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RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRUE CRIME BOOKS  AND PODCASTS

I will add to this list as I progress in my reading and listening.
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I read Barbara's book after seeing her featured in the Netflix mini-series "Homicice New York." She's a beautiful writer, and the book is a raw and honest portrayal of her life before and after she became a death investigator for the New York Medical Examiner's office. I highly recommend it. She told me she had a book coach while writing the book, but I think you'll agree she has a natural talent.

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I picked up Paul Hole's book after hearing him on a couple of true crime podcasts. He is a retired cold case investigator (forensics) for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office in California and is best known for his contributions in solving the Golden State Killer case. He is one of the first people to use familial DNA to help identify killers by matching them through genealogy technology. It's a good book and gives you an inside look at what a toll this kind of profession takes on individuals and families.

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Retired Detective Lindsey Wade worked in Tacoma, WA, very near where I live. Once again, I heard her relate an interesting case on Small Town Dicks, a true crime podcast and was intrigued because she was one of the first female detectives in her department. That had to be fun. Because of her tenacity, however, she made a real mark for herself by getting the DNA of sex offenders in Washington State onto the registry before they were released from custody (and potentially never seen again). She was even successful in getting Ted Bundy's DNA added to the national database (even though he's dead) in case he can be linked to any future cold case investigations. While the book is a little dryer than either Paul Hole's or Barbara Butcher's, it's still a good read.

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Small Town Dicks is a true crime podcast I listen to on Amazon. The hosts include two small-town retired detectives and Paul Holes. While I listen to several true crime podcasts, I like this one because they invite other detectives onto the show to review one of their most interesting cases. As the story unfolds, they all chime in on some of the finer points about the law and how investigations are conducted. As a mystery writer, I find it very interesting and learn a lot. 

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Susan Lehmann has a really interesting background, and I think you'll enjoy this book filled with individual tales of how she navigated being a female private investigator.

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This is a great podcast for true crime fans. Billed as a 'historical' true crime show, host Kate Winkler Dawson pairs up with retired cold case investigator Paul Holes to dissect crimes from as far back as the 1800s, looking at them from a current investigative lens.

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A good account of the life and murder of Lita McClinton Sullivan, a black woman who married a white man and lived in the South. This book explores the concepts of race, power, and privilege and ultimately greed of a small-minded man.

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