True Crime Fiction Menu: February 2024 Edition
What I've been consuming lately in the true crime and crime fiction universes
It’s been a snowy and frigid February in my corner of the world, which makes it the perfect month to hunker down with some good longreads and docuseries. Brew a cuppa and let’s do some true crime and crime fiction consumption!
Give it a click!
For my history heads, take a look at Slate’s fun overview of Gilded Age gentleman bank robber “Western George” Leslie, and then go even further back for this short but meaty tour of the “long and bloody history of true crime lit.”
For my science heads, an unexpected pairing of a nuclear weapons lab and a serial killer, and for those of you who are interested in environmental crime and agree that Barry was one of the finest crime fiction texts of the last decade, take a look at this article about organized crime and sand trafficking, and remember NoHo Hank.
For my “but is it canon” heads, I’d love to hear your thoughts on two recent true-crime syllabi: this one from JSTOR, and this one from Slate. Personally, I would have liked to have seen some more unconventional picks in terms of both content and genre.
Stop the presses, a new Alice Bolin essay dropped on the troubling commodification of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and, unfortunately behind a paywall, Say Nothing author Patrick Radden Keefe has a buzzy novella-length piece on a mysterious death in the New Yorker.
Give it a listen!
I’ve been busy catching up on The Runaway Princesses, a four-part audio narrative retelling and contextualizing a New Yorker article about why the ruler of Dubai’s daughters are so desperate to escape him. As much as I’m enjoying the story, what’s even more exciting is it’s the first production from the magazine’s collab with the esteemed and much missed podcast In the Dark, and heralds the imminent arrival of season 3!
If you’re in the mood for an investigative pod that chronicles the alarming intersection of political violence with a truly astounding level of dumbassery, I’ve heard good things about Chameleon: The Michigan Plot.
A trusted friend of the newsletter has recommended The Wedding Scammer as an entertaining picaresque about an ostentatious swindler that also takes time to interrogate the conventions of the true-crime podcasting genre.
Give it a stream!
(mild spoilers below)
I ended up liking American Nightmare more than I expected, mainly because I think it managed to avoid wallowing in the salacious and re-traumatizing details of the kidnapping/no the boyfriend did it/no the girlfriend made it up/no actually the police are sexist idiots narrative in favor of allowing the victim ample time and space to tell her story on her terms.
Crime Fiction Corner
By the time you read this I will have streamed the last episode of True Detective: Night Country. The series has been ferociously divisive in my corner of the internet, and I will say that my final take on the show is not going to have much to do with how or whether Issa López is able to wrap up the central mystery. I do know that I can’t stop thinking or talking about it, which means it must be doing something right! Here’s a spoiler-free look at how the show is part of a tradition that melds crime fiction and horror from CrimeReads.
I’ll close with a new Menu category, Give it a subscribe! Jason Frowley is turning out top-notch content over on his Crime & Psychology substack. I particularly enjoyed this deep dive on the inherent pathology of bureaucracy:
And that’s it for February! See you next week for a look at the next nominee for the Fact Crime (ugh) Edgar Award!
I LOVED this season of True Detective, and especially the finale. Eager to hear your thoughts on it.
Many thanks indeed for the recommendation, Tracy! I really appreciate it.