Nonfiction Annotation

Green River, Running Red (2004)

By Ann Rule

434 pages

Nonfiction

Synopsis

Able to kill without consequence for almost twenty years, the Green River Killer took the lives of at least forty-nine women in the Seattle, Washington area between the years of 1982-2001. Preying on mostly young women, and often teenage girls, Gary Ridgeway earned the moniker “Green River Killer” after disposing of his first several victims along the Green River. Over the many years that would follow, Ridgeway would dispose of his victims’ bodies in a number of different forested and overgrown areas in King County, Washington. Ridgeway was able to elude authorities for so long due, in part, to his perfectly average face and build. He owned and used multiple vehicles which also made it hard to positively identify him. Even after being questioned several times by police as a potential suspect, police generally came away with the same consensus: no one with such a meek demeanor could have committed such horrendous and violent crimes. Ridgeway was also married a number of times, he’d served in the United States Navy, and he held the same job for approximately thirty years. Although often described as “strange,” the people who knew Ridgeway would describe him as friendly. By the time most of the victims’ bodies were discovered, they were in advanced stage decomposition, or they were reduced to bones. There was very little physical evidence for authorities to work with at the crime scenes. It wasn’t until DNA evidence revealed a connection between Ridgeway and four of the murders that he was finally arrested and charged with the crimes. He ended up confessing to murdering forty-nine women, but authorities believe the actual number to be much higher. Ridgeway was able to avoid the death penalty by assisting investigators in locating some of the women’s bodies that were still unaccounted for. Ridgeway is 72-years-old now, serving forty-eight life sentences in prison, without the possibility of parole.

Characteristics of Nonfiction 

Subject: While it’s easy to presume that Gary Ridgeway is the subject of the book, the more accurately described subject would be “the Green River murders.” In fact, Ridgeway is not even mentioned by name in the book until page 291.

 

Type: This book belongs in the true crime genre.

Appeal: For whatever reason, true crime books (true crime books about serial killers, in particular) continue to captivate a large audience, myself included. Fans of this genre seem to share a morbid curiosity mixed with a compulsive “need to understand” these types of criminals.

Characterization: Most of the murdered women were sex workers, which made for mixed feelings within the community of King County. There were many people who were not too concerned about the Green River Killer because he didn’t appear to be a threat to them or to anyone they knew. There were also people who tended to blame the victims themselves because they had knowingly engaged in a dangerous lifestyle. There were even some people (Gary Ridgeway included) who thought that Ridgeway was doing the community a favor by “cleaning up the streets.” The author highlights and humanizes the victims, discussing their personalities, their families, and their dreams and aspirations. For readers with negative prejudices about sex workers, the author encouarges readers to sympathize with the victims by relating them to our own mothers, sisters, and daughters.

Intent of author: The intent of the author is to educate readers about the Green River murders as well as to provide a profile of murderer Gary Ridgeway. The author also takes great care to tell the story of each of the forty-nine murdered women, including photographs, interviews with loved ones and acquaintances, and what may have led each girl to her deadly meeting with Ridgeway.

Detail: There are pictures of the forty-nine victims, the author, investigators and other people who worked on the case, evidence, crime scenes, the landscape, composite sketches of the suspect, Ridgeway’s houses, and Ridgeway himself.

Language: The language is very matter-of-fact. The author tells the readers some of the grisly details of the crimes, but she never becomes overly graphic or sensational. She is a great storyteller, and the structure of the book makes for a compelling read. I am pleased that she shared the facts in a way which is respectful to the victims and to the readers.

Setting: Location plays a big part in tracking Ridgeway’s crimes throughout the book. The author creates a clear picture of Seattle, the Green River, the SeaTac Strip, and even the body dump sites. Those familiar with the area will recognize these areas right away, and those unfamiliar with the area will walk away with a good understanding of the landscape.

Appeal: 3 words 

Unsettling, compelling, thorough 

Read-Alikes

The Riverman: by Robert D. Keppel

I’ll be Gone in the Dark: by Michelle McNamara

Chasing the Devil: by David Reichert

The Stranger Beside Me: by Ann Rule

Bind, Torture, Kill: by Roy Wenzyl, Tim Potter, L. Kelly, and Hurst Laviana