Chilling.

This is the horrific, true story of Diane Downs, a divorced mother of three young children. One night, she is on the way home from a friend’s house when a man stopped her car, leaned into it, and shot her kids. He then shot her in her arm. She manages to get the kids to the ER and then an investigation starts into the shooting. It is quickly determined that Diane is the prime suspect.
It’s difficult to rate this book. I really liked it because of the way the book was written and I liked the postscript and updates from 1988; however, I did not like the reason behind why the book was written – the crime Diane committed. ( )

his is the horrific, true story of Diane Downs, a divorced mother of three young children. One night, she is on the way home from a friend’s house when a man stopped her car, leaned into it, and shot her kids. He then shot her in her arm. She manages to get the kids to the ER and then an investigation starts into the shooting. It is quickly determined that Diane is the prime suspect.
It’s difficult to rate this book. I really liked it because of the way the book was written and I liked the postscript and updates from 1988; however, I did not like the reason behind why the book was written – the crime Diane committed. ( )

Piccoli sacrifici è un libro agghiacciante, sia per il crimine in esso descritto (una donna che spara ai propri figli per un uomo), sia perché ci ricorda che i sociopatici non sono solo famosi serial killer (e, aggiungerei io, non sono solo americani).

La ricerca dietro il libro è puntigliosa, anche se a volte lo stile Ann Rule tende un po' a cadere nel patetico. ( )

Last year I watched a 20/20 episode that had me spellbound. It was called My Mother's Sins, and is the story of Diane Downs, the mom that was accused of trying to murder her children in the early 1980's. One of her daughter's names was Christie (mine is Christi), and being a child of the 80's myself, I latched onto this story immediately. While still watching the episode I was on Amazon downloading a copy of Small Sacrifices, and instantly attempted to devour this horrific yet mystifying story.

It took me months to get through, thanks to moving and building a house, but I have to say that I preferred to take this novel slow. There is so much information, and the story itself so unimaginable and heartbreaking, that I needed to take in the information in doses. How could a woman attempt to murder her children for a man?? This is the question that plagued me the entire time I read.

In saying that, learning about Diane Downs was fascinating. I've never known anyone that could be so selfish, making herself the victim despite her children really being the ones who truly suffered, and showing the most inappropriate emotions at the most inopportune times. Not showing emotion about her dying children, and twisting everything to be about herself, Diane is the textbook definition of a narcissist and a severe one at that. I've truly never seeing anything like it!

Though I am a true crime buff, this is the first novel I've had the opportunity to read by the late Ann Rule, and all I can say is wow! The attention to detail is unparalleled, giving every nugget of information, showing every side of a multifaceted story, leaving no stone unturned, and no questions remaining.

The entire novel is captivating, but what really left me spellbound was during Diane's trial, when Christie, Diane's only surviving daughter, took the stand as an eyewitness. The bravery that sweet little girl showed was unmatched. I also couldn't wait to read the account of Diane Downs taking the stand in her own defense, and it did not disappoint.

Astonishingly detailed, and written in the most professional manner, you can feel the respect that Ann had for the victims, those precious children, and her passion to tell the truth of this heinous act to the world. Small Sacrifices gives you the full account of one of the most unthinkable acts done to innocent children by one of the most evil killers, Diane Downs. ( )