When you're looking to get lost in a book, sometimes you need your reading material to match your mood. With Marie Claire's series "Buy the Book," we do the heavy lifting for you. We're offering curated, highly specific recommendations for whatever you're looking for—whether you're in your feels or hooked on a subgenre trending on #BookTok.
In this author-curated rendition, "Crime Junkie" podcast host and All Good People Here and The Missing Half novelist Ashley Flowers shares her recommendations of her favorite crime books.
Ashley Flowers’ true-crime podcast “Crime Junkie” has been the most popular pod in the genre for years, so it’s no wonder that her love for mysteries runs deep. But beyond her fascination with infamous crimes, digging through public records, and researching unsolved cases, much of the podcaster/mystery author’s obsession dates back to her childhood reading material. She cites Nancy Drew books, the work of Agatha Christie, and, as she got older, twisty mystery-thrillers like The Poet by Michael Connelly as what got her hooked.
“I pretty quickly realized that mysteries don’t just happen in books, and often the real-life ones are more unbelievable than fiction,” she tells Marie Claire via email. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been working on a real case and think to myself, I could never put this in a book. No one would believe it.”
Now, a genre veteran herself, Flowers releases her second novel, The Missing Half, on May 6. It follows her No. 1 best-selling debut, 2022’s All Good People Here; this time she teamed with a co-author, Alex Kiester (The Truth About Ben and June). For the new book, the two looked to the complexities between sisters to tell a story about two women, who had a sister disappear years ago, as they join forces when there’s a surprising development in the case.
Though Flowers admits she doesn’t write her books with any real cases in mind, she does leave Easter eggs. “I always find that when I am done and I take a step back, I see small pieces I recognize from real stories—a fact about the abandoned car, or the way a clue is uncovered,” she says. “Avid listeners of my podcasts ‘Crime Junkie’ and ‘The Deck’ will always find parallels because I think we write what we know. And what I know is mystery.”
Here, Flowers has curated a list of her favorite crime books for Marie Claire, from true-crime titles to best-selling works of fiction by genre faves like Lisa Jewell and Gillian Flynn to moving literary fiction.
Ashley Flower's Fiction Crime Novel Recommendations
"Everyone talks about Gone Girl, but my favorite book from the queen of the unreliable narrator is Dark Places. I recently got to meet my writing idol, and she said this one was her favorite, too. It’s a must-read if you’re a true fan of mysteries."
"I fell in love with this book and was shocked to learn after I read it that the author lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, just like me! I’m a stickler about basing my books in reality. What would the cop really say? How could the protagonist actually obtain those records? I thought Don’t Forget The Girl was one of the truest representations of what it’s like for those left behind after a tragedy, woven in a really thought-provoking mystery."
"Prepare to be rocked. This isn’t your traditional whodunit, but it explores a dark topic from the perspective of a victim, who, for most of her life, doesn’t even realize she is one. It’s complicated and beautiful, and everyone I have recommended this book to has said it stayed with them long after reading the final page."
"This is one of my all-time favorite books, and it might come as a surprise to listeners because it is not a straight down the middle mystery/thriller. But if you like 'Crime Junkie' with a touch of 'Full Body Chills' podcast in October, this is right up your alley. It’s about the daughter of an infamous film director who dies, and one journalist's quest to find out if what happened to her is rooted in her father’s cursed work."
"Usually, I gravitate away from books where a podcaster is one of the main characters. I tend to pick it apart technically, which is not the point. But this one I loved! It’s got a main character with questionable motives and next-level twists, all in the setting of making a podcast. What more could someone want?"
Ashley Flower's Non-Fiction Crime Book Recommendations
"Fair warning: This is not an intro to true crime book. This book is for seasoned Crime Junkies who like untangling complicated webs of lies and conspiracies. The story takes the cake. It’s about a credit union in Nebraska whose president was committing financial crimes and allegedly running a child trafficking ring for the country’s rich and powerful. This is one of those stories I’m shocked more people don’t know about. But that might be because there is a concerted effort to make sure people don’t know about it."
"I’ve recommended this book a number of times on my podcast, and it’s one I read every couple of years. Interwoven with stories from his time as a security consultant to celebrities, Gavin de Becker gives you real-world tips and tricks about staying safe and trusting your gut. This is required reading for all Crime Junkies!"
"I got a chance to interview Barbara, and her story is amazing. She’s a badass medicolegal death investigator, and she’ll teach you exactly what that means in this book in a super engaging way."
