---
product_id: 4343556
title: "Practice to Deceive Hardcover – October 8, 2013"
brand: "ann rule"
price: "₨760"
currency: SCR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.sc/products/4343556-practice-to-deceive-hardcover-october-8-2013
store_origin: SC
region: Seychelles
---

# Practice to Deceive Hardcover – October 8, 2013

**Brand:** ann rule
**Price:** ₨760
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Practice to Deceive Hardcover – October 8, 2013 by ann rule
- **How much does it cost?** ₨760 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sc](https://www.desertcart.sc/products/4343556-practice-to-deceive-hardcover-october-8-2013)

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- ann rule enthusiasts

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    The Startling Case with No Motives or Evidence....
  

*by M***W on Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2014*

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive... Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)With her experience and expertise in true crime writing/reporting Ann Rule skillfully weaves a complex storyline beginning with murder, and behind this scene, family tragedy, lies, greed, and betrayal masked in the beauty behind a "femme fatal": in her latest book "Practice to Deceive".In 2003, I remember reading about the shocking shooting death of Russel Douglas days after Christmas in the Seattle Times. He was found shot to death December 26, 2003 in his SUV in an isolated area on Whidbey Island, located across the Puget Sound from Seattle. When Sheriff detectives went to inform his widow Brenna that the father of their two small children was found shot dead, she readily spoke to them, admitted she had been separated from her husband, answered questions etc. Her indifference and lack of emotion, trashing his character, (some allegations were later unproven) immediately raised their suspicion. Later, she would only speak to detectives in the presence of her attorney.Ann Rule further explains the connection between Brenna Douglas and Peggy Sue Stackhouse Thomas. Thomas was a beautician that rented a chair in Douglas "B's Beauty Salon", and Douglas rented Thomas house. The Stackhouse family was one of the two larger families on Whidbey with a total of 9 children, Thomas was the youngest, doted on, believed to be favored and indulged by her parents over the other kids. The Stackhouse family also had terrible tragedy in their background, with the 1963 murder of Thomas father first wife Mary Ellen, leaving him a widower with 6 small children. Following the murder, he was reassigned to Whidbey Island Naval Station, where he married Doris Alton, Thomas's mother. Tragedy struck again years later, when Thomas's half-brother Rob was shot to death while attempting to break-up a fight.The history of tragedy couldn't help but influence the Stackhouse family, especially impacting Thomas in a most negative way. Thomas always excelled at whatever she did. Becoming a star basketball player in high school, joining the military she became an aircraft mechanic, mother of two daughters, later a beauty queen, beautician, entrepreneur, limousine chauffer where she met and was briefly married to her third multi-millionaire husband Mark Allen. After a beautiful lavish wedding ceremony/reception, Allen generously giving thousands in gifts to her family and friends, was promptly dumped by Peggy Sue after she acquired material goods/assets for herself. Jim Huden, a married man who she had a passionate affair in prior years, seemingly had been forgotten entirely.There were no motives, no weapon found, no leads or evidence in the Douglas murder case until detectives appealed to the public for any information relating to the case. Startling new information was discovered, linking Jim Huden and Peggy Sue Thomas to Douglas's murder. It would take Sheriff's detective Mark Plumberg's unrelenting pursuit of over ten years to bring this case to justice in February 2013. Many pages of excellent photographs are featured.Ann Rule wrote this story with the co-operation of many friends, families, and authorities connected with this case. She has written 33 books since the 1970's when she wrote "The Stranger Beside Me" about her relationship with the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Rule meets her readers frequently in the Seattle area at book signings. I have met her twice and have several signed books. A former Seattle police officer, Rule is a certified instructor and lectures in law enforcement and forensic science, she lives in Seattle, Washington.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Practice to Deceive
  

*by B***H on Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2013*

I, too, am an "ARF" (Ann Rule fan), and have almost every book she has written. She is my favorite true crime writer. "Practice to Deceive" would not rate high as one of my favorites, however. In several of her past books, she draws you to the victim (many people who are AR's detractor's say this is a huge negative and consider it biased writing), making the reader see the real person underneath-flaws and all-was so much more than just an tragic homicide statistic (eg: Every Breath You Take, Too Late to Say Goodbye, In The Still of the Night, And Never Let Her Go, etc.) Strangely enough, I often finish an Ann Rule book thinking: "I wish I had known him or her.". To me, that speaks volumes of a truly masterful yet eloquent author. Hard to put into proper words, but "Practice to Deceive" left me with none of that. I could understand well enough, but at times I was having to go back and re-read previous paragraphs to follow the line of the story. It didn't pull me in and draw me along, and left me feeling a bit flat.  For the first time ever, I was...well, somewhat bored with the the entire group: victim, investigators, friends, family, suspects-the whole lot! I suppose that was because this victim had really no one who spoke up or out for him to tell his side to make the reader see the living person he was. There was more colorful and interesting, even bizarre, background on Peggy Sue and Jim than Russ Douglas! Sorry, Ann.Of all of Ann Rule's books dealing with victims and their surviving loved ones, I think the woman I relate to and admire most, wishing I knew personally (and regret that I don't) is Barb Thompson (Ronda Reynold's mother=In The Still of The Night). I have on my bucket list: "Buy one of Barb Thompson's foals!" :)

### ⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Story isn't as great as other Rule book, plus the author's commentary detracts from the story
  

*by C***E on Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2014*

I am really torn on rating this book. This book was a quick and interesting read - Ann Rule excels at suspenseful yet concise narrative. So, in that regard, I'd give this book four stars. It's not as good as some of Rule's other books (specifically "Stranger Beside Me" or "Everything She Ever Wanted"), but it's still engrossing in terms of pace and intrigue.My bigger issue with this book is the author's biased commentary. Peggy Sue (one of the central characters in the book) was already unlikeable without additional commentary by Rule. (SPOILER ALERT) Rule writes, "It was almost as if she had her own 'bucket list,' and setting up and getting away with murder was high on that list." There were other comments like that in the book - purely speculative and frankly not really all that believable. This particular character seemed primarily motivated by money, so the "bucket list" comment was just weird. Also, Rule honed in on Peggy Sue as the mastermind behind the crime. She was definitely involved, but I thought Rule focused her vitriol on Peggy Sue and not on Jim Huden, the idiot who actually pulled the trigger. Rule seems to blame Peggy Sue for being conniving and persuasive without putting enough responsibility on the man who let another person convince him to commit murder. In fact, Rule even suggests that Huden would never have killed had it not been for Peggy Sue's influence. That may or may not be true, but Huden had previously admitted that he wanted the chance to get even with his late stepfather by physically confronting someone who was similarly abusive. So it is unclear whether Peggy Sue is as cunning as she is made out to be in this book or if she was already dealing with a loose cannon who wasn't hard to persuade. I am certainly not defending Peggy Sue, but I think the author's hatred for the criminals in this case is unevenly distributed, and that was consistent throughout the book. That, plus the fact that the story isn't among the best Ann Rule has written about, is why I ultimately settled on giving this book three stars.

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*Last updated: 2026-02-09*