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Add to SafariWhen comparing The Stranger Beside Me (book) vs Helter Skelter (book), the Slant community recommends The Stranger Beside Me (book) for most people. In the question“What are the best non-fiction books about murder?” The Stranger Beside Me (book) is ranked 2nd while Helter Skelter (book) is ranked 4th.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Unbiased storytelling
Pro It is a close up personal look into a serial killer
The author had a platonic relationship with the serial killer for years, up until his execution, so she knows a lot of details that are not available anywhere else.
Pro Several formats available
It's available in paperback, hard-cover and in ebook(Kindle) format.
Pro Plenty of real evidence of the trial case available in this book
Since the writer was also the lead prosecutor of the case, and also one of its investigators, there is enough evidence on this book to make the reader an expert on Charles Manson.
Pro Best Seller with 4.5/5 stars rating
7 million copies of this book were sold. Its rating on Amazon is 4.5 stars.
Pro Several formats available
It is available in paperback, hardcover, audiobook and ebook(Kindle) formats.
Cons
Con The murders are not told in chronological order
The story skips around quite a bit and does not go through them in a way that true crime fans might want to.
Con It doesn't get much into the mind of Ted Bundy
The book is filled with details of Ann Rule's relationship with Ted, and her feelings for him, however, she doesn't really dive into what was going on inside the mind of the killer. That lack of psychological perspective is felt throughout the novel.
Con A little dense for non detail-oriented people
The amount of detail in this book is staggering, and some people found the evidence roundups and the pages depicting the trial too repetitive for their taste.
Con The Kindle version does not include the original photos
Due to permission issues, the 50+ pages containing original photos of the case are not included in the Kindle version, so bear this in mind if you're buying it in the electronic format.
