The 6 best books about true crime on college campuses

Randy Dotinga, a former newspaper reporter, has been a full-time freelance journalist for more than 20 years. He previously served as president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors, a non-profit association of independent non-fiction writers founded in 1948.

At CrimeReads Dotinga tagged the six best books about true crime on college campuses, including:

Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard, by Paul Collins

Dr. George Parkman, mighty rich and mighty prone to act like it, enjoys a routine. He likes to put on a silk top hat, grab a cane, and stroll around 1840s Boston. Perhaps he’ll pop in at an imposing building to harass his bankers or inspect the many buildings he owns in the West End. Then one Friday afternoon he doesn’t come home. Very mysterious.

It doesn’t take long for body parts to show up in a Harvard Medical School laboratory. A chemistry professor falls under suspicion, a surprisingly advanced forensic investigation is launched, and a murder trial awaits.

Paul Collins, one of America’s best historic true-crime authors, expertly brings everyone and everything to life—the victim, the suspect, the university, and the captivated city. Don’t miss the cameo appearances by the likes of Charles Dickens, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and medical curiosity Phineas Gage.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue