Rating: 
Summary: He tried to get the Mind Box murderer to do it
Review: I liked the book, but I had heard he tried to contact the clandestine revenge service that was ultimately responsible for The Mind Box murders. Either it got left out, or it was another guy with the same name.Rule rules.
Rating: 
Summary: D U L L
Review: Why, why, why did we have to learn about the grandparents of Sheila and Alan? What did that have to do with the story? While I felt very bad that Sheila was brutally murdered, I think Ann Rule tried to make Sheila this poor helpless creature when infact, Sheila had lots of avenues to take if she really wanted to get away from Alan. I love Ann Rule's true crime however, this time she definately missed the mark.
Rating: 
Summary: Not even close to her other books
Review: This was also a huge disappointment to me, an avid fan who has read all of Rule's books and can hardly wait for the next to come out. The book has way too much detail and the characters are not very interesting. BORING BORING BORING!!! This story would have been much better served as one of Rule's short stories. My advice is to get ...And Never Let her Go - much better and more interesting read!
Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment......
Review: As usual, Ann Rule, in this book, went to great lengths to research even the tiniest detail regarding the case. However, in this case, Rule made a very long novel out of a case that would have been good at short story or novella length. In no way, of course, do I mean to discount the victim, who was horribly murdered. However, as Ann Rule's true crime cases go, this was a major disappointment for me. I was so overwhelmed by detail that I could hardly make out the story itself. Rule seemed to have sewn her story out of the most infinitesimal stitches. The murder itself, which I would have thought would be the climax, was so anti-climactic that it got lost like a or a in the midst of thousands of words.Rule generally is able to weave an excellent story between vast research and hard facts, but here she seems to have gotten lost in the details. I had the strongest feeling she'd cut-and-pasted her facts into the book itself. This is not an Ann Rule book I'd recommend. I was thrilled to see the publication of a new Ann Rule book, thrilled enough that I couldn't possibly have waited for the paperback. What a disappointment this was!
Rating: 
Summary: "...Breathe..." A Little Short Where it Counts
Review: As a long time reader of Ann Rule's books, I anticipated a compelling novel equal to her previous offerings. Unfortunately, EBYT fell short in that regard. In contrast to the compelling psychological profiles in Small Sacrifices and Bitter Harvest, EBYT does little to divulge the mysterious motivations of its primary characters. Well-paced in the beginning chapters, the novel becomes mired in the re-hashing of business scenarios, minor character details, and an uneven mix of dialogue and narrative. Near the end of the book, in recounting the trial, I had the feeling that the author was rushed, and merely pasting large chunks of the transcript, rather than telling the story.
I wondered what happened to Pat Aday, one of the more insidious characters,in my opinion.
I consider Bitter Harvest to be the capstone of Ann Rule's true crime books, and was let down by the inconsisent and shallow treatment in EBTY. More deliberation on which case makes a compelling novel is recommended for future books.
Rating: 
Summary: Great! - for Non-Readers!
Review: I have always hated reading - but Ann Rule has opened up a wonderful world to me. Her subject (murder) is sad, but she does an excellent job of enthralling us into the victim's lives. Even though I knew the outcome, I couldn't wait to read it for myself. I only wish I could find out more about what has happened since the ending of the book. Thank you Ann Rule.
Rating:
Summary: Didn't Anyone Proofread This Thing???
Review: Ann Rule is one of my favorite authors, but it's been years since I've seen a book in print with as many typos as this one contains. Were they rushing to meet a deadline? It doesn't look like they even bothered to run SpellCheck. Ann, if you read this, please have your team go over your manuscript again before they go to paperback!
Rating:
Summary: Reality Check
Review: This book is a must read. Ann has outdone herself on this book. I felt as though I was right there with Sheila struggling to cope with this man's obsession for absolute control. Ann unravels the intricate powers of Allen's mind as well as every person he conned into believing he was this beautiful, caring person who really only wanted the best for them. When Sheila finally left him and remarried and then moved away with her new husband and their children, as well as her two girls, I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief; knowing deep down that this was only a reprieve. Ann delved deeply into both Sheila's and Allen's childhoods; leaving no stone unturned. Even though Sheila was the victim I found myself seeing Allen as a victim of his childhood. He was a brilliant child who found undesirable ways to cope with his life. It was also very interesting how Ann came to write Sheila's story. If I were a victim, I am pozitive I would want Ann to write my story because I know she would never give up until she had uncovered every fact. I listened to this story 3 times and each time I became deeply and totally immersed into their lives; unbelieveable how long it took to pull myself back into reality.
Rating:
Summary: Every Breath You Take
Review: I almost put the book down after the first 50 pages but decide that it had to get better. It did but not as good as it could have been. I have read other Ann Rule books and have enjoyed them but this one I don't think I would recommend to my friends. The pace is too slow and the first part of the book had alot of things about people that just did not really have anything to do with the stalking, hate and murder of Shelia Bellush by her ex-husband, Allan.
It is hard to believe that this man got away with so much in his life and that the law did not do anything about all these things early on. I guess that it is true that money counts on just what you can get away with in life, sorry to say.
I tried to compare this book with Small Sacrifices and Dead By Sunset, which were very fast paced and kept me interested throughout the whole book. This one just did not. Very slow reading but was not too bad once I got over the first 100 or so pages.
Rating:
Summary: Ann Rule Fan
Review: I thoroughly was enraptured by this book. I am so interested in the different details, history and photos. I find that I keep wanting to look all the pictures. I was so into this book, that I wouldn't do much else!
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