Title: A Tangled Web
Author: Leslie Rule
Publisher: Citadel Press
Release Date: April 28, 2020
Genre: True Crime
In the tradition of her acclaimed mother, Ann Rule, author of The Stranger Beside me, bestselling author Leslie Rule exposes the trail of a sadistic sociopath, identity their, and killer...
It was a bleak November in 2012 when Cari Farver, thirty-seven, vanished from Omaha, Nebraska. Texts sent indicated that the hardworking mother had quit her job, abandoned her son, and cut ties with everyone. Cari’s boyfriend, Dave Kroupa, accepted the breakup at face value. Her mother, Nancy Raney, however, had doubts. “I need to hear your voice,” Nancy begged. When the texter refused to speak, Nancy reported Cari missing.
While no one saw or spoke to Cari, more than 12,000 sinister emails and texts were sent in her name over the next years. Police believed Dave and his girlfriend, Shanna “Liz” Golyar, when they reported that the missing woman was cyberstalking them. The tormentor was eerily aware of Dave’s every move, knew when Liz visited and threatened the couple. It never occurred to Dave that Cari was a victim—that the real stalker had killed before, and was planning to kill again.
Leslie Rule tracks the heart-pounding path to long-awaited justice—from a twisted past to the deadly deception and the high-tech forensics that condemned the killer to prison.
Talk about a rewarding and exhausting read! The lengths one woman went to try to trap ONE MAN is boundless, stretching years, and spanned from simple acts, like arguing, to the most deplorable acts any one human can do, and all for a commitment that she could never receive, from the man she “loved”. Sadly, her obsession ended up destroying many lives and causing unspeakable pain, but none of that mattered. All she wanted was Dave Kroupa to herself and even in the end she still didn’t get what she had coveted for so long.
Her possessiveness consumed Liz Goylar more than I have ever witnessed, and when I look at Dave Kroupa I truly do not understand the infatuation that spurred these evil acts. Dave looks like an ordinary guy, and even the photos of him and Liz together are nothing special. It’s one of those mysteries that could only be solved if you were able to plumb the depths of Liz’s psyche, which is something no one in their right mind would want to attempt.
It was exhausting reading about the abuse that was inflicted by this insane woman. I cannot even begin to imagine the trauma, hurt, pain and confusion that everyone involved endured at her hands, and all for it to culminate in such a sickening and unpleasant manner makes this story all the more horrific. At times, I felt stifled under the weight of this maniac situation, especially as I got more into the grit of this “tangled web”. I had to keep pinching myself, and reminding myself that this actually happened.
I have seen multiple episodes about this story on multiple true crime outlets, and they barely scratch the surface of this complex narrative. Leslie Rule was able to plumb the depths, taking us there in the moment, seeing the story from a first person perspective, and allowing us to slowly digest the heinous details piece by piece. It is obvious that she has her mother’s true crime talent and, just like her mother’s work, I cannot wait to read what she has planned next.
Though this was a tough read, it was only tough due to the convoluted details. A Tangled Web is very much a page-turner that I found hard to put down. There were a few moments that I skimmed a bit, but those were mostly background details, and were very few and far between. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and as painful and insane as this story is, I am so thankful that this nightmare is finally over.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leslie Rule's true crime debut, A Tangled Web, covers a frightening Omaha love triangle murder. "I chose this case because I want to warn readers that the female sadistic sociopath may be the most dangerous killer of all."
A veteran author for over three decades, Rule's works include two suspense novels and five nonfiction books on the paranormal, including Coast to Coast Ghosts, True Stories of Hauntings Across America. Rule was only seventeen when she started attending murder trials with her mother, author Ann Rule. "It was my job to shoot the killers, not with a gun, but with my camera," says Leslie. Many of her courtroom photographs have appeared in her mother's books.
Connect with Leslie: Website | Facebook | Twitter
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I read through Kindle Unlimited. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.
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