Small Sacrifices: The Shocking True Crime Case of Diane Downs

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me comes a shocking true crime account of the destructive forces that drove a beautiful young mother to murder.

“Somebody just shot my kids!” Diane Downs brought her car to a halt in front of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital, her three gravely wounded children beside her. Thus begins the tale of a truly unthinkable crime that shattered the tranquility of a tight-knit community. As police searched for the “shaggy-haired stranger” Diane accused of shooting 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 3-year-old Danny, a suspicion grew that was even more horrifying than the crime itself: Did Diane shoot her own children? Haunted by this question, a dedicated district attorney searched for the answer and uncovered a chronology of incest, psychological wounding, desperate affairs, and surrogate motherhood.

Ann Rule's gripping, powerful, and ultimately terrifying true story of passion and murder will hold you in thrall as it plumbs the unimagined depths of darkness concealed within a human being.

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496 pages

Average rating: 8.64

14 RATINGS

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2 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

jayalaSA76
Oct 01, 2024
10/10 stars
Gruesome crime!

Once again Ann Rule delivers a captivating story, thoroughly researched and well written. She is a master of her craft!
Mesha
Jan 27, 2024
10/10 stars
Put it this way, I've never been able to listen to "hungry like a wolf" since reading this book!

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