Page-Turning True Crime
From cold-blooded murders and wrongful convictions to the FBI chasing down notorious gangsters, these page-turning, real-life stories read like your favorite true crime podcast.
The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty by Valerie Bauerlein
Power, privilege, and blood—this is the true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter who has become an authority on the case.
“The definitive account of the Murdaugh murders. Forget the podcasts, the TV specials, and the documentaries—this is the version of the story you’ll want to read. And once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down.”—John Carreyrou, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Bad Blood
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Framed: Astonishing True Stories and Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey
In John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man, “the master of the legal thriller” (Associated Press) teams up with Jim McCloskey, “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. They are packed with human drama, with acts of shocking villainy and breathtaking courage. But these are more than just gripping true stories—they are a clarion call for reforming the tragic flaws in our criminal justice system.”—David Grann, New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon
Available October 15th in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson
A shocking and revelatory account of the murder of Emmett Till that lays bare how forces from around the world converged on the Mississippi Delta in the long lead-up to the crime, and how the truth was erased for so long.
“The Barn is serious history and skillful journalism, but with the nuance and wallop of a finely wrought novel . . . The Barn describes not just the poison of silence and lies, but also the dignity of courage and truth.”—The Washington Post
“An incredible history of a crime that changed America.”—John Grisham
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II by Abbott Kahler
An incredible true story of murder, romance, and a fateful search for utopia in the Galápagos—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ghosts of Eden Park.
“Abbott Kahler’s wickedly gothic tale confronts an essential truth about those who ditch civilization: Try as we might, humans cannot elude the tyranny of our own nature.”—Hampton Sides, author of The Wide Wide Sea
“With taut prose and sublime storytelling, Kahler crafts an atmospheric page-turner, ominous and thought-provoking.”—Kate Moore, author of The Radium Girls and The Woman They Could Not Silence
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Sinners All Bow: Two Authors, One Murder, and the Real Hester Prynne by Kate Winkler Dawson
Acclaimed journalist, podcaster, and true–crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson tells the true story of the scandalous murder investigation that became the inspiration for both Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and the first true-crime book published in America.
“The Sinners All Bow is an utterly original reinvention of the true-crime genre, deconstructing a celebrated and historical murder-mystery while also catapulting the reader through a riveting and unpredictable tale.”—Michael Finkel, New York Times bestselling author of The Art Thief and The Stranger in the Woods
Available January 7th in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, a Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
How states are making their legal systems more equitable, seen through the story of a Black man falsely imprisoned for thirty years for murder.
“Ben Spencer’s story is beautifully told by a gifted and determined journalist: There is great suffering, injustice, corruption, waste, and, in the end, redemption. Barbara Bradley Hagerty’s vivid account of his nightmare is simply unforgettable.”—John Grisham, author of The Exchange
“In the tale of Ben Spencer’s fight for freedom, we get righteous anger, unlikely grace, and Hollywood twists. But we also get that rarest bird in the annals of mass incarceration: hope. I was blown away.”—Maurice Chammah, author of Let the Lord Sort Them
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Case of Lizzie Borden and Other Writings Edited by Elizabeth Garver Jordan; Foreword by Brooke Kroeger
The first and only comprehensive collection of writings by Elizabeth Garver Jordan, the groundbreaking journalist, suffragist, and editor whose fearless reporting on women preceded the #MeToo movement and popularized the true-crime genre.
“If you’re a fan of true crime, you should know the work of pioneering journalist Elizabeth Garver Jordan. She was one of the few women to cover the Lizzie Borden and other murder trials . . . and did so with an innovative, narrative style that captivated the country. She championed women’s rights, denounced sexual violence, turned out detective tales and novels and if Emma Stone hasn’t optioned her story, well then Hollywood knows nothing.”—Parade
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor’s Journey Through Love and Death by Matt Murphy
Examining murder from an insider’s perspective, Matt Murphy—a former senior deputy district attorney and current ABC News Legal Analyst—discusses cases from his career, how they strained his personal life, and how he found peace seeking justice for victims and their families.
“There is a reason Matt Murphy never lost a murder trial. He’s not just a legendary lawyer . . . he is a master storyteller. His writing transports the reader into those cold early morning Orange County crime scenes, where he and his team need to make those initial assessments about what the hell happened to that particular victim, and into the courtroom, where he jousts with defendants and their lawyers. Murphy has ceded a “normal life” to the craft of crime busting . . . and the combination of passion, ferocious dedication, and talent makes for the kind of grist crime junkies will devour.”—Matt Gutman, Chief National Correspondent for ABC News
Available in Hardcover.
Gangster Hunters: How Hoover’s G-Men Vanquished America’s Deadliest Public Enemies by John Oller
The enthralling, can’t-put-down account of the birth of the modern FBI. J. Edgar Hoover was the face of the FBI. But the federal agents in the field, relentlessly chasing the most notorious gangsters of the 1930s with their own lives on the line, truly transformed the Bureau.
“Oller’s legendary cast of good guys and bad guys make for a rip-roaring read. Vivid, commanding, and thoroughly researched.”—#1 New York Timesbestselling author Martin Dugard, author of Taking London and Killing the Mob
“The War on Crime in the 1930s pitted a still-evolving FBI against criminals whose names still resonate—and, when it was over, the FBI prevailed. Gangster Hunters explains the how and why of it all, and in the process author John Oller proves that fact-based storytelling trumps far-fetched mythology every time. This is the real story—and it’s an incredible one.”—Jeff Guinn, New York Times bestselling author of Manson and Waco
Available November 26th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations—and Take Over Our Lives by J. W. Ocker
From the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids, an eye-popping compendium of the 30 most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history.
Have you ever wondered how ordinary people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about history’s most notorious cults—and the psychology of the people who join them—is packed into this accessible, engaging volume.
In this fascinating collection, weird history expert J. W. Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.