Ann Rae Rule was an American author of true crime books and articles. She is best known for The Stranger Beside Me, published in 1980, which detailed the crimes of serial killer Ted Bundy. Rule had known Bundy as a co-worker and one-time friend before his murderous nature was revealed. Throughout her career, Rule wrote over 30 true crime books. Among her notable works is Small Sacrifices, which examines the case of Oregon child murderer Diane Downs. Many of her books focus on murder cases from the Pacific Northwest region and Washington state, her adopted home. Rule was born in Kent County, Michigan in 1935 and later moved to Washington. She passed away in Burien, King County, Washington in 2015.