Books
If you've got a true crime obsession (and I certainly do), then you just can't get enough of dark mysteries of this world. The stories that nip at your curiosity; the daily horrors that you just can't stop thinking about. You're probably haunted by the arching question of why people do what they do and how it affects all those around them. Fortunately for all of you true crime aficionados, 2018 is bringing some truly fascinating true crime new releases that you don't want to miss.
True crime readers share a hunger for the truth — an intense curiosity that can only be satisfied by diving deeper in the brains of the criminal, the victim, and everyone affected by the crime. The best true crime is permeated with a sense of humanity; it cannot be purely voyeuristic.
So, if you can't get enough of true crime, you absolutely don't want to miss these 11 new books coming out in 2018. These will have you looking around the corner everywhere you go. They'll make your hair stand up on end. And they will most certainly have you up all night, pondering what really happened. You seriously won't be able to resist these juicy stories.
'I'll Be Gone in the Dark' by Michelle McNamara (Feb. 27; Harper)
True Crime Diary writer Michelle McNamara was on the trail of the Golden State Killer — a name she coined for a man who raped 50 people and murdered 12 in the '70s and '80s — when she suddenly died. Now, the book that contains all her research is being published posthumously. Unfortunately, she didn't complete the book, so much of it is filled in by an editor, but this is still a riveting read imbued with humanity and compassion for the victims.
'All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez, the Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderers' Row'by James Patterson and Alex Abramovich (Jan. 22; Little Brown & Company)
When it was announced that popular author James Patterson would be writing about the infamous case Aaron Hernandez, I cleared a spot on my bookshelf. As you likely already know, Hernandez was an NFL player for the New England Patriots who was convicted of murder and committed suicide while in prison.
'The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century' by Simon Baatz (Jan. 16; Mulholland Books)
In 1906, a Henry Thaw shot and killed Stanford White before hundreds of theatre-goers during a performance at Madison Square Garden after a love triangle turned ugly. The ensuing trial was "the scandal of the century" and every detail will have you on the edge of your seat.
'The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South' by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington (Feb. 27; Public Affairs)
After being convicted of the rape and murder of two toddlers, Kennedy Brewer and Levon Brooks were sent to prison for a collective 30 years. But in 2008, they were exonerated of the crimes. During those decades, the real killer roamed free. This book chronicles how Mississippi's justice system failed in this heartbreaking case.
'A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America' by T. Christian Miller & Ken Armstrong (Feb. 6; Crown)
This book is an expansion of an article that won the Pulitzer Prize, and it is sure to be an essential — but gut-wrenching — read. In 2008, 18-year-old Marie reported that a masked man broke into her house and raped her. Within days, the police had pivoted the investigation against her, and she was charged as a false reporter. Years later, a similar crime revealed that she was in fact telling the truth, and that the same man was connected to many other crimes.
'Bobby BlueJacket: The Tribe, The Joint, The Tulsa Underworld' by Michael P. Daley (Feb. 2; First To Knock)
This book chronicles the seemingly implausible yet true story of Bobby BlueJacket, a man who began his life as a career criminal and convicted murderer but went on to become a celebrated and respected prison journalist.
'The Manson Women and Me: Monsters, Morality, and Murder' by Nikki Meredith (March 27; Citadel)
In 1969, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel carried out some horrific crimes under the orders of cult leader Charles Manson. Years later, writer Nikki Meredith began visiting them in prison. In this book, she details her relationship with these women, and the insights she gained on their lives and their crimes.
'The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century' by Kirk Wallace Johnson (April 24; Viking)
Novelist Kirk Wallace Johnson makes his true-crime debut in this thrilling read, which zeroes in on a truly bizarre case. In 2009, Edwin Rist stole hundreds of bird skins from the British Museum of Natural History. Johnson attempts to answer the same question I think we all have: why?
'Among The Wholesome Children: The Real Life Abduction That Inspired Lolita' by Sarah Weinman (Sep. 6; Ecco)
Did you know that Vladimir Nabokov's classic Lolita was inspired by a real life abduction? Sarah Weinman investigated the case for a 2014 article titled "The Real Lolita." In her book — due to be released in fall 2018 — she'll dive further into the notorious crime and the book it inspired.
