By: Amy Coleman
(Disclaimer: The true crime genre tends to be graphic in nature and sometimes includes explicit language and, therefore, may not be appropriate for all audiences. Discretion is advised.)
The popularity of Netflix’s Tiger King demonstrates true crime’s draw. What is it about true crime that is so appealing to viewers/readers/listeners? Maybe you like playing detective, trying to figure out the case before the perpetrator is revealed, or maybe you enjoy the rush of adrenaline as the detective closes in on the suspect. If you find yourself drawn to the stories behind episodes of Dateline or 48 Hours, HEPL’s selection of true crime e-books and e-audiobooks is for you! Where television shows may only have a few hours to take you through a case, leaving out unique and interesting details, the stories in true crime books are less affected by time constraints. Some of the most diabolical perpetrators, and their crimes, are so complex that they haven’t even been covered on most TV programs.
If you are looking to infuse some of true crime’s excitement into your life from the safety of your home, look no further than HEPL’s digital true crime e-books and e-audiobooks on Libby and Hoopla! There are titles that cover forensic science, legal- and law-focused crime stories, historic criminals, bank robbers, local unsolved cases, conspiracies, serial killers, and more!
Recent and Popular Titles
Titles from Libby:
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan
Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8? by Ethan Brown
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial by Rabia Chaudry
- Audiobook
- Bonus! Related podcasts that predate the book:
- Serial, Season 1
- Undisclosed Podcast, Season 1
Who Killed These Girls? Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders by Beverly Lowry
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana by Julie Young
Titles from Hoopla:
The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall
Kidnapped by a Client by Sharon R. Muse
The Beauty Defense: Femmes Fatales on Trial by Laura James
18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb
The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen
All that Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes by Sue Black
Norco ’80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan
The Family Next Door: The Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the 13 Turpin Siblings and Their Extraordinary Rescue by John Glatt
A Target On My Back: A Prosecutor’s Terrifying Tale of Life on a Hit List by Erleigh Wiley
The Setup: A True Story of Dirty Cops, Soccer Moms, & Reality TV by Pete Crooks
If you’d like to browse all of the digital true crime listings and find some hidden gems, these links are a good place to start:
If you are interested in exploring free true crime podcast content, check out these links:
- Apple’s true crime podcast charts
- com’s Society & Culture section includes true crime, and you can stream most titles and episodes without a login.
- Podcasts listed in Apple Podcast’s true crime genre