In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, 343 pages

 On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.

As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.

The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers by Mitzi Szereto, 287 pages

 Serial Killer—Your Neighbor, Friend, Even Your Spouse?

Serial killers. Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer are often the first names that spring to mind. Many people assume serial killers are primarily an American phenomenon that came about in the latter part of the twentieth century. But such assumptions are far from the truth. Serial killers have been around for a very long time and can be found in every corner of the globe—and they’re not just limited to the male gender either. Some of them have been caught and brought to justice whereas others have never been found, let alone identified. Serial killers can be anywhere. And scarier still, they can be anyone.

Edited by acclaimed author and anthologist Mitzi Szereto, The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers features the very best all-new accounts of serial killers from the contemporary to the historic. The international list of contributors includes award-winning crime writers, true-crime podcasters, journalists and experts in the dark crimes such as Martin Edwards, Lee Mellor, Danuta Kot, Craig Pittman, Richard O Jones, Marcie Rendon, Mike Browne and Vicki Hendricks.

If you are a fan of true crime books such as I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters, Mindhunter, or Devil in the White City, you will want to read The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers. This book will leave you wondering if it’s ever really possible to know who’s behind the mask you’re allowed to see. 

Victorian Murderesses by Mary S. Hartman, 318 pages

I was very excited to read this nonfiction look at thirteen French and English women who committed murder. The only problem is that the book read more like the author's thesis than a book. It was way too dry to be truly enjoyable, and serves best as a research tool. By the end I was really having to push myself to finish the book.

Lovers' Lane by Rick Geary, 80 pages

This is a true-crime graphic novel that Lisa has already reviewed. I picked it up because of her and really enjoyed it. Interesting without being too bloody.

The Murder of the Century by Paul Collins, 325 pages

In the summer of 1897 a torso wrapped in oilcloth was pulled from the river off the Lower East Side by young boys. The discovery, followed by blueberry pickers finding wrapped limbs, set off a newspaper frenzy about this horrifying crime. Newspaper reporters raced to try to identify the body and stir up circulation, many times beating the police to clues. This case was mainly responsible for the creation of the tabloid as we know it today. This case had blood, sex, and lots of intrigue, everything needed to grasp the attention of not only New York but the whole country.
This nonfiction book was fascinating, not only giving a close-up view of New York police, but also the newspaper world at this pivotal time. Very well researched and written, a must read for true crime and American history buffs.

City of Brotherly Mayhem by Ron Avery, 142 pages

I love Inter-Library Loan requests, you can get pretty much any book you want to read. This book had been mentioned in another book I was reading and sounded interesting. In less than 2 weeks, I was reading this.
The book is a look at some of the most interesting true-crime cases that have taken place in Philadelphia over the years. The first kidnapping for ransom took place in Philadelphia in fact, with the child never returned or found. I am a sucker for mysteries, especially true ones, so this was a good read.

The Murder Room by Michael Capuzzo, 437 pages

This is the story of 3 men, Fleisher the former cop and customs agent, Bender the forensics artist, and Walter the profiler who started the Vidocq Society. This is a club in honor of the original French detective who was the inspiration for the first detective story. The members are the best in the field of crimefighting who meet once a month for a gourmet meal and a cold case. They have solved many crimes over the years that have baffled authorities.
This was a interesting read, though a little choppy at times, jumping from case to case and back and forth. If you like true crime, this is a read you'll want to pick up. What was really neat was reading about a couple of cases that I remember seeing on Unsolved Mysteries.