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.

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

Don't miss Neil Lancaster's brand-new espionage thriller series! No Mercy available to buy now. ‘Grabbed me from the first page’ Ian Rankin ‘The best police procedural I’ve read in years’ Jane Casey This grave can never be opened. The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is...

Don't miss Neil Lancaster's brand-new espionage thriller series! No Mercy available to buy now. ‘Grabbed me from the first page’ Ian Rankin ‘The best police procedural I’ve read in years’ Jane Casey This grave can never be opened. The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is...

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.

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...

The fourth in Jess Montgomery's evocative Kinship series, The Echoes combines exquisite storytelling with extraordinary crime plotting. "A beautifully written tour de force." —Linda Castillo on The Stills As July 4, 1928 approaches, Sheriff Lily Ross and her family look forward to the opening...

"Finlay’s debut is a twisty puzzle that will please fans of thrillers, suspense, and true crime. Cady McClain and Jon Lindstrom capably voice a large cast of characters and keep ratcheting up the tension." -- Library Journal One of the Most Anticipated Books of the year: Newsweek CNN...

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...

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...

In 1998 an Alku, Minnesota, family of five was brutally murdered in their sleep. The event shook the insulated community but, without any solid leads, was relegated to the cold case files, where it moldered for twenty-five years. Until today. Agent Harry Steinbeck hoped never to return to the northland, a place that holds terrible memories of his sister’s abduction. But when a recent homicide is connected to Alku’s unsolved mass murder, he and cold case agent Evangeline Reed have no choice but to investigate.

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...

Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation. Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide—a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. They’re both desperate to catch a killer before he kills again.

‘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...