“Imagination, of course, can open any door – turn the key and let terror walk right in.”
If you love the heart-pounding suspense of a thriller but crave the chilling reality of true crime, this list is for you. Some of the best true crime books are read just like thrillers – fast-paced, gripping, and packed with twists you won’t believe happened. These true-crime books that read like thrillers bring real-life mysteries, shocking crimes, and psychological suspense to the page. From true-crime page-turners that feel like fiction to true-crime books for thriller fans, this collection highlights the most immersive, fast-paced true-crime books that deliver all the tension of a novel – except every single shocking detail is grounded in reality. Whether you’re fascinated by unsolved cases, deep investigative reporting, or edge-of-your-seat storytelling, these books will keep you hooked. Join us today at What We Reading for these true-crime books that read like a mystery, pulling you into the deepest recesses of real-life crime stories.
In Cold Blood – Truman Capote
First up on our list of true crime books that read like thrillers is Truman Capote’s infamous work, In Cold Blood. This groundbreaking work reconstructs the brutal 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The Clutters – Herb, Bonnie, and their two children – were a well-respected, hardworking family with no known enemies. Their shocking and seemingly senseless deaths sent shockwaves through their small community.
Capote impeccably pieces together the crime, the investigation and the lives of the killers – Perry Smith and Richard ‘Dick’ Hickcock – who believed the Clutters owned a safe full of cash (which turned out not to be the case). The book follows their escape, capture, and trial and delves into their psychological backgrounds. With a thriller-like pace, Capote crafts a haunting, suspenseful narrative that reads like fiction and is still regarded as one of the first modern true crime novels, blending literary storytelling with investigative journalism for a chilling effect.
Last Call: A True Story Of Love, Lust, And Murder In Queer New York – Elon Green
Elon Green’s Last Call is a chilling true-crime book that reads like a noir thriller. It investigates the case of the Last Call Killer, a serial murderer who targeted gay men in the 1980s and 1990s, a time when violence against the LGBTQ+ community was often overlooked by the police and media. The book follows the victims – men who sought companionship in Manhattan’s piano bars – before revealing the horrifying details of their brutal murders.
Green masterfully reconstructs the case, highlighting both the investigative failures and the perseverance that eventually led to the capture of Richard Rogers, a seemingly unassuming nurse with a dark past. Beyond the crime itself, Last Call is a gripping, fast-paced true crime book that also serves as a poignant social history, exposing the dangers LGBTQ+ individuals faced in a world that largely ignored them.
The Most Dangerous Animal Of All – Gary L. Stewart And Susan D. Mustafa
The Most Dangerous Animal of All is a true crime book with the twists of a thriller, following one man’s shocking discovery about his own father. Gary L. Stewart, adopted as a baby, spends decades searching for his biological parents. What he uncovers is more terrifying than he could have imagined – evidence suggesting that his father, Earl Van Best Jr., may have been the infamous Zodiac Killer.
Joined by journalist Susan Mustafa, Stewart pieces together a chilling narrative, analysing handwriting, crime scene details, and eerie personal connections between his father and the unsolved Zodiac murders of the 1960s and 1970s. The book plays out like a detective novel as Stewart relentlessly pursues the truth, despite skepticism from experts. With its psychological thriller style, Stewart’s work is both an investigative journey and a deeply personal memoir, making it one of the most gripping true crime books that reads like a thriller.
Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI – David Grann
David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon is a gripping true-crime book that reads like a thriller, uncovering one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history. In the 1920s, the Osage Nation in Oklahoma became incredibly wealthy after oil was discovered on their land. Yet, as their wealth grew, members of the Osage community began mysteriously dying – some shot, others poisoned, and many under suspicious circumstances.
When the death toll kept rising, the newly formed FBI – led by a young J. Edgar Hoover – stepped in, launching an investigation led by former Texas Ranger Tom White. As White and his team dig deeper, they unearth a shocking web of greed, corruption and cold-blooded murder. With a narrative as tense as a crime thriller, Grann’s book is a fast-paced, meticulously researched true-crime masterpiece that exposes one of America’s darkest injustices.
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The Journalist And The Murderer – Janet Malcolm
Janet Malcolm’s The Journalist and the Muderer is a true crime book with a psychological thriller edge, but it is also a scathing critique of journalism itself. Instead of focusing squarely on a crime, Malcolm examines the complex and unsettling relationship between journalists and their subjects, using one of the most controversial true crime cases as her lens.
The book orbits around the trial of Jeffrey MacDonald, a former Green Beret doctor convicted of murdering his wife and two daughters in 1970. But, Malcolm’s real focus is on Joe McGinniss, the journalist who befriended MacDonald whilst writing Fatal Vision – only to depict him as guilty. MacDonald later sued McGinniss for betrayal, arguing that the journalist had deceived him into believing that he was an ally. With a sharp and suspenseful narrative, Malcolm exposes the ethical dilemmas of true crime reporting, questioning whether journalists exploit their subjects for a good story.
We Keep The Dead Close: A Murder At Harvard And A Half Century Of Silence – Becky Cooper
We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper centres on the 1969 murder of Jane Britton, a Harvard archaeology student who was found bludgeoned to death in her Cambridge apartment. For decades, rumours swirled that her death was linked to a university cover-up, an affair with a professor, or even to ancient curses tied to her fieldwork. The case remained unsolved, buried beneath decades of secrecy.
Decades later, Cooper sets out on a decade-long investigation, uncovering disturbing truths about Harvard’s culture, power dynamics and the way institutions attempt to silence women. As she pieces together Jane’s life and final moments, the book takes on the feel of a psychological thriller, revealing twists, dead ends and shocking discoveries along the way. Both a meticulously researched true crime story and a haunting exploration of academia, sexism and obsession, We Keep the Dead Close is as immersive and suspenseful as any novel.
The Red Parts – Maggie Nelson
Maggie Nelson’s The Red Parts is a powerful and unsettling true crime memoir that reads like psychological fiction. Blending personal reflections with investigative storytelling, Nelson chronicles her search for justice after the 1969 murder of her aunt, Jane Mixer, a law student at the University of Michigan.
In a narrative that feels like a literary detective story, Nelson details the case’s unsettling twists. When a man was eventually convicted of the crime, Nelson found herself caught between her family’s grief and the complicated realities of the legal system. She explores how her own life, including her complex emotions around her aunt’s death, is inexorably tied to the investigation. With lyrical prose, The Red Parts is not just a crime story but also a profound meditation on memory, loss and the pursuit of justice.
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Bad Blood: Secrets And Lies In A Silicon Valley Startup – John Carreyrou
Bad Blood is another gripping true-crime book that reads like a corporate thriller, exposing one of the most stunning scams in recent business history. The book tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the ambitious founder of the health-tech company Theranos, which claimed to have revolutionised blood testing with just a few drops of blood.
Holmes’ vision captivated investors, media and the tech world – until it all came crashing down. Carreyrou, a Wall Street journalist, uncovers how Holmes and her company misled investors, doctors and patients, ultimately putting lives at risk. With sharp investigative reporting, Bad Blood takes readers behind the scenes of Theranos, revealing how Holmes manipulated everyone from her colleagues to the public, all while building a multi-billion dollar company on lies.
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, And The Natural History Heist Of The Century – Kirk Wallace Johnson
Kirk Wallace Johnson’s The Feather Thief is a true crime book that reads like a thrilling adventure story, blending a bizarre theft with an exploration of obsession, history, and natural beauty. The book follows Edwin Rist, a young man and talented flautist who, in 2009, stole hundreds of rare bird skins from the Tring Museum in England. These birds were prized for their exotic feathers, sought after by Victorian fly-tying enthusiasts, and Rist planned to sell them to collectors.
What began as a heist driven by greed and obsession with the fly-tying world quickly spirals into a criminal investigation, with Johnson piecing together the extraordinary story. With a fascinating mix of natural history, psychology and high-stakes crime, The Feather Thief explores Rist’s motivations and the world of feather collecting while examining the profound impact of his crime on both the museum and the individuals who devote their lives to preserving these rare specimens. Its gripping narrative reads like an intellectual thriller, brimming with twists and unexpected turns.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
