The Tragedy of True Crime , by John J. Lennon (Celadon) . Weaving autobiography with investigation, this book by an incarcerated writer considers prisoners whose stories have been grist for sensationalized true-crime depictions of murder. After starting with his own appearance on the television documentary series “True Evil,” he goes on to offer a counterpoint to that kind of media, situating the men he writes about within the context of their own lives—not excusing their crimes but closely detailing the circumstances that produced them. Lennon asks whether “illuminating human darkness” has the effect of encouraging punitive attitudes about criminal justice. Ultimately, he argues that the answer depends on who is doing the illuminating.

Splendid Liberators , by Joe Jackson (Farrar, S

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