And Murder - Every Breath You Take - A True Story of Obsession

I have just finished reading "Every Breath you Take", and I must say it was a hellish, though compelling read. I found it impossible to put down. Allen Van Houte/Blackthorne is clearly a deeply disturbed man, and the story of how he stalked, tormented and ultimately arranged the execution of his ex-wife is truly sickening. Ms Rule writes in a matter-of-fact fashion about the circumstances leading up to Sheila's murder, and the ensuing murder investigation/trials. Some reviewers have criticised the length of the book and her writing style, but I disagree with those criticisms. It is a long, complex story with a large cast of characters, so the 600 odd page length is understandable. I give this book 4 stars. It is one of the best true crime books I have ever read. It does justice to Sheila's heartbreaking story, and exposes Allen Blackthorne as the true sociopath/disciple of Satan that he is.

Ann Rule's "Every Breath You Take" is another blockbuster in her long line of true-crime accounts. She provides us with dozens of in-depth character descriptions, written with her trademark insightful compassion. No one can weave a story like Rule does, and in this sprawling tale of obsession and revenge, she is at her best. Allen Blackthorne, like so many of Rule's villains, is a personable man, blessed with intelligence, good looks, determination, and money. He falls prey to his own dark side, and his downward spiral leads to murder. The victim herself, after watching Rule's "Dead by Sunset" as a tv miniseries, remarked to her sister, "If I am ever found dead, get Ann Rule to write my story." Her sister did, and Rule has once more spoken eloquently for the victim.
Brew the coffee, turn up the lamp, and settle in. This higly recommended book will keep you up all night!

Ann Rule has written 18 true crime books, but this was the first one that was commissioned by the victim. Sheila Blackthorne, who also had a premonition that she would die at the age of 35, asked her sister and friends to have Ann Rule write her story if anything ever happened to her. She feared that her ex-husband, Allen, would kill her eventually. When she was savagely murdered with her four quadruplet toddlers in the house, those close to her immediately suspected her ex-husband. This book has some flaws. Rule goes into great detail with some of the characters, but Sheila is never really defined except in terms of her relationship to Allen. The book seems to get bogged down in repetitious details like legal proceedings in the middle, but, like all of Rule's other books, tells a good story.

The case of Sheila and Alan Blackthorne is very memorable and psychologically interesting. Ann Rule's readers know she is always kind to the victim and the victims family, but in this case her whitewashing of the victim's character strained credulity. I agree with an earlier reviewer who wrote that Sheila was irresponsible in getting pregnant with a man who physically and mentally abused her, stole every penny her parents had to live on, and who she even saw deliberately kill two motorcyclists. She stood silent while this man committed murder. She also seemed willing to live on the money he stole from others. Alan is a pathological narcissist, a personality disorder characterized by constant lying and rationalization, con-man activities, lack of empathy, and willingness to commit criminal acts. In spite of knowing what an evil and abusive man her husband Alan was, she stayed with him and had two babies with him. After years, she finally separated from Alan, but the two continued to battle in court over money and custody issues. Alan continued in his manipulative and controlling behavior. Sheila had gotten used to a more affluent lifestyle than she could earn by working, so she next married Jamie, another man who was also very nasty and abusive, though the author tried to portray him in a sympathetic light. Sheila repeated her earlier pattern of colluding with an abusive spouse as long as he is willing to support her. Money and security were more important to her than anything. She allowed her new husband to abuse and bully her own daughters. In her new incarnation she and her new husband were very "churchy", yet both of them physically abused the girls. Alan kept going to court to try to get custody of his daughters and using their daughters and others to spy on and harass Sheila. Then, even though her new family was in deep trouble, she underwent fertility treatments well known to result in multiple births. She was the kind of woman who viewed having children as a way of hanging on to her meal ticket. She ended up being portrayed in the local press as a hero for having quadruplets. The last thing this woman belonged doing was bringing even one more child into this troubled situation. After the quadruplets were born, the family secretly moved to Florida to get away from Alan. But Alan was not through with Sheila. This is a very engrossing, though also very long, book. If this book was interesting to you, there is an amazingly similar case written about in a book entitled "Sleeping With the Devil".

What was it about the stories of Sheila Bellush and Allen Van Houte that made Ann Rule feel compelled to write a book about them? A Dateline special I can understand. Neither of these individuals are very interesting let alone sympathetic. Sheila's second husband, Jamie, was not likable at all. Everyone was a two-dimensional cardboard cutout. Allen was the controlling, overbearing, conniving, abusive ex-husband. Sheila was the dedicated, loving wife, and hapless victim to be. I got the sense from the book that there was more to Sheila's character than that, but Rule never chooses to protray her with any depth.
The narrative was not fun to read. I thought that Rule jumped around unnecessarily from time period to time period, and this is especially true when she jumped around when telling the story of the weeks leading to Bellush's death.
True crime stories always draw me in, simply for the human drama. Unfortunately, I felt no drama in this story.

This is a "true-crime" novel about an abused wife/mother who leaves her wealthy, charming husband after years of marriage. The husband wants revenge and stalks her and eventually brutally murders her. This is where the story begins.

The story itself is interesting enough. And Rule does a good job of keeping your attention for a while. But after the murder, the ensuing court case just goes on and on. It's as though Rule has made a deal to mention everyone in the book that she interviewed, so she has to give the most intricate details of the court case in order to fit everyone in.

Bottom line: The TV show City Confidential could do a great job with this story (if it hasn't already), but as a book it's just plain boring. One of the few books I was not able to finish.

This book is a must read. Ann has outdone herself on this book. I felt as though I was right there with Sheila struggling to cope with this man's obsession for absolute control.
Ann unravels the intricate powers of Allen's mind as well as every person he conned into believing he was this beautiful, caring person who really only wanted the best for them. When Sheila finally left him and remarried and then moved away with her new husband and their children, as well as her two girls, I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief; knowing deep down that this was only a reprieve.
Ann delved deeply into both Sheila's and Allen's childhoods; leaving no stone unturned. Even though Sheila was the victim I found myself seeing Allen as a victim of his childhood. He was a brilliant child who found undesirable ways to cope with his life.
It was also very interesting how Ann came to write Sheila's story. If I were a victim, I am pozitive I would want Ann to write my story because I know she would never give up until she had uncovered every fact.
I listened to this story 3 times and each time I became deeply and totally immersed into their lives; unbelieveable how long it took to pull myself back into reality.

Ann Rule reconstructs Allen's twisted childhood and its effects on his multiple abusive marriages and convoluted business deals. It shows the resulting horrific murder-for-hire of his former wife, Sheila, after she fled the state with her quadruplet toddlers.
The clues tying the bumbling murderer and accomplices are painstakingly detailed, showing that they all led back to the ex-husband.
The trials seem a bit tedious as the reader follows the same clues once again through each proceeding, but in general, the book is Rule's usual gripping account.

I read Rule's "A Stranger Beside Me" quite awhile ago, but I remember being very impressed. This book was such a disappointment. Maybe I was holding it to too high of a standard, but I don't think so. I felt the author just made excuses for Sheila. She did not deserve what she got by any means. Allen is an evil dude and deserves to be punished, but this lady was not cool. She went with him to hawaii after witnessing him commit homicide (motorcyclists) and bankrupt her parents. This occured well past the age where single mother's are doomed to wear a red letter A.

It really bothered me that the author kept reiterating how devout and religious she was as if it was a good thing. She allowed this man to abuse her children and then fell into another marriage where she, again, allowed abuse to occur. Ann Rule dressed it up as "corporal punishment" due to his military background. It was abuse. Plain and simple. I'm married to an ex-marine and he considers that type of punishment cruel and abusive. Jamie is an ass. If that's what being a devout, christian means - I'll stick with non-belief, thanks.

Lastly, I reiterate the previous reviewers. The family tree stuff was just way too much. I wanted to read about the main people involved, not the drama behind all of the grandparents. The names eventually became a confusing, boring blur.

I had trouble following the characters in this audio, yet Rule has a fluid writing style that makes a true story read like fiction. But in this abridged audio version, this talent makes itself apparent only in spurts. I think this is due to the abridgement process.

I feel the same way about abridgment as I feel about watching a movie reformatted to fit the television screen; if I am going to invest the time in viewing the movie, I want ALL of the movie. So even if I were reduced to a 12 inch screen, I would want to see the movie in letterbox, if possible.

So too, if I am going to listen to a book, I want the WHOLE book. Granted, there are things such as charts and graphs that are tedious in audio, these things are best described in brief, but I do not think this is the sort of pruning and clipping that took place in this abridgement; otherwise, I would have found the characters easier to follow because they would have been much more developed.

I read Rule's "A Stranger Beside Me" quite awhile ago, but I remember being very impressed. This book was such a disappointment. Maybe I was holding it to too high of a standard, but I don't think so. I felt the author just made excuses for Sheila. She did not deserve what she got by any means. Allen is an evil dude and deserves to be punished, but this lady was not cool. She went with him to hawaii after witnessing him commit homicide (motorcyclists) and bankrupt her parents. This occured well past the age where single mother's are doomed to wear a red letter A.

It really bothered me that the author kept reiterating how devout and religious she was as if it was a good thing. She allowed this man to abuse her children and then fell into another marriage where she, again, allowed abuse to occur. Ann Rule dressed it up as "corporal punishment" due to his military background. It was abuse. Plain and simple. I'm married to an ex-marine and he considers that type of punishment cruel and abusive. Jamie is an ass. If that's what being a devout, christian means - I'll stick with non-belief, thanks.

Lastly, I reiterate the previous reviewers. The family tree stuff was just way too much. I wanted to read about the main people involved, not the drama behind all of the grandparents. The names eventually became a confusing, boring blur.

I had trouble following the characters in this audio, yet Rule has a fluid writing style that makes a true story read like fiction. But in this abridged audio version, this talent makes itself apparent only in spurts. I think this is due to the abridgement process.

I feel the same way about abridgment as I feel about watching a movie reformatted to fit the television screen; if I am going to invest the time in viewing the movie, I want ALL of the movie. So even if I were reduced to a 12 inch screen, I would want to see the movie in letterbox, if possible.

So too, if I am going to listen to a book, I want the WHOLE book. Granted, there are things such as charts and graphs that are tedious in audio, these things are best described in brief, but I do not think this is the sort of pruning and clipping that took place in this abridgement; otherwise, I would have found the characters easier to follow because they would have been much more developed.

Ann Rule provides enough background information to make the people she has written about come to life. Ms. Rule has the ability to make a book of non-fiction read like a work of fiction. As usual, the well-chosen photographs add to the book without being excessively graphic. Van Houte/Blackthorn is an abominable waste of a "human". It is astounding how many lives this creep ruined--including those of his own children. It is mind-numbing that such narcissists can thrive in our world.

Ann Rule does her usual thing here, deconstructing the how and why of a murder, this time one engineered by a rich husband who wanted his ex-wife dead. Nothing is left out, and the portrait of the anti-social Alan Blackthorn is chilling. Rule, as usual, goes a bit overboard in angelicizing the victim and the cops, and she also sucks up too much to the judge and the various prosecutors. But, if you like Rule's other true crime books, this one will satisfy.

In HIS case, retroactively. He is a total jerk....even his name is phoney!
Back in October 2002, I had to travel from Philadelphia to Calgary, Canada, and I spent the entire trip (on two planes) reading this book. If I'd had Blackthorne within my grasp, I would have strangled him!
Talk about a textbook sociopath. He's ruined SO many lives with his "I'm going to get what I want" attitude. His current wife, Maureen, most certainly has rocks in HER head for staying with him!
I was elated to hear he had been stabbed in prison....pity it wasn't a fatal attack.

I was spellbound with every page, mainly due to an intriguing plot--an abusive husband who carries his obsessive hatred of his wife years (a decade) beyond their divorce. I enjoy Ann Rule's books, primarily because she does a great job of exploring the minds of psychotics, and exploring possible roots of their anti-social behavior. Also, Rule shows genuine concern for the victims, families, and law enforcement officers. This is what sets her apart from other writers of her genre--her humanity.
This book is not without its faults, however. Rule states facts repeatedly, as if she assumes the reader didn't catch it the first time. The facts of this case are quite memorable, however, and I found the repition distracting. Also, Rule did not hold Sheila accountable in staying married to a monster, even after she witnessed him murder two people with his car, and after he cheated her own parents out of their nest egg (both events occurring early in the marriage). That's unfortunate; any potential lessons for abused women to learn could be lost by not illustrating that Sheila had a choice to be assertive or passive, and she chose passivity. Rule could have shown this fact and my sympathy for her family would not have been diminished in the least.

Making the decision to read a fiction story along with a non-fiction book concurently my librarian suggested a Ann Rule Book. Well, I am a fan now. The only problem is the truth sometimes reads more like fiction than fiction itself. This man was truly a monster, to his family and society itself. If Lucifer is on earth he probably is in the body of Allen. I Will now begin my journey to read all of Ann Rules works, I am sure I will enjoy them all.

There is something lacking with Ann Rule's latest book. I have read all of her previous books, but this one seems rather dull and lacks the suspense of her earlier works. While the story itself is tragic, she doesn't really convey the drama of it all. Having grown up in the Sarasota area, I think the St. Petersburg Times coverage of this case was far better and would suggest to those who are intersted in the story to search the St. Pete. Times website for their previous work on the case.

What can I say folks. I started reading true crime at the age of thirteen and Ann's "stranger beside me" was one of my first. If you read Ann Rule at all... then in between her books you just dont know what to do with yourself except jones for another. She continues in her tradional EXCELLENT style. Ann's compassion for victims and their families and her attention to detail never cease to amaze me. She works tirelessly to please people like me out there and to accurately depict victims and their families. this is someone not just out to get a quick book. This is the one of the few authors who I will always support. She just never lets me down with her books. As much as I love her, I hope she never has to write a book about me. Not only is Ann a wonderful author, but a tremendous lady. One who deserves all of the ions of fans she has out there. The story is completely compelling, it's so unreal to believe that people like Allen Blackthorne exist in this world but they do. By reading Ann, I feel like I try to educate myself. I highly recommend this book to all. Even if you have never read Ann's books before, you wont want to put this one down. As with all of her books, I wish her much success. She is truly the elite of the genre. Much luck and success.
ann marie bonfiglio
ambler pa

I enjoyed every moment of listening to this book. I won't give a synopsis of the story as so many reviewers feel compelled to do, but will say that, besides being a fascinating story, Blair Brown does an excellent job of narration. Its hard to believe this is an abridged version of the book as it contains all necessary details to make this a great, informative read.

'Every Breath You Take' presents the sad and tragic story of Sheila Bellush, whose murder was arranged by her ex-husband Allen Blackthorne. Ann Rule's recitation of the events leading up to the conviction of Blackthorne is unfortunately without any objectivity, emotion or sense of literary style. It reads as raw research, unedited, waiting to be fashioned into a moving and gripping book. It is laden with unnecessarily trivial detail and burdened by repetition. The 681 pages could easily have been reduced to about 400, and I could barely sustain the energy to finish it. Much of the book consists of information clearly intended to please the author's sources but of no interest to the reader. And it's too bad, because the story is a worthy one. The bad guy, Allen Blackthorne is particularly revolting, and Sheila who certainly did not deserve her fate, was a piece of work as well. It's hard for the reader to sympathize with anybody, rather one feels more like a voyeur on the life of some people who escaped the trailer park, but not the culture. Unless you want to know the details of this particular story I recommend taking a pass on the book.

Every Breath You Take was my first experience of an Ann Rule book. I was so totally captivated that I could do nothing else until I finished it. She thoroughly researched the characters lives and presented them as if you felt you knew them. Allen Blackthorne was totally motivated with self-interest and used everyone to his own advantage, including family and friends, by lies or any other means that suited his purpose and then just walked away from them as if he had no use for them whatsoever and never even knew them. Ann Rule tells of his life from childhood to the horrific murder of his ex-wife, the mother of 2 year old quadruplets, in an attempt to try and explain the evil and total lack of conscience in this man. Sheila Bellush, his ex-wife who was murdered, was afraid of him but also stubborn in her continually fighting him in court, for 10 years after their divorce, to try and get him to live up to his responsiblity as the father of their 2 daughters. And when she thought she had finally won, he had her murdered. This is the first book I have read by Ann Rule, but it will not be my last.

I just finished reading this book tonight and it is absolutely wonderful! Ann's in-depth research left me loathing the Blackthornes and feeling sympathy for Sheila's entire family. I'm even curious about what has happened since this book was published. To the person who said they didn't know WHY Ann would chose to write this story, he/she obviously never read the book! Ann Rule was contacted by family and friends of Sheila Bellush whom once stated, "If anything ever happens to me, promise to me that you will see that there is an investigation...And find Ann Rule and ask her to write my story." This was the first true crime book I have read by Ann and I hope to read many more!!!

The story is interesting but way, way too long. Ann Rule's books keep getting worse. Her first books were great but have gone down hill lately. Some are nothing more than old newspaper articles put into book form. This one is half filler material about houses, cities, wedding dress descriptions.........yawn. I'm done spending good money on bad Ann Rule books.

Ann Rule's books are always fascinating and this one is no exception. Since Rule is a true-crime writer her books are inherently sad, yet compelling. Rule is one true-crime writer who does not write to titillate her audience with gory details but instead respectfully recounts the story of the victim. Read it!

Ann Rule is the master of True Crime writing. She doesn't go into detail about horrific events but is compassionate about the victims. This is by far the best book she has put out. I have read all of her books and she can't keep up with me reading them. I read this book in two or three days and was sad when I finished it (because I need another book by her). She is also the kindest author ever and I don't even think the True Crime title is worthy of her publications. It's more like investigative reporting. Read Every Breath You Take - you won't be disappointed!!!! And as she talked to Sheila in the beginning - she hoped to get it right for her memory.

Ann Rule is an exceptional writer and has outdone herself in her true account of Sheila's life and those who touched Sheila. Throughout the story I felt myself in tune with Sheila's thoughts and feelings. It makes one realize how easily some people can draw others into their life and cast a spell to become so possessive of another human life, even to the extent of extinguishing that life by what ever means possible. This book is a must read.

This book is filled with extraneous stuff that could have well been left out. I've loved all the other Rule books I've read, but this one was a real let down for me. It would have been good being half as long.

I think it would have been better not written at all, and possibly the request by the victim to have Anne write it clouded her better judgement.

Ann Rule's gift has always been the integration of facts in a format that allows readers to discover the gruesome crimes in a more or less chronological order. She relies a bit too much on foreshadowing - a frustration in many true crime books - but in this book she keeps the pace fast and the revelations breathtaking.

As a retired sergeant I can appreciate the way that Rule writes about true life stories. As a presenter on domestic violence and stalking, I can say she is "right on" with the words she uses to describe the subjects in her books. This book is a perfect look at how some killers try to manipulate the criminal (and civil) court systems. I highly recommend it!

I have never been disappointed by an Ann Rule book. All are page turners. Though, this is not one of my favorite books from her, it will still have you up reading late. Also try "Stranger Beside Me" and "Small Sacrifices".

My mother recommeded this book. I reluctently started it. It didn't seem like it would hold my interest especially for 600+ pages. I was wrong. I was hooked from the first chapter!! This is an amazing story!! It has been hard for me to put it down.

As a retired sergeant I can appreciate the way that Rule writes about true life stories. As a presenter on domestic violence and stalking, I can say she is "right on" with the words she uses to describe the subjects in her books. This book is a perfect look at how some killers try to manipulate the criminal (and civil) court systems. I highly recommend it!

I have never been disappointed by an Ann Rule book. All are page turners. Though, this is not one of my favorite books from her, it will still have you up reading late. Also try "Stranger Beside Me" and "Small Sacrifices".

My mother recommeded this book. I reluctently started it. It didn't seem like it would hold my interest especially for 600+ pages. I was wrong. I was hooked from the first chapter!! This is an amazing story!! It has been hard for me to put it down.

In keeping with her usual style, Ann gives us what most true crime afficianados need - detailed backgrounds of the actors in an intricate drama. We're always looking for the WHY. Ann tackles this task with heart. She presents her information in a credible, objective fashion, but also leaves much to the reader's imagination by what she doesn't say.

True-crime writer Ann Rule has written numerous biographical accounts of murder. After reading an article by her ("Killer Connection" in the October, 2004 "Reader's Digest") I wondered, as a researcher and author of four books on alcoholism (including How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics: Using Behavioral Clues to Recognize Addiction in Its Early Stages, whether she had a clue to the role that alcoholism plays in determining the course of her subjects' lives. Not once in the article, which included brief vignettes of alcoholic serial murderer Ted Bundy and "Green River" killer Gary Ridgway among others, was alcohol or other drug addiction even mentioned. Because of a recent spate of celebrity-status murder cases (Scott Peterson, music producer Phil Spector and Robert Blake, the first of whom I strongly suspect is alcoholic and the latter two who are confirmed alcoholics), I decided to pick up one of her books. I figured she might share a deeper understanding of addiction than found in a brief article. I selected "Every Breath You Take," in which she recounts in great detail the story of the brutal murder-for-hire of Sheila Blackthorne Bellush by her ex-husband, Allen Van Houte Blackthorne.

Rule suggests by her title that many killers can be obsessed and seek revenge for no apparent reason, just as B.D. Hyman felt her actress-mother Bette Davis (whose story, "My Mother's Keeper," I recount in depth in my first book, Drunks, Drugs & Debits: How to Recognize Addicts and Avoid Financial Abuse)had a "need to win" for its own sake. While some truly evil people can be obsessed with revenge and winning at any cost, these are few and far between. The motivation of early-stage alcoholics is to wield power over others, accounting for observable power-seeking misbehaviors. The cause of this need is the action of alcohol and other psychotropic drugs on the brain of the addict, resulting in a god-like sense of self. Recovering alcoholics admit to having numerous "resentments" and "obsessions." Doubt should be resolved in favor of the probabilities: if there are observable resentments and obsessions destructive of others, alcoholism is usually the underlying cause.

Rule chronicles the convoluted life of Blackthorne, the 1997 murder of Bellush and the 2000 trial in Texas. There are numerous genetic and behavioral clues to alcoholism in Blackthorne. Students of alcoholism may wish to compare the behavioral clues enumerated below with those in the on-line Thorburn Substance Addiction Recognition Indicator or in the new Indicator in the appendix of my third book on the subject, How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics: Using Behavioral Clues to Recognize Addiction in Its Early Stages. They begin with his obvious alcoholic father Guy Van Houte (who likely got sober before his third of four marriages) and even more obviously alcoholic mother, Karen (who probably never found sobriety). Yet Rule, from the start, displays a lack of understanding of the role that alcoholism plays in determining behaviors by failing to identify either of them as alcoholic, which is crucial to predicting that Allen was at great risk for inheriting the disease. Instead, Rule claims that Allen was the catalyst that set Karen off on violent temper tantrums, and that her life "vacillated between her indomitable spirit and Job-like bad luck," ignoring the role that alcoholism played in her violence and "bad luck" even while recounting her heavy drinking. She reports without question Allen's attribution of "his mother's behavior to the fact that she was often suicidal." Yes, alcoholics in the "down" phase of what appears to be bipolar disorder (manic-depression) often appear depressed and suicidal. How then, with this backdrop, could we expect Rule to identify less obvious alcoholism, as in the case of Allen Blackthorne, or even to ask questions that might resolve such a crucial issue?

Being the product of such a household could have turned Allen Blackthorne into a pathological liar, manipulative charmer, sexual exhibitionist and sadist. Without alcoholism, however, such misbehaviors usually dissipate over time and with maturity. Yet, as an adult, Allen was a charming suitor with a maniacal temper who often committed domestic violence among his "always-insecure" women, from whom he managed to hide his numerous prior arrests. A skilled driver, he once deliberately smashed into a motorcyclist, killing him instantly, and got his wife Sheila to lie about the incident. (Alcoholics are masters at such conniving.) All along, he betrayed family and friends and was described as affecting others in hurricane-like fashion (which I more accurately describe as "tornado-like"). He made false accusations of infidelity while cheating on his wives and talking down to them. He viewed himself as a heroic opportunist on par with James Clavell's hero in "Shogun", Englishman John Blackthorne, after whom he liked to think he patterned himself, even changing his name to Allen Blackthorne. Grandiosity is common among alcoholics.

While he was a profligate spender, Allen begrudged everything his wife Sheila spent on herself and their children. He claimed to be indigent and declared bankruptcy while hiding assets. He had showy houses and sports cars, but did everything he could to avoid paying ex-wives and children anything, shoplifted for the fun of it (actually, just another way by which to inflate the acloholic ego) and, while a resident of Texas, licensed his vehicles in Oregon to save a few dollars in taxes even after becoming a mega-millionaire. While a compulsive gambler with extreme sexual compulsions, including molesting one of his daughters, he falsely accused his ex-wife Sheila, whom he had tried to drown and run over and against whom he committed serial adultery, of mentally and physically abusing their daughters. Rarely paying his numerous legal bills, he inspired his fourth (and final) wife to file a false sexual harassment lawsuit against her former employer. He never seemed to sleep, especially when gambling, chain-smoking the whole time. A seeming paradox (common among alcoholics, as I explain in Alcoholism Myths and Realities: Removing the Stigma of Society's most Destructive Disease, he was a handsome, impeccably dressed millionaire who was considered eccentric and annoying, but not dangerous by neighbors. He never played by the rules, cheating even at golf. He engaged in telephonitis (one of the oddball clues to alcoholism shared with Scott Peterson, which I describe in How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics: Using Behavioral Clues to Recognize Addiction in Its Early Stages), keeping others on the phone for five or six hours at a time often until 3am, while maintaining at least six phone lines in retirement. He had a sense of invincibility fueled by the fact that he never experienced proper consequences for misbehaviors.

Seemingly unconnected to his horrible conduct, he would "sometimes" get into "alcohol or drugs;" at other times, he'd turn into a "pothead." Those who knew him argued over the extent of his drinking. His father Guy, who when obviously sober admitted to have drunk "a lot," felt his son never drank to excess because he would have lost control, and "he was a total control freak." Yet his uncle, Tom Oliver, "saw Allen drunk on many occasions," including once when he heard two drunks arguing at a bar while watching a basketball game, before realizing one of them was Allen. It turns out, he was arguing with a business associate. A bit later, Allen was too drunk to stand up. Rule commented that, apparently, "Allen was able to turn any excessive drinking on and off." That's called "bingeing," the style of drinking the former Soviet ruler Josef Stalin engaged in. And Stalin, who was very much in control when he needed to be, remained in power for decades.

Delighting in telling off-color jokes and tales of sexual conquests while married, we are to believe that Allen "never drank much," even while he often invited his coworkers to drinks after work. Yet, some of them wondered if he "might be high on drugs when he came to work," and another said he was "was using Demerol," an opiate. It doesn't take much alcohol in combination with other drugs to produce a euphoric "I am God" high. As part of a school program in which he employed a teenager, Allen told a teacher during a required evaluation meeting that if he was seventeen he'd be "high on Demerol" and chasing girls all day long rather than doing job training. Allen, by that time CEO of a company that sold a muscle stimulating device (RS Medical), had hired an obvious alcoholic as president, while firing his chief of finance, a man of impeccable ethics, falsely accusing him of heavy drinking. Accusing non-alcoholics of alcoholism is a common tactic, even while cavorting with other alcoholics. And, Allen was drinking heavily when he first broached the idea to one of his collaborators of having his ex-wife killed.

A clue as to why Allen may have limited his drinking to that of a periodic drunk who used other drugs can be found in the fact that he suffered liver damage from infectious hepatitis as a child, a result of his mother ignoring his needs during a period of heavy drinking. At the time, she was reported as being "with a different man every time" her half-sister saw her.

By the time the murder plot was orchestrated, it's possible that Allen Blackthorne was a dry drunk, abstinent but with a still massively inflated sense of self-importance, along with a sense of invincibility earned from long experience. The plot was, in a sense, brilliant. In its most basic form, he hired three different people with various backgrounds, but all likely addicts (the actual murderer was a cocaine addict), to carry out the murder. The killer left a trail of evidence, and the rationale concocted by Allen as to why the perpetrator would murder Sheila was so carefully constructed that most people would think a clear mind for the set-up was mandatory - but the creation of such a conspiracy is not beyond the practicing alcoholic. After the murder he told Peter Van Sant on "48 Hours" that he had nothing to do with Sheila's murder (in a similar act of journalistic enabling, Scott Peterson was given an opportunity to lie to millions of viewers). It took over two years to accumulate enough evidence to charge Allen with the murder. On the stand, he "appeared" to be on tranquilizers. One "veteran" reporter commented that, although many had expected Allen to explode on the stand while telling carefully concocted lies in his own defense, "he was so tranquilized he was right next door to a zombie." Yet, the clues to addiction - and to the pathological behaviors that were a likely consequence of that addiction - were on display for everyone to see long before, along with a certainty that tragedy, in a life of unimpeded alcoholism, would inevitably occur.

While an index and flowcharts connecting the various actors in the story would have been helpful, the book chronicles the behavior patterns of a an exceedingly destructive alcoholic in great detail. The tragedy for Rule's readers is that he wasn't identified as such, leaving her incapable of linking his misbehaviors to underlying alcoholism.

I thoroughly was enraptured by this book. I am so interested in the different details, history and photos. I find that I keep wanting to look all the pictures. I was so into this book, that I wouldn't do much else!