Author M. William Phelps
William Phelps is the creator, host, writer, and executive producer of the #1 Apple podcast hit franchise PAPER GHOSTS and the New York Times best-selling author of 42 nonfiction books.
He won the Excellence in (Investigative) Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He has written for numerous publications, including AARP’s “The Arrow,” Providence Journal, Connecticut Magazine, and Hartford Courant. Phelps consulted on the first season of the hit Showtime cable television series “Dexter” and has executive produced and starred in over 350 hours of true crime television. He also created, writes, hosts, and executive produces the weekly true crime podcast “Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps.”
Phelps grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, and now splits his time between Tolland County and N. Stonington, CT. In July 2017, he published his definitive, 10-year project about Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, DANGEROUS GROUND: My Friendship with a Serial Killer. He can be reached at www.mwilliamphelps.com
Praise for M. William Phelps
THE KILLING KIND
In this true crime book, Phelps focuses on unrepentant killer Danny Hembree... [who] seizes the chance to take center stage with lurid confessions of a decades-long career of violent robbery, assault, rape, and murder... Fans of the author’s Discovery TV series, Dark Minds, will be rewarded." —Publishers Weekly
OBSESSED
True-crime junkies will be sated by the latest thriller from Phelps, which focuses on a fatal love triangle that proved to be stranger than fiction. The police work undertaken to solve the case is recounted with the right amount of detail, and readers will be rewarded with shocking television-worthy twists in a story with inherent drama." —Publishers Weekly
BAD GIRLS
Fascinating, gripping . . . Phelps’s sharp investigative skills and questioning mind resonate. Whether or not you agree with the author’s suspicions that an innocent is behind bars, you won’t regret going along for the ride with such an accomplished reporter." —Sue Russell
NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN
This riveting book examines one of the most horrific murders in recent American history." —New York Post
"Phelps clearly shows how the ugliest crimes can take place in the quietest of suburbs." —Library Journal
"Thoroughly reported . . . The book is primarily a police procedural, but it is also a tribute to the four murder victims. —Kirkus Reviews
TOO YOUNG TO KILL
Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers. —Allison Brennan
LOVE HER TO DEATH
Reading anything by Phelps is always an eye-opening experience. The characters are well-researched and well-written. We have murder, adultery, obsession, lies, and so much more. —Suspense Magazine
"You don’t want to miss Love Her To Death by M. William Phelps, a book destined to be one of 2011’s top true crimes!" —True Crime Book Reviews
"A chilling crime . . . award-winning author Phelps goes into lustrous and painstaking detail, bringing all the players vividly to life." —Crime Magazine
KILL FOR ME
Phelps gets into the blood and guts of the story." —Gregg Olsen, New York Times best-selling author of Fear Collector
"Phelps infuses his investigative journalism with plenty of energized descriptions." —Publishers Weekly
DEATH TRAP
A chilling tale of a sociopathic wife and mother . . . a compelling journey from the inside of this woman’s mind to final justice in a court of law. For three days I did little else but read this book." —Harry N. MacLean, New York Times best-selling author of In Broad Daylight
I’LL BE WATCHING YOU
Phelps has an unrelenting sense for detail that affirms his place, book by book, as one of our most engaging crime journalists." —Katherine Ramsland
"Starts quickly and doesn’t slow down . . . Phelps consistently ratchets up the dramatic tension, hooking readers. His thorough research and interviews give the book complexity, richness of character, and urgency." —Stephen Singular
MURDER IN THE HEARTLAND
Drawing on interviews with law officers and relatives, the author has done significant research. His facile writing pulls the reader along." —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Phelps expertly reminds us that when the darkest form of evil invades the quiet and safe outposts of rural America, the tragedy is greatly magnified. Get ready for some sleepless nights." —Carlton Stowers
"This is the most disturbing and moving look at murder in rural America since Capote’s In Cold Blood." —Gregg Olsen
SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE
An exceptional book by an exceptional true crime writer. Phelps exposes long-hidden secrets and reveals disquieting truths." —Kathryn Casey
EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE
An insightful and fast-paced examination of the inner workings of a good cop and his bad informant, culminating in an unforgettable truth-is-stranger-than-fiction climax." —Michael M. Baden, M.D.
"M. William Phelps is the rising star of the nonfiction crime genre, and his true tales of murder are scary-as-hell thrill rides into the dark heart of the inhuman condition." —Douglas Clegg
LETHAL GUARDIAN
An intense roller-coaster of a crime story . . . complex, with twists and turns worthy of any great detective mystery . . . reads more like a novel than your standard non-fiction crime book." —Steve Jackson
PERFECT POISON
True crime at its best — compelling, gripping, an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Phelps packs wallops of delight with his skillful ability to narrate a suspenseful story." —Harvey Rachlin
"A compelling account of terror . . . the author dedicates himself to unmasking the psychopath with facts, insight and the other proven methods of journalistic leg work." —Lowell Cauffiel