A
genre of
nonfiction writing that gives extensively
detailed accounts of crimes. As they are frequently first released as
mass-market paperbacks, the covers of true crime books are frequently
sensationalized to draw the reader's attention to the often
grisly story within. True crime books sometimes list their subjects as
authors, almost always with a
ghostwriter credit as well. It is also common to find a
photo section in the middle of the book, frequently depicting the subject
before and after the events in the book.
Examples:
- Deadly Seduction, by Wensley Clarkson. "Peru, Indiana: Was Susan Grund a femme fatale who seduced and killed her and husband Jimmy for his fortune? Or just a victim of her teenage lover's passion?"
- 83 Hours Till Dawn, by Barbara Jane Mackle with Gene Miller. Tells of the 1968 kidnapping of a young heiress and the five days she spent buried alive before finally being rescued.
- For the Love of a Child, by Betty Mahmoody with Arnold B. Dunchock. Follows a Michigan housewife to Iran after her husband abducts their child. Became the movie Not Without My Daughter, starring Sally Field.
- Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, by Lawrence Schiller. Examines the murder of prepubescent beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey.
- If Loving You Is Wrong, by Gregg Olsen. Account of Mary Kay Letourneau's sexual relationship with one of her sixth-grade students.
- All She Wanted, by Aphrodite Jones. Details the life and death of Brandon Teena, who was raped and murdered after it was discovered he was a pre-operative transsexual.