There is a darkness that lives deep within all of our psyches, and that darkness often manifests as a certain kind of morbid curiosity that prompts us to watch all the true crime documentaries on netflix. it’s what makes us slow down in a nasty car accident, the voice in our head that insists we ask about the gory details of an untimely death. It’s not the best part of us, far from it, but it’s definitely there. Probably one of the surest ways to get rid of that nasty itch that lives in the back of our minds is by reading about serial killers. A serial killer, by traditional definition, is a person who has murdered three or more people, but they have to have a rest period between murders, or else they’re just killers on a spree. If the incredible TV show Criminal Minds has taught me anything, it’s that serial killers are terrifying, no matter why they kill.
I’ve compiled a list of 12 non-fiction books that focus on serial killers. these books are guaranteed to satisfy that terrible part of your mind that yearns to know about the sociopaths and psychopaths among us :
You are reading: Serial killer books non fiction
1. the stranger by my side by ann rule
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ann rule has written over a million true crime stories, but none as crazy as the stranger next to me. the nonfiction tale focuses on the ruler as he recounts the story of a terrifying mass murderer, all unaware that one of his close friends, ted bundy, was actually the person he was dating. hunting. Ted Bundy murdered at least 30 women between 1974 and 1978, and had actually met the ruler on a Seattle suicide hotline. This is one of the most definitive Bundy biographies of all time, made all the more chilling by the fact that she knew him so personally.
2. the devil in the white city by erik larson
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hh holmes was considered the first serial killer in the united states, and boy did he set the bar pretty high. Operating between 1888 and 1894, he was most active during the Chicago World’s Fair, often taking advantage of young women who came to town looking for new opportunities. Using the methods of Batman’s most dastardly villains, Holmes built a giant “killer castle” and often killed hotel employees, lovers, and guests in horrifyingly gruesome ways. the devil in the white city alternates between stories of the construction of the fair and the horrible crimes of holmes.
3. the night stalker by philip carlo
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Known as “The Night Stalker,” Richard Ramirez murdered at least 13 women between 1984 and 1985. When Ramirez was caught, his trial was probably one of the most sensational trials in history (which is saying something, given how people were such fans of ted bundy). In The Night Stalker, author Philip Carlo painstakingly details the crimes of this vicious serial killer over the course of three years, using hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with Ramírez conducted while he was in the hallway of the death.
4. Terry Sullivan’s Killer Clown with Peter T. maiden
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john wayne gacy was the type of person who used to dress up as a clown at charity events, parades and parties to entertain children. he was also the kind of person who would viciously rape and murder 33 children and youth, burying 26 of them under the basement of his home. john wayne gacy is truly the stuff of nightmares and is probably the reason why everyone is afraid of clowns. Killer Clown is also the kind of book that scares even the most obsessive crime readers, so be warned.
5. deflected by harold schechter
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Ed Gein may not have the same body count as most of the serial killers on this list, but he makes up for it by being the creepiest type of person you can imagine. The inspiration for Norman Bates from Psycho, as well as the leather face from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,Gein displayed a fascination with corpses that would eventually lead to murder. By the time he got caught, his house had become such a museum of horrors that not even Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs could have taken it, mostly thanks to his penchant for robbing graves. deviant tells the story of this terrifying killer.
6. the monster of florence by douglas preston and mario spezi
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The aptly named “Florence Monster” terrorized Florence, Italy, murdering 16 people, all couples, between 1968 and 1985. In the year 2000, author Douglas Preston moved to Italy, only to discover that the olive grove on his property was the site of these infamous murders. He teamed up with an Italian investigative journalist named Mario Spezi and set out to discover the identity of this ruthless killer. although he did not anticipate becoming the target of the investigation …
7. the authentic blue beard of jean benedetti
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In the 15th century, Gilles de Rais was a French army captain, companion of Joan of Arc, and a self-confessed serial killer of children. While most details of his slaughter that led to the deaths of 140 children have been erased from the history books, it is widely believed that De Rais was the inspiration for Charles’ “Bluebeard” fairy tale. perrault. if you like your serial killers to be historical deep cuts, you’ll love this book.
8. jack the ripper and black magic by spiro dimolianis
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we all know jack the ripper at this point; he’s basically one of the most famous (and terrifying) serial killers in the world. This mysterious man dispatched five prostitutes in Whitechapel, London, during the late Victorian era, and although he has never been caught, there are more theories about the identity of this killer than stars in the sky. But Jack the Ripper and Black Magic is different, because he dares to wonder if old Jack the Ripper was magic. not even kidding, this book is deadly serious. this is definitely the book you should read if there is a small part of you that believes in the paranormal.
9. the street. the poisoner of albans by anthony holden
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Graham Young was an English serial killer who preferred to use poison to dispatch his victims. he poisoned his family and up to 70 other people, several of whom died. Obsessed with becoming the world’s most famous poisoner, the young man actually kept a journal of observations about the victims’ reactions to him. He eventually became the youngest inmate at Britain’s infamous Broadmoor Asylum. the street. albans poisoner tells the true story behind this enigmatic figure, depicting a chilling portrait of a sociopath.
10. the thames torso murders in victorian london by r. miguel gordon
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what is it about victorian london that really makes killers creepy? Also, is there a name for a more terrifying series of murders than “torso murders”? Between the years of 1887 to 1889 and sometimes in 1902, a mysterious murderer left his victims as a pile of dismembered bodies. The torso murders were often overshadowed by the Jack the Ripper ones, but this book posits that perhaps Jack and this killer were the same thing. while that’s not canon, it’s still a pretty fascinating idea.
11. from the cradle to the grave by joyce egginton
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With a few exceptions, female serial killers are usually quite different from their male counterparts, but the story of how Marybeth Tinning murdered her nine childhood children is chilling nonetheless. Tinning drove a school bus and also worked as a nursing assistant in a hospital ward, which made the revelation of her murder all the more shocking.
12. zodiac by robert graysmith
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During the 1960s and 1970s, a killer called the Zodiac Killer claimed the lives of 37 people in California and possibly Nevada. when the zodiac killer started sending letters to three different newspapers, he became even more disturbing. this serial killer has never been caught (although some people are convinced he is running for president), but there are many theories about him. zodiac is one of the first complete accounts of the killer’s reign of terror.
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