Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than countless books, movies and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.
The true crime genre is everywhere, and those who love it really love it. There are hundreds, if not more, of true crime podcasts, documentaries, books, YouTube videos, and more recounting the stories of crimes, especially serial killers. Lovers of the genre proudly dub themselves obsessed with true crime. The genre can shed light on lesser-known victims, too — ones that the media or the justice system ignored.
Some have raised moral concerns about the genre, pointing out how exploitative and disrespectful it can be. True crime podcasters or documentary makers don’t always check with the family to see if they are alright with them covering their loved ones’ cases. Some consumers of the genre, too, can latch onto serial killers in an unhealthy way which can shift the focus away from their very real victims.
No matter what you think about the genre, it’s everywhere. Books with true-crime-obsessed characters, especially true crime podcasters, are popping up more and more now in the mystery and thriller genre. Within this are many books coming out that critique our obsession with true crime, using the narrative to point out the genre’s flaws.
Here are eight mysteries and thrillers about our obsession with true crime and serial killers. Some are good old-fashioned serial killer mysteries, while others portray a different perspective on the serial killer narrative by focusing on true-crime-obsessed characters or using their narrative to critique the genre.
Devil House by John Darnielle
Writer Gage Chandler, known for a sensational true crime book and subsequent movie, moves into the home where a murder is said to have taken place called the Devil House. As Chandler looks into the history of the house, interviewing those involved and putting himself into the shoes of the victims, he grapples with his role in the stories he tells and what truth actually means when money is on the line.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede spends her days as a nurse with a major crush on one of the doctors at her clinic, Tade. Her sister, a gorgeous if self-centered shadow over Korede’s life, has terrible taste in men, leading to the alleged self-defense killings of two men. Both times, Korede has helped her sister clean up the scenes. But when Tade develops an interest in her sister, Korede’s love for her sister collides with her morality as she questions whether her sister was telling the truth about those deaths in her dating past. This offers a new perspective on a serial killer thriller.
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
Through the research and evidence she revealed on her true crime podcast, Rachel Krall helped free an innocent man. Now, letters pour in of more cases people want her to look into. Rachel decides to tackle a sexual assault case in a coastal town, but she’s soon plagued by mysterious letters following her everywhere detailing a murder in the same town from two decades earlier. As Rachel digs deeper, the two cases seem more connected than she originally thought.
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
When podcaster Bodie Kane is invited back to her old boarding school to teach a class on podcasting, she accepts. Her presence on campus, though, throws her back into a case that has haunted her: the murder of her roommate. One of the students in her class decides to dig into her past, and as he does, Bodie wonders if the person who the murder was pinned on didn’t actually commit it after all.
Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan
After the body of a young boy is found in the Philippines, it’s brought to Gus Saenz, a Jesuit priest who also happens to be a forensic anthropologist. With the help of his psychologist friend and fellow priest Jerome Lucero, the pair soon realize this is not an isolated incident. Asked to help find the killer, the pair work for the National Bureau of Investigation. Their investigation, though, also reveals flaws in the justice system in the Philippines.
If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
In the aftermath of her divorce and the loss of her child, Sera throws herself into a true crime obsession, finding strange comfort in the stories of women just like her confronting tragedy. Then, her favorite podcast host goes offline, and she immediately thinks something sinister happened. Good thing she’s a true fan and can find the clues in the podcast in order to investigate, going as far as to find the podcast host’s family home. Has her obsession brought her to the truth, or has she taken things too far?
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
In exchange for a college scholarship, seven psychopaths, including freshman Chloe, agree to be subjects of a psychological study at John Adams University. Her motives, though, were more focused on getting revenge on another student, Will. When a murder happens within the group, Chloe must decide who, if any, of the other subjects can be trusted to help her make it out alive.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
After the murders of two men in a small Oregon town in the 1970s, 20-year-old heiress Beth is spotted seemingly fleeing the scene. While the public latches onto her as a suspect, she’s acquitted and lives a reclusive life afterwards. That is, until 2017 when she walks into a doctor’s office where Shea is the receptionist. Shea spends her evenings writing a true crime blog and convinces Beth to be featured in one of her articles. Beth only agrees, though, if Shea comes to her home to conduct the interview. There, strange happenings raise the tension as Shea tries to get to the truth.
I hope one of these mysteries and thrillers about our obsession with true crime and serial killers catches your fancy. If you’re in the mood for more, check out these novels written like true crime or these must-read serial killer thrillers.
