The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule – When the Killer Was Your Friend
(Spoiler warning – Includes key plot points and historical facts about Ted Bundy)
Okay, so here’s the irony: I’ve read so much about Ted Bundy that I thought this book would still bring something new to the table. Spoiler alert—it didn’t. But that’s not exactly the book’s fault.
The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule is often hailed as one of the definitive true crime books—and not just because of its subject matter. What makes this one stand out is that Ann Rule actually knew Ted Bundy personally. Like, really knew him. They worked together, shared meals, laughed over coffee, and confided in each other—all while Bundy was secretly becoming one of the most notorious serial killers in American history.
If that doesn’t pique your curiosity, I don’t know what will.
What Is The Stranger Beside Me About?
In short: it's the true crime memoir of a woman who was friends with a serial killer, written while she was slowly realizing that the "charming, intelligent guy" she once trusted may have been responsible for dozens of horrific murders.
Ann Rule, a former cop-turned-journalist, worked alongside Ted Bundy at a Seattle suicide crisis hotline in the early 1970s. She knew him as kind, attentive, smart, and even compassionate—the kind of guy who literally talked strangers out of taking their own lives. Meanwhile, across Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, and eventually Florida… women were disappearing.
And being murdered.
What Makes It So Unique?
This isn’t just another crime book retelling Bundy’s well-known crimes. What makes it compelling—at least in theory—is the dual narrative: Rule is trying to write an objective true crime piece, while also wrestling with her own disbelief that her friend could possibly be the monster described in the headlines.
In some ways, this book was groundbreaking. It was first published in 1980, long before true crime podcasts and Netflix specials were a thing. Ann Rule had a front-row seat to the psychological manipulation Bundy was capable of, and she documents it in real time. The result is part investigative journalism, part personal reckoning.
So Why Didn’t It Work For Me?
Honestly? I think it comes down to two things:
1. I Knew Too Much Going In
If you’re already familiar with the Bundy case, there’s not a lot here that will shock you. Escaping from custody (twice), representing himself in court, murdering women with chilling precision—none of it was new to me. Rule recounts the facts thoroughly, but without much added insight that you can’t find in a well-curated Wikipedia article or a documentary.
2. The Book Feels Bloated
This thing is long—and not always for the right reasons. Rule continues adding chapters in later editions, and while I understand her desire to update the story as new information emerged, it starts to feel like she just can’t let go.
Ironically, she keeps insisting that she had no romantic feelings for Ted. And yet... she sent him money in prison. She visited him. She wrote hundreds of pages about him. I don’t mean that as a judgment—clearly I’m fascinated by the guy too, or I wouldn’t have picked up this book. But the dynamic between them remains complicated and slightly uncomfortable.
A Few Highlights (Yes, There Were Some)
Despite my gripes, there were pieces I genuinely appreciated:
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🧠 The details about how the suicide hotline worked in the 1970s were fascinating. Operators had to keep the person on the line while someone else called 911 and tried to trace the call manually. It could take up to an hour to trace a number—can you imagine the pressure?
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👩💻 Rule’s early instincts as a journalist were sharp. You could feel her internal tug-of-war: Ted couldn’t be the guy the police were describing… could he?
Final Rating: ⭐⭐½ (2.5 out of 5)
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🔍 Great for fans of: Classic true crime, slow-burn investigative journalism, criminal psychology
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🧠 If you liked: Mindhunter by John Douglas, Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi, or I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
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⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Sexual violence, murder, stalking, violence against women, psychological manipulation
This might be a must-read for true crime newbies or those unfamiliar with Bundy’s case. But if you’re already deep into the Ted Bundy rabbit hole, like I clearly am (hi, it’s me), this might feel a little repetitive. I respect what Ann Rule accomplished here—but reading 600+ pages of Bundy-heavy narrative, especially with limited new insight, felt more exhausting than enlightening.
If you’re curious, try the abridged version or supplement with a documentary. Or, if you just want to say you read it like the rest of us true crime nerds... go for it!
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