True Crime, Crime Fiction and the Fine Line Between

What's the difference between telling a good crime story and telling someone's story? This Noirvember, we're diving into the fascinating, sometimes complicated relationship between true crime and crime fiction. 

I'm joined by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush and Sebastian Krahl for a conversation about what it means to work with crime as source material, whether you're writing fiction or exploring real-life cases. We talk about the responsibilities that come with telling these stories, navigating the fine line between entertainment and exploitation, respecting the people behind the headlines and finding a balance between the darkness of crime and the reasons we're drawn to these stories in the first place. 

Because there's a lot more to a good crime story than just figuring out whodunit. So grab your magnifying glass, settle in and join us for a little Noirvember reading (and listening) room discussion! 

Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel! 

Who’s in this episode:  

Joe – Instagram 

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush – website 

Sebastian Krahl – links  

Some books by our guests: 

Coroner’s Daughter Mystery Series, Book 1: The Coroner - Jennifer Graeser Dornbush 

50 True Stories That Will Scare You to Death – Sebastian Krahl 

Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:20 Welcome and Intro 00:01:30 How do we feel about true crime and crime fic?  00:07:31 Some favorite horror movies 00:14:07 How do you position your content for your audience 00:28:08 Talking about risk factors and lowering risk 00:35:25 Jennifer on interviewing the daughters of The Ice Man 00:43:34 What’s your favorite part of how these stories are told?  00:56:45 Thank you and outro