Do you have a true crime fan on your holiday shopping list? What could be better than a new book to add to their shelf or e-reader? I compiled a few books mentioned in True Crime Corner, and two of my personal favorites.
It’s important to mention
that in the true crime genre, many books contain photographs that look far better in print than they do on an e-reader. Whichever format you choose, if your recipient leans toward an interest in serial killers, here’s a few to consider gifting:
The Stranger Beside Me, Ann Rule (Ted Bundy)
The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders, Stella Sands (Rodney Alcala)
Cries Unheard: Why Children Kill: The Story of Mary Bell, Gitta Sereny
My Friend Dahmer, Derf Backderf
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, Erik Larson (H.H. Holmes)
Lethal Intent, Sue Russell (Aileen Wuornos)
Confessions of a Cannibal: The Shocking True Story of Depraved Child Killer Albert Fish, Robert Keller
Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho, Harold Schechter
From the Mouth of the Monster: The Joel Rifkin Story, Robert Mladinich
When it comes to killer clown John Wayne Gacy, there are two companion books available, one written by his defense attorney and the other from a man who helped prosecute him. They are John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster by Sam L. Amirante and Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders by Terry Sullivan.
My current favorite true crime book is Jason Moss’s The Last Victim. A young man desiring a career with the FBI corresponds with serial killers, such as devil worshipper Richard Ramirez and John Wayne Gacy, to see what makes them tick. He meets Gacy in prison, and the experience makes this book a real page turner.
Another classic in the true crime genre is Philip Carlo’s The Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez. If you pick up this title, be sure it’s the updated version that includes the San Quentin interview with Richard Ramirez. My paperback contains this while my hard cover does not, something to consider if you purchase a used copy.
You also can’t go wrong with The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers by Michael Newton. I received this as a gift from another true crime fan, and considering its substantial size, it could make a good coffee table book.
If your recipient already owns an extensive collection of books, you may want to surprise them with a subscription to Real Crime, an awesome magazine from the UK. There’s a lot of information to digest between the front and back covers, and each issue is collectible with its oversize, full-color pages. I just renewed my own subscription.
If you know someone who likes a little mayhem with their merry, give the gift a true crime buff would really appreciate, more reading material!
