The 25 Best True Crime Books to Add to Your TBR List

Speaking of books whose film adaptations star Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street is perhaps the most well-known. In his memoir, the former stockbroker Jordan Belfort takes you behind the scenes of his time as a sleazy entrepreneur, from running up a $700,000 hotel tab to sinking a 170-foot motor yacht. This is as American as it gets—a story filled with greed, capitalism, drugs, and power.

We’ve officially come to our last installment in the Leo Cinematic-Literary Universe. Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake tells the story of a notorious conman named Frank W. Abagnale. In just a few of his many scams (all committed before he even turned 21), Abagnale pretended to be a pilot, practiced law without a license, and cashed over $2 million in phony checks.

For fans of Bluets or The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson, The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial offers a slight departure from the author’s usual style. In this part memoir and part account of a trial, Nelson investigates the death of her aunt who was murdered in Michigan in the late ‘60s.

You simply can’t discuss true crime without mentioning Truman Capote. Widely regarded as one of the first non-fiction novels ever written, In Cold Blood tells the story of four members of a family who were murdered in 1950s Kansas.

The Devil in the White City follows an architect who constructed the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 and the serial killer who used the fair as his own personal torture chamber. A gas chamber and dissection table were just a few of the sinister components that this killer (who also happened to be a doctor) employed at the fair.

If you’ve already seen the film adaptation directed by Spike Lee, give the book a try. In Black Klansman, a Black detective named Ron Stallworth goes undercover in order to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. To do this, he enlists his partner to play the “white” version of himself, while he feeds him messages over the phone.

Thriller writer James Patterson tells the story of the late Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender and financier from New York. For an in-depth look at Epstein’s various crimes and offenses, Filthy Rich includes interviews with his alleged victims and critical details about his case, including his subsequent death in 2019.

Religion, fanaticism, and faith are at the core of Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. He investigates the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers who commit murders because God “commanded them” to. The Hulu miniseries starring Andrew Garfield is a great adaptation to watch once you’re done reading.

Lost Girls investigates the disappearance of several escorts in their early 20s. All of the women advertised on Craigslist and Backpage, which couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. Award-winning investigative reporter Robert Kolker attempts to solve this unsolved mystery and track down the serial killer who’s responsible for the lost lives of young women.

Charlize Theron portrayed Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster and the book is just as intense and gritty. Told in her own words, Wuornos tells her story about escaping an abusive household, working as a prostitute, and then becoming one of the world’s few female serial killers.

Descend into the pit of hedonism and crime of New York’s downtown party scene with Party Monster. Drugs, sex, and murder fill the pages as the author James St. James, a former club kid, breaks down the underbelly of reckless nightlife. Home Alone’s Macaulay Culkin also stars in the film adaptation as the “king of the club kids.”

The Zodiac Killer has become an essential part of pop culture lore, so it’s important to read the book so that you have the full context. If you’ve seen the film directed by David Fincher, then you’ll definitely be interested in taking a peek at the previously unreleased letters that the Zodiac Killer left behind, which are just a few of the exclusive contents that you can find in the book.

Calling all film buffs for this one. Get to know the real-life story behind the gangsters in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family tracks the life of Henry Hill, a Mafia associate who turns into an informant.

In another Nicholas Pileggi classic—which also served as inspiration for yet another Scorcese film—Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas tells the story of two men who oversaw a Las Vegas casino operation for the mob. This multi-million dollar illegal operation soon gets the attention of the FBI and chaos, lies, and betrayal ensue.

Molly’s Game is the true story of “Hollywood’s poker princess.” Molly Bloom (played by Jessica Chastain in the Aaron Sorkin film adaptation) built one of the most exclusive underground poker games in the world and hosted several celebrities, businessmen, and millionaires. Here, she tells her story about how she gained and lost it all.

Known as “The Angel of Death” by many, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was responsible for the death of hundreds of his patients. The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder includes wiretap recordings, interviews with informants, and never-before-seen police records. After reading the book, make sure you check out the Netflix film adaptation starring Jessica Chastain.

For the history buffs, All the President’s Men: The Greatest Reporting Story of All Time is all about Watergate. Journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein provide a first-hand account of one of the most well-known scandals in American politics.