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True Crime

Shirley Jones

/ Feb 28, 2022

We all love reading gritty crime fiction, but of course the true stories of actual crimes are just as thrilling and fascinating. You will find these on the First Floor of the City Library and in all the Community Libraries under the Dewey number 364. I have highlighted some classics, some New Zealand examples and a selection of new books to hit our shelves. Enjoy!

Classics:

Columbine Dave Cullen
Cullen, an acclaimed journalist, followed the chilling events of 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado from the onset. After 10 years of research he published this masterpiece of reportage.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
Bugliosi was the prosecutor in the infamous trial of Charles Manson and his young followers accused of the murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and others in 1969. The book was published in 1974 to great acclaim.

In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences Truman Capote
First published in 1965, this book revolutionised the genre. It is a page turner that honours the victims, but also shows empathy for the perpetrators.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story John Berendt
A gripping tale of intrigue, murder, forgery and eccentricity set in the steamy, surreal atmosphere of Savannah, Georgia. Published in 1995.

New Zealand:
Aramoana: Twenty-Two Hours of Terror Bill O'Brien
Black Hands: Inside the Bain Family Murders Martin van Beynen
Into the Darklands and Beyond: Unveiling the Predators Among Us Nigel Latta
Missing Persons Steve Braunias
The Mister Asia Connection: The True Story of Underbelly's Terry Clark Richard Hall (revised by John Kerr)