3 True Crime Books To Read (and the documentaries to watch after)

The Stranger Beside Me – Ann Rule

Ann Rule is the queen of True Crime, y’all. Do you know why??? Because she worked alongside TED BUNDY! She knew him as a coworker, and decided to tell the story. And now, we have an entire genre of books, documentaries, and podcasts.

After you read the book, look up a documentary called The Ted Bundy Tapes. It’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about him, but you have to admit his story is fascinating.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark – Michelle McNamara 

Michelle McNamara was a woman on a mission to find the serial killer who went by many names – The East Area Rapist, The Original Night Stalker, The Visalia Ransacker. She dubbed him simply “The Golden State Killer” and dedicated her career to writing about him and ultimately trying to find him. Her book is riveting and creepy. Unfortunately, Michelle passed away before her book was published and before the Golden State Killer was caught.

You can find the documentary by the same name on HBO. Beware, it’s truly unsettling. But in the end, they get the bad guy!

Filthy Rich – James Patterson

Did you know that James Patterson used to live in the same neighborhood as Jeffrey Epstein? So, who better to write a true crime novel about the notorious billionaire than the best selling author? True to his brand, the book is hard to put down, but also hard to read because it is honestly sickening. The rumors surrounding Epstein reached fever pitch when he was arrested and later found dead in his cell. But this book was published BEFORE it became the nation’s newest scandal.

You can find the documentary on Netflix, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. It details things not even mentioned in Patterson’s book. And again, it’s disturbing that such a thing was going on in the poshest neighborhood in Florida.