Case Files: The Best True Crime Audiobooks on Audible

Audiobook list · Updated November 2026

Case Files: The Best True Crime Audiobooks on Audible

These are the true crime audiobooks on Audible worth the runtime. The list starts with the Audie winners and Audible editors’ picks, then Audible Originals, then covers serial killers, famous cases, the mob and the justice system.

By Peter Clemens · Originally published February 2024 · Updated November 2026

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If you only listen to three

Not sure where to start? Try one of these.

  1. Evil Has a NameThe Golden State Killer case told by the people who solved it, with more than 21,000 ratings at 4.8.
    See it ↓
  2. Just MercyBryan Stevenson reads his own story, rated 4.9 by more than 18,000 listeners.
    See it ↓
  3. Bad BloodThe Theranos fraud, with nearly 40,000 ratings at 4.8.
    See it ↓
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Audie Winners and Audible Editors’ Picks

Audie Award winners and titles Audible’s editors have singled out.

Cover of the Grace Will Lead Us Home audiobook by Jennifer Berry Hawes
2020 Audie winner

Grace Will Lead Us Home

by Jennifer Berry Hawes
Read by Jennifer Berry Hawes and Karen ChiltonLength 12h 43m

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jennifer Berry Hawes tells the story of the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and its aftermath. It won the 2020 Audie Award for Best Non-Fiction, and AudioFile called the performance an exceptional one on a difficult subject. The author reads the introduction. Rated 4.7 on Audible.

Cover of the The Ransomware Hunting Team audiobook by Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden
2023 Audie winner

The Ransomware Hunting Team

by Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden
Read by BD WongLength 11h 37m

A real-life technological thriller about a band of eccentric misfits taking on the biggest cybersecurity threats of our time. It won the 2023 Audie Award, and AudioFile said BD Wong narrates it as if he is pitching the story for a movie. Rated 4.2 on Audible.

Cover of the Not a Very Good Murderer audiobook by Ronan Farrow
Editors’ pick, 2025

Not a Very Good Murderer

by Ronan Farrow
Read by Ronan FarrowLength 4h 17m

Kidnapping plots, arson, jewel heists and attempted murder in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ronan Farrow narrates this audio documentary about socialite and former Miss Arizona Cece Doane. More than 2,800 ratings at 4.3. Audible’s editors named it among the best audiobooks of 2025.

Cover of the Finding the Lost Girls audiobook by Paul Holes and Peter McDonnell
Audible Editors Select

Finding the Lost Girls

by Paul Holes and Peter McDonnell
Read by Paul HolesLength 4h 24m

A serial killer’s victims stayed unfound for decades. Paul Holes, one of America’s most celebrated detectives, reopens the cases, and you hear the investigation unfold in real time. He narrates it himself. More than 1,300 ratings at 4.6. It carries Audible’s Editors Select tag.

Cover of the Bad Blood audiobook by John Carreyrou
Editors’ pick

Bad Blood

by John Carreyrou
Read by Will DamronLength 11h 37m

The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, one of the biggest corporate frauds in history, reported by a prize-winning investigative journalist. Will Damron reads it, and with nearly 40,000 ratings at 4.8 it is the most-rated book here. It is on Audible’s own list of the best true crime audiobooks, and Audie Award winner Will Damron reads it.

Audible Originals

True stories made for Audible, many told by the people who worked the cases.

Cover of the Evil Has a Name audiobook by Paul Holes, Jim Clemente and Peter McDonnell
Audible Original

Evil Has a Name

by Paul Holes, Jim Clemente and Peter McDonnell
Read by Paul Holes and Jim ClementeLength 6h 13m

The story of how the Golden State Killer was caught, told first-hand by the people closest to the case, including Paul Holes, the forensic criminologist who spent 20 years on it. It adds all-new details to the story in I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. More than 21,000 ratings at 4.8.

Cover of the Chase Darkness with Me audiobook by Billy Jensen
Audible Original

Chase Darkness with Me

by Billy Jensen
Read by Billy Jensen and Karen KilgariffLength 8h 19m

Journalist Billy Jensen spent 15 years investigating unsolved murders, and he invites you to gather the clues the police overlooked and identify the suspect. Jensen reads it with Karen Kilgariff of My Favorite Murder. More than 10,000 ratings at 4.6.

Cover of the Call Me God audiobook by Jim Clemente, Tim Clemente and Peter McDonnell
Audible Original

Call Me God

by Jim Clemente, Tim Clemente and Peter McDonnell
Read by Maureen O’ConnellLength 7h 4m

In October 2002, a loud crack in a Maryland shopping plaza began 23 days of terror across the Washington, DC area. Maureen O’Connell narrates this Audible Original about the hunt for the sniper. More than 5,800 ratings at 4.7.

Cover of the A Devil in the Valley audiobook by Paul Holes and Peter McDonnell
Audible Original

A Devil in the Valley

by Paul Holes and Peter McDonnell
Read by Jim Clemente and Paul HolesLength 4h 36m

In 1994, a young cold-case investigator named Paul Holes puts the Golden State Killer case aside while he waits for science to catch up, and goes looking for another cold case he can work. Told as a true story by Holes and Jim Clemente, with more than 1,300 ratings at 4.7.

Cover of the Trace of Doubt audiobook by Samantha Weinberg
Audible Original

Trace of Doubt

by Samantha Weinberg
Read by Samantha WeinbergLength 4h 29m

In 1985, a brilliant young British DNA scientist, Helena Greenwood, is found murdered in her front garden in California. Samantha Weinberg, who has written an award-winning book about the case, narrates this look at DNA evidence and doubt. More than 1,500 ratings at 4.1.

Cover of the After the Fall audiobook by Peter McDonnell
Audible Original

After the Fall

by Peter McDonnell
Read by Dion GrahamLength 8h 30m

The true story of the FBI’s groundbreaking investigation into the 9/11 attacks, the deadliest crime in modern US history. Dion Graham narrates this Audible Original, which has a 4.9 rating.

Cover of the Finding Tamika audiobook by Erika Alexander and others
Audible Original

Finding Tamika

by Erika Alexander and others
Read by Erika AlexanderLength 5h 42m

Black girls and women disappear every day, but not without a trace. Erika Alexander leads this true crime drama about the disappearance of Tamika Huston, and it was a 2023 duPont-Columbia award winner for excellence in journalism. More than 3,500 ratings at 4.6.

Cover of the Twisted audiobook by Mary Pilon and Carla Correa
Audible Original

Twisted

by Mary Pilon and Carla Correa
Read by Mary Pilon and Carla CorreaLength 5h 17m

The authors chronicle the USA Gymnastics scandal from the start, tracking the institutions Larry Nassar hid behind and the women who eventually brought him to justice. They read it themselves, and it has more than 3,000 ratings at 4.8.

Serial Killers and Profilers

The FBI profilers who wrote the playbook, and the killers they chased.

Cover of the Mindhunter audiobook by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
FBI profiler

Mindhunter

by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Read by Richard M. DavidsonLength 15h 24m

John Douglas looks back on his 25-year career in the FBI’s Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to get inside the minds of killers. It inspired the Netflix series. Richard M. Davidson reads it, and it has more than 10,000 ratings on Audible at 4.6.

Cover of the The Killer Across the Table audiobook by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
FBI profiler

The Killer Across the Table

by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Read by Jonathan GroffLength 11h 7m

Douglas revisits four of the most disturbing predatory killers he interviewed, with details he had never revealed about how he profiles them. Jonathan Groff, star of Netflix’s Mindhunter, performs it and talks with Douglas in an exclusive conversation at the end. More than 6,300 ratings at 4.8.

Cover of the The Stranger Beside Me audiobook by Ann Rule
Classic

The Stranger Beside Me

by Ann Rule
Read by Lorelei KingLength 18h 29m

Ann Rule, called America’s best true-crime writer by Kirkus, tells the story of the murders in the Pacific Northwest and her shock when she discovered that her friend Ted Bundy was a suspect. Lorelei King reads it, and nearly 11,000 listeners have rated it 4.6.

Cover of the The Night Stalker audiobook by Philip Carlo
Serial killer

The Night Stalker

by Philip Carlo
Read by Tom ZingarelliLength 18h 29m

Richard Ramirez left 13 dead and paralyzed Los Angeles with fear. Philip Carlo’s classic is based on years of research, and Tom Zingarelli’s voice gives it gravitas and suspense. More than 2,000 ratings at 4.5.

Cover of the American Predator audiobook by Maureen Callahan
Manhunt

American Predator

by Maureen Callahan
Read by Amy LandonLength 9h 3m

Maureen Callahan’s hunt for Israel Keyes, subtitled the most meticulous serial killer of the 21st century. It was a New York Times bestseller and an Amazon Best Book of 2019, and Amy Landon reads it. More than 8,000 ratings at 4.5.

Famous Cases and Forensics

The cases people still talk about, and the science that helps solve them.

Cover of the Helter Skelter audiobook by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
Manson

Helter Skelter

by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
Read by Scott BrickLength 26h 29m

Vincent Bugliosi prosecuted the Manson trial, and this is his insider account of the Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson’s followers. Scott Brick reads all 26 hours, with more than 10,000 ratings at 4.6.

Cover of the In Cold Blood audiobook by Truman Capote
Classic

In Cold Blood

by Truman Capote
Read by Scott BrickLength 14h 27m

Truman Capote’s account of the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, which the New York Times Book Review said chills the blood and exercises the intelligence. Scott Brick reads it, and it has more than 15,000 ratings at 4.4.

Cover of the The Five audiobook by Hallie Rubenhold
Jack the Ripper

The Five

by Hallie Rubenhold
Read by Louise BrealeyLength 10h 19m

The untold lives of the five women killed by Jack the Ripper, and a portrait of Victorian London. It won the 2019 Baillie Gifford Prize. Louise Brealey, who was also part of the cast of The Girl on the Train, the 2016 Audie Audiobook of the Year, reads it. More than 1,500 ratings at 4.5.

Cover of the The Poisoner’s Handbook audiobook by Deborah Blum
Forensic science

The Poisoner’s Handbook

by Deborah Blum
Read by Coleen MarloLength 9h 14m

Deborah Blum writes with a skill for suspense, telling the untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. Coleen Marlo reads it, and more than 2,600 listeners rate it 4.2.

The Mob

Hit men, bosses and the families that ran New York.

Cover of the Five Families audiobook by Selwyn Raab
Mafia history

Five Families

by Selwyn Raab
Read by Paul CostanzoLength 33h 54m

The Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Colombo and Lucchese families ruled New York for decades and built the American Mafia. Paul Costanzo’s narration brings clarity and gravitas to a history this long, and it has more than 3,000 ratings at 4.5. At nearly 34 hours, it is the longest listen here.

Cover of the Wiseguy audiobook by Nicholas Pileggi
Basis for GoodFellas

Wiseguy

by Nicholas Pileggi
Read by Ari FliakosLength 8h 15m

The true-crime bestseller behind Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas, following Henry Hill from a Brooklyn kid who wanted to be a wiseguy. This edition includes an introduction written and read by Scorsese himself, and it has more than 3,000 ratings at 4.9.

Cover of the The Irishman audiobook by Charles Brandt
Scorsese film

The Irishman

by Charles Brandt
Read by Scott BrickLength 15h 13m

Originally published as I Heard You Paint Houses, the New York Times bestseller behind Martin Scorsese’s film with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. Scott Brick reads it, with more than 3,400 ratings at 4.7.

Cover of the Murder Machine audiobook by Gene Mustain and Jerry Capeci
Hit men

Murder Machine

by Gene Mustain and Jerry Capeci
Read by Victor BevineLength 15h 22m

The DeMeo gang were the most deadly hit men in organized crime, so feared by their own Mafia higher-ups that they were called the Murder Machine. Victor Bevine reads it, and it has a 4.7 rating.

Justice, Scandals and Heists

A broken system, a pill mill and one very strange nut theft.

Cover of the Just Mercy audiobook by Bryan Stevenson
Justice

Just Mercy

by Bryan Stevenson
Read by Bryan StevensonLength 11h 11m

Bryan Stevenson reads his own account of founding the Equal Justice Initiative to defend the poor and the wrongly condemned. A number-one New York Times bestseller that Kirkus named one of the best nonfiction books of the century, with more than 18,000 ratings at 4.9.

Cover of the Brooklyn North audiobook by Peter McDonnell and Josh Sanburn
Audible Original

Brooklyn North

by Peter McDonnell and Josh Sanburn
Read by Aaron GoodsonLength 6h 44m

The true story of four Black men wrongfully convicted of murder, nearly all connected to a once-legendary NYPD homicide detective, Louis Scarcella. Aaron Goodson narrates this Audible Original, which has a 4.8 rating.

Cover of the American Pain audiobook by John Temple
Opioid crisis

American Pain

by John Temple
Read by Charlie ThurstonLength 10h 18m

American Pain was a Florida megaclinic built to serve addicts posing as patients, and the king of the state’s pill mills. Charlie Thurston reads it, and it has more than 1,300 ratings at 4.6.

Cover of the Nut Jobs: Cracking California’s Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist audiobook by Marc Fennell
Audible Original

Nut Jobs: Cracking California’s Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist

by Marc Fennell
Read by Marc FennellLength 3h 59m

Dozens of truckloads disappeared from American highways in a matter of months, and what they carried was nuts. Marc Fennell narrates a rabbit hole of crime syndicates, stolen identities and private investigators. Nearly 10,000 ratings at 4.3.

True crime audiobooks: common questions

What are the best true crime audiobooks to start with?

Evil Has a Name, Just Mercy and Bad Blood are the most-rated of the picks here, each at 4.8 or higher. If you want a classic, start with In Cold Blood or Helter Skelter.

Which of these true crime audiobooks are Audible Originals?

Chase Darkness with Me, Evil Has a Name, Call Me God, A Devil in the Valley, Finding the Lost Girls, After the Fall, Trace of Doubt, Brooklyn North, Finding Tamika, Twisted, Not a Very Good Murderer and Nut Jobs. Audible Originals are made for audio and are only available on Audible.

What are the shortest true crime audiobooks here?

Nut Jobs runs 3 hours 59 minutes, Not a Very Good Murderer 4 hours 17 minutes, Finding the Lost Girls 4 hours 24 minutes and Trace of Doubt 4 hours 29 minutes.

Which true crime audiobooks are read by the people who lived the story?

Paul Holes reads Finding the Lost Girls and shares Evil Has a Name with Jim Clemente. Bryan Stevenson reads Just Mercy, Billy Jensen reads Chase Darkness with Me, and Mary Pilon and Carla Correa read Twisted.

Which of these true crime audiobooks have won an Audie Award?

Grace Will Lead Us Home won the 2020 Audie Award for Best Non-Fiction, and The Ransomware Hunting Team won an Audie in 2023. Bad Blood is read by Audie Award winner Will Damron.

Where can I find more true crime audiobooks?

See my other true crime list, which has completely different picks, from Killers of the Flower Moon to the Lizzie Borden trial.

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