true crime

True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people. The crimes most commonly include murder, with tales of serial killers dominating the genre (about 40% in a 2002 survey), but true crime works have also focused on other subjects, for instance policemen memoirs, and more recently reality police TV shows. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to well-established facts in journalistic fashion, or can be highly speculative. Some true crime works are "instant books" produced quickly to capitalize on popular demand; these have been described as "more than formulaic" and hyper-conventional. Others may reflect years of thoughtful research and inquiry and may have considerable literary merit. Still others revisit historic crimes (or alleged crimes) and propose solutions, such as books examining political assassinations, well-known unsolved murders, or the deaths of celebrities. Helter Skelter (1974), the true story of the Manson murders by Vincent Bugliosi is the biggest selling true crime book in publishing history, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood is number two.