Synopses & Reviews
Ann Rule's shocking and powerful account of the destructive forces that drove Diane Downs, a beautiful young mother, to shoot her three young children in cold blood.
Synopsis
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me comes a shocking true crime account of the destructive forces that drove a beautiful young mother to murder. "Somebody just shot my kids " Diane Downs brought her car to a halt in front of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital, her three gravely wounded children beside her. Thus begins the tale of a truly unthinkable crime that shattered the tranquility of a tight-knit community. As police searched for the "shaggy-haired stranger" Diane accused of shooting 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 3-year-old Danny, a suspicion grew that was even more horrifying than the crime itself: Did Diane shoot her own children? Haunted by this question, a dedicated district attorney searched for the answer and uncovered a chronology of incest, psychological wounding, desperate affairs, and surrogate motherhood.
Ann Rule's gripping, powerful, and ultimately terrifying true story of passion and murder will hold you in thrall as it plumbs the unimagined depths of darkness concealed within a human being.
About the Author
Ann Rule has drawn on her experience as a former policewoman to become one of America’s top true-crime writers. The author of over 1,000 articles and numerous books, she has lectured widely to law-enforcement schools and agencies. She has also serves as a consultant to the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VI-CAP), which is used to track and apprehend violent criminals. Her bestselling books, Lust Killer, The Want-Ad Killer, The I-5 Killer, and Small Sacrifices, are available in Signet editions.