True Crime
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through WolfPAC. All books listed are linked to Braille and Audio Reading Download site (BARD) for downloading. Happy Reading!
July 2019
#Neveragain: A New Generation Draws the Line by David Hogg
DB 91205
Read by Lauren Hogg. Reading time: 2 hours, 26 minutes.
Brother and sister who survived the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, present a manifesto to end school shootings. Draws on their experiences growing up with active shooter drills from the time they were in kindergarten. Unrated. 2018.
American Hate: Survivors Speak Out by Arjun Singh Sethi
DB 93181
Read by Steven Carpenter. Reading time: 5 hours, 26 minutes.
A variety of individuals recount the hate speech and hate crimes they experienced during the 2016 American presidential campaign and the months after President Trump's inauguration, discussing how his administration's rhetoric and policies have intensified these encounters. Some violence and some strong language. 2018.
Back in the Game: One Gunman, Countless Heroes, and the Fight for My Life by Steve Scalise
DB 93232
Read by Steve Scalise. Reading time: 7 hours, 52 minutes.
Congressman Steve Scalise of Louisiana recounts the shooting that took place on June 14, 2017, during practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game, when a man opened fire on the Republican team. Discusses the heroes who worked to save Scalise and his friends. Unrated. Bestseller. 2018.
Best of Enemies: The Last Great Spy Story of the Cold War by Gus Russo
DB 93230
Read by Robert Petkoff. Reading time: 11 hours, 23 minutes.
An account of the relationship between CIA agent Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko. Originally assigned to trick each other into betraying their respective countries during the Cold War, they instead became good friends. Unrated. 2018.
Black Dahlia, Red Rose: The Crime, Corruption, and Cover-Up of America's Greatest Unsolved Murder by Piu Marie Eatwell
DB 91424
Read by Robertson Dean. Reading time: 9 hours, 10 minutes.
The gruesome murder of hopeful starlet Elizabeth Short, in noir-tinged 1947 Los Angeles, has a permanent place in American lore as one of the most inscrutable of true-crime mysteries. Now, a relentless legal sleuth with unprecedented access to primary evidence explains how she cracked the case after seventy years. Unrated. 2017.
Black Edge: Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street by Sheelah Kolhatkar
DB 87573
Read by Kaleo Griffith. Reading time: 12 hours, 34 minutes.
BR21920; 5 volumes of braille. Volume 1. Volume 2. Volume 3. Volume 4. Volume 5.
An analysis of the criminal investigation of hedge funds and insider trading, also known as the "black edge." Focuses on Steven A. Cohen, the founder of SAC Capital Advisors. Discusses the development of the hedge fund industry, personalities involved in the investigation, and the impact on Wall Street. Some strong language. 2017.
Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime: A Memoir by Ron Stallworth
DB 91906
Read by Ron Stallworth. Reading time: 5 hours, 52 minutes.
Former undercover police officer recounts his time with the Colorado Springs Police Department, where he was the first black detective in its history. Shares details of the operation he ran with fellow officers to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. Basis for 2018 movie. Strong language. 2014.
Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism, and Racial Violence by, Keisha N Blain
DB 86315
Read by Bob Moore. Reading time: 16 hours, 35 minutes.
BR21735; 6 volumes of braille. Volume 1. Volume 2. Volume 3. Volume 4. Volume 5. Volume 6.
Collection of sixty-five essays, excerpts, and articles collected in response to the June 2015 shooting deaths of nine people in Charleston, South Carolina. Sections address the legacy of slavery, the impact and importance of church life, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, white supremacy movements, and more. Some violence. 2016.
Conviction the Untold Story of Putting Jodi Arias Behind Bars by Juan Martinez
DBC12855
Read by Ty Hofflander. Reading time: 14 hours.
Martinez, the Maricopa County prosecutor who convicted Arias for killing Travis Alexander in the 2013 sensational, televised trial, presents the facts of the case from beginning to end, including details that were never revealed at trial. Explicit descriptions of sex, some strong language and violence. 2017.
Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law by Preet Bharara
DB 94521
Read by Preet Bharara. Reading time: 10 hours, 34 minutes.
The former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York discusses the structure of the American justice system and why rule of law is essential. Examines the four main steps of the legal system: inquiry, accusation, judgment, and punishment. Unrated. Bestseller. 2019.
The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot Against George Washington by Brad Meltzer
DB 93794
Read by Scott Brick. Reading time: 11 hours, 11 minutes.
LP033478; 631 pages.
An account of a treasonous plan by George Washington's bodyguards, working together with New York City mayor David Mathews and New York governor William Tryon, to kill the commander in the months leading up to the Revolutionary War. Unrated. 2019.
The Good Mothers: The True Story of the Women Who Took on the World's Most Powerful Mafia by Alex Perry
DB 93880
Read by Matthew Waterson. Reading time: 9 hours, 35 minutes.
Details how Calabrian prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti took down the 'Ndrangheta, one of the world's richest and most ruthless crime syndicates. Realizing that the 'Ndrangheta's misogyny could be her greatest weapon, Cerreti persuaded two mafia wives to testify in return for a new future for themselves and their children. Unrated. 2018.
Hate: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship by Nadine Strossen
DB 92375
Read by Jean Cochran. Reading time: 7 hours, 4 minutes.
Posits that an expansive interpretation of the First Amendment is the most effective strategy against the "hate speech vs. free speech" debate to promote democracy, equality, and societal harmony. Argues that anti-hate speech laws are often counterproductive and lead to suppression of minority viewpoints. Some strong language. 2018.
Home Sweet Murder by James Patterson
DB 90236
Read by Peter Ganim. Reading time: 5 hours, 31 minutes.
LP033350; 313 pages.
Two true-crime stories. In the title entry, a lawyer and his wife are enjoying a quiet Sunday dinner when a man arrives claiming to be an SEC agent. That evening two people will be shot, stabbed, and tortured. And two others will fare worse. Also includes Murder on the Run. Murder is Forever series, book 2. Unrated. 2018.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
DB 90637
Read by Suzanne Toren. Reading time: 11 hours, 40 minutes.
The late author's lifelong interest in true crime culminated in investigating the never-identified serial-killing rapist who plagued California in the seventies and eighties, whom she dubbed the Golden State Killer. This detailed telling of what she learned was completed posthumously by her researcher. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2018.
Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society: America's Original Gangsters and the U.S. Postal Detective Who Brought Them to Justice by William Oldfield
DB 92656
Read by Joe Wilson. Reading time: 11 hours, 52 minutes.
Chronicles the life of postal inspector Frank Oldfield (1867-1916) and his investigation into an arm of the Black Hand organized crime group in Ohio known as the Society of the Banana. Details his investigation, the lives of the perpetrators, and the results of trial. Some violence. 2018.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
DB 87767
Read by Ann Marie Lee. Reading time: 9 hours, 6 minutes.
LP033153; 492 pages.
An examination of the 1920s murders of wealthy Osage Indian Nation members in Oklahoma. When the newly-formed FBI bungled the investigation, young Director Hoover turned to ex-Texas Ranger Tom White, who put together an undercover team, including one of the only American Indian agents in the Bureau. Some strong language, some violence. Edgar Award and Spur Award Winner. 2017.
Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History by Bill O'Reilly
DB 92889
Read by Bill O'Reilly. Reading time: 7 hours, 27 minutes.
Account of the hunt for Nazi leaders not swiftly caught after World War II, including Josef Mengele, Martin Bormann, Klaus Barbie, and Adolf Eichmann. Describes the tactics used by these "Nazi hunters," including a French husband-and-wife team, an American lawyer, a German prosecutor, and Israeli Mossad agents. Some violence. 2018.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
DB 92869
Read by Susan Orlean. Reading time: 12 hours, 11 minutes.
The author re-opens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in US history. On April 29, 1986, fire broke out at the Los Angeles Public Library and destroyed or damaged more than a million books. Examines the evolution of public libraries while celebrating their value in society. 2018.
The Lost Chapters: Finding Recovery and Renewal One Book at a Time by Leslie Schwartz
DB 91712
Read by Leslie Schwartz. Reading time: 6 hours, 10 minutes.
Memoir of a novelist who was sentenced to ninety days in the Los Angeles County Jail for DUI. She tells of her relapse into alcohol and drug addiction after a decade of sobriety, the toll her arrest took on her family, and the books that sustained her behind bars. Unrated. 2018.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Timothy Leary, Richard Nixon and the Hunt for the Fugitive King of Lsd by Bill Minutaglio
DB 90049
Read by Peter Ganim. Reading time: 12 hours, 27 minutes.
An account of Timothy Leary's escape from prison, with help from radical Weather Underground. Discusses Richard Nixon's fixation on tracking down Leary, despite pressing issues in Vietnam, threats from the Black Panther leadership, and other problems. Unrated. 2018.
One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps by Andrea Pitzer
DB 89094
Read by Andrea Pitzer. Reading time: 14 hours, 10 minutes.
An examination of the history of concentration camps--the preemptive communal detention of innocent civilians. Begins with their conception in Cuba in the late 1800s and also discusses US camps in the Philippines, the infamous Nazi camps, post-war Chinese and Korean camps, and more. Unrated. 2017.
Parkland: Birth of a Movement by David Cullen
DB 94271
Read by Robert Fass. Reading time: 10 hours, 12 minutes.
The author of Columbine (DB 68856) provides an account of the young survivors of the Parkland school shooting who launched the March for Our Lives movement regarding gun control. Follows the kids' daily lives, the Road to Change tour, and more as they cope with their experiences. Unrated. Bestseller. 2019.
Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal by Jonathan Green
DB 93951
Read by Keith Sellon-Wright. Reading time: 14 hours, 32 minutes.
Reporter chronicles the rise and fall of Sex Money Murder--one of the most violent and notorious gangs of the late 1980s and early 1990s--and the efforts of NYPD detectives and prosecutors to stem the tide of violence as the use of crack cocaine surged, replacing heroin. Unrated. 2018.
Sons of Cain: A History of Serial Killers from the Stone Age to the Present by Peter Vronsky
DB 94190
Read by Bob Moore. Reading time: 17 hours, 59 minutes.
Historian examines the motives and methods of serial killers and society's attempts to classify and understand them. Uses case studies to highlight murderers from the fifteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Analyzes the ways the surrounding culture has allowed for the development of serial killers. Violence and some descriptions of sex. 2018.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton
DB 90904
Read by Bryan Stevenson. Reading time: 9 hours, 14 minutes.
BR22408; 4 volumes of braille. Volume 1. Volume 2. Volume 3. Volume 4.
Alabama, 1985. After being wrongfully convicted of murder, the author spent his first three years on Holman State Prison's death row, full of despair and anger. But once Hinton accepted his fate, he spent the next twenty-seven years transforming his and his fellow inmates' spirits, until winning his release in 2015. Strong language. 2018.
The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump by Andrew McCabe
DB 93973
Read by Andrew G McCabe. Reading time: 9 hours, 28 minutes.
Former FBI deputy director recounts the full span of his career, which began as a street agent in New York. Details the time between Trump's election in 2016 and his own firing and discusses his views on the current administration. Unrated. 2019.
The Trade: My Journey into the Labyrinth of Political Kidnapping by Jere Van Dyk
DB 90477
Read by Paul Boehmer. Reading time: 16 hours, 46 minutes.
Investigative journalist discusses his experience as a victim of political kidnapping in Afghanistan and his later quest to learn the truth of both his own abduction and the general business of kidnapping. Includes information gathered from the families of many who have been kidnapped. Violence. 2018.
The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson
DB 94448
Read by Amanda Carlin. Reading time: 11 hours, 49 minutes.
Using legal transcripts, contemporary newspaper stories, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from the suspect herself, explores how Andrew and Abby Borden's brutal murders in 1892 and the arrest of their younger daughter Lizzie became international news and her trial a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Unrated. 2019.
Violated: Exposing Rape at Baylor University Amid College Football's Sexual Assault Crisis by Paula Lavigne
DB 89126
Read by Therese Plummer. Reading time: 11 hours, 36 minutes.
ESPN investigative reporters detail how, after a pair of high-profile criminal cases involving football players, an independent examination of Baylor University's handling of allegations of sexual assault led to sweeping changes. Discusses the unprecedented ouster of its president, athletics director, and popular, highly successful football coach. Explicit descriptions of sex, strong language, and violence. 2017.