Crime novels are now amongst the most popular of all fiction novels sold, with bookshops stocking rows upon rows of the latest thrillers. With this also brought about a rise in popularity of true crime books, with readers keen to venture deeper into the murky worlds of murder and suspicion they saw playing out in front of their eyes on the news just months ago.
Some cases are well known in the media and have outcomes we are all familiar with. The case of Meredith Kercher’s murder, for example, took centre stage on the news – not just when Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were jailed, but again when they were acquitted. There are also a great many books covering the Josef Fritzl kidnap case and the resultant guilty plea which saw him handed a life sentence.
There are a great many books on this case that offer fresh perspectives and new depths from all different angles. The content depends very much upon the author and their involvement with the individuals concerned. Whilst books such as these will not surprise readers waiting to see how the story ends, they will instead give much more colour and depth to cases of which the news may have only been able to scratch the surface.
In some cases, they may even change a person’s mind as to who is guilty and who is innocent.
Others head back a little further into the annuls of time, musing over questions of which the answer is not so widely known; such as how King Tut came to die and what went on in the Mafia’s deepest ranks. These books allow for unprecedented access into some of history’s most enthralling and sometimes open-ended cases. They give a background into the case to allow beginners to broaden their knowledge, whilst also offering unique approaches that could be new to even the most avid followers.
So as crime fiction continues to grow in popularity, so too must true-crime, as more people opt for the more grizzly, real-life alternative.
Louis Sharman is a self established author writes article on various crime related topics. To learn more about Crime Books and True Crime Books he recommends you to visit http://www.foyles.co.uk
