This book has a bit of everything. Killers and survivors, U.S. cases as well as international cases. What I liked the most was the focus on the injustice commited against marginalized communities. There were several cases I already knew about, but many others were new to me. I actually feel I learned a lot from this book. It was a good read over all.

I appreciated the format and the brieveity of most of the stories told. It gives space for a lot of content, and said content doesn't stop at crimes or gruesome murders.

We learn about the way the police scientific developped over the years, but also about how it was wrongly used in the first years, back when only hair were used.

We learn about weird cases, too, people stealing fishes, drunk friends stealing a dead body to cremate it in a park.

It was a very good read, something to cut through my fiction books, on part at a time. It's something great to have on hand and read every now and then. The writing made even the stories I already knew about, and it's pretty informative if you like anything crime-related.

Fascinating book. All about true crime from A-Z. Kim Daly's writing keeps you turning pages until the end. A definite recommendation

I am a huuuuge true crime enthusiast and this encyclopedia has everything a true crime fan wants!! From legal concepts to quizzes/games and pictures from each popular criminal in history.

This book is chock full of interesting true crime stories and is written in an engaging manner.
I recommend this for all true crime buffs.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The True Crime File by Workman Publishing.

This is the perfect little handbook, a starter pack if you will, of true crime stories. Each account is normally no more than a page of either a famous true crime story, or a piece of science or psychology that helped advance the world of criminology. You will not get a single deep dive into any of it, which is why I call it a starter pack. I chuckled at a few of the cases, like Lorena Bobbit, a case so complex that there is a multiple episode documentary on it, yet this boils it down to one page. However, I believe that was the whole point of the book, and it made for a quick and true crime loving read.

The format, of short entries on all things true crime, worked really well when I was standing in line or waiting somewhere and needed something to read that didn't mean I got too involved. It's not an in-depth look at anything and the organization is a little wonky, but easy to read and there were different stories along with the ones people are more familiar with.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Workman Publishing Company and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A collection of true crime stories, stats and info. Perfect for the true crime fan.

I found this book to be only somewhat interesting. The stories were too short, with little detail. More like one would expect to find in a Reader's Digest type of magazine. Just not for me. Sorry.

I love true crime and this was a very interesting composition of many different crime stories. I enjoyed the little quizzes that periodically popped up but wish some of the crimes had more details.

This isn't a deep dive into any particular crime or even a particular type of crime. Instead a great collection of quick snippets covering all different major crimes and cases, from kidnappings to serial killers. It was a really engaging format and I loved all of the additional recommendations included for further reading or watching.

a very concise, varied look at a number of killers, victims, mysteries, and stats from the true crime world. this was a good one to dip your toe into, covering a lot of well known cases but also a whole bunch of ones that were new to me. i liked the highlighting of the victims as well as the lists of books and films

The True Crime File is a starter kit for any true crime fan just getting started. From the historical to modern day crimes and everything in between. This book covers it all from the known to the unknown and they even have chapters on the forensics of crime solving. Even the story I was familiar with Ed new details I did not know. This is a great book! It is so long that even if you know a story and want to skip it there’s lots of others to read. I totally enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. If you love true crime and want to have a Best knowledge of this book is a great book to have. Any true crime fan would be a miss if this book isn’t in their library. I received this book from net galley, but I am leaving this review voluntarily. #TrueCrimeFile #NetGalley

100% loved every minute of this. This was true crime in a way that wasn't boring. It was engaging and just enought of each story. This is a perfect coffee table or even bathroom book when you can learn and be entertained without feeling pressure to read it all at once

This was very interesting little snippets of True Crime. A few nice little interesting facts too that were in this book and I did enjoy picking it up when I had a spare ten minutes to dip into, but not as long or detailed as I would have liked. Enjoyed it.

The True Crime File covers a broad overview of cases featuring killers, survivors, thieves, con-artists, antics & accidents, extreme brutality, just plain bizarre situations, forensic facts and quizzes - making it the ideal gift for the friend with a new-found love of all things true crime and attracting true crime aficionados for its diverse coverage of cases.

However, for those with a desire for something a bit more in-depth and substantial, this might not be the right book for you as each case is summarised in 1-4 pages and written with an easy reading, light-hearted tone, resulting in some more intricate details of the case being omitted.

Initially I was drawn to The True Crime File for the inclusion of forensic facts and quizzes. For the most part, the forensic facts were the highlight for me, whilst the quizzes fell short as they often included cases that weren’t discussed in the book - I suppose that’s where it caters to true crime fanatics?

Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable read, with juicy parts including:
- Covering new cases as well as recapping major true crime stories including Ted Bundy, Betty Broaderick, Toy-Box Killer, Night Stalker, Green River Killer
- The forensic facts section and learning about DNA doe project, TDTF and blood pattern analysis
- Realising that absolutely everyone can benefit from self defence classes, even runners in the middle of a marathon
- Learning that Ted Bundy gave the advice that the Green River Killer would likely return back to the scene of the crime (which he did) - wild!

Whilst true crime aficionados will have heard a good portion of the cases covered, anyone that reads The True Crime Files will discover a new case, making it a valuable for those interested in true crime and looking to unwind over a book that’s not graphic or grotesque enough to give you nightmares.

Shout out to Kim Daly, Workman Publishing Company and Netgalley for ARC of The True Crime File.

The True Crime File is a book that compiles some of the world's more well-known cases, as well as some of the more obscure cases, and goes into a little more detail about the crimes that took place. It covers murders, kidnappings, and thefts. There are also little quizzes to test your knowledge and little did you know tidbits that provide interesting facts about the strides made in forensics! I highly recommend this book to any true crime fan because no matter how much you may know about a case, this book may teach you a thing or two that you may not have known prior to reading this book!

A great book, one you can dip in and out of as opposed to reading all in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

A wonderful collection of short summaries of many true crime cases. Perfect for true crime fans. While I was already familiar with a lot of the cases covered, there were many I had not yet researched. I definitely plan to branch out and read more about the cases that peaked my interest.

3 stars
Not at all what I expected. I do feel there is a audience for this book. It is not for me. Thanks for the ARC of this book.