So far, you’ve had a nice, relatively uneventful summer. Quiet days, serene nights, just the way you like it.
But every now and then, a little shaking-up might be nice, maybe something that’ll raise your blood pressure just a little bit and make your heart pound. Something, perhaps, like a brand-new true crime book, maybe one of these…
If you’ve spent the last couple years, on and off, glued to the news from South Carolina, then “The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh” by James Lasdun (Norton, $31.99) should be the next thing on your TBR (To Be Read) pile. It’s a good round look at what happened so far in the Alex Murdaugh case, and it’ll get you up-to-date for what will surely be a newsworthy re-trial.
For a true crime tale that’s also part mystery, you’ll want to read “Whatever Happened to Eddy Crane? A Memoir and a Murder Investigation” by Kate Crane (Hanover Square Press, $30), a book that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
When Kate Crane was just 12 years old, her father disappeared on his way home from work, never to be seen again. Two decades later, as an adult and a New York journalist, Crane had to know what happened so she began investigating her own father’s disappearance. This book will fulfill your true crime cravings, but it’s also suspenseful in a big way.
Or, how about a book about true crime that will make you think? Then “Unreasonable Women: Three Stories of Violence, Imprisonment, and Extraordinary Survival” by Justine van der Leun (Ecco, $30) is what you want. It’s a book about crime, yes, but the final one is just the last in a long line of crimes perpetrated on the perpetrators. Three women made a last-choice choice that no one would want to make, it sent them to prison, and you’ll be riveted. Their tales are rounded out with a look at prison, violence today, and how the “system” needs to change.
On that note, check out “Champions of Innocence: Inside the Fight Against Wrongful Convictions,” edited by Saul Kassin (Prometheus Books, $32.95). It’s a wide look at the people who fight to overturn convictions, when the conviction is so very wrong.
But okay, you want something true-crime-y but not entirely? Then look for “The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music” by Colin Asher (Norton, $29.99), a book about how the prison system has affected the music we hear, and how incarceration changes a musician. This book goes back to the beginning of the last century, making it a true crime fan’s delight and a nice surprise for a music aficionado.
Not enough for your reading pleasure? Then get yourself to your favorite bookstore or library and ask the nice people there if they might direct you to the True Crime section. There, you’ll find lots of books to whet your appetite, to capture your hammock-time, to open your eyes, take on vacation, and yes, to make your heart pound.
Books about True Crime by various authors c.2026, various publishers $29.99 – $32.95 various page counts