The best true crime books of all time

Why read this: A teenage boy falls to his death from a luxury Thames-side apartment block. His parents' determination to understand why leads us here: a forensic, heart-rending investigation into the hidden underworld of modern London. In 2019, Zac Brettler’s death left his parents searching for answers. What they uncovered – his fantasy identity as the son of a Russian oligarch and a secret double life – opened the door into a world of extreme wealth, secrecy and quiet impunity. With all the rigour that made Empire of Pain and Say Nothing international bestsellers, the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize-winning Patrick Radden Keefe traces a family’s grief against a city reshaped by offshore money and moral compromise. Meticulous, humane and quietly enraging, this is sure to sit among the best true crime books ever written.

If you’re looking for: Investigative journalism, extreme wealth, oligarchs, books about London.

Great for fans of: Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough, A Thread of Violence by Mark O'Connell, Putin's People by Catherine Belton.

What the experts say: ‘Gripping, rigorous and smart . . . breathtaking’ – Jon Ronson, author of The Men Who Stare At Goats and The Psychopath Test. 'More addictive than any box set, London Falling will break your heart, instil you with cold rage, and make you see London in a completely new light' – Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland.

Why read this: A death in a sunlit Provence village; a bullet wound to the head; a verdict that never quite convinced. In 1929, British artist Olive Branson was found submerged in a water tank, and the case was swiftly ruled suicide. But was it? Doubts from Olive's family prompted detective Alexandre Guibbal to look further. Drawing on never-before-seen evidence, Susannah Stapleton reconstructs this investigation with forensic precision, and pieces together a vivid account of Olive’s unconventional life, her tragic death, and the secrets of a village simmering with tension and rivalries.

If you’re looking for: Historical murder, reopened cases, village secrets.

Great for fans of: Agatha Christie, The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, After the Party by Cressida Connolly.

What the experts say: ‘Brilliantly structured and perfectly paced. .  a classic of true crime’ – Lissa Evans, author of Old Baggage. 

Why read this: Corporate fraud on a scale that endangered lives: this is the original award-winning investigation behind the Theranos scandal. Read journalist John Carreyrou's exposure of the breathtaking deception at the heart of the multibillion biotech Silicon Valley start-up, where Elizabeth Holmes promised revolutionary blood-testing technology, but the technology didn’t work. Built from whistleblower testimony, internal documents and dogged reporting, Bad Blood reads like a financial crime thriller – yet every detail is documented. 

If you’re looking for: Corporate crime, whistleblowers, investigative journalism, courtroom drama, abuse of power.

Great for fans of: The Dropout podcast, The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, All the President's Men.

What the experts say: 'A story so incredible you'd think it was fiction' – James Patterson. 'I couldn’t put down this thriller . . . a book so compelling that I couldn't turn away' – Bill Gates

Why read this: On Easter Sunday in 2015, while undertaking a parachute jump gifted to her by her husband, Victoria Cilliers experienced every diver’s worst nightmare: her parachute failed to open. Somehow, she survived a 4,000-foot fall – and uncovered an attempted murder plot orchestrated by her husband. I Survived is Victoria’s extraordinary tale of courage and resilience, the story of a woman who experienced a living hell but made it through against the odds. 

If you’re looking for: Attempted murder, coercive control, courtroom trial, survivor testimony, British crime.

Great for fans of: The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot Channel 4 documentary. 

Why read this: A harrowing Scottish cold case told from the most intimate perspective imaginable. When Sandra Brown’s father confessed his involvement in the 1957 disappearance of twelve-year-old Moira Anderson in Coatbridge, she began a decades-long quest for the truth. What unfolds is a meticulous, deeply personal investigation into abuse, institutional failure and the silence of a community. Brown examines police inaction, buried evidence and the psychological toll of confronting evil within her own family. It's an unflinching pursuit of justice long denied.

If you’re looking for: Cold cases, Scotland setting, institutional cover-up, family secrets, survivor testimony, justice and advocacy.

Great for fans of: White House Farm, Until I Kill You ITV documentaries.

What the experts say: ‘Completely gripping. . . Everyone will want to read this amazing story’ – Andrew O’Hagan, author of Caledonian Road.

Why read this: The dramatic collapse of Credit Suisse was not a sudden disaster but the result of decades of concealed risk, scandal and moral failure. Investigative journalist Duncan Mavin traces the bank’s 166-year history, exposing its dealings with drug dealers, dictators and former Nazi officers. With forensic clarity, he reveals how internal culture, regulatory blind spots and executive hubris created a financial house of cards. For readers fascinated by white-collar crime and institutional complicity, Meltdown is both gripping exposé and stark warning – a case study in how power evades scrutiny until it is too late.

If you’re looking for: Financial crime, banking scandals, systemic corruption, corporate collapse.

Great for fans of: Moneyland by Oliver Bullough, The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, Money Men by Dan McCrum.

What the experts say: ‘A riveting autopsy. . . meticulously researched’ – Bradley Hope, author of Billion Dollar Whale and Blood and Oil. ‘A tantalizing glimpse into the rot at the heart of one of the world’s most powerful banks’ – Parmy Olson, author of Supremacy.

Why read this: An epic true story of ambition, greed and hubris – the collapse of Greensill Capital is a billion pound scandal that shredded the reputation of a British Prime Minister. In this forensic account, Duncan Mavin charts the rise of Lex Greensill – from sugar-cane farmer to financier of global leaders, including former Prime Minister David Cameron. Beneath the rhetoric of innovation lay opaque lending, risky deals and a shadow banking structure primed to fail. With a globe-circling narrative full of scandal and intrigue, Pyramid of Lies reveals how the grubby world of shadow banking really operates.

If you’re looking for: Political scandal, shadow banking, corporate fraud, Westminster intrigue.

Great for fans of: Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.

Why read this: A legacy built on philanthropy – and a fortune fuelled by addiction. From the rural communities ravaged by the impact of opioid addiction to the hallowed halls of some of the world’s most respected cultural and education institutions, the Sackler’s unsavoury legacy in America is undeniable. Patrick Radden Keefe’s Baillie Gifford Prize-winning investigation traces three generations of the Sackler family, from the marketing of Valium to the global devastation wrought by OxyContin. As compelling as a thriller, this book masterfully weaves a story of ambition, greed and secrecy and uncovers how the Sackler family made a fortune from other people’s pain and how they were allowed to get away with it. 

If you’re looking for: Corporate accountability, pharmaceutical scandal, investigative journalism, abuse of power, global health crisis, award-winning investigation. 

Great for fans of: Painkiller (Netflix), Slow Burn podcast. 

What the experts say: 'Put simply, this book will make your blood boil . . . a devastating portrait of a family consumed by greed and unwilling to take the slightest responsibility or show the least sympathy for what it wrought . . . a highly readable and disturbing narrative.' – John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood.

Why read this: Cheng Chui Ping, an elderly noodle shop owner and grandmother, was once a mainstay of New York’s Chinatown. But, unbeknownst to almost all who knew her, the noodle shop was a front for one of America’s biggest people smuggling operations, operated by the unlikeliest of kingpins, Ping herself. Examining the broader human and economic impact of undocumented immigration in the United States through the story of Ping’s underground empire, The Snakehead is a stunning true-crime tale from expert storyteller, Patrick Radden Keefe. 

If you’re looking for: Organised crime, immigration politics, global networks, Manhattan setting.

Why read this: From forgers to money launderers to arms merchants and those on death row, this is a book about behaving badly. Award-winning and hypnotically brilliant New Yorker writer and author of Empire of Pain Patrick Radden Keefe takes readers through twelve extraordinary tales of deception, corruption and moral ambiguity. Each case is reported with precision and psychological depth, revealing not only how crimes unfold but why. With global reach and meticulous research, this is a bravura piece of journalism. 

If you’re looking for: Literary journalism, profiling, investigative depth.

Great for fans of: The New Yorker, Jon Ronson, Empire of Pain, Serial.

Why read this: The inside story of how a fentanyl-based painkiller was aggressively sold into the heart of America’s opioid crisis. In Pain Hustlers, investigative journalist Evan Hughes traces the rise of pharmaceutical executive John Kapoor and the ambitious sales team who turned a highly addictive drug into a blockbuster. Hughes exposes a culture where profit eclipsed patient safety – and where a rare criminal reckoning finally followed. Now a major Netflix film, this is forensic, fast-paced true crime that lays bare the pharma playbook and looks at how opioids are sold at the point they first enter the national bloodstream – in the doctor’s office. 

If you’re looking for: Pharmaceutical scandal, courtroom drama, corporate crime, opioid crisis, investigative journalism.

Great for fans of: Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, Dopesick by Beth Macy.

What the experts say: ‘I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. A tour de force’ – Patrick Radden Keefe. 

Why read this: What does a murderer say when the cameras – and the courtroom – are gone? Based on the acclaimed Netflix series, I Am A Killer presents ten cases drawn from death row and life-without-parole sentences in the United States. With exceptional access to high-security prisons, Danny Tipping and Ned Parker combine inmate interviews, handwritten letters, court transcripts and conversations with victims’ families and law enforcement. The result is a detailed exploration of motive, remorse and consequence. Readers are invited to weigh the evidence themselves in these complex case studies, featuring some of America’s most destructive and dangerous criminals.

If you’re looking for: Prison interviews, psychological insight.

Why read this: Gomorrah is the story of Italy’s other Mafia, the Camorra. Roberto Saviano investigates ‘the System’ – from haute couture counterfeiting to cocaine trafficking and toxic waste dumping – revealing how organised crime permeates legitimate business and global trade. Blending reportage with memoir, Saviano writes with moral clarity and personal risk; his work has earned him international acclaim and permanent police protection. This is not romanticised mafia lore but a meticulously observed account of power, corruption and its human cost.

If you’re looking for: Organised crime, investigative journalism, Italian mafia, reportage with memoir.

Great for fans of: McMafia, Roberto Saviano’s ZeroZeroZero, Narcos.

What the experts say: ‘Read this important book’ – The Guardian. ‘One of the most enthralling and disturbing books written on organized crime’ – The Economist.

Why read this: A devastating double murder. A shocking trial. A thirty-two-year fight for justice. When nine-year-olds Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway were killed in Brighton in 1986, the case shocked the nation. In this definitive account, former senior detective Graham Bartlett, with Peter James, takes readers inside Sussex Police’s painstaking investigation into Russell Bishop – from early missteps to one of the most dramatic retrials in modern British legal history. Rich in procedural detail and grounded in victim advocacy, this is a sober, authoritative examination of how persistence, forensic advances and sheer determination finally secured justice.

If you’re looking for: British murder cases, police procedure, Major Crime Team investigations.

Great for fans of: Mindhunter by by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Helter Skelter by Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi.

What the experts say: ‘An extremely well-written and detailed account. . . a testament to what a family’s determination and police investigative skills can achieve’ – Detective Superintendent Adam Hibbert.

Why read this: The definitive account of one of Britain’s most disturbing family massacres. On 7 August 1985, five members of the Bamber family were found shot dead at their Essex farmhouse. At first glance, it appeared to be a murder–suicide. But as forensic inconsistencies emerged and witness testimony shifted, suspicion fell on 24-year-old Jeremy Bamber – later convicted of killing his parents, sister and young nephews for financial gain. Drawing on extensive interviews, correspondence – including with Bamber himself – and previously unpublished documents, Carol Ann Lee reconstructs the case with scrupulous fairness. This is a meticulous re-examination of evidence, motive and lingering doubt in a crime that still divides opinion.

If you’re looking for: British murder cases, contested convictions, forensic re-evaluation, 1980s crime.

Great for fans of: White House Farm (ITV),

Why read this: The Kray twins in their own words – a rare primary account from the heart of London’s criminal underworld. Compiled from prison interviews with broadcaster Fred Dinenage, Our Story revisits the rise and fall of Ronnie and Reggie Kray, whose grip on the East End in the 1960s blurred the line between celebrity and organised crime. From protection rackets and brutal violence to their eventual life sentences in 1969, the twins offer their version of events, addressing the myths that have grown around their names. For readers fascinated by the psychology of notorious offenders and the culture of post-war London, this is essential, if unsettling, testimony.

If you’re looking for: The Kray twins, London gangland, 1960s East End, organised crime, criminal memoir, Broadmoor history.

Why read this: A double murder in Utah becomes the entry point to a far wider investigation into religious extremism and the lethal power of belief. When brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty killed a young mother and her daughter in 1984, they claimed divine revelation as their motive. Examining the origins of the Mormon faith, along with the events that led the brothers to kill, this gripping work of non-fiction from the bestselling author of Into the Wild illuminates an otherwise confounding realm of human behaviour.

If you’re looking for: Religious extremism, psychological motive, investigative reportage.

What the experts say: ‘A provocative look at the twisted roots of American fundamentalism’ – Will Self.

Why read this: A nerve agent attack in a quiet cathedral city sent shockwaves through Britain and reignited Cold War tensions. In The Skripal Files, journalist and historian Mark Urban delivers the definitive account of the 4 March 2018 Salisbury poisonings. Urban reconstructs Skripal's journey from Russian military intelligence officer to MI6 asset, Siberian prisoner and participant in a high-stakes spy swap. Meticulous and measured, this is true crime at the intersection of espionage and geopolitics – a sober examination of state-sponsored violence on British soil.

If you’re looking for: Modern espionage, Russian intelligence, MI6 operations, political crime, investigative journalism, post–Cold War tensions.

Great for fans of: The Salisbury Poisonings (BBC).

What the experts say: ‘A scrupulous piece of reporting, necessary, timely and very sobering’ – John le Carré.

Why read this: A global bank. A murderous drug cartel. Not a single prison sentence. In Too Big to Jail, journalist and former Independent editor Chris Blackhurst investigates how HSBC became a conduit for billions in laundered money linked to El Chapo and the Sinaloa cartel. Tracing the paper trail from Hong Kong to London, Washington to Mexico, Blackhurst dissects the regulatory failures, political compromises and corporate hubris that allowed one of the world’s largest banks to evade meaningful accountability. Meticulously researched and sharply argued, this is white-collar crime on a geopolitical scale – and a sobering examination of who really pays the price.

If you’re looking for: Money laundering, cartel finances, City of London scandal, regulatory failure, investigative journalism, corporate impunity.

Great for fans of: Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin, When Genius Failed by Roger Lowenstein.

What the experts say: ‘Packed with insights and details that will both amaze and appal you’ – Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland.

Why read this: Beyond the police tape lies the painstaking, perilous work of recovery and truth. In What Lies Beneath, leading forensic search expert Peter Faulding takes readers inside some of the UK’s most challenging investigations – from serial killer Peter Tobin to the unresolved disappearance of Nicola Payne and the murder of Helen McCourt. Faulding specialises in the places others cannot reach: submerged vehicles, concealed graves, booby-trapped tunnels and hazardous crime scenes. With technical insight and hard-won experience, he reveals how specialist search methods support Major Investigation Teams and grieving families alike. A gripping, victim-focused account of the science – and stamina – behind modern British investigations.

If you’re looking for: Forensic search techniques, cold cases, British murder investigations, search and recovery, expert memoir, behind-the-scenes policing.

Great for fans of: The Prison Doctor by Dr Amanda Brown, Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd, Forensics by Val McDermid.

Why read this: A first-hand account of the intelligence leak that reshaped the global debate on privacy and state power. In Permanent Record, Edward Snowden traces his journey from precocious tech enthusiast to CIA and NSA contractor – and ultimately to the whistleblower who exposed mass surveillance programmes capable of harvesting phone calls, emails and digital footprints on an unprecedented scale. With technical clarity and personal candour, Snowden explains how the system was built, how it operated, and why he chose to risk exile rather than remain silent. For readers interested in accountability, government overreach and the hidden architecture of the internet, this is a vital insider narrative of the digital age.

If you’re looking for: Whistleblowing, state surveillance, cyber security, intelligence agencies, political memoir, digital ethics.