The crime genre has grown huge lately, with plenty of true crime books, documentaries, podcasts, and whodunits popping up daily. Quite a few explanations are floating around online about why people are obsessed with crime and true crime stories. Some are trying to solve the mystery, and others enjoy the adrenaline rush and like being scared. But in a controlled way while staying in their secure environment, aka, the bedroom. However, the story doesn't need to be "true" to be compelling.
True crime stories are not for the weak-gutted. Many, wishing to have a similar experience, opt for fictional crime tales instead. Does it make the experience of indulging in the crime story a little easier if we know it's fictional? Arguably, yes. Although fictional tales take that uneasy feeling off the chest, it doesn't change the fact that horrific things happen in the world. After all, many movies and the best crime novels are inspired and sourced by real-life events. Further down, we will explore this topic in the "traditional" medium - crime books.
Perhaps there's no better way to indulge in that detective, CSI-worthy experience than by reading mystery books. Generally, books are superior in the sense that we are allowed space for imagination. Watching movies, we are constricted by visual boundaries - we're given all the visual cues, leaving us with no room for interpretation. However, in murder mystery books, we have the freedom to visualize the scene, the location, and the characters. It all adds to the investigator/detective experience we are looking for when reading crime novels.
And luckily for all you head-scratcher fanatics, there are plenty of good mystery books to discover. Below, you will find our selection of the best crime books, and let us know if you've read any of these. Also, tell us what book is next on your "to-read" list!
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