morbid and forbidden curiosities, painting a gripping picture of Panzram's dark psyche and the crimes that cemented him among America's most infamous convicts.

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Peaky Blinders - The Real Story of Birmingham's most notorious gangs - Carl Chinn Cover Art

Peaky Blinders - The Real Story of Birmingham's most notorious gangs

Peaky Blinders - The Real Story of Birmingham's most notorious gangs The true story behind the hit series and new Netflix film by Carl Chinn

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The Peaky Blinders as we know them, thanks to the hit TV series, are infused with drama and dread. Fashionably dressed, the charismatic but deeply flawed Shelby family blind enemies by slashing them with the disposable safety razor blades stitched in to the peaks of their flat caps, as they fight bloody gangland wars involving Irish terrorists and the authorities led by a devious Home Secretary, Winston Churchill. But who were the real Peaky Blinders? Did they really exist? Well-known social historian, broadcaster and author, Carl Chinn, has spent decades searching them out. Now he reveals the true story of the notorious Peaky Blinders, one of whom was his own great grandfather and, like the Shelbys, his grandfather was an illegal bookmaker in back-street Birmingham. In this gripping social history, Chinn shines a light on the rarely reported struggles of the working class in one of the great cities of the British Empire before the First World War. The story continues after 1918 as some Peaky Blinders transformed into the infamous Birmingham Gang. Led by the real Billy Kimber, they fought a bloody war with the London gangsters Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomon over valuable protection rackets extorting money from bookmakers across the booming postwar racecourses of Britain. Drawing together a remarkably wide-range of original sources, including rarely seen images of real Peaky Blinders and interviews with relatives of the 1920s gangsters, Peaky Blinders: The Real Story adds a new dimension to the true history of Birmingham's underworld and fact behind its fiction.

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Angelo Amico Rochester, New York Mafia Boss - Robert Grey Reynolds Jr. Cover Art

Angelo Amico Rochester, New York Mafia Boss

Angelo Amico Rochester, New York Mafia Boss by Robert Grey Reynolds Jr.

Angelo Amico was a significant organized crime boss in Rochester and western New York during the mid 20th century and after. One newspaper article described him as part of the "new leadership" among mobsters. In one of his trials he was indicted for extorting gambling revenue from sixteen different betting operations. Amico was part of a Mafia syndicate that included Greece, New York gangsters Rene Piccarreto and his son Loren. The Piccarretos managed extensive gambling concerns in the Monroe County area. Local 398 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was also caught up in this crime activity.

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Stealing Wyeth - Bruce Mowday Cover Art

Stealing Wyeth

Stealing Wyeth by Bruce Mowday

Andrew Wyeth was one of the best known American artists in the world in the 20th century with his works, including the Helga series, being sought after by serious art collectors worldwide. His father, N. C., and son, Jamie, are integral parts of the best known American family of artists. They have an art museum dedicated to their works. A gang of thieves decided to steal an original Wyeth painting for their “retirement” and engaged a professional cat burglar (who was responsible for more than 1,500 crimes during his criminal career) to steal a Wyeth painting. The theft resulted in taking 15 paintings from the Wyeth estate in picturesque Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Seven were done by Andrew, six by Jamie and the other two by California artists. Today, those paintings would be worth millions of dollars. The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police were the investigating agencies. Were the paintings still in America, Europe or Asia? Were the paintings pre-sold and in a private collection, being stored for future sales or destroyed because the artwork was so well known? The search for the paintings takes the investigators throughout the United States and involves dangerous thieves, gamblers, drug dealers and murderers. In the process of tracking down the thieves and the paintings, hundreds of other crimes were solved.

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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 • NOW AN FX LIMITED SERIES STREAMING ON HULU • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • From the author of London Falling— a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. One of The New York Times ’s 20 Best Books of the 21st Century • A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century • A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of the Last 30 Years "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 " Reads like a novel. . . . Keefe is . . . a master of narrative nonfiction. . . . An incredible story. "—Rolling Stone A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, NPR, and more! 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.

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She Devil : The True Story of Christa Pike - Natalie Marshall Cover Art

She Devil : The True Story of Christa Pike

She Devil : The True Story of Christa Pike by Natalie Marshall

Christa Gail Pike, born 10 March 1976, currently sits on Tennessee's death row for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, on 12 January 1995. The murder occurred when Pike was 18 years old. Pike and her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp who was 17 at the time of the murder were convicted of Slemmer's murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Another friend of the defendants and the victim, Shadolla Peterson, also 18 at the time, was convicted as an accessory after the fact and given six years' probation after turning informant. Pike was sentenced to death by electrocution in 1996 and, at the time, she had the distinction of being the youngest woman ever to be sentenced to death, in any state and only the second women given the death penalty in Tennessee.

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The Yahoo Boys - Carlos Barragán Cover Art

The Yahoo Boys

The Yahoo Boys Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers by Carlos Barragán

A New York Times Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2026 Named a Best Book of the Year So Far by The New Yorker and Vulture A People Best Book of June | A USA Today Most Anticipated Summer Read Shortlisted for the Air Mail Tom Wolfe Literary Prize “A nonfiction book which really knocked me out . . . It’s incredible . . . An extraordinary piece of reporting.” —Patrick Radden Keefe, The Long Game podcast “What [Barragán has] produced feels miraculous: journalism that is simultaneously funny, devastating, wildly intimate, and righteous without veering into moralism.” —Kate Knibbs, Wired (Book Club Pick) An astonishing work of immersion journalism about four young romance scammers in Lagos, Nigeria, exploring how and why they scam, and the moral dilemmas they face. When his mother started emailing with a handsome American soldier who promised to send gold bars to her Madrid apartment, the journalist Carlos Barragán came face-to-face with the human toll of online romance fraud. After tracing the emails to an IP address in Nigeria, he set off on a journey to Lagos to try to find his mother’s scammer. There, he uncovered a much bigger story: in the midst of Africa’s largest city, he encountered a community of thousands of young men engaged in romance scamming. They call themselves “Yahoo Boys,” and each year they catfish millions of dollars from lonely victims overseas, building a dizzying local economy from their phones. In this astonishing work of immersion journalism, Barragán takes us inside the lives of four of the Yahoo Boys of Lagos. We meet Biggy and Chibuike, each struggling with the temptations of fast money; Azeez, a tailor’s apprentice caught between the lure of crime and Nigeria’s economic crisis; and Richie, who is convinced that he’s responsible for the death of a woman in Kentucky whom he manipulated online for years. Some Yahoo Boys attain the status of folk heroes, buying houses and cars with the money they make, while others become dependent on drugs and “cash out”—successfully scam a victim—only to lose it all. Through the Yahoo Boys’ twisting fortunes, Barragán discovers the psychological tactics they perfect, the brutal economic realities that drive them, and the moral dilemmas they confront. A work of radical empathy, The Yahoo Boys reveals the human face behind a global phenomenon, showing how loneliness in the West and poverty in Nigeria are two sides of the same screen.

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A Woman Scorned - Lisa Pulitzer Cover Art

A Woman Scorned

A Woman Scorned The Shocking Real-Life Case of Billionairess Killer Susan Cummings by Lisa Pulitzer

Rich, beautiful, deadly... Billionairess Susan Cummings was very rich, even by the exalted standards of Virginia horse country. Shy and single, she used just two rooms of her huge mansion and slept with a .357 Magnum under her pillow. Some people called her haughty. Others said she was strangely obsessive, eccentric, and emotionless, with a strong distrust of people. Her lover, Roberto, an Argentinian polo player with an eye for wealthy women, was undoubtedly handsome and possessive...and he was also cheating on her. But police, answering a mysterious 911 call, saw him only as a bullet-riddled corpse. Telling of escalating abuse, Susan displayed the blood running freely from knife wounds on her arm, and said she shot him in self-defense. Yet police had their doubts: claiming that Roberto had been dead so long, the pool of his blood looked like sticky red Jell-O... Now, in a harrowing true tale of secrets, obsession and betrayal, top crime writer Lisa Pulitzer reveals the uncensored truth about a privileged world where ordinary rules don't apply...where a shocking crime rattled the sprawling playground of the wealthy elite...and where money can buy almost everything...

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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 gripping work of narrative nonfiction, 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 true crime storytelling at its finest. This immersive true crime investigation reveals the full story: The Wolves of King Street: Go inside the multi-million-dollar drug ring run by fraternity brothers at the College of Charleston, a conspiracy of Xanax and cocaine that ended in tragedy. A Southern Murder Mystery: Follow the author’s harrowing investigation as he traces a homicide back to the very boys who ran the campus, exposing a cover-up that reached millions of dollars. Elite Fraternity Life: A shocking, unprecedented look behind the closed doors of Greek life, where the sons of the American establishment forge bonds through excess, crime, and secrecy. A Culture of Impunity: With expert pacing and a cool eye, Marshall documents a never-ending party that continues even after funerals and mass arrests, crafting a story that reads like a thriller.

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Rogues - Patrick Radden Keefe Cover Art

Rogues

Rogues True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the award-winning author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing —and one of the most decorated journalists of our time—twelve enthralling true stories of skulduggery and intrigue "An excellent collection of Keefe's detective work, and a fine introduction to his illuminating writing." —NPR “Fast-paced...Keefe is a virtuoso storyteller." — The Washington Post Patrick Radden Keefe has garnered prizes ranging from the National Magazine Award to the Orwell Prize to the National Book Critics Circle Award for his meticulously-reported, hypnotically-engaging work on the many ways people behave badly. Rogues brings together a dozen of his most celebrated articles from The New Yorker . As Keefe says in his preface “They reflect on some of my abiding preoccupations: crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.” Keefe brilliantly explores the intricacies of forging $150,000 vintage wines, examines whether a whistleblower who dared to expose money laundering at a Swiss bank is a hero or a fabulist, spends time in Vietnam with Anthony Bourdain, chronicles the quest to bring down a cheerful international black market arms merchant, and profiles a passionate death penalty attorney who represents the “worst of the worst,” among other bravura works of literary journalism. The appearance of his byline in The New Yorker is always an event, and collected here for the first time readers can see his work forms an always enthralling but deeply human portrait of criminals and rascals, as well as those who stand up against them.

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Too Late to Say Goodbye - Ann Rule Cover Art

Too Late to Say Goodbye

Too Late to Say Goodbye A True Story of Murder and Betrayal by Ann Rule

From bestselling author Ann Rule comes the engrossing true crime story of two beautiful, loving women, and their murder by the man in their life—handsome, charming, rich, a man marked for unlimited success—but one who would never allow any woman to leave him, no matter what the provocation. Jenn Corbin, a lovely, slim, brown-eyed blonde, appeared to have it all: two dear little boys, a posh home in one of the upscale suburbs of Atlanta, expensive cars, a plush houseboat, and a husband—Dr. Bart Corbin, a successful dentist—who was tall, handsome, and brilliant. But gradually their seemingly idyllic life together began to crumble. There was talk of seeing a marriage counselor. Bart was distraught; Jenn seemed disenchanted. She needed to reach out to someone she could confide in—beyond her mother and her sisters. Then, just a few weeks before Christmas 2004, Jenn was found dead with a bullet in her head, a revolver beside her. From the position of the body her death appeared to be a suicide. But Gwinnett County detective Marcus Head was not totally convinced, nor was Jenn's family, who could not believe she would take her own life. And how was this death related to another apparent suicide fourteen years earlier—that of Dorothy "Dolly" Hearn, a spectacularly beautiful dental student? A star athlete and homecoming queen in high school, Dolly later dated Bart Corbin in dental school. Was there a connection, or was the answer to be found in a secret—even dangerous—relationship Jenn Corbin was having outside her marriage? For T oo Late to Say Goodbye, Ann Rule has interviewed virtually everyone in any way related to the story—the victims' families, police investigators, prosecutors, and sources from Georgia to Australia—to uncover the truth behind the headlines of these two sensational deaths. What emerges is an incredible tale of jealous rage; of stunning circumstantial and physical evidence that runs from the steamy to the macabre to almost-unheard-of forensic techniques; and of a tragic irony—a fateful discovery that motivated the killing. The definitive unraveling of one of the strangest murder investigations of our time, Too Late to Say Goodbye is perhaps the finest achievement of a truly great writer's career.

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Prodigal Father, Pagan Son - Anthony "LT" Menginie & Kerrie Droban Cover Art

Prodigal Father, Pagan Son

Prodigal Father, Pagan Son Growing Up Inside the Dangerous World of the Pagans Motorcycle Club by Anthony "LT" Menginie & Kerrie Droban

A chronicle of growing up in the Philadelphia chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Club—"One of the most extraordinary true-crime autobiographies" ( The Sydney Morning Herald ). Winner of the USA Book News National Book Award for Best Nonfiction True Crime and Best Memoir/Autobiography "A down-and-dirty memoir that should appeal to readers of such books as Sonny Barger's Hell's Angel . . . and Hunter Thompson's classic Hell's Angels." —Kirkus Reviews By the time he was thirteen, he already had attended thirteen funerals. Abandoned by his mother, and with his father, "Mangy" Menginie—president of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, Philadelphia chapter—in jail, Anthony "LT" Menginie is raised inside the Pagans and inducted into a life of sex, violence, drugs, and organized crime. In Mangy's absence, LT finds a father figure in the Saint, a club member who helps teach him the difference between the club members you respect—and those you fear. When Mangy is released from jail, tries to resume his role as father and president, and then betrays the club by going over to the rival Hells Angels, LT must decide where his loyalties lie. Prodigal Father, Pagan Son is a voyeuristic glimpse into the shocking and hypnotic underworld of notorious "one-percenter" biker club: a gritty and powerful true tale of survival amid personal trials and tragedies, and of one man's determination to escape to a better life. "This is a one-of-a-kind true tale of being born into madness . . . and of rising above it." —Robert K. Tanenbaum, New York Times –bestselling author of Betrayed and Capture

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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.

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Little Bosses Everywhere - Bridget Read Cover Art

Little Bosses Everywhere

Little Bosses Everywhere How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read

A “gripping” ( The Washington Post ) work of history and reportage that unveils the stranger-than-fiction world of multilevel marketing: a massive money-making scam and radical political conspiracy that has remade American society. “Reads like a thriller . . . masterfully illuminates the tricks and sleights of hand that in multilevel marketing are simply the rules of doing business.”— The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE WASHINGTON POST , NPR, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Companies like Amway, Mary Kay, and Herbalife advertise the world’s greatest opportunity: the chance to be your own boss via an enigmatic business model called multilevel marketing, or MLM. They offer a world of pink Cadillacs, white-columned mansions, tropical vacations, and—most precious of all—financial freedom. If, that is, you’re willing to shell out for expensive products and recruit everyone you know to buy them, and if they recruit everyone they know, too, thus creating the “multiple levels” of MLM. Overwhelming evidence suggests that most people lose money in multilevel marketing, and that many MLM companies are pyramid schemes. Yet the industry’s origins, tied to right-wing ideologues like Ronald Reagan, have escaped public scrutiny. MLM has slithered in the wake of every economic crisis of the last century, from the Depression to the pandemic, ensnaring laid-off workers, stay-at-home moms, and teachers—anyone who has been left behind by rising inequality. In Little Bosses Everywhere , journalist Bridget Read tells the gripping story of multilevel marketing in full for the first time, winding from sunny postwar California, where a failed salesman started a vitamin business, through the devoutly religious suburbs of Michigan, where the industry built its political influence, to stadium-size conventions where today’s top sellers preach to die-hard recruits. MLM has enriched powerful people, like the DeVos and Van Andel families, Warren Buffett, and President Donald Trump, all while eroding public institutions and the social safety net, then profiting from the chaos. Along the way, Read delves into the stories of those devastated by the majority-female industry: a veteran in Florida searching for healing; a young mom in Texas struggling to feed her children; a waitress scraping by in Brooklyn. A wild trip down an endless rabbit hole of greed and exploitation, Little Bosses Everywhere exposes multilevel marketing as American capitalism’s stealthiest PR campaign, a cunning grift that has shaped nearly everything about how we live, and whose ultimate target is democracy itself.

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Framed - John Grisham & Jim Mccloskey Cover Art

Framed

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

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The master of the legal thriller” (Associated Press) teams up with “the godfather of the innocence movement” ( Texas Monthly ) to share ten harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions. “Each of these stories is told with astonishing power.”—David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon “Gripping . . . compelling . . . What makes [ Framed ] important reading isn’t the shock value advertised in the title. It’s the exposure of the infuriating, recurrent factors involved in so many unrighteous convictions.”— The Washington Post John Grisham is known worldwide for his bestselling novels, but it’s his real-life passion for justice that led to his work with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries, the first organization dedicated to exonerating innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. Together they offer an inside look at the many injustices in our 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. These ten true stories shed light on Americans who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, 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 corruption in the court system that can make them so hard to reverse. Impeccably researched and told with page-turning suspense as only John Grisham can deliver, Framed is the story of winning freedom when the battle already seems lost and the deck is stacked against you. Don’t miss John Grisham’s new thriller, The French Illusion !

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The Library Book - Susan Orlean Cover Art

The Library Book

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK A WASHINGTON POST TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 “A constant pleasure to read…Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book .” — The Washington Post “CAPTIVATING…DELIGHTFUL.” — Christian Science Monitor * “EXQUISITELY WRITTEN, CONSISTENTLY ENTERTAINING.” — The New York Times * “MESMERIZING…RIVETING.” — Booklist (starred review) A dazzling love letter to a beloved institution—and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries—from the bestselling author hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post . On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual fire alarm. As one fireman recounted, “Once that first stack got going, it was ‘Goodbye, Charlie.’” The fire was disastrous: it reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling book that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In The Library Book , Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status as a cornerstone of national identity; brings each department of the library to vivid life through on-the-ground reporting; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; reflects on her own experiences in libraries; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. Along the way, Orlean introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters from libraries past and present—from Mary Foy, who in 1880 at eighteen years old was named the head of the Los Angeles Public Library at a time when men still dominated the role, to Dr. C.J.K. Jones, a pastor, citrus farmer, and polymath known as “The Human Encyclopedia” who roamed the library dispensing information; from Charles Lummis, a wildly eccentric journalist and adventurer who was determined to make the L.A. library one of the best in the world, to the current staff, who do heroic work every day to ensure that their institution remains a vital part of the city it serves. Brimming with her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, The Library Book is Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks that reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country. It is also a master journalist’s reminder that, perhaps especially in the digital era, they are more necessary than ever.

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