Practice To Deceive

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Synopsis

This New York Times bestseller—from “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews) and the author of The Stranger Beside Me—is a shocking tale of greed, sex, scandal, and murder on an isolated and eerie island in the Pacific Northwest. The basis for the Lifetime movie event Circle of Deception.

With more than 50 million copies of her books in print—from her chilling personal account of knowing Ted Bundy to sixteen collections in her #1 bestselling Crime Files series—Ann Rule is a legendary true crime writer. Here, in Practice to Deceive, Rule unravels a shattering case of Christmastime murder off the coast of Washington State—presented with the clarity, authority, and emotional depth that Rule’s readers expect.

Nestled in Puget Sound, Whidbey Island is a gem of the Pacific Northwest. Accessible only by ferry, it is known for its artistic communities and stunning natural beauty. Life there is low-key, and the island’s year-round residents tend to know one another’s business. But when the blood-drenched body of Russel Douglas was discovered the day after Christmas in his SUV in a hidden driveway near Whidbey’s most exclusive mansion—a single bullet between his eyes—the whole island was shocked. At first, police suspected suicide, tragically common at the height of the holiday season. But when they found no gun in or near the SUV, Russel’s manner of death became homicide.

Brenna Douglas, Russel’s estranged and soon-to-be-ex wife, allowed him to come home for a Christmas visit with their children. The couple owned the popular Just B’s salon. Brenna’s good friend Peggy Sue Thomas worked there, and Brenna complained often to her that Russel was physically and emotionally abusive. Peggy Sue’s own life has been one of extremes. Married three times, hers is a rags-to-riches-and-back-again tale in which she’s played many roles, from aircraft mechanic to “drop-dead gorgeous” beauty queen as a former Ms. Washington. But in 2003, her love affair with married guitarist Jim Huden led the two Whidbey Island natives to pursue their ultimate dreams of wealth and privilege—even at the expense of human life.

Unravel the tangled web woven by Russel Douglas’s murder in Practice to Deceive, a heart pounding true-crime tour de force.

Chapters

  • PracticeToDeceive 01 Title

    Duration: 33s
  • PracticeToDeceive 02 Epigraph&Forward

    Duration: 03min
  • PracticeToDeceive 03 Part1

    Duration: 03min
  • PracticeToDeceive 04 Chapter2

    Duration: 19min
  • PracticeToDeceive 05 Part2

    Duration: 16min
  • PracticeToDeceive 06 Chapter4

    Duration: 11min
  • PracticeToDeceive 07 Chapter5

    Duration: 21min
  • PracticeToDeceive 08 Chapter6

    Duration: 18min
  • PracticeToDeceive 09 Part3

    Duration: 14min
  • PracticeToDeceive 10 Chapter8

    Duration: 03min
  • PracticeToDeceive 11 Part4

    Duration: 03min
  • PracticeToDeceive 12 Chapter10

    Duration: 06min
  • PracticeToDeceive 13 Chapter11

    Duration: 06min
  • PracticeToDeceive 14 Chapter12

    Duration: 15min
  • PracticeToDeceive 15 Part5

    Duration: 14min
  • PracticeToDeceive 16 Chapter14

    Duration: 09min
  • PracticeToDeceive 17 Part6

    Duration: 09min
  • PracticeToDeceive 18 Chapter16

    Duration: 05min
  • PracticeToDeceive 19 Chapter17

    Duration: 14min
  • PracticeToDeceive 20 Chapter18

    Duration: 26min
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