Episode · The Megyn Kelly Show · 2026-04-19
Books mentioned on JonBenét Ramsey's Father, "Dopesick," and "Family Annihilators" - Megyn's "True Crime" Mega-Episode
On today's true crime mega-episode, Megyn goes into the archive and brings her deep dive into the JonBenet Ramsey case with an in-depth interview with her father John Ramsey, the look into "Dopesick" and the opioid crisis, and some of the worst of the worst criminals with a focus on "Family Annihilators.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Dreamland
Sam Quinones's compelling investigative work details the complex origins of the American opioid crisis and the devastating rise of the black tar heroin trade.
Discussed“A book called Painkiller, book called Dreamland. uh my horror grew even more and I just thought I have to do this.”
Where to get it
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Dopesick
Dopesick by Beth Macy is a harrowing chronicle of the opioid epidemic and the pharmaceutical companies that fueled addiction in America.
Discussed“A book called Painkiller, book called Dreamland. uh my horror grew even more and I just thought I have to do this.”
Where to get it
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Painkiller
Painkiller by Will Staeger is a gripping work that explores the devastating origins and escalation of the American opioid crisis, which was subsequently adapted into a notable Netflix dramatic series.
Discussed“A book called Painkiller, book called Dreamland. uh my horror grew even more and I just thought I have to do this.”
Where to get it
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Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D.
Discussed“see that. But she does get it. I mean she she sort of um her book is not totally dissimilar from Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance. You know it just takes a hard, honest, and sometimes unfavorable view of Appalachia and what's happened there.”
Where to get it
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Empire of Pain
Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain is a meticulously researched history tracing the Sackler dynasty, Purdue Pharma, and their central role in driving the devastating opioid epidemic.
Discussed“Obviously the Sacklers in Purdue Pharma are they do not come out favorably in the movie or the book or life. Uh, although their lives are pretty good about it. Their lives are pretty damn good. But I'll tell you, the biggest villain right after them is the FDA. And and you will not believe how Purdue Pharma managed to”
Where to get it
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Fatal vision
Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss is a harrowing true crime book that investigates the brutal murders of a Green Beret captain's pregnant wife and two young daughters, exploring the complex psychology and subsequent conviction of Jeffrey MacDonald.
Recommended“This turned into the book Fatal Vision which I really recommend. I listened to via audio was done so well by Joe McGinness.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“And that was a real double whammy. If you've already lost the majority of your jobs, some of the communities I was reporting on for my first book, Factory Man, which came out in 2014, which is about the aftermath of globalization.”
“I tell the story of this mom in my new book, Raising Lazarus, which comes out next August, who had”