If You Really Loved Me - Ann Rule - 4 Stars

[Olivermagnus]

Ann Rule was the queen of true crime and over the years I think I've read just about every one of her books. I don't specifically remember reading If You Really Loved Me but I'm pretty sure I saw the Made for TV miniseries back in the early 90s.

One night, the police are called to the home of David and Linda Brown. Linda's 17-year-old sister, Patti Bailey, is standing next to David. They tell the police that something bad has happened to Linda. They think they know that Linda is dead in her bed, although they are too frightened to look. They think David's 14-year-old daughter, Cinnamon, has killed her. Cinnamon can't be found anywhere.

"If You Really Loved Me" documents how David Brown was able to manipulate his 14-year old daughter and his wife's teenage sister in a plot that would ultimately result in Linda Brown's death.

David Brown loved young girls. He was married six times and all six of his marriages were to emotionally weak and uneducated females. Most of them were just 15 years old when David began having sex with them. To look at him, you would find it difficult to understand how he could be such a Svengali. It soon becomes apparent that he always chose young, inexperienced girls who were lonely and had no self esteem.

Ann Rule is very methodical and thorough in her research and her writing. This was a fascinating book but it’s actually the last half of the book that gets really interesting as the investigation into Brown really kicks into high gear.

As usual, Rule's books can be overly detailed. That can be both positive and negative, depending on how you feel about the particular crime. In "If You Really Loved Me" I felt like it was too much. There were many sections that could have been cut back without damaging the story.

I appreciated the 2002 Afterword where we find out what happened to the key players since the crime happened over forty years ago, Google provided even more.

While not my favorite Ann Rule true crime story, I'm still going to continue to reread some of her most popular books in the future.

[Book Concierge]

I used to read her books, but I don't think I've read this one. Certainly don't remember it. I really do like true crime, but haven't read much of it the past few years.

[Olivermagnus]

I don't think it was her most exciting but I still like most everything she ever wrote. My two favorites are The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story and Small Sacrifices.

[Booknblues]

I used to love to read an Ann Rule book and have read 6 of them. I read this one back in 1993 and that is why I still keep my old box of index cards with books I have read in the 1990s.

I no longer read this type of book because it creeps me out too much, but she is certainly good at it.