5 New True Crime Books That You Should Read In July 2021

True crime is a genre that many avoid because they think it to be gruesome and ghastly. While it is indeed sometimes gory, it is also one of the most compelling genres ever. It’s rare to find a true crime book that doesn’t make you read through it as fast as possible or isn’t full of unexpected twists or turns. Over time, a few true crime books such as Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’ or Buglioski’s “Helter Skelter’ have come to define the genre as a whole. However, there are many, many underrated true crime books that deserve way more recognition than they get. In this article, we will talk about 5 such true crime books that have been released in 2020 and 2021 that everyone in the book community has been sleeping on. These are 5 New true crime books that you should read In July 2021.

Last Call by Elon Green

This sweeping novel explores an ingenious crime of the 1990s New York – the murder of a string of gay men. The serial killer preyed on homosexuals because they were vulnerable – they had been silenced and oppressed by society and hence were easy targets. This book simultaneously follows the decade long manhunt in catching the killer and the stories of the victims left behind. Even though the story is super interesting due to its portrayal of the killer as fascinating and deviant, it is also humane in its exploration of the trauma the victims went through. Green thinks this story has been swept under the carpet due to the sexuality of the victims and the atrociously high murder rate. However his novel compensates for everything – it is a microscopic look into the crime.

The Unusual Suspect by Ben Machell

This is an offbeat story of the man who imitated the fictional Robin Hood, Stephen Jackley. Jackley was a young British student who became exasperatingly frustrated about the financial inequities and disparities in society. In his obsession, he decided to set things straight himself. During the global financial crisis of 2008, Jackley attempted raids on as many as 10 banks in Southwest England and hid the loot in tree trunks marked RH – Robin Hood. He then distributed the loot among the poor. He even got away with it – the police had no idea what his motivation or modus operandi was. But it was his greed that ultimately led to his downfall. Following his arrest in America, he agreed to become a British prisoner, and was revealed to be diagnosed with the autism spectre disorder. This book weaves diary entries with fictional scenarios, deepening the intimate, hard-hitting appeal of the novel.

Fuzz by Mary Roach

The title of this novel might make it seem all cute and adorable but don’t be fooled. Although it is less intense and stereotypically true crime than the others on this list, it deserves your time and attention just as much. In this book, Mary Roach ventures into an entirely new territory – the role of animals in true crime. She explores a vital question – what do you do about animals who break the law? From leopards terrorizing villages in the Himalayas to religious disharmony caused by vultures disrupting masses. Roach discusses a wide range of phenomena. Using forensic science, science journalism and ecology, Roach crafts a novel memorable for its antiques and informativeness.

The Babysitter by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan

This novel is a mixture of memoir and true fiction, deepening the impact of criminal psychology with its hard-hitting and intimate truth. It follows Liza Rodman as a kid in 1960s Cape Cod, whose mother worked at motels in the summer. Her babysitter was in fact a serial killer, although she didn’t know it then. They ate popsicles together and hung out in his ‘secret garden’ where many of his victims were buried. This novel follows her journey as an innocent girl with no idea she was spending so much time with a psychopath and the terrible trauma that followed. Liza breaks down every uncomfortable memory in this book, writing with unflinching honesty that will surely unnerve you.

Confident Women by Tori Telfer

A never-seen-before exploration of feminine criminal psyche, this novel follows the life of several con artists who carried out audacious scams. This spans women across nations and time periods, drawing on diamond scams of the 1700s and embezzlements of the 1900s to craft a masterpiece of true crime.

This includes Jeanne de Saint-Remy who somehow convinces the royal jewellers that she was best friends with Mary Antoinette. She then proceeds to rob a necklace containing hundreds of diamonds. Then there are the New York sisters Kate and Maggie Fox who claim they are clairvoyants with access to the voices of spirits. This takes off and soon many other con artists enter the con ‘movement.’ Loreta Janeta Velasquez tricks people into thinking she is a soldier and that she is working for the confederacy or the union, based on her whims and fancies. There was also Cassie Chadwick who tells people she is someone’s illegitimate daughter to get loans. This book also includes stories of Margaret Lydia Burton’s embezzlement scam and Roxie Ann Rice’s NFL scam. Tori’s non fiction delves into these women’s devious minds.

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