What do you think?
Rate this book
The Want-Ad Killer
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me comes a true crime story of a serial killer who was sentenced to die—yet lived to murder again....and again....
After committing his first grisly crime, Harvey Louis Carignan beat a death sentence and continued to manipulate, rape, and bludgeon women to death, using want ads to lure his young female victims. And time after time, justice was thwarted by a killer whose twisted legal genius was matched only by his sick savagery.
Complete with the testimony of the officers who put him behind bars and the women who barely escaped with their lives, The Want-Ad Killer is one of the most shattering and thought-provoking true-crime stories of our time.
After committing his first grisly crime, Harvey Louis Carignan beat a death sentence and continued to manipulate, rape, and bludgeon women to death, using want ads to lure his young female victims. And time after time, justice was thwarted by a killer whose twisted legal genius was matched only by his sick savagery.
Complete with the testimony of the officers who put him behind bars and the women who barely escaped with their lives, The Want-Ad Killer is one of the most shattering and thought-provoking true-crime stories of our time.
232 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1983
272 people are currently reading
4585 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rule
141 books4,510 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
August 3, 2017
More like 3.5 stars maybe, but it would be unfair to only rate it 3 stars because it was immensely interesting and I couldn't point out too many things wrong with it if I tried. The one annoying thing about Rule is that sometimes she sounds like your a bit old-fashioned, annoying, but well-meaning aunt or grandmother ("she was such a pretty young lady" kind of thing). I'd say that some of her writing doesn't age that well, but the depiction of the actual scenes of crime (horryfying rape and murder in this case) stays evocative, poignant and haunting. A must for fans of true crime!
September 23, 2019
This is my first Ann Rule story.
From what I understand, she was instrumental in moving true crime from the literary to the accessible...and it shows.
This is written at maybe a middle-grade level. Not a lot of big words, complex ideas, or lengthy paragraphs, it's mostly straightforward. Also, it’s sensational, which is thrilling and keeps the reader's attention. I was surprised at how much compassion was shown for the women whose lives were affected, ruined, and/or ended by the killer in question; I had expected their parts of the story to be used more salaciously in order to rile the reader and to paint a picture of horror and while, yes, that happened, I also felt Rule wanted to give a voice to and honor these women.
I hadn't known about this serial killer prior to listening to this book. Surprisingly, I wasn't terrified during the accounting, not like I have been with true crime stories written more recently. However, this did make me re-remember to be suspicious of any man who looks at, talks to, or comes near me.
From what I understand, she was instrumental in moving true crime from the literary to the accessible...and it shows.
This is written at maybe a middle-grade level. Not a lot of big words, complex ideas, or lengthy paragraphs, it's mostly straightforward. Also, it’s sensational, which is thrilling and keeps the reader's attention. I was surprised at how much compassion was shown for the women whose lives were affected, ruined, and/or ended by the killer in question; I had expected their parts of the story to be used more salaciously in order to rile the reader and to paint a picture of horror and while, yes, that happened, I also felt Rule wanted to give a voice to and honor these women.
I hadn't known about this serial killer prior to listening to this book. Surprisingly, I wasn't terrified during the accounting, not like I have been with true crime stories written more recently. However, this did make me re-remember to be suspicious of any man who looks at, talks to, or comes near me.
November 6, 2025
3 stars.
A very early Ann Rule, her writing became much better as she went along, but she’s still better than most at true crime, even in her early days. Crimes took place in the early 1970s.
A very early Ann Rule, her writing became much better as she went along, but she’s still better than most at true crime, even in her early days. Crimes took place in the early 1970s.
July 13, 2023
This is not my first Ann Rule read and it most definitely won’t be my last either! In fact, I think it’s amongst my favourites I’ve read by her. Minus maybe The Stranger Beside Me because that one is just beyond iconic and my fave by her. But this one made me feel almost as excited and horrified while reading it. This story is really both horrifying and fascinating, a space Rule occupies so well. Of course the events these victims went through at the hands of this monster were horrifying but seeing justice served provided such an immense sense of satisfaction. Knowing the victims got justice makes any true crime read all that much sweeter. And as usual Rule’s sensitivity is on point in her writing, she’s not being sensationalistic or exploiting the victims. That’s one of my favourite parts about her writing, her ability to bring class and sensitivity to a normally quite exploitative genre.
May 6, 2025
The book tells the story of Harvey Louis Carignan, a serial killer who escaped the death penalty because of the use of improper procedures. After this, he started his reign of terror murdering young ladies and nothing seemed to be able to stop him.
This was the first Ann Rule book and I really enjoyed the writing style, the structure and the description of the horrible crimes committed by this monster.
There is a lot of compassion but on the victims and all the people whose lives were ruined because of this individual. I did not know this serial killer case before reading this book so all the information was new to me.
I was really invested in the story and made me want to keep reading. It got me so invested in true crime again that I started watching more documentaries as well.
Obviously the story here is absolutely blood curling terrifying and this monster is someone that was free to do his will for far too long. It is frustrating to know (as I am sure it was for the policemen) that he was guilty but they were not able to arrest him.
A great story for people that enjoy true crime.
This was the first Ann Rule book and I really enjoyed the writing style, the structure and the description of the horrible crimes committed by this monster.
There is a lot of compassion but on the victims and all the people whose lives were ruined because of this individual. I did not know this serial killer case before reading this book so all the information was new to me.
I was really invested in the story and made me want to keep reading. It got me so invested in true crime again that I started watching more documentaries as well.
Obviously the story here is absolutely blood curling terrifying and this monster is someone that was free to do his will for far too long. It is frustrating to know (as I am sure it was for the policemen) that he was guilty but they were not able to arrest him.
A great story for people that enjoy true crime.
February 6, 2018
[library]
This book is about the abominable Harvey Louis Carignan (who is STILL ALIVE, he is ninety). It is a perfectly competent recounting of his crimes & trials, nothing wrong with it at all. I don't recommend the audio book, as OVer emPHAtic READer is [breathless pause] OVer emPHAtic, but this is certainly a clear, concise summary of Harvey Carignan as a serial killer.
This book is about the abominable Harvey Louis Carignan (who is STILL ALIVE, he is ninety). It is a perfectly competent recounting of his crimes & trials, nothing wrong with it at all. I don't recommend the audio book, as OVer emPHAtic READer is [breathless pause] OVer emPHAtic, but this is certainly a clear, concise summary of Harvey Carignan as a serial killer.
April 11, 2016
Disappointed
I've read multiple other books by Ms Rule and usually find them so intriguing that I hate to put a book of hers down. I expected this book to also be enthralling , I read half of it with high hopes, but in the end I decided to move on. I definitely won't let this detail me from trying out her plethora of other work though!
I've read multiple other books by Ms Rule and usually find them so intriguing that I hate to put a book of hers down. I expected this book to also be enthralling , I read half of it with high hopes, but in the end I decided to move on. I definitely won't let this detail me from trying out her plethora of other work though!
February 9, 2008
Typical Ann Rule fare about Harvey Louis Carignan (aka "Harvey the Hammer") who has a penchant for bludgeoning his victims with a [spoiler ahead] hammer.
June 28, 2021
Well researched and written..
April 15, 2019
This is the shortest Ann Rule book I’ve read and probably the one I liked the least. This book still has Rule’s distinct writing style, abundance of details, and easy-to-follow storyline while telling an interesting yet terrible true crime story. In the end however, I don’t think I would recommend this specific true crime novel, simply because there wasn’t much to talk about compared to other true crime cases.
October 26, 2024
This dude was a terror. I was unaware of these cases and ate this book up! Ann Rule will always be the queen of true crime. It’s informative, fact based and yet still intriguing to read. Would recommend.
October 24, 2021
This guy is one sick turd!! His crimes against women were horrific. Harvey Louis Carignan (presently still alive and incarcerated) is an American serial killer also known as The Want-Ad Killer and Harv the Hammer. Born May 18, 1927, in Fargo, North Dakota, he was convicted of attempted murder, murder, attempted rape, rape, assault, burglary, and sodomy. Many of his crimes, including the murders, rape and sodomy were carried out with the violent use of a hammer. He has killed multiple woman from July 31, 1949, to September 20, 1974. (Convicted of 5 although the true number may never be known.
The book features his story growing up (why he hated women), the women and young girls he picked as victims and why, his vividly detailed gruesome acts, his two wives and their lives with him, and after being caught and charged with the crimes - his lawyers attempts in the courts to prove an insanity defense. Interestingly, he disagreed with the insanity part and maintains he wasn’t/isn’t insane, he’s just did all the things he did because God told him to do it. Yes, he’s a deeply devoted man of God. The prosecution has a lot to say about this....
All that and more, in this true crime book featuring the story of this particular person of evil.
True crime - stranger and scarier than fiction. It effects the victims, the survivors, the families, even the detectives forever.
This monster (age of 94 now) is still healthy, strong, and feared. He has a parole hearing coming up in 2022 (at which he will be 95 yrs old).
The book features his story growing up (why he hated women), the women and young girls he picked as victims and why, his vividly detailed gruesome acts, his two wives and their lives with him, and after being caught and charged with the crimes - his lawyers attempts in the courts to prove an insanity defense. Interestingly, he disagreed with the insanity part and maintains he wasn’t/isn’t insane, he’s just did all the things he did because God told him to do it. Yes, he’s a deeply devoted man of God. The prosecution has a lot to say about this....
All that and more, in this true crime book featuring the story of this particular person of evil.
True crime - stranger and scarier than fiction. It effects the victims, the survivors, the families, even the detectives forever.
This monster (age of 94 now) is still healthy, strong, and feared. He has a parole hearing coming up in 2022 (at which he will be 95 yrs old).
May 16, 2021
More or less tells the story of Harvey Louis Carignan, a serial killer who escaped the death penalty because of the use of improper procedures. After that episode, when he was in his early 20s, Carignan went on to kill several other women, mostly by bludgeoning with a hammer.
Rule spends a fair amount of the book on one of Carignan's victims, a young woman who answered a want-ad. At the time, Carignan owned a gas station and employed several young women. It was easy for him to offer these women rides and later, to kill some of them. Whether he met all or most of them through his want-ads was never clear to me.
There is a fair amount of background on the killer, about his childhood, which appears to have led to his hatred of all women.
It's a good book for airplane rides.
Rule spends a fair amount of the book on one of Carignan's victims, a young woman who answered a want-ad. At the time, Carignan owned a gas station and employed several young women. It was easy for him to offer these women rides and later, to kill some of them. Whether he met all or most of them through his want-ads was never clear to me.
There is a fair amount of background on the killer, about his childhood, which appears to have led to his hatred of all women.
It's a good book for airplane rides.
July 22, 2008
So, I put this in my couldn't finish shelf - which is pretty bad, because I read about 2/3 of it, but just couldn't complete it. The title is deceiving! And altogether just didn't captivate me at all.
May 19, 2022
The audiobook was not my favorite, but I enjoyed Rule’s writing. Carignan’s crimes were well researched and Rule was very detailed in her writing, which I liked. That being said, I have hope that her other books are better.
June 9, 2022
I didn’t like this one as much as some of the other ones I have read by the author. I’m not really sure why. Could it be the male narrator? Could it be that the crimes were less well known? I don’t know. There was just something that didn’t draw me in in the same way I’m used to.
May 20, 2019
This is my first Ann Rule book. It felt like a basic, good true crime book. Just the facts ma'am, which is why I like them. I'll definitely seek out other books by her as it fits into my schedule.
May 3, 2021
I have read almost every one of Ann Rule's books and this one was, for me, one of her misses. Why? First of all, it wasn't all the way good or all the way bad. Some parts were interesting but other parts needed more information. I felt this book was simply " a moneymaker" for the author and she hurried through it to get it published. Had she put the time and effort into this book and this killer that she did in Small Sacrifices or The Stranger Beside Me, it would have been a much better book and much more informative.
There were plenty of good/interesting parts in this book that were very informative. It was a well-developed story in that it followed along in a common-sense style and did not "jump around" like other true crime books tend to do. Some of the victims were written very compassionately while others were glossed over with just a mention or two.
This book would serve well as an "introduction" to the Want Ad Killer Harvey Louis Carignan and his crimes but it doesn't really tell the entire true story in depth.
There were plenty of good/interesting parts in this book that were very informative. It was a well-developed story in that it followed along in a common-sense style and did not "jump around" like other true crime books tend to do. Some of the victims were written very compassionately while others were glossed over with just a mention or two.
This book would serve well as an "introduction" to the Want Ad Killer Harvey Louis Carignan and his crimes but it doesn't really tell the entire true story in depth.
March 9, 2018
Not my favorite Ann Rule book, more for the crimes than through any fault of the author. The Want-Ad Killer evaded capture for so long, and not because he was clever, or interesting, and his gloating over the crime was tough to stomach. I'm more interested in calculated killers, serial killers with plans that require thought, and unsolved murders being solved. Recommended to: people who want a deeper dive into a neither brilliant nor stupid killer. Warning: the mother of the murdered girl makes many appearances. This was beyond sad to me, though I'm glad she was given a voice! It pays to know this going in.
February 4, 2019
A solid 3 stars. It is easy to realize this was written over 30 years ago at times, but then we come to the author's vivid, raw descriptions and honest efforts to capture the heinous reality of the crimes and it feels much less dated. The results makes for a steady read that feels maybe not stellar but ultimately successful. It is easy to see why Rule's name frequents the lips of true crime readers.
February 25, 2019
Did the audio book. I thought I’d be fascinated but most of it was kind of boring to be honest. Maybe it was the way it was written, but it could be the person’s voice. I think the idea was to portray the killer as really smart, but I didn’t get that vibe from his words and actions so I don’t know if the book was successful in that sense. But again maybe it was just the reader. Or maybe it’s just dated.
December 20, 2022
Chilling, of course, and to be honest, Ann Rule can do no wrong. It just was not as detailed an investigation as I have come to expect from her. “If You Really Loved Me” had me sitting on the edge of my seat through what, three murder trials? And yet we see a small portion of Carignan’s trials here, while others are glossed over completely. Just wanted more detail, that’s all.
January 11, 2019
I listened to the audiobook of this and I didn’t enjoy it at all. The voice was so monotone and boring and I think it ruined the story for me. The writing and the story wasn’t too bad but definitely wouldn’t read again.
March 13, 2020
The author’s usual fine investigation skills - intelligently written and excellently narrated by Paul Boehmer. Scarier because it was real life and death - glad I read it, gladder still I wasn’t there. Not for bedtime reading or the doors unlocked.
March 13, 2020
Well written, but some parts are not clearly tied together until much later in the chronology. Would not recommend for more innocent readers because of specific info about crimes, including details about sodomy and fellacio. Beware.
October 26, 2020
Why, why did I love this so much! I'm very upset with the world after reading this, how all of this could have been prevented, we definitely need stricter rules for repeat offenders and, although this was from a long time ago, women need to speak out even now ... upsetting! but addicting
March 17, 2012
This story is not very compelling. The killer is pretty boring. It did kind of pick up during the trial when the killer finally speaks about his crimes.
March 7, 2014
Interesting, but not really an attention grabber. As the two stars indicate--it was okay.
January 23, 2016
This was a good one. Good reporting, interesting story.
June 20, 2018
A true crime story, but not that well-written.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews