True Crime Reader

Real-life thrillers, mysteries, and tales of cold-blooded murder from the Reader's Digest archives.

I had no idea that a monster hid behind his perfect mask, but my normally affectionate dog, Toby, instantly sensed the danger - standing in front of me was a serial killer, a sadist whose days and nights were consumed by murderous obsession.

The world’s most secure diamond vault. A team of master thieves. A robbery so clever the alarms never made a sound. In February 2003, a gang carried out one of the most ambitious crimes in history: the Antwerp Diamond Heist. They left no fingerprints. No DNA. No witnesses. So how did they get caught? The Almost Perfect Heist tells the true story behind the legendary break-in — rewritten in clear, simple English for A2–B1 English learners and adult reluctant readers. Discover how Leonardo Notarbartolo charmed a city, assembled a team of specialists, and defeated a vault considered “...

A real-life thriller in the vein of The Devil in the White City, Kate Winkler Dawson's debut Death in the Air is a gripping, historical narrative of a serial killer, an environmental disaster, and an iconic city struggling to regain its footing. London was still recovering from the devastation...

For fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars, this whip-smart thriller follows a sapphic detective agency as they seek the truth behind a growing trail of missing girls in small-town Louisiana. A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated...

AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR A tightly plotted page-turner ripped from the headlines of history, as three very different women must work together to stop a killer and save the truest home they've ever known. Before hypnotism, there was Mesmerism. And in 1894 Minneapolis, in the wake of a national...

Unsolved Murders Murder Mystery For Adults 33 short stories that will have you on the edge of your seat. Unravel the Mysteries of Unsolved Murders In the annals of history, countless murders lie unsolved, shrouded in secrecy, each one an irresistible riddle awaiting your keen intellect. From the ancient assassination of Julius Caesar to the modern-day murder of Tupac Shakur, these unsolved murders have held humanity in their thrall. Embark on a Journey into the Shadows Prepare for a quest into the depths of the inexplicable as you immerse yourself in unsolved murders that have confounded ...

What began as a family lunch ended in tragedy. Four guests sat down to eat. By the next day, they were fighting for their lives. This is the gripping true story behind one of Australia’s most shocking poisoning cases. Deadliest Lunch tells the true-crime story of a quiet meal that turned deadly — rewritten in clear, simple English for A2–B1 English learners and adult reluctant readers. In a small rural town, a family gathers for lunch. Soon after, multiple guests fall seriously ill. As police begin to investigate, disturbing questions emerge. What was served? What was hidden? And who ...

A fake death. A missing canoeist. A global manhunt. This is the unbelievable true story of how one man fooled the police, the public, and even his own sons — and how the truth finally came crashing down. When John Darwin “drowned” at sea, everyone believed it. Everyone except the one person forced to live the lie: his wife, Anne. But faking your own death is never simple. As police search the coastline, reporters swarm the family home, and suspicion spreads through the seaside town of Seaton Carew, Anne must pretend to be a grieving widow — while John secretly hides next door, ...

“Every sin has a price. Every secret has a cost.” Detroit’s streets never forget — and they never forgive. Nikki is a mother fighting demons she can’t put down. Her addiction has cost her everything, including the respect of her son Tee, who’s struggling to build a better life for his own child. But when tragedy strikes and old wounds are reopened, their broken family is pulled right back into the darkness they’ve been trying to escape. Meanwhile, Uncle Nice is on a mission that will shake the city to its core. A man bound by loyalty and blood, he’s out for payback — and ...

Walentin Ivano's murder was no isolated act of brutality. It was the handiwork of one of the most virulent street gangs in American history.

Too much fun wasn't a problem for good-looking Brent Wilson "Wil" Hicks and his athletic girlfriend, Alex Santini. In a case that has drawn comparisons to the infamous Bonnie and Clyde, the couple robbed $500,000 from a half dozen banks then lived the high life on the lam.

Helen Dean was enjoying a smooth recovery from surgery at a New Jersey hospital in August 1993 when a thin, sharp-featured male nurse entered her room and told her son, Larry, to leave. When Larry returned a few minutes later, Helen angrily announced, "He stuck me!" Larry thought that was odd, as his mother wasn't scheduled to receive any medications. Strange, too, was the location of the shot - on her inner thigh, where it was very hard to see.

Eighteen missing people, multiple families grieving, and one person looking for answers in this forensic and moving re-examination of some of Australia's most heartbreaking missing persons cases Every 14 minutes in Australia, someone vanishes. Of the 38,000 missing persons reported each year...

New Saucerian Press proudly presents Valiant Thor's JFK Assassination Reader - one of the last works ever published by the iconic ufologist, conspiracy buff, and best-selling author Gray Barker. This unique edition was guest-curated by the illustrious thinker Valiant Thor and features an introduction by Gray Barker, as well as articles by JFK research notables.

Justin Barber said he and his wife, April, were tipsy and amorous, having celebrated their third wedding anniversary with dinner and cocktails, as they strolled along the water's edge in Jacksonville, Florida. That's when a strange man approached them in an attempted robbery that left April dead, according to Justin's testimony. But when police took a closer look at the case, the details didn't add up.

"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" Mike Gibbs asked as a heavyset man with a duffel bag stepped into the driver's well of his 45-foot-long shuttle bus. "You're not allowed down here while the bus is moving." The man responded by leveling a .38-caliber revolver at the driver's right temple. "We're robbing the bus," he said quietly.

It was dangerous enough being an honest prosecutor in Mexico. But "Pepe" Patino had spent more than a year working closely with the US DEA, investigating a vicious drug syndicate run by two notorious brothers that was pumping cocaine into America, murdering their rivals, and routinely torturing and killing informers.

It was just another normal Southern California day for Gayane Indzheyan in the spring of 2004, when she happened to glance up and notice a man peering at her from the crowded parking lot. He stared at her with a strange intensity until their eyes met, and then he was gone.

There was no distress call, no warning. The airliner and its 115 passengers and crew simply vanished. Get the story behind the detective work that solved the mystery.