Every Breath You Take: A True Story of Obsession, Revenge, and Murder
By Ann Rule
Reviewed by Elaine Williams

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you

The true story of the murder of Sheila Bellush takes its title from the 1983 Police song "Every Breath You Take," and the lyrics quoted above chillingly illustrate the obsession that led to the crime. Allen Blackthorne never forgot that his ex-wife Sheila had defeated him in court, so he hired someone to murder her almost ten years after they divorced. This book is as much about the making of a sociopath as it is the narrative of a woman's life cut short as her children watched helplessly.
Allen Blackthorne was a sadist from the time he was a child who intentionally caused the death of a family pet. Author Ann Rule traces the history of violence, neglect, and sexual abuse that were Allen's heritage from generations past. Sheila Bellush, his ex-wife, feared for her life even after escaping Allen, remarrying, giving much-publicized birth in Texas to quadruplets, and moving to Florida. What makes this book unique is that it may well be the first book ever to be written at the request of the crime victim. According to Sheila Bellush's sister, Sheila had read several of Ann Rule's books, and during a televised version of Rule's best-selling book Dead by Sunset, she made the request, "If anything should happen to me, find Ann Rule and ask her to write my story." Every Breath You Take is the fulfillment of that tragic request.
Rule helpfully includes a "Cast of Characters" section, a necessary addition to help the reader sort out family members, friends, neighbors, multiple ex-spouses, and law enforcement officials in two states. The "Author's Note" details how the case finally came to the attention of Ann Rule, and the book is very appropriately dedicated to Sheila Bellush and her children, with Rule saying, "I hope I got it right." Twenty-four pages of photos chronicle happier times in the lives of the victim and her family, the crime scene, and courtroom shots of those involved in the conspiracy to kill. In an afterword, Rule speculates on what could cause an intelligent, attractive millionaire like Allen Blackthorne to detach from human feeling to the point that he was able to have the mother of his children murdered in cold blood. Unfortunately, the answers remain murky.
Every Breath You Take is also available abridged on audio cassette and CD, with the author's note and afterward read by Ann Rule herself. Although this book is not as compelling as Rule's The Stranger Beside Me, in which she chronicles the crimes of serial killer Ted Bundy (another case in which she was personally involved), Every Breath You Take is a recommended book for those interested in true crime and its psychology.