Why are we fascinated by man's inhumanity to man — especially when it comes in the form of ritual slayings? Psychologists and philosophers may argue over these questions for centuries to come, but one possible answer is that it just makes for a darn good read. With this selection of chilling tales, you can journey inside the labyrinth of a serial killer's mind.
The character of the serial killer is the central part of all the titles we have picked and we hope you find this list useful.
This is a list of books about serial killers in alphabetical order.
(See also Top 15 Serial Killer Artists)
(See also Top 35 Fictional Serial Killers)
(See also The 100 Best Serial Killer Movies)
(See also The 25 Best Songs About Serial Killers)
(See also Top 8 Famous Serial Killers And Their Music Choices)
1. American Psycho (1991)
Author: Bret Easton Ellis
2. Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story Of A Doctor Who Got Away With Murder (1999)
Author: James B. Stewart
A medical thriller from Pulitzer Prize; winning author James B. Stewart about serial killer doctor Michael Swango and the medical community that chose to turn a blind eye on his criminal activities.
3. Bluebeard (1659)
Author: Charles Perrault
This classical French fairy tale about an evil nobleman with ugly blue beard who killed his wives is the first sample of the serial killer thriller. Nobody knows why Bluebeard is so cruel — neither reader nor the main character, a young female investigator, his new wife, who can expose the killer but can't defend herself without her brothers' help.
4. Criminal (2012)
Author: Karin Slaughter
Criminal is Slaughter’s sixth book to feature Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Agent Will Trent, and is the first one to dig deep into Trent’s childhood and the horrific killer that molded his future. You really can’t go wrong with any of Karin Slaughter’s novels, especially if you like your crime stories with a distinctive southern grit and flavour, but Criminal is a jewel in her proverbial crown. Emotional and disturbing, this will keep you turning pages late into the evening.
5. Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004)
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Meet Dexter, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing...a monster who cringes at the site of blood...a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: “he only kills bad people.”
6. Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho (1989)
Author: Harold Schechter
If soup bowls shaped like human skulls are part of your Halloween décor, here's your chance to meet the man who created the original design. Wisconsin farmhand, grave-robber and murderer Ed Gein, the man who inspired characters in the films Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs, is introduced through the meticulous research of author Harold Schechter.
7. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (2002)
Author: Erik Larson
Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor.
8. Exquisite Corpse (1996)
Author: Poppy Z. Brite
Exquisite Corpse is the third horror novel by Poppy Z. Brite. The protagonist of the story is Andrew Compton, an English convicted homosexual serial killer and cannibal.
9. From Hell (1999)
Author: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
From Hell is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1996 and collected in 1999, speculating upon the identity and motives of Jack the Ripper.
10. Gilles et Jeanne (1983)
Author: Michel Tournier
Michel Tournier, one of the best French writers of late XXth century with delicate taste to perversion and deviations, reconstructs the story of Gilles de Rais, the famous Breton serial killer of the 15th century, the prototype of Bluebeard and even of the ogre from Hop-o'-My-Thumb. Gilles de Rais raped and killed countless children in his castle before he was exposed and executed, but Tournier reminds us about his past and studies the way the celebrated French general and the associate of Jeanne d'Arc became one of the first documented serial killer in history.
11. Green River Killer: A True Detective Story (2011)
Author: Written by Jeff Jensen and illustrated by Jonathan Case
This graphic novel tells the story of the Green River Killer, Gary Leon Ridgway, from an unexpected perspective. Author Jeff Jensen is the son of the Seattle police detective spent 188 days interviewing Ridgway and uncovering the chilling details of the dozens of murders he committed.
12. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders (1974)
Author: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
With more than seven million copies sold, this account of the Manson murders is one of the most well-known and highly regarded crime stories ever written. Written by Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecuting attorney in the Charles Manson's trial, it offers first-person insight on the baffling murders that Manson and his followers committed.
13. In Cold Blood (1965)
Author: Truman Capote
If you prefer a scary story with a literary bent, now's the time to read -- or re-read -- "In Cold Blood." In this masterpiece of literary nonfiction, Truman Capote dives into the quadruple murder of a family in Holcomb, Kansas. He expresses the utter brutality of the murders while showing an unexpected empathy for the killers. It's not a straightforward biography, but Capote's careful research and one-on-one interviews tell the stories of two real-life men who committed an unthinkable crime.
14. Intensity (1987)
Author: Dean Koontz
Past midnight, Chyna Shepard, twenty-six, gazes out a moonlit window, unable to sleep on her first night in the Napa Valley home of her best friend’s family. Instinct proves reliable. A murderous sociopath, Edgler Foreman Vess, has entered the house, intent on killing everyone inside. A self-proclaimed “homicidal adventurer,” Vess lives only to satisfy all appetites as they arise, to immerse himself in sensation, to live without fear, remorse, or limits, to live with intensity. Chyna is trapped in his deadly orbit.
15. Mademoiselle de Scudéri. A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV (1819)
Author: E. T. A. Hoffmann
One of the earliest examples of the classic murder mystery, Hoffman’s remarkable book has been the inspiration for a host of thriller and crime writers. Parisian goldsmith Monsieur Cardillac is a genius at his craft. Greatly admired throughout Paris, he is renowned for his works of exquisite and matchless beauty. So much so, that it seems the desire to possess his creations is enough to lead to murder.
16. Mercy (1990)
Author: David L. Lindsey
Detective Carmen Palma is one of the most fascinating creations in crime fiction, and in Mercy, she must track down a very vicious and cunning sexual killer who seems to be anything but a stranger to the victims, and may in fact even be welcomed into their homes. David Lindsey is one of the best, and his Houston-based novels are atmospheric, complex, and haunting.
17. Monkeewrench (2003)
Author: P.J. Tracy
Entitled Want to Play? for its UK release, Monkeewrench introduces the damaged and emotionally distant Grace McBride. She, along with her colourful colleagues at software company Monkeewrench, must capture a killer who is using their new game Serial Killer Detective as a template for a killing spree. Yes, real life is mirroring art, with the most brutal of consequences. The author plumbs some pretty dark territory and the addition of quirky characters makes it a fast and furious read. This was great debut to a fairly solid series which peters off a little in the latest.
18. My Friend Dahmer (2012)
Author: Derf Backderf
When you think of Jeffrey Dahmer, the first two words that come to mind probably aren't "tragic figure." But this graphic novel paints a sympathetic self-portrait of the author's high school friend, Jeff, revealing the disturbingly sad early life of a serial killer. After a horrific adolescent experience, Dahmer would go on to commit seventeen murders that involved rape, dismemberment and cannibalism.
19. Nobody's Women: The Crimes and Victims of Anthony Sowell, the Cleveland Serial Killer (2012)
Author: Steve Miller
Written
by investigative journalist Steve Miller, "Nobody's Women" tells the
sordid tale of a Cleveland-based ex-marine and registered sex offender
who butchered women and lived among their corpses. Miller also shares
the stories of the murdered women -- primarily prostitutes and junkies
-- and explains how their deaths were avenged.
20. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (1985)
Author: Patrick Süskind
An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion — his sense of smell — leads to murder.
21. Psycho (1959)
Author: Robert Bloch
It was a dark and stormy night when Mary Crane glimpsed the unlit neon sign announcing the vacancy at the Bates motel. Exhausted, lost, and at the end of her rope, she was eager for a hot shower and a bed for the night. Her room was musty but clean and the plumbing worked. Norman Bates, the manager, seemed nice, if a little odd.
22. Red Dragon (1980)
Author: Thomas Harris
Red Dragon is a novel by American author Thomas Harris, first published in 1980. It introduced the character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer.
23. Rusty Nail (2006)
Author: J.A. Konrath
The third in J.A. Konrath’s wonderful Jack Daniels series, featuring Lt Jacqueline Daniels of the Chicago Police Dept, introduces a diabolical and unique killer that gives Jack a run for her money, and then some. Part of the charm in this series lies in how the author manages to make you laugh out loud in the middle of some pretty gruesome situations, without taking away from the story.
24. Silence of the Lambs (1988)
Author: Thomas Harris
The Silence of the Lambs: As part of the search for a serial murderer nicknames "Buffalo Bill," FBI trainee Clarice Starling is given an assignment. She must visit a man confined to a high-security facility for the criminally insane and interview him.
That man, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, is a former psychiatrist with unusual tastes and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of The Silence of the Lambs -- an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.
25. Sharp Objects (2006)
Author: Gillian Flynn
The novel follows Camille Preaker, a newspaper journalist who must return to her hometown to report on a series of brutal murders.
The story is surprising and unconventional, with an unforgettable protagonist - much of her body scarred with words she has carved into her own flesh.
26. The Bone Collector (1997)
Author: Jeffrey Deaver
In this gripping thriller, Jeffery Deaver takes readers on a terrifying ride into two ingenious minds...that of a physically challenged detective and the scheming killer he must stop. The detective was the former head of forensics at the NYPD, but is now a quadriplegic who can only exercise his mind. The killer is a man whose obsession with old New York helps him choose his next victim. Now, with the help of a beautiful young cop, this diabolical killer must be stopped before he can kill again!
27. The Collector (1963)
Author: John Robert Fowles
Withdrawn, uneducated and unloved, Frederick collects butterflies and takes photographs. He is obsessed with a beautiful stranger, the art student Miranda. When he wins the pools he buys a remote Sussex house and calmly abducts Miranda, believing she will grow to love him in time. Alone and desperate, Miranda must struggle to overcome her own prejudices and contempt if she is understand her captor, and so gain her freedom.
28. The Killer Inside Me (1952)
Author: Jim Thompson
Texas native Jim Thompson was the author of more than 30 novels, and known for his particularly gritty pulp sensibility. Published in 1952, The Killer Inside Me is about Texas Sheriff Lou Ford, who is hiding a very different side of himself from a community that admires him. Told in first person, it gives a chilling glimpse into the mind of a killer whose sexually violent tendencies threaten to take over his entire personality.
29. The Lovely Bones (2002)
Author: Alice Sebold
The Lovely Bones is the story of a family devastated by a gruesome murder -- a murder recounted by the teenage victim. Upsetting, you say? Remarkably, first-time novelist Alice Sebold takes this difficult material and delivers a compelling and accomplished exploration of a fractured family's need for peace and closure.
30. The Monster of Florence (2008)
Author: Douglas Preston
Author Douglas Preston moved his family to a villa in Florence, Italy only to learn that an unsolved double murder was committed on the olive grove next door. The killer -- who hasn't been caught -- is known as the Monster of Florence and is believed to be responsible for the murders of seven couples, all of whom were killed while parked in their cars in the Italian countryside. Preston's involvement with the case makes for a dark and suspenseful read.
31. The Shining Girls (2012)
Author: Lauren Beukes
The Shining Girls is a novel by South African author Lauren Beukes. The book centers around a time-traveling Depression-era drifter who must murder the "shining girls" in order to continue his travels.
32. The Stranger Beside Me (1980)
Author: Ann Rule
Ever have a co-worker who creeped you out a bit? Author Ann Rule tells her story of sharing the late shift at a suicide hotline in 1971, working alongside a seemingly sensitive man named Ted Bundy. "The Stranger Beside Me" shares her terrifying realization that her colleague was one of the world's most prolific serial killers -- who would eventually confess to killing thirty-six young women from across the United States.
33. Twisted Tree (2009)
Author: Kent Meyers
Hayley Jo was murdered by a serial killer who preys on girls with eating disorders, and we see her only through the eyes of others — family members, acquaintances, and her killer.
Each chapter is a story in its own right, yet the narratives are beautifully and brilliantly interconnected to form a stunning whole.
34. When She Was Bad (2007)
Author: Jonathan Nasaw
Former FBI agent EL Pender has quite a bit on his hands with this terrifying thriller. Lily DeVries and Ulysses Maxwell are in love, and they’re also quite mad. After a blood-soaked escape from the mental institution where they were both housed, they proceed to engage in a terrifying crime spree. Pender, along with psychiatrist Dr Irene Cogan, must catch these two in order to stop their reign of terror.
35. Where Serpents Lie (1998)
Author: T. Jefferson Parker
In Where Serpents Lie, Parker takes us to Southern California, where Terry Naughton of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is hunting a particularly nasty child killer who has been dubbed The Horridus. T Jefferson Parker writes consistently excellent crime fiction, but Where Serpents Lie is absolutely terrifying, and the snakes in the title aren’t metaphorical.