Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat about our August reading challenge, True Crime novels. We discuss ethical aspects of consuming true crime, what fascinates people about crime, and the wide variety of stories in this genre.

Books we discuss include:

• “Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail” by Andrea Lankford
• “Bandit Heaven: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West” by Tom Clavin
• “Famous Sheriffs and Western Outlaws: Incredible True Stories of Wild West Showdowns and Frontier Justice” by William MacLeod Raine
• “The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century” by Kirk Wallace Johnson
• “Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks” by Patrick Radden Keefe
• “Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion” by Tori Telfer
• “The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” by Hallie Rubenhold
• “The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France” by Eric Jager
• “Crimes of the Centuries: The Cases That Changed Us” by Amber Hunt
• “Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder” by Rachel McCarthy James
• “The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird” by Joshua Hammer
• “American Cult” edited by Robyn Chapman
• “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann
• “A Devil Went Down to Georgia: Race, Power, Privilege, and the Murder of Lita McClinton” by Deb Miller Landau