Paperback: Practice To Deceive (2013) is dedicated to good cops everywhere who never give up, even when they are investigating the most difficult cases imaginable. The public will never really know the overtime they put in, the emotional toll they often pay, or how much it matters to them that justice will one day be served.
"The denouement of this baffling case took a decade - 27 December 2003 to 15 February 2013. The entire story traverses fifty years," wrote Ann Rule in the Foreword.
In Practice to Deceive, her first book-length investigative chronicle since In the Still of the Night (2010), Rule unravels a shattering case of Christmastime murder off the coast of Washington State - presented with the clarity, authority, and emotional depth that Rule’s readers expect. It is a case with enough drama, greed, sex, and scandal to be called “The Real Housewives of Whidbey Island,” but this was not reality television. This was murder: pure, cruel, ugly, and senseless and someone had to pay the price.
Nestled in Puget Sound, Whidbey Island is a gem of the Pacific Northwest; accessible only by ferry and the soaring Deception Pass Bridge, it is known for its artistic communities and stunning natural beauty. Life there is low-key, insular, and the island’s year-round residents tend to know one another’s business but when the blood-drenched body of Russel Douglas was discovered the day after Christmas in his SUV in a hidden driveway near Whidbey’s most exclusive mansions, the whole island was shocked.
A single bullet between his eyes was the cause of death, but no one could imagine who among them could plot such a devious, cold-blooded crime. At first, police suspected suicide, tragically common at the height of the holiday season but when they found no gun in or near the SUV, Russel’s manner of death became homicide. Like a cast of characters from a classic mystery novel, a host of Whidbey residents fell under suspicion.
Brenna Douglas was Russel’s estranged and soon-to-be ex-wife, who allowed him to come home for a Christmas visit with their children. The couple owned the popular Just B’s salon. Brenna’s good friend Peggy Sue Thomas worked there, and Brenna complained often to her that Russel was physically and emotionally abusive.
Peggy Sue’s own life has been one of extremes. Married three times, hers is a rags-to-riches-and-back-again tale in which she’s played many roles: aircraft mechanic, basketball coach, the “drop-dead gorgeous” beauty queen as a former Ms. Washington, Las Vegas limousine driver, million-dollar horse breeder, wealthy divorcée. However, in 2003, her love affair with married guitarist Jim Huden led the two Whidbey Island natives to pursue their ultimate dreams of wealth and privilege, even at the expense of human life.
With her trademark aplomb, Ann Rule unravels the intense decade long homicide probe infused with drama, greed, sex, scandal and no shortage of suspects. Even now, there are shadowy corners where secrets still hide. Many innocents have died violent deaths in unlikely places. Over time, the motives behind why these particular human beings were singled out for death are more obscure.
About the author: Ann Rule was born on 22 October 1931 in Lowell, Michigan, USA as Ann Stackhouse. Ann came from a family loaded with crime fighters. Her grandfather and uncle were Michigan sheriffs. Her cousin was a prosecuting attorney and another uncle was a medical examiner. Her grandmother used to prepare meals for prisoners. One prisoner was a 'sweet' lady who taught her to crochet. Ann wondered why this woman could possibly be going on trial for murder and later said this is what led her to the 'whys' of criminal behavior. She was the daughter of Chester R and Sophie Hansen Stackhouse. Her father was a football/basketball/track coach and her mother was a teacher of the developmentally disabled.
She was active in support groups for victims of violent crimes and their families, in the YWCA's program to help battered and abused women, and in Childhelp and Childhaven, support groups for children. She took courses in crime scene investigation, police administration, crime scene photography and arrest, as well as search and seizure while studying for two years at Highline Community College. She was a Seattle Policewoman until her supervisors found out about her extreme nearsightedness.
She wrote her first book under the name Andy Stack for fear that a woman writing about crime would not be a success. Her first book contract was to write about a serial killer known only as 'Ted'. She later found that her very good friend, whose name was Ted Bundy, was in fact the 'Ted' she was contracted to write about. She obtained her BA from the University of Washington in Creative Writing with minors in psychology, criminology and penology. She also held a PhD in Humane Letters from Willamette University.
She was a certified instructor in many states for police training seminars and lectures to law enforcement officers, prosecutors and forensic organizations - including the FBI and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences - on subjects such as: Serial Murder, Sadistic Sociopaths, Women Who Kill, and High Profile Offenders. She had testified before US Senate Judiciary subcommittees on serial murder and victims' rights and was a civilian adviser to ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program).
She was married to Bill Rule and died on 26 July 2015 in Burien, Washington, USA.
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