The I-5 Killer

Ann Rule is the "queen" of true crime stories and this book is further "evidence" of that. Ms. Rule thoroughly researches each case she covers and treats the victims and families with sensitivity, compassion and respect. This book covers in great detail the crimes of the so called "I-5 Killer," the smooth talking, evil that is Randall Woodfield. To many people that met him he seemed charming enough, clean cut, nice looking but reality is that he hit on women and immediately would begin promising them romance, devotion and a future before they even got to know each other. And in return he'd want immediate promise of further dates and would impose himself upon their lives by dropping by or looking up their number unexpectedly. Thankfully for many he was too much too soon and they turned him down. In reality, he harbored a pent up rage towards women and found sexual gratification at the thought of taking control and making them pay for past rejections -- real or perceived. I was cheering when they caught this sicko and threw him behind bars! May his victims rest in peace! The book is definitely one that holds the reader's attention although it's not one to read before bed even with husband sleeping beside you and being well protected by various means. It is quite well edited although I noticed one spelling mistake ("wagen" should be "wagon").

Ann Rule was the best. This was an absorbing crime story. You don't want to believe there are such evil people out there. All involved in solving the case are to be praised for their hardwork, effort and time . Justice was served.

Ann Rule has a talent for writing crime narratives. In this case study she lays out all of the facts in a clear understandable timeline. Reading this book 39 years after publication I was struck by how much has changed in the world of evidence-gathering, both scientifically (DNA, blood, object tracing), and computer-wise (cross-referencing, data sharing, archives). 1984 is pretty much pre-computers. It was fascinating to follow the non-tech path. The first half of the book is the strongest, as the case goes to trial the narrative loses momentum. It’s interesting, but not a standout.

This book is well written and held my interest. I found it hard to put down and was up until 3 in the morning trying to finish it. It's been a long time since that has happened.

The first book that I have read from Ann Rule was "Green River, Running Red." In a review for that book, I didn't like it much. I had read a couple of other books about the Green River Killer, and I found those more thought-provoking and interesting. But after watching a movie called "Hunt for the I-5 Killer," I decided to read this book since I was intrigued.I also wrote before that I'm not much of a fan anymore of printed material. I far prefer reading books on a Kindle device; the reasons are obvious. They became more obvious to me when I read this book - which wasn't available in digital form - when my "real" bookmark fell out of the pages and I had to find the place where I was reading, a couple of times. That wasn't fun. That, and the search capabilities, and WhisperSync of digital. . . . I probably will therefore only buy books in a digital form now in the future.All of this said, I found this book much better than GR3. This book followed the true-crime pattern that I'm looking for: What was the motivation of the killer? What did the police do to catch him? What historical events were going on at the time? To me, these things must be answered for an intriguing read of this genre. Otherwise, I lose interest.One minor complaint, of course. Ms. Rule discusses the defendent at one point, saying something like, "He complained that women in prison only had female guards to watch over them. He thought that therefore he and other men incarcerated should only have men watch over him in prison as well." She mentioned this twice, and I had the feeling that she believed that he didn't have a right to an opinion on this since, well, he was a serial killer. Wrong. Far be it from me to defend the man who was found guilty, but his logic was correct. Why should women held in the prison system get benefits that men do not? That is faulty logic from the author, if she is implying this opinion.Much better effort here from Ms. Rule. I will probably now give another book or two a try. . . .

It really didn’t seem like an Ann Rule book, but it was interesting.

Engrossing story about a prolific serial killer in the Pacific Northwest. Anne Rule simply wrote true crime better than anybody else. Thoroughly researched, including gut wrenching recollections by survivors.

Ann has such a way with writing that you tend to forget you're reading a true crime book.Highly recommend

An award winning student and star athlete, drafted by the Green Bay Packers, Randall Woodfield had it all. He was chosen as a centerfold candidate for playgirl and worked in the lively bars of the west coast. Charming, handsome and physically fit, Randy could have had his pick of sexual conquests, but his soft-spoken, well mannered demenour, hid a much darker persona, one which would wreak havoc in several states, and leave the officers of numerous police forces in a frenzy.I am a self-confessed true-crime addict. I am both fascinated and disgusted by serial killers, the intricacies of the police investigations surrounding the cases and the subsequent trials grab my attention like no other subject. I have read extensively around many of the world's biggest and most notorious cases. This is the first book I have read surrounding the apalling crimes of Randall Woodfield, The I-5 Killer. I was drawn to this book when it was referred to as the 'go-to' read during a tv documentary of the same title. I must say I am not disappointed.Rule presents the case like a novel, starting from Randall's early years, charting his development into the person he became. The book flows well with few hiccups, although I did run across several typos, misspellings and repeated or missing words (sorry for being a grammar bore, but I find these things annoying and off putting), hence the four-star rating. I really felt like I knew Randy, and his victims. I found myself physically reacting to descriptions of his crimes and the scenes that greeted police investigators. Goosebumps, nausea and pure physical disgust, just the way it ought to be, whilst feeling huge empathy for the victims of his crimes and their families (also the way it should be). The only bit I found unnecessary was the spouting of official court rulings towards the end, using the court jargon, I found myself struggling not to skim read that bit. I am ultimately astounded by RW's nouse - even continuing his vendetta from behind prison walls! An award winning student and star athlete he may have been, but he is ultimately a scheming, manipulative and arrogant man with a severe inferiority complex.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime, especially those, like me, who like to 'get inside the mind' of the criminal, whilst still feeling empathy for those affected by the crimes. An excellent book!!

Ann rule is one of my favourite true crime writers. She leaves nothing out. She is also very compassionate and often has me in tears but then I think what are a few tears compared to the horrors these poor souls endured? The very least I can do as a fellow human being is know what became of them and know how insanely evil some individuals can be.

This is the first Ann Rule book I have read and it was rivetting.The story of handsome Randall Woodfield,the man who had women falling for him is as incredible as it is horrific.His crimes escalated from flashing to cold blooded executions,where no woman or child were safe.Any one interested in criminal behavior or psychology should read this,especially those who have a say in releasing sex offenders back into society.

just what I wanted

Brilliant ill definitely be looking for her next book its always amazing how she gets into the mind of those creeps and dont forget ted bundy was a friend of hers poor woman when she found put what he was