Customer Reviews

Rose for Her Grave (True Crime Files)

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4 star:		(9)
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I had to keep this book with me at all times. On the bus to and from work, even lunch hours. Ann Rule gives expert background on both the killers and the victims....she makes it so that you feel that you knew the families involved. This is my first book from Ann Rule, and needless to say, she is my new favorite author!

'A Rose For Her Grave' is the first and amongst the best of Ann Rule's "crime files" series. Each book contains a major true crime story, well-researched in the Ann Rule fashion, followed by summaries of lesser chronicled crime stories. I personally prefer Ann Rule's other books which cover only one story but in enormous detail. Some of these classics (eg, 'The Stranger Beside Me') make for truly chilling yet enjoyable reading.

The main story in this book is also title 'A Rose For Her Grave'. It is about a man who murders his wifes to collect on insurance money. Most surprisingly, the man is not some dream hunk ... just some sub-standard car mechanic. And his personality is a bit bizarre, frightening. Yet women seem drawn to him. Fascinating reading. The other stories in the book are grisly affairs, sort of "quick hit" murders on unsuspecting victims; the victims did not know their killers. Compulsive yet uncomfortable reading.

Bottom line: fine true crime reading enjoyment. Recommended.

I read this a year ago and I'm reading it again now. Out of all the criminals Ann Rule writes about, Randy Roth boggles my mind the most.

This man had a plan for EVERYTHING. He was able to pick vulnerable women, almost a sixth sense for him to find the right woman to manipulate so his next plan could be put into action. Of the women Ann writes about, most of them (except perhaps Donna Sanchez (first wife) and Lily Vandiveer (babysitter, side dish) all experienced the same thing - a short, romantic courtship with great sex, then after the marriage (except for Mary Jo who was uninsurable due to a history of cancer)insurance policys and an icy, miserable coldness.
Long story short, 4 wifes, 2 of which he murdered, and the aftermath of the two dead wives is devestating. Randy Roth would only date/marry women with children, so after each relationship ended (whether it ended in death or by other means) crushed children's lives as well as the unfortunate woman.
I guess I'm so blown away by this story because you would almost think someone of this caliber (and you have to read to understand what I'm talking about) would be hooked on drugs or maybe institutionalized at some point in their life. Randy was physically fit, anti drug/tobacco/alcohol, but none the less a lying, stealing, cheating, child-abusing murderer.

Once you read about Cynthia, you'll see what this man is capable of. She went from one person to almost another in their year of marriage. At least she is reunited with her beloved Tom.

Campbell's Revenge is one of the shorter stories in the book, but absolutely HORRIFIC. The other short stories in this book are good as well. I see they were already listed by another reviewer.

Ann Rule's Crime Files are a good read while you're spending quality time with your relatives during the Holidays, because no matter how aggravated you get over your brother's fart jokes at the dinner table, this author's families will make your folks seem like Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.

The author, a former policewoman writes about the victims with a compassion that often ventures over the border into cliché. In her title, novel-length story, an American Bluebeard discards his innocent, loving, beautiful wives on hikes or raft trips. Only one of them is smart enough to divorce him after an outing on the Skykomish River, punctuated (or 'punctured' one might say) by her new husband's attempts to paddle their raft over sharp boulders.

Usually the women in Ann Rule's stories are murdered before or because they try to flee an abusive relationship, but in "A Rose for her Grave" at least wife #3 is smart enough and lucky enough to survive Randy Roth, who goes on to drown wife #4.

The other stories in 'Crime Files 1' are shorts, which I think is actually the author's forté as they are not as repetitious as her novel-length cases. True-crime aficionados will appreciate Ann Rule's meticulous attention to detail, and her extensive contacts with law enforcement officials which brought these stories into print.

"Campbell's Revenge"--An indictment of the Washington state prison bureaucracy that allowed a rapist to be entered into a work release program only a few miles from a victim who testified against him. Two women and a child suffer needless, horrible deaths.

"The Hit Person: Equal Opportunity Murder"--A rarity in the Ann Rule canon. A wife separates from her husband and another woman is hired to take her out. Usually the ex- does the dirty work, but not here.

"The Runaway"--Thirteen-year-old Janna Hanson disappears the day after Christmas and authorities insist that she has run away.

"The Rehabilitation of a Monster"--Ann Rule presents a case that supports her belief in the death penalty: "When a killer's first crimes are marked by such cruelty that the mass of men must turn away from the details, I don't believe he deserves a second chance." A man kills and dismembers a woman, goes to jail for his crime, is released and kills again. "It was clear to those who questioned Marquette that sadistic and murderous sex was much more exciting to him than consensual intercourse."

"Molly's Murder"--Molly McClure is murdered by someone the police believe she knew and trusted. Forensics plays a vital role in solving this crime. This rape/murder took place in the early eighties and it makes you want to fast-forward a decade to the acceptance and use of industrial-strength DNA testing

Am I the only one who wanted to slap Randy Roth after reading this book? The wormy little Roth made it a habit of physically abusing his young son and mentally abusing woman that came within 50ft of him (let's not forget killing two of them). In between, he found time to seduce the preteen daughter of his good friends. The story is interesting although I would have liked to know more about Randy's youth since there had to be a time when someone said: "That kid's a nut". The other stories in the book are just as interesting proving once again that Ann Rule is the Queen of true crime.

I always enjoy Ann Rule's books, and this one was no exception. The main story was a real page turner. I could not put the book down. Ann did an incredible job of making me feel I knew all of the characters, even the victims. My heart ached for these young single mothers who were victimized by Randy Roth. I cannot imagine a more cruel human being than one who intentionally orphans little children, merely for money. The book goes into great detail about how the detectives finally caught and convicted this monster. I strongly recommend this book to any true-crime fan.

I am an avid fan of Ann Rule who awaits her every new book release with baited breath. This book did not disappoint me. It tells the story of an avaricious misogynist whose complete lack of empathy for others left two innocent women dead, two children orphaned, and countless others emotionally scarred for life, all because they had the supreme misfortune of crossing the path of a man who wished to use, abuse, and discard them like worthless garbage. When Randy Roth wanted something, it mattered not one iota to him that others would be hurt in the process of him acquiring it. The rights of others never factored with his reasoning, and underneath his charming exterior lay the heart of a man so cruel, so malicious, and so selfish that he couldn't even bring himself to weep "crocodile tears" after the deaths of his wives. This story of a modern day, Seattle based "Bluebeard" is powerfully brought to life thanks to Ms Rule's talent at exposing the details of the deviant mind.

One of the most frightening aspects of these ten true-crime stories is that the early release dates for many of the perpetrators have already passed. I would hate to think that any of these particular criminals are free to kill again. Ann Rule has selected gruesome cases to include in "A Rage to Kill."

Fortunately a few of the most vicious killers did not survive their capture. Unfortunately one of them was never identified, and some of the stories have had to have their body count revised upward.

Ann Rule, a former policewoman writes about the victims with a compassion that sometimes ventures over the border into cliché. Many are described as stunningly beautiful, innocent, soft-spoken, harmless, well-loved, kindhearted creatures who would certainly have qualified for sainthood if their lives had not been cut tragically short.

The killers are more interesting, as in that old Vaudevillian cliché, "the snake has all the lines." A transvestite prostitute stabs his customer to death when the john discovers his true sex. A prison official must decide whether this particular killer should be incarcerated with other men or put in a prison for women. Spree killer Chris Wilder drives one of his victims cross-country, then puts her on a plane back to California instead of murdering her.

Rule's homicide detectives are all a heroic blend of hard work, perseverance, and courage. They do not stand out as individuals as they would if say, Joseph Wambaugh had written this book. I will remember the murderers in "A Rage to Kill" much longer than the bland policemen or the saintly victims, because they are the characters upon which Rule lavishes her most original prose.

Most of these cases took place in the Seattle area, and only one that I know of has received extensive, nation-wide media attention. True-crime aficionados will appreciate Ann Rule's meticulous attention to detail, and the extensive contacts with law enforcement officials that give her a unique perspective into each of these ten stories.

I could not put this book down. Ann Rule is truly an exceptional author. Her comments prior to each story are both personal and insightful. For those of you who like true crime, this is a must read.

In A Rose for her Grave, the main story of the book, tells us the story of Randy Roth and how he married and used women for profits. His many wives would die after he took out a life insurance policy on each one of them, and he would collect benefits on each one. The detectives began to suspect foul play and when they investigated, put Randy on trial for the murders of his many wives. He was also a very abusive father in the story, treating his own son, and stepsons very cruelly. It was unreal what this man did and got by with for too long until he was caught.

The other stories are murder mysteries. They tell of young girls in their teens and early twenties who had been brutally murdered.

I would recommend this book if you enjoy true-crime books. It was very well-written as most of Ann Rule's books are.