Booklist: True Crime
On the other hand, if cozy romantic fiction’s not your thing, Serial Killers in the Stacks might be whispering your name, in a sort of creepy, spine-tingling way. Deirdre Bray Root, again in Library Journal (last week), has compiled a well-annotated list of true crime titles:
“The true crime genre covers an enormous amount of territory; owing to space constrictions, this article will note the high points and the crucial landmarks. Violent political acts and crimes of terror form a separate category, not addressed here, with the exception of the JFK assassination, which still attracts so many theories about who, how, and why that it merits inclusion. Though organized crime and the Mafia also warrant a separate article, a selection of titles is included below. The burgeoning category of forensics, popularized by TV’s CSI and the nonfiction Forensic Files, also fits in easily.”
After a few words about collection development, Root offers annotated lists: True Crime Classics, True Crime Stars, Crime Writing Anthologies, True Crime in History, Public Enemies, Crime and Politics, Forensics, Youth Violence, Reference, DVDs, and a couple of websites. About 25 books and 3 DVDs in all.
Filed under: readers advisory, booklists, true crime on September 11th, 2007