I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Barbara Caruso, which gets its own separate 5-star review primarily for the tenderness and care with which it is narrated.

I was mildly concerned going into this book that, given of the subject matter, I was about to listen to 20 hours (give or take) of victim-blaming language and general ineptitude that tends to often to be involved in cases that involve the "less dead." I'm not overly familiar with Ann Rule, having only read "The Stranger Beside Me" previously, but she was exceptionally careful when weaving the narratives of the victims. She approached it with kindness and empathy, ensuring that we got to know many of the victims on an extremely personal level. I deeply appreciate the way she preserved the individuality of each victim, and the way she told their stories without any judgement or negativity seeping into her tone.

She does give us the backstory of Gary Ridgeway's life, and she discusses his behavior at length (especially over the last 25% of the book), but I would argue that this book isn't really about him -- it's about the women whose lives he stole. It's a beautiful tribute to them, and I'm grateful to Ann Rule for telling their stories in a way that centers their humanity and the injustice done to them by Ridgeway.

The only issue I had with this book is how long it dragged. I totally understand the author wanting to give as many victims as possible a voice & tell their story. However, because Gary Ridgeway killed so many women, their tales started to get lost in my brain. They all kind of ran into one hideous horror.