About the shop

The Case Files is a small, independent shop for people who can't stop reading about the worst things people do. It isn't a supermarket aisle and it isn't a drop-catalogue — it's a shortlist. Everything on these shelves is something we'd happily hand to a friend who's just finished their third documentary at two in the morning.

We don't own a warehouse, we don't hold stock, and we don't pack boxes. We're the curators; the retailer is the shop.

Three questions, every time:

• Is it genuinely well made — well researched, well written, well designed?
• Would it start a conversation, or at least a decent argument?
• Would it still be good on a second pass, when the shock has worn off?

Books have to be more than a rehashed Wikipedia summary of a trial. Games have to work for one person on a rainy Sunday and for six people around a kitchen table. Gifts have to be things you'd actually use, not things that end up in a drawer.

Every product here links straight through to the retailer — usually Amazon — where the actual sale happens. You click, the product opens in a new tab, and you check out there exactly as you normally would.

Your order, payment, delivery, returns and refunds are all handled by the retailer, not by us. We never see your card details, because we're never in the room when you pay.

If something arrives damaged or you change your mind, contact the retailer you bought it from — they're the seller, and they'll sort it.

• We don't take payment, so we never see your bank or card details.
• We don't accept money to feature something. If it's on the shelf, we chose it.
• We don't run competitions, sell mailing lists, or pass your details to anyone.
• We don't glorify offenders, and we don't use victims' names as decoration. No links to real crime footage either.

True crime is a fascinating genre and a genuinely troubling one. Behind every case on this list is a real family who is still living with it. We try to keep the focus on the investigation, the writing, the psychology and the people who eventually solved it — and to treat the victims as people rather than plot.

If you ever think we've got that wrong on this site, tell us and we'll fix it.

Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you click one and buy something. It never costs you anything extra — the price you pay is the retailer's price, and the commission comes from their side, not yours.

The full details, including how we mark those links and what happens to your data, are in our affiliate disclosure.

Questions, corrections, or something you think belongs on the shelf — write to us at contactthecasefiles@gmail.com. We read everything.