Best Selling Books by Ann Rule

Ann Rule presents a collection of fascinating and disturbing true-crime stories—drawn from her real-life personal files—in this seventeenth volume in the #1 New York Times bestselling Crime Files series. In this gripping collection of investigative accounts from her private archives, “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews) exposes the most frightening aspect of the murderous mind: the waiting game. Trusted family members or strangers, these cold-blooded killers select their unsuspecting prey, wait for the perfect moment to strike, then turn normality into homicidal mayhem in a matter of moments. Ann Rule will have you seeing the people and places around you with heightened caution as you read these shattering cases, including: - New mothers murdered, their infants kidnapped, in an atrocious baby-selling scheme - The man who kept his criminal past hidden from his wife—and his wife from his mistress—until he coldly disposed of one of them - The beautiful daughter of a State Department official ran away from the privileged world she knew and hitched a ride with a man she didn’t...with fatal consequences - For months, a vicious, rage-filled serial rapist eluded police and terrorized Seattle’s women—when would he strike next, and how far would his violence escalate? - A criminal known for his Houdini-like escapes is serving time for murder in a botched robbery—now the convict is being served dinner in a civilian’s home, where he has one more trick up his sleeve - A long-lost relative who came home to visit, leaving a bloody trail through Washington and Oregon; no one realized how dangerous he and his ladylove were—until it was far too late... With her ability to translate the most complex cases into storytelling “as dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at night” (The New York Times), Rule expertly analyzes the thoughts and deeds of the sociopath, in this seventeenth essential Crime Files volume.

The author mesmerizing readers with her command of key details about the circumstances surrounding each crime, as well as her consistently masterful examination of the criminals involved.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author who is “among the very small group of top-notch true crime writers” (Booklist) comes the eleventh installment of Ann Rule’s Crime Files, exploring heart-stopping true tales of those who commit murder with no conscience, no remorse, and no regrets. A ship’s pilot legendary for guiding giant freighters through the narrows of Puget Sound, Rolf Neslund was a proud Norwegian, a ladies’ man, and a beloved resident of Washington’s idyllic Lopez Island. Virtually indestructible even in his golden years, he made shocking headlines when he inexplicably disappeared at eighty. Had he committed suicide, or had he run off with a lifelong love? Or did a trail of gruesome evidence lead to the home Rolf shared with his wife, Ruth? On an island where everyone thought they knew their neighbors, the veneer of their marriage masked a convoluted case that took many years to solve. Along with six other equally riveting, detailed accounts of destruction and murder committed without conscience or regret, Ann Rule takes readers into frightening places they never could have imagined.

From true crime legend Ann Rule comes this riveting story of a young woman whose life ended too soon—and a determined mother’s eleven-year crusade to clear her daughter’s name. It was nine days before Christmas 1998, and thirty-two-year-old Ronda Reynolds was getting ready to travel from Seattle to Spokane to visit her mother and brother and grandmother before the holidays. Ronda’s second marriage was dissolving after less than a year, her career as a pioneering female Washington State Trooper had ended, but she was optimistic about starting over again. "I’m actually looking forward to getting on with my life," she told her mother earlier the night before. "I just need a few days with you guys." Barb Thompson, Ronda’s mother, who had met her daughter’s second husband only once before, was just happy that Ronda was coming home. At 6:20 that morning, Ron Reynolds called 911 and told the dispatcher his wife was dead. She had committed suicide, he said, although he hadn’t heard the gunshot and he didn’t know if she had a pulse. EMTs arrived, detectives arrived, the coroner’s deputy arrived, and a postmortem was conducted. Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson, who neither visited the death scene nor attended the autopsy, declared the manner of Ronda’s death as "undetermined." Over the next eleven years, Coroner Wilson would change that manner of death from "undetermined" to "suicide," back to "undetermined"—and then back to "suicide" again. But Barb Thompson never for one moment believed her daughter committed suicide. Neither did Detective Jerry Berry or ballistics expert Marty Hayes or attorney Royce Ferguson or dozens of Ronda’s friends. For eleven grueling years, through the ups and downs of the legal system and its endless delays, these people and others helped Barb Thompson fight to strike that painful word from her daughter’s death certificate. On November 9, 2009, a precedent-setting hearing was held to determine whether Coroner Wilson’s office had been derelict in its duty in investigating the death of Ronda Reynolds. Veteran true-crime writer Ann Rule was present at that hearing, hoping to unbraid the tangled strands of conflicting statements and mishandled evidence and present all sides of this haunting case and to determine, perhaps, what happened to Ronda Reynolds, in the chill still of that tragic December night.

From the bestselling true crime author comes the mesmerising true story of Debora Green, a beautiful, wealthy, successful doctor and mother of three whose murderous rage and jealousy brings death and destruction to her family. With direct access to all the principles including Green, the prosecutor, detectives and arson investigators Ann Rule gives us a horrifying portrait of a woman who had it all and lost it. BITTER HARVEST is the chronicle of a tragedy in the heartland of America, the true story of the disintegration of a marriage and its horrifying consequences. As in her earlier books, Ann Rule takes the reader deep into the psyche of a killer whose behaviour, so twisted and so evil, defies belief. Her book is also the story of the tireless and skilful investigators, forensic scientists and prosecutors who finally brought that killer to justice. Gripping, powerful, and ultimately terrifying, BITTER HARVEST is a vivid re-creation of an unthinkable crime - and a depiction of the unimaginable depths of darkness within the human spirit.

From #1 New York Times bestselling true-crime author Ann Rule comes “a convincing portrait of a meticulous criminal mind” (The Washington Post) in this chilling tale about a beautiful and charming widow with a dark side. 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 façade 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.

THE NEW EDITION OF THE TRUE CRIME CLASSIC The Inside Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy Ann Rule was a writer working on the biggest story of her life, tracking down a brutal mass-murderer. Little did she know that the young man who was her close friend was the savage slayer she was hunting . . . TED BUNDY was everyone''s picture of a natural ''winner'' - handsome, charming, brilliant in law school, successful with women, on the verge of a dazzling career. Fast-forward to 24 January 1989, Ted Bundy is executed. He had confessed to taking the lives of at least thirty-five young women, coast to coast. This is his story: the story of his magnetic power, his unholy compulsion, his demonic double life and his string of helpless victims. It was written by a woman who thought she knew Ted Bundy, until she began to put all the evidence together and the whole terrifying picture emerged . . . As recommended by the hosts of the podcast My Favourite Murder. Fascinating further reading for viewers of the Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.

From America''s most celebrated true-crime writer comes the heartbreaking real-life drama of a doomed young woman hopelessly trapped in a web of sexual intrigue, political manipulation, and emotional deception by her charming and successful—but ultimately deadly—lover. The author of fifteen New York Times national bestsellers, Ann Rule, a former Seattle policewoman, has researched thousands of homicides and understands every facet of murder investigation. Now, in the most complex and shocking book of her long career, she delves into the motivation that drove a seemingly successful man to kill, and she explores heretofore unknown aspects of a fatal affair between a beautiful young woman who moved confidently in the heady world of the upper echelons of government and a widely admired millionaire attorney who was an immensely popular political figure. On June 27, 1996, thirty-year-old Anne Marie Fahey, who was the scheduling secretary for the governor of Delaware, had dinner with a man she had been having a secret affair with for more than two years. "Tommy" Capano, forty-seven, was perhaps the most politically powerful man in Wilmington. Son of a wealthy contractor, former state prosecutor, partner in a prestigious law firm, advisor to governors and mayors, Tom Capano had a soft-spoken and considerate manner that endeared him to many. Although recently estranged from his wife, he was a devoted father to his four beautiful young daughters, the trusted son of his widowed mother, and the backbone of his extended family. But sometime after 9:15 that night when Anne Marie and Tom left a Philadelphia restaurant, something terrible happened to Anne Marie. It would be forty-eight hours before her brothers and sisters realized that she had disappeared entirely. Ann Rule brilliantly traces the lives of both Fahey and Capano as she discloses the intimate details of their ill-fated bonding. A vulnerable, trusting woman becomes spellbound by a charming, duplicitous married man, and what begins as a seemingly unremarkable affair is slowly transformed into an obsessive, convoluted, and deadly relationship. Through her impeccable research, Rule peels away layer after layer of deception to reveal a man who lived a secret life for decades, a man so greedy that he would sacrifice anyone to gain what he desired. One of his many mistresses—all of whom were unknown to one another—was Deborah MacIntyre, an attractive and wealthy member of one of Wilmington''s oldest families and an administrator of an elite private school. She, too, would become part of the mystery surrounding Anne Marie''s disappearance. As three prominent families are destroyed to satisfy one man''s jealous obsessions, this unfathomable tragedy becomes a tale that few would believe if it were presented as fiction. Shockingly, it is all true. Destined to become a classic, And Never Let Her Go is a riveting account of forbidden love and murder among the rich and powerful, and a chilling insight into the evil that sometimes hides behind even the most charming façade.

En juin 1996, à Wilmington (Delaware), une jeune femme disparaît inexplicablement. Proche collaboratrice du gouverneur de l''État, fiancée à un homme qui l''aimait, très entourée par sa famille et ses amis, Anne-Marie n''avait apparemment aucune raison de fuir. Enquêteurs et hommes de loi vont fouiller sa vie en tous sens avant d''établir les raisons et les circonstances de sa mort. Comme elle l''a déjà fait dans Si tu m''aimais vraiment, Ann Rule a rencontré l''un après l''autre les proches d''Anne-Marie Fahey, les témoins de l''affaire, les policiers, les avocats, les juges. Elle reconstitue minutieusement cette histoire vécue, au fil d''un récit oppressant, aussi captivant que le meilleur des thrillers psychologiques.

Seattle author, Cheryl Landes puts her talents and long time love affair with her city Seattle into a delightful, entertaining and informative text about this gem of the northwest city -- "Seattle." Skillfully guiding you through famous streets, neighborhoods and the delightful nooks and crannies, Cheryl brings the city alive in this new publication that follows a long succession of wonderful books about "Seattle." The best yet, this text is supported with stunningly beautiful photography from many of the northwest''s best photographers, including Mark Windom and Rick Morley. This is a publication you don''t want to miss!

"Saisissant... Extraordinaire... Se dévore d''une traite." New York Times " On a tué mes enfants ! " hurle Diane Downs en se précipitant aux urgences. Un homme brun aux cheveux longs l''a menacée d''une arme, a tiré sur elle, ses deux filles et son fils. Devant ce crime révoltant, la police se lance immédiatement à la poursuite du mystérieux suspect. Dans une Amérique transportée d''indignation, seul Fred Hugi, un procureur zélé, ose envisager un scénario improbable, de ceux qui soulèvent le cœur et suscitent l''incrédulité générale... La ravissante, l''adorable Diane Downs serait-elle une Médée des temps modernes, capable de reprendre la vie autant que de la donner ? Reste encore à le prouver.

Een ijzingwekkende true crime-klassieker over Ted Bundy, een van de meest angstaanjagende seriemoordenaars aller tijden In 1971 raakt Ann Rule tijdens haar werk bij een telefonische crisisdienst bevriend met een jonge, charismatische collega: Ted Bundy. Zij is niet de enige die onder de indruk is. Bundy is knap, charmant, studeert rechten en is betrokken bij de Republikeinse Partij. Kortom, een jongeman voor wie de toekomst alleen maar succes kan brengen, zo lijkt het. Drie jaar later verdwijnen in korte tijd acht jonge vrouwen en Ann Rule – die inmiddels misdaadjournalist is geworden – schrijft een boek over de moorden. Ze verdiept zich in de zaak maar heeft nog geen idee dat de ‘Ted’ die de politie zoekt, haar goede vriend is. Terwijl ze materiaal voor haar boek verzamelt en rechercheurs en andere professionals spreekt, komt ze stapje voor stapje tot het besef dat Ted Bundy niet is wie hij lijkt te zijn. In de pers ‘De meest tot de verbeelding sprekende seriemoordenaar in de moderne Amerikaanse geschiedenis. Ann Rule’s buitengewone verhaal is zowel huiveringwekkend als dramatisch, en zo angstaanjagend als een slaapkamerraam dat midden in de nacht wordt ingeslagen.’ The New York Times ‘Een verpletterend verhaal waar zorgvuldig onderzoek aan vooraf is gegaan. Rule schrijft met veel inlevingsvermogen, maar ook met professionele objectiviteit.’ The Seattle Times ‘Zo meeslepend dat ik vergat uit te stappen bij mijn treinstation.’ The New York Times Book Review

Hiver 2003, sur l''île de Whidbey, Russ Douglas est en visite pour les fêtes chez son ex-femme Brenna. Malgré la procédure de divorce en cours, elle l''a invité à célébrer Noël en famille. Au matin du 26 décembre, Russ sort faire quelques courses, après avoir promis à ses enfants qu''il serait de retour rapidement. Mais les heures passent et il ne revient pas. Il sera découvert le lendemain après-midi, dans sa voiture garée près d''une cabane inoccupée, tué d''une balle en plein front. La thèse du suicide est rapidement écartée, aucune arme n''ayant été retrouvée sur les lieux. Pour la police, une longue enquête débute, pleine de rebondissements, de fausses pistes et d''anciennes tragédies, qui captivera toute l''île pendant presque dix ans. Avec une liste de suspects longue comme le bras comprenant entre autres une ex-reine de beauté et son amant professeur de guitare, un hippy toxicomane et la veuve du défunt, cette affaire ressemble à un roman d''Agatha Christie. Pourtant, c''est une histoire vraie.

W mrożącej krew w żyłach opowieści true crime Ann Rule zgłębia tajemnicę, która wstrząsnęła spokojną społecznością Whidbey Island w stanie Waszyngton. Rozplątując sieć kłamstw i intryg, Rule przedstawia fascynujące spojrzenie na ludzkie pragnienie miłości, pieniędzy i zemsty. Ta skrupulatna relacja skupia się na przypadku Russela Douglasa, którego życie kończy się tragicznie w śnieżną noc Bożego Narodzenia. Pełne fascynujących postaci i wciągającej fabuły Ćwiczenia z kłamstwa zachęcają do badania najmroczniejszych zakamarków ludzkiej psychiki i podają w wątpliwość założenia dotyczące zaufania oraz natury zła.

Fünf Frauen sahen in Brad den perfekten Mann - für eine wurde er der perfekte Killer Cheryl Keeton führt ein gutes Leben. Sie ist jung, intelligent und hat sich bereits einen Namen als Anwältin gemacht. Das Einzige, was ihr zu ihrem Glück fehlt, ist eine eigene Familie. Als sie Brad Cunningham kennenlernt, sieht sie in ihm den Mann ihrer Träume. Die beiden heiraten und bekommen gemeinsam drei Kinder. Doch die Ehe scheitert - und kurze Zeit später wird Cheryls Leiche in ihrem Wagen gefunden: grausam zu Tode geprügelt. Schnell wird ihr Mann Brad der Hauptverdächtige in dem Mordfall. Und im Verlauf der Ermittlungen kommen Abgründe zutage, die nicht mal eine kluge Frau wie Cheryl vorhersehen konnte ... True Crime bei beTHRILLED: Nichts ist so grausam wie die Realität!

A collection of true crime stories from the personal files of author Anne Rule.

Linda Brown, la jeune et jolie épouse d''un informaticien millionnaire, est retrouvée morte dans sa chambre à coucher, abattue de deux balles en plein cœur. La police arrête sa belle-fille Cinnamon, quatorze ans, qui avoue le meurtre et plaide coupable. Malgré la confession de l''adolescente condamnée par la justice, Jay Newell, enquêteur, Jeoffrey Robinson, substitut du procureur, restent convaincus de son innocence. Leur curiosité et leurs efforts conjugués mettront au jour une odieuse machination, au péril de leur propre vie...

C''est à Zebulon, au sud d''Atlanta, en Géorgie, que Pat et Tom se sont installés en 1973. C''est aussi là qu''ils se sont mariés. Au dos de la photo de mariage, où la frêle Pat pose au côté d''un Tom imposant, la jeune femme parle de son amour pour son maréchal-ferrant de mari : Nous sommes unis pour la vie et nous ne faisons plus qu''un... Telle Scarlett, elle rêve de plantations, de jardins de roses et de réceptions chics dans les résidences huppées d''Atlanta. Deux mois plus tard, tous ses espoirs sont réduits à néant : son bel époux si romantique est accusé d''avoir sauvagement assassiné ses propres parents. Avec Une petite fille trop gâtée, Ann Rule réussit un véritable tour de force : un tourbillon d''amour insatisfait, de passions et de désirs incontrôlables, une série de crimes brillamment orchestrés, et, au centre de cette spirale mortelle, une jeune femme habituée à ce qu''on lui passe tous ses caprices.

What happens when clues in a case are shrouded in smoke and mirrors, and when criminals skillfully evade law enforcement? An ideal family is targeted for death by an unlikely enemy, who plotted their demise from behind bars. A sexual predator hides behind multiple fake identities, eluding police for years while his past victims live in fear that he will hunt them down. A modest preacher''s wife confesses to shooting her husband after an argument--but there''s more to her story than meets the eye. These and other true cases are analyzed in Ann Rule''s latest collection.

En novembre 2001, Gary Ridgway, le tueur en série le plus meurtrier des États-Unis, est enfin arrêté. L''assassin de la " Green River ", le fleuve vaseux dans lequel il plongeait ses victimes après les avoir violées et étranglées, échappait à la police depuis vingt ans. Voilà justement vingt ans qu''Ann Rule suit pas à pas les avancées de l''enquête, qu''elle réunit des indices sur Ridgway et son mode opératoire, qu''elle collecte des informations sur les quarante-huit victimes. Qu''avaient en commun ces jeunes filles au physique si différent ? Leur fragilité psychologique ? Leur existence marquée par des drames ? La réponse se trouve-t-elle au fond de cette rivière rouge sang ?