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Crime Files #6
A Rage to Kill: And Other True Cases
Acclaimed for her "devastatingly accurate insight" (The New York Times Book Review) into the criminal mind, Ann Rule has chronicled the most fascinating cases of our time in her bestselling Crime Files series. For this sixth stunning collection, Rule has culled from her private files the most-asked-about homicide cases -- riveting accounts of seemingly normal men and women who are compelled d by a murderous rage to suddenly lash out at innocent victims.
Torn from the headlines, here is the case that shocked a the Seattle city bus ride that turned to mayhem and murder at the hands of a gunman. Ann Rule unmasks the forces that drove quiet, clean-cut Silas Cool to shoot the driver, causing the bus to plunge off the Aurora Bridge into an apartment building. The catastrophe left three dead -- including Cool -- and dozens injured. While the scene unfolds as in a terrifying movie, Rule finds very real answers to the haunting question "how could this happen?" -- and expertly constructs the unseen chain of events that resulted in an explosive and shattering tragedy.
Included here are nine other sensational cases that illuminate Rule's unique and authoritative view of the human psyche gone temporarily berserk. No one can match Rule's meticulous research, or reveal the motives to murder in such explicit and chilling detail. You may think you know who is safe and who is dangerous; in A Rage to Kill, Ann Rule frighteningly shows that none of us are truly protected from the flashes of irrational violence that can erupt from the killers among us.
Torn from the headlines, here is the case that shocked a the Seattle city bus ride that turned to mayhem and murder at the hands of a gunman. Ann Rule unmasks the forces that drove quiet, clean-cut Silas Cool to shoot the driver, causing the bus to plunge off the Aurora Bridge into an apartment building. The catastrophe left three dead -- including Cool -- and dozens injured. While the scene unfolds as in a terrifying movie, Rule finds very real answers to the haunting question "how could this happen?" -- and expertly constructs the unseen chain of events that resulted in an explosive and shattering tragedy.
Included here are nine other sensational cases that illuminate Rule's unique and authoritative view of the human psyche gone temporarily berserk. No one can match Rule's meticulous research, or reveal the motives to murder in such explicit and chilling detail. You may think you know who is safe and who is dangerous; in A Rage to Kill, Ann Rule frighteningly shows that none of us are truly protected from the flashes of irrational violence that can erupt from the killers among us.
382 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1999
291 people are currently reading
3597 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rule
141 books4,531 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
September 29, 2018
"Murderous rage" has always made me think of a rare fury, when in actuality there are folks filled with frustration, who essentially idle at angry. And it's everyone's fault but their own. Once again, Ann Rule rocks my socks.
August 19, 2012
Ann Rule lives in the Seattle area and as such, most of her stories take place here. That's a huge point in her favor because she knows Seattle and you can tell. For the most part the cases are interesting and short ones like those in this collection have the right amount of information. The problem is that they aren't very well written and a lot of liberties are taken with how people "must have" felt or thought or saw. Most people she describes as handsome or beautiful, though I frequently disagree, and she has a tendency toward exaggeration and melodrama. I'd prefer books with more factual information and evidence and less fictionalizing. But those types of books are nearly impossible to find. (Know of any? Let me know!) I apparently am a ghoul because I keep reading them anyway.
August 18, 2020
2.5/5
Very in-depth research and engaging writing style. However, Ann's failure to properly honor victims (i.e.,not labeling Christopher Wilder's victims' photos, while his is clearly labeled) and blatant transphobia (toward Jackie Emerson, because even killers deserve to have their humanity respected) make this book difficult to read at times, much more so than the tragic and gruesome nature of the cases covered.
Very in-depth research and engaging writing style. However, Ann's failure to properly honor victims (i.e.,not labeling Christopher Wilder's victims' photos, while his is clearly labeled) and blatant transphobia (toward Jackie Emerson, because even killers deserve to have their humanity respected) make this book difficult to read at times, much more so than the tragic and gruesome nature of the cases covered.
November 26, 2024
I’ve read many Ann Rule books over the years, including several in the Crime Files series. Often, the Crime Files books will have a long-form case alongside a handful of shorter stories.
Not this time. Every story here is in a short format with none over 75 pages or so. I much prefer the depth of Rule’s long form writing and the short pieces have consistently been my least favorite. So this book isn’t bad, just not something for me.
Not this time. Every story here is in a short format with none over 75 pages or so. I much prefer the depth of Rule’s long form writing and the short pieces have consistently been my least favorite. So this book isn’t bad, just not something for me.
April 22, 2022
Murder is always lurking and not necessarily in the shadows. Ann Rule keeps us on edge with another collection of her true crime tales.
February 6, 2017
*"A Bus to Nowhere": Seattle 1998: Silas Cool, who shot the driver of an articulated Seattle Metro bus just as it was starting over the Aurora Bridge (awesome and tangential sidebar: the Aurora Bridge may have my favorite public sculpture EVER: the Fremont Troll)
*"The Killer Who Planted His Own Clues": Tumwater WA 1976: the murder of Sharon Mason by Charles "Buddy" Longnecker, who is the perfect stereotype of the sociopathic sexual predator.
*"Born to Kill?": Seattle 1961, Walla Walla WA to McKees Rocks PA 1977: the dreadful career of Michael Andrew Olds, who shot Blossom Braham in a grocery story robbery in 1961 for no reason; convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, he was a model prisoner in the Washington State Penitentiary for thirteen years and was paroled in 1974. Sociopaths do very well in environments with external controls on their behavior. In 1977, he robbed his place of employment, murdered a taxi driver, kidnapped a series of elderly people, murdering one, as he veered on an erratic course across the US, and finally, having taken a seven year old boy hostage and missed shooting a police officer by a hair, was apprehended in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. This time, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
*As Close As a Brother": Seattle 1969, Kent WA 1972: Bernie Pierce, kind and considerate and trustworthy . . . until he starts drinking. Murdered his girlfriend in 1969, raped and murdered a young woman he claimed to consider a sister in 1972.
*"Profile of a Spree Killer": Miami FL, Coral Gables FL, Daytona Beach FL, Merritt Island FL, Tallahassee FL, Beaumont TX, Oklahoma City OK, Grand Junction CO, Las Vegas NV, Torrance CA, Gary IN, Victor NY, Colebrook NH 1984: the loathsome Christopher Wilder, who preyed on teenage girls by pretending to be a professional photographer--the list of his victims is probably a lot longer than just those raped and murdered during his last spree, but since he killed himself rather than letting police apprehend him, no one's ever going to know for sure. His seven million dollar estate was divided among the families of his victims. One of his probable victims, Colleen Orsborn, is the subject of Disappeared 4.9, "Spring Break Nightmare"; Wilder is also the subject of The FBI Files 2.1., "A Model Killer."
*"The Lost Lady": Alderwood Manor WA 1979: the strange, strange case of Marcia Moore, heiress, psychic, astrologer, yoga teacher, ketamine "researcher." She disappeared in 1979; her remains were found in 1981 less than fifteen miles from her home. There wasn't enough left to determine how she died. Rule hints strongly that she was murdered by her fourth husband, although she clearly doesn't have enough evidence to present to a metaphorical grand jury. He certainly seems like a plausible suspect, but it also seems not improbable that Moore's long term ketamine habit finally caught up with her and she simply wandered out into the winter night and died of exposure.
*"To an Athlete Dying Young": Olympic National Park 1979: Jane Constantino, in the wrong place at the cruelly wrong time, crossed paths with Dale Harrison on the day he was looking for a woman to murder.
*"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town": Des Moines WA 1974: the horrible truth that if someone is determined to kill his ex-wife (or her ex-husband or any combination of genders and relationships), he'll do it. This pseudonymous murderer, *Eric Shaw, is one of the most hateful people in this book, and that's saying something.
*"That Was No Lady": Seattle 1976: file this under "that was another country and besides the wench is dead" for its clumsy treatment of transsexuality. The murderer in this case was a sociopath; that's why the victim ended up dead. Transsexuality or transvestitism (and whenever this story was actually written, Rule clearly didn't have a grip on the difference between a homosexual transvestite man and a male-to-female transsexual--her subject may not have had, either), that's not what was wrong, although it was very clearly what the murderer was hiding behind, just as other sociopaths hide behind other problems (Ted Bundy "confessing" the night before his execution that he was made into a serial killer by pornography and true crime magazines springs immediately to mind).
*"The Killer Who Talked Too Much": Seattle 1976: Another man raping and murdering a woman he claimed to consider a sister--and then raping and murdering another woman he barely knew, who happened to be his alibi for the first murder. He tripped himself up in talking to police by knowing about a split-leaf philodendron that his second victim hadn't been given until after the last time Jones claimed he was in her apartment.
I remind myself again that for every person like Longnecker or Olds or *Shaw, Jones or Wilder or Harrison, there are a dozen people like the police officers who caught them, people who can see outside themselves, whose empathy isn't broken off below the skin, who are as driven to protect as these men were driven to kill.
*"The Killer Who Planted His Own Clues": Tumwater WA 1976: the murder of Sharon Mason by Charles "Buddy" Longnecker, who is the perfect stereotype of the sociopathic sexual predator.
*"Born to Kill?": Seattle 1961, Walla Walla WA to McKees Rocks PA 1977: the dreadful career of Michael Andrew Olds, who shot Blossom Braham in a grocery story robbery in 1961 for no reason; convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, he was a model prisoner in the Washington State Penitentiary for thirteen years and was paroled in 1974. Sociopaths do very well in environments with external controls on their behavior. In 1977, he robbed his place of employment, murdered a taxi driver, kidnapped a series of elderly people, murdering one, as he veered on an erratic course across the US, and finally, having taken a seven year old boy hostage and missed shooting a police officer by a hair, was apprehended in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. This time, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
*As Close As a Brother": Seattle 1969, Kent WA 1972: Bernie Pierce, kind and considerate and trustworthy . . . until he starts drinking. Murdered his girlfriend in 1969, raped and murdered a young woman he claimed to consider a sister in 1972.
*"Profile of a Spree Killer": Miami FL, Coral Gables FL, Daytona Beach FL, Merritt Island FL, Tallahassee FL, Beaumont TX, Oklahoma City OK, Grand Junction CO, Las Vegas NV, Torrance CA, Gary IN, Victor NY, Colebrook NH 1984: the loathsome Christopher Wilder, who preyed on teenage girls by pretending to be a professional photographer--the list of his victims is probably a lot longer than just those raped and murdered during his last spree, but since he killed himself rather than letting police apprehend him, no one's ever going to know for sure. His seven million dollar estate was divided among the families of his victims. One of his probable victims, Colleen Orsborn, is the subject of Disappeared 4.9, "Spring Break Nightmare"; Wilder is also the subject of The FBI Files 2.1., "A Model Killer."
*"The Lost Lady": Alderwood Manor WA 1979: the strange, strange case of Marcia Moore, heiress, psychic, astrologer, yoga teacher, ketamine "researcher." She disappeared in 1979; her remains were found in 1981 less than fifteen miles from her home. There wasn't enough left to determine how she died. Rule hints strongly that she was murdered by her fourth husband, although she clearly doesn't have enough evidence to present to a metaphorical grand jury. He certainly seems like a plausible suspect, but it also seems not improbable that Moore's long term ketamine habit finally caught up with her and she simply wandered out into the winter night and died of exposure.
*"To an Athlete Dying Young": Olympic National Park 1979: Jane Constantino, in the wrong place at the cruelly wrong time, crossed paths with Dale Harrison on the day he was looking for a woman to murder.
*"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town": Des Moines WA 1974: the horrible truth that if someone is determined to kill his ex-wife (or her ex-husband or any combination of genders and relationships), he'll do it. This pseudonymous murderer, *Eric Shaw, is one of the most hateful people in this book, and that's saying something.
*"That Was No Lady": Seattle 1976: file this under "that was another country and besides the wench is dead" for its clumsy treatment of transsexuality. The murderer in this case was a sociopath; that's why the victim ended up dead. Transsexuality or transvestitism (and whenever this story was actually written, Rule clearly didn't have a grip on the difference between a homosexual transvestite man and a male-to-female transsexual--her subject may not have had, either), that's not what was wrong, although it was very clearly what the murderer was hiding behind, just as other sociopaths hide behind other problems (Ted Bundy "confessing" the night before his execution that he was made into a serial killer by pornography and true crime magazines springs immediately to mind).
*"The Killer Who Talked Too Much": Seattle 1976: Another man raping and murdering a woman he claimed to consider a sister--and then raping and murdering another woman he barely knew, who happened to be his alibi for the first murder. He tripped himself up in talking to police by knowing about a split-leaf philodendron that his second victim hadn't been given until after the last time Jones claimed he was in her apartment.
I remind myself again that for every person like Longnecker or Olds or *Shaw, Jones or Wilder or Harrison, there are a dozen people like the police officers who caught them, people who can see outside themselves, whose empathy isn't broken off below the skin, who are as driven to protect as these men were driven to kill.
March 6, 2013
Another excellent book by Ann Rule! This one had many new cases I had never heard about that were very interesting and some were not so much. I really thought the following cases were intruiging:
A Bus To Nowhere- I would have liked to have known more on Silas Cool. Who knows what madness was raging in this man's mind before he did what he did to that bus and its' passengers. I find it very odd that his parents didn't see anything weird about him growing up. The things the authorities found in his home were very weird too.
Profile of a Spree Killer- This case seems sadly like a typical one. Man claims to be a modeling agent and goes after beautiful women and kills them. What made this one very sad was of course all of the young women he killed. & the way the story ended was surprising because some families will now never know were their daughters/sisters lay burried.Christopher Wilde chose the very cowardly way to go out.
*The weirdest case of all* The Lonely Lady- Marcia Moore was just into very weird physicic stuff. The cirumstances surrounding her dissapearance is also very weird. There are so many things that could have happened to her. She was the daughter of the creator of the Sherraton Hotel so people knew she was rich. But her personal life also had its' own mysteries. She was taking Ketamine as a drug to get high which I believe could have caused her to wander off that lonley road on that freezing night and met her demise...... I don't know if we will ever find out what happened to her but it is a case that I for sure would love to read more on.
To An Athelete Dying Young- This case was very sad becase here was a beautiful young woman who was very brave to take national trips alone. Especially on a bike. I really commend her on her bravery. Sadly it cost her her life though.
That Was No Lady- Such a handsome young man and a very sad death. I think when he discovered that Jackie was a he and not a she, he wanted to back off his deal with her but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
This book ranks on my top list of favorites from Ms. Rule.
A Bus To Nowhere- I would have liked to have known more on Silas Cool. Who knows what madness was raging in this man's mind before he did what he did to that bus and its' passengers. I find it very odd that his parents didn't see anything weird about him growing up. The things the authorities found in his home were very weird too.
Profile of a Spree Killer- This case seems sadly like a typical one. Man claims to be a modeling agent and goes after beautiful women and kills them. What made this one very sad was of course all of the young women he killed. & the way the story ended was surprising because some families will now never know were their daughters/sisters lay burried.Christopher Wilde chose the very cowardly way to go out.
*The weirdest case of all* The Lonely Lady- Marcia Moore was just into very weird physicic stuff. The cirumstances surrounding her dissapearance is also very weird. There are so many things that could have happened to her. She was the daughter of the creator of the Sherraton Hotel so people knew she was rich. But her personal life also had its' own mysteries. She was taking Ketamine as a drug to get high which I believe could have caused her to wander off that lonley road on that freezing night and met her demise...... I don't know if we will ever find out what happened to her but it is a case that I for sure would love to read more on.
To An Athelete Dying Young- This case was very sad becase here was a beautiful young woman who was very brave to take national trips alone. Especially on a bike. I really commend her on her bravery. Sadly it cost her her life though.
That Was No Lady- Such a handsome young man and a very sad death. I think when he discovered that Jackie was a he and not a she, he wanted to back off his deal with her but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
This book ranks on my top list of favorites from Ms. Rule.
June 24, 2022
4 stars
RTC
RTC
January 31, 2024
One thing I know I’ll never tire of is Ann Rule’s writing. Every time I pick up one of her books I know it’s a guaranteed good read and there’s something very priceless about that! This wasn’t my absolute fave by her but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I prefer her longer stories over her shorter ones and this collection was mostly shorter ones. My favourite had to be the bus shooting one, normally I prefer more traditional true crime stories but this one was just so fascinating! The other stories were excellent as well but that one really stood out from the rest for me.
June 29, 2014
Ann Rule is at the top of her game in telling the true stories of these particular, mostly female, victims who either through no fault of their own or because of blameless naïveté ended up murdered. Unlike most of the victims in Rule's other books, the murdered had no reason to suspect they would soon end up tortured, raped or killed. They were ordinary nice people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time - most of them tricked by psychopathic psychotics who nonetheless appeared completely normal and rational until their ruses worked to lull their victims into dropping their defenses or suspicions. The dead literally had absolutely no warnings whatsoever that the man who was either asking for their help or who was approaching them as a friend or acquaintance of many months was this time going to torture, rape and kill.
It's dreadful and terrible to read these stories. Random victimization drops on top of these people like a rotted building cornice falling on a pedestrian innocently passing under it on a street below, but without the benefit of being unaware that death was coming.
1. A bus to nowhere
2. The killer who planted his own clues
3. Born to kill?
4. As close as a brother
5. Profile of a spree killer
6. The lost lady
7. To an athlete dying young
8. Ruby, don't take your love to town
9. That was no lady
10. The killer who talked too much
The victims in these stories could not ever have seen it coming until too late, with one exception. 'Ruby, don't take your love to town' is a story that is disgusting in that the victim knew her murder was certainly inevitable. A divorced ex-wife knows her ex-husband is going to kill her one day, but as it is today, there is nowhere she can get help.
It's dreadful and terrible to read these stories. Random victimization drops on top of these people like a rotted building cornice falling on a pedestrian innocently passing under it on a street below, but without the benefit of being unaware that death was coming.
1. A bus to nowhere
2. The killer who planted his own clues
3. Born to kill?
4. As close as a brother
5. Profile of a spree killer
6. The lost lady
7. To an athlete dying young
8. Ruby, don't take your love to town
9. That was no lady
10. The killer who talked too much
The victims in these stories could not ever have seen it coming until too late, with one exception. 'Ruby, don't take your love to town' is a story that is disgusting in that the victim knew her murder was certainly inevitable. A divorced ex-wife knows her ex-husband is going to kill her one day, but as it is today, there is nowhere she can get help.
July 14, 2011
This is the first Ann Rule book I have read. She is very good at helping you to understand and look at each case as a whole. Some of the cases are just plain awful and I would shudder to think of the poor victims and how they died. It is intriguing to read about the killers and their backgrounds and possibly the causes that made them into killers. It was a very interesting book to read and I really like that there are pictures to go along with the cases. It helps to further know the people you are reading about.
May 1, 2011
I think it's odd how much true crime fascinates me. But I am not alone. Just turn on the news or open the paper. The whole world is watching when a young mother murders her daughter or a maniac shoots up a McDonalds. We all watch the horrible images, so of course reading about them is awesome! Maybe it's a way to feel better about our own imperfect lives. At least we aren't victims of some deranged lunatic... Ann Rule puts together very intriguing collections and this one is no exception.
May 31, 2012
Ann Rule is so good at bringing these stories to life. And death.
May 16, 2013
Ann has done it again. Love the way you write .... please keep going.
January 2, 2018
So this collection didn't do a lot for me. Probably because "A Bus to Nowhere" left a lot of answers that would never be answered fully and it was not a great story to start off with. Most of the stories had no common theme among them besides murders. Usually Rule tries to stick to a theme in her stories and I guess she went with rage. But I didn't read rage in some of these stories.
A Bus to Nowhere (3 stars)- Rule looks at the bus crash that took place in Washington state in 1998. The man behind it who ended up shooting the driver and causing dozens of injuries and damage appeared to be mentally ill. Rule at times seems to deride him though and makes it seem as if his parents should have done more. I didn't get rage here at hill, it read to me that the man was mentally ill and lost his grip with reality based on the stories that went about him later on (with him harassing bus drivers).
The Killer Who Planted His Own Clues (3 stars)-Once again I didn't get rage here at all. A young man stalked and murdered a school teacher (Sharon Mason). The police figured out who killed her pretty quickly and he was locked up. You definitely feel sorry for Mason and her elderly parents.
Born to Kill? (5 stars)-This is probably the first story that I thought had any semblance to the theme of rage. The murderer in this story, Michael Andrew Olds seemed destined to hurt other people. A child of rape, he was an angry baby who grew up to be a sullen teen who murdered a woman when he was robbing a story. When Olds is released after serving his sentence (he was 18 when he went away, 31 when he was released) he started robbing and murdering again after a short period of being married. Olds goes cross country kidnapping and murdering before being apprehended in Pennsylvania.
As Close as a Brother (3 stars)-Sad story of two young girls who were murdered. Bernie Pierce appeared to be a friend, but when he drank it appeared he turned into someone else.
Profile of a Spree Killer (5 stars)-Rule goes into the life and crimes of Christopher Wilder who went on a spree killing in the late 1970s. What a sad story about a man who abducted and murdered young women over a period of weeks. Some of the families never did find out what happened to their daughters and their bodies were never found. I have never heard of this guy before reading this story though so found myself curious about him to later go on and Google him.
The Lost Lady (1 star)-Looking into the disappearance of Marcia Moore. I don't know why Rule includes so-called psychic's premonitions in her books. She includes two in here about what happened to Marcia Moore, but they were not correct so I was just baffled about why they were included. Rule doesn't seem to be blaming the husband at times, but at other times she does.
To an Athlete Dying Young (3 stars)- Story of Jane Costantino who was murdered by a man who had fantasies about forcing a woman to be his sexual slave.
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town (4 stars)-A woman who does her best to move on from her husband after she finally has enough is murdered in front of her young daughter. Most of the stories Rule tells are about battered women who even though they do everything right, are still murdered by those who swore to love, honor, and cherish them.
That Was No Lady (3 stars)-Sad story about a young man who is killed by a woman (yeah I said woman). I didn't like Rule's tone in this one. She made it seem as if the woman known as Jackie Emerson (born a male) was just acting as if she was a woman and didn't identify as such. This became important when it was going to be determined to what jail Jackie would be sent to (men or women's prison).
The Killer Who Talked Too Much (4 stars)-A woman named Marcia Perkins is found dead. What I found sad about this whole story is that the man who did it goes on to murder someone else while the police are still investigating Marcia's case. I am still confused about why he wasn't picked up since all evidence pointed to him. I was sad to see the jury came back and found the man not guilty of Marcia's murder, but of the second woman's (Jeanie Easley).
A Bus to Nowhere (3 stars)- Rule looks at the bus crash that took place in Washington state in 1998. The man behind it who ended up shooting the driver and causing dozens of injuries and damage appeared to be mentally ill. Rule at times seems to deride him though and makes it seem as if his parents should have done more. I didn't get rage here at hill, it read to me that the man was mentally ill and lost his grip with reality based on the stories that went about him later on (with him harassing bus drivers).
The Killer Who Planted His Own Clues (3 stars)-Once again I didn't get rage here at all. A young man stalked and murdered a school teacher (Sharon Mason). The police figured out who killed her pretty quickly and he was locked up. You definitely feel sorry for Mason and her elderly parents.
Born to Kill? (5 stars)-This is probably the first story that I thought had any semblance to the theme of rage. The murderer in this story, Michael Andrew Olds seemed destined to hurt other people. A child of rape, he was an angry baby who grew up to be a sullen teen who murdered a woman when he was robbing a story. When Olds is released after serving his sentence (he was 18 when he went away, 31 when he was released) he started robbing and murdering again after a short period of being married. Olds goes cross country kidnapping and murdering before being apprehended in Pennsylvania.
As Close as a Brother (3 stars)-Sad story of two young girls who were murdered. Bernie Pierce appeared to be a friend, but when he drank it appeared he turned into someone else.
Profile of a Spree Killer (5 stars)-Rule goes into the life and crimes of Christopher Wilder who went on a spree killing in the late 1970s. What a sad story about a man who abducted and murdered young women over a period of weeks. Some of the families never did find out what happened to their daughters and their bodies were never found. I have never heard of this guy before reading this story though so found myself curious about him to later go on and Google him.
The Lost Lady (1 star)-Looking into the disappearance of Marcia Moore. I don't know why Rule includes so-called psychic's premonitions in her books. She includes two in here about what happened to Marcia Moore, but they were not correct so I was just baffled about why they were included. Rule doesn't seem to be blaming the husband at times, but at other times she does.
To an Athlete Dying Young (3 stars)- Story of Jane Costantino who was murdered by a man who had fantasies about forcing a woman to be his sexual slave.
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town (4 stars)-A woman who does her best to move on from her husband after she finally has enough is murdered in front of her young daughter. Most of the stories Rule tells are about battered women who even though they do everything right, are still murdered by those who swore to love, honor, and cherish them.
That Was No Lady (3 stars)-Sad story about a young man who is killed by a woman (yeah I said woman). I didn't like Rule's tone in this one. She made it seem as if the woman known as Jackie Emerson (born a male) was just acting as if she was a woman and didn't identify as such. This became important when it was going to be determined to what jail Jackie would be sent to (men or women's prison).
The Killer Who Talked Too Much (4 stars)-A woman named Marcia Perkins is found dead. What I found sad about this whole story is that the man who did it goes on to murder someone else while the police are still investigating Marcia's case. I am still confused about why he wasn't picked up since all evidence pointed to him. I was sad to see the jury came back and found the man not guilty of Marcia's murder, but of the second woman's (Jeanie Easley).
April 2, 2020
Another good book by Ann Rule. This one didn't impress me as much as some of her others, but I will say that the shorter stories of multiple crimes was easier to digest than, say, "Small Sacrifices", several hundred pages about one case.
July 25, 2024
This was good. I love me some true crime stories.
November 27, 2020
"prisons were appointed with revolving doors, admitting and releasing psychopaths at impressive rates..."
This is how Ann Rule describes rates of incarceration in the sixties and seventies in the United States. Of course those were important decades for Rule's project, god bless her, for the work she did to advance the need for public awareness of deviance. Now the deviance has control of the White House, John Biden the most deviant president in American history, as well as the House of Representatives with that "hater," Nancy Pelosi, never a pleasant word coming from her mouth, with the possible exception of upscale ice cream brands, a complete non-entity who thinks very highly of herself, we see that Rule was pointing toward a future in order to prepare her readership for the trials ahead. Thanks to her insights, even given her manifest failings, we are better able to negotiate the currents of the times.
Which brings me to the case of Buddy Longnecker. Longnecker is a family name coming from Germany. Germany has an ambivalent relationship with the United States. Hessian mercenaries worked her during the American Revolution, and Wieland is a noted American author of Germanic descent. For the most part, though, Germanic culture and customs remain alien to American attitudes and beliefs. Actually, it would be better to point out the utter ignorance most Americans have for anything belonging to Germanic culture. Even with some of the finest music in the world coming from Germany, many Americas excuse themselves and move on to more important matters.
Buddy Longnecker was brought in for questioning with the assistance of Sergeant Miller and Officer Strohmeyer, both employees of the Thurston County law enforcement agencies. Immediately Mr. Longnecker denied any awareness of Sharon Mason's, a schoolteacher who had in fact been murdered. Unfortunately for Ms. Mason, no one has thought to protect her legacy. Instead we are treated to such terms as "spinster," "single woman," "slim and attractive for a thirty seven year old woman," "not one to walk alone at night for fear of being confused with a prostitute," "talking to strangers as a highly developed strategy for earning extra money as a hooker," and "willing to accept a blind date in the way that a call girl might."
These ways of attempting to reveal Ms. Mason's sexual inclinations are certainly deplorable to anyone in his or her right mind. According to Rule, Ms. Mason's habits indicate a deep respect for living things: "she coaxed her house plants into luxuriant growth," which you can find on page 81. Normally first grade teachers must be patient in order to "coax them into middle school," and this habit of hers bled over to her plants. However, given her many strengths of character, Ms. Mason had one draw back unfamiliar to prostitutes: she was deathly afraid to be out alone at night. No one, I repeat no one would take her for someone attempting to solicit business outside the classroom.
"A creepy feeling indeed..."
Her apartment key had been stolen when "someone" broke into her car. Like Immanuel Kant, the noted German philosopher, Sharon Mason's habits were designed by and for the clock which orders the lives of ordinary people. If someone asks, "What time is it?" all you'd need to do is say, "Is Sharon' car outside; it must be after 4 p.m." Unfortunately, the maintenance man knocked on Sharon Mason' door in the evening because he wanted to respond to a work order requiring her locks to be changed. There was no answer.
"Someone had done terrible damage to the schoolteacher..."
I doubt that Sharon Mason partook of the holy weed, yet Buddy claims that they indulged in such pleasure seeking together. Unfortunately, Buddy also "chased her around the apartment while demonstrating the use of Nunchaku Sticks." Her head had suffered damage. Her teeth had suffered. She had suffered. She was now pronounced dead.
"Shocking days in Superior Court Judge Hewitt Henry's courtroom..."
We heard testimony. Buddy should be put away. Unfortunately-that word keeps coming up again and again in the case of Sharon Mason-Buddy was not put away until someone was murdered at his hands.
Buddy Longnecker is scheduled for release in the year 2031. Too soon, my friends, too soon...
This is how Ann Rule describes rates of incarceration in the sixties and seventies in the United States. Of course those were important decades for Rule's project, god bless her, for the work she did to advance the need for public awareness of deviance. Now the deviance has control of the White House, John Biden the most deviant president in American history, as well as the House of Representatives with that "hater," Nancy Pelosi, never a pleasant word coming from her mouth, with the possible exception of upscale ice cream brands, a complete non-entity who thinks very highly of herself, we see that Rule was pointing toward a future in order to prepare her readership for the trials ahead. Thanks to her insights, even given her manifest failings, we are better able to negotiate the currents of the times.
Which brings me to the case of Buddy Longnecker. Longnecker is a family name coming from Germany. Germany has an ambivalent relationship with the United States. Hessian mercenaries worked her during the American Revolution, and Wieland is a noted American author of Germanic descent. For the most part, though, Germanic culture and customs remain alien to American attitudes and beliefs. Actually, it would be better to point out the utter ignorance most Americans have for anything belonging to Germanic culture. Even with some of the finest music in the world coming from Germany, many Americas excuse themselves and move on to more important matters.
Buddy Longnecker was brought in for questioning with the assistance of Sergeant Miller and Officer Strohmeyer, both employees of the Thurston County law enforcement agencies. Immediately Mr. Longnecker denied any awareness of Sharon Mason's, a schoolteacher who had in fact been murdered. Unfortunately for Ms. Mason, no one has thought to protect her legacy. Instead we are treated to such terms as "spinster," "single woman," "slim and attractive for a thirty seven year old woman," "not one to walk alone at night for fear of being confused with a prostitute," "talking to strangers as a highly developed strategy for earning extra money as a hooker," and "willing to accept a blind date in the way that a call girl might."
These ways of attempting to reveal Ms. Mason's sexual inclinations are certainly deplorable to anyone in his or her right mind. According to Rule, Ms. Mason's habits indicate a deep respect for living things: "she coaxed her house plants into luxuriant growth," which you can find on page 81. Normally first grade teachers must be patient in order to "coax them into middle school," and this habit of hers bled over to her plants. However, given her many strengths of character, Ms. Mason had one draw back unfamiliar to prostitutes: she was deathly afraid to be out alone at night. No one, I repeat no one would take her for someone attempting to solicit business outside the classroom.
"A creepy feeling indeed..."
Her apartment key had been stolen when "someone" broke into her car. Like Immanuel Kant, the noted German philosopher, Sharon Mason's habits were designed by and for the clock which orders the lives of ordinary people. If someone asks, "What time is it?" all you'd need to do is say, "Is Sharon' car outside; it must be after 4 p.m." Unfortunately, the maintenance man knocked on Sharon Mason' door in the evening because he wanted to respond to a work order requiring her locks to be changed. There was no answer.
"Someone had done terrible damage to the schoolteacher..."
I doubt that Sharon Mason partook of the holy weed, yet Buddy claims that they indulged in such pleasure seeking together. Unfortunately, Buddy also "chased her around the apartment while demonstrating the use of Nunchaku Sticks." Her head had suffered damage. Her teeth had suffered. She had suffered. She was now pronounced dead.
"Shocking days in Superior Court Judge Hewitt Henry's courtroom..."
We heard testimony. Buddy should be put away. Unfortunately-that word keeps coming up again and again in the case of Sharon Mason-Buddy was not put away until someone was murdered at his hands.
Buddy Longnecker is scheduled for release in the year 2031. Too soon, my friends, too soon...
August 9, 2014
Another book I did 'review' on Bookcrossing but did forget to add.
On Sunday, May 09, 2004 I wrote (a letter geez) ;)
7 out of 10
Hi Kristy I am reading this book right now.
I had never read any of Ann Rules true crime volumes, allthough I do have nearly all of them.
I have to say that I think I do prefer her novels allthough normally i like short stories. I am for instance a collector of short horror stories.
But I can't say for sure cause I have only read one story so far. the one about the bus.
I will let you know my thoughts on the book when I have finished it.
I am also reading a novel The deep end of the ocean, which is very good, so I will finish that one first, and then read another story of A Rage to Kill.
(OMG This is proof my English has improved, not alone the errors I did not correct but especially my grammar. Look at those sentences. nearly all begin with I and not only begin but the overuse of I,I,I)
( This is a sign I did not really like the book cause if I would have liked it there would not have been any breaks.)
(there is more.. Warned you)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Update May 20th 2004
Well I am reading 4 books all at once, and this book is one of them. I have nearly finished it. I did like the main story. The Profile of a Spree Killer and The Killer who planted his own clues .4 stories to go.
Update May 26th 2004
Finished the book.
I liked it, but as I wrote before, not as much as other Ann Rule books.thanks for furfilling my wish mate
Update June 10 2004
Offered on casual reader's relay
------------------------------------------------------------
Some of my old reviews are really just letters. Left the errors.
On Sunday, May 09, 2004 I wrote (a letter geez) ;)
7 out of 10
Hi Kristy I am reading this book right now.
I had never read any of Ann Rules true crime volumes, allthough I do have nearly all of them.
I have to say that I think I do prefer her novels allthough normally i like short stories. I am for instance a collector of short horror stories.
But I can't say for sure cause I have only read one story so far. the one about the bus.
I will let you know my thoughts on the book when I have finished it.
I am also reading a novel The deep end of the ocean, which is very good, so I will finish that one first, and then read another story of A Rage to Kill.
(OMG This is proof my English has improved, not alone the errors I did not correct but especially my grammar. Look at those sentences. nearly all begin with I and not only begin but the overuse of I,I,I)
( This is a sign I did not really like the book cause if I would have liked it there would not have been any breaks.)
(there is more.. Warned you)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Update May 20th 2004
Well I am reading 4 books all at once, and this book is one of them. I have nearly finished it. I did like the main story. The Profile of a Spree Killer and The Killer who planted his own clues .4 stories to go.
Update May 26th 2004
Finished the book.
I liked it, but as I wrote before, not as much as other Ann Rule books.thanks for furfilling my wish mate
Update June 10 2004
Offered on casual reader's relay
------------------------------------------------------------
Some of my old reviews are really just letters. Left the errors.
February 16, 2014
This book is part of Ann Rule's Crime files. A serie of ten shorter stories about True Crime cases.
1. A bus to nowhere
2. The killer who planted his own clues
3. Born to kill?
4. As close as a brother
5. Profile of a spree killer
6. The lost lady
7. To an athlete dying young
8. Ruby, don't take your love to town
9. That was no lady
10. The killer who talked too much
A rage to kill is her answer to requests of readers about which stories to write about, according to Ann. What all killers in this book had in common was the title of her book. Of course, that will count for most or even all her stories, in my opinion. The circumstances of the murders were very different and didn't really have a connecting ground. Sometimes stories can't be processed into a whole book. Then this is a good way to still bring them to the public.
While I do prefer a whole book about a case, other times it's great to process more shorter true stories in one go.
One of the stories in this book I use as a reference for the book I am currently writing myself.
1. A bus to nowhere
2. The killer who planted his own clues
3. Born to kill?
4. As close as a brother
5. Profile of a spree killer
6. The lost lady
7. To an athlete dying young
8. Ruby, don't take your love to town
9. That was no lady
10. The killer who talked too much
A rage to kill is her answer to requests of readers about which stories to write about, according to Ann. What all killers in this book had in common was the title of her book. Of course, that will count for most or even all her stories, in my opinion. The circumstances of the murders were very different and didn't really have a connecting ground. Sometimes stories can't be processed into a whole book. Then this is a good way to still bring them to the public.
While I do prefer a whole book about a case, other times it's great to process more shorter true stories in one go.
One of the stories in this book I use as a reference for the book I am currently writing myself.
March 19, 2021
I generally like Ann Rule books. She does her best to center the victims of a crime while still exploring how and why the crime was committed. She rarely if ever allows a killer's motive to excuse the crime, but she does let those motives be heard. Her shorter works tend to be better than her longer ones, since she can go on a bit. And most of A Rage to Kill is fine, if you ignore the back cover claiming that all the cases in this book feature a sudden homicidal rage when it's basically just the first one.
Buuuut then we got to That Was No Lady and I can't, you guys.
That Was No Lady is violently transphobic. There's no other way to put it. Jackie Emerson is probably a sociopath and definitely a murderer, but she is also a woman, and she did not deserve to be misgendered and misnamed through the entire fucking story. And sure, this was written in 1999, but this is transphobic for 1999. For 2021 it is nothing less than an act of violence. Ann Rule, you're better than this.
Skip this one, guys. Go read The Stranger Beside Me instead.
Buuuut then we got to That Was No Lady and I can't, you guys.
That Was No Lady is violently transphobic. There's no other way to put it. Jackie Emerson is probably a sociopath and definitely a murderer, but she is also a woman, and she did not deserve to be misgendered and misnamed through the entire fucking story. And sure, this was written in 1999, but this is transphobic for 1999. For 2021 it is nothing less than an act of violence. Ann Rule, you're better than this.
Skip this one, guys. Go read The Stranger Beside Me instead.
August 27, 2009
Very good book if you like true-crime-and Ann Rule. Graphic pictures,and gruesome details-Rule believes in telling it like it is-probably because of her former career as a cop-AND her close relationship with Serial Killer Ted Bundy. What I like about Ann Rule is she makes you feel like you're right there at the time of each god-awful crime-which is both terrifying and the mark of a terrific writer. If you're faint of heart -stay away from Ann Rule-or any other true-crime writer-it is a compelling read-but most of the time a heartbreaking one.
June 19, 2018
This is a collection of Ann Rule's version of short stories; short murder cases, if you will. I thought it seemed rather dull, frankly, though there were a couple of cases which were interesting. One of them was about a man who killed a bus driver while the bus was on an overpass, and the bus fell off of the overpass; surprisingly not very many people died from that. There was also a case where the accused was clearly a transgender person, but the crime was in the early 1970's when transgender people were not a recognized class (?) of people.
July 23, 2021
This book was good until it became super dated. There is one story that is so overwhelming transphobic it had me cringing. It is astounding Jackie's neighbors, coworkers, family members and even the COURT and judge could adhere to referring to Jackie to her preferred "she" and Ann Rule can't manage it. She has quotes from people referring to Jackie and she/her then turns around and says HE/HIM.
Just very cringe.
Just very cringe.
March 14, 2022
Ann Rule was a police officer before becoming a writer. The cases she writes about take place around the Seattle area over a span of three decades. Trigger Warnings:
September 13, 2008
I thought this book was good but freaky at the same time! It is about true murder cases that have happened. It was freaky to read about what goes threw crazy peoples mind sometimes. It was an eye opener to be careful around people you do not know. They could harm you matter how nice they are. I would recommend this book to people 13 and over.
July 23, 2008
Every book that Ann Rule has written is a great one. She is able to turn these stories and the lives of everyone in them into learning experiences every time. No doubt one of the top true crime writers of today.
February 1, 2011
Ten chilling tales about the effects of rage and the resulting deaths that occured. Not for the timid or squeamish.
For the full review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/A_Rage...
For the full review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/A_Rage...
March 10, 2013
This was the first true crime book I ever read, and it drew me into the genre. Ann Rule is one of the best true crime writers out there. She explains th case very clearly, making sure to give as much background information as possible. This is a must-read for anyone who loves true crime.
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