Our cultural obsession with true crime is easy to understand. Mysteries are inherently intriguing and the genre churns out an endless supply, from unsolved murders and cold cases to the psychological riddles behind why some people join cults, become serial killers, or muster up the brazen confidence of a scam artist. Layer in that real-life element of “How would I have handled this situation differently?” and it’s no wonder we’re hooked.
And yet, as any self-aware true crime fan will tell you, the genre has some problematic tendencies. These include major ethical lapses such as glamorizing perpetrators, centering dead white women and girls at the expense of other cases and communities, and salacious reporting that doesn’t incorporate the perspectives or even consent of the families at the center of real crimes. And then there are more practical matters, like the sheer volume of true crime podcasts and docuseries, many of which rehash the same cases, sometimes over and over (and over).
Grappling with this tension is a necessity that will inform the next evolution of true crime as a genre, but the most interesting work in this area is being led by another group altogether: novelists. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen a fascinating rise in fiction that tackles our cultural obsession with true crime, from mysteries and thrillers to historical and literary fiction. In audio, form meets meaning thanks to talented multi-casts and producers, and the stories resonate with the immediacy of the medium we’ve come to rely on for our true crime fix. The verdict is in: Fiction is the new true crime.
Equal parts boarding school mystery and true crime commentary, Pulitzer finalist Rebecca Makkai’s sly novel explores an unsolved murder that becomes an obsession for web sleuths decades later. Central character Bodie leads a podcast investigating the case in the present day, while back in the '90s, she's a student observing the many suspicious characters and complications involved in the crime. The dual timeline shines a critical light on both vintage misogyny and current true crime culture, while the narration of Julia Whelan (and, in a brief but scene-stealing performance, JD Jackson) makes for a richly layered listening experience.
How do you write about Ted Bundy in 2023? By not making him the focus of the story, and that's just for starters. With Bright Young Women, bestselling author Jessica Knoll expertly redefines one of the most notorious serial killer cases of all time with a multidimensional narrative told by its central women—from a sorority president to a fearless victim’s advocate. This gripping and provocative novel is defined by its myriad smart decisions, from the choice to not name the perpetrator to the stellar full-cast performance, which ensure the voices of its bright young women shine through.
Jessica Huang’s Song of the Northwoods was commissioned as part of Audible’s Emerging Playwrights Fund, but it’s got all the ingredients of an addictive psychological thriller: an unreliable narrator, haunting sound design, and plenty of twists and turns. Michele Selene Ang (13 Reasons Why) leads the multi-cast as Song Kuan, a podcaster who starts picking at old wounds in the form of a missing persons case in the town where she’s hiding out (and trying to lick her own wounds). Fans of true crime podcasts will feel right at home, as will anyone looking for an immersive, edge-of-your-seat story.
Eliza Clark, author of the cult hit Boy Parts, penned this knockout novel about an unimaginable murder among a group of teenage girls. Set in a seaside town on the Yorkshire coast, the novel delivers both English accents and atmosphere aplenty while the fascinating collage-style narrative explores the crime from all angles. A journalist reeling from his own scandal pieces the crime together via original interviews and historical research, while listeners even hear a stomach-turning comedic perspective from the requisite podcast coverage of the case. Kind of like His Bloody Project for the Tumblr set, Penance horrifies and mesmerizes in equal measure.
The true crime community has been slowly reckoning with the notable lack of attention it pays to crimes involving women of color, but this polished thriller from bestselling authors Dreda Say Mitchell and Ryan Carter tackles the problem head-on. Acclaimed narrator Adjoa Andoh is the perfect choice to tell the chilling tale of a biracial woman seeking answers about her identity through a DNA database. This being a thriller, it all goes down with plenty of twists and turns, but the story always keeps its finger on the pulse of the real issues of systemic racism that persist in true crime and society at large.
The ripped-from-the-headlines premise of With a Kiss We Die—when a wealthy couple is murdered, the main suspects are their son and his girlfriend—already feels real, but the audiobook’s outstanding production kicks the authenticity way up. Journalist Ryanna Raines is covering the crime for a Serial-style podcast when the suspects, both theater students at UC Santa Barbara, enlist her help in proclaiming their innocence, and—interestingly—the ethics of true crime reporting is a big concern for this fictional host. The full cast includes Therese Plummer, January LaVoy, Vikas Adam, Lauren Fortgang, and performers from UCSB’s acting school, who are perfectly cast as the myriad perspectives and voices uncannily mirror the experience of an actual podcast, placing listeners right in the middle of the twisty investigation.
"Born from lessons I have learned from working in the true crime space, this novel holds truths I hope become bigger than this book," says Ashley Flowers, host of the mega-popular Crime Junkie podcast, about her debut novel. All Good People Here explores one of those infamous crimes that can hold people in thrall for decades: the unsolved murder of six-year-old January Jacobs, whose case appears to be mirrored 20 years later in a neighboring town. As the action heats up, the narration by Brittany Pressley and Karissa Vacker keeps listeners glued to the story while Flowers's deep experience in the genre informs a storyline about how family trauma can be tragically amplified by public interest in a case.
Just like a true crime podcast, Lisa Jewell's latest blockbuster thriller was made to be heard. Featuring an impressive full cast of performers, including Nicola Walker (MI-5) and Louise Brealey (Sherlock), and actual podcast episodes within the audiobook, None of This Is True hooks listeners from the outset. The story follows Alix and Josie, who run into each other at a pub where they're both celebrating their 45th birthdays. The "birthday twins" get closer when Josie, an unassuming woman with a chaotic life story, comes to Alix with a podcast idea the latter can't resist. But is Josie really as unassuming as she seems? The plot keeps listeners guessing and, like a real mystery, wondering just how much of the dark tale is true.
Zadie Smith's dazzling novel reminds us that the true crime boom started long before Serial. Set in Victorian England, The Fraud explores the real-life spectacle of the Tichborne Trial, in which a man who appeared to be a low-class butcher from Australia claimed to be the long-lost nobleman Roger Tichborne. (Think Anna Delvey, but with O.J. levels of publicity.) In fact, Smith told us that the O.J. Simpson trial was just one of the influences on the novel, which also explores the public fascination with true crime and the nature of fraudulence. With gorgeous narration by Smith herself, The Fraud is a provocative novel that appeals to true crime and literary fiction fans alike.
