ann rule Archives

Small Sacrifices

The Story of Diane Downs Author: Ann Rule May 19, 1983, began as any normal day would. It ended with a blood-spattered car, two children critically wounded, one dead, and a surprisingly calm, barely injured mother arriving at the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield, Oregon. At the hospital, the desperate staff fought to save the two children who were still barely alive: Danny Downs (aged 3) and Christie Downs (aged 8). Meanwhile their mother, Diane Downs, who was suffering a minor gunshot wound to the arm, calmly walked police through the events of the night: a mysterious shaggy-haired stranger, an attempted carjacking [...]

Frances Carden2026-07-04T15:41:09-07:00July 4th, 2026|Tags: ann rule, Anne Rule, book review, Diana Downs, Diane Downs, read, reading, true crime|

Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors and Other True Cases

A Collection of Miscellaneous Cases Author: Ann Rule Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors and Other True Cases is a very loosely themed collection composed mostly of cold cases and random rape / murder stories. The idea, ostensibly, is to focus on cases that hit close to home, but the reality is more of a hodge-podge of tales that fit more under a “miscellaneous” heading than anything else. The first two chapters are novella length, taking up most of the real estate in the book. Neither, however, are especially satisfying, leaving more unanswered and speculated upon than revealed. The first chapter concentrates on [...]

Frances Carden2025-12-12T20:58:29-07:00December 12th, 2025|Tags: ann rule, book review, nonfiction, read, reading, true crime|

If You Really Loved Me

Like Daughter, Like Father? Author: Ann Rule California, 1985. A 17-year-old woman (Julia Brown) calls the police, weeping. She thinks her sister, Linda Brown, who is sleeping in the next room, has been shot. The police arrive and Linda’s husband, David Brown, opens the door. In the background, they see Julia in the living room cradling her sister’s baby. Neither Julia nor David had gone into the room to check and see if Linda was indeed shot. Both, however, instantly accuse David’s missing fourteen-year-old daughter, Cinnamon, of the crime. Fast forward – Cinnamon has confessed to killing her stepmother and is [...]

Frances Carden2025-11-02T16:37:12-07:00November 2nd, 2025|Tags: ann rule, book review, Cinnamon Brown, David Brown, murder, read, reading, true crime|