Books
By this point, you've probably heard the news that California authorities have arrested a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, the subject of Michelle McNamara's true crime book I'll Be Gone in the Dark. McNamara's book is stunning, but once you've soaked up every page, you'll be left with a burning question: what do I read next?
Sometimes, when you read a really good book, it can be hard to figure out how to follow it up. I'll Be Gone in the Dark is definitely a book that will get your blood pumping and get your mind and body ready for more unsolved cases.
On this list, you'll find a few others true crime books that will appeal to you if you were enthralled by Michelle McNamara's determined, empathetic, compassionate voice and relentless, diligent research. You'll find fictional thrillers that will speak to the part of you that's itching to go down a new, dark adventure. Plus, you'll also find some books that might give you some extra insight into everything that's going on with the Golden State Killer case right now.
So, get ready McNamara fans: Here are 11 true crime books and thriller novels that you won't be able to resist.
'The Red Parts' by Maggie Nelson
If you loved the empathetic voice of I'll Be Gone in the Dark Is, you can't miss Maggie Nelson's memoir and deep-dive investigation of her aunt's murder. Decades after the crime, DNA-evidence implicated a suspect in the case, and Nelson brilliantly explores what that meant to her family.
'Case Files of the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer' by Kat Winters with Keith Komos
If you want to do even more digging into the Golden State Killer case, this book gives you another perspective on the case. Compare these details with the ones McNamara discovers and see how they stack up to what's been uncovered about the suspect so far.
'Dark Places' by Gillian Flynn
You probably recognize Gillian Flynn as the author of Gone Girl — and the woman who wrote the foreword to I'll Be Gone in the Dark. For more of her impactful, compassionate thriller writing, try Dark Places, which centers on Libby Day, whose entire family was brutally murdered 25 years previously.
'Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime' by Val McDermid
DNA was the key to finding the Golden State Killer. If you want to learn more about all of that forensic science stuff works, this is the book to read.
'The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir' by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
While working a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, Marzano-Lesnevich became obsessed with the crimes of convicted murderer Ricky Langley. She recounts her steady, shocking investigation in this memoir.
'Bluebird, Bluebird' by Attica Locke
Winner of the Edgar Award for best mystery, thriller, or crime book of 2017, this novel transports you to East Texas, where Texas Ranger Darren Matthews is trying to solve two murders that have stirred up a flurry of racial tension.
'Who Killed These Girls?: The Yogurt Shop Murders' by Beverly Lowry
On December 6, 1991, the bodies of four teenage girls were found naked, bound, gagged inside of an "I Can't Believe It's Yogurt!" shop. As the investigation into their murders progresses, things only got stranger and stranger. In this book, Beverly Lowry tirelessly pores through the evidence and crafts a compelling narrative that explains — but doesn't justify — why this case remains unsolved.
'The Stranger Beside Me' by Ann Rule
This book is a classic in the true crime genre, and you should give it a read if you haven't already. In it, Ann Rule recounts the chilling true story about how she worked with and befriended notorious serial killer Ted Bundy before he was arrested and convicted for his brutal crimes.
'The Journalist and the Murderer' by Janet Malcolm
If you're interested in the line between exploitation of crimes and thoughtful exploration of crimes, this book is for you. In 1979, Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald was convicted of murder. He asked journalist Joe McGinniss to write a book about the trial. McGinniss, who behaved as a friend to McGinniss, then published a book (Fatal Vision) that argued for his guilt, which led to a lawsuit. Janet Malcolm explores the journalistic gray areas brought up by this incident in a fascinating way in this book.
'The Trespasser' by Tana French
If you love a good mystery, you can't go wrong with Tana French's novels. In The Trespasser, Detective Antoinette Conway is thrown into a new case where the obvious suspect might not be the one she needs to pay attention to.
'The Spider and the Fly' by Claudia Rowe
In this spine-tingling memoir, journalist Claudia Rowe recounts the four years she spent in contact with a serial killer in the hopes of of gaining a better understanding into why he killed eight people.
