Book Spotlight: The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall
I've been wanting to read Elizabeth Kendall's The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy for years, so when it was re-released a few months ago, I had to buy it. The book was originally published in 1981, and the updated and expanded 2020 edition includes a new introduction and afterward by Kendall as well as a contribution from her daughter, Molly, who was three years old when her mother began a relationship with Ted.
Kendall met Bundy at Seattle's Sandpiper Tavern in October 1969 and embarked on a six-year relationship with him. During their relationship, she became suspicious of him and worried that he might be the man police were looking for in connection with murders in Washington and Utah. She went to the police with her suspicions but felt conflicted and guilty about it, and though the police assured her that Bundy wasn't the man they were looking for, it wasn't enough to quell her fears. The Phantom Prince is a fascinating story about what happens when someone you love does the unthinkable, and it was really brave of Kendall to be so honest about her life with Bundy. It's hard enough to talk about relationships when they merely end badly, so talking about a relationship where your boyfriend turns out to be a serial killer must be incredibly difficult.
"Molly's Story" is a great addition to the book - for those of us who only know Bundy as a monster, it's almost impossible to imagine him as a fun-loving father figure, so it was interesting to read about that side of him (though there are some pretty disturbing stories in that section too). The Phantom Prince is one of the best true crime books I've ever read, so definitely check this one out.
My rating: 9/10
Kendall met Bundy at Seattle's Sandpiper Tavern in October 1969 and embarked on a six-year relationship with him. During their relationship, she became suspicious of him and worried that he might be the man police were looking for in connection with murders in Washington and Utah. She went to the police with her suspicions but felt conflicted and guilty about it, and though the police assured her that Bundy wasn't the man they were looking for, it wasn't enough to quell her fears. The Phantom Prince is a fascinating story about what happens when someone you love does the unthinkable, and it was really brave of Kendall to be so honest about her life with Bundy. It's hard enough to talk about relationships when they merely end badly, so talking about a relationship where your boyfriend turns out to be a serial killer must be incredibly difficult.
"Molly's Story" is a great addition to the book - for those of us who only know Bundy as a monster, it's almost impossible to imagine him as a fun-loving father figure, so it was interesting to read about that side of him (though there are some pretty disturbing stories in that section too). The Phantom Prince is one of the best true crime books I've ever read, so definitely check this one out.
My rating: 9/10
(Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Comments
Post a Comment