Collection Development "True Crime": Serial Killers in the Stacks

By Deirdre Bray Root -- Library Journal, 9/1/2007

Whether it’s cheering on the detectives, decrying a travesty of justice, or peeking into the mind of a psychopathic killer, we all love a good true crime story. Witness the popularity of the cable channel CourtTV and the success of such “ripped from the headlines” television series as Law and Order, CSI, and their spin-offs—as well as The Sopranos. Surely the public’s fascination with gruesome serial killings (Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer), celebrity scandals (O.J. Simpson, Phil Spector), mob hits (John Gotti’s assassination of Paul Castellano), historic murders (Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper), political assassinations (JFK), and other bizarre crimes (Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco) won’t subside soon.

It is easy to see why. Thanks to the influence of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, a masterpiece of “narrative nonfiction” that drew on the techniques of fiction, many true crime accounts read like mystery novels, with tragedy, suspense, and (usually) the ultimate triumph of good over evil. [For fiction inspired by actual crime cases, see Jeff Ayers’s “Do the Time, Read the Crime,” The Reader’s Shelf, p. 184.] Other titles, written in a more journalistic, factual style, explore the deep human complexities that led to a particular crime, or try to help us make sense of the conditions responsible for such breakdowns of the social order.

The true crime genre covers an enormous amount of territory; owing to space constrictions, this article will note the high points and the crucial landmarks. Violent political acts and crimes of terror form a separate category, not addressed here, with the exception of the JFK assassination, which still attracts so many theories about who, how, and why that it merits inclusion. Though organized crime and the Mafia also warrant a separate article, a selection of titles is included below. The burgeoning category of forensics, popularized by TV’s CSI and the nonfiction Forensic Files, also fits in easily.

True crime materials display a wide range of quality. They include lurid quickie instant books, usually mass-market paperback originals, that appear shortly after a major headlining case—think of all the Scott Peterson books, authored by his mistress, his mother-in-law, and even his jury. And there are Pulitzer Prize–winning hardcovers like Norman Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song, which, having been written a few years after a crime occurred, have the advantage of some historical perspective, the chance to offer additional information, and the possibilities for deeper insight. There is a place in your collection for both types of books.

Mass-market paperbacks about bloody crimes can be tricky to collect, as they are seldom reviewed; also, they can wear out quickly through constant circulation, necessitating replacement. Yet many established true crime authors like Gregg Olsen got their start this way before moving into hardcover publication and solid reviews.

To identify the next Ann Rule, check out the offerings of the True Crime Library imprint of St. Martin’s Press, as well as Berkley True Crime and Pocket Star’s new “48 Hours Mystery” true crime series, based on the CBS News program of the same name. Also check the annual anthologies of crime writing to find up-and-coming true crime authors.

Meanwhile, some literary nonfiction authors are moving into true crime; Sebastian Junger’s A Death in Belmont reveals that Albert DeSalvo, who later confessed to being the Boston Strangler, had worked as a handyman for Junger’s mother the day a female neighbor was found strangled. And don’t forget that some popular crime fiction authors like John Grisham (An Innocent Man) and Scott Turow also write nonfiction.

Crime never goes out of fashion, but some books on the subject will. The “crime of the century” three years ago may be forgotten when the next one comes around. Titles of local or regional interest should be kept indefinitely, regardless of quality, but other books on half-forgotten criminals may be weeded as local interest wanes. Quickie paperbacks can be weeded within a couple of years unless there’s a demand. The Annual Best Crime Writing should be treated as other annual anthologies: retained for at least three years and longer if space and interest allow.

Some notorious crimes will inspire a large number of books initially (think O.J. Simpson), but only a few will stand the test of time. For those titles not destined to be long-requested classics, libraries should simply keep the most unbiased book on the topic, or representative books from each point of view if the case has been controversial. For patron convenience, the hardcover of a particular title can be replaced when the paperback is published, with exceptions made for classics and books of strong local interest, where at least one durable hardback should be retained.

The following bibliography offers a core listing of classic and new true crime books for public libraries. The usual suspects, that is, the famous and prolific true crime writers, are represented below, each by a single title, but any of their books, new or backlist, would be an asset to a collection. While the focus here is primarily on print, don’t forget your video collection. In light of true crime’s dramatic nature, a number of these titles have been adapted to TV or film, and many of the popular programs like A&E’s Cold Case Files are now available on DVD. Starred []titles are essential for all public library collections.

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True Crime Classics
Bugliosi, Vincent with Curt Gentry. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders. Norton. 2001. 689p. illus. ISBN 978-0-393-32223-1. pap. $13.95.
A blockbuster best seller and an Edgar Award winner in 1974, prosecutor Bugliosi’s account recalls in gripping detail the shocking Tate-LaBianca murders of August 1969 and the subsequent investigation and trial, which revealed the dark underbelly of Sixties counterculture as reflected in Charles Manson’s “family.” Now available on DVD, the 1976 television adaptation starring Steve Railsback as Manson is equally terrifying.
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood: A True Account of Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. Vintage. 1994. 343p. ISBN 978-0-679-74558-7. pap. $14.
Capote blended reportage with creative writing techniques in this groundbreaking 1965 “nonfiction novel” that chronicled the senseless slaying of a Kansas family in 1959. The excellent 1967 film adaptation, now on DVD, starred Robert Blake, who ironically was later tried and acquitted of murdering his wife.
Mailer, Norman. The Executioner’s Song. Vintage. 1998. 1072p. ISBN 978-0-375-70081-1. pap. $18.
Mailer’s Pulitzer Prize–winning 1979 fictionalized rendition of killer Gary Gilmore’s story reads like a folk ballad: the stone-cold killer who fought the state of Utah for the right to be executed by firing squad. This masterpiece stands alongside In Cold Blood. Interested patrons may also want to read Shot Through the Heart by Gilmore’s younger brother, Mikal.

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True Crime Stars
Douglas, John & Johnny Dodd. Inside the Mind of BTK: The True Story Behind the Thirty-Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer. Jossey-Bass. Sept. 2007. 352p. ISBN 978-0-7879-8484-7. $26.95.
The BTK Killer (“Bind, Torture, Kill”) terrorized Wichita, KS, in the 1970s, leaving seven victims, then, some 30 years later, claimed three more from 1985 to 1991. Famed criminal profiler Douglas (Mindhunter) covers the case from its beginning through the 1980 profile he did to the 2005 capture and confession of Dennis Rader.
Fuhrman, Mark. Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley? Avon. 1999. 432p. illus. ISBN 978-0-06-109692-1. pap. $7.99.
The LAPD homicide detective from the O.J. Simpson trial turned his hand to writing true crime (Murder in Spokane, A Simple Act of Murder), and he’s done a fine job. Fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley’s murder in October 1975 shook up the prestigious Connecticut town; hints of Kennedy family involvement added spice. Fuhrman’s book reopened the cold case that resulted in the conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel.
McGinniss, Joe. Fatal Vision. Signet. 1984. 654p. illus. ISBN 978-0-451-16566-4. pap. $7.99.
This fascinating 1983 account of Jeffrey McDonald, the former Green Beret army officer jailed for the murder of his wife and two daughters, is famous partly because McGinniss changed his mind about his subject’s guilt in the midst of writing the book. While controversial (McDonald sued McGinniss), the work cemented McGinniss’s place among true crime authors (Blind Faith, Cruel Doubt). A fine 1984 television adaptation starring Gary Cole is available on VHS only.
McGinniss, Joe. Never Enough. S. & S . Oct. 2007. 320p. ISBN 978-0-7432-9636-6. $25.
McGinniss explores the 2003 Hong Kong “milkshake murder” of banker Robert Kissel by his wife, who was convicted in 2005, and the unsolved 2006 murder, stateside, of Kissel’s wealthy and allegedly corrupt brother, Andrew, who had custody of Robert’s children. With access to members of the Kissel family, McGinniss can be expected to write a gripping story. [Galley not available in time for preview; see Prepub Alert, LJ 7/07.]
Olsen, Jack. “I”: The Creation of a Serial Killer. St. Martin’s. 2003. 320p. illus. ISBN 978-0-312-98384-0. pap. $6.99.
In his final book before his 2002 death, former crime reporter Olsen (Son: A Psychopath and His Victims; Hastened to the Grave) allowed “Happy Face Killer” Keith Jesperson to tell his story in his own words, including the murder he insisted on taking credit for after two others had been convicted. A chilling look at the mind of a murderer. (LJ 7/02)
Rule, Ann. The Stranger Beside Me. 20th- anniversary ed. Norton. 2000. 456p. illus. ISBN 978-0-393-05029-5. $27.95; pap. Signet. 2001. ISBN 978-0-451-20326-7. $7.99.
Rule worked a suicide hotline in Seattle with Ted Bundy, not knowing he was a serial killer. Her other titles include Small Sacrifices, Green River Running Red, Too Late To Say Good-Bye, as well as her “Ann Rule’s Crime Files” series (Pocket), which reprints and updates articles from her previous career as a magazine writer. (LJ 9/1/80)
Wambaugh, Joseph. The Onion Field. Delta: Dell. 2007. 512p. ISBN 978-0-385-34159-2. pap. $13.
This 1973 account of the murder of a police officer by two young thugs launched LAPD officer Wambaugh’s brilliant career as a true crime writer (Echoes in the Darkness, Fire Lover). The 1979 film adaptation with John Savage and James Woods is available on DVD.

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Crime Writing Anthologies
The Best American Crime Reporting 2007. Perennial: HarperCollins. Sept. 2007. 356p. ed. by Linda Fairstein. ISBN 978-0-06-081553-0. pap. $14.95.
This fifth volume in the series (previously titled Best American Crime Writing) collects articles from journals and newspapers. Celebrity editors help with the choices, while series editors Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook ensure consistently outstanding selections, making these anthologies a literary treat for true crime fans.
The Playboy Book of True Crime. Playboy Pr. 2007. 376p. ed. by Playboy Magazine Eds. ISBN 978-1-58642-127-4. pap. $16.95.
Playboy is known for its quality writing (among other things), and this volume collects 35 years of solid unsensational crime reporting, from an interview with Jimmy Hoffa a month before his disappearance through the killings of fashion designer Gianni Versace and rapper Jam Master Jay.

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True Crime in History
Geis, Gilbert & Leigh B. Bienen. Crimes of the Century: From Leopold and Loeb to O.J. Simpson. Northeastern Univ. 1998. 230p. ISBN 978-1-55553-360-1. $40; pap. 2000. ISBN 978-1-55553-427-1. $24.95.
Criminologist Geis and law school lecturer Bienen cover five extraordinary 20th-century crimes that captured the public imagination: Leopold and Loeb, the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s son, Alger Hiss, the Scottsboro Boys, and O.J. Simpson. And they explain why Americans remain fascinated with them. (LJ 9/1/98)
Larson, Erik. Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Vintage. 2004. 447p. illus. ISBN 978-0-375-72560-9. pap. $14.95.
Bound to be a modern true crime classic, Larson’s book interweaves the story of the building of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with the tale of homegrown serial killer H.H. Holmes, who used the fair to lure victims to his Gothic tourist hotel, a killer’s paradise, disposing of their bodies in its crematorium. Holmes was also the subject of John Borowoski’s 2004 documentary (LJ 11/1/04) H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer.(LJ 1/03)
Odell, Robin. Ripperology: A Study of the World’s First Serial Killer and a Literary Phenomenon. Kent State Univ. (True Crime History). 2006. 272p. illus. ISBN 978-0-87338-861-0. $24.95.
There are literally hundreds if not thousands of books on Jack the Ripper. Odell (Jack the Ripper in Fact and Fiction) carefully condenses what is known and what is suspected, giving an excellent, readable overview of the field. Part of Kent State University Press’s excellent series on true crime history.
Pomeroy, Sarah B. The Murder of Regilla: A Case of Domestic Violence in Antiquity. Harvard Univ. Sept. 2007. 264p. illus. ISBN 978-0-674-02583-7. $24.95.
Classical scholar Pomeroy investigates the death of a second-century wealthy Roman wife of a Greek philosopher, who succumbed to a violent kick to the stomach. Her husband’s trial and subsequent acquittal alone don’t tell the full story. Pomeroy uses this scenario, still all too common even today, to illuminate the private lives of women in ancient Greece and Rome.

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Public Enemies
Helmer, William J. & Rick Mattix. The Complete Public Enemy Almanac: New Facts and Features on the People, Places, and Events of the Gangster and Outlaw Era, 1920–1940. Cumberland House. 2007. 669p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 978-1-58182-524-4. $28.95; pap. ISBN 978-1-58182-506-0. $22.95.
This comprehensive almanac of American gangsters from the 1920s through the 1940s includes biographies, a chronology, and a massive bibliography. A handy quick-reference source, this is also compulsively readable.
Lehr, Dick & Gerard O’Neill. Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob. Harper: HarperCollins. 2001. 424p. ISBN 978-0-06-095925-8. pap. $14.
Whitey Bulger’s Irish mob ran organized crime in Boston for decades. The explanation for Whitey’s charmed life of continually eluding arrest was revealed when he was outed as an FBI informant. A spellbinding account of the gangster who inspired Jack Nicholson’s role in The Departed. (LJ6/1/00)
Pistone, Joe & Charles Brandt. Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business. Running Pr. 2007. 336p. ISBN 978-0-7624-2707-9. $22.95.
Twenty years after the author told his story of life as an undercover cop in the Mafia in Donnie Brasco (later a film starring Johnny Depp) comes this follow-up, giving details that couldn’t be divulged before.
Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. 2005. 784p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-312-30094-4. $29.95; pap. Griffin: St. Martin’s. 2006. ISBN 978-0-312-36181-5. $17.95.
Impeccably researched by Raab, an investigative reporter who followed the mob for decades, this is an exhaustive chronicle of the Cosa Nostra in America, from Prohibition to World Trade Center clean-up scams. (LJ 9/1/05)

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Crime & Politics
Bugliosi, Vincent. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Norton. 2007. 1632p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-393-04525-3. $49.95.
While Bugliosi is far from neutral—he is convinced that Oswald was the lone gunman and isn’t shy about stating it—he exhaustively covers the conspiracy theories surrounding the JFK assassination. This doorstop work bids to become the authoritative book on the subject. A CD-ROM is included. (LJ4/1/07)
Turow, Scott. Ultimate Punishment: A Lawyer’s Reflections on Dealing with the Death Penalty. Picador: St. Martin’s. 2004. 176p. ISBN 978-0-312-42373-5. pap. $12.
Turow served on Illinois governor George Ryan’s commission on capital punishment, whose findings contributed to Ryan’s decision to commute all the death sentences in the state. Turow’s thoughtful book recounting his experiences is illustrated with hair-raising stories from both sides of the debate. (LJ 8/03)
Vollers, Maryanne. Lone Wolf: Eric Rudolph; Murder, Myth, and the Pursuit of an American Outlaw. HarperCollins. 2006. 356p. ISBN 978-0-06-059862-4. $25.95.
Eric Robert Rudolph, the Olympic bomber and anti-abortion avenger, was a figure of some romance: homegrown terrorist or outlaw hero, depending on your politics. His capture after five years of hiding in the North Carolina woods made the headlines in 2003. This is a chilling and spellbinding portrait by the author of the National Book Award–nominated Ghosts of Mississippi (about the murder of Medgar Evers).

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Forensics
Bass, Bill & Jon Jefferson. Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science. Morrow. Sept. 2007. 304p. illus. ISBN 978-0-06-087529-9. $25.95.
For 30 years, Bass has been researching decomposing corpses at his famous “Body Farm,” the University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Facility. His first book, Death’s Acre, gave the history of the place. Here he tells further tales from the lab first made famous in a Patricia Cornwell novel.
Hallcox, Jarrett & Amy Welch. Bodies We’ve Buried: Inside the National Forensic Academy, the World’s Top CSI Training School. Berkley: Penguin Group (USA). 2006. 336p. ISBN 978-0-425-20752-9. $24.95; pap. 2007. ISBN 978-0-425-21509-8. $15.
This primer on how real CSI investigators are trained takes the reader through the fascinating, gruesome, and sometimes darkly humorous world of forensic science. Readers will discover that truth is less romantic than television but even more interesting.
Ressler, Robert K. & others. Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives. Free Pr. 1995. 232p. ISBN 978-0-02-874063-8. pap. $26.
A classic of forensic psychology. The authors are noted for setting up the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) and for normalizing the process of criminal profiling. Ressler is also the author of I Have Lived in the Monster and Whoever Fights Monsters.

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Youth Violence
April 16th: Virginia Tech Remembers. Plume: Penguin Group (USA). Sept. 2007. 324p. ed. by Roland Lazenby with others. ISBN 978-0-452-28934-5. pap. $14.
This oral history of the worst school shooting in U.S. history was compiled by Virginia Tech student journalists from the Planet Blacksburg web site and the Collegiate Times.
Brown, Brooks & Rob Merritt. No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine. Lantern. 2002. 192p. ISBN 978-1-59056-031-0. pap. $18.95.
Coauthored by a friend of gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who himself was briefly suspected of complicity, this book gives a calm and thoughtful account of the events leading up to the 1999 massacre of 12 students and one teacher.
Leveritt, Mara. Devil’s Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three. Atria: S. & S. 2003. 432p. ISBN 978-0-7434-1760-0. pap. $15.
This book addresses the controversial case of three Arkansas teenagers accused and convicted of murdering three eight-year-olds in a Satanic ritual, based on circumstantial evidence and a possibly coerced confession by a borderline retarded young man. The case inspired two HBO documentaries, Paradise Lost and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations. (LJ 10/15/02)

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Reference
Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. 2d ed. 4 vols. Macmillan. 2001. 1780p. ed. by Joshua Dressler. index. ISBN 978-0-02-865319-8. $540.
This set features 250 essays on a number of criminal justice topics, heavily weighted toward U.S. concerns but with some broader perspectives as well. Although not fully current, this is an excellent general encyclopedia for academic and larger public libraries. (LJ 3/15/02)

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DVDS
Cold Case Files: The Most Infamous Cases. color. 5½ hrs. Kurtis Prods., dist. by A&E Television Networks c/o A&E Home Video, 800-423-1212; ShopAETV.com. 2005. DVD ISBN 978-0-7670-7886-3. $19.95.
Often it takes months and even years of effort to solve real-life crimes. This compilation includes two high-profile cases (“The Zodiac Killer” and “The Green River Killer”) and eight lesser-known but equally fascinating cases. (LJ 9/15/05)
Sacco and Vanzetti. color & b/w. 81 min. Peter Miller, dist. by First Run Features, 630 9th Ave., #1213, New York, NY 10036; 212-243-0600; www.firstrunfeatures.com. 2005; 2007 release. DVD $29.95; First Run Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st fl., Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710; www.frif.com. 2006. DVD $440 (Rental: $125). Public performance.
This compelling documentary about Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, executed for murders that took place during a payroll robbery in 1920, reminds viewers in post-9/11 America what happens when Constitutional protections and civil liberties are undermined. (LJ 8/07)
*The Staircase. 2 vols. color. 6½ hrs. Sundance, Docurama, c/o New Video, 19 Gregory Dr., Burlington, VT 08543; 800-314-8822; www.newvideo.com. 2005. DVD ISBN 978-0-7670-8231-0. $39.96.
Did Michael Peterson kill his wife or was her death a tragic accident? This is the question posed by Oscar-winning director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s (Murder on a Sunday Morning) eight-episode series. Unlike many true crime programs, this documentary provides a rare sympathetic view into the defense case, with open access to the investigators, the Peterson family and friends, and forensic scientists hired for the trial. (LJ2/1/06)

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Web Sites
Court TV Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods.
www.crimelibrary.com
Over the past ten years, this database of crime and criminals has grown to over 600 articles. Written by professional true crime writers and journalists, these essays provide balanced accounts and bibliographies for further reading. Users may browse by topic or search by keyword. Fascinating reading for crime junkies.
In Cold Blog
www.incoldblogger.blogspot.com
Around 30 true crime writers muse on current cases, true crime books, and more.