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I'm slowly working my way through some true crime books, and The Stranger Beside Me was high on my list of priorities. Among the most famous of its genre, the book is probably best known not just for it's subject - serial killer Ted Bundy -- but for the fact that Ann Rule was a good friend of his.

Before starting The Stranger Beside Me, I had assumed that he was an acquaintance and perhaps the connection between author and killer was tenuous. Nope! Ann and Ted had been good friends for years by the time he was first arrested for his crimes. One of the best things about this book is Ann's struggle to reconcile her friend, who gave her so much support in times of need, with the rapist and murderer of an unknown number of women. Would highly recommend, especially the audiobook, to anyone interested in true crime!

As a heads up for a modern reader, many of the terms and attitudes of the book are quite outdated, including terminology that is very much Not Okay To Use these days.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars