But it’s no secret the genre has a major discrepancy in the cases that are covered. While there seem to be dozens of books about white serial killers and white victims, the market is lacking in books written by or about people of color. The media’s coverage of these cases reflects this divide, too. While not limited to the recent Gabby Petito case, the media shows a clear preference for covering true crime cases involving white (and often beautiful) women while those about missing and murdered Indigenous and Black women and men get little. This is certainty not the fault of the victims, nor is it a plea to stop covering these cases. But it is a problem. A lack of coverage means a lack of crowdsourcing, of resources, and of general awareness about the injustices committed against people of color. If you’re a true crime book lover, here are books about missing and murdered Black, Indigenous, and people of color to start diversifying your bookshelves. Most are nonfiction, but there are a few fiction options as well, if that’s more your speed.
Nonfiction
Fiction
For further reading on missing and murdered people of color, I suggest the website Our Black Girls that shares the under-represented cases of missing and murdered Black women and these five books about missing and murdered Indigenous women.
