I love stories of true crime. Often times you will see me watching ID Discovery or TruTV for the documentaries they offer on true crimes. It’s probably because I have a certain fascination with psychology and how the most minute imbalances or differentiations from what we consider “normal” hormone levels or brain function can create these monsters. And yet sometimes it’s the nature in which a person has grown up or been treated in their life that makes them snap and head down a road that will lead to ultimate disaster.
True crime novels and non-fiction pieces of works have always held an especially important role in my reading. True crime novels take the facts of a true crime, say a story of a serial killer, and tell it as if it’s a fictional story. Non-fiction true crime works are more about documentation of an event or a person that engaged in criminal activity.
One of the best non-fiction true crime works I’ve ever read has been The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal. This is the story of a seemingly wealthy and happy Rockefeller heir by the name of Clark Rockefeller, but is really a scheming impostor by the name of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter. Born in Germany, Gerhartstreiter spent more than 30 years in the U.S. moving from identity to identity in order to manipulate, scheme and swindle wealthy individuals into providing for him or introducing him to influential people in their circles.
One of the most fascinating stories of peer pressure I’d ever heard about was documented in Cruel Sacrifice by Aphrodite Jones, a true crime novel. This is the story of four Midwestern girls who brutally murder a classmate because of one girl’s uncontrollable jealousy after her girlfriend breaks up with her for a relationship with another.
Aphrodite Jones says on her website that these stories of true crime offer us lessons. Other authors just wish to capitalize on the public’s sudden interest in notorious killers or criminals, while still other just feel the importance of documenting such events and individuals as part of our colorful history.
True crime novels are a good fit for those non-fiction readers who often want to try and bridge the gap into reading novels and stories. These novels are considered “hybrids” where fact and fiction meet in order to fill in the gaps that film and news programs may leave out. I hope you consider diving into true crime books. I’d start with these two and expand into the genre from here.
Who is your favorite true crime novelist?
