Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




True Crime Book Reviews Available Now (page 5)


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Cover art for ANATOMY OF INJUSTICE
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 22, 2012

"A powerfully intimate look at how the justice system works--or doesn't work--in capital cases."
A veteran journalist focuses on a grisly murder case to explore the legal issues that commonly arise in our ongoing national debate about capital punishment. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE SERIAL KILLER WHISPERER
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 10, 2012

"Definitely not for the faint of heart, this as a macabre, stomach-turning glimpse at true crime's most evil villains."
A highly disturbing, in-depth look at notorious serial killers. Read full book review >
Cover art for BETRAYAL
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 3, 2012

"An alarming, depressing tale of how law enforcement lost its way, how the insidious line between cop and criminal can be so easily obliterated."
A courageous FBI agent recounts his battle against a corrupt law-enforcement culture that protected one of the nation's most notorious criminals. Read full book review >
Cover art for EL NARCO
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011

"A valuable contribution to the literature of the Drug War."
Accomplished, chilling account of the murderous growth of Mexican drug cartels. Read full book review >
Cover art for ONE AND ONLY
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011

"A real find for Beat aficionados, adding verve to a cherished moment in American history and the novel that came to define it."
Free-spirited adventuress? Read full book review >
Cover art for MURDER IN THE FIRST-CLASS CARRIAGE
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011

"Despite the occasional slow spots, Colquhoun successfully balances suspense with historical accuracy."
Account of the first Victorian railway murder in Britain, and how the broader historical events surrounding the crime shaped the hunt for a killer. Read full book review >
Cover art for AMERICAN DESPERADO
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011

"A savage, unrelenting tale."
A spellbinding narrative of drugs, death and debauchery as told by one of America's most notorious criminals. Read full book review >
Cover art for LAST DAY ON EARTH
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 20, 2011

"A carefully crafted account of a descent into fatal madness."
Acclaimed novelist Vann (Caribou Island, 2011, etc.) alternates his own adolescent fantasies about guns and school shootings with those of Steve Kazmierczak, who on Valentine's Day 2008 killed five and wounded 18 on the Northern Illinois University campus before ending his own life. Read full book review >
Cover art for ASSASSINS OF THE TURQUOISE PALACE
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 4, 2011

"A nonfiction political thriller of a very high order."
Riveting account of a multiple murder and trial that led to a paradigm shift in Europe's relations with post-revolutionary Iran. Read full book review >
Cover art for CARTEL
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 27, 2011

"One-stop shopping for basic knowledge about U.S.-Mexican narcotics diplomacy."
Overview of the war on drugs being fought without relief in Mexico and the United States. Read full book review >
Cover art for DEATH IN THE CITY OF LIGHT
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 27, 2011

"The author's successful transition into the true-crime genre—expertly written and completely absorbing."
The gripping narrative of a twisted serial killer preying on the most vulnerable citizens of Paris during the Nazi occupation. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 20, 2011

"Superb American history."
The shocking shooting and the painful, lingering death of the 20th president. Read full book review >