Murder...Crime...Weapons....Simply thinking of such things is enough to send shivers of terror into our hearts. Even the words are dark and scary. We all like to imagine that we are safe, that the world is a rational and reasonable place. But who knows what the person standing next to you is really capable of…? And if pushed, how far would you go to protect someone you love – or punish someone you hate? As editor of Real People, one of Britain's leading true-life magazines, I see horrific details of hundreds of crimes every week. We search the length and breadth of the UK, and deal with reporters all over the world, to find the best true-life crimes for our pages, and those in our regular special Crime Confidential magazine. From terrifying Russian cannibals to scorned lovers who will stop at nothing for revenge, it's often hard to accept just how brutal and depraved some people can be. The flip side of the coin is the remarkable resilience of the human spirit. My staff and myself are regularly humbled by talking to and reading about amazing individuals who have been the victims of terrible crimes, yet they have rebuilt their lives, learned how to forgive and moved on. It's this spine-chilling mix of horror and strength that makes crime such an addictive genre. True crime stories feature the full scope of human emotions, from anger to despair, from fear to relief. Suspects will wriggle and change their stories, but their arrogant confidence can crumble in the face of clues and police discoveries. And most shockingly, true crime stories show just how easy it is for normal people to find themselves in a situation of utter despair, or utter madness. Crime is not rational and there's only so far you can go to protect yourself. The people in our stories are just unlucky. Some are tricked or trapped by the evil intentions of others. Some are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. As we go about our daily lives, shopping, working and meeting friends - crime is the fear that we all share. But we should all take comfort in the fact that violent crimes – however terrible they may be – are still incredibly rare. So, as they say on Crimewatch, don't have nightmares…
