Thieves, liars, killers, and conspirators-it's a criminal world out there, and someone has got to write about it. An eclectic collection of the year's best reportage,   The Best American Crime Reporting 2008 brings together the murderers and the master­minds, the mysteries and missteps that make for brilliant stories, told by the aces of the true-crime genre. This latest addition to the highly acclaimed series features guest editor Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling author of more than twenty crime novels, most recently   Compulsion and the forthcoming   Bones. 

Story of a snitch / Jeremy Kahn -- 
A season in hell / Dean La Tourette -- 
I'm with the Steelers / Justin Heckert -- 
House across the way / Calvin Trillin -- 
Caged life / Alan Prendergast -- 
Badges of dishonor / Pamela Collof -- 
Dangerous minds / Malcolm Gladwell -- 
Dean of Death Row / Tad Friend -- 
Tainted kidney / Charles Graeber -- 
Ploy / Mark Bowden -- 
Day of the dead / D. T. Max -- 
Just a random female / Nick Schou -- 
Serial killer's disciple / James Renner -- 
Mercenary / Tom Junod -- 
Murder at 19,000 feet / Jonathan Green