Heart Full Of Lies by Ann Rule

An idyllic Hawaiian wedding held the promise of a wonderful future for handsome, athletic Chris Northon, an airline pilot, a confirmed bachelor-turned-devoted family man; and Liysa, an acclaimed surf photographer, loving mother, and aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. But few, including Chris, had seen Liysa's other side -- her controlling behavior and dark moods, her insatiable hunger for money and property. And no one anticipated the fatal outcome of a family camping trip in an Oregon forest. Liysa soon revealed herself as a victim of domestic abuse that culminated at the campsite, where she shot Chris in self-defense. But crime scene evidence led detectives to wonder if Liysa was a killer, not a victim. Her controversial trial stunned all who thought they knew her. A lifetime of sociopathic manipulations and lies had been expertly hidden behind her facade of perfection -- as was her rage to destroy any obstacle to her ultimate happiness, even if it was the man she vowed to love forever.
People were dispensable to Liysa Northon.As quickly as she would allow them into her lives,she would get rid of them,if they failed to satisfy whichever plan she had had,upon entering this specific relationship.If you were a non confrontational kind of person,you would get to escape alive.If you were like Chris Northon,and you had bonded with your son,to the extent that you would have added certain provisions to the custody agreement,then you would die.That is what happened.Despite Chris Northon's desperate attempts at making the marriage work for the sake of his son,he had made clear that in the event of a divorce he would not be the silent bystander that the father of her first son was.

Liysa Northon was the ultimate female sociopath.She was well liked by anyone she ever met.But yet,she had planned for years to murder Chris by circulating stories of physical abuse in the marriage.Abuse which were only stories told by herself to friends and family.No one ever saw for themselves any of this abuse or even noted any marks on her,at any time.

This decision to murder Chris probably came about for different reasons.Chris had refused to invest in any more properties.This woman was obsessed with the acquisition of properties.Chris was growing more and more tired of her frequent moods and outbursts.But in my opinion,their personalities clashed.Chris was a very independent man who loved outings on his own.Liysa loved being the center of attention.He tended to ignore her and his attitude was more "Stay,its ok.Leave,it's also ok" which would have frustrated her to no end.In fact he was the only husband she was faithful to (of the quite few she had before marrying Chris).

I enjoyed reading this book but I would not class it as one of Ann Rule's best books.Probably because I could not relate on an emotional level with any of the main characters.They both irritated me,but that's just me!!

Buy from Kalahari Books-South Africa

OR for more reviews from Amazon:



Here are some more book details:
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9780743410137
Publication date: October 2004
Pages: 447
Illustrations: Illustrated

Dead By Sunset By Ann Rule

This is the horrific account of a charismatic man adored by beautiful and brilliant women who always gave him what he wanted...sex, money, their very lives.... When attorney Cheryl Keeton's brutally bludgeoned body was found in her van in the fast lane of an Oregon freeway, her husband, Brad Cunningham, was the likely suspect. But there was no solid evidence linking him to the crime. He married again, for the fifth time, and his stunning new wife, a physician named Sara, adopted his three sons. They all settled down to family life on a luxurious estate. But gradually, their marriage became a nightmare.... In this gripping account of Cheryl's murder, Ann Rule takes us from Brad's troubled boyhood to one of the most bizarre trials in legal history, uncovering multiple marriages, financial manipulations, infidelities, and monstrous acts of harassment and revenge along the way.

The next time you hear someone described as charismatic,I suggest you run a mile,away from the charismatic man.These are just a few of the actions of THIS charismatic man:
-Served divorce papers on 7 month pregnant wife
-New lawyer girlfriend serves the papers
-Disconnected phone at pregnant estranged wife’s apartment,she really needed the phone in case she had to phone emergency if she went into labor,being all alone.
-Had the car repossessed while estranged wife was in hospital giving birth
-Paid child support by cheque religiously every month so that ex could not claim from welfare then would have the cheques cancelled.
-Convinces his daughter to come live with him,tormented her,then when she asked to go back to her mother he took all her clothes away because he bought it.She then caught the bus wearing tattered clothes
-Picked up kids for weekend visit,then destroyed the new clothes the mother bought and sent them back with old clothes
-Beat up wives and convinced them they were stupid
-Sent faxes to estranged wife’s work with naked photos taken while they were married
-tried to convince estranged wife’s co workers that she was loose and wild
-when all else failed,killed wife and made sure one of their kids was there to see that happen
-Then he got involved with a new woman,convinced her to adopt the kids,then left this woman and sued her for child support (while she was still paying off the USD1 million debt he incurred and left her with)

And the list goes on...
This man was cunning hence I introduce you to Brad Cunningham!

This book centres around the murder of Brad Cunningham's fourth wife,Cheryl.Ann Rule takes us back into the past of Brad Cunningham,and from witness accounts,the details of his life lived and the cruelties he imposed on the people in his life,including his own children.This man is a piece of work!You know how we all moan about the man in our lives from time to time.This man,Brad, made me realise that most of us are actually with brilliant,wonderful,loving,amazing men if we use Brad Cunningham as the yardstick with which to measure how great our partners truly are.

It took me a while to get close to Cheryl(the murdered wife) specifically because she was the attorney girlfriend who had served divorce papers on the pregnant wife.I just could not get past the fact that in my opinion any man who would do that to the mother of his child,would obviously not be prime husband or boyfriend material.PLUS I have my own views on the "sisterhood" and one of the basic rules is "Do not go anywhere near a married or committed man".But as time went on and I saw what Cheryl went through I began to empathize and the eventual feeling was "No one deserves this,not even if they looked for this trouble"

And to meet a truly amazing woman,read about Sara Gordon,his fifth wife, a doctor who despite all the trauma she suffered at the hands of Brad Cunningham,did the ultimate selfless act.But I won't tell you what she did.You will have to read the book!Hint: it has to do with the three sons that Cheryl has with Brad.

This book was brilliant and I have yet to meet a man like Brad Cunningham,even in my true crime books.He had such an massive sense of entitlement that I am now convinced that there should be a study into what kind of childhood creates this "abnormal" feeling and what kind of crimes it can lead to,and possibly the different ways to avoid and treat this problem.

If you would like to read this book,here are some links:
Dead by Sunset
or Kalahari Books-South Africa

And for those who would like to find this book elsewhere here are some more book details:
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9780671001131
Pages: 544
Illustrations: Illustrated

To see what Cheryl looked like go hereand a photograph of the amazing Brad Cunningham is here

Worth More Dead and other true cases by Ann Rule

Worth More Dead is the 10th true crime file by Ann Rule.The crime files usually consist of one longer true crime story,and a few shorter stories which all run in a similar vein.This book as the title suggests are all crimes where the victims were worth more dead than alive.The main story in this case is called:

Worth More Dead
Marie Archer and Roland Pitre had a relationship while they were both still married.When Marie's husband was found shot to death,Roland Pitre confessed to the crime stating that he had paid another man,Steven Guidry, to commit the crime when Marie Archer had asked him to kill her husband.All three appeared in court but only Roland Pitre and Steve Guidry were convicted of murder.Marie Archer had pleaded not guilty,stating that she had happily reconciled with her husband,Dennis, and that Roland Pitre had murdered her husband out of jealousy.Marie Archer went on to live her life.Roland Pitre was sent to jail.Remember the wife that Roland Pitre had left for Marie Archer? Well,her name was Cheryl and Roland convinced her while he was in jail that he was innocent and she took him back.Once he was released,they reconciled and had a second child.Roland Pitre,as was usual,carried on with his extra marital affairs and eventually left Cheryl again.But this time Cheryl Pitre was found dead...(215 pages)

It's Really Weird Looking At My Own Grave
This case highlights how important it is for the victims of rape to try and memorise as many details as possible of their attacker.This rapist-murderer killed one victim,but two young girls managed to outsmart him and once released by him after being raped,their memories of their attacker helped tremendously in catching this killer.(44 pages)

Old Man's Darling
This is the story of Teresa Perez and Justyn Rosen and their love affair.Justyn Rosen was 80 while Teresa was barely 40.Teresa was extremely beautiful and could have any man she wanted but Justyn Rosen was already married.The twist here is that Teresa was dumped by Justyn and SHE plotted to murder him...(42 pages)

All For Nothing
A woman,Cheryl Sweiger,fatally injured by stabbing,was taken to hospital where she later died.The police entered her house to investigate the crime further and found two dead men,one was in the bath.Police enquiring closely,saw the dead man in the bath sit up and surmised that it was the dead body in its final convulsions but this time the dead man was actually alive.He had slit his wrists and taken several sedatives but as the water in the bath cooled down,his body had come out of its self imposed sedation.

Bill Pawlyk,after being rejected by Cheryl Sweiger, had come to her house to murder her and her lover, Larry Sturholm, a semi-celebrity who hosted a series of shows called "Larry At Large".(40 pages)

A Desperate Housewife
This is a story especially for those people who think that verbal abuse is maybe not as serious as physical abuse.Robert and Carolyn Durrall seemed the perfect couple.Underneath this facade was a husband who was a control freak and a wife who submitted to his obsessive demands to keep the peace.Once Carolyn established a career and realised that she was not as useless as Robert had made her out to be for many years,she decided to get a divorce.This was the first and last decision Carolyn had made in many years....(73 pages)

This book is one of the best books in the true crime files series of books.I would recommend reading this book.

If you would like to find out more about this book:
South Africa-Kalahari Books
OR
Worldwide-Amazon

Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule

I will be moving house soon so I have to catch up on reviews of my old true crime books because at the moment I have them in two piles-reviewed and not yet done.When we move they will all be dumped into one box and then I will have to sort them out again so I thought I would do all of them so then no need to sort out when I stack them up on my new shelves.Good idea,hey!!

This is a full story book of Ann Rule's and it runs a lot like like Jerry Bledsoe's Bitter Blood.Intricate family drama.

From the back:
Joined in a romantic love that most people only ever dream about,Pat Taylor's marriage to Tom Allanson was all she ever wanted.Both came from fine Southern families,and both longed to re-create for themselves a plantation where they could raise horses,grow roses and move with grace and style in the highest social circles of Atlanta:in short,to be the Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler of their time.

But scarcely two months later,their perfect world had erupted into family hatreds,terror,bloodshed and murder.The beautiful estate was mysteriously burned to the ground and Tom Allanson stood accused of the brutal slaying of his own mother and father.Before the terrifying truth about the perpetrator was revealed,other innocent victims were to suffer attempts on their lives as intricate personal loyalties and cruel,obsessive jealousies were played out....

First off,you have a family tree where you can find out where everyone fits in.What struck me the most about this story was the fact that men tend to find wives like their mothers,so it applies that if your mother is slightly mentally deranged,the chances you find a wife who is also slightly mentally deranged is quite high.After all,home is where the heart is,and if madness feels like home then...

Tom Allanson's mother was known as "Big Carolyn" because Tom's ex-wife was also Caroline so she became Little Carolyn.Big Carolyn did not like Tom's new wife,Pat Taylor, and remained very close to Little Carolyn.

With the atmosphere fraught with strife,accusations started being flung from both sides.Iin some cases,some accusations were even reported to the police.One such accusation made by Pat Taylor was that Tom's father had come to her house and exposed himself to her.You can imagine the situation,when both sides consisting of men who,at their strange wive's bidding,will do anything,no matter how bizarre the requests.

Ann Rule delves quite deeply into each character's background from childhood to present day.With this type of writing,the reader eventually establishes a bond with a certain character.The book then evolves to current events which include the crime,the investigation and subsequent incarceration of the "guilty" party.

Unfortunately,the characters in this book struck me as all mad.A bunch of crazy people who should have invested in satellite tv or at the very least gotten a library card.For goodness sake,they should all have gotten a life before the situation exploded into murder and mayhem!

This is a very entertaining book but don't expect to feel compassion(as is usual with true crime books) for any of these people.It is still an excellent book.

For readers from South Africa,you can find out more about this book at Kalahari Books and for everyone else,Amazon.

Too Late To Say Goodbye by Ann Rule

Jenn Corbin was found dead early one morning by her young son,Dalton Corbin.She had died from a gunshot wound to the head and a gun lay next to her.It was initially presumed that she had committed suicide although the gun being partially covered under the bedcover raised some doubts with the investigating officer.To rule out a possible homicide an investigation was started.The husband Dr Bart Corbin,was obviously the first person to try and rule out.

The investigation revealed that Jenn Corbin had been intent on divorcing Bart Corbin and had also started an internet affair.Bart Corbin had been emotionally abusive all throughout the marriage and had conducted many affairs out of the marriage,including one with a married woman even from before he married Jenn.

But the plot thickens.The person Jenn had been having an affair with was not who everyone thought this person was.Dr Bart Corbin avoided speaking to the investigators at all costs and had "lawyered" up very early in the investigation.Then the investigation revealed that some years earlier a previous girlfriend of Bart's,Dolly Hearn,had also died by committing suicide.

Little Dalton's first words were,without prompting "Daddy killed my Mommy" although he had not actually seen this happen.This story is an amazing account of the brilliant investigators who refused to give up,especially when it came to tracking the origins of the gun found next to Jenn Corbin.Due to these tenacious and determined investigators,this crime case ends with the ultimate climax.

I would recommend reading this book wholeheartedly.You can feel Ann Rule's compassion throughout the book.Her relationship with the families of the victims is so very real and loving.Despite this,the story unfolds with no bias but the facts.

Usually in books where the one spouse murders the other,there are always children who for the most part,are either abandoned or put in the care of the murderer's family.In those cases I always wonder how the children are doing and it is absolutely heartbreaking.Thanks goodness I don't have to worry about these two little boys.Jenn's sister,Heather Tierney,is raising them with her own two children and doing a wonderful job.

Little Dalton,strikes me as such a clever little boy and Dillon,the younger brother,was too young at the time to remember much,and is faring better.Both boys have no wish to see their father.I cannot give the whole story away but I just want to add some interesting bits.

Dolly Hearn,the ex girlfriend who had apparently committed suicide had a cat called Tabitha.When she broke up with Bart Corbin he made her life a living hell by stalking her and even kidnapped her cat and abandoned her far away.After a month or so,Dolly convinced him to tell her where he had abandoned Tabitha which he did and luckily the cat was found,a little worse for wear after living on the streets for a month,but otherwise okay.This same Tabitha lived for 21 years,that was amazing to me.

Dolly Hearn,who had been studying to be a dentist,was murdered a year before she completed her studies.Despite her fellow students lobbying for her degree to be awarded posthumously,it was denied as the board believed she had committed suicide as she had not been doing well at her studies(this stalker Bart Corbin had destroyed a few of her important study projects causing her to nearly fail in her studies)and believed the rumors that Bart had spread about her being suicidal.Well the good news is that a few years ago they did award Dolly Hearn with her degree and she is Dr Dolly Hearn.

This book has so many twists and turns.There are even some unsolved murders of women who knew Dr Bart Corbin.Really you have to read this book to understand what I mean.If I had not known it was a true crime story I would have really believed it was fiction.But all of it is true and Ann Rule is at her best in this book.



Here are some more book details:
Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal
Author: Ann Rule
Country: United States of America
Publisher: Wheeler Publishing
ISBN: 9781597224116
Publication date: June 2007
Pages: 602
Illustrations: Illustrated

A Rose For Her Grave and other true stories by Ann Rule

This is the first one of the Ann Rule crime files (Volume 1).Ann Rule decided to start doing these crime files when she realised that she would never have the time to write a book on each of the cases she researched and investigated.So in order to try and provide some "air time" to most of her true crime stories she decided to start with these crime files.The last one of these I read was Mortal Danger which is Volume 13,which reminds me that I have to go check out her website for any new books.

In this volume,A Rose For Her Grave,the main story is about Randy Roth,a sociopath whose main victims were women and children,although there were occasions when men suffered his wrath,those occasions did not end with deadly consequences as did his crimes against women and children..He married many times,each time becoming a widower one more time.This man was an absolute health freak,with regular exercise and detested alcohol and smoking.It seems his only major vice was a love for all the good things in life and a need to acquire money in the worse way possible.(341 pages-book length)

Campbell's Revenge
This is a shocking story of a mother who was raped.The rapist/murderer was sent to jail but through some official glitch managed to return to this same home and kill the mother,her 9 year old daughter and a friend.(30 pages)

The Hit Person:Equal Opportunity Murder
The story of a beautiful,intelligent young Polish girl who took up employment as a housekeeper in order to be able to live in the US.After a while her rich employer married her but the marriage was doomed.Wanda wanted to study and establish a career while her husband would have preferred her to carry on with the housekeeping duties that had initally brought her to America.The divorce proceedings were under way when Wanda was found murdered.A hit woman was arrested for her murder.(40 pages)

The Runaway
This is such a tragic story.This family had recently lost the young father at 41 to a heart attack.The mother was now raising her four daughters alone.The youngest daughter,Janna Hanson,at 13, was the youngest child.When Janna disappeared the police originally believed she was a runaway.(25 pages)

The Rehabilitation Of A Monster
The story of Richard Marquette,a sexual predator who mutilated and murdered his victims.Ann Rule gives a brief history of each of the victims and the pitiful life stories are heartbreaking.Before this story,Ann Rule had not believed in the death penalty.Upon researching and investigating these gruesome crimes by Richard Marquette,she changed her mind and is now a supporter of the death penalty.In her opinion,these types of murderers are always on their best behavior once incarcerated,they make model prisoners who ultimately make it out of jail on parole,only to immediately re offend.Their signature traits are first and foremost a complete lack of remorse and no conscience at all.They operate on criminal instinct alone and therefore cannot be rehabilitated.(31 pages)

Molly's Murder
This story is really close to my heart.In 1986,Molly Ann McClure was just starting out in life.She had gotten herself an apartment,had added a few pot plants,started working,and having no car had made sure that the apartment was located close to bus routes.I remember being in this same situation,also starting out around the same time,being so proud of my very small apartment,using what little money I had left over to decorate,sewing my own curtains,working and studying in the evenings.It was wonderful!Molly Ann McClure was murdered in her own bed.It could have easily been me.(38 pages)

If you would like to find out more about this book then South Africans can access via Kalahari Books
or for more reviews from Amazon

Here are some more book details:
A Rose for Her Grave (True Crime Files)
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Softcover
Publisher: SPHERE
ISBN: 9780751510706
Publication date: July 1995
Pages: 528
Illustrations: portraits

A Fever In The Heart and Other True Cases by Ann Rule

A FEVER IN THE HEART dissects an explosive triangle that led to obsession and murder in a small town in the north-west of America. Ann Rule reveals the story of an alluring wife and the two men desperate for her love; a story with a bizarre and deadly twist that no one could have suspected. In this and several other riveting true-crime cases from her personal files, Ann Rule masterfully probes the delusions of the criminal mind, the fateful circumstances and the unrelenting investigative forces at work in the aftermath of murder.

This is one of the books that Ann Rule publishes as crime files which has multiple true crime stories,one longer than the others.The title of the book is usually the title of the main,long story.This one is Volume 3 of Ann Rule's crime files.

This is how the book begins
"The day after a holiday is always something of a letdown-even if the celebrations were successful and families and friends have managed to get together without allowing half-forgotten slights and old wounds to bubble to the surface.In New York City and in Yakima,Washington,and in every city and hamlet in between,families who co exist all year tend to become dysfunctional with the pressure of holiday emotions.Perhaps humans expect more out of life during the festive season.Those over the age of ten are usually disappointed"

Here is a brief breakdown of each story included in this book of crime files Volume 3

A Fever In The Heart
A love triangle where a wife,Jerilee,had left her current husband(Gabby Moore) to return to her ex husband(Morris Blankenbaker),the father of her two children.The two husbands had been best friends.The victim,Morris,had remained good friends with Gabby Moore even after he had stolen his wife,Jerilee,but somehow things didn't work the same way for Moore when this same wife realised he was a manipulator and decided that she truly did love Morris Blankenbaker.There are infinite twists and turns in this story and hardly as simplistic as I have described above.(284 pages)

The Highway Accident
An intricate story conjured up by a husband who had killed his wife.What this story highlights is how alert neighbors who care can help a lot in police investigations combined with the excellent skills of that same police force.This story although short was really an eye opener (20 pages)

Murder Without A Body
The nature of this story is that many murderers get away with murder because so few prosecutors are willing to indict a case with no body.This is more so because of the "Double Jeopardy" rule which states that one person cannot be tried more than once for the same murder.Because of that prosecutors are relucant to take a murder case to court in case the suspect is acquitted from lack of proof and later on,if more valid proof is brought to light,will never be accountable for this murder.This story is about a prosecutor who was brave enough to take his chances on trying a case where the body of the victim was still missing.(25 pages)

I'll Love You Forever
A widowed wife who then goes on to meet the perfect man who turn out to be the perfect psychopath.Ann Rule actually changed her name when she initially wrote about this story for fear that this psycho(Anthony Fernandez) would find her and possibly do her harm.(23 pages)

Black Leather
How one sexual psychopath got caught because of one victim who got away and what unravels as this brave man took the authorities back to the scene of the crime(23 pages)

Mirror Images
This story truly highlights the never ending sage of some states to have a death penalty,then no penalty and then to further down the line re instate that same penalty.What happens is that when a crime is committed,even if the perpetrator is caught in the era which now has a death penalty,the date of the crime is taken into account and this murderer is then not sentenced to death.What happened here is a murderer who had not received the death sentence,who upon being paroled,returned to do harm to witnesses in a prior case against him.This story highlights two such psychopaths hence the title "Mirror Images".Again a simplistic version of a great short story with multiple twists and turns.(25 pages)

I do not have to tell you again how much I love Ann Rule so of course,if you haven't read this book I suggest you do as soon as you can.



Here are some more book details:
A Fever in the Heart (True Crime Files)
Country: United Kingdom
Format: Softcover
Publisher: TIME WARNER PAPERBACKS
ISBN: 9780751515732
Publication date: December 1996
Pages: 444
Illustrations: 16pp b&w photographs

This is a book which was published many years ago but I guarantee that all the scenarios are still bery much applicable today and therefore not dated at all.This is one of my old true crime books which I have now posted my thoughts in a bid to catch up with my old true crime books and have them all featured on this blog one day....finally....

Bitter Harvest by Ann Rule

A small-town girl with a genius IQ, she achieved an enviable life: her own medical practice, a handsome physician husband, three perfect children, and an opulent home in an exclusive Kansas City suburb. But when a raging fire destroyed that home and took two lives, the trail of clues led investigators to a stunning conclusion. Piece by piece, Ann Rule digs beneath this placid Midwestern facade to unveil a disturbing portrait of strangely troubled marriages, infidelity, desperation, suicide, and escalating acts of revenge that forever changed dozens of lives.This book journeys inside the twisted mind of a killer, Dr. Debora Green, after the cancer specialist was arrested for the arson murders of two of her three children and the attempted poisoning of her estranged husband.

This is definitely one of Ann Rule's better books.Deciding on Ann Rule's best books is very hard to do as all of her books are really good.In fact I think I might have read all her books and to date found one only which I would say I didn't enjoy so much.This was more based on the actual story itself which was of a young man who robbed banks.

True to form,Ann Rule delves very deeply into the background of the main characters in the book.I love that as it helps me come to my own conclusions and raises a lot of questions which I try to solve as I read through the book.This one got me a bit worried as the murderer Debora Green loved reading and reading true crime books,no less.In fact the one copy of a true crime book on her nightstand raised a few questions for the investigators.I found myself thinking about a lot of what ifs? What if I was ever unwittingly involved in a crime,would the investigators suspect me immediately because I read true crime books??Luckily those were just thoughts while I was reading.When I was done reading,and realising the massive amount of proof they had before they even arrested her,my worried thoughts were put to rest.

I read somewhere that highly intelligent people are inclined to be a bit mad,hence the saying "nutty professor".Couple that with the fact that there is a very thin line between sanity and insanity (or is that love and hate?).Never mind,I think it applies to both examples.Try and think back to the really intelligent kids in school who,for me, all seemed very strange and anti social.Then as I grew older and started learning stuff from reading I also found out that you can only get along well with people who are 10 IQ points below or above your own IQ.I can now understand why they would not have so many friends.I think the list of possible friends gets very thin there in the top IQ range.

BUT this Debora Green with her high IQ also had a very intelligent husband who did not murder his children.This woman was pure evil and I don't think evil is allocated according to any IQ.After trying for so long to poison her husband,she then set the house on fire.Here is the true tragedy.Her son who could have easily jumped from his bedroom window into the pool chose to listen to his mother who told him to stay in his room until help got there.He subsequently died of smoke inhalation.Lissa,the one daughter,managed to climb out onto the roof and called out many times to her mother who eventually decided she better walk closer to the house(Debora Green was outside the burning house and safe the whole time)where she then told Lissa to jump.Lissa jumped and her mother let her fall at her feet,probably hoping the fall would hurt her.Luckily she survived.Little Kelly,the other daughter also perished in the house.I want to see what type of mother,whose house is burning,gets out the house and leaves her children inside,and then calmly waits outside for help.Not in my world do I know any mother who would react like that.

This book was brilliantly written as all Ann Rule books are.I would definitely recommend this book to any true crime reader.

Here are some more book details:
Bitter Harvest
Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9780671868697
Publication date: February 1999
Pages: 496
Illustrations: Illustrated

Mortal Danger by Ann Rule

Mortal Danger and Other true crime cases by Ann Rule are short stories with either a spouse, lover, family member or a helpful stranger who is totally trusted,but whose lethally violent nature, though masterfully disguised, can and will kill. Featured is the case of a family man who appeared the picture of healthy living with his expertise in naturopathic healing. Luring a beautiful flight attendant into a passionate affair, he swept her away to a secluded home on the coast where his jealous rages escalated, ultimately leading to a brutal sex attack when she believed she would die. How this brave victim survived, never knowing her tormentor's whereabouts, and how he resurfaced, forcing a tragic end for all involved, makes this one of Ann Rule's most compelling narratives. Other cases include that of the woman who masterminded her husband's murder to gain his inheritance ...The monstrous sadist whose prison release damaged a presidential candidate's campaign and ended in a bitter double tragedy in a quiet neighbourhood 3,000 miles away .

This book was the first book giveaway on this blog.I have wanted to read it for a while now and finally got it via my Kindle.(my 2nd book on Kindle).The main story and longest one is Mortal Danger which is about Kathy Ann Jewell a flight attendant who ends up falling in love with and living with John Brandon.I am not sure by which name to call him as he went under various names in his life and his real name is never confirmed.Ann Rule provides interesting background information on Kate Jewell and is really sucessful in getting the reader to bond with and get to really know her well.With all this information though I was not provided any insight as to how she ended up falling in love and living with a psychopath.He eventually tried to kill her and then disappeared.He re surfaced years later with drastic consequences...

The next stories are all shorter stories.Written In Blood is about a couple,Bev and Brian Mauck who were killed in their home by a neighbour and friend.The story unwinds first with the actual crime scene and discovery thereof,then into the background and lives of the couple then with the investigation,gradually introducing the killer and his background and subsequent incarceration.It really is a warning to women who befriend men in prison,then marrying them and bringing these dangerous men into their lives and the lives of their family and friends.

If I Can't Have You is about Amelia Jager,a 27 year old owman who met and married a Swiss man.She left her home in America and moved to Switzerland only to discover she has married a very dysfunctional man.After a few months of strange behavior she decided to leave him and go back home.He pursued her,and upon realising that she was adamant about wanting to leave him,he decided to take matters into his own hand.I realised when reading this story that while it is okay to believe in love at first sight,if this true love involves getting married quickly and moving far away from friends and family,then maybe this true love should rather move to you,than the other way around.

Thirty years later is the cold case of Sara Beth Lindquist who was abducted and murdered in 1978 and how Clarence Williams was eventually caught and convicted.This story also details the other crimes he committed as well as the murder of Julie Costello.Emphasises and highlights the victories of DNA and the perseverance of law enforcement personnel who most times find themselves absolutely driven to solve cases even when a long time has gone by.

Not Safe At Home is about the murder of Traia Carr who was raped and murdered by a neighbor's son.This story was very well written as it kept me in suspense the entire time.Believe me when I say that the first sentence is not a spoiler at all.I took the following as a warning: it doen't matter how long you have known certain people,if you see signs of dysfunction it is just better to limit the interaction you have with them.

This is the latest of Ann Rule's crime files(Volume 13,I think) and being an Ann Rule book I enjoyed reading it but I would not say it is one of her better books.My best Ann Rule book so far has been Small Sacrifices and the worst was The End Of The Dream.This book lies somewhere in between for me.



If you would like to read more reviews on this book then access via Amazon link below
Mortal Danger (Ann Rule's Crime Files)

otherwise South African readers can find out more via Kalahari Books.

Here is some more information on the book Mortal Danger by Ann Rule

Country: United States of America
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9781416542209
Publication date: November 2008
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 465

I read this book via my Kindle In May 2009 and I was very impressed with the layout on Kindle which even included photographs which you could go to directly from the contents page.Not all Kindle books are set up so well,I have found out,to my utter dismay!

April 2009 True Crime Book Giveaway

Hey
This April 2009 true crime book giveaway is Mortal Danger by Ann Rule.I chose this book because it is Ann Rule's latest book and because I know all her books are brilliant.


Mortal Danger (Ann Rule's Crime Files)

Ann Rule brings her brilliantly informed understanding of the sociopath to this riveting true crime collection. Only Rule, who unknowingly worked alongside the smart and charming Ted Bundy-America's most notorious serial killer-could lend her razor-sharp insight into these cases of the spouse, lover, family member or a helpful stranger who is totally trusted-but whose lethally violent nature, though masterfully disguised, can and will kill. Featured here is the case of a family man who appeared the picture of healthy living with his expertise in naturopathic healing. Luring a beautiful flight attendant into a passionate affair, he swept her away to a secluded home on the coast where his jealous rages escalated, ultimately leading to a brutal sex attack when she believed she would die. How this brave victim survived, never knowing her tormentor's whereabouts, and how he resurfaced, forcing a tragic end for all involved, makes this one of Ann Rule's most compelling narratives. Other cases include that of the woman who masterminded her husband's murder to gain his inheritance ...The monstrous sadist whose prison release damaged a presidential candidate's campaign and ended in a bitter double tragedy in a quiet neighbourhood 3,000 miles away . ..

Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN: 9781416542209
Publication date: November 2008
Length: 173mm
Width: 108mm
Thickness: 27mm
Weight: 249g
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 465
Illustrations: Illustrated


To qualify to enter this April 2009 True Crime Book Giveaway you just have to answer this simple question:

1-there are three You Tube videos on this blogsite.One of them is in connection with a book which has been reviewed on this site.What is the name of the book and who wrote it?

Tip:you can use the Google Custom Search button to find out.

If you want to take part in this competition please e mail your answer to :

yk@toptruecrimebooks.com

 

Soooo,the rules are as follows

You have to be 18 years old or older to take part.

Competition is open to everyone but please note that some countries may have a longer delivery period but I will supply all the details via e mail to the winner.
You have to be a follower or an e mail subscriber.(both are free to join)
Your answer via e mail counts as 1 entry

If you leave a comment on this post that counts as another entry.Dont put your answer on the comment though.That should be via e mail.Let me know via e mail which comment post is yours.

The competition closes 30 April 2009 and the winner will be contacted via e mail by the 4th May 2009.
So there that's it,very simple.
And Good Luck!!

Smoke,Mirrors And Murder by Ann Rule:Crime Files Vol.12

From the #1 bestselling true-crime writer in America comes a chilling collection of tales about a variety of deceptive killers,young and old, rich and poor,who commit murder by sleight-of-hand. Includes Rules insider commentary of the case of Mary Winkler, the Tennessee woman who killed her minister husband, Matthew, in 2006.

This book is by Ann Rule and you may have read my previous posts where I categorically state that she is my favorite true crime writer ever.She still is but she is now sharing the throne for queen of crime with Kathryn Casey.As you get more involved with true crime books you will realise that true crime writers usually write of true crime in their home states.This is probably due to the fact that they sit in on the court cases of the book that they are writing about,and the court cases would usually be in the state where the crime happened.So to sum up Ann Rule normally writes on crimes from the Seattle area and Kathryn Casey is a Texas based true crime writer.So having two true crime queens is okay as there is plenty of crime to write about for everyone.

Now to talk about Smoke,Mirrors and Murder.This is Volume 12 of Ann Rule's Crime Files where she publishes a book with a few stories all in one book.This specific book has the following stories.
The Deputy's Wife which is 152 pages of the 464 pages so it is the longest story in the book and my favorite of all the stories.This is about Sue Harris Jensen who married a police officer.After many years in a turbulent marriage she asked him for a divorce.Then began the stalking and harassment.This story also highlights how abusive men in law enforcement careers can practically get away with murder.
The Antique Dealer's Wife is as the title states exccept this wife disappeared and this antique dealer was a real con man.He got away with "murder" for many years.This story has 57 pages.
The next story is The Truck Driver's Wife.This wife was found burnt to death but nothing else around her was burnt.The story explores the concept of spontaneous combustion which is when a person just suddenly for no reason spontaneously combusts(sets on fire) and dies.This story has 33 pages.
Another story is The Convict's Wife which tell the story of Doris Mae and her abusive husband.Then one day he was gone...This story has 23 pages.This was also a very good story.
The Chemist's Wife is also an amazing story where you will be amazed at the power that some people have over others.The Painter's Wife is the wife who got abducted by an escaped convict and the ordeal she went through.The bravery of one man saved her...
And finally The Minister's Wife which is 111 pages long and the second longest story.This is about the same story that I did a review on previously but for the book called The Pastor's Wife by Diane Fanning.This story was still very interesting to read as it was told from a totally different perspective as the Diane Fanning book.I must stress they are of exactly the same story.None of the basic information has been changed.They are just written from different perspectives.I enjoyed both.

So another great true crime file by ann Rule.These true crime files are wonderful to read as I find that it is not too emotionally trying.You read a great story and move on.Sometimes I like that...Sometimes I need that...

If you are interested in finding out more...
Smoke Mirrors And Murder Kalahari link for South African readers

or below for the Amazon link
Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder: And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files)
I read this book in March 2009.Please note that not all the stories are about spousal murder.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781416541608
Publication date: December 2007
Length: 171mm
Width: 107mm
Thickness: 25mm
Weight: 240g
Pages: 464
Illustrations: Illustrated

Kiss Me,Kill Me by Ann Rule:true crime book review

And while we may like to believe that crimes of the heart only victimize those who aren't careful, this page-turning collection of must-read accounts will convince you otherwise. America's #1 true-crime writer, Ann Rule reveals how lovers become predators, how sex and lust can push ordinary people to desperate acts, and how investigators and forensics experts work to unravel the most entangled crimes of passion. Extracting behind-the-scenes details, Rule makes these volatile relationships utterly real, and masterfully re-creates the ill-fated chains of events in such cases as the ex-Marine and martial arts master who seduced vulnerable women and then destroyed their lives...the killer whose calling card was a single bloodred rose...the faithless wife who manipulated and murdered without conscience...the blind date that set the stage for a killer's brutality...and more. In every case, the victim -- young and innocent or older and experienced -- unknowingly trusted a stranger with the sociopathic skill to hide their dark motives, until it was too late to escape a web of deadly lies, fatal promises, and homicidal possession.

This book has ten true crime stories included.Kiss Me,Kill Me is the longest story with 128 pages and is about a young pregnant mother who gets killed in her home.The other stories "The Postman Only Killed Once",What's Love Got To Do With It?","Old Flames Can Burn",The Lonely Hearts Killer",The Captive Bride","Bad Blind Date",The Highway Accident",You Kill Me...Or I'll Kill You" and "Where Is Julie?" are shorter stories and average about 25 pages each.The common thread in each of these stories and probably why Ann Rule used them all for this crime file is they are all crimes against women and involved a certain element of trust by the victims for the killer.

Again I do not have to tell you my feelings about Ann Rule books.Suffice to say they are all brilliant.Her ability to take you into the lives of the victim before they get murdered evokes an emotional response as you feel you already know these people by the time they get murdered.

I enjoy the true crime files but feel a little let down by the shorter stories as most of them seem to have the potential to be a full book on their own.Ann Rule has made the comment that she gets asked to write so many books about certain people and criminal acts and really does not have the time to write all of them.The true crime files is her way of writing about as many stories as she can.She mostly chooses stories which are close to her heart as in "Kiss Me,Kill Me" she is a personal friend of the victim's uncle.

I think the True Crime Files are perfect for readers who enjoy true crime stories but do not really like reading big books.In that way Ann Rule has made sure that all her types of readers are satisfied.For me any Ann Rule book is wonderful and I just wish she would write more books.I always wonder when I read a true crime story that I do not enjoy,if Ann Rule would have written it differently and made it a good book.I personally think so...

I bought this specific book at my used bookstore which is a tiny little dusty shop with old books everywhere.I like the fact that is it dusty and untidy and that it is stuck in a not very visible location.The first time I found it I felt like I had discovered a treasure chest.And on the right hand side in the back corner was ONE shelf old true crime books.I bought ALL of them because I was sure that someone else would come and buy the books before I got back again.Now I try to go there once every two months and it is the highlight of my life.

To sum up,I prefer full length stories but I still read the crime files as I will read anything from Ann Rule.



I read this book in November 2008.

Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule:a True Crime Book Review

'Somebody just shot my kids!' Diane Downs brought her car to a halt in front of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital, her three gravely wounded children beside her. Thus begins the shocking tale of a truly unthinkable crime that shattered the tranquility of a tight-knit community. As police searched for the 'shaggy-haired stranger' Diane accused of shooting 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 3-year-old Danny in cold blood, a suspicion grew that was even more horrifying than the crime itself: Did Diane shoot her own children? A dedicated district attorney, haunted by this question, searched for the destructive forces that seemed to possess this beautiful young mother and uncovered a chronology of incest, psychological wounding, desperate affairs and surrogate motherhood.

You may have been wondering that there are no reviews yet on Ann Rule's book but Ann Rule is my best writer?Well at the moment I just grab a book from my "crime library" and I do a review on whichever book I have in hand.I have a backlog of books which I need to do a review to bring this blog up to date and then I will post monthly on whichever books I have read for the current month.

Well this is my first Ann Rule book review.Where do I start?The woman is brilliant and her books are brilliant.I do not even bother to read what a book is about when I see it is a new release by Ann Rule.I just buy it and I know I will love it.And yes so far I have not been proven wrong.

This book,Small Sacrifices,will break your heart.I could not stop crying.This is one book which I will not have in the swop corner because it is too close to my heart.I need to keep the book close by.I feel this is the only way I can do my part to keep the kids safe seeing as their own mother was a miserable attention seeker totally oblivious of her children's love,instead seeking the love of any man,especially men who did not want her.To get to her age and still not realise the fulfilment of a child's love is pathetic at best.

The first chapter begins with the mother driving to the hospital and reporting her children have been shot.It evolves effortlessly from this to the background of the mother,her early life and her life experiences until the day she appears in hospital with her children shot.Then there is the court case which has drama of its own as this mother continues to live a drama filled life even through this period to the point of being pregnant again when she gets sent to jail.(and then a lesbian affair)You will find it very difficult to put this book down and will try and complete it in one session which is virtually impossible as it is a very thick book.Every page is filled with information and there is very little filler "description of the day" passages.Spell binding,gripping and edge of your seat kind of book.

I had and still have no sympathy for this woman despite her being abused as a child and so forth.This act is unforgiveable and nothing will change my opinion.I do not believe in putting any man before my children.There is a part in the book where she says to whatever man?(in surprise) that she thinks she might love her children more than him.That should have raised some red signals.I also watched an interview once where a woman could not decide if she loved her husband or children more.For goodness sake,your children are yours forever,your man is only yours until he meets the next woman.You cannot compare the two relationships,one is real the other is on a deadline.One is unconditional and the other is full of conditions.One is instinctive and an absolute pleasure the other is a lot of work and ok, I will stop...

Basically if you are a mother or parent this book will leave you flabbergasted and emotionally spent.Do not read this book unless you are in the correct state of mind to deal with the many emotions which will run through as you read this book.

The book as it looks in the picture above is the one that I have and is published by Time Warner Publications but I see now that they have a cheaper version published by Signet Books.I assume the books are exactly the same so I have included both links below.




This book has 611 pages and pictures all throughout the book as opposed to a few pages in the middle of the book.You will not believe how sweet and innocent this woman looks in those pictures.Definitely this proves you should not judge a book by its cover(pardon the pun)
I read this book in September 2007.

I just discovered this update on Diane Downs where she is up for parole and is really interesting.To find out more