Nonfiction Kidnapping

Paced like a thriller and full of insider information, this book embeds readers in one of the most famous true-crime stories of our generation—the kidnapping of Polly Klaas. "Riveting … reported with empathy and Cross’s signature combination of unflinching detail and gut-punching...

Some prisons are built of steel. Others are built of fear, isolation, and control. ESCAPED is a powerful nonfiction collection of real stories documenting people who broke free from situations designed to be inescapable. Drawing from court records, survivor testimony, investigative reporting, and historical evidence, this book examines captivity, coercion, disaster, war, and the long road to freedom. Inside are the true accounts of: Individuals held in secret captivity for years Cult members who fled psychological control Prisoners who attempted impossible escapes Survivors who walked away ...

Blood feuds, billion-dollar cocaine empires, and the mafia you’ve never heard of.... For decades, the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Neapolitan Camorra stole the spotlight. But in the shadows of Calabria, another brotherhood was rising — one more disciplined, more secretive, and far deadlier. Today, the Ndrangheta is the richest and most powerful crime syndicate in the world, controlling up to 80% of Europe’s cocaine trade and laundering billions through banks, construction firms, and global finance. From kidnapped heirs chained in mountain caves to multi-ton shipments of cocaine ...

The harrowing true story of abduction and survival from the courageous young woman who lived it—now the subject of a Lifetime original movie, I Am Elizabeth Smart. In this memoir, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime. On...

“Exquisitely told…A young woman’s harrowing coming-of-age story and an extraordinary narrative of forgiveness and spiritual triumph.” —The New York Times Book Review Amanda Lindhout’s unforgettable hostage memoir recounts her fifteen-month abduction in Somalia and her extraordinary...

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY GIRL IN THE PICTURE Sharon Marshall was a brilliant and beautiful student whose future was filled with promise—until her murderous, fugitive father drew her into a lifetime of deception that became one of the most baffling cases in the annals of...

Holly Marie was forty-two years old the day she found out she was missing. At ten months old, Holly Marie was brought to the door of a church by three barefoot women in white robes and head coverings. Adopted by the pastor and raised in a loving Christian home, Holly nevertheless struggled with...

In this fascinating & profoundly chilling account, Detective Kim Mager, a real-life version of Clarice Starling, reveals how she closed in on—and broke—one of Ohio’s most infamous serial killers. On September 13, 2016, in the small town of Ashland, Ohio, emergency dispatchers received a...

Returning to his days as a reporter for El Espectador, Gabriel García Márquez chronicles, with consummate skill, the period in late 1990 when Colombian security forces mounted a nationwide manhunt for Pablo Escobar, the ruthless and elusive head of the Medellin cartel. Ten men and women were abducted by Escobar’s henchmen and used as bargaining chips against extradition to the United States. From the testimonies and diaries of the survivors, García Márquez reconstructs their bizarre ordeal with cinematic intensity, breathtaking language, and rigor.

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography In this critically acclaimed true crime tale of "welfare queen" Linda Taylor, a Slate editor reveals a "wild, only-in-America story" of political manipulation and murder (Attica Locke, Edgar Award-winning author). On the South Side of...

Survival. Justice. Hope. She was only thirteen when her nightmare began. Ripped from the arms of her murdered mother, Jayme Closs was taken by a man who had fantasized for years about kidnapping a young girl—any girl—and making her his own. For eighty-eight days, Jayme lived in fear and isolation, hidden beneath a bed, trapped in a remote cabin in the woods. But she never gave up hope. When the moment came, she ran—and changed everything. 88 Days: The Abduction of Jayme Closs is a powerful true crime story of unimaginable horror, unbreakable courage, and the pursuit of justice. ...

“The most bizarre and daring crime in New Orleans police history.” —United Press On Labor Day 1948, two New Orleans police detectives became involved in the most grim and notorious incident in the history of the department. This is a true crime story of the bizarre events that chronicle the brutal slaying of one of those detectives, and his partner’s frightening escape from the same fate.

Following the assassination of Senator Maybelle, widespread rioting and unrest transform the presidential campaign into a lethal circus. With protests raging over the new bill, the government scrambles to restore peace and order.

Banditry is not a crime of poverty — it is a business of power. What began as cattle rustling has transformed into one of the most organized criminal economies in Africa. Hidden deep in the forests of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger, armed groups now control territory, levy taxes, and negotiate ransoms worth millions. In the forests of Northern Nigeria fear has become law. Children learn to run at the sound of motorcycles. Mothers bury sons they couldn’t afford to ransom. Villages pay taxes to men with guns for the right to stay alive. But behind the horror is a system — a ...

Previously published as Uncommon Youth, Charles Fox's Kidnapped examines the glamorous life, gilded family, and tragic times of J. Paul Getty III, whose kidnapping made headlines in 1973. J. Paul ("Little Paul") Getty III, the grandson of Getty Oil founder J. Paul Getty, may have been cursed by...

’Dark, twisty and menacing, I couldn't put it down!’ Roz Watkins You love me. But do you really know me? The gripping new thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller A perfect childhood You were the golden girl. The apple of your parents’ eyes. My beautiful, clever wife. A perfect marriage I...

A false pregnancy. A family waiting for a baby. A truth that could not stay hidden forever. For months, Alejandra Marín Mendoza lived as an expectant mother while the people closest to her believed a child was on the way. Then June 17, 2009 arrived. By the end of that day, one family would be waiting for a baby—and another would be desperately searching for one. Nine Months of Lies is the disturbing true story of deception, desperation, and the moment an elaborate lie crossed into someone else’s life.

The Disappearance of Arielle Covington is more than a recounting of a case—it is a profound testament to resilience, justice, and the unwavering search for truth in the face of loss and despair. When a family was thrust into a storm of grief and uncertainty, the men and women of law enforcement stepped forward, not just driven by duty but by an unyielding commitment to find answers, even when the odds seemed insurmountable. This story stands as a reflection of the fight for justice amid staggering obstacles—bureaucratic entanglements, interference from powerful figures, and personal ...

A clear-eyed, haunting story of an ordinary woman struggling to survive captivity, and its aftermath, in the volatile world of 1970s Argentina “Infused with the intensity of a thriller and with such poetic force, The Call is a masterclass. A hundred years from now, we’ll still be talking...

I’ll admit, I’m struggling to adjust to my new role as the Keeper of Stories while raising a stubborn toddler. Plus, the missing persons case at Bay Side Media has fallen into my lap and there are a lot of fairy tales that involve kidnapping. Everything is piling up fast, making me want to rip my planner to shreds and quit adulting. But when my mother vanishes to the mysterious Cygnus Island, I’m forced to face the fairy tales and their villains. Can I kill two birds with one stone?