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Practice to Deceive
From the New York Times #1 bestselling author comes a riveting true-crime mystery set on a sleepy island in the Pacific Northwest: a man is murdered and the long list of suspects includes an aging beauty queen and her boyfriend.
One wintery night on tiny, quiet Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington, Russ Douglas spent Christmas with his estranged wife, Brenna. She agreed to let him visit his children even though they were headed for divorce. He left Brenna Douglas’s home in Langley on the morning of December 26, 2003 to run some errands.
But hours passed and the sun set in the late afternoon; Russ didn’t return home as he’d promised his children he would. Nor did he come back during the night. On the afternoon of December 27, a couple walking down a rural road noticed a vehicle that had apparently backed into the driveway of a cabin. Since many of the places were vacant during the winter, neighbors kept an eye out for strangers.
Curious, they walked up the cabin’s driveway to check inside. They saw a man in the front seat, still strapped in his seatbelt, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. They immediately put in a call to the Island County Sheriff’s Office. The dead man was easily identified; it was Russell Douglas. But what came next surprised law enforcement and captured the attention of the entire town when the suspects included an aging beauty queen, her guitar-teacher lover, and Russell’s widow, Brenna. With her trademark aplomb, Ann Rule unravels the fascinating story of a murder, a small town, and a number of potential killers.
One wintery night on tiny, quiet Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington, Russ Douglas spent Christmas with his estranged wife, Brenna. She agreed to let him visit his children even though they were headed for divorce. He left Brenna Douglas’s home in Langley on the morning of December 26, 2003 to run some errands.
But hours passed and the sun set in the late afternoon; Russ didn’t return home as he’d promised his children he would. Nor did he come back during the night. On the afternoon of December 27, a couple walking down a rural road noticed a vehicle that had apparently backed into the driveway of a cabin. Since many of the places were vacant during the winter, neighbors kept an eye out for strangers.
Curious, they walked up the cabin’s driveway to check inside. They saw a man in the front seat, still strapped in his seatbelt, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. They immediately put in a call to the Island County Sheriff’s Office. The dead man was easily identified; it was Russell Douglas. But what came next surprised law enforcement and captured the attention of the entire town when the suspects included an aging beauty queen, her guitar-teacher lover, and Russell’s widow, Brenna. With her trademark aplomb, Ann Rule unravels the fascinating story of a murder, a small town, and a number of potential killers.
9 pages, Audio CD
First published October 1, 2013
818 people are currently reading
3252 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rule
137 books4,505 followersAnn Rule was a popular American true crime writer. Raised in a law enforcement and criminal justice system environment, she grew up wanting to work in law enforcement herself. She was a former Seattle Policewoman and was well educated in psychology and criminology.
She came to prominence with her first book, The Stranger Beside Me, about the Ted Bundy murders. At the time she started researching the book, the murders were still unsolved. In the course of time, it became clear that the killer was Bundy, her friend and her colleague as a trained volunteer on the suicide hotline at the Seattle, Washington Crisis Clinic, giving her a unique distinction among true crime writers.
Rule won two Anthony Awards from Bouchercon, the mystery fans' organization. She was nominated three times for the Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. She is highly regarded for creating the true crime genre as it exists today.
Ann Rule also wrote under the name Andy Stack . Her daughter is Goodreads author Leslie Rule.
She came to prominence with her first book, The Stranger Beside Me, about the Ted Bundy murders. At the time she started researching the book, the murders were still unsolved. In the course of time, it became clear that the killer was Bundy, her friend and her colleague as a trained volunteer on the suicide hotline at the Seattle, Washington Crisis Clinic, giving her a unique distinction among true crime writers.
Rule won two Anthony Awards from Bouchercon, the mystery fans' organization. She was nominated three times for the Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. She is highly regarded for creating the true crime genre as it exists today.
Ann Rule also wrote under the name Andy Stack . Her daughter is Goodreads author Leslie Rule.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 541 reviews
December 15, 2021
Practice to Deceive by Ann Rule is a 2013 Gallery Books publication.
This is another book that has been on my TBR list for ages. I remember grabbing this one without researching it because it was a true crime story written by Ann Rule. Why question it?
Well, I’m going to be totally honest- after I saw so many anemic reviews for this one, it scared me off, and I decided to put it on a back burner for a while.
Sadly, after languishing on my Kindle for at least eight years, the reviews haven’t improved all that much. Still, this was a case I was unfamiliar with, so I decided to go ahead and give the book a chance before I scratched it off my list.
This is most certainly an odd story. Russel Douglas had made plans with his ex-wife, Brenna, on Christmas day, but never showed up. His body was found the next day in his SUV. Initially, the thought was that he might have committed suicide, but that turned out not to be the case.
It took investigators years to build a case against Brenna’s friend Peggy and her former lover, Jim Huden. The book begins with the discovery of Russel’s body, then proceeds to take us through the long years it took to make a case against the suspects.
The thing about this case, in my opinion, is that it doesn’t seem to translate into a very compelling drama on paper. It might have seemed more interesting on 'Dateline' or '48 hours', or something, but those shows typically only run for one or two hours, with ads.
There wasn't enough here for a full book on the case, which was, for all intents and purposes, built around finding the murder weapon – which was an incredible stroke of luck- so we have lots of filler about Peggy’s half-siblings, and the tragic death of their mother, which didn’t really didn't have a direct bearing on this case.
The execution is not there either. I got lost or just plain bored a few times as the case felt too drawn out, with the introduction of too many people, who didn't have anything to do with the case, per se.
This book might have worked better if it had been shortened, released as a novella, or in a collection with other true crime stories.
Despite all the filler, I did think the case was interesting just because of how crazy it was that the murderers were ever brought to justice in the first place.
The investigators were tenacious and never gave up on the case, which is another plus. Naturally, there were some lingering questions, especially about Brenna, but overall, the case was wrapped up as best as could be expected.
Overall, this was not as bad as I had anticipated. It was not the most cohesive of Rule’s books and was certainly not one of the most interesting cases I’ve read about, but it wasn’t totally without merit, and I’m glad I gave it a chance, at all.
3 stars
This is another book that has been on my TBR list for ages. I remember grabbing this one without researching it because it was a true crime story written by Ann Rule. Why question it?
Well, I’m going to be totally honest- after I saw so many anemic reviews for this one, it scared me off, and I decided to put it on a back burner for a while.
Sadly, after languishing on my Kindle for at least eight years, the reviews haven’t improved all that much. Still, this was a case I was unfamiliar with, so I decided to go ahead and give the book a chance before I scratched it off my list.
This is most certainly an odd story. Russel Douglas had made plans with his ex-wife, Brenna, on Christmas day, but never showed up. His body was found the next day in his SUV. Initially, the thought was that he might have committed suicide, but that turned out not to be the case.
It took investigators years to build a case against Brenna’s friend Peggy and her former lover, Jim Huden. The book begins with the discovery of Russel’s body, then proceeds to take us through the long years it took to make a case against the suspects.
The thing about this case, in my opinion, is that it doesn’t seem to translate into a very compelling drama on paper. It might have seemed more interesting on 'Dateline' or '48 hours', or something, but those shows typically only run for one or two hours, with ads.
There wasn't enough here for a full book on the case, which was, for all intents and purposes, built around finding the murder weapon – which was an incredible stroke of luck- so we have lots of filler about Peggy’s half-siblings, and the tragic death of their mother, which didn’t really didn't have a direct bearing on this case.
The execution is not there either. I got lost or just plain bored a few times as the case felt too drawn out, with the introduction of too many people, who didn't have anything to do with the case, per se.
This book might have worked better if it had been shortened, released as a novella, or in a collection with other true crime stories.
Despite all the filler, I did think the case was interesting just because of how crazy it was that the murderers were ever brought to justice in the first place.
The investigators were tenacious and never gave up on the case, which is another plus. Naturally, there were some lingering questions, especially about Brenna, but overall, the case was wrapped up as best as could be expected.
Overall, this was not as bad as I had anticipated. It was not the most cohesive of Rule’s books and was certainly not one of the most interesting cases I’ve read about, but it wasn’t totally without merit, and I’m glad I gave it a chance, at all.
3 stars
November 2, 2013
When I first started reading this book, I was confused. I thought I had picked up a large print book by accident. No, it was just a publisher trying to stretch a two hundred manuscript into a full-length book.
Repeated information, repeated descriptions, repeated conversations and truly unnecessary information are what fill this book. Why would the murder of a first spouse that happened prior to the birth of the later convicted accessory to a murder matter? No facts were shown, or even hinted at, that would make this a contributing factor. Just another way for Ms Rule to run up the page count.
On Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound of Washington state, Russel (yes, that is how his name is spelled) Douglas is found with a single bullet hole to his head. Though he and his wife are having apparent marital issues, the authorities cannot put his wife there. Ten years later the case comes to trial with a rather twisted reason for the murder. Two people that have had little to no contact with the victim decide that he must die based solely on possible hearsay.
A “she said, she said” scenario with a conniving dominating woman, a beguiled man and a wife that swears she knows nothing about it yet is the only one to benefit.
Ms Rule lays no foundation and very little fact in her book. There are very few true interviews of substance and from my perspective, only half a job was done. I remember her earlier books that came across to me as well researched and questions answered before the book was published.
To me the oddest part, which is sad because it is the only thing that stands out, there is a photo in the book of Ann Rule with the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff that looks like her head and face were photo-shopped in.
Skip this book, reader her earlier works.
Repeated information, repeated descriptions, repeated conversations and truly unnecessary information are what fill this book. Why would the murder of a first spouse that happened prior to the birth of the later convicted accessory to a murder matter? No facts were shown, or even hinted at, that would make this a contributing factor. Just another way for Ms Rule to run up the page count.
On Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound of Washington state, Russel (yes, that is how his name is spelled) Douglas is found with a single bullet hole to his head. Though he and his wife are having apparent marital issues, the authorities cannot put his wife there. Ten years later the case comes to trial with a rather twisted reason for the murder. Two people that have had little to no contact with the victim decide that he must die based solely on possible hearsay.
A “she said, she said” scenario with a conniving dominating woman, a beguiled man and a wife that swears she knows nothing about it yet is the only one to benefit.
Ms Rule lays no foundation and very little fact in her book. There are very few true interviews of substance and from my perspective, only half a job was done. I remember her earlier books that came across to me as well researched and questions answered before the book was published.
To me the oddest part, which is sad because it is the only thing that stands out, there is a photo in the book of Ann Rule with the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff that looks like her head and face were photo-shopped in.
Skip this book, reader her earlier works.
October 20, 2013
I've been a fan of Ann Rule for years. She's nearly the only true crime writer that I read anymore. She has compassion for the victims and doesn't highlight gore and brutality. But this most recent book felt like it was done by rote. There was very little to surprise or intrigue. For all it's purported complexity, it was really a simple case of a man killed for greed. The relationships were complicated but the case itself was not. It was pretty clear from the beginning who killed Russel Douglas and why. It was sad. It was cold-hearted. But something was missing from the writing this time. Rule is usually a good storyteller, but this one let me down. It felt as though the book was quickly pieced together through notes without a lot of thought to narrative or suspense.
April 10, 2017
I found this book endless. I was bored from beginning to end probably because Rule tries to fit way too many things into this book. I think it's cause the case she focuses on (the murder of Russell Douglas) does not have a satisfactory ending through as a reader you can put two and two together.
I thought the book zigzagged way too much. We start off with the dead man and Rule works backwards but also alludes to some things here and there about the dead man's wife. And then we jump to a way too in depth look at the investigation team. We then run and focus on a woman who seems to be one of the people behind the murder and her family history. I don't know if Rule wanted readers to feel sorry for this woman or it was something interesting to add or what. Rule even adds a mini family tree at the front of the book, but I still had a hard time keeping people separate.
I think this may be one of the shorter Rule books I have read, but I still wish some things have been cut.
Rule adds lots of colored photos in this book, and they were okay, but I wish she had left some of them out since it just felt like padding after a while.
I thought the book zigzagged way too much. We start off with the dead man and Rule works backwards but also alludes to some things here and there about the dead man's wife. And then we jump to a way too in depth look at the investigation team. We then run and focus on a woman who seems to be one of the people behind the murder and her family history. I don't know if Rule wanted readers to feel sorry for this woman or it was something interesting to add or what. Rule even adds a mini family tree at the front of the book, but I still had a hard time keeping people separate.
I think this may be one of the shorter Rule books I have read, but I still wish some things have been cut.
Rule adds lots of colored photos in this book, and they were okay, but I wish she had left some of them out since it just felt like padding after a while.
November 2, 2013
ARC for review.
I think maybe Ann Rule is getting tired of her work. She seldom leaves the Pacific Northwest anymore, which means her choices for true crime are slim - other than Stackhouse family's very sad history and the fact that there didn't seem to be much motive for this killing, it was rather routine. She often references herself in her narrative and she relies way too much on exclamation points, which automatically makes me take anything 63% less seriously. In her prime, no one could beat Rule - she was a great writer who had selected true crime as her area, but now everything seems like a pale imitation of her earlier great works - skip this one and read Small Sacrifices or And Never Let Her Go instead.
I think maybe Ann Rule is getting tired of her work. She seldom leaves the Pacific Northwest anymore, which means her choices for true crime are slim - other than Stackhouse family's very sad history and the fact that there didn't seem to be much motive for this killing, it was rather routine. She often references herself in her narrative and she relies way too much on exclamation points, which automatically makes me take anything 63% less seriously. In her prime, no one could beat Rule - she was a great writer who had selected true crime as her area, but now everything seems like a pale imitation of her earlier great works - skip this one and read Small Sacrifices or And Never Let Her Go instead.
October 3, 2017
This is a true crime story about the murder of Washington state resident James Stackhouse. Stackhouse was murdered in 2003 during the Christmas holidays outside his home and this is the story of the investigation and the eventual murder trial. Rule writes in detail about the murder and the multiple possible characters involved in the crime which took several years to solve and go to trial. Though the book is complete in regards to the trial there was (is) still a lingering question about the motive of the defendants and a possibility that another person was involved in the murder. This was a real page turner.
January 22, 2014
I'm a huge Ann Rule fan but this book was a big disappointment for me. First of all, the victim and the murderer were barely linked to one another and there was really no motive. The people all had interesting backgrounds, but it just wasn't that compelling of a story. Rule's writing was very confusing at times with her overuse of pronouns. It made it hard to follow sometimes.
I was annoyed off the bat that a detective would actually say: "I think he's dead. He's almost in full rigor." Ummm, any rigor and you are definitely dead. No thinking about it. The detectives also immediately felt the crime was a suicide despite the fact that there was no weapon and the passenger side door was open. Rule should have not gone along with that theory like she did.
There were also problems with information being referred to that hadn't been introduced yet. For example, when the detective was receiving anonymous phone calls from a person who was friends with the killer, she referred to the caller as the Florida caller. There wasn't anything introduced at that point where he had revealed he was calling from Florida. I noticed another problem where some information was introduced about the killer (before he was identified) having a brother with a B&B on the island. That seems like some useful information but she didn't at first say anything about the detectives following up on that.
I was annoyed off the bat that a detective would actually say: "I think he's dead. He's almost in full rigor." Ummm, any rigor and you are definitely dead. No thinking about it. The detectives also immediately felt the crime was a suicide despite the fact that there was no weapon and the passenger side door was open. Rule should have not gone along with that theory like she did.
There were also problems with information being referred to that hadn't been introduced yet. For example, when the detective was receiving anonymous phone calls from a person who was friends with the killer, she referred to the caller as the Florida caller. There wasn't anything introduced at that point where he had revealed he was calling from Florida. I noticed another problem where some information was introduced about the killer (before he was identified) having a brother with a B&B on the island. That seems like some useful information but she didn't at first say anything about the detectives following up on that.
October 31, 2016
I have always depended on author Ann Rule for an interesting true crime chronicle and solid writing style. This book did not live up to my expectations and is clearly one of her lesser works. The story of a murder without apparent motive and no clues should be engrossing.....it was not. The narrative was all over the place and the author padded out large sections with descriptions and histories of individuals who were not even paramount to the case. I had major questions which were never addressed and found myself starting to skim through some of the chapters which is a bad sign. I finished the book but it was a chore.
August 27, 2014
Just so annoying and boring I decided to give up after reading 1/3rd. Wth happened to Ann Rule? It seems someone else is writing for her!
There has been such a change to the books that were published over the last 8 years or so. Her last good book was Too Late to say Goodbye which was published in 2007 so quite a long time.
She did have the tendency to be to one sided making the victims out to be angels like in Heart Full of Lies which was written in 2003 but it is now not just that but this book was boring and it never grabbed me.
There has been such a change to the books that were published over the last 8 years or so. Her last good book was Too Late to say Goodbye which was published in 2007 so quite a long time.
She did have the tendency to be to one sided making the victims out to be angels like in Heart Full of Lies which was written in 2003 but it is now not just that but this book was boring and it never grabbed me.
August 17, 2016
This book was terrible and boring. Full of repeated information, too much information about completely irrelevant details, it is clear that she just needed to fill up pages. The story jumps ahead into the future and back into the past with no warning. I found the writing very confusing and thought that this was her first book until I checked. Uses too many exclamation points! Very disappointing read.
March 30, 2022
Ann Rule's final book-length study of a single crime and it's one of the least interesting ones, padded out with lots of extraneous drama and characters with tenuous links to the central murder. This really would have worked better as a shorter write-up in one of Rule's "Crime Files" compilations.
September 5, 2024
As usual, Ann Rule never fails to write a true crime story that will have me hooked! This one isn’t my favourite of hers that I’ve read but it’s definitely not amongst her worst either. This was such a sad and brutal story, I always find it hard to swallow how awful human beings can be and the terrible acts they commit towards one another.
October 10, 2013
Ann Rule is, of course, the undisputed queen of true crime - but it has been some years since she has written a full length crime book. Although I have enjoyed her true crime 'files', it is good to have another more in depth read. This book begins on Whidbey Island, Washington. Home to sixty thousand residents, the island is a popular holiday resort and also houses a huge duty station for naval personnel. Much of the island is idyllic and the crime rate low.
Two days after Christmas on 2003, a man's body was found in a car. The body had a single gunshot and was thought, initially, to be a possible suicide - as the holiday period is difficult for many. However, it was quickly established to be a homicide and the man identified as Russel Douglas. Russ has been visiting his estranged wife and two children for the holidays and, when the detectives visit her to inform her of the murder, they were surprised at her lack of reaction. The reaction of Brenna Douglas was the first strange occurence in a long and difficult investigation which would take many years to come to a conclusion.
The author walks her readers through every step of the case - from the discovery of the body of Russ Douglas, through to a detailed description of every involved person, whether suspect or not, and asks who lured Russ to that isolated spot to kill him? All the way through the case, there were so many different opinions about the victim that the detectives felt they were dealing with more than one man. Hampered by a lack of evidence and a lack of motive, it would take years before some physical (rather than circumstantial) evidence would appear. This is Ann Rule at her best, with a detailed look at a crime and the tenacity of those involved in solving it to do so, against the odds. Lastly, I read the kindle version of this book and it had illustrations, which were exceptionally well presented for a kindle book. If you like true crime, then you will certainly appeciate this in depth look at a crime and its aftermath.
Two days after Christmas on 2003, a man's body was found in a car. The body had a single gunshot and was thought, initially, to be a possible suicide - as the holiday period is difficult for many. However, it was quickly established to be a homicide and the man identified as Russel Douglas. Russ has been visiting his estranged wife and two children for the holidays and, when the detectives visit her to inform her of the murder, they were surprised at her lack of reaction. The reaction of Brenna Douglas was the first strange occurence in a long and difficult investigation which would take many years to come to a conclusion.
The author walks her readers through every step of the case - from the discovery of the body of Russ Douglas, through to a detailed description of every involved person, whether suspect or not, and asks who lured Russ to that isolated spot to kill him? All the way through the case, there were so many different opinions about the victim that the detectives felt they were dealing with more than one man. Hampered by a lack of evidence and a lack of motive, it would take years before some physical (rather than circumstantial) evidence would appear. This is Ann Rule at her best, with a detailed look at a crime and the tenacity of those involved in solving it to do so, against the odds. Lastly, I read the kindle version of this book and it had illustrations, which were exceptionally well presented for a kindle book. If you like true crime, then you will certainly appeciate this in depth look at a crime and its aftermath.
August 27, 2014
Ann Rule will often list all the characters at the get go, as in most of these cases there are 40 or 50 movers, interviewed by police, witnesses, law and lawyers you name it. And when I read that feature on this one, a single name out of the multiples listed came out at me. Peggy Sue. And my mind went into lyrics "If you knew Peggy Sue, Then you would know why I feel blue" with Buddy Holly. And does it fit.
This is not one of her 4 or 5 star best cases (Dead by Sunset or a Every Breath You Take etc.), but one that is truly a long tangle, taking ten years in gathering myriad pieces. As usual, her clear non-fiction reporting of the facts, time elements, all participants and context to nuance and perceptions is easy read to me. She is excellent in her genre and more journalist than psychologist in this one. Guilty pleasure indeed to read her criminal and social justice genre realities. Life as it happens in violent tragedy. And aftermath as it seldom gets reported.
This is not one of her 4 or 5 star best cases (Dead by Sunset or a Every Breath You Take etc.), but one that is truly a long tangle, taking ten years in gathering myriad pieces. As usual, her clear non-fiction reporting of the facts, time elements, all participants and context to nuance and perceptions is easy read to me. She is excellent in her genre and more journalist than psychologist in this one. Guilty pleasure indeed to read her criminal and social justice genre realities. Life as it happens in violent tragedy. And aftermath as it seldom gets reported.
April 24, 2025
I can’t recommend this at all.
Ann Rule is the undisputed queen of true crime. On the whole, her books have a very human depth to them. Rule finds a way to tell the stories from multiple points of view and almost always paints an extraordinarily rich picture of what it’s like to live (and die) in another’s shoes.
But “Practice to Deceive” has very little of that. This was one of her last books before she passed at the age of 83, and after a 40 year writing career. It is with zero malice that I report Ann Rule was out of gas by this time.
Stick with anything she wrote in the 79s, 80s, and 90s, including the Crime Files series (although I much prefer her long form books).
Ann Rule is the undisputed queen of true crime. On the whole, her books have a very human depth to them. Rule finds a way to tell the stories from multiple points of view and almost always paints an extraordinarily rich picture of what it’s like to live (and die) in another’s shoes.
But “Practice to Deceive” has very little of that. This was one of her last books before she passed at the age of 83, and after a 40 year writing career. It is with zero malice that I report Ann Rule was out of gas by this time.
Stick with anything she wrote in the 79s, 80s, and 90s, including the Crime Files series (although I much prefer her long form books).
August 6, 2025
I’m so sorry, but this dragged on forever and was completely disjointed. The author was trying to do way too much and navigating between the unrelated cases became confusing. This was kind of tedious to get through, sadly. However, this was an interesting case and a well-researched book. 3 stars.
December 27, 2017
This Ann Rule book unravels a true case of Christmas murder. Although the murder took place on Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington State, Rule's account has us traveling through many of United States. On the day after Christmas 2003 the blood-soaked body of Russel Douglas was found in his car which was in the driveway of one of the island's more exclusive homes. Many thought that this would turn out to be a suicide but as there was no weapon at the site, Russel's death was ruled a homicide. The story is very interesting but I felt it was a bit hard to follow all the trails Rule put down for us. I felt like I was wandering far from the original story to learn facts that had little to do with the murder. There seemed to be an excess amount of just plain filler that we really didn't need. This made the book somewhat hard to follow and more than a bit boring. I like the true crime genre and I have always liked Ann Rule books but I felt that this one lacked the spark that many of her earlier books had.
January 13, 2021
3.5 I probably found this more interesting than most because its a local case.
January 9, 2021
I'll start this review by saying that I love Ann Rule's books and am deeply sorry she's not with us any longer, and that there will be no more Rule true-crime blockbusters.
That said, I've always found (with few exceptions) that she's at her best when writing her true crime collections, rather than her standalone accounts. Practice to Deceive was an oddly long novel that spent so much time covering material that had absolutely no bearing on the murder case. And yet, by the end, we have no satisfying explanation for why the victim died, or why the people convicted of killing him decided to go through with it. Their motives are weak, at best.
Instead, at least half the book is the story of one of the killers' fathers and his first wife, and also what happened to all of her half siblings, which--while at times interesting--had nothing to with the case. Much of the editorializing in the book is ageist or fat shaming: "she was forty-two but still attractive" (yes, because most of us look hideous after thirty); "she was a heavy woman but still attractive" (yes, because heavy women are also mostly hideous); "in...her pregnancy pictures, her features appeared bloated and her midsection big enough to carry triplets" (let's fat shame the pregnant woman; of course she should look "glamorous" in the midst of her pregnancy); "Peggy Sue had fought weight her whole life, but when she was slim she was gorgeous" (again, heavy women can't be gorgeous); "...would be ninety-two when she was released. She would be far from "Drop Dead Gorgeous" by then, her auburn mane gray, her smooth face a mass of wrinkles" (youth = gorgeous; elderly = ugly).
I've never understood the fixation on women's appearances in these books. Was it necessary to detail the appearance-enhancing plastic surgery the woman had before her sentencing hearing? (For that matter, was it necessary to tell us the murder victim wasn't at the trial? Are the editors asleep at the wheel for these books?) Rule, while I greatly admire her work, was an older, fuller-figured woman herself, so I really don't get all the fat shaming and ageist comments, but they definitely detract. One of my favourite Rule books, Small Sacrifices, would be much improved without the constant evaluation of Diane Downs' appearance and how attractive she was or wasn't.
All of the above made this book more of a slog than I expect from Rule, and I admit I skipped the background of the prosecutor's dad, because I didn't feel that would add much to this murder case. This book would have been much improved if it were half the size, and had benefited from a strong editor.
Spoiler: the murder victim was not at his killers' trials.
That said, I've always found (with few exceptions) that she's at her best when writing her true crime collections, rather than her standalone accounts. Practice to Deceive was an oddly long novel that spent so much time covering material that had absolutely no bearing on the murder case. And yet, by the end, we have no satisfying explanation for why the victim died, or why the people convicted of killing him decided to go through with it. Their motives are weak, at best.
Instead, at least half the book is the story of one of the killers' fathers and his first wife, and also what happened to all of her half siblings, which--while at times interesting--had nothing to with the case. Much of the editorializing in the book is ageist or fat shaming: "she was forty-two but still attractive" (yes, because most of us look hideous after thirty); "she was a heavy woman but still attractive" (yes, because heavy women are also mostly hideous); "in...her pregnancy pictures, her features appeared bloated and her midsection big enough to carry triplets" (let's fat shame the pregnant woman; of course she should look "glamorous" in the midst of her pregnancy); "Peggy Sue had fought weight her whole life, but when she was slim she was gorgeous" (again, heavy women can't be gorgeous); "...would be ninety-two when she was released. She would be far from "Drop Dead Gorgeous" by then, her auburn mane gray, her smooth face a mass of wrinkles" (youth = gorgeous; elderly = ugly).
I've never understood the fixation on women's appearances in these books. Was it necessary to detail the appearance-enhancing plastic surgery the woman had before her sentencing hearing? (For that matter, was it necessary to tell us the murder victim wasn't at the trial? Are the editors asleep at the wheel for these books?) Rule, while I greatly admire her work, was an older, fuller-figured woman herself, so I really don't get all the fat shaming and ageist comments, but they definitely detract. One of my favourite Rule books, Small Sacrifices, would be much improved without the constant evaluation of Diane Downs' appearance and how attractive she was or wasn't.
All of the above made this book more of a slog than I expect from Rule, and I admit I skipped the background of the prosecutor's dad, because I didn't feel that would add much to this murder case. This book would have been much improved if it were half the size, and had benefited from a strong editor.
Spoiler: the murder victim was not at his killers' trials.
September 8, 2018
When it comes to true crime novels, Ann Rule rules.
Like so many true crime books, Practice to Deceive proves that real life is stranger than fiction.
What struck me most about this rather complicated tale is the amount of tragedy inflicted on one average family.
This is a story within a story within a story. Each narrative as interesting as the next.
The only thing that might have made this better is if we had a motive for murder. Yet despite one murder convinction and one plea of conspiracy, a motive remains absent.
This was relatively short for one of Rule's novels, but as always I feel as if she provides the reader with all the pertinent details.
A decent reader for a true true crime fan.
Like so many true crime books, Practice to Deceive proves that real life is stranger than fiction.
What struck me most about this rather complicated tale is the amount of tragedy inflicted on one average family.
This is a story within a story within a story. Each narrative as interesting as the next.
The only thing that might have made this better is if we had a motive for murder. Yet despite one murder convinction and one plea of conspiracy, a motive remains absent.
This was relatively short for one of Rule's novels, but as always I feel as if she provides the reader with all the pertinent details.
A decent reader for a true true crime fan.
November 25, 2022
True to Ann Rule form, a true crime story. For me, this was more of a case study on a manipulative woman, that fooled some genuinely, seemingly decent people, into doing her dirty work. Not one of Rule’s better works, IMHO.
December 29, 2019
Interesting reading about a murder case and the suspects who are eventually tried. Other persons of interest were never proven to be involved, so some questions are left unsolved.
April 16, 2022
I had never heard of this case, so it was all new to me. The Stackhouse family sure had a series of tragedies in their lives. Wow. There were some grammatical problems with the book, and some things were written in a way that they were hard to follow. I had to reread some places several times in order to understand. The whole thing is so sad, so senseless.
November 9, 2021
This is my first Ann Rule book and I found it to be well paced and informative. It’s perhaps a bit too long, but it is a very complicated story with an unsatisfactory ending.
December 9, 2024
Twisted and mental. Lies, greed, sin and death. Half an appropriate ending.
October 18, 2013
The one big thing that stands out for me in this book is the narrative voice Mrs. Rule uses. Unlike many of the true crime books I have read this book feels more like mystery fiction then an accounting of events. In fact, if I was not already familiar with Rule and her style I might have thought this was indeed fiction, and well written fiction at that. She is expert at painting a scene and giving you a real feel for everything that happened.
Similarly all of the people surrounding Douglass’s murder are well written with enough personality on the page that they read like well-crafted characters. You really have to applaud Detective Plumberg’s doggedness at following this case and chasing down the hard to find leads. Equally you can’t help but hate many of the people in Douglass’s life. At every point I was hoping to see his wife get some kind of comeuppance for her so cold and greedy personality. You could almost feel how contemptible she was through the book. This is the real strength of the book. Rule really makes you connect, either positively or negatively, with everyone you meet.
There is one big flaw however. Several of the people you encounter have interesting backstories, and Rule cannot help but digress to them. That in of itself would not be such a bad thing except that some of these digressions are incredibly long and only tangentially affect your understanding of the main events in the book. At one point she spends 30+ pages giving a very detailed biography of one of the major players in the book which is completely skipable. Not that those events are uninteresting by themselves but it completely sidetracks the main story and puts the breaks on an otherwise well passed story. The important pieces from these peoples backgrounds could be laid out simply in a page or two and then let the reader return to the story they are invested in. What makes this worse is she does just that with several other character backstories, meaning she is perfectly capable of reigning in these side journeys. Someone reading this book for the first time can skip these sections and loose little understanding or enjoyment.
Read Expanded Review
Similarly all of the people surrounding Douglass’s murder are well written with enough personality on the page that they read like well-crafted characters. You really have to applaud Detective Plumberg’s doggedness at following this case and chasing down the hard to find leads. Equally you can’t help but hate many of the people in Douglass’s life. At every point I was hoping to see his wife get some kind of comeuppance for her so cold and greedy personality. You could almost feel how contemptible she was through the book. This is the real strength of the book. Rule really makes you connect, either positively or negatively, with everyone you meet.
There is one big flaw however. Several of the people you encounter have interesting backstories, and Rule cannot help but digress to them. That in of itself would not be such a bad thing except that some of these digressions are incredibly long and only tangentially affect your understanding of the main events in the book. At one point she spends 30+ pages giving a very detailed biography of one of the major players in the book which is completely skipable. Not that those events are uninteresting by themselves but it completely sidetracks the main story and puts the breaks on an otherwise well passed story. The important pieces from these peoples backgrounds could be laid out simply in a page or two and then let the reader return to the story they are invested in. What makes this worse is she does just that with several other character backstories, meaning she is perfectly capable of reigning in these side journeys. Someone reading this book for the first time can skip these sections and loose little understanding or enjoyment.
Read Expanded Review
February 17, 2014
Practice to Deceive tells the story of the murder of Russel Douglas whose body was discovered in his vehicle on Boxing Day, 2003. Russel had been shot in the head and the officers' initial suspicion was suicide. Slight problem with that theory, they couldn't find the weapon. So who killed Russel Douglas and why?
At one time, I devoured Ann Rule's books but hadn't picked one up for a long time. What I've always loved about her books is how she conveys all the intricacies of a murder case. Unlike CSI, real murders are not solved in a blink of an eye by people in lab coats. They require dogged determination, multiple interviews, and the ability to spot patterns in seemingly unconnected evidence. This book is classic Ann Rule, but there did seem to be quite a bit of filler. Unlike previous books, she didn't seem to have interviewed many of the principals in the case which always adds to the story.
If you like true crime and haven't read Ann Rule, this may not be the book to start with. Her story of Ted Bundy still sends chills down my spine. Still, Practice to Deceive is well written and researched. It did seem to fade out at the end, as if we're still waiting for the final denouement.
At one time, I devoured Ann Rule's books but hadn't picked one up for a long time. What I've always loved about her books is how she conveys all the intricacies of a murder case. Unlike CSI, real murders are not solved in a blink of an eye by people in lab coats. They require dogged determination, multiple interviews, and the ability to spot patterns in seemingly unconnected evidence. This book is classic Ann Rule, but there did seem to be quite a bit of filler. Unlike previous books, she didn't seem to have interviewed many of the principals in the case which always adds to the story.
If you like true crime and haven't read Ann Rule, this may not be the book to start with. Her story of Ted Bundy still sends chills down my spine. Still, Practice to Deceive is well written and researched. It did seem to fade out at the end, as if we're still waiting for the final denouement.
June 29, 2017
Sadly this is the last published full length Ann Rule. It was not near the best of her books but, for me, none of her books should be overlooked if you have any interest in this popular genre. True Crime. Yes, many times it is stranger than fiction and losing Rule maybe we won't lose the influence she had on the genre. Her real gift to the ugliness of real crime is the way she treated victims with the utmost respect and her consistent action (which some actually complained of) of doing all she could to protect victims always reminding people around her and the press that these victims have suffered the most painful losses that will scar many of the families forever. Bless Ann Rule for this. I recently read a comment about Ann's making all victims "perfect angels" and how unrealistic she has become over her career. Well, I think they deserve the angelic portrait, true or not, because anyone who has lost a family member known how nightmarish it can be and I can't even imagine how some people who have had their children murdered or abused. Parents, siblings all victims of horrific crimes deserve the best of breaks. I going back to read all of Ann's books.
January 5, 2014
This latest by Ann Rule stretches over decades and most of the US in putting together the reasons for the murder of Russel Douglas on Whidbey Island. How the investigators tracked down who and why the murder happened is what makes this interesting. However, this single-story book left me feeling rather unsatisfied and the story seemed incomplete. While Rule does remain at the top in those true-crime authors that I will read, this one faltered somewhere. Still, for the die-hard fans out there, this one is worth the trouble. Three and a half stars rounded up to four, and a somewhat recommended.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/practi...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/practi...
December 28, 2014
Ann Rule is my all time favorite true crime author and I've always enjoyed her books. I like the fact that she digs deep and gets to know the families of the victims and attends the court cases when at all possible. Her writing is always easy to understand and her stories interesting...BUT, for some reason this story didn't do it for me. I'm not sure if it was the approach on how this was written, because it did seem different than her previous works. Or the fact that the story just didn't seem to have a lot of twists and turns and surprises like the other cases she decides to write about. It was well written, but something that I can't put my finger on was lacking.
I will definitely look forward to her next release though. I will always be an Ann Rule fan!
I will definitely look forward to her next release though. I will always be an Ann Rule fan!
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