Blind Rage: A True Story of Sin, Sex, and Murder in a Small Arkansas Town

by Anita Paddock

When Ruie Ann Park—a pillar of the Van Buren, Arkansas, community—was found beaten to death and lying in a pool of blood in her home, the police and local residents assumed the son was the murderer. But the years would uncover a more sinister story. Up till that night, the Park family seemed to have it all. For fifty years they owned and published The Press Argus newspaper. Hugh was well-connected politically and his wife, Ruie Ann, was the local historian, journalist, and teacher. They had a brilliant son and a shy adopted daughter. They built a beautiful home on top of Logtown Hill with a vista overlooking the Arkansas River, but their idyllic life ended with divorce. Ruie Ann stayed in the home, becoming more bitter and more demanding of the daughter who couldn't match up to her beloved son. The son, Sam Hugh, had a promising legal career but his fondness for young boys, alcohol, and drugs doomed what should have been a successful law practice in his hometown. The daughter, Linda, graduated from college, married an attorney, and moved away to a small town near Little Rock. The police were baffled. Who was smart enough to hide all evidence and pass the lie-detector test? And who would want to bludgeon this mother to death?

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Mystery, Book Club, Biography

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2015

Reviews

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took place in the next town over from where I live. I was 4 1/2 years old at the time of Ruie Ann Park's murder so I don't really remember it, but my mother does. A well written account by a local woman, with a surprising ending, I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in true crime or local Arkansas history.

[Helen Beesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Certainly not the best true crime book, I've ever read. Very short and high on strange information like what the sheriff had for dinner. The author also tells us what each and every person was thinking in a case that happened in the 1980s..right down to things like..the sheriff thought he looked fat on tv, but it was due to his wife's cooking. Little in the line of investigative reporting....

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

True murder

This was a sad book. Very well written and I ended up having more sympathy for the murderer than for the victim. No one deserves to die this way but tell victim was not a nice person and I can see how it could happen.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry another ranting review is coming up.

Why do I read true crime? Because it has really happened perhaps? because it is truth?
Well I do not know how many times I researched this book on google because I could not believe this book was really categorized as being true crime aka non fiction.
This book was fiction and bad. How this book has so many good reviews is beyond me or perhaps people do not really read true crime for the reasons I do and do not care that the author makes up whole conversations and even knows the thought of someone being killed? Then when you'd think we would learn facts finally the book was finished.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty darn good book. Not a lot of twists and turns but the descriptive material is really good. I found it moved around enough to keep me interested. Also: it was short. Why authors with only 200 pages of something to say choose to say it in 350 is beyond me. What egos. She's as good a writer as Ann Rule. I had the sense you were a new author who felt you were on shaky legs. Take heart: you wrote an entertaining book.

[MK Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Van Buren, I remember the events vividly. Anita Paddock keeps you spellbound! Her dedication to detail is superb.

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* I received a free copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Blast dot com in exchange for an honest review.

In May 1981, Ruie Ann Park’s body was found by her adult son in a pool of blood in her own home. Her home was located on top of Log Town Hill overlooking the Arkansas River in Van Buren, Arkansas.

She was beaten to death and left for dead. The police and townspeople assumed her son was the murderer. Why?

This murder took place in an era where being gay was proof of being deviant and therefore he was an easy target for law enforcement.

But the years would uncover a much more sinister story. Until the night of the murder, the Park family seemed to have an almost perfect life. For fifty years they were the owners of "The Press Argus" newspaper.

Hugh Park was connected politically and his wife, Ruie Ann, was a local historian, a journalist, and a teacher. They had a biological son who Ruie Ann thought was brilliant and could do no wrong. The couple also adopted a daughter, named Linda who seemed to become the father's favorite.

Their golden life ended in divorce and the children remained with Ruie Ann, who stayed in the marital home, becoming bitter and more and more demanding of the daughter who couldn't seem to up her mother's expectations.

Fast forward to adulthood...

The son, Sam Hugh, had once had a promising legal career but this ended because of his penchant for young men, alcohol and drugs.
It was this history that set him firmly in the sights of law enforcement when his mother was murdered.

In comparison, adopted daughter, Linda, seemed to have a much more normal life. She graduated from college, married a lawyer and moved a few hours away from her overbearing mother.

So, if it wasn't the 'degenerate' son, who killed Ruie-Ann Park? If you don't already know the ultimate outcome if this murder case, the answer will surprise you.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and thought that the author did a terrific job of describing both the Park family's history as well as the complex family dynamics. She was able to stick to the facts and weave them into a compelling tale that listeners are able to follow easily.

The narrator, Kevin Pierce has the perfect voice for true crime audiobooks. He seems to have an ingrained sense of which words and sentences to emphasize, as well as a gift for pacing. His voice never overwhelms the story itself which allows the listener to focus not on the voice, but on the content of the audiobook. I rate the narration of this audiobook as 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My only complaint is that after the author spent so much time detailing the family history, it seemed like once the murderer was arrested (three years after the crime took place) the story starts to have huge holes in it. Listeners/readers are not given detailed information about how the death of another family member took place. It is eluded to that it was a suicide, but no details were given. I believe this information should have also been included. Also, once the murderer is arrested there is barely any information about the legal process. I would have liked a few more details.

Overall I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Bettye McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end. Nowhere did the story drag or bog down.

Although I have lived in the Fort Smith area most of my life, I do not remember hearing about this case and I did not know any of the people involved. Therefore, it was all new to me but with places that were familiar. I felt like I was "seeing" the story as I read.

It sounds like Mrs. Parks was one of the "mean girls" who made life miserable for everyone else. Her murder must have brought out mixed feelings all around.

Congratulations, Anita, on a great "first effort." I hope we will be seeing more books from you.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful....

People never fail to amaze me! If you're gonna make a life change, as adoption, make sure you are mentally and physically up to the challenge. Children learn from their parents. We shape them into what they become. My sympathy for Linda is immense. No, she shouldn't have done what she did but her mother, as described, really didn't deserve children. I'm glad Linda survived and is now happy.
Her husband? Maybe he should have been the one murdered. Not an ounce of sympathy for this diabolical hateful man.
Really nice book. For a first time author, she delivered a good book. Easy reading, lots of facts, and a good description of her characters.
Thanks...

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a family with an overbearing mother. She is cold hearted and cruel toward her adopted daughter and over indulgent and proud toward her son. The son is intelligent and becomes an attorney in the town, but his lifestyle soon interferes with his practice and it falls apart leaving him dependent on his mother. When his mother is brutally killed the question is who done it?

[TC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true crime novel that won't disappoint.

[Donna Marie Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book! You don't want to put it down when you get started. Great writing, Anita!!

[Imani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Goodreads '2 stars' - as in: It was ok. It perhaps could have been 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 but the writer featured a photo of the murder scene including the murder victim. I can't say I have ever seen that before (and I read a lot of true crime). But I can definitely say that I was not a fan of that move. It just seemed really gratuitous and unnecessary.

I feel like I am contradicting myself, as someone who binges content about people killing other people, but...hey ho...That's what's happening.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short true crime book about a murder in a small town in Arkansas.

The book was very detailed, but not in ways that I would expect. Details on the victim and murder were pretty light. You knew more about the other people involved than the victim, who was often described as mean and nasty. I understand not every victim will be a saint, but it just felt a little disrespectful to not really talk about her.

Overall, a nice short little book that was kinda enjoyable.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

True southern style

writing. This would make a good movie. The writing is superb, I thought I was reading a fictional novel, due to the incredible discourse.
The characters were real, yet they behaved as characters because they were so true to life.
Anita Paddock may have waited to write this true story, but the wait was worth it.

[Valerie Tisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

sad situation, probably the first if not ever, my heart broke for the murderer

[Allissa Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was intriguing, and heart wrenching at times.

I would recommend reading this book because it shows that a person who is mistreated for their whole life can go into a blind rage, and then feel remorse for their actions or sometimes they don't even remember what has happened during their blind rage.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

The book Blind Rage: a True story of six, sex, and murder in a small Arkansas town was a pretty good mystery. It was a classic whodunit writing in the style of a mystery novel. The problem was....it wasn't a mystery novel!

Cons about the book:
--Didn't seem like a true story at all. I had to do some research on the story to make sure that it was really a true story.
--There were more about the son's "queer" tendencies than about him actually being investigated. Actually, there was no reason why he was investigated other than that he was gay and liked younger men. There was such a focus on this (made me mad) that I didn't even see a point in it. If there was more about him actually being investigated and how his relationships played a part in it, it would have made it relevant.
--The daughter, Linda, was not investigated at all (really). It was more about her crappy marriage than about anything else.
--Insignificant details as previously stated. They talked about organized clothes in the closet and Harold's back pain and one time they quote Linda as saying how much she loved the rain! What is the point?
--A lack of focus on the actual victim. She was considered mean and nasty and her husband died. Ok. But that was it. Because there was no character development (on any character), I felt no emotional tug. There was such a focus on the failings of the children that I didn't even feel anything about the mother. I knew more about Sam Hugh's alcoholism and Linda's marriage than anything about the murder itself.

Pros:
--The narrator was really what kept me listening. He just had a great voice. It wasn't monotone and it was smooth. I would definitely listen to another book by him!
--It was a great first novel, though it wasn't a novel. (Only the end of the book felt true crime)
--It had a lot of drama that kept me interested.

I would have loved the book if it focused more on the crime itself. There was such little about this. Essentially, the whole case was botched and a lot of lives ruined. However, I needed less of the insignificant drama and more of the mystery.

[diane k spires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Good book, keeps you interested. Easy to read. Makes you realize how we could all end up in a different place given our treatment by others.

[Bill reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruie Ann Park was found by her son Sam, bludgeoned to death on the floor of the den in the house she lived in alone across the street from his home. Sam was an attorney with a well known reputation for young men as house guests. Many were clients of his law practice. The sheriff referred to him as "that queer lawyer." Arkansas is not exactly a place of tolerance for homosexuality and Sam was the prime suspect.
Although a brilliant attorney, Sammy was an alcoholic who, after his mother's death, lived off of the money from her estate. His adopted sister Linda was married to a lawyer who was having an affair. The couple had four children together.
The author was a high school classmate of all the major players in this case. She writes succinctly and the final twist is a strange one and Blind Rage is a good read.

[Shoshana Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent true crime reporting, but it is also, (and this is what sets this book apart) the story of the repercussions on the children of an entirely dysfunctional family. The author presents the stories of these now adult children along with the events surrounding their mother’s death with care, intelligence, compassion and sensitivity, thus making this a truly excellent book.

Kevin Pierce gave his usual impeccable performance, as expected, since he is absolutely perfect for this kind of nonfiction.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review via the courtesy of AudioBookBlast dot com.

[Karen Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this short but well written true crime story that keeps you guessing all the way to the end on the "who done it".
I honestly thought it was someone else but in the end that person turned out to be nastier then the killer.
Feelings of sadness for Linda and the life that was supposed to be so much better then what she received & the death of Ruie, could be viewed as a blessing. She seemed very much like "Mommie Dearest" Joan Crawford.
Howard, Linda's ex was just a prime example of a shady human in lawyer's clothing & a total scumbag.
Bravo to the author, for having to taken on writing something that was surely a personal undertaking and having done it so well.

[Gloria Vanier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true "whodunit"! This book read like fiction, some of.the characters and situations seemed so far fetched it had to be made up, but it really happened and the characters were just that...real characters! I was totally shocked when the "killer" was revealed, would never have guessed it and this wasn't my first rodeo, I've usually got the killer down before middle of book! I would have given it 5 stars and really don't know why I didn't except for the fact that some of the characters were just so over the top, they did seem made up, (wait, that's really one of the things I liked most!) SMH well dadgummit, 5 stars!!!

[SaturNalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruie Ann was bludgeon to death in her own home, late at night. Her gay son, Sam Hugh was the only suspect. True crime written like a fictional novel. Lots of characters and their thoughts. How the author knew what the characters were thinking I don't know. Really short, no evidence or how the mystery was solved. I was expecting sin and sex, like the title stated but there was none of that either. Most of the story is Linda, Ruie Ann's adopted daughter, being browbeaten by her ex-husband and her crying about her children.

[florence abney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love against all odds

A very empathetic account of what mental abuse can do to a girl, a woman, a mother and the courage to overcome it all to live to be in her children's life at any cost to herself.
It is amazing what the human spirit can do for love especially since no love had been shown in their life experience as a child or as a wife and mother.
I had such respect for the sheer courage to live to be there for her family.

[Jackie Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

From 7th - 9th grade I was a student at the then Van Buren Jr. High School where Mrs. Park taught. She was a very strict but memorable teacher. I myself did not have her as a teacher, but remember her vividly.

Reading the book that Anita Paddock has written kept me on the edge of my seat with her vivid description of the events. At times, I thought I could hear the events happening around me. This book is definitely worth reading.

[J B · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I opened the book, I didn’t put it down until I had finished. Anita Paddock is now my favorite author. I have already started her next novel, Closing Time. The way it is written is like you’re there witnessing the events unfold before your eyes. I was instantly transported to 1981 Arkansas. I won’t get into the plot for fear I may spoil something, so I’ll end my review by saying you will not be disappointed!

[Jimmy Chaillot · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we read a lot of these true crime stories we think that person must be evil and that we need to put them away for the rest of their lives.

Now don’t get me wrong murderers deserve to be put away. However with this case this one took abuse from everyone who meant something in her life including the victim and I’m not shedding tears for the victim herself.

It’s a short quick book and it was enjoyable but not spectacular.

[Kristin Kibbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how a true crime story should be

The author didn't overwhelm the reader with boring details. She took the time to introduce the characters and help the reader understand them. The reader can't help feeling sympathy for the murderer. I would be interested to learn more about the current lives of the characters.

[Donna Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 3 hours & 45minutes. I was raised in the town next to Van Buren and my family was acquainted with some of the people in this TRUE CRIME book. Not the family connected to the murder but others. This is a really good book and Ms Paddock did a terrific job. For anyone who likes to read TRUE CRIME, I recommend this book.