What are your favorite true crime books?

[Kim]

I am a big fan of Robert Graysmith's 2 books on the Zodiac. The first one is simply titled Zodiac and the second one is Zodiac Unmasked.

[Susan C]

I have them but I haven't tried them, I guess I should.

If you haven't tried Harold Schechter's true crime books about serial killers from the earlyto mid 1900's, they are pretty good.

[Kim]

Thanks. I appreciate the recommendations. Has anyone out there read what they consider to be a really good, comprehensive book on Jack the Ripper? I am looking for one that would give clues to the most likely suspect. I am also interested in a book about serial killer Ed Gein. I want to read one that would give more information about his childhood.

[Susan C]

I'm reading a book on Ed Gein by Schechter right now.It's really god. He has a fiction book related to the story called Outcry.

[Brett]

There is a Ripper book I found years ago that I was impressed with. I have read a LOT on the Ripper and while not perfect, this is good. It came out during the great Ripper Diary brouhaha and is very unbiased in presenting the information as well as printing the "actual" diary pages.
Whether or not the "diary" is real, the base info in this book is still fairly relevant and well said.
If nothing else, it makes for a very interesting read.

The Diary of Jack the Ripper: The Discovery, The Investigation, The Debate - narrative by Shirley Harrison. ISBN: 1-56282-704-9

[Brett]

As for favorite true crime books, I'm not sure I have any one favorite. I tend to read various stories but my greatest interest is in forensics.

Actually, The Black Dahlia may be my favorite case.

[Kim]

I find The Black Dahlia case very intriguing as well.
James Ellroy has a good book on that case. He also wrote an interesting book on the murder of his own mother called My Dark Places.

[Katherine]

Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It gives a really in depth look into the story of the Manson family.

[Kathy]

Katherine Angela wrote: "Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It gives a really in depth look into the story of the Manson family."

Me too, Katherine! I love Helter Skelter! I have read many books about Charles Manson and his Family and this is one of the best. Another really good one, is The Family by Ed Sanders. That one takes a real behind the scenes look at the life of the family. Both are amazing and horrifying at the same time!

Another really good true crime book is In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. This is written so beautifully, you can completely forget that it is nonfiction!

Sorry, I couldn't stop at just 1.

[Susan C]

I loved both Helter Skelter and In Cold Bood!

[[deleted user]]

Being Honest,
'True Crime' horrifies me More than fiction horror novels. But I will be reading "High Hopes" by Sullivan Aronson in the next few months....

[Susan C]

Harold Schechter has very good nonfiction books about early day serial killers. I've read one and started the second. Both are good.

[Kim]

Always wrote: "Being Honest,
'True Crime' horrifies me More than fiction horror novels. But I will be reading "High Hopes" by Sullivan Aronson in the next few months.... "

Susan wrote: "I loved both Helter Skelter and In Cold Bood!

I am definitely with Always on that statement. There is nothing more frightening than reading about something that actually happened. I also really liked reading Helter Skelter and In Cold Blood. I must say that I am truly fascinated by "unsolved" serial murders more than anything. I think that is why I want to read a really comprehensive book on Jack the Ripper and why I am so fascinated by the Zodiac.







"

[[deleted user]]

Kim wrote: "Always wrote: "Being Honest,
'True Crime' horrifies me More than fiction horror novels. But I will be reading "High Hopes" by Sullivan Aronson in the next few months.... "

Susan wrote: "I love..."

I lived in and around the areas the Zodiac Killer did his thing. I was under 10 at the time, so I only remember what was on the nightly news and I do watch the few Documentaries where they discuss him at length & speculate who the Investigators believe is the Zodiac Killer.
The only other thing I remember, being that young in that time period was my folks telling me that if I didn't come home before dark, the Zodiac Killer might get me..... (LOL now)

Anyone Else Out There Remember The Zodiac Killer???

[Kim]

Have you read the 2 Robert Graysmith novels on the Zodiac? They are the first books I mentioned as my 2 favorite true crime novels. Your parents sound like they have a sick sense of humor. I like that in a person.

[[deleted user]]

LMAO!
Anything to keep me in line in those days.

And I might look into the 2 books you suggest.
Thanx

[Katherine]

Kim wrote: "I find The Black Dahlia case very intriguing as well.
James Ellroy has a good book on that case. He also wrote an interesting book on the murder of his own mother called My Dark Places."

Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer The Identity of America's Most Notorious Serial Murderer--Revealed at Last

I read "Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer" and although I enjoyed it at the time, some of the claims began to sound a little unbelievable to me. Because of my doubts, I looked into the book a little on the internet, and it seems like I'm not the only person to get the impression that the writer might have made the whole thing up!

[Katherine]

Kathy wrote: "Katherine Angela wrote: "Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It gives a really in depth look into the story of the Manson family...."

I've never read In Cold Blood. I will have to give it a try. Funnily enough, I wrote a novel when I was around 16 and called it In Cold Blood, because at the time I had no idea there was a very famous novel with the same title! Now, 20 years later, I am rewriting the novel, but this time I'm just going to call it "Cold".

[Kim]

Wow! I tried to write, but was a miserable failure at it. It's probably wise that you changed the title of your book. What is your book about?

[Terri]

Katherine Angela wrote: "Kim wrote: "I find The Black Dahlia case very intriguing as well.
James Ellroy has a good book on that case. He also wrote an interesting book on the murder of his own mother called My Dark Places...."

There is another one by a cop who thinks his father was the Black Dahlia Killer which has more solid evidence

[Terri]

Ann Rule has a lot of good true crime books - I particularly Like the Stranger Beside me and the one on the Green River Killer

[Brett]

The Green River Killer was interesting. Especially since I lived through it. I lived in Seattle then and here in Spokane now.
Then we were lucky enough to have Robert Lee Yates Jr. here who killed 16 women (probably more).
Come to think of it, there have been several killers here and in the NW.
In Spokane along with Yates, we had The Hillside Strangler, Stanley Bernson, Martin Lee Sanders, and The .22 Caliber Killer which is still unsolved.

Pretty damn scary when I stop and think about it!

[Terri]

MJ Trow wrote a Jack the Ripper handbook that I thought was great. Gave All sorts of info about the different subjects

[Susan C]

The worst I read ever was Patricia Cornwell's on Jack the Ripper

[Kathy]

Susan wrote: "The worst I read ever was Patricia Cornwell's on Jack the Ripper"

I know alot of people love her, but when this book came out and she was claiming that she, single-handedly closed the Ripper case....I was like "Who are you? You're a fiction writer!" Dream on!

[[deleted user]]

Say Brett,
Why is it that there have been several serial killers in the same NW area where you live????
Huh?
Is there something you want to confess?

It's OK, I'm listening

[Terri]

Susan wrote: "The worst I read ever was Patricia Cornwell's on Jack the Ripper"

I agree - her "facts" were mostly opinions and her evidence was incredibly slim

[Kim]

Always wrote: "Say Brett,
Why is it that there have been several serial killers in the same NW area where you live????
Huh?
Is there something you want to confess?

It's OK, I'm listening
"

You're funny. Seriously though Brett you can tell us.

[Katherine]

Kim wrote: "Wow! I tried to write, but was a miserable failure at it. It's probably wise that you changed the title of your book. What is your book about?"

'Cold' is a suspense thriller that is based around the egomaniacal Doctor Parker, an ingenious surgeon with a God complex who pushes the boundaries of his medical practices way to far...

It's a long way from being finished. I do have a novel out now, though, called 'Lucid'.

[Katherine]

Terri wrote: "Katherine Angela wrote: "Kim wrote: "I find The Black Dahlia case very intriguing as well.
James Ellroy has a good book on that case. He also wrote an interesting book on the murder of his own mot..."
yeah, i think i saw a program about that once, maybe 48 hour mystery or dateline. it was very interesting.

[Brett]

Oh, you're all so funny.
Actually, when I looked this up it surprised me too. I was trying to remember when The Hillside Strangler was active and did a search for serial killers Spokane. The list that came up was something else. Of course it actually covered the Pacific NW (WA, OR & ID) it makes me wonder how large a list would be for the entire country. A lot longer than we would like I'm sure.

As for The Black Dahlia and Jack the Ripper, I think they are still popular for 2 main reasons.
1. Still unsolved.
2. Horribly gruesome.

As for number 1, they never will be solved unless reliable time travel is invented. And number 2 relies on human nature. We seem to be drawn to the outre and horrible. Not to experience but to witness in some small degree.
There have been tons of papers written on the psychology of that. How people are drawn to tragedy like moths to a flame.

Again on Jack, how many read the comic/graphic novel From Hell or at least saw the film?
What did you think of that?

[Susan C]

I think it's also our need to know why. for example the Craig's list killer. We (a collective we) have a hard time believing a preppy med student would be a killer.

As for his fiance, she's got to come to reallity. I saw on the today show he propositined a transvestite and sent him nude photos. They showed you the photos(except for the goods) and spoke with the man he planned to meet and chatted with in a transvestite chat room.

The evidence is pretty overwhelming. How many of you would stand by your man at least for the first week or so/ would you drop him like a hot potato?

[Terri]

Re the Craigslist killer - I dont have a hard time believing it at all. Serial killers are often the guy next door. We want them to be identifiable so we feel safer, but that is for our own comfort.

As for the fiance, with that evidence - bye bye dude....

[Terri]

Re. From Hell movie. The movie was entertaining - I liked Johnny Depp, but this theory (to me) is one of the more far fetched one's out there. It is also used in a fictional mystery called The Whitechapel Conspiracy. I just can't equate the brutality of the murders with that motive. Nor that the victims were friends, there is just nothing to support it.

[Katherine]

Always wrote: "Kim wrote: "Always wrote: "Being Honest,
'True Crime' horrifies me More than fiction horror novels. But I will be reading "High Hopes" by Sullivan Aronson in the next few months.... "

Susan wrote..."
there was a good movie out a couple of years ago about the zodiac killer.

[Kim]

The one with Jake Gyllenhaal? I thought it was a really good interpretation of the book.

[Katherine]

That's the one. I'll have to check out the book too. So many books...so little time!

[Renee]

Whats the movie that touched on Capote and his writing of the book in Cold Blood? LOL It may be capote.That movie showed me how creepy and charming those killers were. Thats what really scares me


Susan wrote: "Harold Schechter has very good nonfiction books about early day serial killers. I've read one and started the second. Both are good. "

[Kim]

I think it was called Capote. It had Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it? This is a bit off topic but have any of you seen Before the Devil Knows You're Dead? It's a really good movie. P.S.H. is in it so that's why it was on my mind.

[Renee]

I havent but I may have to now

[Terri]

Kim wrote: "I think it was called Capote. It had Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it? This is a bit off topic but have any of you seen Before the Devil Knows You're Dead? It's a really good movie. P.S.H. is in it so..."

Yes it was really good - he is a fantastic actor

[Renee]

He really is talanted. I would never have noticed him if it were not for Capote

[Kim]

Kim wrote: "Thanks. I appreciate the recommendations. Has anyone out there read what they consider to be a really good, comprehensive book on Jack the Ripper? I am looking for one that would give clues to the ..."

I have this in my TBR -

[Brett]

Terri wrote: "Kim wrote: "I think it was called Capote. It had Phillip Seymour Hoffman in it? This is a bit off topic but have any of you seen Before the Devil Knows You're Dead? It's a really good movie. P.S.H...."
Yes it was really good - he is a fantastic actor

I'll second that. He did a fantastic job there. Had me believing!