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59th out of 107 books
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8 voters
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Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death
by
Ann Rule
Liysa and Chris Northon seemed the epitome of idyllic lovers when they married on a moonlit beach in Hawaii. Their friends admired the romantic couple: Chris - tall, athletic, handsome with a thatch of blond hair, a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines - and Liysa - attractive, charismatic, seductive, an acclaimed surf photographer, with a tanned, perfect body. Their son, Bjorn, lo...more
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
Published
October 7th 2003
by Pocket
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This is the second Ann Rule book that I've read, and remain impressed with the massive amount of work and research that goes into such a project. As the story of Liysa Northon, currently in prison for killing her husband Chris, is widely available, I'm not going to spend any time summarizing it.
I have read some reviews that state that the language and context in this book is repetitive. While in one sense that is true, the list of people involved in this story is massive -- there are ...more
I have read some reviews that state that the language and context in this book is repetitive. While in one sense that is true, the list of people involved in this story is massive -- there are ...more
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This is Ann Rule's account of Liysa Northon's murder of her airline pilot husband. I became interested in her story after reading that Liysa sued Ann Rule for defamation over the book. According to the article I read, the court basically decided that the reputation of an inmate convicted of murder is so bad that it is impossible to damage it (I haven't read the opinion myself). After finishing the book, I was pretty convinced that Liysa was a nut, but I became absolutely convinced after readi...more
I have not read all of Rule's books and am not sure why she chose this story and murder as I never saw it in the headlines. The frightening thing about her books is the history which she uncovers thru meticulous research about the murderer. When you see the whole picture, how can you ever doubt their guilt. However, most juries, defense attorneys, media, even personal friends and family are never able to piece together such a complete picture of the murderer. People like Liysa interact or in...more
This true crime story took place in Bend, Oregon and Hawaii. A young mother of two is accused of shooting her third husband in the head and while they were on a camping trip in Oregon. The prosecution had an easy time of proving the Liysa Northon was guilty because she left her murder plan on her personal computer. The computer was reported stolen but in fact the computer had been taken by friends and not destroyed. At this point Liysa Northon is spending twelve years in prison without paro...more
I really enjoy true crime stories, and Ann Rule is one of the best-known writers in this genre. The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest, where a lifeless body is found in a remote riverside campground. Rule begins to reveal a detailed account of this man, and the woman he was married to at the time of his death. Rather than just examine the facts of the death scene, it is important to understand the details of the victim's life, and the life of the accused (and confessed) killer. There ar...more
I picked this book on CD up shortly after reading a story in our local paper about Liysa Northon's release date from the Oregon prison this April and how she was a battered wife and accused of killing her husband and it mentioned Ann Rule's book, which chronicles this real life murder story. I felt sorry for Liysa after reading the newspaper article but, after the book I have doubt about Liysa's character and accusations. This book I listened to on CD on a recent trip to Seattle and I didn...more
I usually find Ann's books a bit haunting as I live here in the northwest and most are set nearby. This one is proving to be particularly so. I was in the airport and saw Hawaii Airlines everywhere I looked.
It is so sad to think about the terrible loss for the Northon's and especially the children. Liysa's desires and the lengths she was willing to go to, including the lies to people who genuinely cared for her...it really makes me appreciate the people I care about.
There were some...more
It is so sad to think about the terrible loss for the Northon's and especially the children. Liysa's desires and the lengths she was willing to go to, including the lies to people who genuinely cared for her...it really makes me appreciate the people I care about.
There were some...more
This is the first true life murder story I've read. I thought the author did a great job researching the lives of both the victim and the accused, and of giving a pretty clear 360 view of the events leading up to and away from the murder. I found myself pulled in because I couldn't believe someone could be so psycho, yet appear so normal at first and dupe so many into believing her outlandish tales. I was also intrigued because two of the main settings for these stories were places I had travele...more
It's hard to say who among us might have been suspicious had we met Liysa Northon, the subject of Heart Full of Lies—or if some of her acquaintances saw through her and managed to avoid being ensnared by her toxic charm.
There will always be a few vicious, heartless sociopaths among us. All too often, they are fascinating and attractive. However, Ann Rule does the world a great service by depicting these dark-hearted people, both as they appear to be and as they really are. Hopefully...more
There will always be a few vicious, heartless sociopaths among us. All too often, they are fascinating and attractive. However, Ann Rule does the world a great service by depicting these dark-hearted people, both as they appear to be and as they really are. Hopefully...more
WOW! Talk about a woman a man wants to stay away from...that would be Liysa, the woman this story is based on. I can't count how many times I said to myself "you've got to be kidding" while listening to this book on audio. I found myself wanting to tell this woman how despicable her behavior and lies were. She definitely has a mental disorder that caused her to live outside of reality and lie so much that she couldn't decipher what was real and what wasn't. I couldn't wait to...more
This is one book with the most unbelievable plot. Liysa is certainly devious and I believe that she must be mentally unhinged. Ann Rule did extremely well to present the facts and let the reader decide one way or the other. I can't help feel sorry for the many lives she destroyed along the way for her selfish motives. Inspired me to search for the update on the net. Hope when she comes out, hat she doesn't turn her children lives upside down. Also she is sure to go after husband no. 4, so men ou...more
Good but not particularly distinguished true-crime fare from Ann Rule. The case itself — an attractive women who probably murdered her husband in front of their child — is interesting. The merely serviceable way in which the facts are rendered, colored as always in latter-day Rule stories by her own fuzzy theories on how killers and victims behave, is less interesting.
The story: Chris Northon is a fun-loving pilot, a confirmed bachelor who changes abruptly when he meets the athletic...more
The story: Chris Northon is a fun-loving pilot, a confirmed bachelor who changes abruptly when he meets the athletic...more
This is the first book I've read by Anne Rule and I found it hard to put down. The added interest was the location of the crime, the Wallowa Lake area of northeastern Oregon ... an annual family vacation spot for several decades.
In October 2000 Chris Northon was found dead in his sleeping bag at a campsite near the Lostine River. His wife, Liysa shows up in Walla Walla, WA hours later, appears to have been beaten and claims she shot her husband in self-defense.
In October 2000 Chris Northon was found dead in his sleeping bag at a campsite near the Lostine River. His wife, Liysa shows up in Walla Walla, WA hours later, appears to have been beaten and claims she shot her husband in self-defense.
Heart Full Of Lies (Ann Rule)
True crime. The story of Liysa and Chris Northon. Chris was found shot in the head in his sleeping bag and his wife Liysa is the prime suspect. She claims to have been the victim of domestic abuse and that she had to do this to protect her family. A little bit repetitive and a lot of names to remember, but overall this was a good read. I love the work of Ann Rule she brings her books life and digs deep in investigations and finding the facts. I recommend to true...more
True crime. The story of Liysa and Chris Northon. Chris was found shot in the head in his sleeping bag and his wife Liysa is the prime suspect. She claims to have been the victim of domestic abuse and that she had to do this to protect her family. A little bit repetitive and a lot of names to remember, but overall this was a good read. I love the work of Ann Rule she brings her books life and digs deep in investigations and finding the facts. I recommend to true...more
Interesting and chilling story, but like the other detractors below, I found it simplistic, repetitive, error-filled, and extremely biased when she had insisted she would not be. Each chapter seemed to reiterate something she had just written at the end of the previous chapter, as if it was a serial TV that showed scenes from previous shows to bring new viewers up to speed. Except that the separation between chapters was one sentence (did she think we'd forget?)!
This book was my introduction to true-crime and I was pretty unimpressed. The edition I read was riddled with technical errors and the language was repetitive. I also found the author's claim of an unbiased recitation of the facts to be pretty insulting. There was no question that this story had been sensationalized, which brings me to my biggest complaint: beneath the thin veneer of crime drama, this was an uninteresting domestic murder.
Well, this is my third Ann Rule book and so far they have all followed the same pattern. Some poor sap marries someone who ends up being a cruel killer.
It was interesting and I didn enjoy it. I couldn't help but wonder if Ann Rule skewed the book a little to make Chris Northon saintlier than he really was, but basically I agree with her conclusion that his wife premeditated his murder and most likely was not abused.
It was interesting and I didn enjoy it. I couldn't help but wonder if Ann Rule skewed the book a little to make Chris Northon saintlier than he really was, but basically I agree with her conclusion that his wife premeditated his murder and most likely was not abused.
This crime happened in the area where I grew up. My sister was in high school in the area at the time of this and her Government class actually studied the case to learn about the judiciary system. I thought the book was well written and recognized many of the people mentioned in this book. It does get a little repetitive, but I enjoyed the read, especially learning things that weren't mentioned in town talk.
3 stars/Non-Fiction; True Crime
There are two sides to every story, but Liysa seemed to be so manipulative of those around her that it is hard for me to believe any of her accusations of abuse at Chris' hands.
She knew what she wanted and was darn well going to get it by any means. It is just so sad that she robbed both her own son and the rest of the Northon family and friends of a seemingly good man in the process.
In all fairness, I went to Liysa's website (p...more
There are two sides to every story, but Liysa seemed to be so manipulative of those around her that it is hard for me to believe any of her accusations of abuse at Chris' hands.
She knew what she wanted and was darn well going to get it by any means. It is just so sad that she robbed both her own son and the rest of the Northon family and friends of a seemingly good man in the process.
In all fairness, I went to Liysa's website (p...more
This book proved to me that I set a very high bar for Ann Rule, who is my favorite true crime author. Written by anyone else, it would probably be a good enough book. But "good enough" just doesn't cut it, in my opinion, when it comes to Ms. Rule.
Maybe I just didn't connect to the persons in this book but I didn't feel invested in the story at all. I read the book in its entirety but more so out of dedication to Ms. Rule than the merits of the book.
Defini...more
Maybe I just didn't connect to the persons in this book but I didn't feel invested in the story at all. I read the book in its entirety but more so out of dedication to Ms. Rule than the merits of the book.
Defini...more
Another true crime report impeccably handled by Ann Rule. Readers will appreciate both Rule's enormous amount of investigative legwork and her ability to communicate a vast array of (sometimes conflicting) information cogently. She is able to balance known facts with conjecture, emotion, and drama. The result is a heady mixture stirred by a firm literary hand.
This was the first true crime book that I've read and I liked it. I'm not going to say it was entertaining, but it was very eye-opening and a little scary to read about how crazy that lady was. You never know what kind of people you might meet...or even marry. The husband flew for Hawaiian before he was killed and people I work with still remember him. Very sad and unfortunate story.
I read true crime to remind myself that there are nut cases out in the world willing to do harm for self gain. It is especially sad when children are involved. Ann Rule's books are of particular interest since I lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years.
This is the first Ann Rule book I have tried. I couldn't get into it. Perhaps she should have taken the true facts and wrote a fictional account. It would have been much more interesting. The writing just wasn't all that great. I have this book to share.
How could such a talented woman do such a stupid thing? Fascinating and tragic story of a couple that had so much going for them and ended in tragedy because of her compulsive greed. I enjoyed how Rule fully fleshed out Chris in addition to Liysa.
It's rather ugly to say this is my favorite, since she writes non-fiction crime, but it is my favorite. It's a different side of things, since "the female of the species is more deadly than the male." This is another comparatively quick, but fascinating read. It's somewhat repetitive, and there are bits where I feel like the author tries too hard. It's definitely biased, but I still can't help but feel it's a fairly accurate portrayal. The strange thing is that I never heard about...more
This was a little different from the Anne Rule books I usually read, this one was about a female killer. Generally her books are about male predators. Still very interesting. Kept my interest the whole way through.
I kept getting a sense of deja vu reading this, and realized that I have read another book about this same wacko woman and the way she went through life.
I wanted to know more about the families (WHY was her father apparently fired from being a college Pres.? and what was the story about her mother and the "abuse" that Lisa/Liysa may or may not have suffered?)
This is classic Ann Rule. Fast read, just enough creepy details about the crime without gagging you, etc.
...more
I wanted to know more about the families (WHY was her father apparently fired from being a college Pres.? and what was the story about her mother and the "abuse" that Lisa/Liysa may or may not have suffered?)
This is classic Ann Rule. Fast read, just enough creepy details about the crime without gagging you, etc.
...more
Tells of a women that lies her way through life and disposes men when they no longer fit her needs. She killed one man and lied about it, but her lies caught up to her and hurt her kids and other families.
Oh my gosh! This book is so crazy, and sad that it is a true story. It just goes to show how some people just have little touch with reality. This woman was deranged, and it is unfortenate that a Chris Northon had to fall into her trap and be her victim!
I totally recommend this book, and also search this woman. She is so caught up in her delusional lies, and still going at it.. Crazy!
I totally recommend this book, and also search this woman. She is so caught up in her delusional lies, and still going at it.. Crazy!
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More about Ann Rule...
At the time she started researching the book, the murders were still unsolved. In the course of time, it became clear that the killer was Bundy, her friend and her colleague as a trained volunteer on the suicide hotline at the Seattle, Washington ...more
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