Ann Rule's Dead by Sunset is the tragic tale of Cheryl Keeton, a highly-skilled attorney in the Pacific Northwest, her adoration for her three sons, and her justified terror of her husband Brad Cunningham, who was the prime suspect for her brutal murder on September 21, 1986.

In Rule's usual impeccable style, she traces the upbringing, lives, and personalities of the characters in the book until they become three-dimensional, and so alive that you either stand with them or against them. In all the true crime writing I've read, I have never hated an accused killer the way I did Brad Cunningham. His relentlessness, his narcissism, the way he treated his wives and his children, his lies, his abuse, his manipulations, and his rage and violence all made me feel physically ill. This was a man who was cruel for the sheer love of cruelty, a father who used his sons as pawns, a husband who did not know how to love, only to charm, and how to draw women into his web and from there control ever interaction they have with the world. I was frightened for much of the book for like many women, I have lived with an abuser, and some of the story made me remember things long pushed out of my mind or intentionally forgotten.

Dead by Sunset is an extremely good true crime book, probably Rule's best. Her research is excellent as is her presentation. I wish she were still alive so she could write more stories and expose more murderers for what they are. ( )

Dead By Sunset is another great true crime story by Ann Rule. It begins on a Oregon highway where a van with blood-spattered windows and an empty infant seat is stalled crosswise in the left-hand lane. The dead woman inside leads to ex-husband Brad Cunningham, a man who is rich handsome intelligent and charismatic. Rule then goes back to Brad's childhood, including his turbulent relationship with his parents before returning to the events that took place after Cheryl's death. Brad was married five times before the age of 40, but had serious control issues with everyone he met.

I actually listened to this as an audiobook, though I did read the original book and watched a Made for TV movie back in the 90's. It takes the Oregon police years to solve the crime but this book is written in a way that makes each part of the investigation interesting. That's a difficult thing to do when the reader knows who the murderer is from the beginning. No one wrote true crime books like Ann Rule and I am sad that there won't be any more new ones from one of the best in the business. ( )

I recall reading an anthology of true crime stories by Ann Rule a few years ago. I recall being terribly disturbed by what fellow human beings can do to one another. After being snowed in again (seriously Mother Nature...knock it off) I decided to download this Kindle edition of her book, Dead by Sunset: Perfect Husband, Perfect Killer? since I recall this case being on American Justice a few years back.

Ann Rule starts with the scene of the crime in Oregon in 1986 where a passerby finds Cheryl Keeton beaten to death inside her vehicle in Oregon. Then it transitions to Doctor Sara Gordon and her new boyfriend Brad Cunningham. Readers quickly find out that Brad is the ex husband of Cheryl Keeton and is a prime suspect in her death. Then Ann Rule works backwards and explores Brad's parents, his childhood, and his previous marriages and relationships with others. It is a fascinating read. We also have Ann compare Cheryl's past and what led her to meet and marry Brad in the first place.

What always gets me about Ann Rule novels is that you just hope for things to turn out differently. You read about the victims and you they remind you of someone that you now know or used to know and you wish that they were still alive somewhere enjoying their lives.

I thought this was a very complex True Crime novel and though it dragged in bits (I really didn't care that much about Brad's parents and uncle and aunts background at all) all in all it was a good read. It really picks up when you get to the trial and the aftermath.

I would definitely recommend to other true crime readers out there! ( )

Charming Brad Cunningham likely killed his 4th wife Cheryl in 1986. They had three sons, and were in the midst of a divorce and custody battle. Brad was an abuser. He was eventually convicted via circumstantial evidence.

I listened to an abridged audio. I usually don’t like abridged (and I still wonder why they bother! Why not just narrate the entire book!?), but they did this one well. I usually notice when information is skipped or missed, but I didn’t notice this time while listening – it wasn’t obvious. I only suspected because it was much shorter than I expected.

That being said about the audio, it kept my attention pretty much the whole time. It was all circumstantial evidence that convicted Brad, but a whole LOT of it! Because it was written in 1995, just after Brad was originally convicted, I had to look up online if he’d been released since. I’m also curious how his sons are doing. At the time the book was written, it sounded like they were well-cared for, but I still wonder what kind of influence he had on them (hopefully, not much, in the end). ( )

Dead By Sunset is another great true crime story by Ann Rule. It begins on a Oregon highway where a van with blood-spattered windows and an empty infant seat is stalled crosswise in the left-hand lane. The dead woman inside leads to ex-husband Brad Cunningham, a man who is rich handsome intelligent and charismatic. Rule then goes back to Brad's childhood, including his turbulent relationship with his parents before returning to the events that took place after Cheryl's death. Brad was married five times before the age of 40, but had serious control issues with everyone he met.

I actually listened to this as an audiobook, though I did read the original book and watched a Made for TV movie back in the 90's. It takes the Oregon police years to solve the crime but this book is written in a way that makes each part of the investigation interesting. That's a difficult thing to do when the reader knows who the murderer is from the beginning. No one wrote true crime books like Ann Rule and I am sad that there won't be any more new ones from one of the best in the business. ( )