I have always been fascinated by serial killer books, sometimes mortified with fear and other times left with disgust. There is always something about deplorable crime when told through books.
I love how true crime stories about serial killers give me a desire to understand the character’s motive(s) to commit some of the most terrible acts. The curiosity to discover what was going through their minds and the chill these books give to my bones make me even more hooked.
Who Are The Most Known Serial Killers?
There are many books that have been written about serial killers, but who are the most known? This is the shortlist of the most notorious serial killers in the US:
- Ted Bundy – The most prolific serial killers in American history, and his crimes were chronicled in the book The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. Bundy confessed to 30 murders, but it is believed that he may have killed more than 100 women.
- John Wayne Gacy – He was another notoriously ruthless killer, and his story was told in the book Killer Clown by Terry Sullivan. Gacy raped and murdered 33 young men and boys, burying many of them in the crawl space beneath his home. He was eventually executed in 1994.
- Jeffrey Dahmer – f you are a true serial killer enthusiast, you know about Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer who garnered significant attention.
I You might have heard of the newly released Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix series, even if you don’t know him. There has been a lot of talk and reaction about it, even on social media platforms like TikTok.
Is There A Jeffrey Dahmer Book?
In a fact, yes. There are many.
If you’re interested in learning more about Jeffrey Dahmer, there are many books available on the subject. Authors who knew Dahmer personally offer insights into his life and mind, while other books focus on the specifics of his crimes.
The following selection has books that will connect you with Jeffrey Dahmer and gives you a bonus of other must-read books about serial killers. Let’s dive in.
What Are The Top Selections of Jeffrey Dahmer Book?
Monster, by Anne E. Schwartz (2021)
Monster is a Jeffrey Dahmer book in which Anne Schwartz explicitly narrates the real story of his shocking murders.
One night in July 1991, two police officers saw a man running handcuffed from Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment. Upon further investigation, the police found gruesome evidence of three human skulls in Jeffrey’s refrigerator and the body parts of at least 11 people around Jeffrey’s house.
Shortly after, Ann, a Milwaukee reporter, broke the story. She had exclusive access to the primary parties involved, and in this book, she details Jeffrey’s dark life, his case, and what transpired afterward.
This book has fascinating details about the horrible crime scenes, the encounter with police officers, and Jeffrey’s trial and sentence. It also sheds light on the forensics and Dahmer’s enthralling murder in prison.
Jeffrey Dahmer, by Jack Rosewood (2017)
This book openly covers many facts about the horrible story of Dahmer’s murders. It is insightful and gripping and captures Jeffrey’s essence as a serial killer. I love how Jack’s writing style is more of a psychological investigation. The book answers the unnerving question about why Jeffrey Dahmer became a serial killer in the first place.
It explains why Jeffrey’s murders are famous, his obsession with his men victims, and his continuous post-mortem corpse defilement. No doubt, the details will be scary to comprehend.
The book unfolds Dahmer’s story of rape, cannibalism, necrophilia, and murder like a Hollywood script. You will be fascinated by how Jeffrey was able to evade justice while his sickness progressed over the years and the impact his crimes had on Milwaukee.
Dahmer’s Confession, by John Borowski (2017)
While many Jeffrey Dahmer books talk about his murders, trial, and dark life, this one is different. It provides Dahmer’s confession, correspondence letters, and greeting cards that show Dahmer was a human being first before turning into a vile monster.
I loved how John Borowski explains Dahmer’s childhood and gives insights into the origin of his attachment issues. This book has no gore pictures from the crime scenes.
Dahmer’s wrongdoing was inexcusable and appalling, but his confessions in this book give you a real-time dialogue and actual hearing from his mouth. This is the real deal if you want to get the meat and bone of Jeffrey’s repulsive murder events.
Outstanding Books about Serial Killers
When a Killer Calls, by John E. Douglas (2022)
When a Killer Calls accounts for the chilling journey of Larry Gene Bell’s crimes. He was one of the most dangerous serial killers John had ever confronted. The book talks about the kidnapping and murders of Shari Smith and Debra May, which occurred in the early 80s.
Larry abducted Shari days before graduation, called her family, and put them through hell over her fate. He went ahead with the calls and continuously became obsessed with Dawn, Shari’s sister, giving her the details of Debra’s kidnapping and murder, including where Shari’s body could be found.
After it became evident that a serial killer was evolving, Douglas was enlisted and devised a strategy to bait the unknown killer. You will marvel at the careful forensic science craft used to manipulate the killer’s psychology and the combined efforts to stop criminal terror.
Hell’s Half-Acre, by Susan Jonusas (2022)
This is the shocking revelation of 1873 Kansas murders by a serial killer family, the Benders. This respectable family buried countless bodies in the trailside cabin beneath the orchard of young apple trees.
This serial killer book also explores the environment that allowed such horrendous events to occur and how the Civil war environment contributed to such a dangerous and corrupt society.
The reason(s) why the Benders committed such a despicable killing spree and whether justice was ever found remains a mystery up to this day.
I loved how Susan introduces an interesting cast of characters while giving a new perspective on new victims. From doomed detectives who lost trail to fugitives that helped the killers escape. How an entire family gets away is shocking, making these pages exciting and educative.
Trailed, by Katherine Miles (2022)
Trailed delves into the unsolved 1996 murders of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness. It tells how Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were brutally killed in Shenandoah National Park.
Unfortunately, the FBI, Virginia Police, and the National Park Service experts ignored their case, which has remained unresolved for years. But Katherine began looking into the lives of these adventurous women.
Thanks to her obsession with this case, she discovered cover-ups in national park incidents, mismatched timelines, conflicting evidence, and some details that don’t add up. The true culprit is a known serial killer, not Rice, who the Attorney General convicted.
Trailed is an eye opener to what happens behind the criminal investigations, a plea to make the wilderness safe, and a call to justice.
Final Thoughts on True Crime, Serial Killer Books
Serial killers have always been fascinating, making them a massive inspiration for books and TV shows. The cold-hearted murders with no remorse are usually shocking, making such stories excellent entertainment mediums.
If you fancy serial killer books or want to learn more about Jeffrey Dahmer, we have provided you with an assortment of the best reads to thrill and repulse you simultaneously.
Check out also our true crime book selection.
End note
As someone who loves reading and believes in a conscious future or humanity, I have to say that I’m disappointed in the current state of true crime. Not the genre itself, but the popularity of the genre. It seems like every other story on Netflix is about a serial killer, and while I’m not opposed to read and watch everything, it shocks how these stories influence us.
I think part of the problem is that we as our society is obsessed with violence. We like watching horror movies and reading about gruesome murders, even though we know it’s all make-believe. But there’s something about true crime that makes it even more frightful. Maybe it’s because we know that these stories actually happened.
Is there any hope for humanity? Honestly one my least visited book selection is spiritual books, which have full of positivity and hope for a better world. I just linked here (maybe Google search will hate me because of that) to show that there is another side we need to discover, not just the dark one.