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Crime Files #7
Empty Promises: And Other True Cases
MORE THAN 20 MILLION COPIES OFANN RULE'S BOOKS IN PRINT! In this unnerving collection drawn from her personal crime files, "America's best true-crime writer" (Kirkus Reviews) Ann Rule brilliantly dissects the convoluted love affairs that all too often end in violence. Expertly analyzing a shocking, headline-making case, Rule unmasks the deadly motives inside a seemingly idyllic a beautiful young wife, a rising star in America's top-ranked computer corporation, and a prosperous husband, the scion of a family building business. With an adorable son and a gorgeous home, the couple seemed to have it all. But a furtive evil permeated their days and nights, dragging them into a murky world of drugs, sordid sex, and con operations. In this realm, one of them would prove to be a virtual innocent, the other a manipulator with no conscience. Sudden, violent death brought their charade of a fairy-tale romance to a tragic end -- with a brutal crime that might never have come to light were it not for the stubborn detectives and prosecutors whose fight for justice spanned an entire decade. Empty Promises recounts several other cases where the search for love brought only lies and betrayal -- a cautionary primer, perhaps, for those who trust too much too soon. Powerful because they strike so close to home, the cases in Empty Promises will leave readers shaken by the realities of love gone terribly -- and fatally -- wrong.
552 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
303 people are currently reading
2597 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rule
150 books4,550 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 125 reviews
January 21, 2020
Compilation of true crime stories from Ann Rule whom I have read so much of. All the stories are tragic. The story of Jamie Hagel was searingly brutal and was the first one I read and also seemed one of the longest.
I miss Ann. I have not loved all her books but nobody can deny she does so much research on all the cases she chooses to right about and her writing pulls the reader in to tragic and unforgettable stories. You'll not forget this one if you choose to read it.
I miss Ann. I have not loved all her books but nobody can deny she does so much research on all the cases she chooses to right about and her writing pulls the reader in to tragic and unforgettable stories. You'll not forget this one if you choose to read it.
August 18, 2017
I am starting to wind down with my true crime kick. I think I need to mix it up a bit, because reading about cases like this so much is a bit much for me right now.
These volumes always have a longer story that Rule focuses on and then some shorter true crime stories. The long one in this one is "Empty Promises" that follows the disappearance of Jami Hagel Sherer. Rule gives us great insight into a woman who is abused and what a toll it takes on her and those around her over time. She also gives us insight into Jami's husband Steve that stands accused of being behind her disappearance. I have to say that this one had a lot of things that I wish that Rule had went more into such as why in the world so many people kept covering for Steve. What about the other women that Steve abused. There also seemed to be some allusion that possibly Steve's father's suicide may not have been one and that he may have been involved with it.
I did love the look at the police and lawyers in this one since it was more organic how they were introduced in this book in this one. Usually Rule just throws out facts about these people and I find it just boring.
The other stories in this volume really do get into love gone wrong. I thought that in each story there was a cautionary tale.
I thought that "Young Love," "Love and Insurance," and "The Gentler Sex" were the best of the shorter true crime stories.
"Young Love" revolves around a boyfriend that is not willing to let his high school girlfriend go when she moves on to college. I am glad that this one had a somewhat happy ending.
"Love and Insurance" as really sad to me. A man we follow in this one we find out has cried wolf too many times to be believed when he should have been. I thought the backstory on this one was weird as well.
"The Gentler Sex" was messed up. Reading about two women who plan one of the women's husband's death in order to get his insurance would have been sad if it wasn't for the parts where Rule gets into what their ideas were for on how to murder.
All together I think there were 10 stories, so definitely enough there and worth the price.
These volumes always have a longer story that Rule focuses on and then some shorter true crime stories. The long one in this one is "Empty Promises" that follows the disappearance of Jami Hagel Sherer. Rule gives us great insight into a woman who is abused and what a toll it takes on her and those around her over time. She also gives us insight into Jami's husband Steve that stands accused of being behind her disappearance. I have to say that this one had a lot of things that I wish that Rule had went more into such as why in the world so many people kept covering for Steve. What about the other women that Steve abused. There also seemed to be some allusion that possibly Steve's father's suicide may not have been one and that he may have been involved with it.
I did love the look at the police and lawyers in this one since it was more organic how they were introduced in this book in this one. Usually Rule just throws out facts about these people and I find it just boring.
The other stories in this volume really do get into love gone wrong. I thought that in each story there was a cautionary tale.
I thought that "Young Love," "Love and Insurance," and "The Gentler Sex" were the best of the shorter true crime stories.
"Young Love" revolves around a boyfriend that is not willing to let his high school girlfriend go when she moves on to college. I am glad that this one had a somewhat happy ending.
"Love and Insurance" as really sad to me. A man we follow in this one we find out has cried wolf too many times to be believed when he should have been. I thought the backstory on this one was weird as well.
"The Gentler Sex" was messed up. Reading about two women who plan one of the women's husband's death in order to get his insurance would have been sad if it wasn't for the parts where Rule gets into what their ideas were for on how to murder.
All together I think there were 10 stories, so definitely enough there and worth the price.
October 21, 2016
Ann Rule’s 7th crime files book is a little heavy on the hyperbole, but there’s an important theme running through these true crime stories that women should pay attention to. There is a pattern of behavior we should be wary of in our intimate relationships. It may be subtle at first, then escalate until we find ourselves trapped in a cycle of damage and self-destruction. It may begin as a masquerade of devotion and protectiveness. But the demands escalate. The control tightens. The isolation is deliberate. And when we finally try to leave, it may be the last thing we do in life.
Audiobook version, competently read by Laural Merlington, borrowed from my public library.
I read this for the Scary Women Authors square in the 2016 Halloween Bingo.
Audiobook version, competently read by Laural Merlington, borrowed from my public library.
I read this for the Scary Women Authors square in the 2016 Halloween Bingo.
February 16, 2013
Pretty good. I've read enough of her books to recognize a specific pattern. The people who've committed the heinous crimes depicted are, well, heinous. But Ann tends to depict the victims as being almost 'too' good. She also gives prodigious praise and goes into a lot of detail about investigators and police officers in the cases - without whom I guess she wouldn't have much of a career. I'm not dismissive of the investigators, but I have a friend who was a fire-fighter/ paramedic for many years in the thick of some extremely hostile areas, yet medics are rarely given much credence, though they deal with the immediate and intimate aftermath of these events. I'd also like to read more about the survivors and how their lives were affected years later. All said, anyone who has a penchant for true crime should check out Ann Rule. She does rule.
August 8, 2009
A really well written Ann Rule book. Enjoyed it a lot. Steve Sherer deserves to rot in prison for what he did to poor Jami. Most of the stories break your heart.
November 6, 2024
While I do tend to prefer Rule’s longer stories, I did quite enjoy this collection. Her writing never fails to capture me and draw me in even after reading dozens of her stories!
October 20, 2009
I just don't like the crime file books as much as the full length books. There are some good stories in here, and some boring ones as well.
April 8, 2018
I love me some good true crime. And Ann Rule delivers. The main story had one hell of a creepy villain. No one ever wants to get entangled with him romantically as they may not survive. The last story has been reconstituted on Forensic Files so I already knew the outcome.
November 4, 2010
I have read every Ann Rule book (beside's her latest "in the still of the night") and they were all good ;but this is one of the few that stuck with me.They all have in small detail's of course but I have read too many to recall much,this one though has alway's just haunted me I guess.To this day when I hear "can't prosecute without a body" or anything along those line's,this story pop's in my mind.
I do agree with some of her other reader's ,I'm not a big fan of the short storie's.Without the detail's of a full length their much more scary and alway's seem more gruesome.But anything's worth reading if Ann Rule write's it.
I do agree with some of her other reader's ,I'm not a big fan of the short storie's.Without the detail's of a full length their much more scary and alway's seem more gruesome.But anything's worth reading if Ann Rule write's it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2016
An interesting collection of true crime cases with deep insight into the mind of a predator. FRIGHTFUL...
May 31, 2018
Multiple accounts of true crimes. A unique format that lets you take a break and read something else in between if you wish. The format also makes it less of a page turner but that's OK.
November 24, 2020
Some of the mini cases were so captivating and appalling. I wish one of the mini cases had been chosen for the longer case instead of Steve and Jami Sherer's story! Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me and I typically love Ann Rule books!
September 30, 2018
Ann Rule, as always!
February 10, 2017
*"Empty Promises": Bellevue WA 1990: murder of Jami Hagel Sherer by her abusive stalker husband Steve
*"Bitter Lake": murder of woman and her toddler son by her stalker ex-boyfriend
*"Young Love": teenage boy threatens ex-girlfriend with bomb, but blows himself up
*"Love and Insurance": gay man murdered by his roommate (lover? close friend?) for a $500,000 insurance policy
*"The Gentler Sex": woman and her girlfriend murder her husband for the insurance money; another woman attempts to hire a hit man to murder her husband before he can divorce her (Murder Is Cheaper Than Divorce--she didn't care that he was divorcing her; she didn't want to have to divide her assets).
*"The Conjugal Visit": the terrible history of Carl Cletus Bowles
*"Killers on the Road": the equally terrible history of Thomas Braun and Leonard Maine, who in 1967 murdered three people and nearly murdered a fourth--all complete strangers--simply because they could
*"A Dangerous Mind": A man strangled his seven-year-old niece; investigators discovered a long history of his getting away with, or getting only very lightly punished for, sexually-motivated violence against children; his family (including the little girl's parents) continued to defend him. He committed suicide after his sentencing hearing.
*"To Kill and Kill Again": Gary Gene Grant murdered two teenage girls and two six-year-old boys (the girls were separate crimes, the boys were together) for no motivation that even he could understand.
*"The Stockholm Syndrome": Subject of a 1983 made-for-TV movie called The Awakening of Candra , Ann Rule's only novel, Possession, and (I think?) an episode of Forensic Files (I know I've seen the story re-enacted, so it was either Forensic Files or The New Detectives): Thomas Leslie Brown encountered a young couple fishing in the Oregon woods; having shot the young woman's husband and her dog, he spent three days dragging her through the mountains, raping her when he felt like it, and brainwashed her into believing that she had witnessed her husband's accidental death. It took her months to get reality sorted out again.
*"Bitter Lake": murder of woman and her toddler son by her stalker ex-boyfriend
*"Young Love": teenage boy threatens ex-girlfriend with bomb, but blows himself up
*"Love and Insurance": gay man murdered by his roommate (lover? close friend?) for a $500,000 insurance policy
*"The Gentler Sex": woman and her girlfriend murder her husband for the insurance money; another woman attempts to hire a hit man to murder her husband before he can divorce her (Murder Is Cheaper Than Divorce--she didn't care that he was divorcing her; she didn't want to have to divide her assets).
*"The Conjugal Visit": the terrible history of Carl Cletus Bowles
*"Killers on the Road": the equally terrible history of Thomas Braun and Leonard Maine, who in 1967 murdered three people and nearly murdered a fourth--all complete strangers--simply because they could
*"A Dangerous Mind": A man strangled his seven-year-old niece; investigators discovered a long history of his getting away with, or getting only very lightly punished for, sexually-motivated violence against children; his family (including the little girl's parents) continued to defend him. He committed suicide after his sentencing hearing.
*"To Kill and Kill Again": Gary Gene Grant murdered two teenage girls and two six-year-old boys (the girls were separate crimes, the boys were together) for no motivation that even he could understand.
*"The Stockholm Syndrome": Subject of a 1983 made-for-TV movie called The Awakening of Candra , Ann Rule's only novel, Possession, and (I think?) an episode of Forensic Files (I know I've seen the story re-enacted, so it was either Forensic Files or The New Detectives): Thomas Leslie Brown encountered a young couple fishing in the Oregon woods; having shot the young woman's husband and her dog, he spent three days dragging her through the mountains, raping her when he felt like it, and brainwashed her into believing that she had witnessed her husband's accidental death. It took her months to get reality sorted out again.
December 12, 2013
Not bad. I feel so sorry for the women in these books who fall victims of men who are so obviously wrong for them. I guess hindsight is 20/20, and it's easy to read about a crime and think you'd never fall for it or you'd never believe the criminal's lies, but I guess it's harder to see how someone really is when you're blinded by love. I wouldn't know -- I'm much too cynical for that! But this was a good collection, and one of the stories was about a crime against a gay man, which was a bit unusual for Rule.
September 18, 2012
this stuff is a guilty pleasure. I've been kind of stressed lately, looking to be entertained as opposed to enriched. I think the reason I like this kind of thing is that I can be relieved that I'm not the woman caught in the abusive relationship. I think it's probably at least a little bit unenlightened of me to "enjoy" that.....
February 10, 2017
EMPTY PROMISES
I found this book very interesting but disturbing at the same time. I just don't see how people can go out and kill others especially children but here shows just a few that did and I can say Washington state is one that must have a lot of these people in it for this is where all these happened
I found this book very interesting but disturbing at the same time. I just don't see how people can go out and kill others especially children but here shows just a few that did and I can say Washington state is one that must have a lot of these people in it for this is where all these happened
January 26, 2010
This was an amazingly well-written book. It was very dark at times, but what else can one expect from a book of true murder stories. The feature story completely pulled me in, and I also loved being able to get through the shorter stories in just one evening. I would highly recommend this :)
Read
August 4, 2011I dont usually read books like this i but really enjoyed it! This book really shows how complicated the mind of human beings really are. I will never understand how some people work no matter how hard i try. I found this book suspenful and exciting. I would deffinatly reccoment it.
October 13, 2008
Ann Rule is the best True Crime writer. If you enjoy this genre...you will enjoy all her books.
November 20, 2009
Eerie true murder stories that women in this century should be aware of. Very quick read that makes me want to take a break from dating.
June 15, 2010
Ann Rule is such a talented crime writer that I find it hard to get interested in other books after I've read something she wrote. Excellent collection of former cases.
August 8, 2011
I've always enjoyed Ann Rule's true crime stories - this book includes 10 tales from the northwest US and involves some pretty hair raising events...
August 25, 2012
Always creepy to read Ann Rule. In another life I plan to be work in criminal justice.
January 28, 2013
Such horribly twisted killers. So many innocent victims. Such good writing.
March 28, 2010
Ann Rule does it again - another great one!
September 15, 2011
Loved it...as I do all her books
November 27, 2020
Anyone who has ever thought about it will realize that the social mechanism is a sorting mechanism. Just like the coffee industry, arabica beans are sorted from robusta beans, no matter one individual's sense of taste. The English spent many years in India cultivating a wide variety of teas, sorting them according to their taste and growing requirements. The Chinese have thousands of years of tea cultivation and sort them accordingly. So how did Steven Sherer and Jami Hagel Sherer "sort themselves out" in terms of their lives?
"Steven often found himself in a police lineup"
Bottom line, Steve Sherer was deeply confused. You might say any number of other things about this individual, but he was fundamentally confused. We currently possess four different formal identification cards for Steve, each with a different appearance. In other words, Steve was never quite sure who he was/is/could be. This fundamental confusion is grounds for a criminal indictment, since the job of society is to un-confuse growing boys and girls about who they are.
"Corrections officers escorted him out of the courtroom"
After the trial, Steve voiced a barrage of obscenities directed at Jami's mother. This resulted in officers "escorting Steven out of a criminal hearing." Let me translate. Steve is not fit to be a member of civil society; Joe Biden is not fit to be president. Society often confuses itself while sorting through rubbish and through the lives of individuals. Ann Rule was perhaps the founding patroness of social selection theory. Her meticulous work and dedication reveal the social mechanism in operation in ways that abstract sociology is unable to do. Let's look at a few instances of social selection theory applied to the life of an individual named "Steve Sherer."
"Steve Frank Shirer...despite his small stature...had a powerful personality"
Readers are immediately drawn into Rule's judgment concerning this individual. Steve had what's know in lay circles as a "Napoleon complex." Some have accused Ted Cruz of having the same problem, based on evidence concerning his use of cowboy boots. Steve's basic instability is a complex set of factors that led to confusing abrasive behavior with self-assertiveness, confusing charming behavior with the will to dominate others. Steve had a 'take charge attitude' because he desired guidance and a helping hand, wanting someone else to order him around. We will prove this statement by a careful examination of sexual fetish material revealed in court.
Social Selection Theory downplays the role of parental approval
Jami's parents, Judy and Jerry Hagel formed only the dimmest appreciation of Steve upon meeting him for the first time. But they both kept their mouths shut. They were hoping that Jami would move on, thinking Steve to be at best inadequate and at worse a psychopath. The Hagels without knowing Steve well sensed that he was someone who frequented the race track, had an ugly temper, was somewhat comfortable using profanities in discourse, drank too much, used cocaine, and, if this were not enough, treated women and lovers as mere servants who must cater to his whims and passing desires.
Steve's customizing services when it came to women
If a woman responded to Steve, if there was even a slight amount of interest expressed, then Steven used his energy to 'customize' the woman to his specifications. Readers are aware that many men make a fetish of their automobiles and they often 'customize' the appearance and the performance specification while doing so, no matter what it may cost or how many 'man hours' are involved. Therefore, we conclude based on the evidence presented that Steve qualified as "abusive." He did this by distancing Jami from her parents, creating doubts in her mind, and forcing her to rely on him to meet her basic needs.
Time in jail due to a variety of traffic warrants
Steve was verbally romantic while doing a set in county jail. Social selection theory suggests that Steve had to be isolated from the general population because his psychological needs were greater than average, making it hard for him to manage daily stresses. He often addressed Jami as "my little rose" from behind bars, and not the type of bars where you order drinks, though that would be bad enough. Social selection theory states: those who frequent bars and spend money there have been placed there by the generational population as 'unfit to conduct themselves' in decent society.
Why did Jami disappear?
Social Selection Theory states: if a woman finds herself in the company of a man she has habitually misread, the only course of conduct is to 'disappear' by any means acceptable to the dominant male in the relationship. And now you know why Steve was headed for jail when he was escorted out of the courtroom.
"Steven often found himself in a police lineup"
Bottom line, Steve Sherer was deeply confused. You might say any number of other things about this individual, but he was fundamentally confused. We currently possess four different formal identification cards for Steve, each with a different appearance. In other words, Steve was never quite sure who he was/is/could be. This fundamental confusion is grounds for a criminal indictment, since the job of society is to un-confuse growing boys and girls about who they are.
"Corrections officers escorted him out of the courtroom"
After the trial, Steve voiced a barrage of obscenities directed at Jami's mother. This resulted in officers "escorting Steven out of a criminal hearing." Let me translate. Steve is not fit to be a member of civil society; Joe Biden is not fit to be president. Society often confuses itself while sorting through rubbish and through the lives of individuals. Ann Rule was perhaps the founding patroness of social selection theory. Her meticulous work and dedication reveal the social mechanism in operation in ways that abstract sociology is unable to do. Let's look at a few instances of social selection theory applied to the life of an individual named "Steve Sherer."
"Steve Frank Shirer...despite his small stature...had a powerful personality"
Readers are immediately drawn into Rule's judgment concerning this individual. Steve had what's know in lay circles as a "Napoleon complex." Some have accused Ted Cruz of having the same problem, based on evidence concerning his use of cowboy boots. Steve's basic instability is a complex set of factors that led to confusing abrasive behavior with self-assertiveness, confusing charming behavior with the will to dominate others. Steve had a 'take charge attitude' because he desired guidance and a helping hand, wanting someone else to order him around. We will prove this statement by a careful examination of sexual fetish material revealed in court.
Social Selection Theory downplays the role of parental approval
Jami's parents, Judy and Jerry Hagel formed only the dimmest appreciation of Steve upon meeting him for the first time. But they both kept their mouths shut. They were hoping that Jami would move on, thinking Steve to be at best inadequate and at worse a psychopath. The Hagels without knowing Steve well sensed that he was someone who frequented the race track, had an ugly temper, was somewhat comfortable using profanities in discourse, drank too much, used cocaine, and, if this were not enough, treated women and lovers as mere servants who must cater to his whims and passing desires.
Steve's customizing services when it came to women
If a woman responded to Steve, if there was even a slight amount of interest expressed, then Steven used his energy to 'customize' the woman to his specifications. Readers are aware that many men make a fetish of their automobiles and they often 'customize' the appearance and the performance specification while doing so, no matter what it may cost or how many 'man hours' are involved. Therefore, we conclude based on the evidence presented that Steve qualified as "abusive." He did this by distancing Jami from her parents, creating doubts in her mind, and forcing her to rely on him to meet her basic needs.
Time in jail due to a variety of traffic warrants
Steve was verbally romantic while doing a set in county jail. Social selection theory suggests that Steve had to be isolated from the general population because his psychological needs were greater than average, making it hard for him to manage daily stresses. He often addressed Jami as "my little rose" from behind bars, and not the type of bars where you order drinks, though that would be bad enough. Social selection theory states: those who frequent bars and spend money there have been placed there by the generational population as 'unfit to conduct themselves' in decent society.
Why did Jami disappear?
Social Selection Theory states: if a woman finds herself in the company of a man she has habitually misread, the only course of conduct is to 'disappear' by any means acceptable to the dominant male in the relationship. And now you know why Steve was headed for jail when he was escorted out of the courtroom.
September 3, 2025
Ann Rule’s “Empty Promises” is a compilation of case histories involving violent crimes in the Pacific Northwest. These cases highlight dysfunctional relationships, and the pathologies exhibited by individuals, in the context of the absurdly permissive judicial environment that was regnant in the 1970s and 1980s.
The focus of Rule’s book is the title case, “Empty Promises.” Rule outlines the sordid and tragic details of the union of Steve Sherer and Jami Hagel. Despite dozens of convictions for a myriad of offenses, Sherer was seldom held to account for his actions. Unfortunately, Jami’s disappearance and death was the denouement of this all too predictable situation.
Happily, for the reader, Rule refrains from her tendency to interject herself into the events of this volume. The result is readable and gripping collection.
The focus of Rule’s book is the title case, “Empty Promises.” Rule outlines the sordid and tragic details of the union of Steve Sherer and Jami Hagel. Despite dozens of convictions for a myriad of offenses, Sherer was seldom held to account for his actions. Unfortunately, Jami’s disappearance and death was the denouement of this all too predictable situation.
Happily, for the reader, Rule refrains from her tendency to interject herself into the events of this volume. The result is readable and gripping collection.
March 8, 2021
All of the stories in this book involved some type of psychosis. One story in particular was exceptionally disturbing. I've always known criminals aren't the brightest bulbs in the world, but then again, the victim's family wasn't exceptionally smart either. I understand turning the other cheek, innocent till proven guilty. But I do not agree with the belief that we are to act like door mats or like we don't have a brain. Evil is evil and it needs to be put down whenever it is discovered. No one should put their child at risk because of their bleeding heart. And yet, Arnold Brown's family did exactly that at the price of a six year old girl's life. They should be in jail right beside him. Just saying......
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews