https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/true-crime-author-ann-rule-dies/
Finally and most importantly:
Someone I knew once used a phrase that I cannot remember. It was specific to the internet but it is also the way some people may think and it is very much a sign of the times. It was something like “self convincing.”
You can find anything. Maybe you can even find anyone, but that is a story for another time. Almost always, you can find a viewpoint or even something fairly scientific to back-up your opinion.
I even remember it from law training too: you can always find a law to support a certain position. That does not guarantee you will win or even that your case has merit though.
I really wanted to read Small Sacrifices but could not find it for free or in an e-edition. My large local library does not have it; a print edition could be sent, but it is not worth it, I think, after taking a closer look at Ms. Rule’s career. I admire her for going back to school, working in law enforcement and related fields, and studying courtrooms to be the best she could be. Her books, however, are just one woman’s opinions. The whole thing, like any science or profession, can be subjective. The legal process itself is contentious, adversarial, and human.