Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death

Written by Ann Rule

Narrated by Blair Brown

From #1 New York Times bestselling true-crime author Ann Rule comes “a convincing portrait of a meticulous criminal mind” (The Washington Post) in this chilling tale about a beautiful and charming widow with a dark side.

An idyllic Hawaiian wedding held the promise of a wonderful future for handsome, athletic Chris Northon, an airline pilot, a confirmed bachelor-turned-devoted family man; and Liysa, an acclaimed surf photographer, loving mother, and aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. But few, including Chris, had seen Liysa's other side—her controlling behavior and dark moods, her insatiable hunger for money and property. And no one anticipated the fatal outcome of a family camping trip in an Oregon forest.

Liysa soon revealed herself as a victim of domestic abuse that culminated at the campsite, where she shot Chris in self-defense. But crime scene evidence led detectives to wonder if Liysa was a killer, not a victim. Her controversial trial stunned all who thought they knew her.

A lifetime of sociopathic manipulations and lies had been expertly hidden behind her façade of perfection—as was her rage to destroy any obstacle to her ultimate happiness, even if it was the man she vowed to love forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 2003
• ISBN: 9780743567879

Ann Rule

Ann Rule wrote thirty-five New York Times bestsellers, all of them still in print. Her first bestseller was The Stranger Beside Me, about her personal relationship with infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. A former Seattle police officer, she used her firsthand expertise in all her books. For more than three decades, she was a powerful advocate for victims of violent crime. She lived near Seattle and died in 2015.

Reviews for Heart Full of Lies

[mrdickie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting true crime story by Ann Rule. The case involved people living in Oregon and Hawaii.

[slug9000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am torn on how to rate this book. As with most of Ann Rule's books, it is a very brisk read and the story is interesting. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but there were a couple of points where I felt as if I was getting too much background information. It wasn't that the background information wasn't interesting; it just felt as if it was going on forever and ever. Ultimately, though, I still enjoyed the book and looked forward to coming back to it, which (for me at least) is the deciding factor in rating a book. It is definitely not on par with "The Stranger Beside Me," but it is a worthwhile Rule book, which is why I am giving it four stars.

[lilwolfmisty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This took place at the Lostine River in Oregon where we often camped when I was little so the story was close to home. As always well researched with a good story too. jj

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not all of Ms. Northon's neck is visible in one of the two photographs taken of her when she was taken to the hospital, but there's enough showing that I have to wonder why a woman who claimed her very strong husband had been choking her isn't showing any bruises there. I haven't personally seen the evidence against Ms. Northon that's mentioned in this book, though I can't help wondering if her defenders would still defend her if they had read her handwritten journals. It would have been nice if any of those persons to whom she said Mr. Northon had abused her had photographed her bruises, even if they had to do it without her knowledge. Too bad none of the Hawaii friends had sneaked over to their house to listen to arguments or peek through the windows. It would also have been nice if the man who repaired the holes in the walls at the house in Bend had photographed them with a ruler showing scale, but how could he have known? I do wish that Ms. Rule hadn't written about Mr. Northon's thoughts and feelings in some situations as if she were a mind reader. In any case, it's a sad story.

[fernandame_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook - I always come back to True Crime no matter how hard I try to stay away. And if I have a pick of author, I usually pick an Ann Rune book. She did a great job with this one.