Product Description

From the bestselling true crime author comes the mesmerising true story of Debora Green, a beautiful, wealthy, successful doctor and mother of three whose murderous rage and jealousy brings death and destruction to her family. With direct access to all the principles including Green, the prosecutor, detectives and arson investigators Ann Rule gives us a horrifying portrait of a woman who had it all and lost it. BITTER HARVEST is the chronicle of a tragedy in the heartland of America, the true story of the disintegration of a marriage and its horrifying consequences. As in her earlier books, Ann Rule takes the reader deep into the psyche of a killer whose behaviour, so twisted and so evil, defies belief. Her book is also the story of the tireless and skilful investigators, forensic scientists and prosecutors who finally brought that killer to justice. Gripping, powerful, and ultimately terrifying, BITTER HARVEST is a vivid re-creation of an unthinkable crime - and a depiction of the unimaginable depths of darkness within the human spirit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #277093 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 443 pages

Review
Edna Buchanan - 'No writer in America has ever probed the dark heart of a killer so deeply.' 'A tour de force from America's best true-crime writer...impossible to put down' - KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred)

About the Author
Ann Rule is the doyenne of true crime, a No.1 American bestselling author who was formerly a Seattle policewoman. She has more than 10 million books in print and has recently signed a contract with Tri-Star pictures for film rights to all her current books.

Customer Reviews

Shocking, intriguing and compulsive reading.
This is the first Ann Rule book I have read, and it won't be the last. The text of this book flows, making it hard to put the book down. This true story tells of Debora Green, a highly intelligent mother of three, who ends up in jail after being convicted of setting fire to her own house killing two of her children. She is further charged with attempted murder of the third surviving child, and attempted poisoning of her estranged husband. There are many sides and a history to this case, and the author gives magnificient detail without being tedious.

It takes you through Debora Green's childhood to adulthood, marriage and family life. The reader gets an excellent insight into her character and that of her husband, Mike...

The book leaves you wondering about how an extraordinarily bright and affluent woman could find herself in this position. It is poignant and fascinating.

Well written and more than a little scary
I'm a fan of Ann Rule's work and have read most of her books. This one is particularly good, in part because it is slightly different from the usual crime-trial-sentencing formula.

"Bitter Harvest" is the story of Deborah Green, a very bright woman whose intelligence hid a fundamental flaw in her personality ... the apparent lack of ability to feel compassion. There are signs early on, which we do not fail to spot, and there's a feeling throughout of wanting to reach into the book and tell her family and friends to just get away from her! Of course in real life people can't quite believe their loved ones are actually dangerous, and here, as always, there are tragic consequences.

There is no trial in this book, which gives it space to thoroughly examine Deborah's life as she moves towards her fate. It is less sensational than some true crime stories, which makes it more poignant; it's not really about the crime as much as it is about the effects of the crime.

Very good indeed.

The best yet!
Having become a fan of Ann Rule I have read most of her books to date and I think this has to be the one that I found most riveting.

The psychological profile of Debora Green is painted so clearly that we can really begin to see how her mind works. A tragic story and a tragic ending for a family that to outsiders would appear to have it all. Thoroughly recommend this book.