Customer Reviews

The End of the Dream: The Golden Boy Who Never Grew Up and Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files, Volume 5)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I am 51 years old and I live in St.Peters, Mo. I am an avid reader and love Ann Rule's books on true crime. Most of her books take place in the northwest states of Washington and Oregon. I have traveled several times to this region which I call "Ann Rule Country". I work for myself in the lawn mowing business and I have plenty of time from December to April in which to read and also to travel. I have a wife and 9 year old daughter who accompany me on many of my journeys. On my last trip, we visited the Columbia River Gorge area and climbed up to the top of Beacon Rock, about 600 feet tall. It was one of the most amazing and eerie things I've ever done. This is a lava dome, or the inside of a long ago volcano and also the site of a famous murder. The case is written about by Ann Rule in her book, "A Rose For Her Grave". The murderer threw his wife off of this rock and collected insurance money. This was my favorite Ann Rule Book until I picked up a copy of "The End Of The Dream". This is now my favorite of her books. I plan to go up to the northwest in a year or two and investigate the place where Scott Scurlock called home. He was the subject of the book and was one of the most fascinating people you could ever read about. He lived in maybe the biggest and tallest treehouse in the world near Olympia Wa. Scott Scurlock and the other important characters were free spirit people who enjoyed adventure and living on the edge. We all have known a guy like Scott Scurlock at some time in our lives; the guy that everyone likes and admires; the guy who might get you in serious trouble but also the guy who just might give you some of the most fun and exciting times of your life. Most people like this turn out fine and become fine people, but a few like the subject of this book take a dark path. They use their charm and charisma in a negative way. Scott Scurlock could have been successful in any thing he tried, but instead he became maybe the northwest's most infamous and successful bank robber. His name that FBI and local police gave him was "Hollywood". He and his accomplices were finally nabbed in what was to be the last robbery. They stole over 1 million dollars, but were apprehended. The story ends tragically, but this story was different from other Ann Rule books because there were no murders in it, but from an adventure standpoint, it was her most interesting story. You will like it, I could almost guarantee it. Happy Reading.

This book was wonderfully entertaining -- I could hardly believe it was true. Usually I can tell by reading the captions under the pictures in the middle of the book generally what happened. Not so in this case. Ann did her usual wonderful job of taking me through the life of each character. However, when the crime began, the partners in crime changed so much and Kevin still remained such a close friend that I wondered almost to the end if he was going to get sucked into this horrible plan. The book was excellent, Ann did a wonderful job of introducing all of the characters to the reader. For the first time, I felt a little sorry for the criminal in the end (because of the end). Ann had taken me through his entire life so well that I felt I knew him. This book was especially interesting to me because I work in the criminal justice field and was amazed that these guys were able to get away with what they did for so long. I highly recommend this book to any true-crime reader.

I enjoyed the book tremendously because it reconnected me to a time in my youth when I had a strong association with Scotty and the Scurlock family. How painful it must have been for all of them to go through. I feel the strongest for MaryJane Scurlock. She has had enough heartache in one life for any woman. Scotty was always a free spirit. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit of what Ann Rule described in her book as his magnetism and presence. Ann doesn't deserve to be attacked though, and I've seen a bit much on this site. She may not have hit the nail every time she swung the hammer, but I had little difficulty believing most of what I read, because it closely fit my memories, images and understanding of the principals involved. In fact, there was more than a bit of ugliness left under the sheets and she deserves some credit for keeping it there. As for me, I'm sad any of these things have happened at all. Scotty may have reaped what he had sown, but I still feel a sense of loss with his passing. Scotty chose his path and denied his gifts; it's a good lesson for all of us. I also feel some loss regarding Rev. Scurlock. I was one of many who listened to his thoughts and sermons and feelings for hours on end. He had much of the same charisma Scotty had. But his "reported" treatment of the Seattle police was arrogant and more than a bit disappointing. His deeds and unheeded philosophies are going to burden him for the rest of his life. It's a sad and well told story, worthy of more thought.

Ann Rule is my FAVORITE true crime writer. I have read everything she writes. Even though I have been slightly dissapointed with her paperback true crime volumes (mainly because she has not delved deep enough into the details of the crime and the people involved in these quickie paperbacks), I couldn't resist and picked this one up, and WOW....she did it again, the good stuff. The thorough deep detail stuff! I truly enjoyed this read and was fully satisfied. Ann Rule, when are you going to give us another full crime story other than your paperback volumes? I am hungry for a full, long story. With all the crime around the states now, I find myself thinking, Oh, maybe Ann Rule will pick up on this one, and do a story......Anyway, don't miss this one, or any of Ann Rule's books....she is the best.

The End of a Dream by Ex-police woman Ann Rule. A MUST READ. I could not put this book down. It was so real. It is GREAT! The impression that it left me with was "How sad, Scott Scurlock, that intelligent, handsome young man just took his life and threw it away with both hands." I think as the favorite son, his family was so very proud of him and he could not live up to their expectations. They expected more than he could deliver. But then, the book was not about his sisters, mother, etc. but about Scott and his friends. The reader from Denver: I am curious how he/she (?) could read ALL the police reports. Some things I'm sure were not made public. How he could feel it was "random luck" instead of excellent police work that caught 'Hollywood' and his gang amazes me, but anyone can make accusations. As for the woman (the last one) I never felt she was evil. She shared Scott's bed, gave him money, lived in a tree and asked no questions. I felt sorry for her, she was pathetic. I felt that way about the other women who were in love with Scott and his friends. As for being mentioned in the book, I guess we never see our selves as others see us. If we did we might well be "shocked". I have read most of Ann Rule's books; the photos and her extensive research fascinate me. The detectives and their families - it is unreal the time and effort they put in to keep us all safe. Scott was a loser but a persuasive loser. He had all the charm of a con artist and used it. If you haven't read "The End of a Dream" you are missing a great book.

Ann Rule can do no wrong; her stories are always interesting, however, not quite as complex as the ones the late Thomas Thompson wrote (who is my favorite author for true crime).

If you want to know how to get started robbing banks read this book. No...better yet pay attention to what happens at the end so you know what you would get yourself into by robbing banks.

The evolution of a criminal is prominent in this story and should keep you glued to the book 'til finished. A lot of things happen in this story and the author makes it easy to keep track of everything. A grand read!

Scott Scurlock lived a good life in a treehouse in Olympia, Washington, as a handsome young man who had hair like Charles Manson. It was an architectural marvel, like a real cabin in the sky. He loved to stand atop a mountain where he felt close to God. When I went to Oneida, I felt that I could reach up and touch the sky, that it was the closest thing to Heaven on earth. But Scott was a playboy who lived the drug style of life and didn't have time to think about Heaven and Hell.

His name was in the papers constantly but the only clipping he saved was the feature showing the interior of his fabulous treehouse. He ived the good life, for a while. But he made headlines again on November 30, 1996, in The Seattle Times as the Hollywood bank robber. He was handsome enough to be an actor, that's true. He's had it made in the late'80s and early '90s with good friends like Scott, Mark and Steve (the later two were fathers of daughters) whom he rooked into a world of crime.

Scott was the perrential male who didn't want to grow up -- the the fellows in the move, 'Without A Paddle" also involving a spectacular tree house. Unlike most who chose Peter Pan, Scott pretended to be Robin Hood and had the illustration of said bandit tacked up over his bed in the treehouse.

Ann Rule is a master at explaining the intracicies of real crime in a manner which reads like fiction and is easy to understand. I have endorsed many of her real-crime books. This one also included 'An Unlikely Suspect,' 'The Girl Who Fell in Love with her Killer' and 'The Peeping Tom.' None of us are safe anymore for average or unstanding-looking males. And yet, there are women just as evil. She is the best storyteller to inform us of the most accomplished.

I'm a big fan of True Crime books, and Ann Rule's in particular. This is one of her best. It was so interesting that I read it in two days, which is really unusual for me. The main story is well paced and never boring. It doesn't cover the trial, which is a nice change from many true crime stories that devote half the book to excruciating trial detail. My only criticism is the author's depiction of Scot Scurlock as just a spirited boy, so talented and handsome. He was an arrogant, extremely self-centered jerk who had no intention of ever making an honest living. I am sure his family described him as brilliant and maybe a little eccentric, but he was a world-class loser. He abused his friendships and was loyal to no one. In the end, he got exactly what he deserved, although the end came far too late.

A reader-friendly, well-written account of a unique brand of bank robber(s) in the Seattle area. This book covers a recent, notorious crime spree, that took place in the Seattle area within the last five years: mid to late 1990's. "Hollywood," and his dedicated friends' lives were just as intriguing as the main focus of the book. From start to finish, a great book, that describes some interesting facets of the green Pacific Northwest. Scott, the brains and guts behind these capers, could have become successful in many different area of life. He did appear to have a selfish side. He certainly led an interesting life, and he was successful at the things he set out to do. He liked to live the high life, and that required a lot of money. Luck cannot last forever. Saying anything else will ruin the outcome for someone wanting to read this book, which is highly recommended.

This story was about much more than bank robberies. The mastermind behind everything was such a complex individual and the way he was able to have such control over the people he came in contact with was amazing. He had such a way of being able to read people that he could 'brainwash' others into doing things they knew were wrong. The fact that this was a true story just adds to the 'unbelievable' feeling it envoked.