9 True Crime Page-Turners That Will Give You the Chills

Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow

Where to buy: $18, Amazon

Sitting at No. 2 on the New York Times best-seller’s list is award-winning journalist Ronan Farrow’s account of the espionage and intimidation tactics he faced while investigating Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse scandal, which Farrow was instrumental in breaking in October 2017. More than that, however, he examines the dark practices going on behind closed doors via a "catch and kill" strategy, in which those in positions of power will take extreme measures to bury unfavorable stories from being reported.  

Murder, Interrupted by James Patterson 

Where to buy: $11.83, Amazon 

A master of suspense on the fiction side, Patterson manages to cross over into true crime seamlessly with Murder, Interrupted, a harrowing retelling of the crimes of Frank Howard, an adulterous financier who wants to off his wife, and Gypsy Rose, a young woman who plots her mother’s death after learning she has been falsely made to believe that she is chronically ill to keep her dependent.  

My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by Rachel Deloache Williams 

Where to buy: $18.49, Amazon 

Vanity Fair photo editor Deloache Williams’ tale about befriending supposed German heiress Anna Delvey in New York City and jet-setting across the globe with her to Marrakesh begins like a Real Housewives plotline. It took a turn for the terrible, however, when Williams realized her new “friend” was no heiress at all, but a scam artist in disguise who had taken her for thousands of dollars. 

The Ghosts of Eden Park by Karen Abbot

Where to buy: $21.07, Amazon 

Hailed as “Gatsby-era noir at its best" by beloved true crime author Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City, $9.99, Amazon), The Ghosts of Eden Park follows famed Prohibition-era bootlegger George Remus, who, at one point in time, solely owned 35 percent of all of the restricted liquor available in the United States. When he is eventually caught, his wife takes up with investigator Franklin Dodge, leading to her untimely death once Remus is released from prison. 

Letters from Christopher: The Tragic Confessions of the Watts Family Murders by Cheryln Cadle

Where to buy: $19, Amazon 

The nation was rocked in late 2018 when Christopher Watts admitted to murdering his pregnant wife of six years, Shan’ann Watts, and their two young daughters. In this book, author Cheryln Cadle, who wrote to Christopher in jail, shares letters she received from him in which he puts his crimes to paper, revealing details behind the atrocities he committed that were reportedly not even known by the FBI. 

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton

Where to buy: $24.30, Amazon 

Not all crime has a face — a fact author Axton Betz-Hamilton makes all too clear in her autobiography, The Less People Know About Us. In it, she recounts her life growing up in rural Indiana in the ‘90s as her parents were dealing with a double case of stolen identity. Though the family made the decision to go into hiding to escape the perpetrator, Betz-Hamilton’s own identity was ultimately stolen in adulthood as well, perpetuating the nightmarish cycle that began with the theft of her mother and father’s information when she just 11 years old.  

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen 

Where to buy: $11.99, Amazon 

If You Tell examines the relationship between three sisters who suffered abuse at the hands of their murderous mother in their youth. Together, they find the strength to overcome their personal trauma and bring her to justice, ultimately ending her reign of terror for good. 

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger 

Where to buy: $22.49, Amazon

OK, OK, so this novel about a community of well-to-do parents who will do anything, including lying, cheating, and stealing, to get their children into a prestigious new “gifted” school in the neighborhood, isn’t “exactly” a true crime novel. But its plot sure seems familiar. Many drew comparison between this sordidly juicy tale of deceit and the headline-making college admissions scandal that broke earlier this year, in which celebrity parents Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were indicted on charges of bribery and fraud for allegedly paying bribes to ensure their children’s college admission and boost their SAT scores, respectively. 

A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming by Kerri Rawson 

Where to buy: $17.99, Amazon

Kerri Rawson’s world was rocked in 2005 when she learned that her loving, devoted father, Dennis Rader, was the living a double life as the “BTK (bind, kill, torture) strangler,” — a man responsible for the murders of 10 innocent people between 1974 and 1991. "My mom and I have both said, early on, if we had known, we would've gone screaming out the door, running to the police," she told Esquire in February. "[We] didn't know we were living with a psychopath. They're really good at hiding."

Here, she shares her story of coming to terms with his true identity and rebuilding her life in the wake of the shock and horror. 

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