WAS SHE A SWEET SOUTHERN CHARMER?
OR A COLD-BLOODED KILLER?
For their wedding portrait, petite Pat Taylor and handsome Tom Allanson posed as Rhett and Scarlett. Both came from fine Southern families, and dreamed of the Tara-like plantation where they would grow roses, raise horses, and move in the genteel circles of Atlanta society. Less than two months later, their dream exploded in terror and murder: their beautiful home mysteriously burned to the ground and Tom was convicted of the brutal slaying of his mother and father.
Pat's only brother had died in a puzzling suicide, her grandparents-in-law were poisoned with arsenic, and no one — from her wealthy employers to her own children — was safe when Pat Allanson didn't get her way. It took Georgia lawmen more than two decades to stop her for good — if indeed they have.
In this fascinating account, Ann Rule delivers a tour de force: a whirlwind of misguided love, denial, guilt, and passions out of control; a series of brilliantly manipulated crimes; the bizarre and horrifying tale of two families brought to ruin; and, at the center of it all, the heartless, supremely selfish sociopath whose evil hid behind soft words and gentle manners, but who destroyed — without mercy — those who loved her.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Rule, a true story of obsessive love, murder, and betrayal. A series of brilliantly manipulated crimes brings two families to ruin, and at the center of it all is a sociopath whose evil hides behind her soft words and gentle manners. To be the subject of a two-hour ABC-TV miniseries. 32-page insert.
"A headlong plunge into the depths of a sociopathic mind, told with a master's hand." — Kirkus Reviews
The majority of Rule's books have hit the New York Times bestseller list, including six Crime Files series volumes: A Rage to Kill, In the Name of Love, the #1 bestseller A Fever in the Heart, You Belong to Me, A Rose for Her Grave, and The End of the Dream.
...And Never Let Her Go is her chilling account of the nationally renowned case of wife killer Thomas Capano; Bitter Harvest covers the case of Debora Green, a physician and mother driven to murder; the #1 bestseller If You Really Loved Me tells the true story of a millionaire's murderous alter ego; Everything She Ever Wanted is the story of a sociopathic Georgia socialite and her fatal attractions; Small Sacrifices is Rule's heartbreaking account of a woman who slaughtered her three young children. Perhaps her best-known and most compelling work, The Stranger Beside Me, is the fascinating tale of Rule's growing terror as she realized her friend and coworker, Ted Bundy, was a serial killer. Finally, the #1 New York Times bestseller Dead by Sunset tells the story of a charismatic killer and the women who loved him.
Generous and civic-minded when it comes to sharing her expertise and insights, Rule has testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee and often speaks to law enforcement agencies, including the FBI Academy. She also served on the U.S. Justice Department task force that set up VI-CAP -- the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program now in use at the FBI to trace and apprehend serial killers.
Rule's interest in criminology seems to run in the family: Her grandfather and an uncle were sheriffs, another uncle was a medical examiner, and her cousin was a district attorney.
Anonymous
Posted September 11, 2005
I too read the book in less than 2 days because I have known Pat and her family for 20 years. Her son Ronnie was married to my best friend Kathy until his death last year. Pat is still very much alive and lives with her father Colonal Radcliff. To this day she is a very evil munipulitive woman. This book is true word for word!!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 3, 2003
I just recently got done reading this book and it is excellent. I love to get into the minds of people and see how absolutely crazy they really are. The Allanson's are not just prone to doing one crime, but they just keep on. It is a great book, read it in one week. I definatly recommend this book to anyone who likes true crime and murder books.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 23, 2007
I have read this book many times, It has helped me understand the minds of killers better. I am using parts of it in my class at college for criminal justice. And shame on any of the family that even so much as justifies or ackowledges that Pat is a good person, who deserves anything. The only thing she deserves is to die, the same horrible deaths she inflicted on her victims.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 29, 2010
I watched the Lifetime movie before I read the book (the movie was good, too). I was intrigued by Pat Taylor Allanson's story, so I read the book--wow. Ann Rule fills in all the details, and I couldn't put this down! The story surrounding the family is SO good--the secrets, the cover-ups, etc. The story is complex, but Rule writes in a way that all the events are easily followed, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I highly recommend this!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.True crime can be disturbing to say the least...but I love Ann Rule. This book is written well, a nice read - it flows - and its very interesting, wanting to see what happens next.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Smileeface
Posted October 26, 2009
This book proves once again how evil comes in many guises--even in that of a good looking genteel southern belle. Is Pat Allanson histrionic, mentally unbalanced, or just plain selfishly evil? This story will certainly keep you wondering. The revelation of her cajoling her husband into a suicide pact is incredibly unnerving. I kept wondering how on earth these people did not suspect her for so very long? Since it takes place mostly in the 1970's I was left wondering if this had all happened now with all of the forensic and DNA advancements and the blitz of media and internet communication, would they have found phone records and documents in her computer and her DNA implicating her more directly with the crimes--? Truly an interesting case and a great read.
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Posted September 27, 2007
What a shame that american society is so selfish as to make a dollar off of another persons misfortunes or actions, that also affected another family in a negative way. You must be SO VAIN!!!! I understand the fact your a writer.....but your day will come too....you'll need more than luck.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 4, 2002
Another great book by Ann Rule.
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Posted January 23, 2001
I recently read this book and could not put it down. It was a fast-paced book that kept the reader wanting more. I have read almost all of Ann Rule's books and this was one of my favorites. I highly recommmend it if you enjoy reading this author.
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Posted April 14, 2000
I am from holland and mrs Rule isn't that known in Holland. But eversince i've red here book about Ted Bundy I am a huge fan of here work. This book is a message to what people are capable of and sometimes it was frighting to read how one person could manipulate so many people and got away with it for a long time. Pat Alanson really frightend me and ann rule made showed us what people are sometimes like. like I said in Holland she is not as well known as in the United states but every time I come accross one of here books here I simply have to buy it. and when I visit the states I go into book stores to find here books and take them home with me.
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Posted May 28, 2009
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Overview
WAS SHE A SWEET SOUTHERN CHARMER?
OR A COLD-BLOODED KILLER?
For their wedding portrait, petite Pat Taylor and handsome Tom Allanson posed as Rhett and Scarlett. Both came from fine Southern families, and dreamed of the Tara-like plantation where they would grow roses, raise horses, and move in the genteel circles of Atlanta society. Less than two months later, their dream exploded in terror and murder: their ...