Crime Fiction Goes Global and Diverse

Dag Hammarskjöld was a Swedish economist and the second Secretary-General of the United Nations whose death in a plane crash on Sept. 17, 1961 has remained unsolved. Along with the history of the Congo and the founding of the U.N. you get spies, governments planning assassinations, an unsolved mystery, conspiracy theories, and a reminder that history continues repeating itself if we don’t learn from it. “Nobody could call them off—only wind them up, set them off, and semi-legitimately deny any involvement in the destruction that followed.”

For audiobook fans, it’s is narrated by the author.

(TW attempted suicide recounted, detail/ mentions group rape not detailed or graphic)

This is a serial killer true crime book that focuses on the victims written by a journalist who does not insert himself or make this partially a memoir, as has become popular recently. Instead the book recounts the victim’s lives in all their reality, focusing on the queer community of the ’80s and ’90s in NY, how difficult if was for many to exist as gay men publicly, and the activists working to protect LGBTQ+ lives and rights. It’s a huge case of a killer who preyed on gay men for two decades but that most know nothing about because the media and genre have never focused on cases where marginalized communities are the targets. With all the anti-LGBTQ+ policies, laws, bills and book banning currently happening, it was impossible to read sections of this book without seeing the parallels in rising hate.

The audiobook is narrated by David Pittu.

(TW it was hard to keep track of these because much is mentioned as part of history and cases but the main ones are homophobia/ alcoholism/ hate crimes / racism)