I'm taking a break from popular BookTok recommendations so I can set my sights on the best true crime-inspired books worth reading this summer. As much as smut booksmake me feel tingly all over, there are times when I need a different kind of thrill.
Some people find it hard to believe, but I genuinely enjoy a good scare that's unrelated to terrifying rough patches in a relationship. I'm talking about reading novels that involve serial killers, con artists, or supernatural beings that wreak havoc on a small community.
Does that make your pulse race too? Good; that means I've got your attention and can share the best fictional true crime stories I think you should read this summer!
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
I adore my sister and often find myself asking, "Am I my sister's keeper?" The answer is a resounding yes, but My Sister, The Serial Killer makes me question how I'd feel if I knew she was psychotic.
For Korede, she finds herself at a crossroads. She feels resentment in the pit of her stomach because no one else seems to realize that her perfect sister, Ayoola, has murderous tendencies. She's actually the epitome of the phrase 'fatal attraction.'
For some reason, Ayoola keeps murdering her boyfriends and Korede keeps protecting her secret, even going as far as to help Ayoola cover her tracks. Her heart is torn even further when the man she's got heart eyes for sets his sights on Ayoola.
Now Korede will have to decide how to truly deal with the truth of who her sister is and it just may cost her.
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Crosby
Small towns are usually endearing, but they can always hold onto buried secrets that are begging to be dug up.
When Titus Crown, Charon County, Virginia's first Black sheriff fully embraces being back home, he knows it won't take long for trouble to start. It's not that he's looking for it per say. He's just experienced enough to know that no town is perfect.
Sure enough, a schoolteacher and her killer are murdered soon after he becomes the sheriff. This leads him to discover a much more sinister killer is on the loose and that person may be closer than he realizes.
The more he investigates, the more Titus' own past begins to haunt him. On top of that, he'll have to deal with dogmatic conservatives who are hellbent on celebrating their own history.
It'll take a miracle for him to truly uncover what's going on.
The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart
Trigger warner: Contains detailed murders.
There's an extremely calculate killer on the loose in Louisiana and he's someone authorities have figured out is highly intelligent. Their only hope seems to be Dr. Wren Muller, an equally adept forensic pathologist. She comes highly recommended, but this is the first case that'll test her knowledge, skills, and resolve.
It's the most twisted psychological games she's ever played and the killer seems to be determined to see how far his crimes can go.
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
Though Margot Davies is miles away from home, she can't stop thinking about her former next door neighbor that was found murdered when she was younger — January Jones. After all this time, January's murdered has gone unsolved and it's been eating away at Margot over the years.
Somehow fate lands her back in the town of Wakarusa and she begins to help care for her uncle. In an odd form of deja vu, another young girl goes missing and it reminds Margot of what happened to January. Since she was too young to do anything back then, she makes it her personal mission to try to solve the new missing person's case.
But, she's met with resistance at every turn and it becomes clear that more than a few people are hiding the truth of what's going on. And when Margot discovers what's really happened, it just may be her undoing.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Four assassins — Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie — have worked for the Museum for four decades and have always done a great job. However, their methods are soon considered outdated and it's apparent their talents aren't as respected as they used to.
However, things seem like they've turned around when the women are surprised with the trip of a lifetime. They look forward to their vacation, but that excitement is cut short when they quickly deduce that their lives are in danger because they've been betrayed by the very organization they've dedicated their time and skills to.
Beyond angry, the women decide it's time to show the Museum and the Board what they're truly made of.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Evie Porter isn't really who anyone thinks she is. In fact, the woman who says her name is 'Evie Porter' is actually on a mission that involves infiltrating the life of an assigned target — the charming and attractive Ryan Sumner.
What's interesting is that she doesn't even know the identity of her employer Mr. Smith. He keeps his identity a secret from her while sending her on missions that seem to mean something to him in exchange for keeping her former life of crime a secret. But, she starts falling for Ryan which makes it harder to lie to him.
Then comes the woman who enters town and she's taken on Evie's real identity. This suddenly makes Evie realize there's more to her boss than she realized and he may have been setting things up on purpose to still find a way to take her down.
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Patricia Campbell's life consists of playing second fiddle to virtually everyone and everything. She's a housewife to an ambitious husband and a mother to two kids who don't always need her like they used to.
Her only solace is connected with the women at the book club she frequents and they love reading true crime books while discussing their own lives. No matter how much she's read about serial killers, nothing prepares Patricia for when she's attacked one night and introduced to a mysterious stranger who charms his way into her life.
The more he comes around, the more little Black children go missing though the police don't seem concerned. And the more Patricia starts piecing together clues, the more she realizes she's the one who's given the a monster permission to stay.
If you're a fan of book clubs and would like to imagine what would happen if true crime showed up in your town, you'll love reading The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Sometimes people lie about what they've done and that's what home-health aide Kit McDeere discovers in The Only One Left.
Prior to her introduction in the book, readers meet young Lenora Hope who's entire family has been murdered. There are speculations that she committed the grisly crimes, but there was never enough evidence to convict her. Thus began her life of silence while remaining holed up in the mansion she grew up in.
By the time Kit McDeere arrives to assist Lenora who remains mute save for her ability to communicate via a typewriter. One night Lenora catches Kit off guard when she confesses she didn't kill her sister. So, Kit begins documenting what happened according to Lenora.
Only something isn't adding up, especially when Kit finds out why Lenora's former nurse left in the middle of the night. Now she's alone with the supposedly mute woman who's in a wheelchair and she suspects there's more to Lenora than she's been shown.
My Murder by Katie Williams
Despite her happy life, Lou's life is temporarily cut short when she becomes a victim of a serial killer. Brought back to life by way of a project ran by the government, she decides to be grateful to live her life again. She just can't seem to shake wondering why she was killed.
This makes her begin looking at people close to her warily because something feels off and she'll stop at nothing to figure out what happened to her.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Vera Wong spends her time in her tea shop sipping Wulong and snooping on her son. It's not a lonely life as far as she's concerned, but her world is changed when she finds a dead man in her shop.
Instead of calling the police, she takes a piece of evidence from the man's hands and decides she's the best person to solve the mystery of what happened to him. She correctly deduces that someone must be looking for something the man had and, sure enough, her shop starts to see an increase of customers.
The thing is that Vera begins developing a relationship with the influx of customer she's receiving and this makes her original mission of solving the dead man's case even harder.
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This post has been updated.
