If you are into true crime and are looking for a compelling, nail-biting, and somewhat gruesome story, The Want-Ad Killer by Ann Rule is the book for you.
Harvey Carignan is the main suspect throughout the duration of the book and as the story progresses, Rule unveils more and more secrets about this potential killer. The first victim is a girl named Kathy Sue Miller, and this is how the book got its name. It’s the most frustrating and detailed investigation in the story. The most interesting and jaw-dropping thing about this true story is that there isn’t just one crime. As the book gets deeper into its conflict, we realize there is more to this man than we originally thought. What could this man possibly want? Why is he doing this? Victim after victim, there begins to be a pattern. Every person he targets is a young woman who lives around the Minnesota area. The crimes he commits against these girls are simply gut-wrenching. The problem is, he has experience, he’s good at committing these crimes, and he's even better at getting away with it. Fortunately, the story ends in a satisfactory way with Mr. Carignana behind bars.
The development of this story is a true thriller. The true accounts of the officers and victims make this story one of my all-time favorites. I never once got tired of reading this book and I always wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. While this was an amazing book for me, it might only be amazing for those who enjoy reading about traumatic crimes and investigations, because there were some points in the story which I thought might be overly explicit for certain audiences. I think this is a great book for anyone over the age of 16. Overall, I rate this book a 5 out of 5 because a true crime book cannot get much better. The way it's written pulls you into a new environment and places you in the story with the characters.