Synopses & Reviews
#1 andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author and Queen of True Crime Ann Rule delivers another gripping true-crime storyand#8212;this time a shattering case of Christmastime murder off the coast of Washington State, with a shocking amount of drama, greed, sex, and scandal and no shortage of suspects.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;With more than 50 million copies of her thirty-four books in print, from andlt;Iandgt;The Stranger Beside Meandlt;/Iandgt;, her chilling personal account of knowing Ted Bundy, to fourteen hardcover booksand#8212; including andlt;Iandgt;Small Sacrificesandlt;/Iandgt;; andlt;Iandgt;Green River, Running Redandlt;/Iandgt;; and andlt;Iandgt;Too Late to Say Goodbyeandlt;/Iandgt;and#8212;and sixteen collections in her #1 bestselling Crime Files series, Ann Rule is without a doubt and#8220;Americaand#8217;s best true-crime writerand#8221; (andlt;Iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/Iandgt;). In andlt;Iandgt;Practice to Deceiveandlt;/Iandgt;, her first book-length investigative chronicle since andlt;Iandgt;In the Still of the Nightandlt;/Iandgt;, Rule unravels a shattering case of Christmastime murder off the coast of Washington Stateand#8212;presented with the clarity, authority, and emotional depth that Ruleand#8217;s readers expect. Itand#8217;s a case with enough drama, greed, sex, and scandal to be called and#8220;The Real Housewives of Whidbey Island,and#8221; but this was not reality television. This was murder: pure, cruel, ugly, and senseless. And someone had to pay the price. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Nestled in Puget Sound, Whidbey Island is a gem of the Pacific Northwest; accessible only by ferry and the soaring Deception Pass Bridge, it is known for its artistic communities and stunning natural beauty. Life there is low-key, insular, and the islandand#8217;s year-round residents tend to know one anotherand#8217;s business. But when the blood-drenched body of Russel Douglas was discovered the day after Christmas in his SUV in a hidden driveway near Whidbeyand#8217;s most exclusive mansions, the whole island was shocked. A single bullet between his eyes was the cause of death, but no one could imagine who among them could plot such a devious, cold-blooded crime. At first, police suspected suicide, tragically common at the height of the holiday season. But when they found no gun in or near the SUV, Russeland#8217;s manner of death became andlt;Iandgt;homicideandlt;/Iandgt;. Like a cast of characters from a classic mystery novel, a host of Whidbey residents fell under suspicion. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Brenna Douglas was Russeland#8217;s estranged and soon-to-be-ex wife, who allowed him to come home for a Christmas visit with their children. The couple owned the popular Just Band#8217;s salon. Brennaand#8217;s good friend Peggy Sue Thomas worked there, and Brenna complained often to her that Russel was physically and emotionally abusive. Peggy Sueand#8217;s own life has been one of extremes. Married three times, hers is a rags-to-riches-and-back-again tale in which sheand#8217;s played many roles: aircraft mechanic, basketball coach, the and#8220;drop-dead gorgeousand#8221; beauty queen as a former Ms. Washington, Las Vegas limousine driver, million-dollar horse breeder, wealthy divorcand#233;e. But in 2003, her love affair with married guitarist Jim Huden led the two Whidbey Island natives to pursue their ultimate dreams of wealth and privilegeand#8212;even at the expense of human life. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Unravel the tangled web woven by Russel Douglasand#8217;s murder in andlt;Iandgt;Practice to Deceiveandlt;/Iandgt;, the newest heart pounding true-crime tour de force from Ann Rule.
Synopsis
andlt;Bandgt;From the andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; #1 bestselling author comes a riveting true-crime mystery set on a sleepy island in the Pacific Northwest: a man is murdered and the long list of suspects includes an aging beauty queen and her boyfriend.
Synopsis
andlt;Bandgt;From the andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; #1 bestselling author comes a riveting true-crime mystery set on a sleepy island in the Pacific Northwest: a man is murdered and the long list of suspects includes an aging beauty queen and her boyfriend.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Ann Ruleandlt;/bandgt; is a former Seattle policewoman and the author of more than two dozen andlt;iandgt;New York Times andlt;/iandgt;bestsellers. She is a certified instructor for police training seminars and lectures frequently to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and forensic science organizations, including the FBI. For more than two decades, she has been a powerful advocate for victims of violent crime. A graduate of the University of Washington, she holds a Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Willamette University. She lives near Seattle and can be contacted through her website AnnRules.com.