The Stranger Beside Me

The Shocking True Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy

By: Ann Rule

Narrated by: Lorelei King

Length: 18 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Ann Rule was working on the biggest story of her career, tracking the trail of victims left by a brutal serial killer. Little did this future best-selling author know that the savage slayer she was hunting was the young man she counted among her closest friends.

Everyone's picture of a natural winner, Ted Bundy was a bright, charming, and handsome man with a promising future as an attorney. But on January 24, 1989 Bundy was executed for the murders of three young women - and had confessed to taking the lives of at least thirty-five more women from coast to coast. Ann Rule, who kept in constant contact with Bundy throughout the investigation, tells his story as no other person can, capturing the essence of his magnetic power, unholy compulsion, and demonic double life.

Available for the first time on audio, this shocking true story is an unforgettable listening experience. In an emotional reading, Rule tells us about Ted Bundy - the man she thought she really knew...the stranger beside her.

©2008 Ann Rule (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"As dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at midnight." ( The New York Times)

Outstanding Listen

Probably the best of all of her work, and for the most part, the reader captures Ms. Rule’s sentiments. The only criticism is the way she makes TB “sound” when he is being quoted. If you have ever listened to his interviews, he doesn’t use these inflections or necessarily take that tone. It is nicely wrapped up with newer material than what was originally published in 1980. A solid, long listen worth the credit!

One of the best stories ever told

I have had the actual book on my shelf for 6 months and decided to get the audible version as well. Ann tells such an interesting story and I can hear her struggling to come to terms with the fact that her friend was a monster. Highly recommend this book to any true crime fan!

Fantastic book

Wow, what an in-depth look at how close Ted was to some of the characters including the author. It’s insane to think there are ppl that F-ed up in the head.

A little bit long winded but still really good

I feel like this could have been edited down JUST. smidgen to save like an hour or two of reading but still a classic.

Terrifying and Shocking

Ann has a way with bringing a story to light. She can lift the victims in a way that makes you feel like they were your neighbors, your friends, your family. But she has a way of making the killers seem that way as well.
A perfect murderer, intelligent and cunning, Bundy swept the nation with his killing spree from Washington to Florida. To this day there isn't an accurate body count, and now that he's gone, there may never be.
As her first official novel, Stranger Beside Me casts an eerie shadow on our beloved author as she narrates her friendship with one of the worst killers of the 20th century.
I couldn't imagine having to admit that one of my best friends was a mass murderer and a psychopath.
This book isn't just about Bundy and his slayings, though they do go into incredible detail, it's also about one woman's struggle to see the devil in the angel she thought she knew.
Her journey was long, exhausting, and disappointing, but she weaves her tale so wonderfully that it seems as if you were right there with her throughout the ordeal.

This book is a MUST READ for ALL Ann Rule fans. Again, as I've said before, it's a must read for all of those who reside in the Pacific North West.

Haunting and disturbing

Unlike most true crime books and documentaries, this one really details the personalities and the activities of each victim leading up to their abduction and murder and gives you a sense of who these women were as people. By giving these women identities and histories beyond just a victim, you really feel a sense of horror and loss of what was done to them. It also makes the serial killer all the more monstrous. This book doesn't go into the psychology and reasons why Ted Bundy killed and raped these women. Bundy's ex girlfriends' names were also changed to protect their privacy so it can be confusing since I didn't know that the author changed the names. The 2 epilogues that are included when the author wrote new updates for the reprints/new editions were probably more illuminating than the book itself. Perhaps the years and distance from the initial publication allowed the author to research and reflect more about Ted Bundy. She was definitely able to remove herself from the events and write more objectively in those postscripts.

Excellent & Compelling True Crime Story

I really loved the narrator for this book. She tells the story in a way that is soothing. Perfect for this story about a horrific serial killer.

The author is a really good writer and her personal relationship with Ted Bundy makes this a very interesting book. It feels very honest and I think that is important for this particular story. It didn't feel exploitive at all. If you are interested in True Crime I highly recommend this book.

Blew my Mind!!!!

Oh my this book is amazing and truly mind blowing to me. I cannot believe how this all worked out. I did not want this book to end and honestly every free second I was listening! Hands down a great book, performance was great all well. Narrator did a wonderful job. You will not regret if you get this book!

Riveting story

I couldn't stop listening once I started this book.
At times I felt sad for Ted Bundy even though he was a monster.

Loved it!

I hated to put it down just because I had to go to work! The narrator was very good.