The Stranger Beside Me

The Stranger Beside Me  by Ann Rule

2001

Weight: 8.8 oz

Method of Disposal: Leaving somewhere

Another Ann Rule book is getting kicked out of the nest.  This is THE BOOK that really helped blow up Ann’s career as a true crime writer.  Ann Rule worked with and considered Ted Bundy a friend.  She had communication with him throughout his trials and was not convinced of his guilt right away.  The book is, obviously, eerie given the subject matter and the author’s insider information.  It is also, like all true crime books, sad and strange to read.  I could barely stand to think about the woman, killed in her own dorm room, so close to her friends.  I could barely stand to think about any of the women.  Again, I am not sure exactly what true crime offers us as readers.  Is it entertainment?  If so, is that okay given all the pain that rests within it?  Is it educational?  And to whom?  Is it a memorial?  Again, and to whom?  What do you all think about reading and/or watching true crime?  Fictional crime shows?