True Crime Narratives takes the reader on an exploration of this genre, from the mid-nineteenth century through 1993. The introduction gives the history of the genre from 15th- and 16th-century English ballads to later sensationalist broadsheets that reported on the bloody crimes of the day. Harrison compares the aesthetic approach of reports which played upon the reader's interest in the intellectual aspects of the crime to the contemporary approach which emphasizes the psychology of the murderer.

Organized in broad categories to enable the reader to browse by subject areas, each citation includes complete biographical information and a brief descriptive annotation. An author/title index as well as a highly detailed subject index are also included to assist interested readers in finding books for further reading, and a case name glossary provides a ready reference guide to popular or tabloid names used in famous cases.