Amy McCaw on the allure of true crime
True crime is one of those trends that I became aware of when the Serial podcast came out, and my enthusiasm for it has never gone away. It seems like I’m not alone, as millions of people tune in to true-crime TV shows and podcasts, as well as devouring books.
So, why is it that we’re drawn to media that is often about the worst time in a real person’s life? I’m sure the reasons are different for everyone, but for me, it mostly comes down to psychology and procedure. I’m fascinated by what it is that makes some people want to hurt others, and I’m always hooked in by the process of trying to catch a killer.
When I set out to write They Own the Night, my Dracula retelling, I was conscious of the original book being written as a series of diary entries, letters and other accounts. I wanted to do a 1980s take on that, giving the book a true-crime feel. I settled on incorporating interviews and fictional newspaper articles and other mixed media in homage to the original and also because I felt it added a sense of immediacy and realism to the narrative.
It’s no wonder that I’m drawn to reading true crime as much as I am to writing books inspired by it, so here are my top five book recommendations for true-crime fans.
Murder in the Family by Cara Thomas is written entirely in mixed media. A group of experts get together to solve a twenty-year-old murder case, and I found it absolutely riveting! The lack of narrative in between the mixed media leaves readers trying to solve the case using the same evidence as the experts. It’s very good fun, and several reveals took me by surprise.
Episode 13 by Craig DiLouie is about a crew of ghost hunters who film a TV show in a notorious haunted house and get a lot more than they bargained for. The audiobook was electrifying, and I found myself being entirely sucked in and forgetting that I was reading fiction. It’s a dark, gripping and genuinely scary story.
Don’t Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman is the riveting and downright shocking story of the real-life NXIVM cult. What really hooked me about this one was that real people had been drawn into this destructive way of life, and I was fascinated by the psychology of how that could happen.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson is about a teenager who sets out to solve a crime from the 1930s. A riddle signed ‘Truly, Devious’ was left at the scene, but the crime remained unsolved. This is a hugely atmospheric book with a compelling mystery at the heart, and I loved how it used flashbacks to slowly unravel what happened.
Signed Sealed Dead by Cynthia Murphy is inspired by the Gainesville murders that also formed the basis of Scream. A true-crime obsessed teen finds a diary in her home written by one of the victims of a series of murders that happened in the 90s. The mixed media worked really well to give the main character a sense of agency and involve the reader in solving the crime.
True crime and books inspired by it encourage us to look closely at what makes us human and grip us in thrilling cases that we feel invested in solving. It only seems to be getting more popular, and I’m very happy about that!
They Own The Night is published by Ink Road on 11 September 2025
