Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been an avid reader of Ann Rule's books since I was a teenager. I would eagerly await her new releases and rush out to the bookstore (or, later, the internet) to purchase them the day they were released. As much as I hate to say it, this book is a big disappointment. Not only is it sub-par for an Ann Rule novel, but it is sub-par for true crime novels in general. My impression having just finished this book is that she became emotionally invested in this case and developed a close personal relationship with the victim's (or alleged victim's, I suppose) mother. Perhaps her relationship clouded her judgment and Ms. Rule lost sight of what makes her novels so great (which begins with a compelling story and her well-written and unbiased telling of that story). While it is clear that the story told in this book is compelling, it really is not worthy of carrying an entire novel on its own. It would have been better-suited for one of Ms. Rule's 'short story' volumes. If you are a fan of true crime, and in particular of Ann Rule, this book will likely be a disappointment.