Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder: And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Ann Rule (Author)
Key Phrases: Bill Jensen, The Deputy's Wife, Mary Winkler (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Rule looks at marriages gone bad in her latest volume of true-crime case files. Stories include "The Minister's Wife," about a woman convicted of shooting her husband in 2006, and "The Painter's Wife," an amazing tale of two strangers kidnapped by a hardened criminal. The bulk of the book is taken up by "The Deputy's Wife," the sad tale of a once-promising young police officer, Bill Jensen, who eventually took out a contract on his own family. It's a good yarn, full of horrifying twists, but at 150 pages can get repetitive. For those not used to it, Rule's fondness for potboiler prose-"Their marriage had spun like a colorful top...Now as it wound down slower and slower, Sue could see the pattern of lies"-can also annoy. Many of the seven cases here are gruesome but unmemorable, perhaps the inevitable result of Rule's prodigious output.
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Product Description
Includes Ann Rule's insider commentary on the Mary Winkler murder case

REAL-LIFE MURDER. REAL-LIFE MYSTERY.

In some murder cases, the truth behind the most tragic of crimes crystallizes with relative ease. Not so with these fascinating accounts drawn from the personal files of Ann Rule, America's #1 bestselling true-crime writer. What happens when the case itself becomes an intractable puzzle, when clues are shrouded in smoke and mirrors, and when criminals skillfully evade law enforcement in a maddening cat-and-mouse chase? Even the most devoted true-crime reader won't predict the outcome of these truly baffling cases until the conclusions revealed in Ann Rule's marvelously insightful narrative: An ideal family is targeted for death by the least likely enemy, who plotted their demise from behind bars.... A sexual predator hides behind multiple fake identities, eluding police for years while his past victims live in fear that he will hunt them down.... A modest preacher's wife confesses to shooting her husband after an argument -- but there's more to her shattering story than meets the eye. These and other true cases are analyzed with stunning clarity in a page-turning collection you won't be able to put down.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416541608
• ISBN-13: 978-1416541608
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,318 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #46 in	Books > Nonfiction > True Accounts > Murder & Mayhem

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Crime, New and Old!, February 13, 2008

By	KDMask (Rochester, Planet Fab, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I haven't met an Ann Rule book I didn't like, but they are always too short! This one I read in two days. This book focus' on women in abusive relationships that lead to murder or almost-murder. I really liked the stories that are older cases. With so many true crime shows on TV, it's hard to find something new and fresh. Since this is a "crime file" you have the option of dipping into the book when you'd like, story by story. Ann also has many resources for women in trouble in this volume including websites to visit. Ann always makes the victims come alive in each of her books, honoring them in a way few can.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Compelling, December 31, 2007

By	Heather M. Koppenheffer "Heather/MV" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I highly recommend Smoke, Mirrors and Murder. This book is a powerful and purposeful look at the entanglements of abusive relationships. Ann Rule is keenly attuned and deals clearly with the dauntingly difficult subject of abuse. Not only does Ann give you the red flags to ponder in a relationship she tells you where to get help in this book. The stories are riveting. The Deputy's Wife is an intimate portrait of an individual that abused his wife and family and the fear one feels in this situation. All the stories in this book are noteworthy and fascinatingly insightful. This book is a must read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, February 17, 2008

By	D. Edwards "cold country" (northern,minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love Ann Rule, and this new book is another very good one. Could not put it down. Would highly recommend.