The *click* on your window at 3 a.m. is not just hail.

It’s not a branch or a bird and it’s not anything good, either – or, at least your True Crime-loving mind knows it’s not. You can’t get enough of the chills inherent in real-life murder and mayhem, so why not read these great new True Crime books?

Stepping back in time (because murder is nothing new), “The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science” by Sam Kean (Little, Brown, $29) will give you plenty of fodder for fear. Read about the things done throughout history, supposedly for the sake of knowledge – things that resulted in a little learning, perhaps, but also a lot of horribleness. Shiver, shudder. 

Also look for “The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream” by Dean Jobb (Algonquin, $27.95), the story of the hunt for a serial killer, back before most of the best methods of crime-solving were ever invented. It’s got everything you want in a Victorian-era tale; if you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan, take note.

Did you ever wonder what happens to a murderer if he’s found “not criminally responsible”?  In “Couple Found Slain: After a Family Murder” by Mikita Brottman (Henry Holt, $27.99) you’ll read one man’s tale. Life in a maximum security psychiatric facility is not what you think it is; it’s every bit as gritty as prison, and there are just as many dangers, as you’ll see. This unique look at a different kind of lockdown is a must-read for anyone who particularly relishes True Crime books with a prison slant.

And while you’re getting that book, look for “The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion” by Dr. Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne (Scribner, $28.00). Dr. Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist who works with the incarcerated as a therapist, and this book presents stories of crime and the ability of some criminals to change. It’s a hard book to read – many of the tales here are brutal and cringe-worthy – but they may ultimately change your personal definition of the word “evil.”

And finally, here’s a True Crime book that’s aimed at you: “’I Have Nothing to Hide’” by Heidi Boghosian (Beacon Press, $16.00). 

It should come as no surprise that you are being watched, maybe even right now. Your phone tattles on your, your computer is a snitch, even just having a credit card, owning a house, almost everything you do in today’s world means information that’s up for grabs. But what, exactly, do you know about electronic surveillance, privacy, and who might be spying on you this very minute?

If that’s a sobering question, you owe it to yourself to let this expert set you straight.

And, as always, if these brand-new True Crime books don’t quite fill the bill for you, be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for any suggestions they might have. There are a lot more books out there, a lot of them you’ll simply click with.