by Ann Rule
First published 2013
Ann Rule returns to book-length true crime investigation with the murder of Russel Douglas on Whidbey Island. The day after Christmas, Douglas was found shot execution-style in his SUV near the island's most expensive homes. Rule examines the web of suspects surrounding the victim, including his estranged wife Brenna, who owned a popular salon and complained frequently about Russel's abuse. Her friend Peggy Sue Thomas, a former beauty queen with a dramatic life story spanning multiple careers and marriages, becomes central to the investigation. Thomas's affair with married guitarist Jim Huden creates a dangerous alliance between two island natives chasing dreams of wealth. Rule applies her signature investigative methods to untangle the relationships and motives behind what initially appeared to be a holiday suicide. The isolated Pacific Northwest setting, accessible only by ferry and bridge, intensifies the drama as residents confront the reality that someone among them planned and executed a calculated killing. Rule delivers her characteristic blend of detailed police work and psychological insight into a case that shattered the tranquil community.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, true-crime
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Whidbey Island, Pacific Northwest
Period: 2000s
339 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books
Content warnings: murder, violence