A fantastic collection of unusual cases which will leave you wanting more and taking the time to research. The author does a terrific job of describing each case in simple terms, giving enough information to satisfy your interest while also leaving the door open for more.

This is a great book for lovers of true crime. The chapters are short and easy to read. I really liked the mix of topics this book covered; from well known, to one's I've never heard of.

This was such an informative read and much more entertaining than I thought it would be. The author achieved something very rare when it comes to true crime books and that is a balance between tragic cases and more light-hearted crimes (such as the drunk men that stole a penguin from a zoo) and non-violent crimes (heists and cons). That being said, it also covers several kidnapping cases, murder cases, and survivor stories that are all, obviously, very upsetting and devastating. Especially because true crime stories are so brutal, it’s vital that the author deals with the subject matter respectfully and without glorifying the killers, both of which are accomplished in this book.

I feel it’s important to note that none of the cases are covered in detail. Some of the more high-profile ones like H. H. Holmes and Ed Gein get more details, but most of the cases presented (be it murder, kidnapping, con, or heist) only get a basic overview. However, all of the main aspects of each crime are covered so this was great for discovering new cases and bookmarking them in order to do more in-depth research later. If you’re new to true crime this is a great book to start with, it will not be too emotionally overwhelming (as I’ve mentioned, it mixes violent and non-violent crimes) nor will you be “bombarded” with complicated timelines and detailed descriptions.

My favorite chapters were the ones covering the forensic aspects of crimes, the technology involved, the creation of different databases, and the evolution of DNA analysis. One aspect/section of the book that I thought to be unnecessary was the quizzes, mostly they listed serial killers, and the reader is supposed to match them with how they got caught/what they stole/their nickname/etc. At the bottom of the page, you have the answers with a short explanation that was way too short to be of any substance. In theory, these quizzes seem fun but for me, they turned out to be underwhelming and a bit disappointing.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, especially if you’re looking for heist and con cases. Just keep in mind that none of them are exposed in depth.

I received an ARC of The True Crime File, by Kim Daly. I really enjoyed this book.. I enjoy watching true crime shows, and reading about them to. This book is well written, I learned a lot.

The True Crime Files by Kim Daly is an interesting and informative compilation of everything true crime. From popular and lesser known cases to true crime jargon, this gift book has everything a true crime junkie needs to know.

I found this book to be a good introduction into the true crime world but not as interesting of a read if you are a regular true crime reader/listener/watcher. I was familiar with many of the cases discussed and there was little detail given to compose a full picture. In my opinion, it would have been better if the author had written about less cases so they could go into further detail for the cases they did cover.

That being said, the short chapters did make it easily digestible and keeps readers interested by only presenting the most important facts. I acknowledge that, as a gift book, lots of shorter chapters is the status quo for these types of books so from that perspective, it was excellent. I also really enjoyed the recommendations for true crime books, podcasts and movies/series, especially when connected to a case that was just covered.

All in all, this is a great read if you are looking for simple but digestible descriptions of a lot of true crime cases and related information, but I wouldn’t suggest this if you are looking for a more in-depth read.

This book was given to me as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The True Crime File is great for anyone who enjoys reading about crime. This book has categories such as Killers, Bizarre Brutality, and Thieves. The book goes over some of the most famous killers such as Manson, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer. There were some I have not heard about previously. Some cases I have never heard of include Dean Corll, Nannie Doss, or Roch Theriault. My favorite part of the book that I rarely see is the Survivors section. You can read about Jaycee Lee Dugar, Elizabeth Smart, and others.

The True Crime File
by Kim Daly
Pub Date: May 10, 2022
Workman Publishing
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Maybe my expectations were too high but this book disappointed me as a true crime lover. "The True Crime File" book is an adaptation of the "A Year of True Crime Page-A-Day" calendar. I have never heard of the calendar and am going to hard pass on that. I don't mind reading about true crime, but I can't see myself wanting to see a new terrible fact every day when I look at my calendar. This book was not what I expected. It was a primer of cases I had already heard about. I am not recommending it.
3 stars

This was a collection of true crime stories that were condensed down to anywhere from a paragraph to only a few pages with true crime facts and quizzes sprinkled throughout. I think, like the book said, if you’re new to true crime, or have been into it for years you’d still enjoy this book. They had everything from cases everyone knows at least a little about like Charles Manson, to less known cases. I also very much enjoyed that the author did a better job at acknowledging the societal aspects at play in these cases (like media bias, justice system bias, misogyny, racism etc) then a lot of true crime. I really enjoyed this book and I’m really glad I read it!

Release date: May 10th 2022

*a copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Overall The True Crime File is a great collection of true crime cases/stories for people just dipping their toes into the world of true crime. I also enjoyed the quizzes and stories of survival.

Not what I was expecting. This honestly is a good primer if you have not read a true crime book before. But I was familiar with about 90 percent of the stories that the author chose to provide details to. What was unexpected was this book included definitions for certain things such as bail and then did a lot of trivia throughout. The book just jumped back and forth and I wish that the book had more structure. Maybe get into famous cases (by alphabetical order) first and then include a glossary or a section on terms. Then include a section on books that a reader can read further details about along with movie/tv adaptations. 

"The True Crime File" book is an adaptation of the "A Year of True Crime Page-A-Day" calendar. I have never heard of the calendar and am going to hard pass on that. I don't mind reading about true crime, but I can't see myself wanting to see a new terrible fact every day when I look at my calendar. My current calendar is a Ladies of Literature Desk Calendar. January was Dorothy Parker, February was Emily Dickinson, March was Octavia Butler and now the month of April is Sylvia Plath. 

Back to the book. I did love the font and pictures included in this book. It was very easy to read I thought. I just wanted something with more oomph. Also, I wish that Daly had done things in chronological order. Start with either serial killings, or kidnappings, cons, survivors, cons, etc. Also the sections on some of the subjects felt very short to me. I get why though if it's just a longer form version of the calendar a day. As I said earlier the book jumps around a lot and there's a lot of information in these book. We get trivia like, put together how a list of murderers got caught, and here's a list of books you can read that go into this and this, etc. It is definitely made to just be a book you dip into and out of. But I can't see myself wanting this for myself though. 

Since this is being sold as a nice gift to give to a True Crime enthusiast, I can see that many would appreciate this.

A must have/read for true crime fans. Both known cases and interesting and new facts. Great layout and design and very nice to look at and flip through. This one I really enjoyed and fully recommend.

Amazing reference for true crime stories. Quick tidbits and recommendations for further reading or watching. Great for anyone interested in the subject. Definitely buying this one.

What a fun read for those new to the world of true crime! A lot of the people, cases, and topics covered in this book are well known. A lot were not to me. This is a great book to start doing a deep dive into true crime.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who is very interested in true crime, I thought The True Crime File was a great read. I enjoyed the variety of subjects and cases presented within this book, from serial killers and survivors to forensic facts and book recommendations. The quizzes were a unique addition as I have not seen them featured in other true crime books.

A possible mistake - Page XIV refers to the book as The True Crime Reader.

4 stars! I think all true crime fans should look into this! Most cases in this book, I have heard of in many of my favorite true crime podcasts and google as well!
Very summarized and not too long!

I really enjoyed this book. It had interesting cases, most I had heard of but a few new ones as well. There was a nice mix of the type of cases included. And the absolute best part (for me) is that all the cases were only a page or two long, so it was the prefect book to read when you may get interrupted a lot (waiting for appointment, relaxing at night, etc). I would highly suggest this book!

I'm a huuuuuge true crime enthusiast and this acts as a great encyclopedia for lovers as well as new lovers of true crime. I tend to forget about a lot of the cases I've listened to so this book is perfect for when I want to brush up on my knowledge again.

I would recommend this to patrons interested in true crime cases. A wide variety of cases are covered in the book, some well-known and some not. The summaries are overviews of the cases, not deep dives. I think it will appeal to people who are newer to the genre and those who have come to the genre by listening to true crime podcasts.

Loved the wide variety of topics related to true crime - Antics & Accidents, Bizarre Brutality, Crime Through Time, Con Artists, Forensic Facts, Killers, Legal Concepts, Quick Facts, Quizzes, Recs, Survivors, and Thieves. It is a way to dip your toes into true crime with cases widely publicized and others not so well known. With the quick presentation of stories, it gives a starting point on which topics and stories to delve into deeper.

Interesting read. Very well written and well researched. Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for this fascinating read.