True Crime Casebook: Murder

by Sam Pilger

Investigate 27 spine-chilling murder cases in the recent history of true crime…

How murders are solved and the perpetrators brought to justice proves endlessly fascinating as we try to understand why people commit the ultimate taboo.

Cases include: The St. Valentines Day Massacre, Death on the staircase – the demise of Kathleen Peterson, The faked suicide of actor/director Adrienne Shelly, Oscar Pistorius – from sporting icon to murderer.

What motivated them to kill? Investigate the theories surrounding each case, media commentary and follow the trials. Look at forensic evidence and find out how the case was solved…

Genres: Nonfiction, Crime

176 pages, Paperback

Reviews

[Linnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely adored it. However, I was missing some details I learned previously that should have been in the book, too. One of these missing details was about the Junko Furuta case.

[Lieselot Mauroo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting overall!

While I know of a lot of these cases already (some, like the Diane Downs case, for example, I know very well), this book still provided me with new and different details as well as a different perspective simply from the different writing style.

Some cases I'd never even heard of or only heard/read of in passing.

Reading some of this got me incredibly angry sometimes; unavoidable when I read true crime.

I really like how it was all put together. Each case gave enough information (if it was available, that is) and details to truly and fully be aware of what transpired in that particular case (not an easy feat to accomplish when you only dedicate a few pages to each case, so I commend the writer for that).

[kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love true crime so I ate this up in a couple of short sittings and it was definitely an interesting read.

It hooked me in right from the start and there is definitely a good variety of cases covered in the book, some of which I already knew and some of which I didn't. It was good to see some lesser known ones in there too and they definitely piqued my interest slightly more than ones I already knew about.

I think there is a good baseline of information in the book where it lays out the facts of the murder, the suspects and the trial where possible, however, I think it could have gone further and thats why it is 3 star for me. I enjoyed it though

[Kira K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts:
This is a good, factual collection of murder cases ranging up to modern time. I appreciated that the book managed to stick to the facts and avoid over sensationalising the cases (especially already sensationalised cases like Nicole Brown Simpson and Reeva Steenkamp) and the dedication to being respectful to the victims.

Favourite Quote:
"It is an unsettling fact that while the crimes of murderers repulse and shock, they also hold an endless fascination, as we seek to understand just what could have inspired such evil and make people commit the ultimate taboo."

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For what it is, this is pretty good. It’s a summary of 27 murder cases from 1920’s to present day. Each case given 3/4 pages to provide an overview of the crime, some interesting facts of the case and the trial or outcomes. It’s great to get an overview and then if anything prompts interest you can go look into the cases more. There is a mix of very famous and less famous cases and with different motives. I just read a couple each time and a few I read other books on those murders or Netflix, like introduction and companion book. It’s not trying to be more than it is.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

27 true crime stories from over the years with all of the facts about the case, including the victims, the killers and how they were caught if they were, along with different pictures including crime scene photos, photos of the killer or area that the victim was found etc.
The unsolved are frustrating especially as the victims family will never know or feel justice for their relative.
Loved this.

[Misssamt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars.

[Pamela Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, a quick read and well written

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a pretty good book. It does have some of the most well-known cases that are very interesting. It wasn't the most detailed but it had a diverse range of places it talks about.