Caitlin Rother

Award-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Caitlin Rother explores the mysterious death of 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, who was found hanging from a second-story balcony of her multimillionaire boyfriend's San Diego mansion in 2011. She was naked and gagged, with her ankles tied and hands bound behind her. On the door to her bedroom, investigators found a hand-written message: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER. The death was deemed a suicide, but Rother reveals there's more to the story... I got a girl, hung herself in the guest house. The call came on the morning of July 13, 2011, from the historic Spreckels Mansion, a lavish beachfront property in Coronado, California, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon and multimillionaire Jonah Shacknai. When authorities arrived, they found the naked body of Jonah's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, gagged, her ankles tied and her wrists bound behind her. Jonah's brother, Adam, claimed to have found Rebecca hanging by a rope from the second-floor balcony. On a bedroom door in black paint were the cryptic words: SHE SAVED HIM CAN YOU SAVE HER. Was this scrawled message a suicide note or a killer's taunt? Rebecca's death came two days after Jonah's six-year-old son, Max, took a devastating fall while in Rebecca's care. Authorities deemed Rebecca's death a suicide resulting from her guilt. But who would stage either a suicide or a murder in such a bizarre, elaborate way? Award-winning investigative journalist Caitlin Rother weaves stunning new details into a personal yet objective examination of the sensational case. She explores its many layers--including the civil suit in which a jury found Adam Shacknai responsible for Rebecca's death, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department bombshell decision to reconfirm its original findings. As compelling as it is troubling, this controversial real-life mystery is a classic American tragedy that evokes the same haunting fascination as the JonBenet Ramsey and O.J. Simpson cases.

Inside the Coronado Mansion Case

Death on Ocean Boulevard

A Famous Crime Writer, a Lesbian Love Affair, and the FBI Husband's Violent Revenge

Twisted Triangle

A Pulitzer-nominated author presents a heartbreaking true-life thriller that follows the disappearances of Chelsea King, a popular high school senior, and 14-year-old Amber Dubois, both of whom, beloved by their families and friends, met a brutal fate at the hands of a predator hiding in plain sight. Original.

Lost Girls

Describes how former child star Skylar Deleon, aided by his pregnant wife and a criminal associate, brutally murdered Tom and Jackie Hawks, a retired couple, for their fifty-five-foot yacht.

Dead reckoning

Nanette Johnston Packard, a sexy divorcee, liked to meet men at the gym and through personal ads. Soon after she began dating millionaire Bill McLaughlin, he moved her and her kids into his bay-front home in Newport Beach. But one man was never enough for Nanette ... Eric Naposki, her NFL linebacker lover, fulfilled Nanette's wilder cravings. Together they schemed to make her fiance's fortune their own. When McLaughlin was gunned down, authorities had suspicions--but no proof. Pulitzer-nominated writer Caitlin Rother explores this chilling story of a woman who seemed to have it all--until justice finally had its day.

I'll take care of you

Praise for Twisted Triangle "This book will haunt you. It will move you to look at some of the harsh realities of life in a new way. A powerful story-and masterfully written." -Aphrodite Jones best-selling author, All She Wanted and Cruel Sacrifice "A harrowing tale of one woman's struggle to maintain a balance between being a mother, an FBI agent, and dealing with a corrupt husband also an FBI agent. A must-read." -Joseph D. Pistone aka Donnie Brasco "Hitchcock wishes he'd dreamed it up. Capote wishes he'd written it. Rother's mesmerizing narrative chronicles a wife's heroic struggle against great odds to survive her psychopathic husband's elaborate scheme to make her murder the perfect crime. This spellbinding tale offers an added treat-it's true." -Marcus Stern Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, The Wrong Stuff: The Extraordinary Saga of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the Most Corrupt Congressman Ever Caught "This in-depth account brought back memories of a most bizarre case, proving once again that the truth can be stranger than fiction." -Paul B. Ebert Commonwealth's attorney, County of Prince William, Virginia

“Rother is the next Ann Rule.” —Gregg Olsen ACCIDENT, SUICIDE . . . OR MURDER? On November 6, 2000, paramedics answered a call to find Kristin Rossum, 24, sobbing. Her husband, Greg de Villers, wasn’t breathing. She claimed he had overdosed on drugs after learning she was leaving him. But family and friends who knew of Greg’s distaste for drugs weren’t buying Kristin’s story . . . AMERICAN BEAUTY Rossum was a brainy blonde beauty whose talent for toxicology had won her a post at the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. But her sweet smile masked a dark side. She’d developed a taste for methamphetamine in high school, and six months after her marriage to Greg, she’d begun seeking secret trysts with other men. TOXIC PASSION At the time of her husband's death, Rossum was engaged in an illicit affair with her married boss. Investigators found that the Medical Examiner's Office was missing supplies of meth and fentanyl, the narcotic that had killed her husband. With each clue discovered, another piece of Rossum’s “good girl” façade fell away. What the world would eventually see was the true face of a murderer—and the hand of justice . . . “Rother has written another ‘ripped from the headlines’ page-turner.” —Library Journal “An exciting page-turner from a first-rate reporter.” —M. William Phelps, New York Times bestselling author “Riveting . . . an emotional and gripping tale from beginning to end.” —Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author “Rother gets to the heart of a very compelling story, with an eye for detail. A must-read for true crime fans.” —Robert Scott, New York Times bestselling author “Caitlin Rother hooks you from the prologue on.” —Suzy Spencer, New York Times bestselling author Includes dramatic photos

Poisoned Love

In this dark and gripping true crime page-turner, New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother delves into the disturbing mind and brutal crimes of Wayne Ford, whose capacity for sexual violence led to the torture and murder of four women. On a chilly November afternoon in 1998, a tearful 36-year-old man walked into the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department in Eureka, CA, and confessed to something horrible. “I hurt some people,” he said. Inside his pocket was the ghastly proof of his statement. But there was more to Wayne Adam Ford than the trail of mangled victims he left behind. More, even, than the twisted predator inside, which drove him to increasingly perverse sexual appetites. Pulitzer-nominated author Caitlin Rother draws on previously sealed testimony, interviews with the key players in the case, and the killer’s shocking confession to explore the demons that drove a damaged man to his unspeakable crimes. Her book is a harrowing psychological portrait and a haunting, unforgettable true-life thriller. Includes dramatic photos Praise for Caitlin Rother “Riveting, fast-paced, and sure to keep you up at night.” —M. William Phelps, New York Times bestselling author “A superb writer who knows how to burrow into a complex case.” —Los Angeles Times “A star in the field of true crime.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune

Body Parts

As police investigated the murders Skylar Deleon committed, they also uncovered an unexpected and unusual motive: Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years. By killing the Hawkses and plundering the couple's assets, the Deleons had planned to clear their debts and still have money for the surgery, which Skylar had already scheduled.

Dead Reckoning

Scott Bolzan

Joan Bolzan

Describes how a former NFL player suffered permanent amnesia after a head injury--losing all of his memories of his past, his wife and children, and the imprint of a lifetime of learning--and describes how he reinvented himself with the help of his wife and family.

A Memoir

My Life, Deleted

“Rother is the next Ann Rule.” —Gregg Olsen Nanette Johnston Packard, a sexy divorcee, liked to meet men at the gym and through personal ads. Soon after she began dating millionaire Bill McLaughlin, he moved her and her kids into his bay-front home in Newport Beach. But one man was never enough for Nanette . . . Eric Naposki, her NFL linebacker lover, fulfilled Nanette’s wilder cravings. Together they schemed to make her fiancé’s fortune their own. When McLaughlin was gunned down, authorities had suspicions—but no proof. Pulitzer-nominated writer Caitlin Rother explores this chilling story of a woman who seemed to have it all—until justice finally had its day. “Rother has written another ‘ripped from the headlines’ page-turner.” —Library Journal “Riveting . . . an emotional and gripping tale from beginning to end.” —Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author “Rother gets to the heart of a very compelling story, with an eye for detail. A must-read for true crime fans.” —Robert Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Shattered Innocence “Caitlin Rother hooks you from the prologue on.” —Suzy Spencer, New York Times bestselling author of Wasted and Secret Sex Lives Includes dramatic photos

I'll Take Care of You

My Life, Deleted—part love story, part medical mystery, and part inspirational memoir—is the true story of Scott Bolzan, the 46-year-old former pro football offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns who suffered permanent amnesia after a tragic accident. Co-written with his wife Joan Bolzan, this riveting account details Scott's courageous fight to build a new life after losing all memories of his past, his wife and children, his likes and dislikes, and even how to navigate the fast pace and technology of the 21st century. Readers of In an Instant by Bob and Lee Woodruff, Jill Bolte Taylor's My Stroke of Insight, and Richard M. Cohen's Blindsided will be profoundly moved by My Life, Deleted, a remarkable story of tragedy, hope, love, and perseverance.

Colin Campbell

Ron Franscell

Three gritty novels of crime and investigation by acclaimed authors, in one volume . . . Ranging from the California coast to small-town Wyoming to the north of England, this three-in-one collection of crime thrillers includes: Naked Addiction by New York Times–bestselling author Caitlin Rother Tired of working undercover narcotics, police detective Ken Goode wants a transfer to homicide. After finding the body of a beautiful woman in an alley, he’s assigned to head a team of relief detectives with the hopes of proving he is homicide-worthy—and is plunged into the underbelly of the affluent coastal enclave of La Jolla, California. “With a journalist’s eye for the telling details of life, Caitlin Rother is a keen architect of the most important part of storytelling: character.” —Michael Connelly The Deadline by USA Today–bestselling author Ron Franscell A dying convict’s last request thrusts Jefferson Morgan, a newspaperman in Wyoming, into a deadly maelstrom as he explores a fifty-year-old child murder, a wound this small town still isn’t ready to re-open. Under the most important deadline of his life, Morgan digs deep into the town’s past and unveils a killer who managed to remain hidden for fifty years. “An impressive debut that will keep you on the edge of your seat.” —San Francisco Chronicle Northern Ex by Colin Campbell In Northern England, ex-vice squad cop Vince McNulty copes with life outside the force by visiting the massage parlors he used to police. But now several girls have gone missing, and when one turns up dead, everything points to a regular customer. And McNulty is top of the list . . . “Full of white-knuckle suspense, shocking violence, and unexpected twists. A fine choice for fans of gritty, realistic cop dramas.” —Booklist

Naked Addiction, The Deadline, and Northern Ex

Murder Loves Company Volume One

Newly updated, the true story of a retired couple, a coldblooded killer, and the controversial aftermath: “A gripping read.” —Aphrodite Jones, host of True Crime for Investigation Discovery Network Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife, Jennifer, showed up as prospective buyers, with their baby in a stroller, and the Hawkses thought they had a deal. Soon after, however, the older couple disappeared—and the Deleons promptly tried to access the Hawkses’s bank accounts. As police investigated, they not found not only a third homicide victim with ties to Skylar, but an unusual motive: Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years. By killing the Hawkses and plundering their assets, the Deleons planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the already-scheduled surgery. Now, in this updated edition, which includes extensive new material, New York Times–bestselling author Caitlin Rother presents new developments in the case. Skylar, who was sentenced to death row for the three murders, transitioned via hormones while living in the San Quentin psych unit. Recently, she legally changed her name and gender, apparently a strategic step to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery and transfer to a women’s prison. Combined with Governor Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on executions, this only adds insult to injury for the victims’ families, who want Skylar to receive the ultimate punishment for her crimes. “Well researched and a quick, engrossing read, this should be popular with true crime readers, especially the Ann Rule crowd.” —Library Journal

Good Couple Happy and retired, Tom and Jackie Hawks lived a charmed life in sunny Southern California. They were delighted when former child star Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer offered cash to purchase their 55-foot yacht The Well Deserved. . . Bad Couple But a trial voyage turned into a nightmare. Out at sea, the Hawkses begged for their lives as they were forced to sign everything over to Skylar. In return, they were tied to the ship's anchor and thrown overboard--alive. . . Dead Couple Skylar and Jennifer's twisted story became even more shocking when Skylar's unusual sexual motivations were revealed in court. After killing a man while out of jail on work furlough, he reportedly tried to hire hits from prison on four witnesses, including his father. . . For this former child actor, the answer to "Where Are They Now?" is Death Row. "A thrilling account of murder and mayhem." --M. William Phelps "A chilling read by a writer at the top of her game." --Gregg Olsen "A breathless tale of unthinkable events that no true crime fan should miss." --Katherine Ramsland 16 Pages Of Shocking Photos!

Caitlin Rother

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