posted on March 2, 2021 by Caridad Pineiro

Confessions of a True Crime Addict

I am an addict of true crime documentaries and ripped from the headline stories! That’s why it was so exciting when Harlequin asked me to participate in their Unsolved Mystery series by writing Cold Case Reopened. It seemed like a natural fit since I am such a fan and surprise, so are many women.

Why is it that women are so addicted to true crime and similar stories? Apparently, there are lots of reasons. According to truecrimeforensics.com, one of the reasons is that the majority of victims in true crime stories are women and because of this, women identify with the stories. The Guardian newspaper points out that these kinds of stories allow women to discuss issues such as their vulnerability to crime.

As for me and my addiction, I’m fascinated by the human psyche and why someone would want to harm someone else, but even more importantly, I love seeing that justice is done when the perpetrator is caught.

In Cold Case Reopened, a young and successful artist, Rhea Reilly, is determined to find out what really happened to her twin sister Selene who disappeared six months earlier and whose body has not yet been found.  Rhea is convinced that the police need to investigate Selene’s husband, who Rhea suspects was abusive.

There’s just one big problem: the police don’t believe her.

But when Rhea shows the evidence she has gathered to sympathetic detective Jackson Whitaker, he agrees to help her, even if it means sacrificing a chance to become chief of his police department when his boss retires in a few months.

Rhea and Jackson will find themselves on a cold trail that puts them on a dangerous course because someone is out to stop their investigation by any means, including murder. Along the way, love kindles between the two as the danger draws them ever closer.

It was such fun to craft this story, especially since I used a great deal of the information I had learned while watching all those cold case and forensic file programs. If you’re a fan like I am, I hope you will check out Cold Case Reopened and see if you can figure out what are the red herrings in the book and what actually happened to Rhea’s poor sister.  I warn you, it’s going to be a big surprise at the end of the book! If you’ve already read it, please don’t post any spoilers.

But enough about me and Cold Case Reopened. How about you share if you love true crime stories or not.  If you do love them, share some of your favorite television shows or movies that are cold case stories. If you don’t like them, why not? I’d love to know! One person who comments will win a gift card and an e-book copy of One Summer Night?

          

Caridad Pineiro

Caridad Pineiro

Caridad Pineiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with the Jersey Shore. When Caridad isn't taking long strolls along the boardwalk, she's also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million romance novels sold worldwide. Caridad is passionate about writing and helping others explore and develop their skills as writers. She is a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and has presented workshops at the RT Book Club Convention, Romance Writers of America National Conference as well as various writing organizations throughout the country. You can connect with Caridad at www.caridad.com. Want to receive Caridad's newsletter with exclusive content just for subscribers and special giveaways? Just visit Caridad's Newsletter to sign up. Caridad values your privacy and will not share your e-mail or personal information.

https://www.caridad.com

13 thoughts on “Confessions of a True Crime Addict”

  1. Thank you so so much for letting me visit and chat about my true crime addiction! I really appreciate it!

  2. bn100 says:

    can be interesting

    1. Thank you! I hope you will check it out!

  3. Ilene C says:

    I don’t watch a lot of true crime stories because it upsets me that someone innocent lost their life due to the evil of another person. However, I must admit, like you I’m intrigued by the psychology of human nature so as long as I details are not too graphic I do occasionally watch Cold Case Files.

    1. You are very right about how sad it is. I watch because I’m fascinated by what leads people to do something like this and if it could be avoided.

  4. GB says:

    I have several friends who are avid fans of watching true crime stories. Personally, I have not had it in me to watch anything terribly distressing these last few years, caregiving for a family member with dementia has been challenging and disconcerting. I certainly understand the fascination with trying to understand how or why crimes happen. Perhaps, I should gird my loins and give them a try, it would be satisfying to see situations with a good resolution.

    1. It must be very challenging to care for someone with dementia. The true crime shows can be upsetting, but I do find the stories fascinating because you wonder “How could this be true?” But I am also a big fan of cooking and home renovation shows! Those really pull me away to a new and happier place!

  5. JanD says:

    The ID channel is my favorite so, yes, I watch too much crime stories.

    1. LOL! I get it. We now have Discovery+ for free for a year and I am binge-watching so many shows from their True Crime channels, but also the Food and Home channels!

  6. Faye Pitts says:

    I would love to reafyour books.

    1. Thank you! I think you would really enjou them. I have a number of free reads you can check out at https://bit.ly/CaridadFreeReads.

  7. Deborah Neff says:

    Where do I start?? I love true crime shows! Investigation Discovery is one of my favorite channels. I love “Obessession”, “Web of Lies”, “Diabolical”, “Deadly Devotion”, “Fatal Vows”, “Forbidden: Dying for Love”, “Happily Never After”, “Deadly Sins”, “I’d Kill for You”, and so many more! I like true crime, but I’m not a fan of scripted TV crime shows. The real tales are stranger than fiction. I like watching true crime shows because it helps make me more aware of things I should do to protect myself.

    1. I am with you! I think the only crime show I watched religiously was the original Law and Order. I much prefer the real ones. Although I do have to say that there are some really good British police shows that hubby and I have been watching!

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