3 True Crime Must-Reads

It's that time of year again when we have a little more time for reading, whether it's riding on a plane to some exotic locale or lounging by the pool once we get there. So today we take a look at some must-reads for true crime fans, each taking place in a different era in American history. We start in 1894 with “The Infamous Harry Hayward: A True Account of Murder and Mesmerism in Gilded Age Minneapolis". Hayward, a real Gilded Age dandy, was described by detective William Pinkerton as “one of the greatest criminals the world has ever seen,” as well as a “Svengali,” “a lunatic” and “a man without a soul.” Not someone I'd like to run into in a dark alley, but I'm looking forward to reading Shawn Francis Peters's account of him.

While we enjoy reading about sensational true crimes I don't think many of us would care to live through one, but that's exactly what Pamela Everett found out happened to her father when he was 13 years old. Everett shares her family's story in her new book “Little Shoes: The Sensational Depression-Era Murders That Became My Family’s Secret”. You can read an excerpt over at Salon.

Also sharing a true crime story that he lived through and also investigated, is detective turned author Rick Wiley. In his new book, "Murder and Meth in the High Desert", Wiley recounts the murder of 27-year-old drug informant Denise Williams. “It’s a story that you think about every night before you go to sleep,” says Wiley, who spent 33 years on the Nampa Police force.

So what true crime books are you currently reading or looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!





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