Small Towns True Crime

Nothing casts a more sinister shadow over our nation's history than the gruesome lynchings that happened between 1882 and 1937, claiming 4,680 victims. Often, in a show of racist violence, the lynchers tortured their victims before murdering them. Most killers were never brought to justice; some were instead celebrated as heroes, their victims' bodies displayed or even cut up and distributed as trophies.

During Prohibition, while Al Capone was rising to worldwide prominence as Public Enemy Number One, the townspeople of rural Templeton, Iowa - population just 418 - were busy with a bootlegging empire of their own. Led by Joe Irlbeck, the whip-smart and gregarious son of a Bavarian immigrant, the outfit of farmers, small merchants, and even the church Monsignor worked together to create a whiskey so excellent, it was ordered by name: Templeton Rye.

Over 40 years, two British police units acted undercover to infiltrate activist groups. At least 20 of those officers deliberately targeted women and entered relationships with them. One of those women was me. This is my story.

Whether in Truman Capote’s detailed murder of the Clutter family or Ted Bundy’s small-town charm, criminals have always roamed rural America and towns worldwide. Featuring murder stories, criminal case studies, and more, The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns contains all-new accounts from writers of true crime, crime journalism, and crime fiction. And these entries are not based on a true story—they are true stories. Edited by acclaimed author and anthologist Mitzi Szereto, the stories in this volume span the globe.

Ten chilling psychological thrillers expose the dark secrets and deadly motives hiding behind ordinary closed doors. Perfect for a suspenseful late-night drive or your evening commute, these standalone murder mysteries reveal how jealousy, shame, and obsession twist familiar faces into...

Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step. Ridley Sawyer knows what it's like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanishedbecause it...

Uncover a chilling true crime journey into small-town murders that forever fracture peaceful communities. Perfect for a gripping daily commute, this dark exploration of the Mississippi River's hidden history pulls you into haunting investigations. From sleepy river towns to fading industrial...

Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes lie decades of secrets yet to be unearthed in a pulse-pounding novel by the Edgar Award–nominated author of Unspeakable Things. Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a...

Casper, Wyoming: 1973. Eleven-year-old Amy Burridge rides with her 18-year-old sister, Becky, to the grocery store. When they finish their shopping, Becky's car gets a flat tire. Two men politely offer them a ride home. Yet they were anything but good Samaritans. The girls would suffer unspeakable crimes at the hands of these men before being thrown from a bridge into the North Platte River. One miraculously survived; the other did not.

A BRAND NEW chilling, pulse-pounding psychological thriller from BESTSELLER Amanda Brittany 🏘️🩸😯 'Twisty and heart-stopping' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Valerie Keogh Eleven years ago, Maple Close was scarred by a horrific crime. Three teenage girls who lived on the secluded...

Get hooked by a brand-new, twisty and brilliantly tense thriller from Diane Jeffrey that will keep you up all night… * * * * * How much can a parent ever truly know their child? When a young man is found murdered in a quiet rural village, it sends shock waves through the close-knit local...

By-the-book forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck and rogue BCA agent Van Reed must catch a cold-case killer who’s returned to abduct a small town’s children one by one in this heart-stopping novel from the Edgar Award–nominated author of Unspeakable Things. In 1998 an Alku, Minnesota, family...

Full of fascinating anecdotes of murder, mystery and occasional mayhem, Jeff reveals the details of cases that will grip readers from start to finish. The Murder Guy is an action-packed ride through some of the biggest cases from the 1970s to recent years. It tackles everything from the search...

Irene White was 43 years old when she was found murdered at her home in Dundalk in April 2005. In one of the most vicious and senseless killings in Irish history, Irene was stabbed 34 times. While two men were convicted of the murder in 2019, it was clear they were just carrying out orders...

‘I just loved everything about this book… Ticked all the boxes for the perfect read.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1933. Hannah Snow is fleeing her unhappy marriage when she finds herself in a small hotel on the banks of Loch Ness. But when a monster is spotted in the depths of the...

An unforgettable story of murder, trauma and childhoods lost, I Shot the Devil is a taut, page-turning read perfect for readers of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins from the Richell Prize-winning debut author. FIVE WENT INTO THE WOODS. TWO NEVER CAME BACK. 'An incredible thriller that kept me up...

Killers hiding in plain sight. Small-town secrets. A girl who knows too much. From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things and Bloodline comes a nerve-twisting novel inspired by a shocking true crime. Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means...

An utterly original and compulsively readable detective story about a woman who uses her uncanny ability to analyze words and speech patterns to help solve crimes. Tattooed, pierced, and a bit of a mess, Maggie Moore is a surprising genius when it comes to words, a savant able to solve any...

With compassion and insight, Jess Montgomery weaves a gripping mystery and portrait of community in The Stills, the powerful third novel in the Kinship series. Ohio, 1927: Moonshining is a way of life in rural Bronwyn County, and even the otherwise upstanding Sheriff Lily Ross has been known to...

Jess Montgomery showcases her skills as a storyteller in The Hollows: a powerful, big-hearted and exquisitely written follow-up to her highly acclaimed debut The Widows. Ohio, 1926: For many years, the railroad track in Moonvale Tunnel has been used as a shortcut through the Appalachian hills...