True crime books?

I know there are some other true-crime account buffs here, and that some aren't exactly thrilled when the titles come up in the other thread about books, so I'm starting a separate one.
I've just finished "JonBenÃ[emoji]169[/emoji]t: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation", by Steve Thomas, one of the detectives on the case who quit in disgust at the way the entire case was being handled, with Don Davis. I wouldn't say it offered too much that wasn't covered in "Perfect Murder, Perfect Town", by Lawrence Schiller, but it did give a different perspective of the investigation, as Schiller's book covered more of the DA Office's point of view. Thomas also comes right out and gives his theory of what happened.
What have you been reading, and what would you recommend (or otherwise)?

Tricia, any of the books written by Ann Rule are good. Granted, she does get a little boring when she digs really deep into the past of the characters, but she does a great job most of the time. And she worked alongside Ted Bundy while he was on his killing rampage, never knew it until later! "The Stranger Beside Me" is the title of her book about that.

Hmm... I don't really read true-crime, but I do like to read biographies... yesterday I was at the store wanting to buy a book but I had no idea what to buy, I'll definitely put these on a list so I won't feel so lost next time!

Originally Posted by KittenKrazy

Tricia, any of the books written by Ann Rule are good. Granted, she does get a little boring when she digs really deep into the past of the characters, but she does a great job most of the time. And she worked alongside Ted Bundy while he was on his killing rampage, never knew it until later! "The Stranger Beside Me" is the title of her book about that.

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I think I've read all but Rule's latest on the Green River Killer - I'm waiting for that to come out in paperback here. I really like her books, but wonder how she can continue to write them, because she appears to get very emotionally involved with the victims and their families. They're often a welcome change from those by writers who concentrate almost solely on the legal aspects involved, like Vincent Bugliosi, whose books (Helter Skelter, Only the Sea Will Tell) are fascinating, but a "slow read".
I've become a big fan of Mark Fuhrman (he of O.J. infamy) - his books seem to be a bit more balanced than either of the above-mentioned authors, as he covers background, investigation and trial.

Haven't read any lately but I've have read several of Ann Rule's. Her writing is pretty good, although occasional it grates on me (but I can't remember why )

One author I'd recommend is Jack Olsen - "Salt of the Earth" was the one I had heard about and I did find it to be a good read.

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote - I think that was the first one I ever read and even now I get the heebiejeebies thinking about it.

We have "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I know the story of this serial killer, H.H. Holmes, from another book (whose name escapes me at the moment).

Originally Posted by gargoyle

Haven't read any lately but I've have read several of Ann Rule's. Her writing is pretty good, although occasional it grates on me (but I can't remember why

)

One author I'd recommend is Jack Olsen - "Salt of the Earth" was the one I had heard about and I did find it to be a good read.

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote - I think that was the first one I ever read and even now I get the heebiejeebies thinking about it.

We have "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I know the story of this serial killer, H.H. Holmes, from another book (whose name escapes me at the moment).

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I've read a few by Jack Olsen (good), and "In Cold Blood" has led to Capote's being credited with inventing the genre, though that's not really true. Perhaps in the U.S.. I'll have to see if I can find Larson's book here - I've read a couple of accounts of Holmes's crimes.

The one thing that always "grates" me about Rule's books is that the female victims are always "beautiful" or "very attractive". It's as if ordinary people aren't the victims of violent crime.

You know, I just couldn't ever get into Anne Rules' books. Don't know why, maybe because she writes more like a fictional novel than other true crime authors.

Recommendations? ANYTHING by John Douglas, all of his books are absolutely fascinating. He and Robert Ressler are the ones who really started the idea of criminal profiling in the FBI. Robert Ressler's books are good but he comes off as a pompous jerk to me. The book by Roy Hazelwood, who worked with John Douglas on the Atlanta child murders, and specialized in sexual homocide, is also really good.

I most recently read John Douglas' latest, "Anyone You Want Me to Be" about the first convicted serial kill to trawl on the internet. Also John Douglas' first book about only one killer, the rest are collages of multiple cases he personally worked on. Definitely an interesting book and case.

Originally Posted by valanhb

You know, I just couldn't ever get into Anne Rules' books. Don't know why, maybe because she writes more like a fictional novel than other true crime authors.

Recommendations? ANYTHING by John Douglas, all of his books are absolutely fascinating. He and Robert Ressler are the ones who really started the idea of criminal profiling in the FBI. Robert Ressler's books are good but he comes off as a pompous jerk to me. The book by Roy Hazelwood, who worked with John Douglas on the Atlanta child murders, and specialized in sexual homocide, is also really good.

I most recently read John Douglas' latest, "Anyone You Want Me to Be" about the first convicted serial kill to trawl on the internet. Also John Douglas' first book about only one killer, the rest are collages of multiple cases he personally worked on. Definitely an interesting book and case.

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I haven't read Douglas's latest, but definitely will. Ressler's books are interesting, but I've found inconsistencies regarding gender, age, etc. of the victims. He seems to regard them as much less important than the perps. Heidi, do you know what's going on with the Ramsey case, since it's in your area? I've done some Internet searches, but haven't come up with any current reports.

For me, reading TC books has been supplanted by watching the various TC television programs - "your ghoul shows" as my husband calls them
American Justice, The New Detectives, Forensic Files, etc. I check out most of them. Haven't been too impressed with the newest one, "The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee", the shows drags out too much.

The Ramsey case - I seriously wonder if that one will ever be solved.

Originally Posted by jcat

Heidi, do you know what's going on with the Ramsey case, since it's in your area? I've done some Internet searches, but haven't come up with any current reports.

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The Ramsey case? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Boulder police are totally inept, IMO. After Patricia and John Ramsey (and of course all of the media) left, there has been nothing on that case. But probably the most interesting thing I've read about that case was in a John Douglas book, "The Cases that Haunt Us". He met with Patricia and John during the initial investigation, and tried to help as an independent consultant (he was retired from the FBI). He says that the parents didn't have anything to do with it, and even coming from him I still have a hard time believing that.

LOL Tricia re: Ressler. Seemed to me that he was more interested in what HE did to solve the case than either the victims or the perp.

Originally Posted by gargoyle

For me, reading TC books has been supplanted by watching the various TC television programs - "your ghoul shows" as my husband calls them

American Justice, The New Detectives, Forensic Files, etc. I check out most of them. Haven't been too impressed with the newest one, "The Case Files of Dr. Henry Lee", the shows drags out too much.

The Ramsey case - I seriously wonder if that one will ever be solved.

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I watch those shows when I'm in the U.S.. Right now we have an American-German hybrid, called "Medical Detectives", which is pretty good. My husband has the same reaction!

I don't think the Ramsey case will be solved - as Heidi said, the Boulder PD screwed up, especially by not accepting the help offered by outside agencies at the very beginning, and the DA's Office wasn't any better, as it was too interested in its "image". I'd say it was an "inside job", i.e., there was no intruder, and probably an accident (manslaughter) that was covered up; the noose turned it into murder.

I will read anything by Ann Rulle, Ressler, Douglas, Jack Olsen, Dominick Dunne or Jeffrey Toobin.

Detectives Lang and VanAtter's book on the O.J. case was excellent, as was Toobin's. I refused to read any of the defense's books. Daniel Petrocelli, who represented Ron Goldman's family, in the civil case, wrote an excellent book, too.

Are any of waiting, with bated breath, for Amber Frey's book?

Originally Posted by katl8e

Are any of waiting, with bated breath, for Amber Frey's book?

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Good Lord, no! I'm guessing she's got legal bills to pay but I won't be chipping in.

I refuse to watch any shows/read any articles from that trial. I have no idea if Peterson is guilty or not, but it really irks me that the media made such a big deal about this case. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people go missing everyday; Laci was not the only pregnant woman murdered that day. What made this case so "special"? I just don't get it.

Add me as a true crime buff.

I have always liked John Douglas and Robert Resslers books as well. But I mostly read forensic anthropology books - there is one by Robert Maples "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" and by Douglas Ubelaker "Bones", and I have some textbooks on it.

I am very picky on true crime writers because I feel that some writers only want us to know what they think, instead of telling the whole story, factually.

I love the tv shows - Forensic Files, The First 48 Hours, Cold Case Files, and American Justice, sometimes City Confidental (depending on who it is about)

I don't plan to read Amber Frey's book - I have no interest in her.

Originally Posted by gargoyle

I refuse to watch any shows/read any articles from that trial. I have no idea if Peterson is guilty or not, but it really irks me that the media made such a big deal about this case. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people go missing everyday; Laci was not the only pregnant woman murdered that day. What made this case so "special"? I just don't get it.

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Personally I think it's all about the money much like and I know some people don't agree with me the Ramsey case. Jonbenet (Is that how you spell it? I've never been really sure.) wasn't the only child to die that day either and yet the whole country seemed to be sucked into that case. Whenever anything happens to rich white people or their kids it seems like the media is all over it but day after day there are people killed which just seems unfair that so few causes get the media attention.

At any rate, I won't be reading books about either of those cause if I can help it. Although sooner or later I'm sure I'll run across something too interesting to put down.

And you all are right Court TV is wonderful, I complete get sucked in and finally, cause I had to take that break from free time with school and all taking over my life, I can watch it and find stuff I haven't seen before. A&E is pretty good as well. I find myself watch City Confidental a lot but that could be because it comes on at a time whent there's not much else on. I really do need to start reading again though so this thread is great.

edited cause I can't spell.

True crime stories kinda scare me.

Originally Posted by katl8e

I will read anything by Ann Rulle, Ressler, Douglas, Jack Olsen, Dominick Dunne or Jeffrey Toobin.

Detectives Lang and VanAtter's book on the O.J. case was excellent, as was Toobin's. I refused to read any of the defense's books. Daniel Petrocelli, who represented Ron Goldman's family, in the civil case, wrote an excellent book, too.

Are any of waiting, with bated breath, for Amber Frey's book?

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Lawrence Schiller's O.J. book was really interesting - what an absolute mess the defense team was, and yet they won. Dominick Dunne's was hysterical. One of the best I've read was "O.J. UNMASKED: The Trial, The Truth, and The Media", by M.L. Rantala.

I think I'll skip Frey's book.

I read that Amber Frey's book has been optioned by CBS, for a made-for-TV movie. Is it any wonder, that I watch mostly cable TV?

Why am I not surprised. The only network TV I watch is CSI, Law and Order and The West Wing and occasionally when I get the chance Extreme Make Over Home Edition. The rest of the shows just don't appeal at all.

I'm reviving this thread. I've read so many books since I last posted that I've forgotten the titles, but today I "OD'd" on true crime books, since it's too hot here to do much of anything. I read Ann Rule's "Kiss Me, Kill Me", which mainly deals with cases from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and Carlton Stowers' "To The Last Breath", about a Texan who smothered his toddler for the insurance money. Both were pretty good. Tip: One of the best true crime books I've read is also by Carlton Stowers. It's called "Careless Whispers", and is about a contract killing involving mistaken identity and the murder of three teenagers.