Top 23 Best Serial Killer Books of All Time Review 2022

If you can not get enough of true crime recently, it is time to dig into the life story of a person who had been or maybe still is incredibly deranged. There is terrifying prosperity of Best Serial Killer Books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Top Rated Best Serial Killer Novels To Read

You are reading: Top 23 Best Serial Killer Books of All Time Review 2022

Top Rated Best Serial Killer Novels To Read

They walk one of us people with heads so jagged and goals so wicked that hardly a shred of humanity stays. However, the evil that lurks inside is frequently hidden behind a charismatic smile and a charming character. Yes, the serial killer is a dangerous monster and the ideal subject for a frightening book that will both horrify and intrigue readers.

If you’re seeking a book that can keep you up late at night, these Best True Crime Books About Serial Killers will do just fine.

American Predator by Maureen Callahan

When journalist Maureen Callahan first discovered Israel Keyes in 2012, she was mesmerized by the way the killer of the size could go unnoticed by law enforcement for over a decade. And so started a project that consumed her for the several upcoming years-discovering the true story behind the FBI finally capturing Israel Keyes and seeking to comprehend what it means to get a serial killer such as Keyes to exist. A killer who left a course of monstrous intentionally committed offenses in his wake-a a lot remains unsolved to this day.

Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth

On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was shot and murdered in his Miami Beach mansion with serial killer Andrew Cunanan. But months before Versace’s murder, award-winning journalist Maureen Orth was investigating an important story on Cunanan for Vanity Fair. Culled from interviews with over four hundred individuals and opinions gleaned from tens of thousands of pages of police reports, Vulgar Favors tells the full story of Andrew Cunanan, his unwitting victims, and the moneyed world where they lived and died.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

If you would rather have a frightening story with a literary bent, then there’s no opportunity to read or re-read “In Cold Blood. ” In this masterpiece of literary nonfiction, Truman Capote dives into the quadruple murder of Four members of the Clutter family were killed in their Kansas home in 1959. He expresses the absolute brutality of the serial killers while demonstrating unexpected compassion for those serial killers.

However, Capot’s careful study and one-on-one interviews tell the true story of two real-life guys who committed an unthinkable true crime. This is one of the best serial killer books nonfiction for reading.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

This New York Times bestseller intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World’s Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to death. This novel is nonfiction and tells two men: Daniel Burnham, an architect, and H.H. Holmes, the serial killer who preyed on fairgoers. Combining meticulous research with all nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

Although this novel is easy to read, Larson did a lot of research so that you can fully experience Chicago life in the 1890s. The Devil in the White City will suck you with its descriptions of evil human nature, deception, scandal, and the excitement of the times when the people of Chicago prepared for their first World’s Fair. Erik Larson has a pretty significant library of books if you’ve never read his work.

Zodiac by Robert Graysmith

Robert Graysmith was on staff in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 when Zodiac initially struck, tripping from the resolute reporter an unrelenting obsession with viewing the hooded killer brought to justice. In this gripping account of Zodiac’s eleven-month reign of terror, Graysmith shows hundreds of facts previously unreleased, including the whole text of this killer’s letters.

The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber

He was a dad, a best friend, a husband, and the most prolific serial killer in American history. Back in December 2003, enrolled nurse Charlie Cullen was arrested for the deaths of over 300 patients. And if it were not for the devotion of 2 hardboiled detectives and a nurse risking everything to prevent him, he could still be at large now. Breathlessly composed this portrait of insanity is “a thriller in every sense of the term ” You will not ever look at hospitals and drugs the same way again (New York Times).

Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson

Only after World War II, a fighting London was starting to breathe when another tragedy struck. Even though a serial killer smog gripped the town, hidden criminals roamed the roads and snatched victims in the shadows. Forgotten girls were going lost, and they had something in common: they had fulfilled a quiet, unassuming guy -a guy who escaped murder trial.

At the same time, a potentially innocent man was delivered to the gallows. Crackling with tragedy, this historical true-crime narrative is an “intriguing” accounts of London’s grief and endurance (Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

Judas by Astrid Holleeder

Astrid Holleeder is currently in hiding since she had the guts to write this novel. Known for his participation in the kidnapping of Heineken’s CEO and chairman, her brother Willem is among the most infamous criminals in history. For decades he commanded the household, threatening to kill anybody who murdered him.

When she had been compelled to become his confidante, Astrid utilized her legal practice to flip the tables on him. Due to her sharp abilities, she gained sufficient info to put him away for life. Astonishing and deeply personal, this is a frightening and accurate account of the criminal underground.

The Last Victim by Jason Moss

It began with a college course assignment but rapidly escalated into a dangerous obsession. Eighteen-year-old honor student Jason Moss wrote to four men whose body counts had made criminal history: Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez, and John Wayne Gacy. Posing as the ideal victim, Moss composed the serial killers, but the problem immediately spun out of control once John Wayne Gacy invited him to a trip in a prison-an offer that he could not turn down.

Riveting, shocking, and frightening, The Last Victim is a raw and revealing look at the dark side of human character from a writer who dared to look carefully at exactly what we all dread.

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Angel of Darkness by Dennis McDougal

Randy Kraft was a smart, sexually active, and faithful man-a man who committed the murder spree of this century. Called the Scorecard Killer, Kraft was famous for his victims in lists and leaving their bodies around freeways. In total, he killed over 67 people. A harrowing “peephole to hell,” this novel is an educational and well-written glimpse within the darkened head of a living creature (Associated Press).

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Ann Rule has written roughly a thousand true crime books, but not one so mad as The Stranger Beside Me. The nonfiction account centers around Principle because she reports that a narrative on a frightful mass murderer – without understanding that among her close friends, Ted Bundy, was the person she had been searching for. Ted Bundy murdered at least 30 girls between 1974 and 1978 and had met Rule in a Seattle suicide hotline.

This is only one of the very authoritative biographies of all Bundy of time, and it has been made even more frightening by the simple fact that she understood him.

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi

The aptly called “Monster of Florence” terrorized Florence, Italy, also killed 16 people, all couples, between 1968 and 1985. From the year 2000, writer Douglas Preston transferred to Italy to find that the olive grove in the property was the website for all these notorious serial killers. He awakened with an Italian investigative journalist named Mario Spezi, who was also put out to find the brutal murderer’s identity. He did not expect to become the goal of this analysis, though.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi

Charles Manson is a name you have probably heard a lot if you are American. He was both a criminal mastermind and a cult leader in California. This true story is told through the eyes of Vincent Bugliosi, Charles Manson’s attorney. He explains how he gathered his case against the serial killer.

Helter Skelter is a New York Times Bestseller!

This chilling story captures every step chronologically, from witness statements to paper trails to physical evidence, and includes horrifying and vivid details.

This documentary paints a vivid picture of Charles Manson, the charismatic madman. It is a touching tribute to anyone who grew up during prime-time TV’s Manson era.

Home Sweet Murder by James Patterson

This James Patterson collection combines two true-crime thrillers about true crime into one. Home Sweet Murder is about a husband and wife who are enjoying a peaceful Sunday dinner. But, they are interrupted by an SEC agent. By the end of the evening, two people will have been shot, stabbed, and tortured. In Murder On the Run, a determined detective promises to catch the serial killer of their child. These true stories, as seen on Discovery ID’s Murder is Forever is shockingly honest and riveting.

Read more: Best James Patterson Books of All Time Review 2022

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

The writer’s tragic death and the recent catch of this book’s subject make this an incredibly compelling and catastrophic read. Michelle McNamara conducted her very own true crime site, exploring cases with conviction and attention. The reach of this Golden State Killer’s offenses and the absence of hints made this event a natural match; since she stumbled pouring over each detail and pursuing down the subtlest of prospects, she gained the respect and assistance of local researchers.

Spending long hours enveloped by this amount of terror eventually wear in your human body and head, but Michelle’s commendable attempts chiefly contributed to the killer’s identification and ultimate catch. Sadly, she didn’t live to see him captured, however with I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK, we could bear witness to her process and adventures, and comprehend the terror that this killer attracted to those communities.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Continue reading this book. You will find it mentioned in a lot more situations than just the previous review, as it is arguably the foundation for this particular genre. The film provides an epic base for many filmmakers; I recall studying it in my school film class. The atmosphere is 1959 Holcomb, Kansas, early morning. Four gunshots are fired; abruptly, a household is dead, and Truman Capote, together with fellow writer Harper Lee, is there to interview the townspeople.

When both serial killers are captured and sentenced to death, Capote interviews them also. Released first in four components from The New Yorker, IN COLD BLOOD is a contentious text which commands attention.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

True crime classic book

Süskind’s cult classic around Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with the gift of perfect odor, is greater than a mere perfumer-turned-serial killer. A story of obsession, the book follows Grenouille because he chases the hopeless act of getting the “perfect odor,” and in doing so, lays claim to innumerable corpses.

The book carries a menacing arc, over and outside of the “perfumer killer” theory: it investigates the degree of genius, and the way being “gifted” with perfection could, in reality, be a gift and much more a curse.

Chasing the Devil by Sheriff David Reichert

Sheriff David Reichert dedicated eight years of his life to the capture of the Green River Killer. In 1982, he was the first to investigate the case. He persevered in seeking clues as the number of bodies grew to 49. It became the most notorious unsolved case in America. Sheriff Reichert was brave enough to reach out to victims’ families and put his safety at risk to find the killer. But it would take him 11 more years to prove his case. This is a fantastic suspense story of heroism and fascination.

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi

This true crime story is told by Preston Child’s Pendergast, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God and celebrated co-author of Preston and Child’s Pendergast series tells a shocking story.

Douglas Preston found out that the serial killer behind one of Italy’s most infamous serial killers was hiding in an olive grove near his Florence home. Preston quickly found a target in his search for truth, and he was the subject of a police investigation. The Monster of Florence is a shocking true story of murder and mutilation and a bizarre vendetta.

Last Breath by Robert Bryndza

This novel is a riveting read that will keep your attention. Erika Foster is the detective who tries to solve a case that leads to a series of young, tortured, and dead women.

The killer is an intelligent, wise man who preys on beautiful young women by creating a fake identity. Even worse, Erika is not the victim in this case and has difficulty finding the information she needs.

Despite this, the detective is forced to confront the serial killer.

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Jeffrey Dahmer’s high school friend, Derf Backderf, shares a graphic portrayal of this young serial killer in My Friend Dahmer.

This book is different from others because it is told through the eyes of a friend who has a sympathetic view of Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer. He describes what Dahmer looked like before starting his killing spree and the signs of his mental illness.

You will feel for Jeffery in this raw and unorthodox view. Backderf gives insight into Jeffery’s struggles with alcoholism and sexuality, as well as his complicated relationship with his parents.

We all know Jeffrey Dahmer is a monster. But the details of this novel will give you insights that will stay with you forever. It tells the true story of a lonely boy who didn’t fit in and leads him down a dark, graphic road.

Nobody’s Women by Steve Miller

The investigative journalist Steve Miller, “Nobody’s Women,” a sexy tale about a Cleveland-based ex-marine and registered sexual offender who murdered women and lived among their bodies. Miller shares the stories of the women who were murdered, mainly prostitutes or junkies, and explains the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

The Family by Ed Sanders

Two bloody nights destroyed the dreams of the Love Generation in this true-crime classic masterpiece ( New York Times Book Review). In 1969, Charles Manson and his associates murdered nine people, including Sharon Tate (a young actress and the wife of Roman Polanski). The Family reveals everything you need to know about one of the most horrifying serial killer stories in American history.

Top 23 Best Serial Killer Books of All Time Review 2022