Ann Rule books in order
American true crime writer
- Lived
- 1931–2015
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 43
Ann Rule published 10 novels, 13 non-fiction books and 20 other books, beginning with The Stranger Beside Me (1980). The best-known is Small Sacrifices (1987).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Ann Rule
Start here
Small Sacrifices
Ann Rule's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Possession (1983)
A Rose for Her Grave and Other True Cases (1993)
Dead By Sunset (1996)
Every Breath You Take: A True Story of Obsession, Revenge, and Murder (2001)
Too Late to Say Goodbye (2007)
Mortal Danger (2008)
Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors (2012)
But I Trusted You (2013)
Practice to Deceive (2013)
Lying in Wait and Other True Cases (2014)
Non-fiction in order
The Stranger Beside Me (Aug 1980)
Small Sacrifices (1987)
The I-5 Killer (1988)
The Want-ad Killer (1988)
Three Classic Volumes from the Crime Files of Ann Rule (1997)
--- and Never Let Her Go (1999)
A Rage to Kill (True Crime Files) (2000)
Every Breath You Take (True Crime Files) (2001)
Heart Full of Lies (2003)
Green River, Running Red (2004)
Kiss Me, Kill Me and Other True Cases (2004)
No Regrets (2006)
I Survived Ted Bundy (2016)
Other books in order
Lust Killer (1983)
Beauty of Seattle (1992)
Everything She Ever Wanted (1992)
If You Really Loved Me (1993)
You Belong to Me (1994)
Fever in the Heart (1996)
Bitter Harvest (1997)
In the Name of Love (1998)
The End Of The Dream The Golden Boy Who Never Grew Up (1998)
Jerry Harris Case (1999)
The End of the Dream (1999)
Empty Promises and Other True Cases (2001)
Last Dance, Last Chance (2003)
Without Pity (2003)
Worth More Dead (2005)
Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder (2007)
In the Still of the Night (2010)
Don't Look Behind You (2013)
Lying in Wait: Ann Rule's Crime Files (2014)
One to the Wolves (2017)
Film and TV adaptations
- Too Late to Say Goodbye (2009)TV · from Too Late to Say Goodbye
About Ann Rule
Ann Rae Rule was an American author of true crime books and articles. She is best known for The Stranger Beside Me (1980), about the serial killer Ted Bundy, her co-worker and one-time friend, who was later revealed to be a murderer. Rule wrote over 30 true crime books, including Small Sacrifices, about Oregon child murderer Diane Downs. Many of Rule's books center on murder cases that occurred in the Pacific Northwest and her adopted home state of Washington.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ann Rule FAQ
- How many books has Ann Rule written?
- Ann Rule published 10 novels, 13 non-fiction books and 20 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Ann Rule's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Small Sacrifices.
- What is Ann Rule's last book?
- I Survived Ted Bundy (2016).
- What is Ann Rule's most famous book?
- Small Sacrifices (1987) is Ann Rule's most widely read book.
- Which Ann Rule books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Too Late to Say Goodbye (TV, 2009).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.