Practice to Deceive by Ann Rule

Ann Rule is well-known for her true crime writing.  This story is from Whidbey Island, off the coast in Washington state.  The day after Christmas in 2003, Russel Douglas is discovered dead of a gunshot wound to the head.  Police classify it as a homicide, and a long investigation ensues.
    A number of interesting people come into play as investigators try to figure out who killed the man and why.  Rule spends a lot of time developing the background of these people and families.  A lack of physical evidence and no clear motive, however, allow the case to drag out over the course of a decade.
    I looked forward to reading this book.  Rule is a best-selling author and I’ve always been interested in this type of a story, but was disappointed in this book.  There were many instances of redundant information.  And while the backgrounds of those involved are meant to help you understand them better, some of it seems tangential to the main story.  In the end, I wondered if the writing of this book should have waited for a clear sense of motive to be given to us from those convicted.  I will try some earlier works by this author, though.