The End of the Dream

Rule continues her blockbuster Crime Files series with a riveting case drawn from her true crime dossier: the explosive story of four talented and charismatic young men — best friends whose bond was shattered when one among them was consumed by lethal greed and twisted desire. They lived charmed lives among the evergreens of Washington state: Kevin, the artist; Steve, the sculptor; Scott, the nature lover and unabashed ladies’ man; and Mark, the musician and poet. With their stunning good looks, whip-sharp minds, athletic bodies — and no lack of women who adored them — none of them seemed slated for disaster. But few knew the reality behind the leafy screen that surrounded Seven Cedars, Scott’s woodland dream home — a tree house equipped with every luxury. From this idyllic enclave, some of these trusted friends would become the quarry for a vigilant Seattle police detective and an FBI special agent who unmasked clues to disturbing secrets that spawned murder, suicide, million-dollar bank robberies, drug-dealing, and heartbreaking betrayal.