Author Guide · True Crime
Books Written by
Why do so many women love true crime? Rachel Monroe, a lifelong fan of the genre, set out to answer that question through four women: one who built dollhouse dioramas of crime scenes to train detectives, one who befriended a Manson-family victim's relatives, one who campaigned for a man she believed wrongly convicted, and one who plotted an attack. Her book is about crime stories and the desires behind them. This guide covers her book and what to read next.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 books · True crime · 2019 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Rachel Monroe has published one book: Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession (2019), about women's fascination with true crime.
Where to Start with Rachel Monroe
Her one book
→ Savage Appetites (2019).
All 1 Rachel Monroe Books, in Order
Savage Appetites
Four women whose lives were shaped by crime, the detective, the victim, the defender and the killer, as a way of asking what draws women to true crime.
How Many Books Did Rachel Monroe Write?
One book, published in 2019.
- True crime — Savage Appetites (2019). Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Rachel Monroe
There is only one book.
A reading path
1. Savage Appetites (2019)
Quick facts about Rachel Monroe
- Work
- Journalist, contributor to The New Yorker
- Lives
- Marfa, Texas
- Book
- Savage Appetites (2019)
How Rachel Monroe Writes: Crime and Desire
Monroe examines true crime from the outside as well as the inside, asking why readers, especially women, are drawn to it.
She mixes reporting, cultural history and personal reflection.
Frequently asked questions about Rachel Monroe's books
How many books has Rachel Monroe written?
Rachel Monroe has written one book, Savage Appetites (2019).
What is Savage Appetites about?
It tells four true stories of women and crime to explore women's fascination with true crime.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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