10 Best True Crime Books UK 2024 | Robert Kolker, Howard Marks and More

Paul Britton is a criminal psychologist who has been at the centre of some of the UK's most prolific cases, from the murder of 2-year-old Jamie Bulger to the Heinz extortionist and many, many more. If Sherlock Holmes were real, we're pretty sure Paul here would give a run for his money, and that's because of his ability to get into the minds of those who commit these crimes.

While others are looking for fingerprints or bloodstains at a crime scene, the author shows you why looking for what he aptly calls the 'mind trace' is equally as important. It's an engrossing book that reads like a fiction thriller, but instead, it's told with first-hand knowledge, insight and humanity. 

Powerfully evocative, this book from Truman Capote not only slung his name into the spotlight, but it could be considered the birth of the true crime genre. In it, he down the barrier between crime reporting and meaningful literature. 

Here, Capote meticulously reconstructs the 1959 murder of a Kansas City farm family and explores both the subsequent investigation and the circumstances around this crime. In the middle of it all are the two killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, who are vividly depicted as being both completely abhorrent yet still frighteningly human. 

Long Island is located on the southeast part of the US state New York. It has some of the most affluent neighbourhoods where house prices skyrocket, and the police are some of the best paid in the country. So with that in mind, it's terrifying to learn that there has been a serial killer on the loose there for 16-20 years. 

Award-winning author Robert Kolker delivers a brilliant humanizing account of five of those that have been found. The story delves into the world of sex work, the dark side of the internet, and class and privilege. 

Shirley Pitts died in March 1992. She was buried in a £5,000 dress, one that she obtained with a five-finger discount. Luckily, before she passed on, she told her story to the author Lorraine Gamman. The result is a biography of a brave woman, who was the eldest of six children and born in 1934. 

Shirley and her family weren't from the luckiest of lines, so her 'career' began when she was only young, pinching coal and bread for the family. From there, she resolved to be the best she could be, which is why she became a first-class thief. Readers proclaim this an addictive read, especially those familiar with its London backdrop in 50s and 60s Britain. 

This is a story about Adnan Syed. On the 28th of February, 2000, he was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of his then-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. However, since the moment of his first arrest, Syed has protested his innocence. 

This account is not only layered with foggy contradictions and perplexing characters but also shines a light on a broken justice system. It is interlaced with reflections from Adnan and his family, his community and his legal team. Furthermore, it's this story that capitulated the podcast Serial to legendary status, so it's a great pick for fans. 

John Douglas is a very famous name when it comes to the world of criminal psychology. He joined the FBI in 1970, where he became a hostage negotiator, but it wasn't until he was transferred to the Behavioural Science Unit in 1977 that his career really began to take a curious path. 

As part of the BSU unit, he began creating criminal profiles, which is where detectives use the information and nature of a crime to make inferences about the personality and other characteristics of the offender. At the time it was groundbreaking stuff, and to help him create these profiles he interviewed some of America's most well-known violent criminals. A very interesting read. 

There are few criminals as notorious as Charles Manson. This is especially interesting when you consider that he wasn't physically involved in the murders that made him and his family so famous  But, as the book explores, just because he didn't pull the trigger, it doesn't make him any less of a killer. 

There is a countless number of books on Manson, but it has to be said, this is by far the most authoritative account ever written. It contains never-seen photos, impressive interviews with relatives and a commitment from the author to accurately set the context against a backdrop of a turbulent 1960s LA.

This offering from Chenya Roth is for those that aren't looking to get sucked into the details. Instead, this is for those who want their spooks from a variety of different sources. In this captivating collection, the reader will get an overview of some fascinating true crime stories, like the disappearance of JonBenét Ramsey or the grim murder of the Black Dahlia. 

However, the book doesn't strictly focus on the gruesome, as there are stories of heists and robberies such as the enthralling D.B Cooper plane takeover. The one thing they all have in common though is that we're still none the wiser as to what happened in any of them. As it's a little on the short side, it may be better for dipping in and out of. 

In this biography of Howard Marks, you'll follow the young Oxford university student from the 1960s when he was just a small-time hash dealer to his arrest in 1980. At this point, he had 25 legal companies throughout the world which he used to launder his money, as well as 89 different phone lines and 43 aliases. 

One of which these Mr Nice, which he adopted from a convicted murderer of that name. This was a huge hit when it was released, and is still a cult classic now, which is largely down to the humour and swagger in which Marks tells his story. There are some claims that he may be exaggerating in parts, but how does the old saying go? 'Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story'. 

The Zodiac Killer is one of the most infamous cases in the whole world. The person has taken six known lives, but once himself claimed that number is as high as 37. You might be wondering how he told people this without ever getting caught. Well, that's one of his quirks, he would taunt the local police and press with letters and notes. 

In this book, author Robert Graysmith reveals in the inside story on the hunt led by detectives and investigative journalists alike as well as, his suspicions on the possible true identity of the perpetrator.