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.

An absorbing portrayal of true-crime lovers who kill and the men and women who are their victims.

MORE THAN 20 MILLION COPIES OFANN RULE''S BOOKS IN PRINT! In this unnerving collection drawn from her personal crime files, "America''s best true-crime writer" (Kirkus Reviews) Ann Rule brilliantly dissects the convoluted love affairs that all too often end in violence. Expertly analyzing a shocking, headline-making case, Rule unmasks the deadly motives inside a seemingly idyllic marriage: a beautiful young wife, a rising star in America''s top-ranked computer corporation, and a prosperous husband, the scion of a family building business. With an adorable son and a gorgeous home, the couple seemed to have it all. But a furtive evil permeated their days and nights, dragging them into a murky world of drugs, sordid sex, and con operations. In this realm, one of them would prove to be a virtual innocent, the other a manipulator with no conscience. Sudden, violent death brought their charade of a fairy-tale romance to a tragic end -- with a brutal crime that might never have come to light were it not for the stubborn detectives and prosecutors whose fight for justice spanned an entire decade. Empty Promises recounts several other cases where the search for love brought only lies and betrayal -- a cautionary primer, perhaps, for those who trust too much too soon. Powerful because they strike so close to home, the cases in Empty Promises will leave readers shaken by the realities of love gone terribly -- and fatally -- wrong.

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 bestselling author Ann Rule comes the engrossing true story of two beautiful, loving women, and their murder by the man in their life—handsome, charming, rich, a man marked for unlimited success—but one who would never allow any woman to leave him, no matter what the provocation. Jenn Corbin, a lovely, slim, brown-eyed blonde, appeared to have it all: two dear little boys, a posh home in one of the upscale suburbs of Atlanta, expensive cars, a plush houseboat, and a husband—Dr. Bart Corbin, a successful dentist—who was tall, handsome, and brilliant. But gradually their seemingly idyllic life together began to crumble. There was talk of seeing a marriage counselor. Bart was distraught; Jenn seemed disenchanted. She needed to reach out to someone she could confide in—beyond her mother and her sisters. Then, just a few weeks before Christmas 2004, Jenn was found dead with a bullet in her head, a revolver beside her. From the position of the body her death appeared to be a suicide. But Gwinnett County detective Marcus Head was not totally convinced, nor was Jenn''s family, who could not believe she would take her own life. And how was this death related to another apparent suicide fourteen years earlier—that of Dorothy "Dolly" Hearn, a spectacularly beautiful dental student? A star athlete and homecoming queen in high school, Dolly later dated Bart Corbin in dental school. Was there a connection, or was the answer to be found in a secret—even dangerous—relationship Jenn Corbin was having outside her marriage? For Too Late to Say Goodbye, Ann Rule has interviewed virtually everyone in any way related to the story—the victims'' families, police investigators, prosecutors, and sources from Georgia to Australia—to uncover the truth behind the headlines of these two sensational deaths. What emerges is an incredible tale of jealous rage; of stunning circumstantial and physical evidence that runs from the steamy to the macabre to almost-unheard-of forensic techniques; and of a tragic irony—a fateful discovery that motivated the killing. The definitive unraveling of one of the strangest murder investigations of our time, Too Late to Say Goodbye is perhaps the finest achievement of a truly great writer''s career.

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.

V tomto provokativním a překvapujícím příběhu investigativní žurnalistiky se Ann Rule, legendární spisovatelka žánru true crime ponořila do bezmála dvacetiletého honu za nejaktivnějším a nejděsivějším sériovým vrahem Ameriky, Garym Ridgwayem.V roce 1982 byla nedaleko břehu washingtonské Zelené řeky nalezena mrtvola mladé dívky. Detektivové později zjistili, že tělo patřilo Wendy Coffieldové, prostitutce, jejímž rajónem byla nedaleká dálnice. V tu chvíli ještě neměl nikdo ani tušení, že se krutou smrtí šestnáctileté dívky roztáčí nekonečná série vražd, které budou děsit okolí Seattlu téměř dvě desetiletí.Na základě důkladného výzkumu nás Ann Rule strhujícím způsobem vtahuje do pátrání po Zabijákovi od Zelené řeky, děsivém přízraku, který obsesivně zabíjel mladé ženy a dlouhá léta unikal místní policii i FBI. Od hledání pomoci u již vězněného sériového vraha Teda Bundyho až po hrozivý okamžik, kdy Ann Rule došlo, že se zdánlivě nepolapitelný škrtič účastnil jejích přednášek, je Zabiják od Zelené řeky napínavé a nezapomenutelné vyprávění o brutálních a bezcitných zločinech.Gary Ridgway vykonával svou "kariéru" stroje na zabíjení dvacet let. Jeho děsivá schopnost vylákat své oběti na smrt a ukrýt jejich těla ho činila mnohem nebezpečnějším než kteréhokoli jiného sériového vraha. Mrazivý pohled na nejtemnější stránky lidské povahy je jedna z nejdůležitějších a nejosobnějších knih dlouhé kariéry Ann Rule.„Zabil jsem tolik žen, že mám co dělat, abych si je všechny zapamatoval.“Gary Ridgway

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

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!

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.

To his neighbors, Jerry Brudo was a gentle man whose mild manner contrasted with his awesome physical strength. To his employers, Jerry was a fine worker. To his wife, he was a good husband. And to the Oregon police, Jerry Brudo was the most hideously twisted killer they had ever unmasked. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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...

Liysa Northon was stunningly attractive and charming, with a core of loyal supporters who refused to believe she could be guilty of a horrendous crime--in this case, the cold-blooded execution of her handsome husband, Chris. With firsthand testimony from the Northon''s friends and family, this brilliant investigative work travels from Hawaii to Texas to Hollywood as it tracks the remorseless steps of a woman who used the many men who loved her as stepping stones to wealth and fame.

Quando Ann Rule conheceu Ted Bundy em um centro de atendimento de prevenção ao suicídio, ela não fazia ideia de que aquele rapaz simpático e inteligente — que sentava ao lado dela e de quem até chegou a receber um cartão de Natal — se tornaria um dos serial killers mais proeminentes da história. Ted Bundy confessou ter matado ao menos 36 mulheres nos Estados Unidos durante os anos 1970. Para estudiosos do caso, a contagem final é ainda maior. Ele pode até ter salvado vidas pelo centro de prevenção, mas ceifou outras dezenas quando ninguém estava olhando. Inúmeras famílias ficaram sem respostas, e ele foi executado em 1989 na cadeira elétrica. Mas estas informações todo mundo conhece. Chegou a hora de saber mais. Ted Bundy: Um Estranho ao Meu Lado é o livro de true crime mais aguardado pelos darksiders e chega como um clássico na coleção Crime Scene®, da DarkSide® Books. Ann Rule — que teve uma extensa carreira publicando livros e reportagens sobre casos criminais —, divide uma experiência que ninguém, em sã consciência, gostaria de ter: a proximidade com um serial killer e a descoberta de sua verdadeira face. Em Ted Bundy: Um Estranho ao Meu Lado, mergulhamos nas memórias de Rule através de um viés inusitado e assustador. Após mudar de emprego e começar a cobrir casos criminais, Rule se viu diante de um mistério envolvendo mortes consecutivas de mulheres, até que, anos depois, quando estava escrevendo um livro sobre essas mesmas vítimas, a verdade veio à tona. Rule levou anos para aceitar e assimilar o fato de que o homem que havia causado tanto horror era o mesmo com quem havia passado sozinha os turnos da noite no trabalho. Em 2003, em uma entrevista ao Houston Chronicle, ela afirmou: “Por muito tempo eu nutri esperanças de que ele fosse inocente, de que, de alguma forma, isso tudo não passasse de um erro terrível”. Sua experiência alterou drasticamente seu projeto: ela não mais estava escrevendo sobre um assassino misterioso, e sim sobre alguém que havia conhecido pessoalmente. Equilibrando sua vivência pessoal cheia de descrenças, temores e conflitos e seu papel como repórter investigativa, Rule explora a dualidade de Bundy com uma intimidade ímpar. De um lado, um homem charmoso e carismático que dividia planos sobre reconquistar uma antiga namorada; de outro, um psicopata que nutria um ódio fervoroso por mulheres e vivia uma vida de mentira. O clássico best-seller de Ann Rule é o olhar mais profundo e detalhado sobre Ted Bundy que um leitor de veia investigativa irá encontrar. E em 2019 ainda estreia o filme Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, com Zac Efron e Haley Joel Osment no elenco, narrando a história de Bundy a partir da perspectiva de Elizabeth Kloepfer, namorada de longa data do psicopata; e também a série documental Conversando com um Serial Killer: Ted Bundy, com gravações de áudio do próprio Bundy feitas no corredor da morte. Ainda acha que conhece bem todas as pessoas que convivem com você? Pense de novo. Algumas verdades moram nas profundezas e, às vezes, só conseguimos ver aquilo que os outros querem nos fazer enxergar.

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.