True Crime Books to Swap With Your Date

Few things say more about a person than the book they hand you. A true crime book swap works on a first or second date because it costs almost nothing, you can do it in a bookshop or a café, and it gives you a reason to meet again once you have both read a little. These five cover murder, history, fraud and investigation, so there is something for most tastes.

The classic: In Cold Blood

Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood was serialised in The New Yorker from September 25, 1965 and published as a book by Random House on January 17, 1966. It tells the story of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, and it is often called the first “non-fiction novel”. Capote spent six years on it. Critics have noted that parts of it differ from real events, which makes it a good prompt for talking about how true stories get told.

The history lover’s pick: The Devil in the White City

Erik Larson’s 2003 book, published by Crown, weaves two stories together: the architect Daniel Burnham and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and H. H. Holmes, who is described as the first serial killer in the United States. It won the 2004 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. It is a good choice if your date likes history as much as mystery.

The one that is not about murder: Bad Blood

John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood, published by Knopf on May 21, 2018, is about Theranos, the blood-testing startup founded by Elizabeth Holmes. Carreyrou began investigating in late 2015 with a series of Wall Street Journal articles, and the book won the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award. It is perfect for people who prefer a con to a killer, and it starts a very good chat about trust.

The investigator’s story: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark

Michelle McNamara’s book about the Golden State Killer was published by HarperCollins on February 27, 2018. McNamara died in April 2016, about two-thirds of the way through the manuscript, and Paul Holes, Bill Jensen and her husband Patton Oswalt completed it. The man later identified as the killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, was arrested about two months after publication. It is as much about the search as the crime, so it suits anyone who loves a patient investigation.

History and justice: Killers of the Flower Moon

David Grann’s book, published by Doubleday on April 18, 2017, covers the murders of wealthy Osage people in Osage County, Oklahoma in the early 1920s, after oil was found beneath their land, and the new FBI’s investigation. Officially at least 20 Osage were killed, and Grann suspects hundreds more may have died. Time included it among the top ten nonfiction books of 2017. It tells the story of real people, so read it with care and give your date room to react.

How to run the swap

Pick one book each, or one you both want to read, and swap them in a bookshop or café. Say a sentence about why you chose it. Ask first whether there is a subject your date would rather avoid. Agree to read a few chapters, then meet again to compare notes, and enjoy the second date you just booked.