Beautifully Cruel

Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers. -Allison Brennan

Iowa housewife Tracey Pittman Roberts seemed to have it all- natural beauty, three loving children, and a fairy tale second marriage to a wealthy businessman. But beneath the happy fa ade was a woman who used lies, manipulation, sex, ugly allegations, blackmail-and even murder-to serve her own selfish ends.

On December 13, 2001, police rushed to Tracey’s home after a shooting left her vulnerable young neighbor dead. Tracey claimed it was an act of self-defense. Nine gunshot wounds-and a decades-long trail of extortion, fabrication, fraud, and intimidation-said otherwise. Ten years after the crime, Tracey’s case finally went to trial in an explosive courtroom showdown. In a searing exploration of the criminal mind, bestselling investigative journalist M. William Phelps traces the saga of a psychopath who hid in plain sight-until her wicked ways caught up with her.

Phelps dares to tread where few others will- into the mind of a killer. -TV Rage

Phelps is the king of true crime. –Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist

One of our most engaging crime journalists. -Dr. Katherine Ramsland

Phelps treads dangerous ground like an Amazon jungle guide-fearless, compassionate, insightful.

-Geoff Fitzpatrick, Executive Producer of Dark Minds

Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience. -Suspense Magazine

INCLUDES 16 PAGES OF DRAMATIC PHOTOS