Stranger Than Fiction: 10 Unbelievable True Crime Stories

Big Bird finding a dead woman in his house; a cannibal police officer; a horse suspected of murder; a mysterious crate with horrifying contents; a teenager who murdered his baby sister; one criminal’s shocking motive for killing three people; a lady feeding dead men to hogs; an international assassination suspect is murdered in North Carolina for a completely unrelated reason; a family search that ended in harrassment, stalking, and death threats…

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, and that’s certainly the case with these 10 true crime books! We could tell you more but you probably wouldn’t believe it.

TRUE CRIME CHRONICLES Volume One by Mike Rothmiller

What do Wyatt Earp, Belle Gunness, Big Foot the Renegade, Billy the Kid, and Dr. H.H. Holmes, and The Black Hand have in common? They were all subjects of true crime newspaper reporting in the 1800s, and now these stories and that of many others are brought together in their original form in a two-volume set. Compiled and commented on by New York Times bestselling author Mike Rothmiller, these classic works of journalism resurrect astonishing stories that will take the reader back to when these horrific tales mesmerized a nation. Some may find these articles and their descriptions of people and crimes shocking by today’s standards, but they are representative of the most colorful true crime stories of the day.

DEAD RECKONING by Caitlin Rother

Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer showed up as prospective buyers, with their baby in a stroller, and the Hawkses thought they had a deal. Soon after a sea trial and an alleged purchase, however, the older couple disappeared and the Deleons promptly tried to access the Hawkses’ bank accounts. As police investigated the case, they not only found a third homicide victim with ties to Skylar, they also uncovered an unexpected and unusual motive.

THE CRATE by Deborah Vadas Levison

After surviving the horrors of the Holocaust – in ghettos, on death marches, and in concentration camps – a young couple seeks refuge in North America. They settle into a new life, certain that the terrors of their past are behind them. That is, until a single act of unspeakable violence defiles their sanctuary.

*winner of seven literary awards!

‘TIL DEATH DO US …’ by Patrick Gallager

In August 1945, Gladys Lincoln of Sacramento contacted prosperous Dr. W. D. Broadhurst of Caldwell, Idaho, and rekindled a romance from twenty years earlier. After many passionate letter exchanges and several sexually-charged meetings, they were married in Reno, Nevada on May 20, 1946. After a passion-filled three-day weekend together, the doctor returned to his home in Idaho, and Gladys returned to Sacramento … and to her husband, Leslie Lincoln! But Gladys was much more than a bigamist.

FIRST DEGREE RAGE by Paula May

Viktor Gunnarsson, accused of assassinating Swedish Prime Minister Palme, is found murdered in snowy Appalachia. Four days later the beloved Catherine Miller is found slain in her Salisbury, NC home. The only common thread is Kay Weden, a victim of ongoing terror. Desperate, she turns to L.C. Underwood, a seasoned cop with a bad attitude.

YOU HAVE A VERY SOFT VOICE, SUSAN by Susan Fensten with Brian Whitney

This is not a typical story of Internet stalking. It is an unusual case of friendship and deception so pitiless and unyielding that it opened a door to Hell into the author’s life. This is an unforgettable story for today’s digital world driven by social media in all of its permutations and cruelest forms.

HOW NOW, BUTTERFLY? by Charity Lee with Brian Whitney

Losing a young daughter to murder is the worst nightmare that a mother could possibly imagine, but what if the killer was her son? Charity Lee was thrust into this unimaginable situation when her 13-year-old son Paris murdered her beloved 4-year-old daughter, Ella. Well-written and haunting, this is a book that no reader will soon forget.

THE WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SERIAL KILLERS by Susan Hall

The World Encyclopedia of Serial Killers is the most comprehensive set of its kind in the history of true crime publishing. Written and compiled by Susan Hall, the four-volume set has more than 1600 entries of male and female serial killers from around the world.

MURDERERS’ ROW Volume One by M. William Phelps

In this riveting collection of true crime stories by New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps, someone pins a gruesome murder on a horse, infamous serial killer Son of Sam shows his true evil nature, and Sesame Street’s Big Bird comes home to find a dead woman, plus several other tales only a master storyteller like Phelps can deliver.

RAW DEAL by Gil Valle with Brian Whitney

The true story of former New York City police officer Gil Valle, who in 2012 became known throughout the world as “The Cannibal Cop.” It is part the controversial saga of a man who was imprisoned for “thought crimes,” and a look into an online world of dark sexuality and violence that most readers don’t know exists.