The Stranger Beside Me: The Shocking True Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy

There’s too much to say about this book. It is well written and very researched. On a personal level I disagreed with the writer so many times in how defensive she was of Ted and made it clear she didn’t like people celebrating his execution like a holiday, yet she glamorized him constantly as “ a good looking “ celebrity type. She knew from the time she first seen sketches of “Ted “ in the paper that he looked like the killer, then she suspected him, then she kept supporting him throughout the Utah ordeal and all the prison escapes. I consider the writer a very weak woman who apparently has more loyalty towards her ol “friend” than of the many women ( and children ) brutalized by him. She says a few times he had done wrong and seemingly contradicts herself. Although, putting my opinion of her aside, I think for the most part this is an interesting and informative book.

Although I have read this book before, reading it again with it's updates still sends shivers upmy spine. Would I have been lured if approached by him?His charm fooled so many.This is important for young people to know. Be vigilant and never trust a stranger. Yet, Bundy wasn't a stranger to Ann Rule and it took decades for her to fully accept the depravity that lay underneath the charming facade.If you are interested in knowing more about the victims, watch "Surviving Bundy", with interviews with some survivors

I think that this is a great book overall. My biggest qualms with it were some of the punctuation and spelling errors, and sometimes she went on some irrelevant topics. Ann Rule's vocabulary is quite verbose, so if you don't have a broad vocabulary, this book can be harder to read without having to look up words every other sentence in the dictionary. However, having said that, I enjoyed reading this book. I felt she perfectly described the deceit capable from men like Bundy, and how the way he is perceived to be is not really how he is. I felt this book creates a greater picture of what it was like to know Bundy from different viewpoints and provided great insight into how people are not always what they seem.

Ted was a monster in every way possible. This tragic story is a must read for parents. Mature readers only but the essence of his tactics must be taught to our children, there are other monsters out there we must protect our children. I’m sad that Ann is no longer with us. Ted was put in her path so she could share this horrific story and she completed her destiny in the way that only Ann could.God bless you and keep you Ann.

Ann Rule takes us on a thrilling journey of the life and death of serial killer Ted Bundy. Being friends with a serial killer isn't the easiest thing in the world. But Ann didn't find that out until much later...Oh, Ted Bundy... what can I possibly say about this American icon that hasn't already been said in this book? I had several problems with this book but it had absolutely nothing to do with the author. Problems such as the diagnosis that they gave Ted Bundy which I felt was completely bogus and only used so that he could not use the insanity plea in his trials.I feel very conflicted however about the relationship between Ann and Ted. She doesn't explain until "The Last Chapter" that she held hopes for him to still help the world in the way that she first knew him to help people. She explains how she doesn't understand and cannot comprehend how someone can hurt an innocent victim and not feel remorse for it. Perhaps this is why she continued to send him money even in prison and why she continued to correspond with him even after his conviction. She wanted to use him to do good in the only way that she knew how. Whereas in the beginning I believe she was simply in denial that someone she called her friend could possibly be such a monster.As for Ted Bundy himself oh, I feel that he ultimately got what he wanted. Control. He was able to convince everyone that he was "the baddest son of a bitch around" and that he was the most monstrous of serial killers. By manipulating the public the way that he did he was able to victimize people that he hadn't even touched yet. When we as a populist think of Ted Bundy we think of fear. That is his legacy. and in my opinion the legacy that he wanted for himself.But anyways enough about my thoughts on the book. Let's talk about the nitty-gritty. The book was masterfully written as with most of Ann Rule's works. Her profession has allowed her to write these true crime novels in such a way that the layman can understand and follow but she still uses the police and detective crime jargon. She makes it easy for her readers to follow along and even makes her books exciting by turning the facts and evidence into a storyline. She is without doubt America's number one true crime novelist.I enjoyed this book immensely. although I already knew a lot about Ted Bundy there is still so much in this book that I did not know and was eager to learn. My self-studies in the field of psychology made this book more than fascinating for me. I don't think we realized when Ted was convicted how rare a jewel he actually was. And when I say that here's what I mean: it is so positively rare that we get a serial killer the likes of Ted Bundy. It is even rarer to get a serial killer the likes of Ted Bundy caught alive and held in captivity where we could possibly study him and learn from him. I truly wish we would have kept him alive and not giving him the death penalty. I understand that this statement may piss a few people off but it is my personal opinion.I could honestly go on and on about this book but I will refrain from doing so. LOL 😜 Please read this book if you have not already. I think this is one of those books that everyone should read no matter who you are, no matter where you come from. Ted Bundy is a study and not only American history but human history itself. Because you never know when you might meet a Ted Bundy yourself.

Former police officer Ann Rule met a charming and charismatic young psychology student at a Seattle crisis clinic, unaware that he would become one of America’s most notorious serial killers. This is the story of their friendship and how it developed and changed between 1971 and 1989, when Ted Bundy was executed. Charting the murderer’s early life and relationships, this book tells the two sides of Ted Bundy, exploring how and why he became a killer.The is the second book I’ve read by Ann Rule, though it was the author’s first published book (originally issued in 1980, this edition with additional material, pub 2018). Ms Rule has a talent for writing in a very readable way that allows the reader to have a clear picture of her subject, creating a vivid portrait of Bundy that is easy to read but no less detailed for all that. From his early life, she details Ted Bundy’s relationships, his attempts to better himself, and his re-emergence as a smart, handsome man who was able to lure young women to their deaths.Ann Rule is astonishingly open about her friendship with Bundy, but also never fails to question her own motives in detailing the case as a true-crime writer, as well as the difficulties she faced as the truth of Bundy’s horrendous crimes became known to the world.A thoroughly absorbing and very scary book.

I have read just about every book there is on Bundy. Several books I have read have been very good. This book is the best one I've ever read. One of the reasons the book is so good is that the author knew Bundy. Anne Rule worked alongside Bundy and knew him for 18 years. A revealing and exceptionally well written book that had a significant effect on myself. I'm not going to read any more books on Bundy. After reading so many books and watching documentaries I actually feel afraid, ridiculous I know as he is dead. Ann Rule found it extremely difficult to believe the Ted she knew could have committed these terrible crimes. If you want to learn about psychopaths and there psychopathy read this book. I thought I knew everything about Bundy till I read this book. In this book you get to meet the nice Ted, the charismatic caring life saver Ted. The psychopath who walked The author to her car and wanted to get his hands on the killer. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the behaviour and mind set of the ultimate serial killer.

Would have given 4 stars as this book really gripped me at the start, however the second half made me lose interest slightly as the focus was on the trial and prison life and not so much the relationship between them. There is turmoil from the author as her friend was clearly not the person she knew and despite not being able to fully believe his innocence at the start the fact that she remained a loyal friend and would send letters and money to him jail was hard to understand. However I appreciate I have not been in such as situation! Even after his execution she seemed to grief him. There is a real sense of the author knowing two versions of the man and unwilling to let go of the shy and awkward young man she first met and befriended. All in all a good read for any true crime enthusiast.

Brilliant and morbidly fascinating covers her friendship with bundy his murders trial and execution and some of the victims stories and the women who escaped him iys chilling to think thete are evil sociapaths like him in the world

What is it about Ted Bundy? I knew about him and his crimes but it had been ages since I'd read this book and there are several updates in it now. I find it absolutely fascinating and can understand why Ann Rule still has correspondence regarding Ted Bundy to this present day and possibly from people who were not alive when the original crimes occurred. Because she knew Ted and it took ages for her to believe that he could have committed such horrific crimes, makes the story even more fascinating and believable. Extremely interesting reading and stayed with me for long after I had finished the book. Still don't know exactly what made him do what he did but possibly he never knew himself. Brilliant book!