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Book Review of In the Name of Love: And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files)

In the Name of Love: And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files)
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This is an abridged version of some of Ann Rule's cases (the author, when she was a police detective). This is Book 4 of ANN RULE'S CRIME FILES. Generally, I avoid abridged anything, because I want to read exactly what the author has to say. However, this set of 7 disks came my way through the local library's purge.

1) JERRY HARRIS is a self-made California tycoon who never meets a stranger. He's 44 years old and is married to Susan (his 4th wife), and his soul-mate. He suddenly disappears on an October night in 1987. The story is quite involved and lasts a bit more than 5 tapes (this is a talking book). The story gradually grew on me; at first, it was ponderous and very slow moving. For an abridged book, it was surprising how many repetitions there were in this story.

2) THE HOUSEWIFE is about an oddball young man (he was seriously abused as a child) who attempts to kill a professor. It is a unique story about kindness that turns back to bite the Samaritan.

3) THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is about two girls (Mave and Carrie) who escape from their parents and take refuge in some Washington state cabins. At the same time, a young man ('Al') escaped from military boot camp and decided to hide out in some of those same Washington cabins. Two other young men, conscientious objectors, were staying in a cabin, legally rented, hoping to help others avoid fighting in Vietnam (by helping them to quietly cross into Canada).

Al convinced the two young girls to move deeper into the woods. When the girls became frightened, they started walking back to town. Thus ensues a 24-hour nightmare. Mave keels over into the snow; she's been shot.

Except for the first story, that seems to go on forever, the other stories are interesting and move along quickly.