This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

I have several fancy literature degrees, and I'm not afraid to use them. Today, I'm going to answer questions about the true crime genre of books. Let's go!

Let's Talk About True Crime

WHAT IS TRUE CRIME LITERATURE?

True crime is a nonfiction genre that recounts real criminal events. It usually focuses on the psychology of the criminal, the impact that a crime has on victims, and the work of people involved in the criminal justice system. Most true crime books deal with violent crimes, such as murders.

True crime writers often use a narrative nonfiction writing style. The writer focuses on storytelling and making a nonfiction account just as compelling as a fictional mystery or thriller. The authors rely on interviews, news articles, police records, court transcripts, photos, security camera videos, etc. for their research. Instead of presenting the raw research to the reader, the author crafts the research into an engaging story with a plot and "characters."

WHY THE HECK WOULD SOMEONE READ ABOUT CRIME?

Because it's interesting, Brenda.

I would guess that people like true crime for the same reasons they like Halloween or rollercoasters. It's a safe way to experience something scary.

Personally, I like the mystery-solving element. I want to know why people do awful things to each other, and I want to know how detectives solve crimes. I don't know why I want to know those things. I'm not a mental health professional.

So, let's consult the mental health professionals at Psychology Today. Here are some reasons why people want to read about crime:

Psychological rehearsal. Hearing other people's stories can make you feel more confident about facing adversity.
Community. Since true crime is massively popular, it's easy to find others who share the interest.
Emotional regulation practice. True crime provokes intense emotions and helps us learn how to manage those feelings.

ISN'T TRUE CRIME KIND OF . . . GROSS?

Absolutely. True crime books can be produced without the consent of the people involved in the crime. This can be retraumatizing for victims. In After The Eclipse: A Mother's Murder; A Daughter's Search, author Sarah Perry discusses America's obsession with true crime. American society uses crime as entertainment. Sarah can never escape from the memory of her mother's murder because her coworkers discuss crime shows at the office, and the gym plays true crime on the televisions while people run on treadmills. It becomes overwhelming for victims. True crime is everywhere.

Readers also have to wonder how much truth is in "true" crime. An author chooses how to present information. Which parts of the story does an author focus on? Which parts do they gloss over? Is it okay for an author to introduce their own speculation into the book? The answers to these questions have consequences for the real-life people being written about.

Yes, it's all morally or ethically gross.

WHAT INSPIRED THE BIRTH OF TRUE CRIME LITERATURE?

Humans? True crime has (probably) been around for as long as humans have loved gossip. Before literacy became common, crime news was spread through songs or oral stories. It was popular for clergymen in Europe to tell grisly true crime tales with a moral twist to teach lessons about God's mercy. (Or, more accurately, God's lack of mercy.)

Over in the New World, Puritan preachers gave sermons before executions. The preacher told the crowd all the gory details of the crime and explained how the criminal could have avoided their fate. The criminal was usually forced to attend the pre-execution sermon, which must have been awkward. The sermons drew huge crowds. After the execution happened, printed copies of the sermon were distributed to anybody who wanted a souvenir.

In 1500s - 1700s Europe, crimes were written about in pamphlets that curious readers could buy on street corners.

Then there was the penny press. These tabloid newspapers cost a penny in the United States and were read widely in the early 1800s. They made crime stories accessible to working class people who couldn't afford expensive newspapers with better journalism.

True crime literature rose in popularity during the 1800s. A perfect storm of events led to the birth of modern true crime:

The novel became a dominant form of entertainment.
The rise of literary naturalism. Science crept into storytelling. Readers wanted logical reasons for a character's behavior.
Crime rates rose as the Industrial Revolution forced people into overcrowded cities to find jobs.
Cities established their own police departments.
More people began studying social sciences, especially psychology.
Victorian-era people really loved creepy shit.

In the 1900s, the world was blessed (or cursed?) with true crime magazines. The most popular magazine, True Detective, gave straightforward accounts of how crimes are solved. Shortly before WWII, the magazines hit their peak popularity. There were over 200 different true crime magazines, with six million of them being sold at newsstands every month.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST TRUE CRIME BOOK?

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is often given credit for popularizing the narrative nonfiction writing style. It was originally published in 1966, so it definitely isn't the first true crime book.

The Book Of Swindles by Zhang Yingyu is a collection of stories about fraud cases. It was first published in China in 1617. Is that the first true crime book? Probably not.

What about religious texts? Have you ever thought about how much crime happens in those? It's a lot of crime! Are those stories factually accurate enough to be considered true crime?

If anybody knows the first true crime book, please tell me.

OTHER BOOKS THAT INFLUENCED THE GENRE?

HOW TO IDENTIFY A TRUE CRIME BOOK IN THE WILD?

It's true. Or, it claims to be true. We can always argue about how much truth is in true crime.
It's crime. An illegal activity needs to occur in the story.
Psychology. The author is investigating why the crime happened.

COMMON MOTIFS (OR TROPES)?

The criminal is the main character. The focus of the story is on the criminal's actions and motivations.
Crime is a symptom of larger problems. Authors examine the biological, economic, social, environmental, etc. reasons why humans commit crime.
The crimes are usually horrific and extreme. Nobody's writing about speeding tickets (I don't think?)
The criminal's identity is revealed early. True crime isn't usually a "whodunnit?" It's a "whydonnit?"
The story doesn't end when the crime is solved. True crime often chronicles the criminal's trial and punishment.
Objective journalism. The writing style sometimes feels detached because the author does not make moral judgments about the people involved in the story.
There's a mystery to solve! Readers keep reading because they want to know why the events occurred.

SUBGENRES AND OFFSHOOTS OF TRUE CRIME

Cult books. I used to have many, many shelves of these. They focus on cults, especially the cults that committed violent crimes.
Serial killer books. Jack The Ripper is the most popular subject in true crime.
High-profile crimes. Assassinations, organized crime, crime committed by governments, kidnappings of beautiful young white women that get tons of media attention.
Historical crime. Crimes from way, way back. These books often focus on unsolved crimes.
Investigation books. Focus on police, detectives, amateur detectives, or just regular people who investigate crime.
Victim books. Usually memoirs written by people who were impacted by a crime.
Criminal books. Usually biographies of famous criminals.
Sociology books. What drives people to commit crime? How does crime impact society?

I WANT TO LEARN MORE

Do you read true crime? Tell me your favorite books!

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

What Is True Crime Literature?