With a lot of series out, some people tend to forget that a good book can be a great way to escape from things for a bit. There are some great stories that can immerse you in a unique world. Here are 5 crime fiction books to read:

Murder at School (1931)

This deals with a “Whodunnit” situation where two brothers attending the same school meet with two separate fates of accidental deaths. James Hilton first published the novel in 1931. It became available to the US in 1932 under the title Was it Murder? 

Vendetta (1990)

This Italian crime novel created by Michael Dibdin is a part of the Aurelio Zen series where Zen comes back to solve a mystery in a more high government official realm where he’s trying to discover the murder of an eccentric billionaire and trace his dealings. 

Helter Skelter: The True Story of The Manson Murders (1974) 

To this day, this book is still the top-selling true crime book of all-time. It’s based on true cases regarding the Manson family. Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry recount and assess different aspects of the case from the investigation,  arrest, and prosecution of Charles Manson.

Crooked Zebra (2004) 

This is a cool and more modern take on a crime novel by Bob Weltich who describes the character as a basketball coach that’s a bit down on his luck, so he ends up fixing basketball games. He gets involved with the mafia as they’re looking to put a big one on the national championship game. 

Morality Play (1995) 

The novel by Barry Unsworth is a semi-historical vibe set in England around the end of the 14th century. It focuses on a bunch of characters in a play but the blurred lines start setting in between what’s fake and reality.