Deadly Pretender

by Karen Kingsbury

Book Overview

A New York Times-bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter's account of a con artist and bigamist who resorts to murder to hide his double life.David Miller had a dream job and a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440215072
• ISBN13: 9780440215073
• Release Date: December 1993
• Publisher: Dell
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 1.3" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Deadly Pretender- fantasy/reality/deadly

This read does catch your attention from the beginning to end! Must have been a real charmer to captivate two women and so easily ensnare them, as well as acquaintances and coworkers! Sad to think that he could not find happiness within himself to plan for a life of success without all the lies.

Best true crime book i have ever read

As I read this horrifying tale of a man, a sociopath, I kept shaking my head in disbelief. How could this man believe he could get away with this ruse of leading a double life? It seems that David Miller believed from the time he was a youngun that he was "special" and amazingly he became a very successful lobbyist, surrounded by elite politicians and beatiful, available women; He falls in love with Dorothy but not for one minute does he entertain the thought of being faithful to her; he sort of puts her in a compartment and weaves a tale that he is in the CIA and must travel all over the world, to expalin why he isn't home much. With that situation pretty much under control he carries on with his lobbying activities and maintaining his elite status. Not satisfied with his life, and believing he deserves so much more, he marries again, this time to Jayne. This act was the beginning of the end for him and unbeknownst to poor Jayne, the day she said said hello to him on an airplane, her death warrant was signed, sealed and delivered. As he attempted to juggle two wives, his life spins out of control and as he tries desperately to get control of the situation fear becomes the predominant feeling; the fear that he will be discovered and lose everything. This comes to pass when Jayne finds out about his deception and threatens to tell the world about who he really is; she announces to him her intentions of doing just that; she tells him to meet her at a storage unit, where she intends to put his stuff at the curb. David the sociopath, who is now going to be found out, decides that he will stop Jayne and in fact he shoots her to death in front of strangers at the storage unit facility. I first saw the movive "Every Woman's Dream" a few years ago and for several years I tried to find the book about this story; I finally did and am reading it now. When I saw the movie, it was almost a comedy and I was totally unprepared for the ending. This is a story you will never forget written by a woman who is an incredibly gifted writer, in the Ann Rule genre.

5 stars

I agree with the other reviewers that this is an excellent book. I too could not put it down. I've read countless true crime books and this is one of the best. I didn't want the book to end, it's that good.

UNBELIEVABLE

THIS WAS A GREAT TRUE CRIME BOOK. I COULD DEFINATELY NOT PUT IT DOWN. ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE READ IN A LONG WHILE. IF YOU ARE A TRUE CRIME BUFF, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

Excellent!

Very true and shocking story of David Miller, who leads a life of greed and deception. This is my fifth time reading this, and itseems to get better each time. I guarantee you will shake your head when reading this book. This would have made an OUTSTANDING made for TV or cable movie. I hope the author does consider this at some point.

Stranger than fiction, by far! Bet you can't put it down!

Like the equally fascinating true crime masterpiece, Final Vows, the book Deadly Pretender by Karen Kingsbury is too compelling a read to put down until you have devoured the very last page(I read through the night when I could never find a good stopping place!).This is the story of David Miller, a successful political lobbyist who many would have envied--wealthy, reasonably attractive, good at his job, accepted in exciting social circles, he seemed to have it all. Yet, inexplicably, David isn't satisfied with these blessings and becomes increasingly addicted to a life of deceit. On his fateful course, he finds himself drawn to higher and higher levels of deception to feel challenged and fulfilled. While some of us are content to take a trip or find a new hobby if life feels flat and dull, not so for this guy. Instead, he raises the stakes all the time, weaving more and more intricate lies as he goes. Deciding he was too special to be a mere bachelor OR just a married man, he decides he deserves to be both. This leads to his marrying Dorothy, and convincing his wife that he is an undercover agent to explain his extended absences from home. His ruse allows him to take cruises and enjoy every svelte young lady who meets his fancy, then rush home to Dorothy's arms after his "mission" is over. Had it stopped there, he may have been able to pull off the deception indefinitely, but his escalating need for risk drives him to unethical business practices, bigamy, and the expenses of a dual lifestyle with two different families, ultimately ending in a tragic murder of wife Jayne.As hard as it is to believe that the entire twisted tale is true, court documents and trial transcripts support that in this case, fact is far and away more compelling than fiction. And sadly for Dorothy, only too real in the way it ruined her world, and even worse, deprived Jayne of her very life.