In No Lie Lasts Forever, a retired serial killer coaxes a disgraced journalist into finding the imposter trading on his name. I never thought I would write a “serial killer novel,” but when an idea clamps its teeth down and won’t let go, well, you succumb and start doing your research.
Here are seven books that helped me dial in the mindset I needed to channel.
Maureen Callahan by American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Killer of the 21st Century
Non-fiction.
A terrifying account of the 14-year-long hunt for Israel Keyes. He traveled all over the country. He had no set victim type. He was meticulous. He used cash. He was careful about his digital tracks. His murders were achingly random. And horrifying. Callahan includes transcripts of the conversations between investigators and Keyes, once he’s captured, and we begin to see Keyes’ careful thinking and calm reasoning in all aspects of his crimes. A mind-blowing piece of reporting and writing.
John Douglas and Mark Olshaker by Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit
Non-fiction.
First written in 1995, the edition that I read includes an update of key cases in the twenty years following its publication. Mindhunter makes for a compelling read today because John Douglas went toe-to-toe with these killers in prison to learn as much as he could. Douglas frequently mentions that his theory was correct and that he was often right first or, at least, very early on in the cases he helped investigate. The writing occasionally drips with arrogance, but would you want his job? Or care enough to try and extract information from David Berkowitz or Charles Manson? You can forgive Douglas for the hubris and there is lots of good information here about the serial killer psyche as well as one very brief discussion about possible solutions. (I’m all for that.)
Patricia Highsmith by The Talented Mr. Ripley
Fiction.
It’s a classic for a reason—the flawless capture of a casual psychopath who takes advantage of every relationship and who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And needs. This first entry is in the Ripley series is classic but don’t overlook Ripley Under Ground or Ripley’s Game. After that, they fall off a bit for me. If you think you know the story because of all the movie adaptations and the one Netflix series (“Ripley”), you do not.
James Ellroy by Killer on the Road
Fiction.
We are deep inside Martin Plunkett’s head and, as others have pointed out, the question is whether Plunkett is a product of nature or nurture? And also, why do we keep reading? We know he’s going to get caught (because of how the book starts out) and we see his crimes escalate, so why do we keep turning the pages? A novel that challenges us to ask ourselves about the fascination with this genre.
Meg Gardiner by The UNSUB series
Fiction.
All four books — UNSUB, The Dark Corners of the Night, Into The Black Nowhere, Shadowheart.
Start at the beginning. Watch this series build as Caitlin Hendrix grows from local detective to a member of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. There are “Zodiac” vibes in UNSUB and a “Nightstalker” familiarity to Into The Black Nowhere, but the series is also a character-driven study of Hendrix and a look at law enforcement bureaucracies and the power dynamics within.
Michelle McNamara by I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
Non-Fiction.
How does an unsolved murder become an obsession for a citizen journalist, so much of an obsession that she plays an important role in linking cases across California and then helping with a key idea that later solves the case and brings the murderer-rapist to justice? For Michelle McNamara, her fixation with true crime started when she was 14, in Oak Park, Illinois. For McNamara, unsolved murders became her passion. I’ll Be Gone In The Dark is about persistence, drive, determination, tenacity, and sheer stubborn zeal. It’s one thing to read true crime books and consume true crime documentaries, it’s another to think you can play a role or make a difference in solving a real-life case. Thoroughly engrossing.
