Table Of ContentCover Page: 1
Dedication Page: 5
Epigraph Page: 6
Foreword Page: 7
Cast of Characters Page: 8
Part One: The Body in the Woods Page: 9
Chapter One Page: 10
Chapter Two Page: 11
Part Two: Russ and Brenna Page: 15
Chapter Three Page: 16
Chapter Four Page: 19
Chapter Five Page: 21
Chapter Six Page: 25
Part Three: The Investigation Page: 28
Chapter Seven Page: 29
Chapter Eight Page: 32
Part Four: Likely and Unlikely Suspects Page: 33
Chapter Nine Page: 34
Chapter Ten Page: 35
Chapter Eleven Page: 36
Chapter Twelve Page: 37
Part Five: Mark Plumberg Page: 40
Chapter Thirteen Page: 41
Chapter Fourteen Page: 44
Part Six: Peggy Sue Stackhouse Page: 46
Chapter Fifteen Page: 47
Chapter Sixteen Page: 49
Chapter Seventeen Page: 50
Chapter Eighteen Page: 53
Chapter Nineteen Page: 58
Chapter Twenty Page: 59
Part Seven: The Stackhouse Family: 1963–2002 Page: 62
Chapter Twenty-One Page: 63
Chapter Twenty-two Page: 66
Chapter Twenty-three Page: 69
Chapter Twenty-four Page: 75
Chapter Twenty-five Page: 77
Chapter Twenty-six Page: 78
Chapter Twenty-seven Page: 84
Chapter Twenty-eight Page: 85
Part Eight: Arrest and Punishment Page: 89
Chapter Twenty-nine Page: 90
Chapter Thirty Page: 93
Chapter Thirty-one Page: 95
Chapter Thirty-two Page: 96
Chapter Thirty-three Page: 99
Chapter Thirty-four Page: 101
Chapter Thirty-five Page: 104
Chapter Thirty-six Page: 105
Chapter Thirty-seven Page: 106
Chapter Thirty-eight Page: 109
Epilogue Page: 113
Photographs Page: 114
Acknowledgments Page: 118
About Ann Rule Page: 120
Copyright Page: 123
Description:This New York Times bestseller—from “America’s best true-crime writer” (Kirkus Reviews) and the author of The Stranger Beside Me—is a shocking tale of greed, sex, scandal, and murder on an isolated and eerie island in the Pacific Northwest. The basis for the Lifetime movie event Circle of Deception. With more than 50 million copies of her books in print—from her chilling personal account of knowing Ted Bundy to sixteen collections in her #1 bestselling Crime Files series—Ann Rule is a legendary true crime writer. Here, in Practice to Deceive, Rule unravels a shattering case of Christmastime murder off the coast of Washington State—presented with the clarity, authority, and emotional depth that Rule’s readers expect. Nestled in Puget Sound, Whidbey Island is a gem of the Pacific Northwest. Accessible only by ferry, it is known for its artistic communities and stunning natural beauty. Life there is low-key, and the island’s year-round residents tend to know one another’s business. But when the blood-drenched body of Russel Douglas was discovered the day after Christmas in his SUV in a hidden driveway near Whidbey’s most exclusive mansion—a single bullet between his eyes—the whole island was shocked. At first, police suspected suicide, tragically common at the height of the holiday season. But when they found no gun in or near the SUV, Russel’s manner of death became homicide. Brenna Douglas, Russel’s estranged and soon-to-be-ex wife, allowed him to come home for a Christmas visit with their children. The couple owned the popular Just B’s salon. Brenna’s good friend Peggy Sue Thomas worked there, and Brenna complained often to her that Russel was physically and emotionally abusive. Peggy Sue’s own life has been one of extremes. Married three times, hers is a rags-to-riches-and-back-again tale in which she’s played many roles, from aircraft mechanic to “drop-dead gorgeous” beauty queen as a former Ms. Washington. But in 2003, her love affair with married guitarist Jim Huden led the two Whidbey Island natives to pursue their ultimate dreams of wealth and privilege—even at the expense of human life. Unravel the tangled web woven by Russel Douglas’s murder in Practice to Deceive, a heart pounding true-crime tour de force.
