A few years ago, a fellow writer here at Book Riot wrote a very comprehensive list of international true crime books. Back then, there was a big gap in the market between US true crime and international true crime books. I’d love to say things are different now, but it’s still a little hard to find stories in this particular genre. Still, there are several that have been published since then, and I put together a small list so more people can add them to their TBRs.
Hopefully we’ll have more lists like this in the future, where we can explore different true crime books from around the world. For this first installment, I picked four different countries whose stories often don’t get the attention they deserve. While each of these stories is unique, at least three of these books have thematic similarities. That was definitely on purpose: I wanted to share true crime books that have a more feminist angle. These are books that are very dear to my heart, that not only talk about these cases but also the larger societal issues surrounding them.
But without further ado, let’s dive into these international true crime books!
International True Crime Books for Your TBR
 Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza (Mexico)Let’s kick things off with a personal favorite, a true crime memoir that is both haunting and beautiful. Liliana’s Invincible Summer was originally written in Spanish, and it won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Memoir or Autobiography. The book explores the femicide of Cristina’s sister Liliana. But it doesn’t focus on the crime itself as much as it attempts to paint a portrait of Liliana and how the criminal justice system failed her and her family. It all comes together to tell a poignant story that captures the pain and trauma of losing someone as well as the systemic violence that women in Mexico live through. All Access Members read on for more international true crime. |
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·