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Quick answer: If you loved Say Nothing, read Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain and Rogues, then Killers of the Flower Moon, Bad Blood and Midnight in Chernobyl. All are gripping narrative nonfiction about power, secrecy and crime.
Keefe's book uses the story of Jean McConville's disappearance to tell the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It reads like a thriller but is deeply researched. The books below share that blend of reporting, character and moral complexity, including a few novels and histories on the Troubles.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire of Pain | Patrick Radden Keefe | Adult | more Keefe |
| Rogues | Patrick Radden Keefe | Adult | short true stories |
| Killers of the Flower Moon | David Grann | Adult | true-crime history |
| The Wager | David Grann | Adult | survival history |
| Bad Blood | John Carreyrou | Adult | corporate scandals |
| In Cold Blood | Truman Capote | Adult | classic true crime |
| Midnight in Chernobyl | Adam Higginbotham | Adult | disaster history |
| Milkman | Anna Burns | Adult | novel of the Troubles |
| Lost Lives | David McKittrick and others | Adult | human toll |
| Making Sense of the Troubles | David McKittrick and David McVea | Adult | clear history |
| Voices from the Grave | Ed Moloney | Adult | insider accounts |
| Black Mass | Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill | Adult | crime and corruption |
| The Spy and the Traitor | Ben Macintyre | Adult | Cold War espionage |
| American Kingpin | Nick Bilton | Adult | internet crime |
| I'll Be Gone in the Dark | Michelle McNamara | Adult | true-crime investigation |
1. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
The story of the Sackler family and the rise of OxyContin. Careful reporting with a gripping narrative.
Best for: more Keefe.
2. Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe
A collection of Keefe's New Yorker pieces about con artists, spies and criminals. A good way to sample his writing.
Best for: short true stories.
3. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
In the 1920s, members of the Osage Nation were murdered for their oil money. A powerful history and mystery.
Best for: true-crime history.
4. The Wager by David Grann
A shipwreck, mutiny and survival story from the 1740s. Fast, vivid and well researched.
Best for: survival history.
5. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
The rise and fall of Theranos, told by the journalist who exposed it. Reads like a thriller.
Best for: corporate scandals.
6. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Capote's account of a 1959 Kansas murder. A pioneering true-crime classic.
Best for: classic true crime.
7. Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
The story of the 1986 nuclear disaster and the cover-up. Detailed and gripping.
Best for: disaster history.
8. Milkman by Anna Burns
A young woman in an unnamed city during the Troubles tries to avoid attention. A Booker Prize winner with an unusual voice.
Best for: novel of the Troubles.
9. Lost Lives by David McKittrick and others
A reference work that tells the story of each person killed in the Troubles. Sobering and powerful.
Best for: human toll.
10. Making Sense of the Troubles by David McKittrick and David McVea
A clear and balanced history of the conflict. A good starting point if you want context.
Best for: clear history.
11. Voices from the Grave by Ed Moloney
Interviews with former paramilitaries recorded for an archive. Revealing and controversial.
Best for: insider accounts.
12. Black Mass by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill
The story of Boston gangster Whitey Bulger and his ties to the FBI. Dark and riveting.
Best for: crime and corruption.
13. The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
The story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB officer who spied for Britain. Reads like a novel.
Best for: Cold War espionage.
14. American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
The creation and fall of the Silk Road marketplace. Fast and cinematic.
Best for: internet crime.
15. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
McNamara's investigation of the Golden State Killer. Haunting and humane.
Best for: true-crime investigation.
How to Choose
If you want more Keefe, begin with Empire of Pain or Rogues. For gripping historical true crime, pick Killers of the Flower Moon, The Wager or In Cold Blood. For the Troubles, read Making Sense of the Troubles, Lost Lives, Voices from the Grave or Milkman. For stories of spies and scandals, choose The Spy and the Traitor, Bad Blood or American Kingpin. These books describe violence and real victims, so read with care. For a short taste of Keefe's style, the essays in Rogues are an easy way in. If you want to learn the history first, Making Sense of the Troubles gives context before you dive into longer books.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Say Nothing about?
It follows the disappearance of Jean McConville in 1972 and the people involved in the IRA in Belfast.
Is Say Nothing a true story?
Yes, it is narrative nonfiction.
Is there a TV adaptation?
Yes, FX released a series in 2024.
Who is Patrick Radden Keefe?
A staff writer at The New Yorker who writes about crime and power.
Do I need to know Irish history?
No, the book explains the background as it goes.
Who was Jean McConville?
She was a mother of ten who was abducted and killed in Belfast in 1972, and her body was found in 2003.
Is the book one-sided?
Keefe draws on interviews with people on several sides and gives both context and detail.
Is it hard to read?
It is long, but the chapters are short and the pace is brisk.
What should I read next for a similar thriller feel?
Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager both use the same structure of mystery and history.
Is there an audiobook of Say Nothing?
Yes, and many readers enjoy it because the Belfast voices and long timeline suit listening.