Father of the Year: Bill Rundle: All-American Jekyll and Hyde

This is a great story. Very well researched and written by this fine author.

Father of the Year is the story of man who seemed to have no conscience. On the surface, Bill Rundle seemed like a nice man. However, in actuality he was a consummate liar, a control freak who would stop at nothing to have things his way. The author delved thoroughly into Rundle's past and discovered lies, abandoned wives and children, theft, and a gambling addiction. Rundle and his 4th wife, Shirley, seemed to manage their lives as an ordinary loving couple. But behind the scenes, life was not quite paradise, especially for Shirley. When Shirley disappeared, the police discovered a web of lies, theft, and a crushing debt load. Rundle's mother had been missing for years and Rundle had been collecting her social security and had spent her life savings. Then police discovered Shirley's body. She'd been bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat. After a nationwide manhunt they found Bill Rundle and returned him to Nevada to face justice. The book is packed with detail and told in a very readable style. Author Glenn Puit has done a fine job of portraying the anguish and bewilderment of Bill Rundle's victims. Part of the fascination with the story is the contrast between the man who presented as kind and generous, a regular family man, and the person who lied so skillfully he could easily charm and then use the innocent.

This is a very very well written story by Glenn Puit. Sorry Ann Rule, but your books never brought me to tears, as this one did. Very very sad and tragic story. This book should be at the top of the list.

Glenn investigates and leaves his mark like a cat on the hunt. This is a great book by a superb writer. I'm a journalist, and I worked with him in Florence, S.C., a.k.a. Crack City. He respects the reader. No fact is left unturned. His detective skills turn cops into human beings. He saves surprises for the readers, and he has a POV that is skillful, remarkable, honed from years of journalism experience. I can't wait for him to make the bestseller list, have a movie made and let the world know how good he really is. Happy Father's Day! http://www.timbullard.com

Unless Glenn Puit writes another true crime book this year his Father of The Year certainly makes Puit crime writer of the year. If not the decade. His account of the life and crimes of Los Vegas swindler and killer Bill Rundle bristles with detail, substance and perspective that can only be written by a journalist with the experience Puit applies to the story. It's an enthralling tale of mystery and heartbreak. Puit seems to have interviewed everyone who has any importance in this story: Cops, prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses, friends and enemies. And, of course, Rundle himself. The only people who aren't interviewed are dead or missing and for them the author relies on records and witnesses to fill in the gaps. There is a sense of character created for everyone described. You get the idea that these are all real people working hard to do their jobs. The detail is sufficient for readers to form an opinion about someone, but it's not tedious. There is a flow that keeps you reading long into the night. In most respects Rundle is a mediocre guy living an uninteresting life. He's not on a crime spree and he doesn't make a living through crime. But in the end he steps over the edge in a big way. Puit chronicles all this in writing that really does transcend the page. Anyone who likes true crime will love this book. But if you're not sure go to a book store and start reading Chapter 7, Bringer of Death. Three things will happen. First, you will finish the chapter right there in the book store and second, you will experience that empathetic pain that only a parent can feel and, third you will buy the book. Puit is that compelling, that good of a writer.

Hi everyone, Glenn Puit here. I really hope you enjoy Father of the Year. It's a great book, and if you ever have any thoughts, questions or follow up inquiries on this or any of my other books, you can email me directly at [email protected]. I also maintain a myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/kingoftruecrime. Finally, look for my Nov. 3 release, In Her Prime. Take care, and if you like this book, please tell your friends and spread the word! Glenn