7 UK True Crime Books That Aren't About Murder Which Will Have You Hooked From Page 1

The Hatton Garden Heist has had true crime fans hooked for decades and inspired numerous books, TV adaptations, and even films. In Sexy Beasts Wensley Clarkson explores how the heist that was supposed to keep a retired group of criminals in the money for the rest of their lives went terribly wrong. Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most well connected and in-the-know true crime writers Clarkson has spoken to those who really know the truth to get to the bottom of one of the deadliest game of cat and mouse in British history.

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For two decades Eddie Maher was considered one of the most wanted men in Britain. For 20 years he evaded the authorities and was practically untraceable. In Fast Eddie he takes readers back to Jan. 1993 when he pulled off a £1.2 million heist which started his life on the run with his family. He lead 30 detectives, Interpol, and the FBI on a manhunt across the U.S. despite all of the ports being closed. By using alternative identities Maher avoided capture until he was betrayed. This story reads like a sensationalist film script as Maher tells his own story in graphic detail.

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Any true crime fan worth their salt will have already heard about the great train robbery. It’s considered one of the most iconic cases in UK history. In Aug. 1963, in a robbery lasting just 46 minutes, £2.6 million was stolen from a night mail train (the equivalent of £50 million in 2019.) The perpetrators, Ronnie Biggs, Buster Edwards, and Bruce Reynolds, have captured the imagination of people around the globe ever since. The Great Train Robbery reveals the one mistake the criminals made that cost them their lives in jail and the police force that stopped at nothing to catch them.

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Over the last two decades, it's been hard to get away from the term “war on drugs” when reading about drug gangs and dealing in the UK. However, Neil Woods spent 14 years on the frontline as an undercover police officer, influtrating drug gangs, and coming face-to-face with some of the most dangerous criminals in Britain. Through very personal and sometimes scary anecdotes, Woods highlights where he thinks policy has failed and how no amount of training can prepare you for some of the situations he’s been in. Woods’ story is so gripping you’ll be right there with him. This is a real page turner and you’ll be on the edge of your seat every step of the way.

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Have you ever wondered what goes into pulling off one of the biggest crimes in UK history? For any true crime fan trying to get into the criminal mind is fascinating. In One Last Job Tom Pettifor and Nick Sommerland try to do just that. They take a deep dive into the history and character of Brian Reader, a mastermind behind the Hatton Garden Heist and a man that was known as The Master. Through interviews with close associates Pettifor and Sommerland reveal the criminal career that Reader built up over six decades earning him millions. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to be an old school criminal this books for you.

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The true crime genre is bursting at the seams with stories about male criminal masterminds and their terrible antics. However, few criminals will have you so enthralled in their story as Shirley Pitts. Pitts proved you don’t get given the title Queen of Thieves lightly. Born in 1934 in London she initially started to steal food as a child to survive. She mastered the tricks of the trade and before her death in 1992 she divulged all of her secrets to Lorraine Gamman. Buried in a £5,000 designer dress with a floral tribute with the words “Gone Shopping”, the term Pitts used when she was going out to work (read: steal), she’s a key criminal figure in UK history.

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For a true crime enthusiast Strangeways prison is one of the most mysterious places to me. From notorious riots to housing some of the most dangerous criminals in the UK's history if those walls could talk I’m positive they’d reveal some deep and dark secrets. While the walls may not be able to speak one prison officer has spoken out about his time working in HMP Manchester. Neil Samworth worked there for 11 years and has written a graphically detailed account about working with some of the most dangerous men in Britain, from gang members to terrorists, and highlights how the system we have is under too much pressure. If you’ve ever wondered what life behind bars in one of the most notorious prisons in the UK is like then you have to read Samworth’s account.

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So many true crime stories read like fantasy. It's incredible to believe that all of the details in these books are based on true events and anecdotes. If you're in need of some new true crime and want to step away from murder check out these seven books.