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Small Sacrifices: A True Story of Passion and Murder by Ann Rule
Book Description Ann Rule's shocking and powerful account of the destructive forces that drove Diane Downs, a beautiful young mother, to shoot her three young children in cold blood. "Vivid....Extraordinary...a page-turner."--New York Times Book Review "Superb...[a] riveting detective story."--Indianapolis Star "A harrowing pathological portrait....A work of resonance and revelation with breath-stopping tension to the end." --Kirkus Reviews "Fascinating...grisly...un-putdownable." --New York Daily News "Excellent....One of the most detailed studies of a sociopath to dignify the true-crime circuit." --The San Francisco Chronicle "A raw docudrama of almost unbelievable intensity." --Booklist * Also by Ann Rule (in Signet's newly repackaged editions): The Stranger Beside Me (4/99), The I-5 Killer (6/99), The Want-Ad Killer (8/99), The Lust Killer (10/99) Reader Reviews Unbelievable Story, not for the feint of heart, September 26, 2003 Reviewer: Jami Lynn from Pittsburgh, PA United States Having seen the TV movie based on this book, and not being able to believe it, or turn it off, when I saw this book at a used book store, I bought it, thinking it would shed more light on the story. It does. It is a horribly sad, disgusting story of a woman who brutally killed one of her children while trying to kill them all. It is also a stunning story of the lengths people acheived in bringing her to justice. A story of bravery of an 8-year-old survivor who faced more horror than most adults could stand and overcame it. I don't read mysteries or horror novels - I read this because the truth is scarier than anything anyone could make up and I needed to understand how this could happen. Of course, it is incomprehensible. Rule, now one of my favorite authors, writes this like all her books in a style that allows the action to unfold naturally as you read. I do get a little weary of complete histories of all invovled, police, DAs, etc, but appreciate some detail when it adds to the story. I also identify with the oldest child, who is the same age that I am. When I read it, I remember myself at that age at that time, and it makes the story that much more real. God bless you, Christie, wherever you are today. I have read this book probably 4 or 5 times, bringing it out every couple of years, to reread it and look for answers that no one but Diane Downs has. I recommend it to anyone interested in true crime not as voyeuristic entertainment, but as proof that sometimes justice wins.
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