Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, the ever increasing popularity of true crime won’t have passed unnoticed. Streaming platforms are packed with both documentaries and dramatisations of notorious criminal cases, with new ones being added on a regular basis. True crime also reigns supreme in the world of podcasts, comprising some of the most successful worldwide. Millions of listeners will tune in to listen to the discussion and description of truly heinous acts by deplorable individuals. Somewhat predictably, I am one of many to have been drawn into this trend. As a result, I’ve now read a significant proportion of books in this genre. I believe I have a good grasp of what makes a good read.
Here are my top picks…
The Stranger Beside Me – Ann Rule
I read this for the first time back in 2018, after watching my first Bundy documentary on YouTube that contained an interview with this author. Whenever I am asked for a recommendation, this is the first book I recommend – it is that good. It is the best true crime book I’ve ever read and I could hardly put it down.
The author, Ann Rule, was a friend and colleague of Ted Bundy, working with him on a regular basis at a suicide hotline. She provides a compelling account of her relationship with the Ted Bundy she thought she knew. At times it is very difficult not to find yourself liking the young man she describes and, as a reader, you find yourself joining the author’s struggle to reconcile this person with the serial killer who is eventually revealed. The same man who saved lives as a listening ear and swam out to prevent a child from drowning was also responsible for the brutal murder of upwards of 30 young women across Northwest America.
This is a thoroughly absorbing read that provokes so many questions about what it is to truly know a person, the nature of good and evil and the intricacies of the human psyche.
Available to buy here.
An Evil Love: The Life and Crimes of Fred West – Geoffrey Wansell
This is certainly not for the squeamish or fainthearted! Geoffrey Wansell, who was given unprecedented access to more than 150 hours of taped interviews with Fred West, does not spare the details. More than any other account I have read, this truly invokes the horror of what occurred behind the doors of 25 Cromwell Street.
The level of suffering that this man – along with his equally culpable wife Rose – inflicted on more than a dozen young women, including his own children, is beyond chilling. At times I found myself having to put the book down and do something else for a while because certain elements were so disturbing. Specifically, the way in which Fred West casually described dismembering the bodies of his victims.
In the course of the book, the author carefully outlines how the relationship between Fred and Rose created a fatal and murderous combination. He sees the crimes as a joint enterprise, rather than the result of one being led by the other. Fred and Rose, both from abusive childhood backgrounds, sparked off one another and committed some of the most depraved acts I’ve ever read about in unprecedented detail.
After reading, I was left with the impression that the contemporary media was far too kind to the Wests. The depths of their evil have not been adequately described elsewhere: this is the only work I feel adequately conveys the horror.
Available to buy here.
Finding Suzy: The Hunt for Missing Estate Agent Suzy Lamplugh and ‘Mr Kipper’ – David Videcette
I came across David Videcette’s assessment of the disappearance Suzy Lamplugh by chance via Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program. A former Metropolitan Police detective, he re-examines the evidence surrounding Suzy’s unsolved disappearance in 1986.
For a long time, the police and various other sources have pushed one particular convicted as the only main suspect in this case but have been unable to pin him to it conclusively.
In this book, the author turns many of the known ‘facts’ of the case on their head. He puts forward a new and persuasive theory about what actually happened to Suzy and where her body many be.
This was another book I couldn’t put down; by the end I almost felt the need to grab a spade and go digging. I was truly shocked by how much misinformation there has been about Suzy’s disappearance and the culpability of the police in distributing it.
A cracking read that will leave you feeling equal parts deeply saddened and frustrated for the Lamplugh family.
Available to buy here.
Manhunt: How I Brought Serial Killer Levi Bellfield to Justice – Colin Sutton
I have to confess that, in this instance, I watched the TV drama adaptation of Manhunt before reading the book: a three-part series, starring Martin Clunes, is available on ITV Hub and Britbox. It’s very much worth a watch, but the book provides a more realistic and detailed perspective.
Former DCI Colin Sutton was the Senior Investigating officer for a series of brutal attacks on young blonde women in South West London. This account traces the meticulous work of Colin and his team in tracking down the man responsible, Levi Bellfield. For example, one exercise saw them tracing a very popular model of white van captured on CCTV footage near one crime scene. At the time, there were literally thousands on the roads. The dedication to the job really shines through in this book.
As part of his investigation, Colin – almost by chance – establishes a strong potential link between Levi Bellfield and the unsolved murder of 13 year old schoolgirl Milly Dowler. However, this case was being handled by a different police force and they initially refused to follow up on Colin’s suggestion that they look at Bellfield as suspect.
This is one of those books that leaves you both impressed by the commitment of the police – it really showed me how deeply they care about bringing perpetrators to justice – and also frustrated, in some respects, at how much time it can take for justice to prevail.
Available to buy here.
In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile – Dan Davies
This has the distinction of being the true crime book that took me the most time to finish reading: over a year in fact. I had to keep putting the book down for extended periods because the difficult subject matter is made all the worse by the explanation of the determined attempts to conceal a predatory paedophile. The best that can be said, is that too many people were willing to overlook alarming red flags in Jimmy Savile’s behaviour because of his high profile and charitable endeavours.
Dan Davies spent more than a decade researching Savile and his background, interviewing him on many occasions and rightly intuiting that something wasn’t quite ‘right’ about him. After his death in 2011, he gained access to individuals who had been harmed by Jimmy Savile and revealed the extent of his sexual offending. In turn, this provoked him to investigate how Savile was able to get away with so many awful acts for so long – more than fifty years, in fact, with not so much as a single criminal charge against his name.
It’s a dark but very important book, very hard to come away from with much respect for the BBC and other institutions that enabled Jimmy Savile.
Available to buy here
Stalked – Alison Hewitt
A little different from my other picks, this account from a young doctor emphasises the importance of recognising and addressing the red flags in the behaviour of our romantic partners. It is a book I recommend to my female friends, when they mention concerning aspects of male behaviour in the dating game.
Alison Hewitt met Al Amin Dhalla through a paid-for dating agency, thinking that it would be the best way to avoid the pitfalls of free dating websites. Unfortunately, her confidence was misplaced. Far too quickly, her new boyfriend inveigles himself into her life and takes over. Alison initially makes excuses for his increasingly concerning behaviour, but eventually ends the relationship. At this point, things rapidly escalate and she is left fearing for her life.
This is an excellent expose of the many flaws in our legal system, when it comes to addressing domestic abuse and stalking behaviours. In many respects, the perpetrator is protected to a greater extent than the victim. Alison’s story is a harsh lesson in the dangers of the dating game, how much care should be taken in getting to know someone and the importance of recognising (and not ignoring) red flags, however minor they might seem at the time.
Available to buy here.
