There's a reason this is a classic

What are the odds that a true crime writer would meet and develop a close relationship with a serial killer before his crime spree? That she would get a contract to write a book about a string of murders, only to later find out they were committed by her close friend? Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Ann Rule met Ted Bundy when they both worked at a crisis counseling line many years before he became a serial murderer. They developed a close friendship, but became even closer when he was later accused of murder. It was only as the truth of his crimes began to come out that Ann realized that the Ted she thought she knew was all a lie. I think we’d all like to believe that we know the people we’re close to, that we can judge when someone is telling us the truth. The reason Ted Bundy was so prolific and got away with it for so long was that he capitalized on that and masterfully manipulated those around them. It’s hard for anyone to admit being wrong about someone, but it takes a special kind of bravery to write so openly about being deceived by a close friend for so many years. Ann Rule is a masterful true crime writer, but this book truly shines when she reflects on her relationship with Ted Bundy and how even she herself was taken in by his charm. If you read and enjoyed “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark”, make “The Stranger Beside Me” your next true crime read. There’s a reason this book is a classic.

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