Utterly unique in its astonishing intimacy, as jarringly frightening as when it first appeared, Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me defies our expectation that we would surely know if a monster lived among us, worked alongside of us, appeared as one of us.
With a slow chill that intensifies with each heart-pounding page, Rule describes her dawning awareness that Ted Bundy, her sensitive coworker on a crisis hotline, was one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He would confess to killing at least thirty-six young women from coast to coast and was eventually executed for three of those cases.
Drawing from their correspondence that endured until shortly before Bundy’s death, Ann Rule strikes a seamless balance between her deeply personal perspective and her role as a crime reporter on the hunt for a savage serial killer—the brilliant and charismatic Bundy, the man she thought she knew. Rule changed the course of true-crime literature with this unforgettable chronicle.
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"In her matter-of-fact voice, Ann Rule describes the unique position she was in to write this book. As an ex-cop and crime magazine writer, she set out to find the killer responsible for killing all of these young women. I found her voice a bit distracting, but otherwise enjoyed her perspective on Bundy. I got chills as Rule recounted this conversation toward the end of the book...Rule said that just before Bundy's execution, officials asked him how many women he killed. "They said 36? And he said, 'add one digit.' We'll never know that means 136 or 361, or if he was telling the truth at all," said Rule.True crime. This is a good one. "
— Julie (5 out of 5 stars)
“It is somehow more eerie to hear a person narrate the impending doom in a horror story than it is to read the same words on a page…[as in this] true crime narrative by the friend of a serial killer…As dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at midnight.”
— New York Times (audio review)“Listeners will be spellbound and anxiously awaiting the next twist, when they are not double-locking their windows and doors.”
— Library Journal (audio review)“A shattering story...carefully investigated, written with compassion but also with professional objectivity.”
— Seattle Times“It's been twenty years since Rule first penned this chilling account. But the story…will still have readers reaching for their Xanax.”
— Amazon.com“Overwhelming.”
— Houston Post" I bought this for my mom who is legally blind. This one of her favorite books when she could see. She has been looking for the audio version for a long time. She loves the story, and pretty much any true crime stories, and was happy to get it. "
— Thomas, 7/23/2017" everyone should read this book.I picked it up and couldn't put it down.What a life lesson also. "
— Zoe, 2/18/2014" Briliant. Engaging. Ted Bundy was as fascinating as he was evil. Able to lure with his looks and kill with his ruthlessness. A part of the inspiration behind Silence of The Lambs no doubt. Using props and sympathy to lure his victims. Ann Rule is my favorite true crime author. "
— Emma, 2/18/2014" This book made me a fan of true crime. "
— Lennie, 1/18/2014" Loved it! If you like true crime, you have to read this. Ann Rule isn't just the author, she was Bundy's friend and coworker during the time he was secretly carrying out his heinous crimes. "
— Sue, 1/13/2014" Absolutely terrifying to think she had such a close relationship with a serial killer. This was the first Ann Rule book that I've ever read, and she's become one of my favorites. Very disturbing, but excellent! "
— Sage, 1/13/2014" Ted Bundy was scary. It is surprising that he was ever caught. "
— Brad, 12/30/2013" I can't believe that a guy can get away with this much stuff. Of course, before DNA technology made it so much easier to bust jerks like this, it was easier to get away. "
— Laura, 12/14/2013" I didn't find it that interesting. It was long winded court battle with minimal detail of the true crimes. Not much emotion at all portrayed from the victims of the crimes. "
— Georgia, 12/10/2013" Riveting. I became hooked on Ann Rule's work after reading this book. "
— Dorothy, 11/23/2013Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.