True Crime & Legal

Perhaps few genres have benefitted as much from the rise of binge-watching culture as true crime. Any of these texts could be adapted as a streaming documentary series—and a few are already available. Dive into this collection for real drama ripped straight from the headlines.

Publication year 2019

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, Relationships, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Race / Racism, Crime / Legal, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is Heidi Durrow’s debut novel. Published in 2010 by Oneworld Publications, the novel won the PEN/Bellweather Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, an award that recognizes work by a previously unpublished author that explores a social issue. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky explores the impact of racism and loss on a young girl whose mother is a White woman from Denmark and whose father is a Black... Read The Girl Who Fell From The Sky Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber is a true crime biography of the life of Charles Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Graeber is an American journalist who spent time as a medical student before moving on to journalism, writing for many prolific news outlets. His joint history in medicine and writing provides him with the necessary expertise to explain the intimacies... Read The Good Nurse Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Incarceration, Politics / Government


Publication year 2009

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Society: Nation

Tags History: U.S., Crime / Legal, Action / Adventure, Drama / Tragedy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Incarceration, Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography

In The Innocent Man, noted crime-fiction author John Grisham takes on the true story of a series of murders in Ada, Oklahoma that led to the conviction, imprisonment, and near execution of not one, but four innocent men. Grisham uses a no-nonsense, journalistic style to present the facts, though an occasional sarcastic aside from the author slips in when the true events become almost too ridiculous to believe. Tracing the aftermath of the murders of... Read The Innocent Man Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal


Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage

Tags History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Crime / Legal, Education, Education, History: World, Biography

The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th Century America is a work of non-fiction published in 1994 by Oxford University Press. Historians Paul Johnson and Sean Wilentz tell the little-known story of Matthias the Prophet in a dramatic and well-documented account that blends biography with true crime. The authors recount events that occurred during the Second Great Awakening, a Protestant religious revival in the United States that reached its peak... Read The Kingdom Of Matthias Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags History: U.S., Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World

Susan Orlean, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and best-selling author of The Orchid Thief, returned to narrative nonfiction with The Library Book (2018). Through the story of the Los Angeles Central Library, Orlean provides a history of libraries, examining what we stand to lose as the world’s base of knowledge transitions into the digital realm. Orlean received a Goodreads Choice Awards nomination for Best Nonfiction and a place on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine... Read The Library Book Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Class, Social Justice, Incarceration

Michael Connelly is a prolific New York Times bestselling author. His legal thriller, The Lincoln Lawyer, won the Shamus Award and Macavity Award in 2006. The book was then successfully adapted to film. Connelly is widely regarded as one of the best American mystery writers. Other works by this author include The Black Echo, The Drop, and The Fifth Witness.This guide refers to the 2005 Hieronymus, Inc. edition.Plot SummaryMichael “Mick” Haller is a criminal defense... Read The Lincoln Lawyer Summary


Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Crime / Legal, Inspirational, Incarceration


Publication year 1981

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Crime / Legal, Psychology, Mental Illness, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Psychology, Biography

The Minds of Billy Milligan (1981) is a nonfiction work by Daniel Keyes, documenting the life and experiences of William Stanley “Billy” Milligan, the first defendant found not guilty by reason of insanity because of dissociative identity disorder (DID). The book follows Milligan’s early life experiences that led to his illness, arrest, and trial after the rapes of three women on the Ohio State University campus, as well as the years he spent in different... Read The Minds of Billy Milligan Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography, History: European, History: World, Crime / Legal, Technology, WWI / World War I


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Crime / Legal, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is a 2010 middle-grade novel written by John Grisham, and it is the first installment in the Theodore Boone series. Grisham is an experienced layer and writer of over 30 novels, with most of his writing in the legal thriller genre. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is Grisham’s first foray into writing for a younger audience, which the author called a challenge in shifting the way he thought about his writing approach... Read Theodore Boone Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: U.S., Crime / Legal, September 11 Attacks, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government


Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Community

Tags Journalism, Crime / Legal, Science / Nature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography

The Orchid Thief is a nonfiction book by Susan Orlean, originally published in 1998. It is a narrative nonfiction account of the crimes and trial of John Laroche, accused of stealing endangered orchid species from the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in Florida. The basic story of Laroche and his crimes originally ran as an article in The New Yorker, entitled “Orchid Fever” and published in 1995. The book expands the story and also details Orlean’s... Read The Orchid Thief Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: World, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Crime / Legal


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Crime / Legal