Call it my dark secret. I tend to enjoy reading Ann Rule's true crime stories, finding in them kindred spirits, and that I did the right thing by walking away from the toxic relationships in the past. Or knowing that there are dark and terrible things out there and that I'm not being foolish in keeping my guard up and not be as trusting as I was in the days before.

With Ann Rule's True Crime series, each book in the series deals with a specific aspect of the predators out there, such things as greed, lust, anger and the like. This time, she looks at lies, the terrible deceptions that people spread around them to get what they want from those around them.

Last Dance, Last Chance
When we enter into the doctor's office, we expect to be helped with our ills by the physician. After all, that trust is needed, as we usually reveal secrets and worries that we would never dare to disclose to anyone else. Unfortunately, not all doctors are competent nor are there ones that can always be trusted. Debbie Rago met Anthony Pignataro at a party, and she was smitten with him from the start. He was a pre-med student, came from a successful family in Buffalo, NY, and was well-spoken and handsome. He was attentive to her and charming and soon they were making plans to marry and a future. Debbie knew that things would be tough for a few years while Anthony completed his schooling and internship, but after that things would improve once Anthony established himself. Debbie became a good wife, always supportive and working hard. After several missteps during his internship and residency, switching from several specialties and settling on plastic surgery as his field. There were soon two lovely children to care for -- Ralph and Lauren -- and a home and a return to Buffalo.

But soon, cracks were appearing. Anthony wasn't always faithful, and if one dug into his medical reputation, the reviews he received from fellow doctors were not exactly glowing. Debbie wasn't always secure, but Anthony was always promising to do better, and for a time, things appeared to be working. Too, money never really seemed to be there, but Anthony kept insisting on having the very best of everything. Most of all, any setbacks seemed to be someone else's fault, but surely not Anthony's. Never Anthony's fault.

Then the worst happened. A patient died. Anthony had focused on providing a very unconventional way of fixing male baldness -- a snap-on toupee. His other focus was coming up with a way of restoring women's breasts to perkiness by wiring under the skin. Sarah Smith suddenly started to have problems during the surgery, and was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died. This time, Anthony's bungling couldn't be ignored, and prosecutor Frank Sedita went after him...

But that wasn't the worst that Anthony Pignataro could do, as Debbie would find out. She started to get ill, gradually getting weaker and sicker, until her family was certain that she would die. But Debbie didn't. How all this finally combined into one of the more notorious court cases in New York is revealed in here. The story takes up nearly two-thirds of the book, and my heart ached for Debbie and her family. Ann Rule uses cases of the sociopath, those individuals who lack the empathy that keeps most of us from murdering or exploiting each other, but in those who do have it, turn them into wolves that walk among us. They are only concerned with themselves, spoiled, narcissitic, and to compound the problem, can be extremely charming and socialble to be around. Only until it is too late do their victims realize that they've fallen into the clutches of a predator.

The Accountant
The story of Jack Gasser, a very sadistic killer who preyed on women, and took out his fury on them with knives. What kicks this story into the unusual that Gasser did go to prison for the murder of Donna Woodcock, but due to the switching nature of death-row laws, he was freed, before going on to commit at least one more murder, and possibly many more. This story made me both angry and sad, as I do feel that some prisoners should never be let loose on the public.

The Killer Who Begged to Die
The title pretty much explains it all. And it's another case of a murderer released from a prison who went on to kill again. However, he knew he was a killer, and actually asked the courts to sentence him to death row. He also refused any appeals, and it seems, relieved to be led to execution.

The Beach
Two young women from Vashon Island in Washington state are found on a remote beach. Both were murdered, and the police followed leads to a man who had been sentenced before. Some sociopaths know what they are, and admit to it, but most of them lie as this fellow did. What saddened me about this case was that Gail Burton and Tina Jacobsen never stood a chance against their killer, not even able to fight back.

The Desperate Hours
And sometimes, there is luck. This story takes place on a winter's night, when a stranger with a rifle appears in the home of a woman with three young children. He forces her to drive away, and only by sheer luck was she able to save her own life and the man brought to justice.

I come from this collection with mixed feelings. While the title story is very good, and the story of Donna Pignataro is a moving one, the other four tales felt like filler. Still, as with everything that Ann Rule writes, it's much better than most true crime writing. Ms. Rule stays away from the sensationalistic, tabloid style writing, and tneds to avoid judging either the victims or the killers, letting the reader make that descision for themselves. Most importantly, she always has a great deal of compassion and understanding for the victims and survivors of violent crime, and that is why I keep returning to her work.

Overall, this one is a solid four star read, and worth the effort. It will certainly make you think, and perhaps listen to your gut when someone seems a bit too good to be true, or when you feel that you are unsafe. Recommended.

Other books in Ann Rule's Crime Files Series:
Vol. 1: A Rose For Her Grave
Vol. 2: You Belong to Me
Vol. 3: A Fever in the Heart
Vol. 4: In the Name of Love
Vol. 5: The End of the Dream
Vol. 6: A Rage to Kill
Vol. 7: Empty Promises
Vol. 8: Last Dance, Last Chance -- you are here
Vol. 9: Kiss Me, Kill Me
Vol. 10: Worth More Dead
Vol. 11: No Regrets
Vol. 12: Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder
Vol. 13: Mortal Danger
Vol. 14: But I Trusted You
Vol. 15: Don't Look Behind You
Vol. 16: Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors

Last Dance, Last Chance and Other True Cases: Crime Files Vol. 8
Ann Rule
2003; Pocket Books, Simon and Schuster Inc.
ISBN 978-0-671-02535-9

Recommended: Yes