Five contenders for the True Crime Canon
- Brandi Bradley
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
I was on the phone–as I often am–talking to my best friend, Slone. We were in the middle of a swap of voice memos, our latest favorite way to share stories. We can’t always chat on the phone, so I will send her a voice memo while I drive to work and she will return the memo while she is grouting her tub. It’s fun.
Slone has just now gotten into true crime, which is a little funny to me considering how I’ve been deep into true crime research for the past ten years. She’s just now started listening to Dateline podcasts and telling me about the Menendez brothers.
And while we chat, I often suggest other podcasts, documentaries, books, and articles about true crime. The teacher in me cannot help but assign homework.
In one of our voice memos, I suggested that she needed to absolutely watch The Jinx on HBO Max. I proclaimed it was part of the True Crime Canon.
The Canon is what Literary Nerds refer to as the list of classic literature that are canonical to the history of the novel, poetics, philosophy and basically the humanities. There are many discussions about changing the canon, diversifying the canon, or expanding the canon because traditionally it favors the works of a single race and gender.
But all genres and forms have a canon of sorts which represents the foundational compositions of that genre. You cannot talk about the mystery genre without talking about Agatha Christie. You cannot discuss the romance genre without speaking about Nora Roberts. You cannot discuss Science Fiction without referencing Isaac Asimov. These are those works and authors that are often referenced or new contributions will exist in conversation with the previous ones.
Previously, nonfiction about crime had a tiny section of the library or could only be assessed through journalistic articles in The New Yorker, The New York Post, Vanity Fair, and People. When I was very young, we swapped copies of Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me and watched TV dramatizations of stories “based on true events.” Now there are many more offerings which include documentary series, podcasts, and books about the people who become obsessed with certain cases. Many of my friends and students will tell me about listening to TikTokers who recount true crime stories while they put on their makeup.
Personally, I gravitate toward journalism and commentary that tries to be respectful to the victims. Often stories will emerge that seems to be cashing in on the exploitation of someone else’s tragedy. Objectivity, interviews with the people affected by tragedy, and tasteful reenactments are what I am looking for.
So I present here, my list of what I consider contenders to the true crime canon. I’m limited this– as difficult as it is– to a list of five. Which means this is in no way complete. I would love to hear other people’s potential submissions in the comments below. If you or someone you know wants to enhance their true crime knowledge, these are great starters.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (print, literary nonfiction)– Capote loved drama so much that her pioneered the true crime novel. When he heard about the Clutter family murders in the midwest, he packed his valise and called his best friend from childhood Harper Lee, and off they went on a train to interview those effected by this case, including the murderers themselves. This book has been adapted into multiple movies and stood as the basis for two Capote biopics, and each of those has drastically different tones.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (print, memoir) – This is the memoir documenting Michelle McNamara’s obsession with the Golden State Killer. She compiles all of her evidence and includes stories about why she became obsessed with the case and her own relationship with trauma and violence. It’s well-written but not for the faint of heart. The police reports on the crimes of the Golden State Killer is straight nightmare fuel. Her research was instrumental in helping capture the Golden State Killer. After her sudden and tragic death, her fellow citizen detectives carried on and provided the DNA evidence that led to a conviction.
The Jinx (documentary series)– Such a layered story. Season one is much stronger of an offering but if a story is continuing, you want to know what happens next. The Jinx is a documentary that actual had stakes, as Robert Durst did see consequences to his actions as a result of the documentary. I would also say that all the photos and videos from the 70s, 80s, and Times Square in it’s (what’s the opposite of prime?) always delight me. It make me feel like an odd historian. If fictionalized accounts are more your speed, All the Good Things is an excellent film by the same director that’s basically the same story with excellent performances by Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, and the glorious Lily Rabe.
Serial, season 1 (podcast series)– if you are looking at true crime content that has real stakes, then Serial is momentous in that it launched the obsession with the true crime podcast as well as drew attention to the potential wrongful conviction of Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee. This is an ongoing case, even though the podcast only focused on Syed for season 1. There are other follow docs and information about the case, but all of them reference Serial for bringing attention to it, so it helps to begin there.
The Central Park Five (documentary film)– before you can freak out over how the Making A Murderer cops set up Brandon Dassey, you have to view The Central Park Five, where five teenagers were coerced by a team of NYPD officers to confess to the rape and murder of a young woman jogging through the park. A murder that a completely different person – a known serial rapist – also confessed to. There is a reason why teenagers need to be accompanied by a trusted adult while be questioned by police officers. This is often referenced and there were at least two Law & Order episodes based on it.
Obviously, this is just a sampling. If I were to teach a course on true-crime journalism, I would start here because while some of these are flawed, they had an impact on how we tell stories about the criminal justice system, victims, affluence, and the fascination of outsiders on small communities.
Be sure to check out some of my other posts about my favorite True Crime series, hidden gems, and other suggestions that are inspiring my mysteries.
If you’re looking for a story with a lot of drama for your cozy fall reading season, be sure to check out Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder!
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