A serial killer, maternal infanticide, a racial crime. This True Crime collection initially focuses on the most famous American cases before it expands into French ones. This captivating series blends a journalistic approach with editorial innovation.

"The concept is to dedicate each volume to a true crime case in a different state, so as to map out the United States through its major criminal cases," explains Elsa Delachair, editorial director at 10/18, who launched this collection in 2023, in partnership with Society magazine.

To date, ten volumes of American True Crime cases have been published. They are narratives of iconic criminal cases, ranging from the 1930s to present day, written by local French journalists. "This approach means readers have a rich and diversified historical, geographic and sociological overview of each case," adds Elsa Delachair, who is quite proud of having sold a collection of American stories to the United States. "Managing to sell American True Crime to America is no small feat!"

The collection has been remarkably successful in France and has resulted in creating a trend in France in 2025. "Working on this project together with Libération was an obvious choice, as they are experts in narrating news items. These stories are hyper-realistic, supported by facts and local investigations. Few publishers use this approach, which is close to journalism and attracts a wide range of readers, from true crime enthusiasts to news junkies, and even crime fiction fans," says the editor.

The pocket format and easily recognizable covers, whose graphic design was used for the American edition as well, contribute to the success of this series. More than 100,000 copies have already been sold in France and abroad.

Katja Petrovic
December 2025