New residents Jana and Keith Kuric wasted no time in getting their library cards at the Warsaw Community Public Library. Photo provided by Warsaw Community Public Library.

By Melissa Chapman
Cataloging Supervisor
Warsaw Community Public Library

WARSAW — We’re compelled by our desire to understand how the criminal mind works and wonder what we’d do in a similar situation. This is what makes true crime books one of the most popular nonfiction genres, and it explains why we binge watch true crime documentaries and listen to true crime podcasts. Below are a few true crime titles at the Warsaw Community Public Library.

“I Am a Killer: What Makes a Murderer: Their Shocking Stories in Their Own Words,” by Danny Tipping, is an eye-opening book on murderers in their own words. How do murderers remember their lives and crimes? The creators of Netflix’s “I Am a Killer” set out to get answers to these questions by talking to the killers themselves. Each speaks about their life and crimes. Interviews with the families of both perpetrators and victims and the officials who worked the cases reveal the reasons that lead to violent crimes.

“Behold the Monster: Confronting America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer,” by Jillian Lauren, who is also the lead of the Starz docuseries “Confronting a Serial Killer.” Lauren delivers the disturbing report of her unusual relationship with psychopath Samuel Little. There is more than a deep dive into his crimes. Riveting and emotional accounts reveal the women who were lost to cold case files, giving Little’s victims a chance to have their stories heard for the first time.

“Down the Hill: My Descent Into the Double Murder in Delphi,” by Susan Hendricks, who is a longtime anchor and journalist who has covered the case of Abby Williams and Libby German in Delphi, Indiana. Hendricks digs into the mystery that has captivated the nation for more than five years, exploring the family’s enduring resilience and advocacy, as well as the rippling impact the case has had on not just Delphi, but the heart of the American heartland. It is more than just a story about a double homicide; it’s about a small town in the Midwest that’s been haunted by an unfathomable act of violence; it’s about families and communities and grief and how to move forward after tragedy.

“Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege and the Murdaugh Family Murders,” by John Glatt, is the true story of the rise of the prestigious Murdaugh family and the shocking double murder that led to the downfall of its patriarch, Alex Murdaugh. It’s a story that keeps unraveling with each turn of the page.