True Crime Audiobooks | Mystery, Thriller & Horror

Calling All Cars, a popular crime drama heard from 1933 to 1939. One of radio's earliest and most durable police procedural shows, the series' stark and gritty realism is strongly reminiscent of Warner Brothers gangster films of the 1930s- particularly with the presence of real-life LAPD dispatcher Jesse Rosenquist, whose unique voice and name became the show's trademark; Rosenquist contributed to the American lexicon the program's title and the now time-honored phrase that is all. None of the actors on the series ever received on-air credit, but sharp eared radio fans can hear the likes of Elvia Allman, Jackson Beck, Charles Bickford, Gale Gordon, John Bigson, Richard LeGrand, and Hanley Stafford. Episodes include: The Case of the Portuguese Crooner, The Case of the Four Lead Slugs, The Case of the Rasping Voice, The Case of the Blind Man's Bluff, The Case of the Poisoning Jezebel, December Rhapsody, Murder at Sunset, 6 Three Faces West, The Case of the Grass Skirt, The Case of the Silver Co

William Robson (Author), Ensemble Cast, Ensemble Cast (Narrator)

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A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad

"Bestselling author Del Quentin Wilber tells the inside story of how a homicide squad---a dedicated, colorful team of detectives-does its almost impossible job Twelve homicides, three police-involved shootings and the furious hunt for an especially brutal killer--February 2013 was a good month for murder in suburban Washington, D.C. After gaining unparalleled access to the homicide unit in Prince George's County, which borders the nation's capital, Del Quentin Wilber begins shadowing the talented, often quirky detectives who get the call when a body falls. After a quiet couple of months, all hell breaks loose: suddenly every detective in the squad is scrambling to solve one shooting and stabbing after another. Meanwhile, the entire unit is obsessed with a stone-cold ""red ball,"" a high-profile case involving a seventeen-year-old honor student attacked by a gunman who kicked down the door to her house and shot her in her bed. Murder is the police investigator's ultimate crucible: to solve a killing, a detective must speak for the dead. More than any recent book, A Good Month for Murder shows what it takes to succeed when the stakes couldn't possibly be higher."

Del Quentin Wilber (Author), Johnny Heller, Scott Sowers (Narrator)

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The Jolly Roger Social Club: A True Story of a Killer in Paradise

The true story of a series of bold killings which took place in a shadowy American expat community in Panama-a tale of greed, political history, and murder In the remote Bocas del Toro, Panama, William Dathan Holbert, a.k.a. "Wild Bill," is awaiting trial for the murder of five fellow American expatriots. Holbert's first victims were the Brown family, who lived on a remote island in the area's Darklands. There, Holbert turned their home into the "Jolly Roger Social Club," using drink- and drug-fueled parties to get to know other expats. The club's tagline was "Over 90 percent of our members survive." Those odds were not in his victims' favor. The Jolly Roger Social Club is not just about what Holbert did or the complex financial and real estate motives behind the killings; it is about why Bocas del Toro turned out to be his perfect hunting ground, and why the community tolerated-even accepted him-for a time. Told through the fascinating history of the country of Panama, a paradise with sinister ties to the political and economic interests of the United States, journalist Nick Foster brings this uniquely bizarre place to life. He sheds light on a community where many live under assumed names, desperate to leave their old lives behind-and sometimes people just disappear. "Journalist Foster, who writes features for the international edition of the New York Times, turns in solid research and gripping writing on the familiar theme of 'there's always a snake in Paradise'...Foster's eerie account of a serial killer operating until a few years ago is set against the backdrop of the history of Panama. A completely riveting true-crime tale."-Booklist (starred review)

Nick Foster (Author), Donald Corren (Narrator)

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Lobster Boy

In his account of the sensational life and murder of Grady Stiles Jr., also known as the legendary carnival freak Lobster Boy, author Fred Rosen explains how Stiles's death was engineered by his wife, Mary Teresa, the carny known as the Electrified Girl. Rosen describes how Mary Teresa arranged for her husband's murder after years of physical and emotional abuse. During Mary Teresa's dramatic trial, Rosen becomes a character in his own book. When both he and the prosecution are threatened by Mary Teresa's daughter, who Rosen believes was a co-conspirator although she was never indicted; the writer risks his life in pursuit of the truth and the evidence that leads to Mary Teresa's conviction.

Fred Rosen (Author), Neil Hellegers, Neil Helligers (Narrator)

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Killings

True stories of sudden death in the classic collection by a master of American journalism 'Reporters love murders,' Calvin Trillin writes in the introduction to Killings. 'In a pinch, what the lawyers call 'wrongful death ' will do, particularly if it 's sudden.' Killings, first published in 1984 and expanded for this edition, shows Trillin to be such a reporter, drawn time after time to tales of sudden death. But Trillin is attracted less by violence or police procedure than by the way the fabric of people 's lives is suddenly exposed when someone comes to an untimely end. As Trillin says, Killings is 'more about how Americans live than about how some of them die.' These stories, which originally appeared in The New Yorker between 1969 and 2010, are vivid portraits of lives cut short. An upstanding farmer in Iowa finds himself drastically changed by a woman he meets in a cocktail lounge. An eccentric old man in Eastern Kentucky is enraged by the presence of a documentary filmmaker. Two women move to a bucolic Virginia county to find peace, only to end up at war over a shared road. Mexican American families in California hand down a feud from generation to generation. A high-living criminal-defense lawyer in Miami acquires any number of enemies capable of killing him. Stark and compassionate, deeply observed and beautifully written, Killings is 'that rarity, reportage as art' (William Geist, The New York Times Book Review). Praise for Killings 'Riveting tales of murder and mayhem. . . . [Calvin] Trillin is a superb writer, with a magical ability to turn even the most mundane detail into spellbinding wonder. Armed with this wealth of material, he utterly shines. Every piece here is a gem.' The Seattle Times 'What Mr. Trillin does so well, what makes Killings literature, is the way he pictures the lives that were interrupted by the murders. Even the most ordinary life makes a terrible noise . . . when it 's broken off.' Anatole Broyard, The New York Times 'Fascinating, troubling . . . In each of these stories is the basis of a Dostoevskian novel.' Edward Abbey, Chicago Sun-Times 'The stories . . . are unforgettable. They leave us, finally, with the awareness of the unknowable opacity of the human heart.' Bruce Colman, San Francisco Chronicle '[Trillin] writes brilliantly. . . . These stories still hold up, as classics.' The Buffalo News 'In his artful ability to conjure up a whole life and a whole world, Trillin comes as close to achieving the power of a Chekhov short story as can anyone whose material is so implacably tied to fact.' Frederick Iseman, Harper 's Bazaar 'I have a book for you true-crime addicts if you 're caught up on the podcast Serial, the cascade on TV of 48 Hours and Dateline NBC episodes. . . . It 's time to pick up Calvin Trillin 's Killings.' The New York Times Book Review 'Well-crafted and thoughtfully composed, lacking judgment and admonishment, these are a true piece of quality journalism, which clearly continues to captivate audiences.' Library Journal 'With telling detail and shrewd insights, [Calvin Trillin] masterfully evokes the places and personalities that hatched these grim episodes.' Publishers Weekly

Calvin Trillin (Author), Robert Fass (Narrator)

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Empty Promises

In this unnerving collection drawn from her personal crime files, "America''s best true-crime writer" (Kirkus Reviews) Ann Rule brilliantly dissects the convoluted love affairs that all too often end in violence. Expertly analyzing a shocking, headline-making case, Rule unmasks the deadly motives inside a seemingly idyllic marriage: a beautiful young wife, a rising star in America''s top-ranked computer corporation, and a prosperous husband, the scion of a family building business. With an adorable son and a gorgeous home, the couple seemed to have it all. But a furtive evil permeated their days and nights, dragging them into a murky world of drugs, sordid sex, and con operations. In this realm, one of them would prove to be a virtual innocent, the other a manipulator with no conscience. Sudden, violent death brought their charade of a fairy-tale romance to a tragic end-with a brutal crime that might never have come to light were it not for the stubborn detectives and prosecutors whose fight for justice spanned an entire decade. Empty Promises recounts several other cases where the search for love brought only lies and betrayal-a cautionary primer, perhaps, for those who trust too much too soon. Powerful because they strike so close to home, the cases in Empty Promises will leave listeners shaken by the realities of love gone terribly-and fatally-wrong.

Ann Rule (Author), Laural Merlington (Narrator)

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Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer

Prolific author, playwright, bon vivant of the literary set, Hollywood insider. Everybody loved and trusted Jack Unterweger. Unfortunately, eleven women saw a different side to the charmed celebrity: a cold-blooded serial killer whose gift for manipulation was genius pure and evil. While serving a life sentence for the murder of a young girl, Jack Unterweger wrote seven books, saw his critically acclaimed autobiography made into a film, and became a cause celebre among influential Austrian literati who successfully campaigned for his release. Riding high on the fame, he arrived in Los Angeles where he nurtured his career as a journalist. Then, one by one, Hollywood prostitutes started turning up dead. Unterweger covered the story. There was a reason why his reporting of the crimes seemed so vivid. With unprecedented access to Unterweger's private papers, John Leake peels back the layers of deception to reveal the alarming story of an international celebrity and reviled serial killer and a lifetime of shocking twists no Hollywood screenwriter could have invented.

John Leake (Author), Johnny Heller (Narrator)

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Robert Berdella: The True Story of The Kansas City Butcher

When Chris Bryson was discovered nude and severely beaten stumbling down Charlotte Street in Kansas City in 1988, Police had no idea they were about to discover the den of one of the most sadistic American serial killers in recent history. This is the true historical story of Robert Berdella, nicknamed by the media the Kansas City Butcher, who from between 1984 and 1988 brutally raped, tortured and ultimately dismembered 6 young male prostitutes in his unassuming home on a quiet street in Kansas City. Based on the actual 720 page detailed confession provided by Berdella to investigators, it represents one of the most gruesome true crime stories of all time and is unique in the fact that it details each grizzly murder as told by the killer himself. From how he captured each man, to the terrifying methods he used in his torture chamber, to ultimately how he disposed of their corpses - rarely has there ever been a case where a convicted serial killer confessed to police in his own words his crimes in such disturbing detail. Horrific, shocking and rarely equaled in the realms of sadistic torture – Berdella was a sexually driven lust killer and one of the most sadistic sex criminals ever captured. Not for the faint of heart, this is the tale of Robert “Bob“ Berdella, the worst serial killer in Kansas City History and for those that are fans of historical serial killers, is a true must read.

Jack Rosewood (Author), Gaius M. Thynne (Narrator)

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Arnold Sodeman: The True Story of the Schoolgirl Strangler

Captured in the 1930s before the words psychopath and pedophile were part of common vernacular, notorious serial killer Arnold Sodeman murdered four young girls with little thought of remorse. Without guilt, the evil serial killer strangled them to death with their own clothing and left their small bodies alone in the Australian brush, earning himself a chilling position in the annals of Australian crime. The first victim in his child murder spree, 12-year-old Mena Griffiths, showed signs of having been sexually assaulted, although the man who would become known as The School-girl Strangler denied the assault, and blamed the killing of both Griffiths and the other girls on his inability to control himself after he'd been drinking. The horrific story of this true-life murderer – a tale of mental illness, childhood abuse, brain damage and alcoholic blackouts – is true crime as its most terrible, and ranks among the worst child murders in world history. After his arrest, Sodeman calmly confessed, saying that when intoxicated, he became overcome by thoughts of revenge, and like a real-life Jekyll and Hyde, transformed from doting husband and family man into a barbarian who strangled four little girls. He chose children and teens, he said, because he could lure them away much easier, but the cold-blooded killer really didn't seem to recognize the abhorrence of taking a child's life. Experts now say the handsome but strange Sodeman would likely have been unfit to stand trial for his crimes, given his family's extensive background of mental illness, but in the 1930s, the serial killer's biography was a tale that left Australia stunned.

Jack Rosewood (Author), Gaius M. Thynne (Narrator)

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A Fever in the Heart

A Fever in the Heart dissects an explosive triangle that led to obsession and murder in a small town in the northwest of America. Ann Rule reveals the story of an alluring wife and the two men desperate for her love; a story with a bizarre and deadly twist that no one could have suspected. In this tale and "Mirror Image," a true-crime story recounting the frighteningly similar methods of two serial murders, Ann Rule masterfully probes the delusions of the criminal mind, the fateful circumstances and the unrelenting investigative forces at work in the aftermath of murder.

Ann Rule (Author), Laural Merlington (Narrator)

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Worth More Dead

Why would a man kill his lover''s husband and then his wife, the woman who fought successfully to have him paroled from prison? Why would he risk arrest by kidnapping the child of another woman who adored him? Because they were...Worth More Dead A cold case reopened-and solved-with dogged police work and new evidence. One of the shocking true crimes of passion and greed from Ann Rule''s Crime Files. Former Marine sergeant and judo instructor Roland Pitre Jr. claimed it was all an elaborate plan to win back his wife''s love - it wasn''t supposed to end with her dead body in the trunk of a car. Nearly twenty years later, he acknowledged that he had hired someone to kill his estranged wife in 1988, though his alleged excuse for why a monstrous "mistake" happened is as shocking and convoluted as the crime itself. Eventually, he was charged with first-degree murder in the long-unsolved death of Cheryl Pitre, after a mysterious witness betrayed Pitre to save his own skin. Tracing back the dark and bloody path of Pitre''s life, two generations of detectives found a chain of brutal and terrifying crimes by a man who manipulated the courts and prisons to walk free.

Ann Rule (Author), Laural Merlington (Narrator)

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Mortal Danger

From trust to terror... from security to survival... The author of The Stranger Beside Me brings her brilliantly informed understanding of the sociopath to this riveting true crime collection. Only Ann Rule, who unknowingly worked alongside the smart and charming Ted Bundy - America''s most notorious serial killer - could lend her razor-sharp insight into these cases of the spouse, lover, family member, or helpful stranger who is totally trusted but whose lethally violent nature, though masterfully disguised, can and will kill. Featured here is the case of a Southern California family man who appeared to be the picture of healthy living with his expertise in naturopathic healing. Luring a beautiful flight attendant into a passionate affair, he swept her away to a secluded home on the Oregon coast where his jealous rages escalated, ultimately leading to a brutal sex attack in which she believed she would die. How this brave victim survived, never knowing her tormentor''s whereabouts, and how he resurfaced, forcing a tragic end for all involved, makes this one of Ann Rule''s most compelling narratives. Also included are two other cases: that of the monstrous sadist whose prison release damaged a presidential candidate''s campaign and ended in a bitter double tragedy in a quiet neighborhood three thousand miles away; and the horrific case of the man who crossed an ocean and several countries to stalk the Eurasian beauty who had fled from him in desperation.

Ann Rule (Author), Laural Merlington (Narrator)

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True Crime Audiobooks in Mystery, Thriller & Horror