Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Books

Top 5 books that examine a cold case, chosen by Janice Hallett

The author, screenwriter and award-winning journalist selects five books that reexamine a real-life cold case to pin down the perpetrators of terrible crimes

Cold case: a neon-light question mark

Image: Emily Morter on Unsplash

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

A series of home-invasion murders in California are linked by McNamara, who throws herself into uncovering the identity of the prolific Golden State Killer. This exceptional book is a tribute to the author’s commitment in tackling a baffling, stone-cold case.

Alligator Candy by David Kushner

When David’s 11-year-old brother Jon disappeared in early-1970s Florida, the Kushner family were plunged into a nightmare. David retained only patchy memories, so for this moving book he returns to the story as if it were a cold case.

Your support changes lives. Find out how you can help us help more people by signing up for a subscription

The Hunt for the Silver Killer by David Collins

Collins examines the bid to reopen inquests into a series of terrifying alleged murder-suicides in the north-west of England. If they’re right, the killer is at large even as you read this.

The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson

It took 35 years for justice to be served in the murder of Nelson’s aunt, killed as a 23-year-old law student. Nelson blends the events that led to the killer’s arrest, with an examination of the effects of trauma on a family.

Dead in the Water by Penny Farmer

In 1978 Chris Farmer, 25, and his girlfriend, 24-year-old Peta Frampton, were found drowned off the coast of Guatemala. But it would take 40 years to piece together what happened in this cold case, and confront their killer. A tragic and riveting story.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett cover

Janice Hallett is a curator for LoveMyRead’s bespoke book subscription service, and her latest novel, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, is available here.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine, which exists to give homeless, long-term unemployed and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income.To support our work buy a copy! If you cannot reach your local vendor, you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

READER-SUPPORTED SINCE 1991

Reader-supported journalism that doesn’t just report problems, it helps solve them.

Recommended for you

View all
'There's a strong anti-Bond theme': How John le Carré revolutionised the spy novel
Books

'There's a strong anti-Bond theme': How John le Carré revolutionised the spy novel

Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon review – conjuring an unhinged and vaudevillian world
Books

Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon review – conjuring an unhinged and vaudevillian world

Top 5 Midlands-based crime dramas, chosen by filmmaker and author Nigel Proctor
Books

Top 5 Midlands-based crime dramas, chosen by filmmaker and author Nigel Proctor

Big Issue's greatest interviews in history published in a collection for the first time
big issue the great interviews cover
Big Issue

Big Issue's greatest interviews in history published in a collection for the first time