36 Disturbing True Crime Stories of Murder and Mayhem
Three Book Collection: Volumes 19, 20, and 21 of the True Crime Case Histories Series
***** This series can be read in any order *****The true crime genre tends to revolve around the same notorious names, retold and reexamined until every detail becomes familiar. But for every killer who achieved infamy, dozens more committed equally heinous acts that barely made it past the local news. Their victims' stories remain untold, their families' grief unacknowledged by the wider world.
This collection digs deeper, unearthing cases that prove not all monsters are famous. Through careful research and compelling storytelling, these accounts reveal that the most disturbing crimes often happen far from the spotlight—in quiet suburbs, rural communities, and forgotten corners where evil thought no one was watching.
A sampling of the stories includes:The Perfect Murder – She was 26 and planning her dream wedding. Her fiancé seemed perfect—a psychiatric nurse studying to become a doctor. But while she picked out flowers and finalized seating charts, he was Googling “chemicals to dissolve bodies.”
The Body in the Garden – For eighteen years, an eccentric elderly woman hosted neighborhood barbecues. But her guests had no idea she was keeping an unthinkable secret wrapped in plastic in the garden shed, just feet from where children played.
The Bargain Basement – Patients came to him for cosmetic surgery at bargain-basement prices. But when emergency responders arrived at his basement operating room, they found the surgeon trying to save a dying patient with a wire coat hanger.
The Wrong Car – A college senior celebrating her final weeks before law school made the same decision millions make every weekend--she opened an app and requested a ride home. But the car that pulled up wasn't the rideshare she thought it was.
A Shot in the Dark - A respected physician's decade-long affair came to an end, but he had already decided that if he couldn't have his mistress, no one could.
The Crown Hill Murder - A sixteen-year-old girl disappeared from her own home. Her family never suspected that someone they trusted completely had been planning her death for weeks.
The Social Media Killer - When a controlling husband's threats finally escalated to murder, he made a chilling decision: to document his crime in a way that would shock the world.
Plus twenty-nine more chilling true crime cases.These aren’t stories ripped from headlines you’ve already read. They’re deep dives into lesser-known cases, reconstructed from court transcripts, police files, and witness testimony. These aren't padded with speculation or cheap thrills—they're thoroughly researched investigations into humanity's capacity for evil when it believes it's invisible.
Readers love the True Crime Case Histories series:“If you’re a fan of Mindhunter or Forensic Files, you’ll love this series. Real cases, no fluff—just gripping, well-researched storytelling.”
“These aren’t the usual overdone true crime stories. Jason Neal digs up cases I’ve never heard of—and tells them in a way that sticks with you.”
“I thought I’d just read one chapter before bed. Three hours later, I was still turning pages. Totally addictive.”
“What I appreciate most is the balance—factual, respectful, and still completely chilling.”
“You can tell how much research goes into each story. It reads like investigative journalism with the pacing of a thriller.”
“Some true crime books feel sensationalized. Not these. They’re raw, honest, and sometimes hard to read—but impossible to put down.”
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Jason Neal is a bestselling American true crime author who, along with his wife (also a full-time writer), travels the world chasing warm weather and writing from wherever they land.His fascination with true crime began as a kid growing up just south of Seattle, when news of the Green River Killer hit close to home. That early obsession never let go. After a career in music publishing, Jason wrote his first true crime collection in 2019 and hasn't stopped since.He's especially drawn to cases cracked by lucky breaks, dogged detective work, or groundbreaking technology-from early DNA evidence to modern genetic genealogy.