The Girl Who Was Taken engages with the societal fascination with true crime and forensic science, showcasing a multifaceted phenomenon rooted in human curiosity, the pursuit of justice, and a desire to understand the complexities of criminal behavior. A nonfiction genre, true crime discusses the details surrounding a crime and is popular across mediums like books, TV shows, and podcasts. True crime stories have roots that extend back centuries, and the contemporary American genre can be traced back to Truman Capote’s 1965 book In Cold Blood, which focuses on the murders of a Kansas family in 1959. Other famous books in the genre include Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, which details the Manson murders, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer.

While The Girl Who Was Taken is a work of fiction, the obsessions of the Capture Club, which include poring over details of abductions, reflect some of the tendencies of true crime fandoms. Likewise, Megan’s memoir would be considered a work of true crime literature. Donlea’s storytelling also bears hallmarks of true crime literature by detailing the scientific methods and technologies used in crime scene analysis, evidence collection, and forensic pathology.