Scan barcode
jessicathedestroyer's review against another edition
4.0
This had a lot of good information in it. It was well written.
emmabeckman's review against another edition
4.0
Another good Ann Rule! I didn't know ANYTHING about the Green River Killer before diving into this book (for some reason, every time I heard "GRK" I just imagined people getting murdered while inner-tubing on a river somewhere??). I picked it up because I wanted to know more and I knew Ann Rule would tell it like it is.
As I imagine is typical with her books, Ann Rule definitely a) inserts herself a lot and b) sensationalizes a bit. There's no doubt in my mind that she feels very connected to the cases she writes about because she studies them so in depth and knows the detectives so personally. But I feel like she tends to insert herself as being more important than she really is, or at least: she inserts herself into the active case when perhaps her true "role" came afterwards, as the documentarian (exception: Ted Bundy, of course). In terms of sensationalizing, I just feel like sometimes the way she writes about these things is a little bit much. Additionally, while her prose is engaging, I sometimes feel that these books she writes could be considerably shorter--they are just so packed with details that just don't need to be in there. I can't think of specific examples but... if you've read her works, you know it's true.
I do really appreciate how much she emphasizes the victims, especially in this case where the killer had such little regard for the humanity of his victims. The reader gets to see them as real people with backgrounds and interests and families rather than a list of names. On that note, I would also add that this book is definitely dated. "Prostitute" is used in this book; today, we would use the term "sex worker". However, I think it's important to note that Ann Rule definitely emphasizes the fact that many of these women turned to sex work as work rather than the connotations that come with "prostitute". Still, there are definitely some dated ideas represented in this book.
As I imagine is typical with her books, Ann Rule definitely a) inserts herself a lot and b) sensationalizes a bit. There's no doubt in my mind that she feels very connected to the cases she writes about because she studies them so in depth and knows the detectives so personally. But I feel like she tends to insert herself as being more important than she really is, or at least: she inserts herself into the active case when perhaps her true "role" came afterwards, as the documentarian (exception: Ted Bundy, of course). In terms of sensationalizing, I just feel like sometimes the way she writes about these things is a little bit much. Additionally, while her prose is engaging, I sometimes feel that these books she writes could be considerably shorter--they are just so packed with details that just don't need to be in there. I can't think of specific examples but... if you've read her works, you know it's true.
I do really appreciate how much she emphasizes the victims, especially in this case where the killer had such little regard for the humanity of his victims. The reader gets to see them as real people with backgrounds and interests and families rather than a list of names. On that note, I would also add that this book is definitely dated. "Prostitute" is used in this book; today, we would use the term "sex worker". However, I think it's important to note that Ann Rule definitely emphasizes the fact that many of these women turned to sex work as work rather than the connotations that come with "prostitute". Still, there are definitely some dated ideas represented in this book.
jennc's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so hard to read. Not that it wasn't well written, because it definitely was. But the lives of the victims were for the most part, very sad and bleak. Very few had much happiness. It was heartbreaking. Very well written with so much sympathy for the victims and their families.
wickham's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Ann Rule doesn't miss, may she rest in peace.
jasonlee77's review against another edition
5.0
So, so, so great! No one is(was) better at writing true crime books than Ann Rule
dianarose48's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Murder
searser's review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't listen to this book while I was alone at night! Great detail into the victims lives and interesting insights into the killer's life leading up to the murders.