Loading
Award-winning true crime
Essential true crime books and podcasts that won Edgars, Audies, and Pulitzers.
Published on July 12, 2023
Curated ByLanie Pemberton
Lanie is a San Diego-based freelance writer who loves reading crime thrillers and nonfiction about animals and the natural world. When not writing and reading (or writing about what to read), Lanie spends as much time as possible at the beach with her husband and pampered pittie, Peach.
Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York
Elon GreenThis true story of “The Last Call Killer” — a serial murderer who targeted gay and bisexual men in the 1990s — won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime in 2022. Green’s coverage highlights and humanizes the victims, exploring how crimes against fringe members of society often go ignored.
Real Life Real Crime
401 podcast episodes
Real Life Real Crime
401 podcast episodesA former police detective, host Woody Overton covers cases he worked on throughout his career, giving an insider’s perspective few other crime podcasts can offer. “Real Life Real Crime” swept the 2022 People’s Choice Podcast Awards, winning categories like True Crime, Best Male Hosted Podcast, and Storyteller – Drama.
The Dropout
37 podcast episodes
The Dropout
37 podcast episodesTheranos, a medical tech startup, promised to revolutionize Silicon Valley and health care — but then the horrible truth came out. “The Dropout” follows the company’s young founder, Elizabeth Holmes, as she rose to Steve Jobs-like heights only to wind up accused of defrauding investors and putting millions of lives at risk. This podcast won the Webby Award and Webby People’s Voice Award for Crime & Justice podcasts.
Scam Goddess
104 podcast episodes
Scam Goddess
104 podcast episodesIf most true crime podcasts are too grim and gory for your taste, “Scam Goddess” may be for you. In each episode, host Laci Mosley partners with a popular comedian to discuss non-violent scams and cons of past and present. This podcast won the iHeart Radio Podcast Award for Best True Crime Podcast in 2022.
Crime Junkie
363 podcast episodes
Crime Junkie
363 podcast episodesAs any avid true crime fan knows, one of the hallmarks of a successful podcast lies with the host’s ability to tell a story. Longtime friends and hosts Ashley Flowers and Brit Pawat take that to heart in “Crime Junkie.” It’s less investigative and more about swapping details, theories, and clues. The show’s many accolades (including awards from People’s Choice Podcast, Discover Pods, and iHeart Radio) prove how compelling the discussion-based style is.
True Crime & Cocktails
172 podcast episodes
True Crime & Cocktails
172 podcast episodesLikened to “a true crime slumber party,” “True Crime & Cocktails” features lively discussions between cousins Lauren Ash and Christy Oxborrow. Though there is plenty of humor and levity infused into the dark topics they cover, this podcast is known for being especially well-researched. It won the Discover Pods People’s Choice Award and the Quill Award for Best Podcast of the Year in 2021.
Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy
David ZucchinoThis Pulitzer Prize-winner shares the little-known history of how white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, led a successful coup and overthrew a mixed-race, democratically elected local government in 1898 — an incident that set America’s racial progress back for decades. Zucchino’s well-researched account is horrifying and heartbreaking, and a much-needed history lesson.
Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic
Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic
Eric EyreJournalist Eyre won a Pulitzer Prize for his investigations into how so many West Virginians became addicted to opioids. In “Death in Mud Lick,” he covers the full story, from Big Pharma’s pill-pushing agenda to how one small town fought back. Eyre’s book won the 2021 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime, and it’s one of the most in-depth, society-shaking pieces of journalism in the 21st century.
Criminal
112 podcast episodes
Criminal
112 podcast episodesThis podcast puts people at the forefront of true crime, focusing on the ones involved in and affected by each case. Hosts Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer both have backgrounds in public radio (including NPR and WUNC North Carolina Public Radio), so their reporting is top-notch. “Criminal” won the 2020 Discover Pods Award for Best True Crime Podcast.
Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
Robert W. FieselerBefore the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, the biggest mass murder of the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S. occurred in New Orleans at the Up Stairs Lounge in 1973. “Tinderbox,” an Edgar winner for Best Fact Crime, explores the little-known arson that killed over 30 people and led to increased activism and a push for gay rights. Fieseler covers more than the horrific events of that night, getting to the heart of how bigotry and crime intertwine in American history.
Swindled
116 podcast episodes
Swindled
116 podcast episodesThis Discover Pods Award-winner explores white-collar and financially motivated true crimes, from corporate fraud to small but devastating cons. The unnamed narrator (acting as a “concerned citizen”) uses a narrative style to make the stories all the more immersive and compelling.
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer
Kate SummerscaleThe Victorian era comes to life with Dickensian flair in this true and truly terrible account of Robert Coombes, who, at only 13, murdered his mother before carrying on like nothing had happened. Summerscale, author of “The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher,” another award-winning historical true crime book, covers the many theories surrounding Coombes' violent actions. “The Wicked Boy” won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime in 2017.
Serial
42 podcast episodes
Serial
42 podcast episodes“Serial,” a Peabody-winning podcast by the creators of “This American Life,” grabbed the nation when it premiered in 2014, covering the murder of Hae Min Lee and her accused killer, Adnan Syed. Subsequent seasons dive into other fascinating topics, including the tale of a U.S. soldier captured by the Taliban and an examination of the American criminal justice system. The episodes are always well-researched and compellingly presented.
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
Gilbert KingYears before Thurgood Marshall became the first Black Supreme Court justice, and just prior to arguing (and winning) Brown v. Board of Education as the NAACP chief counsel, the young lawyer risked his life to defend four Black men falsely accused of rape. King’s riveting and lauded history of a pivotal time for both Marshall and civil rights in America won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (2013) and the Audie Award for History (2014).
The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War
Daniel StashowerJohn Wilkes Booth plays a prominent role in American history, but few know that he wasn’t the first with murderous intentions when it came to President Lincoln. In this fast-paced narrative history, Stashower (“American Demon”) covers the Baltimore Plot, a planned assassination of Lincoln while he traveled to his inauguration. “The Hour of Peril” is a multi award-winning true crime account, taking home Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards between 2013 and 2014.
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner
James L. SwansonAfter surviving the harrowing Baltimore Plot years previously, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. His death sparked one of America’s most famous manhunts of the shooter, John Wilkes Booth. This thrilling hour-by-hour account of the 12-day hunt, told through the eyes of both the hunted and the hunters, won an Edgar Award in 2007 and is soon to be an Apple TV+ series.
Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Vincent BugliosiPresident Kennedy’s assassination sent shockwaves through American citizens, who speculated wildly about the facts of the crime. In this Edgar Award-winning book, Bugliosi (the prosecutor during the Manson trial and author of “Helter Skelter”) meticulously combs through each conspiracy theory, ultimately defending the Warren Commission’s findings that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. “Reclaiming History” is a dense, detailed read, but also a fascinating one for true crime lovers.
Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age
Kevin BoyleIn 1925 Detroit, as racial tensions reached an all-time high, Black physician Ossian Sweet faced an angry mob who wanted him out of their previously all-white neighborhood. In the chaos, a white man was killed, and Sweet and his loved ones arrested for murder. In this National Book Award winner and Pulitzer finalist, Boyle explores the incident and subsequent trial, which sparked civil rights movements in Detroit and beyond.
Fire Lover: A True Story
Joseph WambaughDubbed the “Pillow Pyro,” a serial arsonist caused millions in damages and claimed four lives in L.A. during the 1980s and 90s. Wambaugh’s (“Harbor Nocturne”) Edgar-winning account follows John Orr, a Glendale firefighter determined to hunt down the Pillow Pyro. Based on interviews and court records, “Fire Lover” reveals the shocking conclusion to Orr’s mission.
Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story Of A Doctor Who Got Away With
James B. StewartStewart (“DisneyWar”) shares the appalling story of Michael Swango, an American doctor who abused his position to murder patients. Though many nurses reported Swango’s suspicious activities, most were ignored until long after Swango had destroyed countless families. An Edgar winner, “Blind Eye” is perfect for fans of “The Good Nurse,” another true crime book that was recently adapted into a movie starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain.
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Simon WinchesterCrazy. Obsessive. Killer. These are just a few words that describe the surprisingly thrilling history of how the Oxford English Dictionary came to be in 1884. In vivid prose, Winchester (“Land”) tells the story of Dr. William Chester Minor, a criminally insane genius who greatly contributed to our most important literary tool. This audiobook won the Audie for nonfiction.