What do you think?
Rate this book
A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy
In January 1978, I slept in my bed at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University as Ted Bundy stalked nearby.
He grabbed an oak log from a stack of firewood, slipped through a back door with a broken padlock, and headed upstairs. He began twisting doorknobs. Room 9 was open, and he quietly and quickly killed one of my sleeping sorority sisters. Across the hall, he found another unlocked door and murdered again. Then, he turned the knob to my bedroom and found it was open. I remember the attack vividly. Bundy bashed me once in the head with the log and then attacked my roommate. He heard me moaning and came to finish me off. He never let his victims live. But he stopped suddenly when a bright light filled the room. He fled the sorority house and the light disappeared.
Bundy wasn't my first brush with death, and he wasn't my last. I've long been a survivor. I was born into a Cuban American family in 1957 in Florida. I had a happy childhood until I received my first death sentence at the age of thirteen. Physicians weren't sure why I was always so exhausted and running a low-grade fever. The prognosis was grim after my left kidney started to fail. Then, a physician from Cuba saved my life with a surprise diagnosis—lupus—and treatment chemotherapy. I endured chemotherapy again in my early thirties when I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
This is my story of surviving three death sentences and finding love and happiness along the way. I was saved by a bright light, and I hope my story is one for people who are experiencing their own dark times. I am a victim, but I am also a survivor, and I want to speak up for all the women and girls whom Bundy murdered.
He has become a legend, and our voices have been muted or ignored. It's time we were heard.
He grabbed an oak log from a stack of firewood, slipped through a back door with a broken padlock, and headed upstairs. He began twisting doorknobs. Room 9 was open, and he quietly and quickly killed one of my sleeping sorority sisters. Across the hall, he found another unlocked door and murdered again. Then, he turned the knob to my bedroom and found it was open. I remember the attack vividly. Bundy bashed me once in the head with the log and then attacked my roommate. He heard me moaning and came to finish me off. He never let his victims live. But he stopped suddenly when a bright light filled the room. He fled the sorority house and the light disappeared.
Bundy wasn't my first brush with death, and he wasn't my last. I've long been a survivor. I was born into a Cuban American family in 1957 in Florida. I had a happy childhood until I received my first death sentence at the age of thirteen. Physicians weren't sure why I was always so exhausted and running a low-grade fever. The prognosis was grim after my left kidney started to fail. Then, a physician from Cuba saved my life with a surprise diagnosis—lupus—and treatment chemotherapy. I endured chemotherapy again in my early thirties when I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.
This is my story of surviving three death sentences and finding love and happiness along the way. I was saved by a bright light, and I hope my story is one for people who are experiencing their own dark times. I am a victim, but I am also a survivor, and I want to speak up for all the women and girls whom Bundy murdered.
He has become a legend, and our voices have been muted or ignored. It's time we were heard.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2023
115 people are currently reading
8787 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
November 4, 2024
I listened to A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy on audiobook. It is superbly narrated by Roxana Ortega. The author, Kathy Kleiner Rubin, was brutally attacked in 1978 while asleep at the Chi Omega house at Florida State University.
Over 45 years later, Rubin wrote her memoir to describe how she has survived several death sentences (lupus, brutal attack, and breast cancer) as well as miscarriages and Hurricane Katrina. In addition, she wanted to share the stories of other women that Bundy attacked, murdered, or tried to abduct. Rubin was dismayed at the portrayals and romanticism of Bundy in newspapers, books, and films. Often times the victims were portrayed as foolish or secondhand characters in the shadows.
I admire Rubin's personal perspective and her incredible grit, determination, courage, and will to live.
This isn't a book for the faint of heart. It is a critical book that gives voices to the victims, and it provides inspiration for overcoming insurmountable obstacles.
Over 45 years later, Rubin wrote her memoir to describe how she has survived several death sentences (lupus, brutal attack, and breast cancer) as well as miscarriages and Hurricane Katrina. In addition, she wanted to share the stories of other women that Bundy attacked, murdered, or tried to abduct. Rubin was dismayed at the portrayals and romanticism of Bundy in newspapers, books, and films. Often times the victims were portrayed as foolish or secondhand characters in the shadows.
I admire Rubin's personal perspective and her incredible grit, determination, courage, and will to live.
This isn't a book for the faint of heart. It is a critical book that gives voices to the victims, and it provides inspiration for overcoming insurmountable obstacles.
February 28, 2025
This book was surprising. Like millions of people, I believed all the mythologically sensationalized accounts of who Ted Bundy was, what modus operandi he employed, and what his victims were like. This book dispels all of it. He was not charming. He was not smart. He was not motivated by anything but moral depravity. He was not interested in college coeds only. He did not have a "type."
He was a failure academically. He was super creepy. He only looked for victims he could overpower easily. His youngest victim was twelve. He represented himself in court partially so he could recreate his highs while cross examining his surviving victims on the stand. He got away with a lot because he had white male privilege that no one thought to question in the context of whatever lie he was feeding to whomever he was talking to, in order to get away or to get away with something. And in the end, he was a damned coward.
However, it's more than just about Ted Bundy. In fact, it's actually not about him as much as it is about Kathy Kleiner Rubin. She was one of the few lucky women who survived his attacks. But while the night he entered her sorority room was full of horrid violence, it was one part of her life. She has overcome a lot of tragedy - multiple times. She has found a way to live in peace and surround her life with love. She has also used the opportunity to bring life back to all the young girls and women who died as a result of Ted Bundy's sadistic depravity.
The book is full of triggers, including child abuse (physical violence and sexual in nature), cancer, lots of death (natural and murder), detailed description of his electrocution, abandonment, Hurricane Katrina, depression, suicide, PTSD, infertility, miscarriage, car accident, and so many more. So be forewarned before opening it.
The title is so apropos. She survived more than Ted Bundy because she has lived past Ted Bundy. Kleiner Rubin is the epitome of living well as the best form of revenge, though revenge was never her objective. Had Bundy lived, though, he would've been tortured that she was instrumental in putting him away and that she is living a full life despite all that he caused her to lose. She is the poster child of resilience.
4.5, rounding up to 5.
He was a failure academically. He was super creepy. He only looked for victims he could overpower easily. His youngest victim was twelve. He represented himself in court partially so he could recreate his highs while cross examining his surviving victims on the stand. He got away with a lot because he had white male privilege that no one thought to question in the context of whatever lie he was feeding to whomever he was talking to, in order to get away or to get away with something. And in the end, he was a damned coward.
However, it's more than just about Ted Bundy. In fact, it's actually not about him as much as it is about Kathy Kleiner Rubin. She was one of the few lucky women who survived his attacks. But while the night he entered her sorority room was full of horrid violence, it was one part of her life. She has overcome a lot of tragedy - multiple times. She has found a way to live in peace and surround her life with love. She has also used the opportunity to bring life back to all the young girls and women who died as a result of Ted Bundy's sadistic depravity.
The book is full of triggers, including child abuse (physical violence and sexual in nature), cancer, lots of death (natural and murder), detailed description of his electrocution, abandonment, Hurricane Katrina, depression, suicide, PTSD, infertility, miscarriage, car accident, and so many more. So be forewarned before opening it.
The title is so apropos. She survived more than Ted Bundy because she has lived past Ted Bundy. Kleiner Rubin is the epitome of living well as the best form of revenge, though revenge was never her objective. Had Bundy lived, though, he would've been tortured that she was instrumental in putting him away and that she is living a full life despite all that he caused her to lose. She is the poster child of resilience.
4.5, rounding up to 5.
September 16, 2023
4 Stars
I was never into the True Crime genre, but was intrigued after watching an Amazon documentary called "Falling for a Killer" about Ted Bundy and his former fiancee Elizabeth Kendall. From there I read the excellent Ann Rule authored biography "The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story" on the same topic. So I was intrigued when I spotted this memoir from one of Bundy's victims who was lucky enough to survive his evil attack.
First of all, this memoir exceeded my expectations. The summation detailed that this Bundy survivor would be "talking" about not just surviving Bundy's murder attempt, but other life-threatening experiences in her life. I wondered if I would find her life interesting in itself set apart from the drama of the Bundy serial killings. To my surprise, I found her personal trials and tribulations quite interesting. We are close in age, so I enjoyed reading about her childhood with its nostalgic references. She battled a very serious childhood illness, survived the murder attempt from Bundy at her college sorority house, a bank robbery at her job, as well as an early breast cancer diagnosis. Her personal story was deftly interspersed with the Ted Bundy saga, including his escapes from prison, her testimony at his trial, and his ultimate execution by electric chair. She also was firm on dismissing the notion that he was attractive and seductive in wooing his victims, stressing how he would attack from behind or while the victims were sleeping. Her goal was to stop glorifying his intelligence or perceived squandered potential and worth. The writing style was easy and free-flowing. I enjoyed this book as another interesting facet in this well-known true crime saga.
Thank you to Independent Publishers Group / Chicago Review Press for providing an advance readers copy via NetGalley.
I was never into the True Crime genre, but was intrigued after watching an Amazon documentary called "Falling for a Killer" about Ted Bundy and his former fiancee Elizabeth Kendall. From there I read the excellent Ann Rule authored biography "The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story" on the same topic. So I was intrigued when I spotted this memoir from one of Bundy's victims who was lucky enough to survive his evil attack.
First of all, this memoir exceeded my expectations. The summation detailed that this Bundy survivor would be "talking" about not just surviving Bundy's murder attempt, but other life-threatening experiences in her life. I wondered if I would find her life interesting in itself set apart from the drama of the Bundy serial killings. To my surprise, I found her personal trials and tribulations quite interesting. We are close in age, so I enjoyed reading about her childhood with its nostalgic references. She battled a very serious childhood illness, survived the murder attempt from Bundy at her college sorority house, a bank robbery at her job, as well as an early breast cancer diagnosis. Her personal story was deftly interspersed with the Ted Bundy saga, including his escapes from prison, her testimony at his trial, and his ultimate execution by electric chair. She also was firm on dismissing the notion that he was attractive and seductive in wooing his victims, stressing how he would attack from behind or while the victims were sleeping. Her goal was to stop glorifying his intelligence or perceived squandered potential and worth. The writing style was easy and free-flowing. I enjoyed this book as another interesting facet in this well-known true crime saga.
Thank you to Independent Publishers Group / Chicago Review Press for providing an advance readers copy via NetGalley.
August 23, 2024
A different perspective on true crime. It focuses on the victims and their families. The author has survived and thrived despite serious childhood illness, trauma, surgeries, cancer, divorce and natural disaster. There's an inspiring message for the reader at the conclusion.
September 10, 2023
After getting burned out by so many Bundy books, this is a refreshing change from the typical. It’s long overdue to hear about things from the victim’s perspective and the author does so quite well. This was a page turner for me, and I liked reading about the author’s experiences.
September 27, 2023
Coincidentally, I read this book after reading Bright Young Women, another (though fictionalized) story focusing on the victims of Ted Bundy. To read the account of the Chi Omega tragedy from two different perspectives so close together was a lot to take, and I definitely recommend reading them further apart than I did.
I will say, this book blew me away. Kathy shows such resilience and courage throughout her life and I’m so glad she’s lived such a full and happy life in spite of the things she’s experienced. The book was a captivating read.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
I will say, this book blew me away. Kathy shows such resilience and courage throughout her life and I’m so glad she’s lived such a full and happy life in spite of the things she’s experienced. The book was a captivating read.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
March 23, 2024
4.0 Stars
This is the victim focused narrative that was sorely missing from the cannon of Ted Bundy true crime books. The authors do not shy away from the grotesque or brutal aspects of the crimes, which sometimes made this one hard to read. These details were not provided to sensational the crimes but rather to ground the true in the true wickedness of these acts. I also appreciate that this book set out to debunk the common myths about Bundy and instead bring the attention rightfully back to the victims.
This is the victim focused narrative that was sorely missing from the cannon of Ted Bundy true crime books. The authors do not shy away from the grotesque or brutal aspects of the crimes, which sometimes made this one hard to read. These details were not provided to sensational the crimes but rather to ground the true in the true wickedness of these acts. I also appreciate that this book set out to debunk the common myths about Bundy and instead bring the attention rightfully back to the victims.
April 21, 2025
This Ted Bundy survivor debunks many of the narratives about the serial killer being charming, intelligent and a lost cause.
This autobiography is not so much of an entire life story, it centres around the three death sentences that she dodged: two health issues and surviving an attack as she slept in the Chi Omega sorority house in Tallahassee.
Kleiner Rubin writes with maturity, heart and anger (in a good way). The anger is not so much about the ongoing physical pain and suffering but the narrative. She takes aim at many of the major players: Ann Rule for her book the Stranger Beside Me, the movies such as the Deliberate Stranger, the judge that sentenced Bundy to the electric chair, the witness who laughed off the abduction of a 12 year old (mistaking the situation for a naughty child about to get a spanking), Bundy’s girls who gave him money whilst he was in prison (which afforded him an escape to Tallahassee). All these topics were handled so well. It wasn’t preachy, it was setting the record straight. Some debunked things:
1. He charmed women/girls into his car: only a few, most were bludgeoned from behind or as they slept.
2. He was intelligent: he dropped out of law school, had to attend a law school with low entry requirements, flunked and redid the course, received average or below average marks.
3. He wasted his potential (especially per the judge who paraphrased that he could have been a fine lawyer if only he hadn’t killed people): his grades weren’t good, he was a full time student who barely worked let alone studied, he was only at uni to be around targets. This was the most aggravating point. Why rue his lost career/success? What about what the ~30 murdered girls/women lost who actually got good grades and had so much ahead of them?
4. He targeted girls with long dark hair parted in the middle: he attacked people in the dark as they slept and wouldn’t have known what they looked like.
The points were supported by facts, such as neighbours hearing screams indicating the abduction wasn’t from using his charm. And the examples of failed abduction attempts preceding ruthless ambush tactics since he couldn’t succeed in charming them. And how lots of people thought he was creepy/scary in day to day life, especially when he was prowling.
Ann Rules’ book was one of my favourite (for lack of a better word) true crime books. I’ve read it several times, and I can see now how her biases changed the narrative. I might read it again through a different lens.
I’m glad Kleiner Rubin told her story. I was shocked when she described how the sorority disowned her and didn’t support her. These days people are more interested in this type of story, about the victims than the dead beat killers. So many lives taken/damaged for nothing than to serve one creep’s perversions.
This autobiography is not so much of an entire life story, it centres around the three death sentences that she dodged: two health issues and surviving an attack as she slept in the Chi Omega sorority house in Tallahassee.
Kleiner Rubin writes with maturity, heart and anger (in a good way). The anger is not so much about the ongoing physical pain and suffering but the narrative. She takes aim at many of the major players: Ann Rule for her book the Stranger Beside Me, the movies such as the Deliberate Stranger, the judge that sentenced Bundy to the electric chair, the witness who laughed off the abduction of a 12 year old (mistaking the situation for a naughty child about to get a spanking), Bundy’s girls who gave him money whilst he was in prison (which afforded him an escape to Tallahassee). All these topics were handled so well. It wasn’t preachy, it was setting the record straight. Some debunked things:
1. He charmed women/girls into his car: only a few, most were bludgeoned from behind or as they slept.
2. He was intelligent: he dropped out of law school, had to attend a law school with low entry requirements, flunked and redid the course, received average or below average marks.
3. He wasted his potential (especially per the judge who paraphrased that he could have been a fine lawyer if only he hadn’t killed people): his grades weren’t good, he was a full time student who barely worked let alone studied, he was only at uni to be around targets. This was the most aggravating point. Why rue his lost career/success? What about what the ~30 murdered girls/women lost who actually got good grades and had so much ahead of them?
4. He targeted girls with long dark hair parted in the middle: he attacked people in the dark as they slept and wouldn’t have known what they looked like.
The points were supported by facts, such as neighbours hearing screams indicating the abduction wasn’t from using his charm. And the examples of failed abduction attempts preceding ruthless ambush tactics since he couldn’t succeed in charming them. And how lots of people thought he was creepy/scary in day to day life, especially when he was prowling.
Ann Rules’ book was one of my favourite (for lack of a better word) true crime books. I’ve read it several times, and I can see now how her biases changed the narrative. I might read it again through a different lens.
I’m glad Kleiner Rubin told her story. I was shocked when she described how the sorority disowned her and didn’t support her. These days people are more interested in this type of story, about the victims than the dead beat killers. So many lives taken/damaged for nothing than to serve one creep’s perversions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2023
It's very difficult and sometimes inappropriate (IMO) to review a memoir given that it is so personal and an account of someones real, lived experience. I do believe though that Rubin's strength in vulnerability, storytelling, and reframing around the narrative of a traumatic life event is worth speaking on and uplifting. While this memoir largely focuses on Rubin's experience surviving her attack from Ted Bundy and the subsequent aftermath thereafter, she also speaks on her battle with childhood lupus, breast cancer, and navigating the devastation of a natural disaster.
This book has changed the way I will engage with true crime moving forward. As humans, I think we are inherently fascinated by these situations because we seek understanding around how someone could commit such horrific and vile acts. Rubin provides such a necessary reminder and clarification around the grotesque ways that Bundy has been sensationalized and the narrative that has been pushed around his supposed charming personality. Rubin reminds readers that Bundy preyed on almost every victim while they were sleeping, or they were attacked from behind or dragged into his car. He was not the alluring man often portrayed in documentaries or in other books. Many women who encountered Bundy-even just from afar-expressed a deep level of discomfort even being in his presence. He was not irresistibly leading victims to "develop red hearts in their eyes and then idiotically trail behind him to their own deaths" as Rubin rightfully asserts that the media has convinced was the case.
I very much encourage readers of true crime media to read Rubin's story. The victims deserve to be the storytellers in this horrible nightmare and I really encourage consumers of true crime to think about who is being centered in these conversations. Rubin does an incredible job walking the fine line on speaking up for the victims who are unable to do so, while also not taking it upon herself to speak on behalf of all victims.
This is easily one of the most powerful memoirs I've read and I am so grateful for Rubin's bravery and vulnerability in sharing her story, as well as her admirable focus on shifting the focus of Bundy's actions back to the victims. I know that my interactions with and consumption around media relating to true crime will be forever changed by this memoir.
This book has changed the way I will engage with true crime moving forward. As humans, I think we are inherently fascinated by these situations because we seek understanding around how someone could commit such horrific and vile acts. Rubin provides such a necessary reminder and clarification around the grotesque ways that Bundy has been sensationalized and the narrative that has been pushed around his supposed charming personality. Rubin reminds readers that Bundy preyed on almost every victim while they were sleeping, or they were attacked from behind or dragged into his car. He was not the alluring man often portrayed in documentaries or in other books. Many women who encountered Bundy-even just from afar-expressed a deep level of discomfort even being in his presence. He was not irresistibly leading victims to "develop red hearts in their eyes and then idiotically trail behind him to their own deaths" as Rubin rightfully asserts that the media has convinced was the case.
I very much encourage readers of true crime media to read Rubin's story. The victims deserve to be the storytellers in this horrible nightmare and I really encourage consumers of true crime to think about who is being centered in these conversations. Rubin does an incredible job walking the fine line on speaking up for the victims who are unable to do so, while also not taking it upon herself to speak on behalf of all victims.
This is easily one of the most powerful memoirs I've read and I am so grateful for Rubin's bravery and vulnerability in sharing her story, as well as her admirable focus on shifting the focus of Bundy's actions back to the victims. I know that my interactions with and consumption around media relating to true crime will be forever changed by this memoir.
May 29, 2024
I read Bright Young Women and, honestly, I struggled through it. When the author mentioned this book at the end I knew I needed to read the memoir from a survivor. This was much better done and it just felt so real, and of course disturbing. Interestingly enough both books came out the same day and I’m sure the “popular author” sold a lot more books, but this is the one to read! I highly recommend this and please read to the very end and honor those that lost their lives and those that were tortured and survived this serial killer.
June 26, 2024
This *could* have been a really powerful book excerpt…
I read through most of “A Light in the Dark” preparing to give it a really strong review. I emphasized with Kathy’s experience deeply, and agreed with much of her reflections regarding the media and society’s adornment of white men and murder.
She’s a very detailed storyteller which helps in understanding the unfolding of events that night in the sorority house. And, because of her chronic condition, lupus, it’s fascinating to hear her describe the ways in which her body has survived brutal attack, cancer, and lupus. Without question, she’s a strong woman with a story worth telling. If only she would have stopped talking after the trial…
It’s when she goes into detail about Hurricane Katrina that she reveals herself to be quite apathetic to those outside her shared experience. The tender delicacy that she used in speaking on behalf of Bundy victims all but disappeared once she entered the Deep South.
1. She repeatedly referred to survivors of Katrina as refugees. Refugees? No. They were displaced Americans, many of whom didn’t have the resources and means to flee the storm like Kathy and her husband did. The verbiage of “refugee” is a nod to the attitude that many had towards Katrina survivors, most of them who were Black. These people were homeowners, taxpayers, and humans.
2. During a scene where Kathy is in a restaurant with her husband, she ridicules another couple who were also Katrina survivors. After expressing disappointment for not having their meal comped, which was a common practice at that time for survivors, Kathy and her husband apologize to the restaurant on behalf of the other couple, telling them that “We’re not all like that.” The ‘we’ Kathy refers to is quite questionable. She was an implant, from Florida and had not actually been in the city of New Orleans when the storm hit. What if the other couple, like many, lost every scrap they owned, including I.D., income, and work? Kathy’s husband never lost his job and they never lacked resources.
3. She goes on to speak of the conditions in the Superdome, but also perpetuates the narrative that the city was riddled with looting and crime. She never reconciles the fact that race played a major part of this, and that much of the sensationalism was based on racial tropes that portrayed starving, unhoused, and sometimes even dying Black people as villains.
As a reader, I can’t help but wonder, how could a non-Black woman of color be so compassionate to murder victims and survivors of Ted Bundy, yet be so apathetic to a city filled with disenfranchised residents who lost their homes, livelihood, and sense of belonging because of a storm outside their control?
Of course, there’s good material about America’s infatuation with murder, as well as the reclaiming of truth regarding the centering of victims instead of their killers. However, because it’s delivered by someone who only partially cares about victims, it’s hard to hold this as a resource worth referring others to. It’s fascinating that, even I. 2023 the gaps of racial bias are so wide a memoir like this can go through several rounds of edits without interrogating the contrast of compassion between Bundy victims and Katrina survivors. As a Black Cuban who’s lived in both Miami and New Orleans, I understand all too well how a non-Black person like Kathy can fall into the same behavior she calls out: romanticizing one group of people while shaming another.
If only she would have wrapped it up after the trial, this stain of bias would have gone unseen and I likely would have rated this a strong 4.
I read through most of “A Light in the Dark” preparing to give it a really strong review. I emphasized with Kathy’s experience deeply, and agreed with much of her reflections regarding the media and society’s adornment of white men and murder.
She’s a very detailed storyteller which helps in understanding the unfolding of events that night in the sorority house. And, because of her chronic condition, lupus, it’s fascinating to hear her describe the ways in which her body has survived brutal attack, cancer, and lupus. Without question, she’s a strong woman with a story worth telling. If only she would have stopped talking after the trial…
It’s when she goes into detail about Hurricane Katrina that she reveals herself to be quite apathetic to those outside her shared experience. The tender delicacy that she used in speaking on behalf of Bundy victims all but disappeared once she entered the Deep South.
1. She repeatedly referred to survivors of Katrina as refugees. Refugees? No. They were displaced Americans, many of whom didn’t have the resources and means to flee the storm like Kathy and her husband did. The verbiage of “refugee” is a nod to the attitude that many had towards Katrina survivors, most of them who were Black. These people were homeowners, taxpayers, and humans.
2. During a scene where Kathy is in a restaurant with her husband, she ridicules another couple who were also Katrina survivors. After expressing disappointment for not having their meal comped, which was a common practice at that time for survivors, Kathy and her husband apologize to the restaurant on behalf of the other couple, telling them that “We’re not all like that.” The ‘we’ Kathy refers to is quite questionable. She was an implant, from Florida and had not actually been in the city of New Orleans when the storm hit. What if the other couple, like many, lost every scrap they owned, including I.D., income, and work? Kathy’s husband never lost his job and they never lacked resources.
3. She goes on to speak of the conditions in the Superdome, but also perpetuates the narrative that the city was riddled with looting and crime. She never reconciles the fact that race played a major part of this, and that much of the sensationalism was based on racial tropes that portrayed starving, unhoused, and sometimes even dying Black people as villains.
As a reader, I can’t help but wonder, how could a non-Black woman of color be so compassionate to murder victims and survivors of Ted Bundy, yet be so apathetic to a city filled with disenfranchised residents who lost their homes, livelihood, and sense of belonging because of a storm outside their control?
Of course, there’s good material about America’s infatuation with murder, as well as the reclaiming of truth regarding the centering of victims instead of their killers. However, because it’s delivered by someone who only partially cares about victims, it’s hard to hold this as a resource worth referring others to. It’s fascinating that, even I. 2023 the gaps of racial bias are so wide a memoir like this can go through several rounds of edits without interrogating the contrast of compassion between Bundy victims and Katrina survivors. As a Black Cuban who’s lived in both Miami and New Orleans, I understand all too well how a non-Black person like Kathy can fall into the same behavior she calls out: romanticizing one group of people while shaming another.
If only she would have wrapped it up after the trial, this stain of bias would have gone unseen and I likely would have rated this a strong 4.
June 27, 2024
Kathy Kleiner recounts memories from her life before and after coming into contact with notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Kathy was diagnosed as a child with Lupus, undergoing chemotherapy, and hardships in her family life. Kathy thought all her struggles were over when she made it to college, gaining admission into a sorority. Unfortunately, Ted Bundy followed some of her sorority sisters' home, noticed the lock on the rear door was not working properly, and entered the home. Two sisters were murdered brutally in their beds, while Kathy and her roommate were viciously attacked. It is very likely both girls would have also been murdered, had a passing car light not scared Bundy away. The assault left here with tremendous injuries, both physical and mental ones.
This book was featured at CrimeCon, and I was very excited to see it on the most recent sitewide Audible sale. I listened to this Monday at work, and it was an interesting and emotional book. I would definitely recommend this book for those interested in survivor stories or serial killers.
This book was featured at CrimeCon, and I was very excited to see it on the most recent sitewide Audible sale. I listened to this Monday at work, and it was an interesting and emotional book. I would definitely recommend this book for those interested in survivor stories or serial killers.
July 8, 2025
How do you live your life after being BRUTALLY attacked by the most well known and notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper? And how do you change the narrative about him from a charming, smart, good looking guy to a creepy, not so smart, desperate killer (which is what he should have been characterized as from the beginning)? This is how. May she have only good things and blessings follow her in her remaining years. She deserves no less.
September 28, 2023
When I heard this book was coming out, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy. For too long, Bundy victims have only been remembered as names on a list, or by the circumstances of their abduction, instead of as vibrant young women with interests, passions and people who loved them. Kathy Kleiner is trying to put a stop to that.
Kleiner goes into many things that have happened to her in this book, beyond Ted Bundy. At 13, she almost died from lupus, and at 34, she developed breast cancer and underwent treatment for that. Years later, she and her husband had to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and she was also once robbed while working as a teller in a bank. Kleiner has been through so much, but she has triumphed, and it is amazing to see.
The bulk of the book does discuss her attack, and the aftermath. Kleiner delves deeply into how hard it was for her emotionally to heal, and how she had to do the majority of healing herself because therapy was never presented as an option for her.
One thing Kleiner does throughout the book that I loved was that she finally breaks down the old narrative about how Bundy was so charming, popular and smart. He was absolutely none of these things, and Kleiner reveals this with devastating accuracy. She also discusses how it’s time we stop perpetuating the notion that Bundy charmed all his victims into coming with them so he could kill them. The reality is he snuck up behind many of them and bashed them over the head so he could drag them to his car. Perpetuating the notion that he was able to charm these women puts the blame on them, not him, and that is unfair.
Kleiner also, at the end of this book, writes a paragraph about each Bundy victim, so we know who she was as a person, and not just a name on a list. She also gives tips to end the myth of Bundy, which was very helpful.
Overall, I loved this book. It was incredibly well written, and I think it’s a beautiful tribute to Kathy’s bravery, strength and grace, but also to all of Bundy’s victims. They all deserve to have their stories told, and be remembered as unique women whose lives should have never been cut short, rather than just names on a list. Kathy did an incredible job at sharing her story, and at giving others who may be in difficult situations hope. I plan on buying a physical copy of this book for my shelves, and would encourage anyone to pick this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Kleiner goes into many things that have happened to her in this book, beyond Ted Bundy. At 13, she almost died from lupus, and at 34, she developed breast cancer and underwent treatment for that. Years later, she and her husband had to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and she was also once robbed while working as a teller in a bank. Kleiner has been through so much, but she has triumphed, and it is amazing to see.
The bulk of the book does discuss her attack, and the aftermath. Kleiner delves deeply into how hard it was for her emotionally to heal, and how she had to do the majority of healing herself because therapy was never presented as an option for her.
One thing Kleiner does throughout the book that I loved was that she finally breaks down the old narrative about how Bundy was so charming, popular and smart. He was absolutely none of these things, and Kleiner reveals this with devastating accuracy. She also discusses how it’s time we stop perpetuating the notion that Bundy charmed all his victims into coming with them so he could kill them. The reality is he snuck up behind many of them and bashed them over the head so he could drag them to his car. Perpetuating the notion that he was able to charm these women puts the blame on them, not him, and that is unfair.
Kleiner also, at the end of this book, writes a paragraph about each Bundy victim, so we know who she was as a person, and not just a name on a list. She also gives tips to end the myth of Bundy, which was very helpful.
Overall, I loved this book. It was incredibly well written, and I think it’s a beautiful tribute to Kathy’s bravery, strength and grace, but also to all of Bundy’s victims. They all deserve to have their stories told, and be remembered as unique women whose lives should have never been cut short, rather than just names on a list. Kathy did an incredible job at sharing her story, and at giving others who may be in difficult situations hope. I plan on buying a physical copy of this book for my shelves, and would encourage anyone to pick this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2024
I want to echo other reviewers who mentioned that memoirs are difficult to rate. The memoir is truly about Kathy's life, including pre- and post-Bundy, which some readers didn't particularly enjoy. The final three chapters do feel somewhat tacked on. In part, I think that's because Kathy discusses what's going on with Bundy in a kind of parallel story before he's ever a significant part of her life. So, from the very start, the book is about Kathy and Bundy...until it isn't, which makes that final part seem out of place.
My heart went out to Kathy as I read her story. Her most significant contribution to the true crime narrative is to highlight how myths created around certain serial killers often mischaracterize the victims of their brutality. In the case of Bundy, the story is that he was a handsome, charismatic man who lured unsuspecting victims to their deaths. The reality is that he murdered sleeping young women and abducted girls. They weren't naive, stupid, or too trusting as some stories might imply. He attacked when they were most vulnerable. It gives really powerful insight into the damage these narratives around serial killers do.
**Spoilers**
Despite appreciating the underlying message, I had many issues with the book. Three stand out to me:
1. Kathy says the book is about the victims, but I had issues with how she talked about Margaret Bowman's and Lisa Levy's murders, especially Lisa's. Kathy described their deaths in extreme detail. I understand that it shows the depth of this man's depravity. I can accept it appearing once or twice in the text, especially since the book covered the trial. However, each time Lisa was subsequently mentioned in the book (and there were many occasions), we had to hear about how Bundy sodomized her. I don't remember much about Lisa despite having just finished the book, but I can tell you this one detail. This felt incredibly disrespectful to her and her loved ones, maybe even a little sensational.
2. The trial coverage was repetitive, particularly Kathy's description of the defense's technique ("stomp-and-discredit"). She also seemed very upset by the defense just...doing their jobs as defense attorneys? I'm sure that, as a victim, it's hard to watch someone challenge testimony meant to put your almost-murderer in prison. Yet, being an effective defense counsel means doing just that. If they don't put up a strong defense, that's not good for the case, either. Similarly, the post-conviction appeals were a source of frustration for Kathy. Again, I get it. And again, there are good reasons for appeals to be put in place and stays granted. As a victim, Kathy doesn't have to like it, but I wish she wouldn't have portrayed the process as somehow unjust. (There are many issues with the US criminal justice system, but providing the accused a strong defense and chances to challenge the decision after the fact isn't one of them...)
3. The book could have been shorter and better edited. It's not unreadable by any means, but the second half of the memoir dragged a little because of this.
Overall, the book offers a narrative that is often left out in our true-crime-obsessed culture. It has a good message, but that message was ultimately overshadowed by some larger issues for me.
My heart went out to Kathy as I read her story. Her most significant contribution to the true crime narrative is to highlight how myths created around certain serial killers often mischaracterize the victims of their brutality. In the case of Bundy, the story is that he was a handsome, charismatic man who lured unsuspecting victims to their deaths. The reality is that he murdered sleeping young women and abducted girls. They weren't naive, stupid, or too trusting as some stories might imply. He attacked when they were most vulnerable. It gives really powerful insight into the damage these narratives around serial killers do.
**Spoilers**
Despite appreciating the underlying message, I had many issues with the book. Three stand out to me:
1. Kathy says the book is about the victims, but I had issues with how she talked about Margaret Bowman's and Lisa Levy's murders, especially Lisa's. Kathy described their deaths in extreme detail. I understand that it shows the depth of this man's depravity. I can accept it appearing once or twice in the text, especially since the book covered the trial. However, each time Lisa was subsequently mentioned in the book (and there were many occasions), we had to hear about how Bundy sodomized her. I don't remember much about Lisa despite having just finished the book, but I can tell you this one detail. This felt incredibly disrespectful to her and her loved ones, maybe even a little sensational.
2. The trial coverage was repetitive, particularly Kathy's description of the defense's technique ("stomp-and-discredit"). She also seemed very upset by the defense just...doing their jobs as defense attorneys? I'm sure that, as a victim, it's hard to watch someone challenge testimony meant to put your almost-murderer in prison. Yet, being an effective defense counsel means doing just that. If they don't put up a strong defense, that's not good for the case, either. Similarly, the post-conviction appeals were a source of frustration for Kathy. Again, I get it. And again, there are good reasons for appeals to be put in place and stays granted. As a victim, Kathy doesn't have to like it, but I wish she wouldn't have portrayed the process as somehow unjust. (There are many issues with the US criminal justice system, but providing the accused a strong defense and chances to challenge the decision after the fact isn't one of them...)
3. The book could have been shorter and better edited. It's not unreadable by any means, but the second half of the memoir dragged a little because of this.
Overall, the book offers a narrative that is often left out in our true-crime-obsessed culture. It has a good message, but that message was ultimately overshadowed by some larger issues for me.
September 30, 2023
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 3, 2023
Kathy Kleiner Rubin is one of the few confirmed survivors of serial killer Ted Bundy. Her memoir, “A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy” talks candidly about her life before, during and after the horrible attacks by the savage monster who ruined many lives.
Kleiner Rubin, and her co-writer Emilie LeBeau Lucchesi, portray a version of Ted Bundy that’s contrary to how the media portrayed him- as a charming, handsome and intelligent man. Kleiner Rubin describes Bundy as a monster of moderate intelligence, who was socially awkward and gave women the “creeps”, yet still maintained an attitude of supreme arrogance. Kleiner’s tale shines a light on the victims, as she tells the story of the murders in her words, as a survivor and it’s utterly emotional and captivating.
As a child, Kleiner Rubin suffered with a lupus diagnosis and, until receiving treatment, she thought she wouldn’t see her teenage years. Then, as a young adult, her life was drastically changed the night she “met” Ted Bundy. Again, she thought her life would be cut short. After living through the worst nightmare imaginable, she got diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of forty. After reading this memoir it can absolutely be said that Kleiner Rubin is not a “victim”, she is, in fact, a survivor.
Kleiner’s childhood is depicted not just for character development and background but so readers can identify with Kleiner as a human; as a child with loving friends and family who had goals and dreams. “A Light in the Dark” forces readers to see the people that existed before they became the “victims of Ted Bundy”, and she definitely succeeded. Kleiner pays ample tribute to all of Bundy’s victims, and those who suffered at his hands in any way, and expresses her feelings about Bundy in an open and honest manner. She details her experiences of the Bundy trial, and the months-long event that continued to re-traumatize her and her family, until his death in 1989. For those who need a warning- this novel does get quite graphic when describing the attacks and the physical damages Bundy left on his targets. It is absolutely necessary in order to drive home the pure evil that lived in Bundy, but it is not for the faint of heart.
Kleiner Rubin is a survivor by every definition, and every page of “Light” showcases her bravery. Kleiner takes on every challenge she is faced with determination and does not let her history define her. She is an example to women everywhere and is deserving of all the admiration she receives.
Kleiner Rubin is a wife, a mother and a woman above all else and she is living her life for herself, and as a tribute to the young women and girls who did not have a chance to live theirs, thanks to the monster that was Ted Bundy.
Expected publication date: October 3, 2023
Kathy Kleiner Rubin is one of the few confirmed survivors of serial killer Ted Bundy. Her memoir, “A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy” talks candidly about her life before, during and after the horrible attacks by the savage monster who ruined many lives.
Kleiner Rubin, and her co-writer Emilie LeBeau Lucchesi, portray a version of Ted Bundy that’s contrary to how the media portrayed him- as a charming, handsome and intelligent man. Kleiner Rubin describes Bundy as a monster of moderate intelligence, who was socially awkward and gave women the “creeps”, yet still maintained an attitude of supreme arrogance. Kleiner’s tale shines a light on the victims, as she tells the story of the murders in her words, as a survivor and it’s utterly emotional and captivating.
As a child, Kleiner Rubin suffered with a lupus diagnosis and, until receiving treatment, she thought she wouldn’t see her teenage years. Then, as a young adult, her life was drastically changed the night she “met” Ted Bundy. Again, she thought her life would be cut short. After living through the worst nightmare imaginable, she got diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of forty. After reading this memoir it can absolutely be said that Kleiner Rubin is not a “victim”, she is, in fact, a survivor.
Kleiner’s childhood is depicted not just for character development and background but so readers can identify with Kleiner as a human; as a child with loving friends and family who had goals and dreams. “A Light in the Dark” forces readers to see the people that existed before they became the “victims of Ted Bundy”, and she definitely succeeded. Kleiner pays ample tribute to all of Bundy’s victims, and those who suffered at his hands in any way, and expresses her feelings about Bundy in an open and honest manner. She details her experiences of the Bundy trial, and the months-long event that continued to re-traumatize her and her family, until his death in 1989. For those who need a warning- this novel does get quite graphic when describing the attacks and the physical damages Bundy left on his targets. It is absolutely necessary in order to drive home the pure evil that lived in Bundy, but it is not for the faint of heart.
Kleiner Rubin is a survivor by every definition, and every page of “Light” showcases her bravery. Kleiner takes on every challenge she is faced with determination and does not let her history define her. She is an example to women everywhere and is deserving of all the admiration she receives.
Kleiner Rubin is a wife, a mother and a woman above all else and she is living her life for herself, and as a tribute to the young women and girls who did not have a chance to live theirs, thanks to the monster that was Ted Bundy.
October 5, 2023
I received a free copy of, A Light in the Dark, by Kathy Kleiner Rubin, Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Kathy Kleiner Rubin, was a victim of Ted Bundy. In this book she rewrites that narrative that other authors have said about Bundy, being so charismatic, his victims would just go with him, instead of being actually kidnapped. Kathy has had a hard life with a lupus diagnosis and the heartbreaking torture at the hands of Bundy, with the awful silent treatment by her horrible sorority Chi Omega. Kathy is very inspiring, this was a hard book to read at times.
September 8, 2023
Thank you to Net Galley for my ARC Oof, this was a difficult read. Not only due to the subject matter and the horror these girls and women went through but also at the frustration and anger i felt while reading what this monster did. I loved that Kathy wrote this book wanting to debunk the narrative that Bundy was intelligent and charming, and that she gave a name to all his victims.
December 10, 2024
A literal light in the dark saved her life. Rubin and her roommate were asleep in the FSU Chi Omega house when Bundy brutally attacked them. She survived and testified. Incredible will and bravery. With this book, Rubin continues to take back the power. The narrative of the handsome, charming, intelligent killer, and naive, foolish female victims is not it. It’s simply not true. She’s no fan of Ann Rule’s depictions. Read this book.
September 28, 2023
I think you can’t truly write a review on something that is like this. This isn’t a work of fiction or something that someone has decided to write just for fun. This isn’t just a memoir of one person.
This is the story that shines a light on not just one voice but multiple voices that have been lost in the shadow of an evil man. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be remembered.
I think it’s important to note that this also showed how invalidating and harmful it is to the victims that the media and public continue after all these years to push the narrative of Bundy being handsome and using his good looks to seduce his victims. He needs to stop being glorified and the focus needs to go back on those he harmed.
This was an easy and eye-opening read. I truly am so proud of the strength it would’ve taken to write this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the story that shines a light on not just one voice but multiple voices that have been lost in the shadow of an evil man. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be remembered.
I think it’s important to note that this also showed how invalidating and harmful it is to the victims that the media and public continue after all these years to push the narrative of Bundy being handsome and using his good looks to seduce his victims. He needs to stop being glorified and the focus needs to go back on those he harmed.
This was an easy and eye-opening read. I truly am so proud of the strength it would’ve taken to write this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 3, 2024
I read this as part of the morbidly curious book club. I did not like it. I think Kathy’s story is incredible and her life has definitely been a rough one. The problem I have with this book is that her co-writer did not serve her well in getting her story out or making this book make a lot of sense as to what it actually is. While Appendix A is an amazing addition and very much appreciated at shining more light on the victims…it never really figures out what it is as a book. Is it a memoir? Is it a history lesson about Ted Bundy? Is it shining light on the victims and giving them back their names? It’s all three and somehow none of those.
It could do with a heavy dose of editing. A lot of repetition and her co-writer I feel made her sound like a child instead of a strong woman who has overcome an amazing amount of trials and tribulations and come out on the other side healed in more ways than one.
I give Kathy herself millions of stars.
I give the other victims millions of stars and wish they wouldn’t have been victims and could instead be living their lives beautifully.
I give this book two stars.
I give Ted Bundy zero stars.
It could do with a heavy dose of editing. A lot of repetition and her co-writer I feel made her sound like a child instead of a strong woman who has overcome an amazing amount of trials and tribulations and come out on the other side healed in more ways than one.
I give Kathy herself millions of stars.
I give the other victims millions of stars and wish they wouldn’t have been victims and could instead be living their lives beautifully.
I give this book two stars.
I give Ted Bundy zero stars.
July 13, 2024
I found the author repetitive. I’m glad she survived, and lived a good life. I just couldn’t get into the way she told her story.
July 17, 2024
3.5. Memoirs are always hard to rate. This one did things well - Kathy’s story of survival is compelling and you can feel her pain and anger. It also did a great job being a voice for the victims and providing their perspectives (as opposed to glorifying a serial killer).
What it lacked
Details about other victims. I get this is Kathy’s story but she made a point to represent victims who can’t speak for themselves. More details about them as people - not just victims - would have been appreciated.
Accurate research on Bundy
Kathy’s opinion about him is understandably harsh. Who wouldn’t hate him? And she did a good job of criticizing media portrayals. Much of the info about Bundy was simply her opinion. It lacked objectivity. This is understandable and I value her opinion but it definitely left info out
Hurricane Katrina
This section made me cringe.
Overall
I’d recommend this book. It was enlightening to be able to read an account from a survivor. So many books focus on the killer
What it lacked
Details about other victims. I get this is Kathy’s story but she made a point to represent victims who can’t speak for themselves. More details about them as people - not just victims - would have been appreciated.
Accurate research on Bundy
Kathy’s opinion about him is understandably harsh. Who wouldn’t hate him? And she did a good job of criticizing media portrayals. Much of the info about Bundy was simply her opinion. It lacked objectivity. This is understandable and I value her opinion but it definitely left info out
Hurricane Katrina
This section made me cringe.
Overall
I’d recommend this book. It was enlightening to be able to read an account from a survivor. So many books focus on the killer
July 18, 2024
Where to start? I cried, felt afraid and sick. A book so well written, and inside the horror managed to be beautiful. A tribute to all of Bundy’s victims.
Gave voice to those who could not pronounce.
Gave voice to those who could not pronounce.
October 13, 2023
I don't often like to review memoirs/nonfiction because something about it doesn't feel right to me to rate someones life from their experiences. However, when I saw that this was written from a survivor's point of view I became intrigued to read her story. It is not often that you read from the victim's point of view. Kathy really spoke to me and made me think. Why do we often put the focus on the offender? Why do we get so caught up in their story that the world puts a bigger focus on them and not the people effected? There were so many valid points the author made in this book and the unimaginable situations she and many others were put in - is unfathomable. Ted Bundy was nothing like what many described him to be and I found this book to be really insightful.
Overall, I thought the book was really well done. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.
Overall, I thought the book was really well done. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.
February 13, 2024
A solid 3.5
September 25, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this Arc in exchange for my honest review.
This book was horrible !! Not horrible because if the writing, but horrible to know such a "human being" ever existed ! I had only ever heard of Ted Bundy in TV shows as being a serial killer. But knowing he destroyed so many lives and how he did so is heartbreaking. I can think of multiple ways of how I would have tortured him into revealing where he hid the bodies of the victims never found. Though some details were repetitive sometimes, I think this book is beautiful, beautiful in the sense that it puts Bundy right where he belongs, in setting things right about who he really was and the victims who deserved so much more than what they got. I feel sorry so sorry for the families and victims affected. And the author who went through so much in her life.
This book was horrible !! Not horrible because if the writing, but horrible to know such a "human being" ever existed ! I had only ever heard of Ted Bundy in TV shows as being a serial killer. But knowing he destroyed so many lives and how he did so is heartbreaking. I can think of multiple ways of how I would have tortured him into revealing where he hid the bodies of the victims never found. Though some details were repetitive sometimes, I think this book is beautiful, beautiful in the sense that it puts Bundy right where he belongs, in setting things right about who he really was and the victims who deserved so much more than what they got. I feel sorry so sorry for the families and victims affected. And the author who went through so much in her life.
April 18, 2025
I appreciate the way this memoir was structured to really give us a sense of who Kathy Kleiner is and her life. She also emphasizes the lives and personalities of the women who were murdered, highlights their accomplishments, and generally shows them much more respect than I have (regrettably) ever heard when people talk about Ted Bundy. I've even heard, to this day, assessments of Kleiner's testimony in court that led me to believe it was lacking or that she was unreliable. After reading her full testimony and memories of the attack, this is absolutely not the case, and as a true crime buff, I am very glad this book exists, for a number of reasons. It's a new favorite and is going on my shelf the moment I find a copy.
Part of her motivation for writing this was to "set the record straight" on who he was and who he victimized, and it was also a larger victim impact statement where she could speak freely, and give other people struggling the hope of living a better life. Aside from surviving attempted murder, she also survived childhood lupus and stage 2 cancer in her 30s, and has a resilient nature and positive outlook on life that I highly respect. She has deep love and appreciation for her family, especially her mother, who were there for her through every struggle in her life. Despite facing down death 3 times, she has a strong will to live life to the fullest. She administered her own form of exposure therapy, and positive visualizations, to treat the PTSD she suffered before it was a recognized mental illness. After surviving attempted murder, she married, had a son, and married again. Despite never returning to college (who could blame her?), she had a successful career. In general, she refused to stop living, or to let PTSD control her life. Without the combined testimony of all the surviving sorority sisters, and the indisputable dental prints that Sheriff Ken Katsaris made sure was included in the prosecution's evidence, Bundy would still be a free man. That was a beautifully done, perfectly reasonable combination of testimony on the part of the prosecution that I wish could happen every time. For a time period without cameras everywhere, that was as airtight as you could possibly get.
Even when people who talk about this case preface their statements by saying it's not the victim's fault they were murdered, their following statements usually imply they willingly did something stupid and that's why they died. Statements like "no matter how charming or good looking that strange man is, do not get in his car, do not hitchhike!" abound to this day, almost like a folk tale passed from woman to woman and mother to daughter, as if these victims went willingly. As if killers like Bundy are both the boogeyman, and simultaneously easy to avoid if you know better than to trust a monster.
Kathy provides context for multiple victims that challenges this assumption, where often the women were snatched in the middle of going quickly from point A to point B (sometimes even with the intent of returning to a boyfriend or family member in a few minutes, for example, who were almost immediately reported missing for this reason) with no intention of being led off course by a complete stranger, and certainly not getting into his car for any reason. Many of these women were educated, in a relationship, or on multiple occasions a child or teenager who had no hope of getting away. Many of their personalities were practical and no-nonsense, they were perceptive, educated, responsible women and girls, and had good sense. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, in some cases, they were overpowered children in situations where they should have been safe. The witness testimony that led to Bundy being convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 12 year old girl Kimberly Leach, who was snatched from her middle school, literally in the middle of the school day, said he assumed Bundy was her father and didn't intervene, even though she was sobbing and screaming for help as she was forced into Bundy's car. Again and again, there are overlooked aspects of each victim's story that point to some kind of collective failure, and does not support the idea that they were willing or charmed. In Kathy Kleiner's own case, and those of the other sorority sisters who were attacked, the keypad lock on the back door of the sorority house had been broken for at least a few weeks. This is a stark contrast to what I've heard before, that he picked up gullible hippies or hitchhikers on drugs. He did also kill hitchhikers, but this was not the majority of victims, and does not support the idea he was charming -- it only proves that those victims were desperate for a ride, and they were only a handful of cases.
In Kathy's case, and the case of other women who did and did not survive, including her sorority sisters and other women in multiple states, they were killed or attacked inside their homes while they were asleep in bed, not being "charmed" into a dangerous situation. Some, like one of her sorority sisters, Margaret Boeman, were killed instantly from forceful blows to the head while still asleep in bed, and never saw their attacker or (hopefully) knew they were dying. She also asserts that multiple women who met him and survived refused to help him when he pretended to have a broken arm or need help with his car, all saying he was creepy, and then later that day he picked a different victim to force into his car, or broke into her home, when his many attempts to be charming failed. Actually, he only succeeded at getting around 3 women into his car with the ruse, and many were by force, aside from the time he wore a police officer's uniform. To me, that sounds like he felt a killing rage at rejection or incompetence that we collectively have come to expect from serial killer profiles. To me, after hearing both Kathy's interpretation of events and Bundy's personality, compared with the common narrative at the time of his trial, her perspective rings much more true to reality than this mythical idea that a serial killer can somehow hide in plain sight from every woman he encounters, as if all of these women had no survival instinct at all and were just hopping into handsome men's cars.
Given the time period, and lack of understanding of serial killers, I came away from this narrative with the sense that Ted Bundy has been sensationalized to cover up the flaws and incompetence of a nationwide failure in each state police force that dealt with him. He escaped from prison not once, but twice, and once I suspect was with the help of a guard who was said to be friends with the inmate. I have no doubt that security was lacking and that it did not take a genius to escape, because in every account I've heard he sounds like he picked up on simple things like the guard schedule and then went for it. I mean, he once crawled through a giant air vent that was directly in his cell, and nobody thought until that moment, "hey, maybe a prisoner could escape through that thing, and we should lead the vents somewhere else" until Bundy did it. After his trial, the police force started sharing information across state lines to prevent another failure of this scale, because previously they never considered that a man could escape through a giant air vent in his cell, and then take a plane to a different state, until Bundy did it.
When you hear all the details, and not just the empty confirmation that he was a "genius," you realize anyone would be a genius when faced with the incompetent cops, guards, and even the designer of the prisons at the time. It wasn't like today with high level security at every jail and cameras in every corner. And his case led to a greater understanding, collectively for the general public, and for law enforcement, of the psychology of serial killers, so that now, there are open discussions of their early childhood and their motivations that were never truly understood before. At the time of the case, it was still pretty new, and I think a direct a result of the lack of understanding, and of how our culture perceived women (especially victimized women), contributed a lasting detriment to the discussion and understanding of these murders, these victims alive and dead, and this serial killer that has lasted to this day.
The only assessment of his personality that seems true to me is that he was a manipulator, likely with narcissistic personality disorder, with those he spent a lot of time with. His mother, and wife Carole Ann Boone, and even his last defense attorney Polly Nelson truly believed he was innocent, at least at first. But to me, he sounds like every other pathetic, manipulative, weird dude I've ever encountered, who saw cracks he could crawl through in the system, and did it in order to make murder his full time committment. Not that every weird dude I've ever met is a secret murderer, but Bundy truly sounds like just some guy you avoid on the street. God forbid he approaches you and tries to make you pity him. He preyed on empathetic young women, and seems to have encouraged their pity on him in few close personal relationships in order to use them for money and character witnesses, then satiated his need to feel competent and in control through overpowering petite young women and children.
He has never sounded like a charming genius to me, and Kathy confirms this with often overlooked context and witness testimony. Besides, even if he was, does that justify minimizing the brutal nature of what he did, by glossing over the victims, forgetting or leaving out details, or even getting information flat out wrong? Even today, I just went and looked at the list of victims on Murderpedia, a generally accurate website, and found it was incomplete, missing some or all details about many of the victims (and even inaccuracies on the fully detailed entries). Yet Kathy Kleiner has listed details about every victim in the appendix of this book, so the information is out there, and is just... overlooked, in favor of propping up a mythical, boogeyman version of a real serial killer.
I agree with Kathy Kleiner on another count: I believe it's easier to stick to the sensational version of these events, than to stomach the details of every attack and murder. It's easier to say, "just don't do this, and you will be safe," rather than face the reality that the truly heinous things done to these women could have happened to anyone. I mean, I am no stranger to gruesome details, and I found myself getting nauseated at certain details in this novel, sometimes just at the idea that these terrible things happened to so many women that it is genuinely difficult to keep their names and stories straight. Yet those who claim to be looking into the details often gloss over these women as well, probably because it's absolutely nauseating to face the reality that this happened for many years, to so many women and girls, at the hands of one average guy.
But it's important, I think, that we do better to honor the memories of murder victims, especially by actually correctly remembering their names and details of their lives and deaths, and refuse to continue this pattern of sensationalizing their murderer. The reality is far more terrifying, because once you look at all of it, you realize; he was just some guy who almost got away with over 30 murders, those he victimized were hurt or killed through no fault of their own, and then to top it off, the justice system failed over and over again to bring that murderer to justice, when honestly, it wouldn't have been that difficult to just keep the guy in prison the first time. Thankfully, we have mostly figured out that letting serial killers out of prison leads to more murders, people can in fact crawl through air vents, and that serial killers cannot be rehabilitated.
And allllllll of that much needed change is thanks to the prosecution and every witness testimony in the case. Including Kathy Kleiner, who is a complete badass, and an interesting, sympathetic, inspirational person to read about. I regret that most of my takeaway from the novel is about this waste of space murderer, but I think it was important for her to share her full perspective. Important both for her, so she can finally freely say what she thinks, in a time period where you can't ask victimized women in court if they deserved to be victimized because they were promiscuous or a lesbian (at least, without a huge public uproar, because what the hell, and yes the defense actually asked her both of those questions); and also so that when we study criminal cases, in the present and future, we don't fall into this trap of basically patting the murderer on the back for being so smart, like what still happens when we talk about ted bundy. He could have been caught or kept in jail much sooner, and if he was, dozens of women would still be alive. We need to look closely at those failures and make sure it never happens again, take responsibility as individuals in a society to not ignore cries for help (especially from women and other marginalized people), and prepare for the smartest of criminals before they have a chance to outsmart us. I believe taking collective responsibility for each other is the only way to disempower serial killers and other similar criminals, and I am tired of the "throwing our hands up" routine, and the borderline hero-worship narrative surrounding this guy. We have to do better than that. I believe we are getting there, and thankfully serial killers are much easier to catch than they were in the 70s and 80s. The term "victim blaming" exists and we're starting to understand it's bad, PTSD is recognized, systemic failures are being openly challenged, narcissistic abuse is even being addressed, a lot of good stuff has happened since this case and possibly in part because of it. I feel we should start emphasizing that more instead of continuing an outdated and mostly fabricated narrative.
I hope to one day see this memoir become the most important one in the conversation, and that remembering and showing respect to victims of murder and other crimes becomes the first thing we do when we study crime.
Part of her motivation for writing this was to "set the record straight" on who he was and who he victimized, and it was also a larger victim impact statement where she could speak freely, and give other people struggling the hope of living a better life. Aside from surviving attempted murder, she also survived childhood lupus and stage 2 cancer in her 30s, and has a resilient nature and positive outlook on life that I highly respect. She has deep love and appreciation for her family, especially her mother, who were there for her through every struggle in her life. Despite facing down death 3 times, she has a strong will to live life to the fullest. She administered her own form of exposure therapy, and positive visualizations, to treat the PTSD she suffered before it was a recognized mental illness. After surviving attempted murder, she married, had a son, and married again. Despite never returning to college (who could blame her?), she had a successful career. In general, she refused to stop living, or to let PTSD control her life. Without the combined testimony of all the surviving sorority sisters, and the indisputable dental prints that Sheriff Ken Katsaris made sure was included in the prosecution's evidence, Bundy would still be a free man. That was a beautifully done, perfectly reasonable combination of testimony on the part of the prosecution that I wish could happen every time. For a time period without cameras everywhere, that was as airtight as you could possibly get.
Even when people who talk about this case preface their statements by saying it's not the victim's fault they were murdered, their following statements usually imply they willingly did something stupid and that's why they died. Statements like "no matter how charming or good looking that strange man is, do not get in his car, do not hitchhike!" abound to this day, almost like a folk tale passed from woman to woman and mother to daughter, as if these victims went willingly. As if killers like Bundy are both the boogeyman, and simultaneously easy to avoid if you know better than to trust a monster.
Kathy provides context for multiple victims that challenges this assumption, where often the women were snatched in the middle of going quickly from point A to point B (sometimes even with the intent of returning to a boyfriend or family member in a few minutes, for example, who were almost immediately reported missing for this reason) with no intention of being led off course by a complete stranger, and certainly not getting into his car for any reason. Many of these women were educated, in a relationship, or on multiple occasions a child or teenager who had no hope of getting away. Many of their personalities were practical and no-nonsense, they were perceptive, educated, responsible women and girls, and had good sense. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, in some cases, they were overpowered children in situations where they should have been safe. The witness testimony that led to Bundy being convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 12 year old girl Kimberly Leach, who was snatched from her middle school, literally in the middle of the school day, said he assumed Bundy was her father and didn't intervene, even though she was sobbing and screaming for help as she was forced into Bundy's car. Again and again, there are overlooked aspects of each victim's story that point to some kind of collective failure, and does not support the idea that they were willing or charmed. In Kathy Kleiner's own case, and those of the other sorority sisters who were attacked, the keypad lock on the back door of the sorority house had been broken for at least a few weeks. This is a stark contrast to what I've heard before, that he picked up gullible hippies or hitchhikers on drugs. He did also kill hitchhikers, but this was not the majority of victims, and does not support the idea he was charming -- it only proves that those victims were desperate for a ride, and they were only a handful of cases.
In Kathy's case, and the case of other women who did and did not survive, including her sorority sisters and other women in multiple states, they were killed or attacked inside their homes while they were asleep in bed, not being "charmed" into a dangerous situation. Some, like one of her sorority sisters, Margaret Boeman, were killed instantly from forceful blows to the head while still asleep in bed, and never saw their attacker or (hopefully) knew they were dying. She also asserts that multiple women who met him and survived refused to help him when he pretended to have a broken arm or need help with his car, all saying he was creepy, and then later that day he picked a different victim to force into his car, or broke into her home, when his many attempts to be charming failed. Actually, he only succeeded at getting around 3 women into his car with the ruse, and many were by force, aside from the time he wore a police officer's uniform. To me, that sounds like he felt a killing rage at rejection or incompetence that we collectively have come to expect from serial killer profiles. To me, after hearing both Kathy's interpretation of events and Bundy's personality, compared with the common narrative at the time of his trial, her perspective rings much more true to reality than this mythical idea that a serial killer can somehow hide in plain sight from every woman he encounters, as if all of these women had no survival instinct at all and were just hopping into handsome men's cars.
Given the time period, and lack of understanding of serial killers, I came away from this narrative with the sense that Ted Bundy has been sensationalized to cover up the flaws and incompetence of a nationwide failure in each state police force that dealt with him. He escaped from prison not once, but twice, and once I suspect was with the help of a guard who was said to be friends with the inmate. I have no doubt that security was lacking and that it did not take a genius to escape, because in every account I've heard he sounds like he picked up on simple things like the guard schedule and then went for it. I mean, he once crawled through a giant air vent that was directly in his cell, and nobody thought until that moment, "hey, maybe a prisoner could escape through that thing, and we should lead the vents somewhere else" until Bundy did it. After his trial, the police force started sharing information across state lines to prevent another failure of this scale, because previously they never considered that a man could escape through a giant air vent in his cell, and then take a plane to a different state, until Bundy did it.
When you hear all the details, and not just the empty confirmation that he was a "genius," you realize anyone would be a genius when faced with the incompetent cops, guards, and even the designer of the prisons at the time. It wasn't like today with high level security at every jail and cameras in every corner. And his case led to a greater understanding, collectively for the general public, and for law enforcement, of the psychology of serial killers, so that now, there are open discussions of their early childhood and their motivations that were never truly understood before. At the time of the case, it was still pretty new, and I think a direct a result of the lack of understanding, and of how our culture perceived women (especially victimized women), contributed a lasting detriment to the discussion and understanding of these murders, these victims alive and dead, and this serial killer that has lasted to this day.
The only assessment of his personality that seems true to me is that he was a manipulator, likely with narcissistic personality disorder, with those he spent a lot of time with. His mother, and wife Carole Ann Boone, and even his last defense attorney Polly Nelson truly believed he was innocent, at least at first. But to me, he sounds like every other pathetic, manipulative, weird dude I've ever encountered, who saw cracks he could crawl through in the system, and did it in order to make murder his full time committment. Not that every weird dude I've ever met is a secret murderer, but Bundy truly sounds like just some guy you avoid on the street. God forbid he approaches you and tries to make you pity him. He preyed on empathetic young women, and seems to have encouraged their pity on him in few close personal relationships in order to use them for money and character witnesses, then satiated his need to feel competent and in control through overpowering petite young women and children.
He has never sounded like a charming genius to me, and Kathy confirms this with often overlooked context and witness testimony. Besides, even if he was, does that justify minimizing the brutal nature of what he did, by glossing over the victims, forgetting or leaving out details, or even getting information flat out wrong? Even today, I just went and looked at the list of victims on Murderpedia, a generally accurate website, and found it was incomplete, missing some or all details about many of the victims (and even inaccuracies on the fully detailed entries). Yet Kathy Kleiner has listed details about every victim in the appendix of this book, so the information is out there, and is just... overlooked, in favor of propping up a mythical, boogeyman version of a real serial killer.
I agree with Kathy Kleiner on another count: I believe it's easier to stick to the sensational version of these events, than to stomach the details of every attack and murder. It's easier to say, "just don't do this, and you will be safe," rather than face the reality that the truly heinous things done to these women could have happened to anyone. I mean, I am no stranger to gruesome details, and I found myself getting nauseated at certain details in this novel, sometimes just at the idea that these terrible things happened to so many women that it is genuinely difficult to keep their names and stories straight. Yet those who claim to be looking into the details often gloss over these women as well, probably because it's absolutely nauseating to face the reality that this happened for many years, to so many women and girls, at the hands of one average guy.
But it's important, I think, that we do better to honor the memories of murder victims, especially by actually correctly remembering their names and details of their lives and deaths, and refuse to continue this pattern of sensationalizing their murderer. The reality is far more terrifying, because once you look at all of it, you realize; he was just some guy who almost got away with over 30 murders, those he victimized were hurt or killed through no fault of their own, and then to top it off, the justice system failed over and over again to bring that murderer to justice, when honestly, it wouldn't have been that difficult to just keep the guy in prison the first time. Thankfully, we have mostly figured out that letting serial killers out of prison leads to more murders, people can in fact crawl through air vents, and that serial killers cannot be rehabilitated.
And allllllll of that much needed change is thanks to the prosecution and every witness testimony in the case. Including Kathy Kleiner, who is a complete badass, and an interesting, sympathetic, inspirational person to read about. I regret that most of my takeaway from the novel is about this waste of space murderer, but I think it was important for her to share her full perspective. Important both for her, so she can finally freely say what she thinks, in a time period where you can't ask victimized women in court if they deserved to be victimized because they were promiscuous or a lesbian (at least, without a huge public uproar, because what the hell, and yes the defense actually asked her both of those questions); and also so that when we study criminal cases, in the present and future, we don't fall into this trap of basically patting the murderer on the back for being so smart, like what still happens when we talk about ted bundy. He could have been caught or kept in jail much sooner, and if he was, dozens of women would still be alive. We need to look closely at those failures and make sure it never happens again, take responsibility as individuals in a society to not ignore cries for help (especially from women and other marginalized people), and prepare for the smartest of criminals before they have a chance to outsmart us. I believe taking collective responsibility for each other is the only way to disempower serial killers and other similar criminals, and I am tired of the "throwing our hands up" routine, and the borderline hero-worship narrative surrounding this guy. We have to do better than that. I believe we are getting there, and thankfully serial killers are much easier to catch than they were in the 70s and 80s. The term "victim blaming" exists and we're starting to understand it's bad, PTSD is recognized, systemic failures are being openly challenged, narcissistic abuse is even being addressed, a lot of good stuff has happened since this case and possibly in part because of it. I feel we should start emphasizing that more instead of continuing an outdated and mostly fabricated narrative.
I hope to one day see this memoir become the most important one in the conversation, and that remembering and showing respect to victims of murder and other crimes becomes the first thing we do when we study crime.
September 12, 2023
Kathy Kleiner was one of the few women to survive an attack by one of the most notorious and infamous serial killers ever to exist— Ted Bundy. The interest in Bundy has always been high, not only for the amount of women he killed, but for his supposed "charm," "intelligence," and decent looks. He also garnered many headlines for his escapes from prison, his circus-like trial where he defended himself and got married in court, and was eventually put to the electric chair. Add in that well-known true crime writer Ann Rule penned a bestseller about him, and you have a sick criminal who has all but completely blotted out his young victims who had their lives ahead of them.
Post MeToo, the focus is beginning to change. There has been a docuseries from the POV of Bundy's ex-girlfriend, a Netflix series that focused more on the women than Bundy, a popular YouTube channel run by another survivor, Carol DaRonch, and now this memoir by Kleiner, who is determined to correct what she feels is Bundy's unearned and blatantly false reputation as smart and charming. She points out that, contrary to lore, Bundy didn't lure his victims with cunning acts that fooled them into willingly entering his car, but that he normally overpowered his smaller prey when the women were alone, or cracked them over the head with something. Kleiner is determined to set the record straight—his victims were not naive women who fell for his wiles, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. (The vaguely woman-blaming theory that Bundy was avenging being dumped by his fiancee is also disproven.)
Kleiner was fast asleep in her room at Omega Chi sorority in Florida when she became one of those women in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bundy entered the house through a broken door and quickly killed two college girls with a wood log to the head, then almost killed two more. Kleiner is one of them. She testified against Bundy and helped get him the electric chair.
The book covers other times Kleiner had to overcome being dealt an extremely difficult hand—being diagnosed with lupus as a young girl, divorce, single parenthood, a breast cancer diagnosis in her 30s, and being a refugee of Hurricane Katrina for months. Somehow, Kleiner and her cowriter, Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, manage to make the book interesting and entertaining without being maudlin or depressing.
Kleiner has had far more than her share of terrible luck, and I sincerely hope that the rest of her life is nothing but sunshine and rainbows. If anyone deserves it, it's her.
Thank you to the authors, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I just reviewed A Light in the Dark by Kathy Kleiner Rubin; Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi. #ALightintheDark #NetGalley
Post MeToo, the focus is beginning to change. There has been a docuseries from the POV of Bundy's ex-girlfriend, a Netflix series that focused more on the women than Bundy, a popular YouTube channel run by another survivor, Carol DaRonch, and now this memoir by Kleiner, who is determined to correct what she feels is Bundy's unearned and blatantly false reputation as smart and charming. She points out that, contrary to lore, Bundy didn't lure his victims with cunning acts that fooled them into willingly entering his car, but that he normally overpowered his smaller prey when the women were alone, or cracked them over the head with something. Kleiner is determined to set the record straight—his victims were not naive women who fell for his wiles, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. (The vaguely woman-blaming theory that Bundy was avenging being dumped by his fiancee is also disproven.)
Kleiner was fast asleep in her room at Omega Chi sorority in Florida when she became one of those women in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bundy entered the house through a broken door and quickly killed two college girls with a wood log to the head, then almost killed two more. Kleiner is one of them. She testified against Bundy and helped get him the electric chair.
The book covers other times Kleiner had to overcome being dealt an extremely difficult hand—being diagnosed with lupus as a young girl, divorce, single parenthood, a breast cancer diagnosis in her 30s, and being a refugee of Hurricane Katrina for months. Somehow, Kleiner and her cowriter, Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, manage to make the book interesting and entertaining without being maudlin or depressing.
Kleiner has had far more than her share of terrible luck, and I sincerely hope that the rest of her life is nothing but sunshine and rainbows. If anyone deserves it, it's her.
Thank you to the authors, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I just reviewed A Light in the Dark by Kathy Kleiner Rubin; Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi. #ALightintheDark #NetGalley
September 9, 2023
This book was a good read it went into more detail then I expected.. Some parts of the story were harrowing to read due to it being written from the survivor’s perspective, it made it harder to process on occasions!! It shows truly that did she not only survive she lived..
There was a couple of things I wasn’t so keen on.. One of them being how long the chapters were, I feel like some bits could have been taken out to make them shorter.. Also i didn’t think it needed to have the few chapters after Bundy had been killed to explain what Kathy went on to do with her life! I felt like that bit was a bit of waffling on..
Overall I did enjoy the book but felt some bits didn’t need to be included..
Thank you NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group for sending this book for review.
There was a couple of things I wasn’t so keen on.. One of them being how long the chapters were, I feel like some bits could have been taken out to make them shorter.. Also i didn’t think it needed to have the few chapters after Bundy had been killed to explain what Kathy went on to do with her life! I felt like that bit was a bit of waffling on..
Overall I did enjoy the book but felt some bits didn’t need to be included..
Thank you NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group for sending this book for review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews