Lying in Wait

Ann Rule presents a collection of fascinating and disturbing true-crime storiesdrawn from her real-life personal filesin this seventeenth volume in the #1 New York Times bestselling Crime Files series. In this gripping collection of investigative accounts from her private archives, Americas best true-crime writer (Kirkus Reviews) exposes the most frightening aspect of the murderous mind: the waiting game. Trusted family members or strangers, these cold-blooded killers select their unsuspecting prey, wait for the perfect moment to strike, then turn normality into homicidal mayhem in a matter of moments. Ann Rule will have you seeing the people and places around you with heightened caution as you read these shattering cases, including: New mothers murdered, their infants kidnapped, in an atrocious baby-selling scheme The man who kept his criminal past hidden from his wifeand his wife from his mistressuntil he coldly disposed of one of them The beautiful daughter of a State Department official ran away from the privileged world she knew and hitched a ride with a man she didnt . . . with fatal consequences For months, a vicious, rage-filled serial rapist eluded police and terrorized Seattles womenwhen would he strike next, and how far would his violence escalate? A criminal known for his Houdini-like escapes is serving time for murder in a botched robberynow the convict is being served dinner in a civilians home, where he has one more trick up his sleeve A long-lost relative who came home to visit, leaving a bloody trail through Washington and Oregon; no one realized how dangerous he and his ladylove wereuntil it was far too late. . . . With her ability to translate the most complex cases into storytelling as dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at night (The New York Times), Rule expertly analyzes the thoughts and deeds of the sociopath, in this seventeenth essential Crime Files volume.