| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The dark side of love is no fairy tale....
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.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
One of the reasons Sandy's-as she was called-murder disturbed me so much was because I knew her uncle. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
One of the reasons Sandy's-as she was called-murder disturbed me so much was because I knew her uncle. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.co.uk.
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
32 reviews
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
So disappointed
21 Feb 2005
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I have read and loved all of Ann's books, even her Crime Files series. This one however was very disappointing. If feels as if it were thrown together just to get it on the market. Another thing was the fact that so many of the names were fake. I understand why that is necessary in certain instances but to give fake names to the killers is in my opinion demeaning to the victims. I like to do research on certain cases and it is very time consuming to research for the killer's real name first. If they have been tried and convicted then their real name should be used, even if they have done their time and have been released. IMHO
27 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Both entertaining and a bit disappointing
16 Jan 2005
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I am an Ann Rule fan but these Crime Files books become more and more disappointing. While I like that there is a collection of stories in these books, of late I find that the main story drags on and that some of the shorter stories are stories that Ann has previously written about. If I am paying the price of a new book I don't want to read old fodder. I understand that Ann has a background in police work (making it near and dear to her heart) but I think there is too much focus on the detectives in the stories. I don't want to see photo after photo of detectives and D.A.'s. I'd much rather see photos that support the real life impact of the victim who was a real person. I do, however, appreciate that Ann avoids graphic and gruesome photos. I like how Ann tries to make the victim come to life but I often think she goes overboard in relating how absolutely beautiful, intelligent, generous, and vivacious each victim is. If you have not read very many of Rule's books then I recommend this one; if you have already read several then I would recommend passing. Although the book is truly entertaining you probably don't want to reread something she already wrote about--especially when there is no update to the story. Also, in Ann's defense, she wrote about some old, cold cases but they have recently been solved due to DNA evidence. I can't fault her for writing about these cases. Indeed, I applaud the diligent people who brought the psychopaths to justice.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Limited Background on these Cases
6 May 2005
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I count on Ann Rule to really detail the criminal's background and develop their motives, plus give in-depth coverage of the detective work and trial and profile of the victim.
In this collection, the emphasis is mostly on the crime. You get the feeling that she couldn't find enough to build her usually thorough coverage and that's why they are collected together. Without the other aspects, there is too much description of blood spattered crime scenes and the harrowing last minutes of the victims.
All the crimes relate to the theme of love, albeit warped and murderous relationships or situations. That does pull the vignettes together, but for the most part they are just too skimpy.
"The Highway Accident" was maybe the best developed of the accounts in this collection. It's an old case that parallels the more recent Mark and Lori Hacking case.
The early part of the book puts closure to some old, cold cases through the use of DNA breakthoughs, but still it lacks the drama of her usual police work descriptions.
In this collection, the emphasis is mostly on the crime. You get the feeling that she couldn't find enough to build her usually thorough coverage and that's why they are collected together. Without the other aspects, there is too much description of blood spattered crime scenes and the harrowing last minutes of the victims.
All the crimes relate to the theme of love, albeit warped and murderous relationships or situations. That does pull the vignettes together, but for the most part they are just too skimpy.
"The Highway Accident" was maybe the best developed of the accounts in this collection. It's an old case that parallels the more recent Mark and Lori Hacking case.
The early part of the book puts closure to some old, cold cases through the use of DNA breakthoughs, but still it lacks the drama of her usual police work descriptions.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
