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Book Description
Now in mass market—#1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Rule delves into the mysterious death of Ronda Reynolds, a former state trooper whose death, ruled a suicide ten years ago, is now considered a murder.
On December 15, 1998, thirty-three-year-old Ronda Reynolds was living with her husband of eleven months in the small town of Toledo, Washington—but she planned to leave him that night and fly to Spokane, Washington where her mother, brother, and grandmother eagerly awaited her visit for the Christmas holidays. But as Barb Thompson, Ronda’s mother, waited in an airport amid Christmas decorations in 1998, Ronda never arrived. Ronda had sounded happy on the phone only hours before, excited that she would be seeing her family. But sheer dread replaced confusion as the news of Ronda’s death arrived. Her husband told a 911 operator that Ronda had committed suicide. Now, a decade later, the only thing we can be sure of is that Ronda Reynolds died violently that night, and the lies and contradictions of her husband began to unravel.
Written with the complete cooperation of Barb Thompson, Ronda’s mother, this is a homicide puzzle that Ann Rule fans will find haunting and utterly captivating.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
MURDER!!!...SHE WROTE...,
By
This review is from: In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth (Hardcover)
The thrust of the book is the death in 1998 of a thirty two year old woman who was killed in her home by virtue of a gun shot wound to the head. This occurred on the eve of her leaving her husband and returning home to visit with her mother and grandmother. When a friend came by to pick her up to take her to the airport, instead of finding her ready to go, he found her home swarming with law enforcement personnel, as she was dead. The death had been called in by her estranged husband.The incompetence of the Lewis County Sheriff's department in Washington State boggles the mind. Clearly, those who had gone to the scene had never taken "crime scene 101". They were positively clueless on how to handle such an investigation. By the time the lead homicide investigator arrived at the scene, it had been thoroughly compromised by incompetence. Moreover, the investigation was further compromised by the Lewis County Coroner's Office, as the Coroner did not even bother to appear at the scene. In fact, he had never bothered to appear at any such scene, preferring to send his deputy, a woman whose only qualification for the position had been that of beautician's assistant. The Lewis County Coroner then classified the death as a suicide, despite staggering evidence to the contrary, and the Lewis County Sheriff's Department fell in lockstep with that assessment. The keystone cops looked like geniuses next to these bumbling fools. But for the efforts of the mother of the deceased and a stalwart group of friends and outraged professionals, the dirty secret of Lewis County incompetence might never have seen the light of day. Eleven years after the death of this woman, and only after a hard fought legal battle for a judicial review, was it determined that the death of this woman had not been a suicide. The author does a yeoman's job of marshalling the evidence that dictated that this death was not a suicide. The evidence points very clearly that a murder took place, but just who is the murderer is the subject of much speculation. The only thing that is clear is that someone got away with murder and that the Lewis County Sheriff's Office could not care less at this stage about investigating and discovering just who the killer is that walks amongst us. This book differs in one significant way from other books written by the author in that the killer is never apprehended or charged. In that respect, it is a purely speculative work and, therefore, far less satisfying for those who enjoy the true crime genre. It is also somewhat repetitious and could have used some serious editing to avoid boredom from setting in on the part of the reader, as it dragged on unnecessarily for far too long. Nonetheless, the book lays out the facts of the case in a fairly concise and orderly fashion, and leads the reader to one inescapable conclusion. Someone most definitely got away with murder.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tribute to a Woman in Blue,
By Ian Gordon Malcomson (Victoria, BC) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth (Hardcover)
I have always had great respect for how Rule presents her real-life crime detective stories. One, they are well-researched and, two, they offer a very human, down-to-earth dimension that reflects the author's attempts to get to know the victims and their families in a personal and informative way. "In the Still of the Night" is no exception. The story portrays the life of Ronda Reynolds in her struggles to become a Washington State trooper in the late 1980s and her eventual untimely murder in 1998. To create as clear a timeline as possible as to Ronda's achievements and eventual destiny, Rule delves into her background as only a good former detective would. Out of her search distills memories that are decent, troubling and, in some cases, despicable. Ronda and her family, led by her very inspiring mother, Barb Thompson, definitely come across as people intent on making a positive difference in this world. In Ronda's case, it was her burning desire to be a police officer, even though numerous people attempted to discourage her in this pursuit. If Ronda had anything wrong with her, it had to be her vulnerability in working with males. She grew up needing, but not getting, a strong male figure in her life. While she reached her career goal, her private life fell apart because she did not bring to her two marriages a corresponding strength and determination to make them work. How could she when she carried with her such a blighted past when it came to surviving in a male-dominated world? This story takes off after her second marriage to high school principal, Ron Reynolds, started to fall apart. Months later, her husband, one night, phoned 911 to inform the authorities that Ronda had just committed suicide as a result of an ongoing bout of depression. The mysterious circumstances behind her death just didn't seem credible to Barb Tompson. The whole police investigation was flawed from the start. For the next several years, this courageous woman would lead a very public campaign to get at the truth of the matter as to why her daughter died suddenly when she had so much to live for. With the help of Rule, a very dedicated private investigator, and a very sympathetic public, Ronda's death has now been ruled an active homicide case. The evidence that is laid out in this book speaks to the dedication and thoroughness of people not willing to accept the official version of events. Yes, Rule has her suspects but, as of yet, the case has not resulted in anyone being arraigned for murder because a lot of the hard evidence has been destroyed through mishandling. I recommend this book for how it clinically goes about recreating the facts of the crime scene and tying them in with the background circumstances of home, family, and community.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.3 out of 5 stars (99 customer reviews) 112 of 130 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing,
By CCCPitt "cbcpharm" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth (Hardcover)
I have been an avid reader of Ann Rule's books since I was a teenager. I would eagerly await her new releases and rush out to the bookstore (or, later, the internet) to purchase them the day they were released. As much as I hate to say it, this book is a big disappointment. Not only is it sub-par for an Ann Rule novel, but it is sub-par for true crime novels in general. My impression having just finished this book is that she became emotionally invested in this case and developed a close personal relationship with the victim's (or alleged victim's, I suppose) mother. Perhaps her relationship clouded her judgment and Ms. Rule lost sight of what makes her novels so great (which begins with a compelling story and her well-written and unbiased telling of that story). While it is clear that the story told in this book is compelling, it really is not worthy of carrying an entire novel on its own. It would have been better-suited for one of Ms. Rule's 'short story' volumes. If you are a fan of true crime, and in particular of Ann Rule, this book will likely be a disappointment.
75 of 88 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
SO disappointing!,
By Aledo - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth (Hardcover)
Well. First I must mention that I love Ann rule's books. She is a superb true crime writer. But this one deeply disappointed me---I couldn't wait to read it, but there is no suspense since we know at the outset that Rhonda is killed and no one knows who did it. Lot of speculation but no satisfying outcome. This book is really about Rhonda's mother. OK, Ms. Rule thinks Rhonda and her Mom are FABULOUS people. That is probably true but not enough to write an entire book about---something Ms. Rule is passionate about is not necessarily something readers will care about.
32 of 37 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
In The Still Of The Night,
By Tami - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: In the Still of the Night: The Strange Death of Ronda Reynolds and Her Mother's Unceasing Quest for the Truth (Hardcover)
Ann Rule is one of my most favorite authors of true crime. This story is spellbinding to me because I know the coroner involved and am from Lewis County Washington. I have been following the case regarding Ronda Reynolds since she was first killed. It is pretty plain to see it was not a suicide like the coroner has put on the death certificate. I'm so glad her mom has been fighting for justice. I do not see how Ron Reynolds can be the elementary principal in Toledo after reading this book. Ann Rule puts all the pieces together and I hope that someone comes forward with the truth and collects the $30,000 reward and the killer is free no longer.
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