From the author's website: In the most extraordinary book 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 forty-nine young women. The quest to discover the most prolific serial killer in American history has been an intimate part of Ann Rule's life, with some of the corpses found only a mile or so from where she lived and raised her own daughters. She did not know the killer, but he apparently knew her and attended many of her book signings. This book was a strange combination of boring and fascinating. The narrator was kind of flat, her tone monotonous. The subject matter is gruesome but even that becomes repetitious as he kills again and again and again - 49 times over. The pattern of luring the girls, killing them, and the body being discovered happening over and over had a numbing effect and the sensational became predictable. This series of murders happened around the time I was graduating from high school and going off to college. I assume it is a reflection of the self-absorption of that age that I have no recollection of any of it from the news but certainly it must have made national headlines.
I haven't read much in the "true-crime" genre. I am certain I would never have made it through this one in written form because there weren't any central characters to pull me in and make me want to continue. But I can listen to books I wouldn't have the patience to read because I spend so much time in the car and it entertains me. Listening to this one didn't unsettle me to the point where I was actually nervous or scared but it certainly wasn't pleasant. I won't be looking for any more of this type of story. But I'm an audio book junkie and if that's what I've got, I'll listen to it!
This book counts toward the 2010 Audiobook Challenge hosted by the bloggers over at Royal Reviews. Click on the button to see my progress.
This book is my "G" book for the 2010 A-Z Reading Challenge. Click on the button to see my progress.
2 comments:
I went through a period where I read a lot of true-crime, but haven't read any in a while. I don't think I could listen to this, though.
I LOVE Ann Rule. I have read several of her true crime books and found them interesting. I can see how this one would get repetetive with so many murders occuring in the same way. I might just skip his one. I recommend Stranger Beside Me (Ted Bundy) and If You Really Loved Me. These are some of her earlier books.
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