A Rose For Her Grave by Ann Rule
March 7th 2010 06:41
Ann Rules A Rose For Her Grave
As Agatha Christie is the Queen of the Crime Novel, Ann Rule is the Queen of True Crime. In A Rose for Her Grave, Rule releases the first of her successful True Crime Case Files, containing a novel length story and three or four short articles all based around her home of Seattle.
A Rose for Her Grave opens with the blood chilling tale of Randy Roth. A man who married for money, destroying those in his life he was supposed to love, honour and protect.
A single father, Roth's targets were single parents. Creating an instant family with these marriages, Roths wives met untimely ends with large insurance payouts the balm for his grief. Coldly calculating, Roth disposes of his wives like used kleenex and in Rules retelling of the life of this modern day Bluebeard, we explore the many lives and loves of Randy Roth, and the untold tragedy that followed in his wake.
Ann Rule has a way with words that engages the reader instantly. What could be a dry recital of facts and figures instead becomes a strong narrative, placing the reader in not only the courtrooms, but the homes and lives - past and present - of the killer and his victims. Violent crime leaves no one untouched and in the world of Ann Rule we gain valuable access to the detectives, the DA's and the forensic experts who dedicate their lives to catching those who would take a life.
The story of Randy Roth and the murder of his wife Cynthia on a hot summer day at a crowded lake is one that will remain with you long after you put the book down. Learning the techniques the detectives used, uncovering the myriad of lies that made up Randy Roths life, hearing the testimony in the courtroom of the victims two young sons and the calculated courting Randy Roth engaged in leaves you feeling like a deer in a hunters sight. Cynthia Baurmgarten Roth never stood a chance as she was swept up in a whirlwind romance that was destined to leave her dead before her first anniversary.
The shorter cases included in the Case File are just as engrossing, no matter that they are only short. The story of a polish immigrant, married to a wealthy American property developer shot in cold blood in an insurance agents parking lot by a female assasin is as disturbing as the Randy Roth file. Murdered by a woman with connections to both the dead womans husband and her stepdaughter you're left wondering if justice really was served at all.
A young teenager only 13 and with the world at her feet, meets her death on Boxing day, at the hands of a country club maintenance worker when she goes to water her friends plants while the friend is on Christmas Holidays.
A breakdown in the prison system lets a rapist out of prison early, despite many infractions earned on the inside to wreak havoc and revenge on the victim of his rape, her nine year old daughter and her neighbour, slaying three women without mercy.
A paroled murderer is hunted down for the second time by a Detective who had arrested him only years before for the cold blooded murder of a young mother of two. Rejection of sexual advances offered by this man led to death and dismemberment, and leave Ann Rule reconsidering her opinions on capital punishment.
And the final heart wrenching story of a young woman, strangled and raped in her own bed by the good samaritan who advised her someone had tried to break into her apartment the night before. How they caught this particular killer was a forensic miracle and you'll wonder about trace evidence and cat hair for the rest of the night.
Ann Rule's A Rose For Her Grave, Vol 1 of her True Case File Series is an exceptionally addictive read. If you are a fan of true crime novels you won't want to put it down.. If you know Rule only by her work on larger novels such as The Stranger Beside Me and Green River Running Red - Rule had a contract to write the story of the Green River Killer for 20 years before his capture - do yourself a favour and check out her Case File Series.
For further information check out her website:
Ann Rules Website
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