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Rating: 
Summary: Loved this book!
Review: As a long-time reader of Ann Rule, I am pleased to say that this is her best book yet. While reading this unbelievable story, you will feel like you personally know the characters. Of all of Rule's protagonists, Allen Blackthorne is the most intriguing. He had everything anyone could want, and really nothing to gain by killing his ex-wife, but just couldn't allow her to slip away from his grasp. Well researched and written!
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Summary: Ann Rule Hits the Bulls-Eye with This One
Review: BAM! Ms. Rule is back at us with a tight, suspenseful, white-knuckler tale that proves that truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction.Fans who were concerned about Ms. Rule's adequate, yet less exhilirating recent works will find that they are solidly back in Ms. Rule's court once again after they finish this fascinating story. Ms. Rule wrote this book on the request of the victim Sheila Bellush, who told her family to find Ms. Rule and beg her to write the tale of Sheila's life and death should she be murdered by her ex-husband, the abuser Allen Van Houte. Multi-millionaire Allen Van Houte is a classic sociopath; so skilled at wearing his "mask" that everyone who knows him thinks he's the epitome of a "real nice guy." However, in reality, he is a swindler, con man, domestic violence abuser, sexual molester of children, and finally a murderer. Ms. Rule's clever pen brings his true personality into the light. You feel as if Sheila Bellush is a close and trusted friend after reading this book. In addition, her noble widower Jamie, and the children involved really get into your heart. The emotional, physical, moral, and legal manipulations of Allen Van Houte are amazing to ponder; but those whose lives have been touched by domestic violence will not be surprised and may find reading this story to be cathartic, as Allen Van Houte gets his and then some in the end. A story not to be missed. Highly recommended for both Ann Rule fans and newbies alike.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling!
Review: I live near Sarasota and remember following this grisly crime in the news. It was a very shocking crime, especially since it happened in such a nice area. The brutality made no sense until the facts started to emerge. When I discovered Ann Rule's book on this murder, my curiousity was piqued. What kind of a man was Allen Blackthorne and how could anyone hate a person so much as to have them killed? Or better yet-how could Sheila have gotten mixed up with such an evil monster? From page one, Ann Rule had me hooked. She researched her subjects-Allen and Sheila Blackthorne so thoroughly that no stone was left unturned. Once you read about his background and that of his relatives, you have a clearer picture of this horrible human. Throughout the whole book, I kept thinking to myself that I was so relieved never to have met such a manipulative man. Mr. Blackthorne just seemed to leave broken hearts and bodies in his path, usually without paying any consequences. Sheila is just a sad victim who really never stood a chance. You keep rooting for her even as you know the outcome. A terribly sad reminder that evil does exist.
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Summary: True Crime isn't researched to be "interesting"..!!!
Review: I'm appalled at the reviews I've read of this book so far. People think Ann Rule wrote this book in order to cater to their sense of entertainment, when instead, she wrote this book because the poor, butchered woman requested it. If Allen Blackthorne/Van Houte is the carbon copy maniacal, abusive husband, and Sheila is the poor, innocent, hapless victim - so be it. These are not characters she's created for our benefit. They are real people. This is a real woman who did everything she could to get herself and her impressionable daughters away from this crazy man, and instead, was shot and butchered in front of her infant quadruplets - who, by the way, clung to her and were covered in her blood some 6 hours later when her 13 year old daughter discovered her body. I found this book to be informative and well-written, as I do all of Ann Rule's works. When I was done with it, I was completely horrified and discusted at what this man has gotten away with...and to find that Janet Reno excused him from the death penalty. Allen Blackthorne is a monster, completely without conscious or morality. He deserved so much more than he got in the end. I feel devastated that those poor babies waded around in their mothers blood for hours, and that that poor girl came home to the scene of her mother with her throat slashed all the way around. I feel depressed at the terror this woman must have felt to tell her sister that she knew she would die at 35, and never see her babies grow up - and to tell her relatives that if she should die, please make sure that there was an investigation. And please try to contact Ann Rule so she could write her story. Look this story up on the internet. It's not a pretty one. this is no fairy tale. Its horrific, and terrible, and the worst part is that it's true. Kudos to you Ann. Keep keeping us informed.
Rating: 
Summary: Finished it in two days!
Review: This is only the second book I've read by Ann Rule, but I am impressed with her ability to research and report. This story kept me interested, not only for the tragic crime, but for the people involved. Unlike other reviewers, I did not mind the background information of the cast of characters. After all, if you're into "true crime," then you would probably be interested in the complete story. If you want the abridged version, read all about it in Readers Digest, or watch it on A&E. The only reason I rated this four rather than five stars is that I felt Ann repeated herself too often. I realized I was re-reading information that had been presented earlier, and it was mildly annoying. Overall, though, I felt that she did a good job of presenting the evidence and covering the trial. I enjoyed reading the snippets of questioning that occurred, but I've always been interested in the court process. I did read somewhere else that Jamie has disparaged the book and Ann Rule's coverage of the events. I don't know why this is, although the man seems to be a little high strung and emotionally ravaged by Sheila's murder, understandably. I don't know if it is possible for an author to write a book so all the involved parties approve. If anything, Ann Rule has helped women realize what can happen by staying in a relationship with an abusive person. If your family does not like the person you're marrying, it might be a good idea to sit down and figure out why. Then again, we all know that hindsight is 20/20.
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