New in True Crime

If you’ve been binging true crime podcasts and craving more, San Diego County Library has a wealth of new titles to keep your curiosity fueled. From wrongful convictions to chilling historical cases, these gripping books are sure to captivate any true crime enthusiast.

Investigative journalist Joshua Sharpe uncovers a crime within a crime. Sharpe becomes The Man No One Believed as he delves into the 1985 murder of a Georgia deacon and his wife. Sharpe doesn’t just review the crime, he looks into the conviction of the man jailed for the double homicide through faulty evidence gathering, unreliable witnesses, and town secrets. This is a riveting examination of how one man’s tireless reporting and the work of the Georgia Innocence Project helped to bring about justice.

In May of 2019, Jennifer Dulos disappeared and has never been found. In Murder in the Dollhouse, Rich Cohen explores the search for Jennifer and the eventual arrest and prosecution of her husband. But, as with any riveting true-crime discussion, there is more to this than a straight investigation. Cohen examines Jennifer’s privileged upbringing and her determination to build a picture-perfect life for her children, at any cost. Cohen shows us in thrilling detail the destruction of something that even money can’t buy.

For true horror, fiction writer Jon Stock turns to non-fiction in The Sleep Room, his disturbing account of Dr. William Sargant’s controversial psychiatric treatments in mid-20th century Britain. Dr. Sargant was not a follower of Freud or a proponent of talk therapy, rather he used more extreme practices like insulin narcosis, electro-shock therapy, and lobotomies. Survivors of the “sleep room” in Ward 5 at the Royal Waterloo Hospital share their harrowing experiences in this haunting exploration of medical ethics gone awry.

Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder. Can there be a more attention-grabbing title? If you’re looking for a lighter read in the true crime genre, Rachel McCarthy James takes a darkly humorous look at how an ordinary tool like an axe has impacted society. Throughout human history, the axe has been an important simple machine, but as more sophisticated, powerful tools have usurped its practical uses, it’s drawn more attention for its symbolic roles in films like The Shining and So I Married An Axe Murderer. Fans of Mary Roach’s smart and sarcastic style will find plenty to enjoy.

Can’t wait to dive into these stories? Visit any San Diego County Library or browse online. The Summer Learning Challenge is wrapping up, so if you haven’t picked up a challenge log yet, now’s the time to stop by for your chance to earn a prize and enter the grand prize drawing.