Journalist. Palindrome. Writer.

Tag: true crime books

A Cruise to Nowhere – Now Available for Pre-Order

You can now pre-order my next True Crime book, A Cruise to Nowhere: My Search for Amy Lynn Bradley. On shelves July, 2026!

Amazon Link

Gripping, suspenseful, and layered with insight, this is the first full account of the infamous disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley while onboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean—from the acclaimed author of True Crime Addict.

In March 1998, the Bradley family—Ron, Iva, and their children, Amy and Brad—boarded the Rhapsody of the Seas for a week-long Caribbean cruise. The trip was a chance to celebrate Ron’s success at work and Amy’s college graduation.

In the early hours of March 24, Amy Bradley—a pretty, athletic 23-year-old—returned to the family’s stateroom with Brad after dancing at the ship’s nightclub. Amy grabbed a blanket and went out to sleep on the balcony. A few hours later, her father awoke to find her gone. What happened to her remains a mystery.

Did Amy fall or jump into the water? Did she leave the boat voluntarily when it docked at Curaçao that morning? Was she smuggled off against her will and trafficked in one of the island’s brothels? In a baffling case filled with false leads, rumors, and conflicting witness reports, the only certainty is that, nearly three decades later, the Bradleys are still looking for Amy.

Now, acclaimed investigative journalist James Renner provides the first definitive account of Amy’s disappearance, enriched with his own personal narrative that explores themes of identity, loss, and the deeply human need to find meaning in tragedy.

With empathy and a keen eye, Renner interviews witnesses who speak on record for the first time, offering fascinating new theories, and explores a little-known side of Amy’s life that may explain everything about her fate.

Scout Camp is here!

My newest true crime book, Scout Camp: Sex, Death, and Secret Societies Inside the Boy Scouts of America is finally here! Find it at your local bookstore or online here.

If you live in Cleveland and would like a signed copy, drop by Loganberry Books or order directly from them here.

In this timely and deeply personal true crime memoir, acclaimed journalist, author, creator of the True Crime This Week podcast, and former Boy Scout James Renner, explores the dark side of an American institution, its pervasive culture of sexual abuse, and the traumatic—even deadly—repercussions of its long-buried secrets.

In the summer of 1995, at the largest Boy Scout camp in Ohio, a night of sexual violence ended with one counselor dead and another hospitalized. The death was ruled “accidental.” It wouldn’t be the last death associated with Seven Ranges Reservation.

James Renner, too, was a counselor at Seven Ranges that year. He was always sure there must be more to the story of Mike Klingler’s death, because Renner also knew firsthand that the 900-acre camp was not the safe getaway it was portrayed to be. On Friday nights the boys were ushered into the woods for a frightening ceremony in which they learned the rules for becoming good young men—and, above all, that keeping secrets was a scout’s duty. No matter how dark the secrets were.

Determined to face his demons, Renner embarks on a journey back to that tumultuous summer and exposes a clandestine society that left indelible scars on the scouts and the staff who were there. For Renner himself, it meant opening up about his twisted upbringing, his issues with trust and sexuality, and a lifetime of self-medication. The result is a deeply personal, no-holds-barred, and vitally important true crime memoir.

2025 Book Tour!

I’m traveling around the Midwest and signing copies of my new true crime book, Scout Camp soon. Come see me!

Also, you can order or pick up signed copies from Loganberry Books in Shaker Heights, Ohio whenever you’d like!

Friday, February 28: Official Book Launch at Barnes & Noble, Fairlawn, Ohio. 7 p.m.

March 1 & 2: The Loveland Frogman Festival.

Tuesday, March 4: Signing at the Jordan Creek Barnes & Noble in Des Moines, Iowa. 6 – 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 6: Reading & Signing at Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Missouri. 6 p.m.

Friday, March 7: Signing at Magic City Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 6 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 8: Signing at New Market Square Barnes & Noble in Wichita, Kansas . 2- 4 p.m.

© 2025 James Renner

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