THIS WEEK: In 1560, Erzsébet Báthory—noblewoman, serial killer, future Internet phenomenon—was born in Nyírbátor, Hungary.
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- Jerry and Rita were your typical friendly, small-town couple. Except that they were probably on the lam and in possession of a stolen de Kooning worth $160MM. | The Washington Post
- “At the heart of true crime narratives are its victims, voices (often) lost to brutal acts of violence.” Courtney Summers on the true crime movement, and giving victims a voice. | Criminal Element
- Danny Gardner on the pitfalls of expertise, and why he’ll never do a pro-bono sensitivity read again. | Do Some Damage
- “You have to admire the chutzpah of swearing in a court of law…and professing with a straight face that you shot your cheating boyfriend four times by accident.” Gina Wohlsdorf on Jean Harris and a bizarre trial. | CrimeReads
- The best international crime fiction coming to the States in August, chosen by CrimeReads editors. | CrimeReads
- “Slowly it was revealed to me that I can tell any story I want in the crime genre.” Belinda Bauer reacts to news that her thriller has been longlisted for the Booker Prize. | The Guardian
- Jeff Guinn on the crazy and subtly terrifying night that Charles Manson partied with Hollywood royalty at the Whisky a Go-Go. | CrimeReads
- Stephen Mack Jones talks crime fiction, poetry, and how the city of Detroit is more than the “ruin porn” shown on the news. | Do Some Damage
- “The reality of Appalachia is this, that there are black voices here, there are Hispanic voices here, there are native voices here, there are queer voices here.” David Joy on redefining “rural” literature. | CrimeReads
- Charlotte Ahlin looks at 5 times mystery writers got involved in solving and/or perpetrating real-life crimes. | Bustle
- The 20 best legal thrillers of the last 20 years. Because you need more Runaway Jury in your life, and Anthony Hopkins was born to be cross-examined. |CrimeReads
- “I was absolutely shocked at how quickly property crime is taking off.” Louise Candlish on soaring real estate prices and the convergence with crime fiction. |Criminal Element
- French Noir, an escape from Devil’s Island, and dispatches from the land of 24-hour summer sunshine. It’s the best of August’s international crime fiction | CrimeReads
- “The damn with the fancy name sure delivers the goods.” Read 11 book reviews written by Sing Sing Prisoners in 1911. | Book Marks
- Rena Olsen provides a marriage therapist’s perspective advice on writing realistic relationships in psychological thrillers. | CrimeReads
- An oral history of the biggest gang bust in New York City history. Two years later, the community remains divided on what happened and why. From Mirela Iverac. | New York Magazine
- “We’re apple-cheeked; we’re adorable. We’ll probably kill you in our next book.” Lori Rader-Day on the thriving crimefiction scene of Midwestern authors. | CrimeReads
- Robin Bowles on the night Phoebe Handsjuk disappeared, and the clues that were missed on the way to a suicide ruling. | CrimeReads
- Edward Burman explores the many archeological mysteries of China’s hidden terracotta warriors. | Lit Hub
- Longmire Days. Every summer, thousands of pilgrims flock to a small town in Wyoming, guided by a wildly popular mystery series. Bobbi Neely finds out why they go. | CrimeReads
- David Gordon on 10 classic heist novels, and the timeless joys of a story where a bunch of crooks and hoodlums get together to pull off a caper. | CrimeReads
- “My brother was accused of all these crimes.” J. Mays remembers a childhood spent in terror, and finding empathy for those who are struggling. | The Sun
- Koren Zailckas on imposter syndrome, and discovering that her favorite fictional “imposters” were really just creative people whose identity fell outside accepted norms. | Crimereads
- Louise Candlish on the most daring con artists and imposters in the works of Highsmith, Christie, du Maurier, Dickens, and more. | CrimeReads
- After a years-long, globe-spanning investigaiton, Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken finally come face-to-face with the French ‘psychic’ behind a $200MM mail-in scam. | CrimeReads
- The life of a Jazz Age con artist. Paul Willetts looks at the everyday scams, poses, and grifts that kept Edgar Laplante on the move and in search of new marks. | CrimeReads
- The life of a Jazz Age con artist. Paul Willetts looks at the everyday scams, poses, and grifts that kept Edgar Laplante on the move and in search of new marks. | CrimeReads
