The Draw of True Crime

For almost as long as there has been a record of human history, there have been people who committed crimes against others. Reading about these often lurid events fascinates some people, and they find the exacting details and information to be something they enjoy. Rather than waiting for a writer to make up a crime, they see criminals as the authors of events that capture their attention. Few of them are disappointed when they are done reading, and many of them spend just as much time reading as those who enjoy fiction.

There are plenty of criminals throughout history, but the most details accounts seem to be about more recent events. Books about crimes are not always about those that have already been solved, and some of them leave it up to the reader to ponder who might have done it. These tales are written with the information gathered by detectives, and they are as accurate as possible. They are often written by people who have worked to solve the case, and their authenticity is generally not questioned.

Reading about a crime that has taken place is often like being dropped into the story as a witness, and writers of true crime novels have the same constraints as writers in other genres. Their work must be consistent, and getting each facet of the crime and clues correct is essential to the story. The people who read these novels are looking for depth in their reading, and they will be disappointed if anything is left out.

It might appear to those who have never read true crime books that they would be dry and factual, but many of them read as well as a fictitious account of a crime. They involve the criminal, the victim and those who are charged with solving the case. The interaction between all three parties is an educational and fascinating look at the world of crime.