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A review by brittany_tellefsen
Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer by Ann Rule
3.0
Rating 3.5/5
I find I don't have nearly as much to say about Green River, Running Red as I did with The Stranger Beside Me. This is for two reasons:
I don't find Gary Ridgeway particularly compelling. He was a sad little man who had the same cliche story as others convincted of killing women or prostitutes: He hated women because of past injustices and could only satiate that rage by killing them. And, as is the case for many serial killers, Gary Ridgeway was extraordinarily ordinary. From his appearance, to his mannerisms, to his work, to his life, he was just an average man. So much so, that, even though he was a suspect of the killings back in the eighties, he was never officially arrested or charged.
It is unquestionable that Gary Ridgeway was an extremely proflific killer. Possibly even more so then Ted Bundy, although, we will never truly know how many Bundy killed. If I had to guess, I would still say his body count was higher. But to me, I found the stories of his victims far more compelling than Ridgeway's own.
Many complaints I have seen about this particular telling of Ridgeway's life and crimes, is that Rule spends a great deal of time and detail discussing the victims. She talks about their history, their lives, and what led them to be exactly where they were when they stumbled into Ridgeway's web. And while I agree that it was almost impossible to keep all of the names straightand it was easy to get sidetracked by all of the minutae presented, their stories mattered and I am glad they were told.
The second reason, is that this lacked the truly personal aspect that The Stranger Beside Me did. Ann Rule did not have a personal connection to Ridgeway like she did with Bundy. The telling of Ridgeway's story was far more clinical and removed. That is what you would like expect from a true crime narrative; however, I enjoyed the personal anecdotes thrown into The Stranger Beside Me. It made Ted Bundy accessible and understandable in some macabre way. It made you feel pity for him, almost as much as you wanted to see him dead.
Ann Rule was, undoubtedly, a truly talented narrator of true crime. I enjoy her voice and the way she weaves the tale. This one just didn't connect with me as much as her debut. Oddly enough, I think Green River Running Red might have been the last novel she was able to finish before she passed away, meaning I have now consumed her first and last novel. I definitely hope to read more of her work in the future.
I find I don't have nearly as much to say about Green River, Running Red as I did with The Stranger Beside Me. This is for two reasons:
I don't find Gary Ridgeway particularly compelling. He was a sad little man who had the same cliche story as others convincted of killing women or prostitutes: He hated women because of past injustices and could only satiate that rage by killing them. And, as is the case for many serial killers, Gary Ridgeway was extraordinarily ordinary. From his appearance, to his mannerisms, to his work, to his life, he was just an average man. So much so, that, even though he was a suspect of the killings back in the eighties, he was never officially arrested or charged.
It is unquestionable that Gary Ridgeway was an extremely proflific killer. Possibly even more so then Ted Bundy, although, we will never truly know how many Bundy killed. If I had to guess, I would still say his body count was higher. But to me, I found the stories of his victims far more compelling than Ridgeway's own.
Many complaints I have seen about this particular telling of Ridgeway's life and crimes, is that Rule spends a great deal of time and detail discussing the victims. She talks about their history, their lives, and what led them to be exactly where they were when they stumbled into Ridgeway's web. And while I agree that it was almost impossible to keep all of the names straightand it was easy to get sidetracked by all of the minutae presented, their stories mattered and I am glad they were told.
The second reason, is that this lacked the truly personal aspect that The Stranger Beside Me did. Ann Rule did not have a personal connection to Ridgeway like she did with Bundy. The telling of Ridgeway's story was far more clinical and removed. That is what you would like expect from a true crime narrative; however, I enjoyed the personal anecdotes thrown into The Stranger Beside Me. It made Ted Bundy accessible and understandable in some macabre way. It made you feel pity for him, almost as much as you wanted to see him dead.
Ann Rule was, undoubtedly, a truly talented narrator of true crime. I enjoy her voice and the way she weaves the tale. This one just didn't connect with me as much as her debut. Oddly enough, I think Green River Running Red might have been the last novel she was able to finish before she passed away, meaning I have now consumed her first and last novel. I definitely hope to read more of her work in the future.