FIRST LADY OF MURDER by Cathy Scott

FIRST LADY OF MURDER by Cathy Scott

This biography of Ann Rule by former Las Vegas local Cathy Scott is a clear-eyed look at a writer who helped define a whole genre of infotainment. Rule’s books were almost all bestsellers, and many were made into (mainly television) dramatizations that were widely viewed, making her both famous and rich.

But it turns out that Ann Rule’s personal life was just as compelling as her subjects (though she never murdered anyone, as far as we know). Rule’s first ambition was to become a police officer (and Scott brilliantly contextualizes this impulse) but circumstances (familiar to any woman dealing with the complications of motherhood & marriage) conspired against her. How she then became a full-time writer is, frankly, a testament to Rule’s sheer tenacity & resourcefulness.

But, like any of us, Rule had her missteps & imperfections, many of which she went to great pains to hide, though her admissions about her notoriously wrong first impressions of Ted Bundy ultimately shaded her entire life. Later in her career, as she became an established name, Rule could be ruthless, even a bit amoral, in the pursuit of her subjects, which stands in contrast to the warmth & generosity she would show so many people in her personal life.

And Scott, unlike Rule, is an actual journalist, and this distinction plays an important role both in Rule’s biography and in the genesis of this book. Scott is forthright about what she has found in researching Rule’s life & career, and Scott is also comprehensive in contextualizing those findings.

The result is a fascinating document that I very much enjoyed. I can see this being made into the same kind of drama (like “Small Sacrifices”) that kept Rule in the spotlight while she lived.

Get FIRST LADY OF MURDER: https://a.co/d/02WRP4FE