Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder
And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files, Book 12)
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Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder
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Narrated by:
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Laural Merlington
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By:
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Ann Rule
About this listen
Real-life murder. Real-life mystery. In some murder cases, the truth behind the most tragic of crimes crystallizes with relative ease. Not so with these fascinating accounts drawn from the personal files of Ann Rule, America's #1 bestselling true-crime writer.
What happens when the case itself becomes an intractable puzzle, when clues are shrouded in smoke and mirrors, and when criminals skillfully evade law enforcement in a maddening cat-and-mouse chase? Even the most devoted true-crime listener won't predict the outcome of these truly baffling cases until the conclusions revealed in Ann Rule's marvelously insightful narrative:
An ideal family is targeted for death by the least likely enemy, who plotted their demise from behind bars… A modest preacher's wife confesses to shooting her husband after an argument - but there's more to her shattering story than meets the eye. These and other true cases are analyzed with stunning clarity in a collection you won't be able to stop listening to.
©2008 Ann Rule (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Recorded by arrangement with Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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A Rose for Her Grave - and Other True Cases
- Ann Rule's Crime Files, Book 1
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,048
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 919
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 916
"A Rose for Her Grave" - the principal story of this collection - vividly recreates the cautionary tale of Randy Roth, a misogynistic sociopath from the Pacific Northwest whose rage was directed primarily at women and children. Addicted to his own greed, Roth exercised a powerful aura of control over his victims, using his ability to charm and boyish good looks to lower their defenses. By the time they saw the reality of the madness in his eyes, it was usually too late.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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I Think I Need A Break for Awhile
- By Susie Q on 09-30-17
By: Ann Rule
-
Practice to Deceive
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Anne Twomey
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 355
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 325
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 324
One wintery night on tiny, quiet Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington, Russ Douglas spent Christmas with his estranged wife, Brenna. He left Brenna Douglas's home in Langley on the morning of December 26, 2003 to run some errands. He didn't return - dead of gunshot to the head. The suspects included an aging beauty queen, her guitar-teacher lover, and Russell's widow, Brenna. With her trademark aplomb, Ann Rule unravels the fascinating story of a murder, a small town, and a number of potential killers.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Really disappoints! What happened Ann Rule?
- By Mary on 10-10-13
By: Ann Rule
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In the Still of the Night
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 276
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 237
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 234
From true crime legend Ann Rules comes this riveting story of a young woman whose life ended too soon - and a determined mother’s crusade to clear her daughter’s name. Barb Thompson never for one moment believed her daughter committed suicide.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
- By Fred on 03-09-12
By: Ann Rule
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The I-5 Killer
- By: Ann Rule, Andy Stack
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,764
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,412
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,399
As a young man, Randall Woodfield had it all; he was a star athlete with good looks and an award-winning student. Working in the swinging West Coast bar scene, he had more than his share of women. But he wanted more than just sex. An appetite for unspeakable violent acts led him to cruise the I-5 highway through California to Washington, leaving a trail of victims along the way. As the list of the dead grew, the police mobilized to stop a twisted killer who had 44 known deaths to his name.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Ann Rule always delivers
- By Anonymous User on 10-17-19
By: Ann Rule, and others
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Dead by Sunset
- Perfect Husband, Perfect Killer?
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,692
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,490
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,482
Loni Ann, Cynthia, Lauren, Cheryl, and Sara seemed to have it all - beauty, wealth, children, and a husband who they believed to be this perfect man - Brad Cunningham. He was handsome, charismatic, and mysterious. They adored him and tried to give him all he wanted. But he wanted everything: sex, money, and it seemed, their very lives. How long would it take before he finally got what he deserved?
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5 out of 5 stars
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My house is clean, my dogs are exhausted!
- By Lily on 01-28-13
By: Ann Rule
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The Want Ad Killer
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 424
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 394
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 389
After his first grisly crime, Harvey Louis Carignan beat a death sentence and continued to manipulate, rape, and bludgeon women to death - using want ads to lure his young female victims. And time after time, justice was thwarted by a killer whose twisted legal genius was matched only by his sick savagery. Here, complete with the testimony of women who suffered his unspeakable sexual abuses and barely escaped with their lives and of the police who at last put him behind bars, is one of the most shattering and thought-provoking true-crime stories of our time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
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Paul Booooomer
- By Murder Fancier on 04-08-17
By: Ann Rule
-
A Rose for Her Grave - and Other True Cases
- Ann Rule's Crime Files, Book 1
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,048
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 919
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 916
"A Rose for Her Grave" - the principal story of this collection - vividly recreates the cautionary tale of Randy Roth, a misogynistic sociopath from the Pacific Northwest whose rage was directed primarily at women and children. Addicted to his own greed, Roth exercised a powerful aura of control over his victims, using his ability to charm and boyish good looks to lower their defenses. By the time they saw the reality of the madness in his eyes, it was usually too late.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I Think I Need A Break for Awhile
- By Susie Q on 09-30-17
By: Ann Rule
-
Practice to Deceive
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Anne Twomey
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 355
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 325
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 324
One wintery night on tiny, quiet Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington, Russ Douglas spent Christmas with his estranged wife, Brenna. He left Brenna Douglas's home in Langley on the morning of December 26, 2003 to run some errands. He didn't return - dead of gunshot to the head. The suspects included an aging beauty queen, her guitar-teacher lover, and Russell's widow, Brenna. With her trademark aplomb, Ann Rule unravels the fascinating story of a murder, a small town, and a number of potential killers.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Really disappoints! What happened Ann Rule?
- By Mary on 10-10-13
By: Ann Rule
-
In the Still of the Night
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 276
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 237
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 234
From true crime legend Ann Rules comes this riveting story of a young woman whose life ended too soon - and a determined mother’s crusade to clear her daughter’s name. Barb Thompson never for one moment believed her daughter committed suicide.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
- By Fred on 03-09-12
By: Ann Rule
-
The I-5 Killer
- By: Ann Rule, Andy Stack
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,764
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,412
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,399
As a young man, Randall Woodfield had it all; he was a star athlete with good looks and an award-winning student. Working in the swinging West Coast bar scene, he had more than his share of women. But he wanted more than just sex. An appetite for unspeakable violent acts led him to cruise the I-5 highway through California to Washington, leaving a trail of victims along the way. As the list of the dead grew, the police mobilized to stop a twisted killer who had 44 known deaths to his name.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ann Rule always delivers
- By Anonymous User on 10-17-19
By: Ann Rule, and others
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Dead by Sunset
- Perfect Husband, Perfect Killer?
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,692
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,490
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,482
Loni Ann, Cynthia, Lauren, Cheryl, and Sara seemed to have it all - beauty, wealth, children, and a husband who they believed to be this perfect man - Brad Cunningham. He was handsome, charismatic, and mysterious. They adored him and tried to give him all he wanted. But he wanted everything: sex, money, and it seemed, their very lives. How long would it take before he finally got what he deserved?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
My house is clean, my dogs are exhausted!
- By Lily on 01-28-13
By: Ann Rule
-
The Want Ad Killer
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 424
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 394
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 389
After his first grisly crime, Harvey Louis Carignan beat a death sentence and continued to manipulate, rape, and bludgeon women to death - using want ads to lure his young female victims. And time after time, justice was thwarted by a killer whose twisted legal genius was matched only by his sick savagery. Here, complete with the testimony of women who suffered his unspeakable sexual abuses and barely escaped with their lives and of the police who at last put him behind bars, is one of the most shattering and thought-provoking true-crime stories of our time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Paul Booooomer
- By Murder Fancier on 04-08-17
By: Ann Rule
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Bitter Harvest
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,099
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 965
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 959
In this harrowing New York Times best seller, Ann Rule is at her masterful best as she winnows horrific truths from the ashes of what seemed like paradise in Prairie Village, Kansas. Rule probes the case of Debora Green, a doctor and a loving mother who seemed to epitomize the dreams of the American heartland. A small-town girl with a genius IQ, she achieved an enviable life. But when a raging fire destroyed that home and took two lives, the trail of clues led investigators to a stunning conclusion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Quite possibly The the best Ann Rule book
- By Rodell on 08-10-20
By: Ann Rule
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Everything She Ever Wanted
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 215
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 189
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 187
In this fascinating account, Ann Rule delivers a tour de force: a whirlwind of misguided love, denial, guilt, and passions out of control; a series of brilliantly manipulated crimes; the bizarre and horrifying tale of two families brought to ruin; and, at the center of it all, the heartless, supremely selfish sociopath whose evil hid behind soft words and gentle manners, but who destroyed—without mercy—those who loved her.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!
- By Anonymous User on 03-18-23
By: Ann Rule
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Heart Full of Lies
- A True Story of Desire and Death
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 530
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 469
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 466
An idyllic Hawaiian wedding held the promise of a wonderful future for handsome, athletic Chris Northon, an airline pilot, a confirmed bachelor-turned-devoted family man; and Liysa, an acclaimed surf photographer, loving mother, and aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. But few, including Chris, had seen Liysa's other side - her controlling behavior and dark moods, her insatiable hunger for money and property. And no one anticipated the fatal outcome of a family camping trip in an Oregon forest.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Liysa Northon- It’s not a lie if you believe it
- By M. Thompson on 01-06-21
By: Ann Rule
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Possession
- A Novel
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Brian Stivale
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 132
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 124
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Story4 out of 5 stars 126
When Danny and Joanne Lindstrom's camping trip in the Cascade mountains goes terribly awry, beautiful young Joanne is left alone and stranded in the savage wilderness. Her last hope is to rely on another camper, a tall stranger who seems to know the forest and the dangers there all too well. Without him, she will surely die; with him, her future is as unpredictable as the lowering clouds that envelop the mountain. He asks only that she trust him.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Suspenseful and entertaining
- By Cassandra on 01-23-21
By: Ann Rule
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Every Breath You Take
- A True Story of Obsession, Revenge, and Murder
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 20 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 760
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 683
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 679
Although happily ensconced in a loving second marriage and a new family of quadruplets, Sheila Blackthorne Bellush never truly escaped the enslavement of her ex-husband, multimillionaire Allen Blackthorne, a handsome charmer - and a violent, controlling sociopath who terrorized her for a decade after their divorce. When Sheila was slain in her home, in the presence of her four toddlers, authorities raced to link the crime to Blackthorne, the man who vowed to monitor Sheila's every move in his obsessive quest for power and revenge.
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4 out of 5 stars
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reader
- By Ronda on 12-28-20
By: Ann Rule
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Lust Killer
- By: Ann Rule, Andy Stack
- Narrated by: Callie Beaulieu
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 908
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 809
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 806
When young women begin mysteriously disappearing in Oregon, Police Lieutenant James Stovall leads a relentless search for a killer. With little evidence available, and the public screaming for answers, he must find a remorseless, brutal killer whose identity will shock them all....
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book on Brudos!
- By Ms.Bliss on 01-06-18
By: Ann Rule, and others
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Too Late to Say Goodbye
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 832
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 701
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 697
Jenn Corbin appeared to have it all: two dear little boys, a posh home in one of the upscale suburbs of Atlanta, expensive cars, a plush houseboat, and a husband - Dr. Bart Corbin, a successful dentist - who was tall, handsome, and brilliant. But gradually, their seemingly idyllic life together began to crumble. Bart was distraught and Jenn seemed disenchanted. Then, just a few weeks before Christmas 2004, Jenn was found dead with a bullet in her head, an apparent suicide....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Ann Rule does it again
- By Lily on 11-17-15
By: Ann Rule
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And Never Let Her Go
- Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 20 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 603
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 532
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 528
On June 27, 1996, 30-year-old Anne Marie Fahey, who was the scheduling secretary for the governor of Delaware, had dinner with a man she had been having a secret affair with for over two years. "Tommy" Capano, 47, was perhaps the most politically powerful man in Wilmington. Son of a wealthy contractor, former state prosecutor, partner in a prestigious law firm, advisor to governors and mayors, Tom had a soft-spoken, considerate manner, endearing him to many. But sometime after 9:15 that night when Anne Marie and Tom left a Philadelphia restaurant, something terrible happened to her.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Don't give up!!
- By Lane Hobby on 04-01-21
By: Ann Rule
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If You Really Loved Me
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 20 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 323
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 289
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Story5 out of 5 stars 287
David Brown was the consummate entrepreneur: a computer wizard and millionaire by age thirty-two. When his beautiful young wife was shot to death as she slept, Brown's fourteen-year-old daughter, Cinnamon, confessed to killing her stepmother. The California courts sentenced her harshly: twenty-four years to life. But in the wake of Cinnamon's murder conviction, thanks in part to two determined lawmen, the twisted private world of David Brown himself unfolded with astonishing clarity—revealing a trail of perverse love, twisted secrets, and evil mind games.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I’m becoming an Anne Rule fanboy!
- By Jason Flar on 06-16-23
By: Ann Rule
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Green River, Running Red
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
- Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,283
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,883
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,883
In the most extraordinary journey Ann Rule has ever undertaken, America's master of true crime has spent more than two decades researching the story of the Green River Killer, who murdered more than 49 young women. Green River, Running Red is a harrowing account of a modern monster, a killer who walked among us undetected. It is also the story of his quarry -- of who these young women were and who they might have become.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Suspenseful and chilling
- By 9S on 07-02-11
By: Ann Rule
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The Stranger Beside Me
- The Shocking True Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy
- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Lorelei King
- Length: 18 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,647
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9,490
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,455
Ann Rule was working on the biggest story of her career, tracking the trail of victims left by a brutal serial killer. Little did this future best-selling author know that the savage slayer she was hunting was the young man she counted among her closest friends. Everyone's picture of a natural winner, Ted Bundy was a bright, charming, and handsome man with a promising future as an attorney. But on January 24, 1989 Bundy was executed for the murders of three young women - and had confessed to taking the lives of at least thirty-five more women from coast to coast.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Another Good One from Ann Rule
- By Malia on 08-24-12
By: Ann Rule
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In Cold Blood
- By: Truman Capote
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15,138
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12,436
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12,420
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Still the Best
- By Lisa on 01-10-06
By: Truman Capote
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No Regrets: And Other True Cases
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 154
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A ship's pilot legendary for guiding mammoth freighters through the narrows of Puget Sound, Rolf Neslund was a proud Norwegian, a ladies' man, and a beloved resident of Washington State's idyllic Lopez Island. Virtually indestructible even into his golden years, he made electrifying headlines more than once: after a ship he was helming crashed into the soaring West Seattle Bridge, causing millions in damages; and following his inexplicable disappearance at age 80. Was he a suicide, a man broken by one costly misstep? Had he run off with a lifelong love? Or did a trail of gruesome evidence lead to the home Rolf shared with his wife, Ruth?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Finally...worth it!
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Don't Look Behind You: And Other True Cases
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 288
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 253
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 254
Ann Rule, who shared her own nerve-jangling account of unknowingly befriending sadistic sociopath Ted Bundy in The Stranger Beside Me, chronicles other fateful encounters with the hidden predators among us in this riveting collection, fifteenth in the best-selling series drawn from her personal files. First in line is a stunning case that spanned thirty years and took a determined detective to four states - ending, finally, in Alaska - where he unraveled not one but two murders.
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1 out of 5 stars
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DON'T BOTHER.......
- By The Louligan on 11-16-13
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Lethal Guardian
- By: M. William Phelps
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- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 84
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
A real-estate lawyer in Connecticut's moneyed seaside communities, Beth Ann Carpenter, 30, had beauty, brains, and success. But she wanted more - namely guardianship of her two-year-old niece, Rebecca, daughter of Beth's estranged sister, Kim.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Lethal Guardian
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Almost Paradise
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- By: Kieran Crowley
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- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 133
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 123
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 123
On October 22, 2001, handsome multimillionaire financier Ted Ammon was found bludgeoned to death in the magnificent East Hampton mansion he'd built with his beautiful - and volatile - wife, Generosa. She stood to make millions, but it wasn't the money that made Ted's friends suspicious: Generosa Ammon had a history of violent outbursts and bizarre obsessions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wow! This was a fascinating story!
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A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-blooded Murder
- By: Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris, Linda Castillo - foreward
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 295
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 270
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Story4 out of 5 stars 269
Thirty-year-old Barbara Weaver was content to live as the Amish have for centuries - without modern convenience - but her husband, Eli, wanted a life beyond horses and buggies. Soon he gave in to the temptation of technology and found ways to go Online and meet women. When Barbara was found dead, shot in the chest at close range, all eyes were on Eli... and his mistress, a conservative Mennonite named Barb Raber. Barb drove Eli to appointments in her car. She gave him everything he asked for: a laptop, rides to his favorite fishing and hunting spots, and sex.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Solid True Crime novel
- By justin on 06-05-18
By: Gregg Olsen, and others
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Cruel Death
- By: M. William Phelps
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 92
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
Erika Sifrit was once a high school basketball star and an honors student. Then she married Navy SEAL Benjamin Sifrit. Some say Erika was abused by "B.J." Some say she pulled his strings. But by the time they reached Ocean City, MD, Erika was packing a gun in her Coach bag and was caught in the grips of a new American death ride.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Extremely poor reader.
- By Tyria Mendicino on 10-06-19
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No Regrets: And Other True Cases
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- By: Ann Rule
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 154
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 135
A ship's pilot legendary for guiding mammoth freighters through the narrows of Puget Sound, Rolf Neslund was a proud Norwegian, a ladies' man, and a beloved resident of Washington State's idyllic Lopez Island. Virtually indestructible even into his golden years, he made electrifying headlines more than once: after a ship he was helming crashed into the soaring West Seattle Bridge, causing millions in damages; and following his inexplicable disappearance at age 80. Was he a suicide, a man broken by one costly misstep? Had he run off with a lifelong love? Or did a trail of gruesome evidence lead to the home Rolf shared with his wife, Ruth?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Finally...worth it!
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 288
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 253
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 254
Ann Rule, who shared her own nerve-jangling account of unknowingly befriending sadistic sociopath Ted Bundy in The Stranger Beside Me, chronicles other fateful encounters with the hidden predators among us in this riveting collection, fifteenth in the best-selling series drawn from her personal files. First in line is a stunning case that spanned thirty years and took a determined detective to four states - ending, finally, in Alaska - where he unraveled not one but two murders.
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1 out of 5 stars
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DON'T BOTHER.......
- By The Louligan on 11-16-13
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Lethal Guardian
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- Narrated by: J. Charles
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 84
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
A real-estate lawyer in Connecticut's moneyed seaside communities, Beth Ann Carpenter, 30, had beauty, brains, and success. But she wanted more - namely guardianship of her two-year-old niece, Rebecca, daughter of Beth's estranged sister, Kim.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Lethal Guardian
- By Tamara on 10-19-10
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Almost Paradise
- The East Hampton Murder of Ted Ammon
- By: Kieran Crowley
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 133
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 123
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 123
On October 22, 2001, handsome multimillionaire financier Ted Ammon was found bludgeoned to death in the magnificent East Hampton mansion he'd built with his beautiful - and volatile - wife, Generosa. She stood to make millions, but it wasn't the money that made Ted's friends suspicious: Generosa Ammon had a history of violent outbursts and bizarre obsessions.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wow! This was a fascinating story!
- By Lolly on 01-04-18
By: Kieran Crowley
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A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-blooded Murder
- By: Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris, Linda Castillo - foreward
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 295
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 270
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Story4 out of 5 stars 269
Thirty-year-old Barbara Weaver was content to live as the Amish have for centuries - without modern convenience - but her husband, Eli, wanted a life beyond horses and buggies. Soon he gave in to the temptation of technology and found ways to go Online and meet women. When Barbara was found dead, shot in the chest at close range, all eyes were on Eli... and his mistress, a conservative Mennonite named Barb Raber. Barb drove Eli to appointments in her car. She gave him everything he asked for: a laptop, rides to his favorite fishing and hunting spots, and sex.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Solid True Crime novel
- By justin on 06-05-18
By: Gregg Olsen, and others
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Cruel Death
- By: M. William Phelps
- Narrated by: J. Charles
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 92
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
Erika Sifrit was once a high school basketball star and an honors student. Then she married Navy SEAL Benjamin Sifrit. Some say Erika was abused by "B.J." Some say she pulled his strings. But by the time they reached Ocean City, MD, Erika was packing a gun in her Coach bag and was caught in the grips of a new American death ride.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Extremely poor reader.
- By Tyria Mendicino on 10-06-19
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Son of a Grifter
- The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America: A Memoir by the Other Son
- By: Kent Walker, Mark Schone
- Narrated by: John Glouchevitch
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 269
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 243
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 242
In 1988 a troubled young man and his flamboyant mother were arrested for murdering a wealthy widow in her New York City mansion. Suddenly America was transfixed by a pair of real-life film noir characters. The media couldn't get enough of the twisted relationship between Sante Kimes and her 23-year-old son Kenny. But the most chilling story of all was never told - until now. Kent Walker, Sante's elder son, reveals how he survived 40 years of "the Dragon Lady's" very special brand of motherly love and still managed to get away.
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5 out of 5 stars
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CON PEOPLE AT THEIR WORST!
- By jaye on 07-03-17
By: Kent Walker, and others
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Burned Alive
- A Shocking True Story of Betrayal, Kidnapping, and Murder
- By: Kieran Crowley
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Beautiful, bubbly, 20-year-old Kim Antonakos was returning to her New York City apartment after a night of clubbing with a friend. A business major with wild black hair, long polished fingernails, and a new Honda her loving father had bought her, Kim took good care of herself and looked forward to a bright future. But on her way home in the early morning darkness of that Ash Wednesday, Kim was abducted - and her mysterious kidnappers would be the last people to see her alive. Kim's father, wealthy computer executive Tommy Antonakos, launched a widespread search for his daughter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well written..Great narrator...Sad, sad story
- By JBT3 on 02-01-19
By: Kieran Crowley
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Unholy Messenger
- The Life and Crimes of the BTK Serial Killer
- By: Stephen Singular
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 288
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 190
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Story4 out of 5 stars 189
To all appearances, Dennis Rader was a model citizen in the small town of Park City, Kansas, where he had lived with his family almost his entire life. He was a town compliance officer, a former Boy Scout leader, the president of his church congregation, and a seemingly ordinary father and husband. But Rader's average life belied the existence of his dark, sadistic other self: he was the BTK serial killer.
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2 out of 5 stars
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It's a Christian Book!!
- By Nick on 07-07-16
By: Stephen Singular
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Deliver Us
- Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 171
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 170
Over a three-decade span, more than 20 women - many teenagers - died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a 50-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Creepy creepy creepy
- By 6catz on 04-10-15
By: Kathryn Casey
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Dead and Buried
- By: Corey Mitchell
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 117
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 107
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 108
Rachel Newhouse disappeared on the night of November 12, 1998. Only months later, in the same town, Aundria Crawford lost her life in an act of unimaginable violence. As authorities worked to find clues, parole officer David Zaragoza paid a routine visit to one of his charges - Rex Allan Krebs, a violent serial rapist who'd served only 10 years of a 20-year sentence. After sending Krebs back to jail for violating his parole, Zaragoza found a key chain belonging to one of the victims. An intensive search led to the gruesome discovery of buried remains near Krebs' secluded cabin.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well Written!
- By txammug on 09-10-18
By: Corey Mitchell
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Seduced by Evil
- The True Story of a Gorgeous Stripper-Turned-Suburban-Mom, Her Secret Past, and a Ruthless Murder
- By: Michael Fleeman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
As an exotic dancer at The Great Alaskan Bush Company in Anchorage, Mechele Hughes Linehan knew how to captivate men. Three of them were convinced she was engaged to them. Then one spring morning in 1996, one man, Kent Leppink, was found in the snow, shot in the head....Days before his death, Kent had removed Mechele's name from his million-dollar life insurance policy. He wrote a letter to his family stating that, should he meet foul play, Mechele would likely be among those involved. But she wasn't charged with Kent's death. She married a doctor, moved to Olympia, Washington, and began a new life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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An intriguing tale with some twists
- By Brenda646 on 02-17-22
By: Michael Fleeman
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In Plain Sight
- The Startling Truth Behind the Elizabeth Smart Investigation
- By: Tom Smart, Lee Benson
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
This riveting inside story of the intense search for the Salt Lake City teenager who was kidnapped from her bed reveals never-before-told details of the largest investigation in Utah state history. Paced like a thriller, this true account moves between the parallel stories of the searchers and the abductor. Going beyond a mere eyewitness account, the book includes information culled from interviews with more than 150 people involved in the search and investigation, notes from family meetings, and memos from law enforcement officials.
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2 out of 5 stars
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You are one strange man.
- By Dustin Izsa on 03-21-20
By: Tom Smart, and others
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The Serial Killer Whisperer
- How One Man's Tragedy Helped Unlock the Deadliest Secrets of the World's Most Terrifying Killers
- By: Pete Earley
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 760
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 695
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Story4 out of 5 stars 699
From New York Times best-selling author Pete Earley: the strange but true story of a man who suffers a traumatic brain injury and as a result is given the ability to converse with the world's most terrifying criminals.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The Banality of Evil
- By Cynthia on 09-08-13
By: Pete Earley
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American Fire
- Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 447
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 389
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Story4 out of 5 stars 390
Shocked by a five-month arson spree that left rural Virginia reeling, Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse drove down to Accomack County to cover the trial of Charlie Smith, who pled guilty to 67 counts of arson. But Charlie wasn't lighting fires alone: he had an accomplice - his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick. Through her depiction of the dangerous shift that happened in their passionate relationship, Hesse brilliantly brings to life the once-thriving coastal community and its distressed inhabitants.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Narration is horrible
- By Bryan Campbell on 08-17-17
By: Monica Hesse
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Picture Perfect
- The Jodi Arias Story: a Beautiful Photographer, Her Mormon Lover, and a Brutal Murder
- By: Shanna Hogan
- Narrated by: Emily Durante
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 319
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 287
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 287
Travis Alexander was a handsome, hard-working, practicing Mormon who lived in Mesa, Arizona. His good looks and easygoing manner made him popular with everyone, especially the ladies. So when he was found with a bullet wound in the face and his throat slashed, the brutal murder sent shock waves throughout his community. Who could have done something so sinister? But soon a suspect was singled out-Jodi Arias. A beautiful, aspiring photographer, Jodi had been in a long-distance relationship with Travis the year before.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Didn't know Siri now read books.
- By Adam on 10-20-14
By: Shanna Hogan
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Bind, Torture, Kill
- The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door
- By: Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and others
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,329
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,968
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,950
For 31 years, a monster terrorized the residents of Wichita, Kansas. A bloodthirsty serial killer, self-named "BTK" - for "bind them, torture them, kill them" - he slaughtered men, women, and children alike, eluding the police for decades while bragging of his grisly exploits to the media. The nation was shocked when the fiend who was finally apprehended turned out to be Dennis Rader - a friendly neighbor...a devoted husband...a helpful Boy Scout dad...the respected president of his church. Written by four award-winning crime reporters who covered the story for more than 20 years, Bind, Torture, Kill is the most intimate and complete account of the BTK nightmare
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4 out of 5 stars
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Stomach churning
- By 6catz on 02-19-18
By: Roy Wenzl, and others
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Possessed
- The Infamous Texas Stiletto Murder
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Heather Auden
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 113
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 98
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 99
The officer responding to a 911 call at one of Houston's hippest high-rises expected the worst. After all, domestic violence situations can be unpredictable. But nothing could've prepared him for what he found: a beautiful woman drenched in blood, an older man lying dead on the floor, and a cobalt blue suede stiletto with tufts of white hair stuck to its five-and-a-half-inch heel.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well written
- By Heather S. on 04-12-17
By: Kathryn Casey
What listeners say about Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lena Robeen
- 03-21-22
amazing
love it. it was Great..might listen again. shared withy sister. love true crime. awesome.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bailey Rose
- 02-12-24
Overall Good
Overall a good book describing crimes against women and men alike. Rule is very much a a great true crime story teller.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- The Louligan
- 10-12-13
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!!
I've read just about every true crime book by Ann Rule over the past decades. Always well-researched and interesting, Rule's books were worth reading over and over again. However her more recent compilations have fallen way below her high standards. Often rambling and repetitive, Rule's books are better abridged when purchased as audiobooks. While she goes into deep detail about info that millennium readers have learned from television crime shows (like DNA, lividiity, blood cast-off patterns, etc.), she leaves us in the dark on more obscure items or terms.
I noticed that this book had just 1 star from only one reader and no written reviews. I usually choose my books based on the ratings and reviews. Thinking the low recommendation was only an aberration, I bought the book anyway. WRONG MOVE!!! I can't even describe what a mess this book is. Just a bunch of comparatively minor unknown crimes, seemingly plucked from newspapers' page 4 Local section, these offerings are neither interesting or compelling. I stopped listening after the first 2 stories. You know you've been hoodwinked when a writer like Ann Rule publishes a simple unsolved possibly arson death and offers human spontaneous combustion as manner of death - and then it is only a MAYBE!!
I know Rule is in her late 70s and may not be as sharp as when she did the "Capote-'In Cold Blood'" immersion with serial killer Ted Bundy almost 30 years ago, but her editor, publisher and Audible.com should have realized that this book is no more than an unorganized throw-away - the kind of book one keeps on the toilet tank to read when there is absolutely nothing else to study except the active ingredients in Pine-Sol!!! 😡👎
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6 people found this helpful