The most recommended books about Serial killers

Who picked these books? Meet our 336 experts.

336 authors created a book list connected to serial killers, and here are their favorite serial killers books.
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Book cover of Blood Work

Stephen B. King Author Of Forever Night

From my list on catching a serial killer and how they became monsters.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like most people I know, I have always been fascinated with serial killers, and more importantly why they do what they do. What makes one man murder multiple victims while another with a similar upbringing sells white goods and wouldn’t attract a traffic ticket. In my books, I am as interested in showing my readers why a killer kills, as I am in the hunt to catch him. My goal is to not so much get the reader to ‘like’ the antagonist but to understand, and dare I say even feel sorry for him. We are all products of our environment and upbringing, yet some of us murder others for fun.

Stephen's book list on catching a serial killer and how they became monsters

Stephen B. King Why did Stephen love this book?

Retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb is recovering from a heart transplant he required after a heart attack he suffered while hunting a serial killer. When a woman urges him to help investigate the murder of her sister who was shot dead during a robbery, Terry discovers it is her heart he received. Possibly the killer wanted McCaleb to recover so he could resume his pursuit. This is one of the finest stories I have ever read; deeply moving, and a very exciting read.

By Michael Connelly,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Blood Work as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Terry McCaleb, one of the most effective serial-killer investigators in the history of the FBI, hunts down his heart donor's killer. An unputdownable story from the award-winning No. 1 bestselling author.

'Blood Work' - that's what Terry McCaleb used to call his job at the FBI. Eight weeks ago he was a dead man, but now someone else's heart is keeping him alive. Then a newspaper report of his brush with death brings him an unwanted visitor. Graciela Rivers reveals to McCaleb that the anonymous donor of his heart was her murdered sister, and that the police investigation into the…


Book cover of How I Died and What I Did Next

Andy Tomlinson Author Of Exploring the Eternal Soul: Insights from the Life Between Lives

From my list on past life that are also great reads.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always had an inquisitive mind and was constantly asking questions as a child. I’ve kept this passion and following a mid-life career change from corporate, became a psychologist, psychotherapist, and eventually past life regression therapist. I founded the international Past Life Regression Academy in 2002 to teach others to heal the soul, and the Academy has trained more than 700 past life regression therapists throughout the world. I’ve written extensively in this area and know most of the pioneers, and I hope you enjoy the books on this list as much as I have!

Andy's book list on past life that are also great reads

Andy Tomlinson Why did Andy love this book?

I’ve been a colleague of both Peter and Toni for many years.

Toni is a clear spiritual channel and Peter asked the questions for this book and published it. What many people may not know is Toni used to be a state attorney and as her channeling developed she did the one thing attorneys should never do and that is to ask questions of a witness without knowing what the answer would be. Yet the intuitive questions she asked resolved cases in a dramatic way.

In this book 25 souls share what happened at their moment of death and shortly afterwards.

This includes someone who died in the twin towers, a Vietnamese diplomat is tortured and shot, a serial killer who suffered the torment of a self-induced hell and two little Italian girls were too frightened to believe they had died and spent time as ghosts. A great read that…

By Peter Watson Jenkins, Toni Ann Winninger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How I Died and What I Did Next as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Doubts and misgivings about life after death can be set aside with the gift of this special book." (Dr. Austin Ritterspach, Religious Studies, Indiana University) In How I Died (and what I did next), an office worker dies in the North Tower on 9/11. A little girl is drowned in the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. A Canadian man is run over by a bus. A Vietnamese diplomat is tortured and shot. A Chinese woman dies having a back-street abortion, a drunken Brazilian playboy drives his car over a cliff. Twenty-five such stories are told by souls from all over the globe.…


Book cover of King Zeno

Fred Van Lente Author Of Never Sleep

From my list on historical mysteries/thrillers set before World War II.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love historical fiction because it’s the next best thing to the invention of time travel. Books can immerse you in a time and a place in a way that comics and movies can only gesture at. For books like Never Sleep I even make sure to cook the foods my characters are eating, to make sure the era is evoked for the readers in all five sense. I love fantasy and science fiction as the next person, but the idea of transporting people to times and places that actually happened, to the best of my skill as a dramatist and researcher, is a challenge I find irresistible as an author. 

Fred's book list on historical mysteries/thrillers set before World War II

Fred Van Lente Why did Fred love this book?

Right at the end of World War I, a shellshocked cop, a jazz trumpeter, and a Mafia doyenne find their paths cross with an ax murderer in Spanish flu-ravaged New Orleans in one of America’s first true serial killer cases.

A unique structure of interlocking POVs really made the narrative shine for me and straight up stole Rich’s structure for my book! Good writers copy, etc. 

By Nathaniel Rich,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked King Zeno as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New Orleans, 1918. The birth of jazz, the Spanish flu, an axe murderer on the loose. The lives of a traumatized cop, a conflicted Mafia matriarch, and a brilliant trumpeter converge. In Nathaniel Rich's King Zeno, the Crescent City gets the rich, dark, sweeping novel it so deserves.

New Orleans, a century ago: a city determined to reshape its destiny and, with it, the nation's. Downtown, a new American music is born. In Storyville, prostitution is outlawed and the police retake the streets with maximum violence. In the Ninth Ward, laborers break ground on a gigantic canal that will split…


Book cover of Mortal Prey

Gary J. Rose Author Of The Fourth Reich

From my list on protagonists that helps the reader solve the crime.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a retired police officer, I believe that my insight into police procedures helps move my novels along. By creating a strong female protagonist, FBI Agent Jeannie Loomis, my readers get the best of both worlds. A somewhat flawed female main character who is still a dedicated law enforcement officer who believes, similarly to Lucas Davenport of the Prey Novel series, and Jack Reacher of the Reacher novels, that the ends, justify the means.

Gary's book list on protagonists that helps the reader solve the crime

Gary J. Rose Why did Gary love this book?

Great follow-up novel in Sanford’s Prey Series concerning a serial female killer. Sanford leaves the reader from a previous prey novel, where the female serial killer escapes.  This leaves his readers with a desire to learn more….a continuing storyline…and he more than satisfies that with her return in Mortal Prey.

By John Sandford,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mortal Prey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Years ago, Lucas Davenport almost died at the hands of Clara Rinker, a pleasant, soft-spoken, low-key Southerner, and the best hitwoman in the business. Now retired and living in Mexico, she nearly dies herself when a sniper kills her boyfriend, the son of a local druglord, and while the boy's father vows vengeance, Rinker knows something he doesn't: The boy wasn't the target-she was-and now she is going to have to disappear to find the killer herself. The FBI and DEA draft Davenport to help track her down, and with his fiancie deep in wedding preparations, he's really just as…


Book cover of Rules of Prey

Mike Lawson Author Of Alligator Alley: A Joe DeMarco Thriller

From my list on crime from authors who never disappoint readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the Edgar and Barry Award nominated author of twenty novels, sixteen in my Joe DeMarco series, three in my Kay Hamilton Series, and my standalone, Redemption. Prior to becoming a writer, I was a senior civilian executive working in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.  My books are mostly set in and involve characters in Washington, D.C., because Washington is a target-rich environment for a writer—and now more so than ever.

Mike's book list on crime from authors who never disappoint readers

Mike Lawson Why did Mike love this book?

John Sandford’s books aren’t as “literary” as those written by Mick Herron or Richard Price, but I love his books for their pacing—they always start out with a bang—and for Sandford’s sense of humor. I also admire the way he’s aged the recurring characters in the Prey books, taking Lucas Davenport from a young man in his thirties to the age of almost sixty in the last book. You can’t go wrong with any of the thirty-plus books in the Prey series, and I’m holding my breath for the next one. 

By John Sandford,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Rules of Prey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**Don't miss John Sandford's brand-new thriller Ocean Prey - out now**

#1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford's 'haunting, unforgettable, ice-blooded thriller' - first in the Lucas Davenport series!

The killer was mad but brilliant.

He left notes with every woman he killed. Rules of murder: Never have a motive. Never follow a discernible pattern. Never carry a weapon after it has been used...So many rules to his sick, violent games of death.

But Lucas Davenport, the cop who's out to get him, isn't playing by the rules.

***Praise for RULES OF PREY***

'Terrifying... Sandford has crafted the kind…


Book cover of The Blooding: The Dramatic True Story of the First Murder Case Solved by Genetic "Fingerprinting"

E.J. Wagner Author Of The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases

From my list on the beginning of crime.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a crime historian and storyteller. I study old crimes, particularly those of scientific interest, and present my findings in public presentations. Sometimes I write about them- in the NY Times, Smithsonian, Lancet, Ellery Queen. I’ve researched in autopsy suites, crumbling archives, and crime labs. I was the founder and moderator of the annual Forensic Forum at Stony Brook University. I’ve consulted on criminal matters for PBS, BBC, and commercial stations. I am fascinated by ancient crime because so much great literature derives from it - the sadly dysfunctional Oedipus family, the fraternal dispute between Cain and Abel- the unhappy Borden family of Fall River. All grist for my mill.

E.J.'s book list on the beginning of crime

E.J. Wagner Why did E.J. love this book?

The Blooding recounts a gripping true tale of murders in the picturesque English countryside-but aside from its haunting atmosphere, it is a detailed account of the beginning of DNA as a crime-solving technique. We have come a long way since the mid-1980s, and we can get much more information from newer DNA methods, but the detailed explanation of exactly how this worked as a revolutionary method is invaluable. Reading this book puts the reader at the very beginning of a revolution.

By Joseph Wambaugh,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Blooding as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fifteen-year-old Lynda Mann's savagely raped and strangled body is found along a shady footpath near the English village of Narborough.  Though a massive 150-man dragnet is launched, the case remains unsolved.  Three years later the killer strikes again, raping and strangling teenager Dawn Ashforth only a stone's throw from where Lynda was so brutally murdered.  But it will take four years, a scientific breakthrough, the largest manhunt in British crime annals, and the blooding of more than four thousand men before the real killer is found.


Book cover of Red Wolf

Carmen Amato Author Of Cliff Diver

From Carmen's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Ex-intelligence officer Dog mom Needs coffee

Carmen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Carmen Amato Why did Carmen love this book?

Another female investigator page-turner but one outside the cop/spy framework. Annika Bengtzon is an investigative reporter for Sweden’s #1 tabloid newspaper.

Struggling with the emotional aftermath of previous encounters with killers, Annika is a young mom with two little kids, a faithless husband, and a demanding career. Her new assignment takes her to the Arctic Circle to write a story on the anniversary of a terror attack on an air base. Murder ensues, of course.

What I loved about this book is Annika’s deep point of view. It’s authentic how she copes with the investigation's highs and (mostly) lows, newsroom politics, her disintegrating marriage, and everyday life in Sweden. I was immediately hooked and read all the other books in the series by author Liza Marklund, who is a journalist herself.

By Liza Marklund,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Red Wolf as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN ACCIDENTAL DEATH? - Reporter Annika Bengtzon is working on the story of a devastating crime when she hears that a journalist investigating the same incident has been killed. It appears to be a hit-and-run accident. A SERIES OF MURDERS - Several brutal killings follow - all linked by handwritten letters sent to the victims' relatives. When Annika unravels a connection with the story she's writing, she is thrown on to the trail of a deadly psychopath. THE HUNT IS ON - Caught in a frenzied spiral of secrets and violence, Annika finds herself and her marriage at breaking point.…


Book cover of How to Kill Your Family

Linda Kay Silva Author Of Nothing Fair About It

From my list on novels about life changing experiences and adventures.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of creative writing who knows when readers stop feeling, they stop reading. We all want to feel, to live vicariously. To experience the unimaginable. I’ve lived large. I’ve raced on the back of an ostrich, rode an elephant through the jungles of Thailand, raced catamarans in the Caribbean, and danced with the Shaka Zulu in Africa. The best books are those that feel like memories…that touch us…that make us feel.

Linda's book list on novels about life changing experiences and adventures

Linda Kay Silva Why did Linda love this book?

I love a sassy, bright, independent female protagonist, and that’s what I got with Grace Bernard. I love dysfunctional family dynamics, but Grace’s point of view had me laughing out loud. Funny villains are my jam, and Bella delivers one in the middle of a shitstorm that had me reading into the middle of the night.

By Bella Mackie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Kill Your Family as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'I loved this book' RICHARD OSMAN

'Funny, sharp, dark and twisted' JOJO MOYES

'Chilling, but also laugh-out-loud funny. Another corker' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

They say you can't choose your family. But you can kill them.

Meet Grace Bernard.
Daughter, sister, serial killer...
Grace has lost everything.
And she will stop at nothing to get revenge.

------------------------------

'Funny and furious and strangely uplifting. Grace is a bitter and beguiling anti-hero with a keen eye for social analysis - even in her most grisly deeds, you never stop rooting for her' PANDORA SYKES

'Deliciously addictive...brilliantly executed' i PAPER…


Book cover of Don't Look for Me: A Carter Blake Thriller

Ian Coates Author Of Eavesdrop

From Ian's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Avid reader Techie Thriller lover

Ian's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Ian Coates Why did Ian love this book?

Cross’s thriller poses an intriguing puzzle at the start, the answer to which slowly unfolds through the book, ending with some big surprises that I loved. It’s not only that mystery that makes this such a good book, though.

The adrenaline almost made me breathless as the excitement and action scenes rapidly dragged me through the pages.

The twists and turns of the plot ensured it never lost my total attention, and I found I was totally absorbed by the thriller right to the end.

By Mason Cross,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Don't Look for Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Mason Cross, author of THE SAMARITAN, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick, returns with his gripping new thriller - perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Linwood Barclay and Mark Billingham.

*

Don't look for me.

It was a simple instruction. And for six long years Carter Blake kept his word and didn't search for the woman he once loved. But now someone else is looking for her.

He'll come for you.

Trenton Gage is a hitman with a talent for finding people - dead or alive. His next job is to track down a woman who's on the run,…


Book cover of The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial

Olivia Gatwood Author Of Life of the Party: Poems

From my list on poets who want to write fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been writing poetry for most of my life and only recently began a real crash course in fiction with my first novel. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but not for the reasons I thought. In poetry, you learn to locate meaning, but you don’t learn narrative structure. Who knew being an existential genius was easier than finishing a sentence? Once I started studying literature that I felt embodied both, I was able to visualize how my poetic voice wasn’t just applicable, but useful, in the world of fiction.

Olivia's book list on poets who want to write fiction

Olivia Gatwood Why did Olivia love this book?

The first time I read this book, I had the whole-body sensation of having my mind simultaneously read and fed. Nelson put words to fantasies and fears I’d never thought to vocalize, while also functioning as an educator, leaving me with an entirely new understanding of true crime as a media sensation. This is a memoir about the process of writing her book of poems, Jane. Jane chronicles the story of her aunt, who was murdered as a young college student, while The Red Parts goes into Nelson's personal process and how the investigation of a murdered family member can become all-consuming. I highly recommend reading both in succession because the dialogue between them is astounding.

By Maggie Nelson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Red Parts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Selected as a Book of the Year 2017 in the Guardian

'Maggie Nelson's short, singular books feel pretty light in the hand... But in the head and the heart, they seem unfathomably vast, their cleverness and odd beauty lingering on' Observer

In 1969, Jane Mixer, a first-year law student at the University of Michigan, posted a note on a student noticeboard to share a lift back to her hometown of Muskegon for spring break. She never made it: she was brutally murdered, her body found a few miles from campus the following day.

The Red Parts is Maggie Nelson's singular…