America's First True Crime Obsession: How a Press Empire Was Built on the Brutal Murder of Helen Jewett

by Verity North · America’s First · 2026

We think our current true-crime news cycle is a product of the internet age. We blame the algorithms, the smartphones, and the viral doomscroll. But the terrifying truth is that our obsession with true crime was masterminded in 1836, deep in a damp Manhattan cellar smelling of stale beer and ink. In this high-energy, fast-paced narrative deep dive Verity North tears down the velvet ropes to expose the origin story of our collective true-crime obsession. A trial is about to begin, the gallery is packed, and it’s time to dive right in.

Genres: Non-Fiction