The Best True Crime Of the Month: September 2026

5 new works of true crime history and reportage out this month, as selected by the CrimeReads editors.

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Anand Giridharadas, Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City
(Knopf)

“Man in the Mirror is a deeply sobering reminder of all that is lost when a nation writes off its most vulnerable citizens as but a threat. A page-turner and a powerful wake-up call.” —Heather Ann Thompson, author of Blood in the Water and Fear and Fury

Sara McDougall, Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor
(Princeton University Press)

An exceptionally strong addition to women’s history and gender justice.–Booklist

Mikita Brottman, A Double Life : The Anatomy of a Premeditated Murder
(Citadel)

“Startling revelations . . . will appeal to true crime enthusiasts and admirers of psychological thrillers . . . Brottman relishes in the unconscious mind, leaving few stones unturned.” ―Charleston Sun

Matthew J. Prigge, Dog’s Day : The True Story of a Bank Robbery, Gay Liberation, and Toxic Love That Inspired a Hollywood Classic
(Counterpoint)

Dog’s Day [allows] the participants to speak again, providing an unflinching look at queerness, love, trauma, and abuse that a two-hour movie could never fully capture.” –The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide

Emmanuel Carrère, The Adversary: A True Story of Monstrous Deception
Translated by Linda Coverdale
(Metropolitan)

“Mr. Carrère’s book is a startling exposé of the human capacity to do wrong and our equally startling capacity to look the other way.” –The New York Times