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The Stranger Beside Me: The Shocking True Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ann Rule (Author), Lorelei King (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 12,919 ratings
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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.

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  1. Listening Length
    18 hours and 29 minutes
  2. Author
    Ann Rule
  3. Narrator
    Lorelei King
  4. Audible release date
    March 23, 2012
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Audio
  7. ASIN
    B007NVDZGA
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 18 hours and 29 minutes
Author Ann Rule
Narrator Lorelei King
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date March 23, 2012
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B007NVDZGA
Best Sellers Rank #4,793 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#10 in Serial Killers True Crime
#28 in Serial Killers True Accounts
#34 in Crime & Criminal Biographies

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
12,919 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and easy to follow. They appreciate the insightful material and the author's thorough research. The emotional content is described as heartfelt, poignant, and haunting. Many readers describe the book as a great account of Ted Bundy from personal knowledge. However, some feel the story is repetitive and boring.

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Select to learn more
ReadabilityWriting qualityInsightEmotional contentBook reviewSuspensefulPacingStory quality
651 customers mention "Readability"648 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and informative. They describe it as a complete novel that is well-written and recommend it. The author is described as masterful and did an excellent job of capturing the story.

"...Not only does Ann give a personal angle to this story, she also dives into a detailed description of each victim, case, event, detective, etc...." Read more

"...I most highly recommend this extraordinary book. It was originally written in 1980, updated a few times...." Read more

"...Overall - a great read." Read more

"...describes the situations, easy to follow along and makes everything really interesting!" Read more

332 customers mention "Writing quality"281 positive51 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book good. They say it's a well-written first-hand account of the Ted Bundy murders. The language is crisp and precise, never predictable. Readers appreciate the author's honest and straightforward narrative in a jargon-free way.

"...Ann give a personal angle to this story, she also dives into a detailed description of each victim, case, event, detective, etc...." Read more

"...but no gruesome ones, and it's a big book, at 551 pages, every word relevant. It's a disturbing book and one that should be read." Read more

"I love how the author describes the situations, easy to follow along and makes everything really interesting!" Read more

"...have written books about Ted Bundy, but thanks to Ann Rule's superb writing skills, experience with serial killer cases and genuine insight into the..." Read more

213 customers mention "Insight"213 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and well-researched. They appreciate the author's knowledge and experience in covering the case. The book provides an interesting perspective and a powerful study of the human psyche. Readers also mention that the book provides updates and new facts.

"...It was so interesting to read about the infamous Bundy through the eyes of someone who knew him as a friend...." Read more

"...qualified when it came to criminals, and I very much appreciated how honest and humble she was at admitting that she, like so many others, had been..." Read more

"...skills, experience with serial killer cases and genuine insight into the criminal mind The Stranger Beside Me is definitely among the best of all of..." Read more

"...I think she was incredibly honest in her eventual evaluation of ‘what’ he was, the consummate manipulator until the very end, and quite frankly the..." Read more

47 customers mention "Emotional content"33 positive14 negative

Customers find the book heartfelt and emotional, with empathy for the victims and their families. The author's voice is poignant and haunting as she describes them. They appreciate the good balance of honoring the victims while detailing the crimes. Readers describe the story as fascinating, remorseful, and tragic.

"...With a clinical eye, she describes the crimes, but she shows much compassion for the victims...." Read more

"...The story is blunt, bleak, and makes no effort to explain the crimes...." Read more

"...find that the author tended, occasionally, to be repetitive and overly introspective...." Read more

"...I feel she did a good job at honoring the victims while also trying to explain her complicated emotions to what had seemed like a good friend...." Read more

37 customers mention "Book review"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the book about Ted Bundy insightful and personal. It provides a detailed look at the serial killer's life from childhood to his crimes. Readers appreciate the author's honest and frank portrayal of Ted. The book is based on true accounts and details from the author's own relationship with Ted.

"...The book is based on true accounts of Ted Bundy, and details from early childhood to his demise." Read more

"I am really enjoying this book about Ted Bundy...." Read more

"This is by far the best book ever written about Ted Bundy. I don't just mean about his crimes I mean about his character...." Read more

"This is the major book on Ted Bundy by a top true crime author who actually knew Bundy personally...." Read more

172 customers mention "Suspenseful"120 positive52 negative

Customers have mixed reactions about the book. Some find it chilling and gripping, with rich details about Ted Bundy's activities and horrific crimes. Others find the descriptions graphic and disturbing.

"...There are pictures but no gruesome ones, and it's a big book, at 551 pages, every word relevant. It's a disturbing book and one that should be read." Read more

"...This is a story of a madman. But it is also the story of a friendship strong enough to make the deeds of this serial killer unfathomable to someone..." Read more

"...This is a haunting and extraordinarily disturbing book - often difficult to read. Yet, I also found it difficult to put down...." Read more

"...Bundy, but thanks to Ann Rule's superb writing skills, experience with serial killer cases and genuine insight into the criminal mind The Stranger..." Read more

48 customers mention "Pacing"20 positive28 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it fast-paced and insightful, with vivid portraits of the characters. Others feel the first half drags on and the ending seems excessively long.

"...book was an interesting and riveting read, although it tended to go on forever toward the end...." Read more

"...THE STRANGER BESIDE ME is very, very well written, well structured, fast paced, and flows smoothly...." Read more

"...The first half of the book is slow because it mostly deals with Ann’s background with Bundy and what she knew of his life as it intersected with her..." Read more

"...the various investigations (she doesn't dwell on lurid details), and draws fast, vivid portraits of the women Bundy killed and does a powerful job..." Read more

45 customers mention "Story quality"0 positive45 negative

Customers find the story repetitive and boring. They feel the multiple updates to the story are not well integrated, making it tiresome and lackluster. The story is also described as dark and dreary.

"...I did find that the author tended, occasionally, to be repetitive and overly introspective...." Read more

"...and while I appreciate the fact it was read by the author, the story itself was 'Meh at best...." Read more

"...This is a dreadful story and some things are difficult to read. I learned a LOT from this book...." Read more

"...For such a famous case, the book was quite lackluster, and did not hold my attention...." Read more

📖
5 out of 5 stars
📖
Fascinating.Ted Bundy was executed very shortly before I was born and although I’ve been a fan of true crime and all of the fine-line details since childhood, Ted Bundy and his crimes never really caught my attention until I watched “The Ted Bundy Tapes” on Netflix.Now I want to hear about him from every angle. Every person who has given an opinion in some way or written some form of documentation in accordance with Bundy and his crimes, I want to find.It will forever boggle my mind how a person as intelligent, handsome and (sometimes) charismatic could work at a crisis call center to help save people’s lives yet a switch flipped inside of him to make him take lives as well.This book is great! It left me hanging on a few things that I wanted to find more about (i.e. stating that Ted was a “necrophile” but never actually said a single thing to support that claim otherwise.)I’ll definitely read again though!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kayla Hipp
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely incredible book on Ted Bundy. Ann Rule was a once in a lifetime talent!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This book was phenomenal. I felt every emotion that Ann had through each page of the book. It was so interesting to read about the infamous Bundy through the eyes of someone who knew him as a friend. Not only does Ann give a personal angle to this story, she also dives into a detailed description of each victim, case, event, detective, etc. that occurred in relation to Bundy. I can’t imagine any book about him coming close to this one. With letters from Bundy, photographs, etc., this book absolutely blew me away. Highly recommend!
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  • Monique D
    5.0 out of 5 stars Positively riveting
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    True crime stories are not my usual fare; I had read precisely one before this book. But THE STRANGER BESIDE ME was on sale, and while I had heard of Ted Bundy - who hasn't! - I realised I knew nothing beyond the fact that he was a notorious serial killer. It was an opportunity I couldn't afford to miss. I had also read many good things about Ann Rule, which turn out to be all true: THE STRANGER BESIDE ME is an amazing book.

    What makes this book extraordinary is that Ann Rule knew Bundy personally before he was accused of any crime. Starting in 1971, for three years, they manned the phones at the Seattle Crisis Clinic, where they took calls from depressed people. The Ted Bundy Ann Rule knew then was a nice man, whom she considered a friend, and she was stunned when she heard about the crimes, and there was a Ted Bundy she knew nothing about. I find it admirable how Ms. Rule managed to remain objective; it must have been extremely difficult to do. Leave your prejudices at the door; Ms. Rule was competent and qualified when it came to criminals, and I very much appreciated how honest and humble she was at admitting that she, like so many others, had been duped by a charismatic and consummate psychopath. And this makes for an exceptionally compelling read.

    Ms. Rule writes clearly, reports the facts without embellishing or judging. She also interviewed and interacted with countless people involved in the Ted Bundy investigation; she was also qualified to evaluate the case. THE STRANGER BESIDE ME is very, very well written, well structured, fast paced, and flows smoothly. I love how she could report those facts, relate the gory details without being sensationalistic, but not dispassionately. With a clinical eye, she describes the crimes, but she shows much compassion for the victims. The crimes are horrifying, but what I felt was not disgust but sadness and grief for those innocent women. At one point, I almost cried.

    With her insight and knowledge, we get an insider's look at how psychopaths operate, how they can so thoroughly fool people, even those close to them. Ted Bundy was handsome, incredibly cunning and "lucky" beyond belief, and also horribly perverted. Why women flocked to him even after he was accused of all those terrible crimes, after he admitted to the murders and worse, completely baffles me. What's most interesting is that Ann Rule had agreed to write the book about "the Ted killings" before he was caught, before she knew that the Ted she had worked and the sadistic serial killer were one and the same. And she does share how difficult it was.

    I most highly recommend this extraordinary book. It was originally written in 1980, updated a few times. There are pictures but no gruesome ones, and it's a big book, at 551 pages, every word relevant. It's a disturbing book and one that should be read.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • A. V. Williams
    4.0 out of 5 stars The truth is definately stranger than fiction...
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of those instances where truth is definately stranger than fiction, imagine you write true crime stories and then as a effort to produce a novel rather than stories, you choose a current event whereby someone was brutally attacking young women leaving them for dead, then you get the suspicion that a man you were alone with at the dead of night (in a crisis centre) whom you shared your problems with could be this...'monster', and then you are proven right - it is him. To the best of my knowledge - even Hollywood didnt come up with this storyline.

    Reading an account of Ted Bundy's story (just after he was executed) was what actually what got me into reading true crime and watching similar type films. Here Ann tells of having worked beside the man and her impression of him is the absolute opposite that the media portrayed (Media - he was brutal, angry man, Ann- he was a shy, respectful person that listened - At times you think hell is she talking about the same man they executed for these indiscribable crimes against young women?) She tells of how they met, listened and helped each other with problems, there is even a possibility that had circumstances been different she might have been instrumental in at least getting him to stop, possibly even avoid going down the road he went - that's f you can believe that a bad person wont be bad if he/she gets the help/support they need at the right time - who knows?

    For me this was a very difficult read. I think partly because I made the mistake of first reading the update she recently put in and the women that were attacked - those that survived are up in their 50+'s now - were on average the same age as I am. At times the book is also a bit heavy like when where A.R. considers mentality, and factors that might have affected Bundy to do what he did (and at times she takes pains to explain as well - thats why the 4 stars).
    Overall - a great read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Paula V
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great book!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I love how the author describes the situations, easy to follow along and makes everything really interesting!
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Skitty Princess
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece of True Crime Writing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    As I usually read about British true crime cases, I'd not read anything by Ann Rule before. However, after reading this wonderful book I understand why she is still renowned as a maestro of the genre almost a decade after she sadly passed away. Despite the appalling subject matter - which is dealt with sensitively - the writing is deeply humane, compassionate and insightful. I highly recommend anyone with an interest in the Ted Bundy case, or indeed true crime in general, to read this book. I will certainly now be reading more of Ann's books.
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  • Regina Decker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super
    Reviewed in France on April 15, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Livraison rapide. Cela faisait longtemps que je voulais lire ce livre. Je l’ai dévoré en plusieurs soirs ;)
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  • Teresa Roper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Harsh
    Reviewed in Canada on March 14, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A hard book to read, when you remember being in college when many of these girls were killed, I remember hearing about him, seeing the trial in the news. But this is the first book I have read by a person who knew him “ before “

    I feel for the author, I cannot imagine having known that man.

    A good, honest informative, non theatrical book.
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  • Ana Carolina de Aguiar Moreira
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ann Rule te prende da primeira à última página
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A história é fascinante e o texto de Ann Rule irrepreensível! Fãs de histórias de crimes reais não conseguirão deixar o livro por nem um dia até finalizá-lo. A leitura é muito fluída e não te entedia nem por um minuto! Altamente recomendado.
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  • Alejandro
    5.0 out of 5 stars THE book on the bundy murders
    Reviewed in Mexico on July 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Amazing and deeply personal book of the bundy murders, youre not finishing this thinking the world's a better place but it's an amazing book, not for weak hearts or minds. Definitely not for under 15 and even i would say under 18.
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