Incredible story told by an inspiring woman!

Anytime you ever hear of Ted Bundy you hear how he was ‘charming’ and ‘smart’ and went down the wrong path and unfortunately ended up so evil. It’s wrong and it’s always been wrong. You never ever hear about his victims, their families and those who survived encounters with him and Kathy finally set the record straight.

So many moments in this book gave me goosebumps, made my stomach turn and made me want to cry. It’s truly guy wrenching to read this book but the whole time all I could think about was how Kathy and other families inflicted by Bundy’s pain must have felt and continue to feel.

I’m so glad Kathy was able to write this book and make sure the world knows what a nasty and unintelligent piece of evil that man was! She brought a yeti on to every single known victim and finally told their stories and it was so inspiring to read!

It was devestating to learn about the other health issues and troubles Kathy and other affected women have endured through their life and had to overcome. It was truly an inspiring book and I’d recommend it to anyone!!

Being such a huge true crime fan, I’ve read and watched so many different depictions of Ted Bundy and the horrible and egregious crimes he committed, but this was such a beautiful and heart wrenching story coming from one of the survivors of his crimes and I genuinely loved it.

Hearing Kathy’s story of how she moved forward after the brutal attack she went through at the hands of Ted Bundy, as well as the other obstacles she faced throughout her life, was just such a breath of fresh air when it came to the Ted Bundy conversation where we were finally able to shed a light on the victims and advocate for them in a way that hasn’t been portrayed in any of the documentaries and movies made about him. I thought this was so beautifully written and I just have so much respect and admiration for this woman and for the truth that she shared, as well as how she kept going after she felt like giving up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Independent Publishers Group/Chicago Review Press, and Kathy Kleiner Rubin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

They turned the killers into pop phenomena but forgot the victim. It's not easy to review a book like this one because it's the story of one of the victims that tells her side, what happened and how she survived.
She's not a victim, she's a strong woman and I like the storytelling and how the story was told.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group, Chicago Review Press for the ARC.

I agree wholeheartedly by another reviewer who said you can't truly review a memoir like this, but I will do my best. Kathy Kleiner Rubin is one of the few survivors of serial killer Ted Bundy, a killer who has spent a lot of time enjoying media portrayals as a handsome, charming, boy-next-door murderer. Kleiner Rubin courageously delves into her own story, Bundy's story, and the horrific night they intersected. More than that, she goes on to detail the trial and Bundy's ultimate downfall before telling the rest of her story to date - the story of how she has triumphed over so much, and continues to live life to the fullest.

It is a difficult read at times, with an ultimate message of hope and strength. But more than that, it is an incredibly important read. In an era where serial killers are portrayed by media heartthrobs and become larger than life bogeyman, Kleiner Rubin cuts to the quick and shows us the truth - there was nothing special about Ted Bundy. In addition to telling her own story, Kleiner Rubin gives names and stories to each of Bundy's victims, taking power away from the man who took so much.

In today's era of true crime consumption, this is a very important read.

Realizing that this book would give voice to the women and girls who were brutally murdered or attacked by an evil man, Kathy Kleiner Rubin agreed to tell her story. A story to set the record straight. Bundy does not deserve to be remembered as charming and brilliant while he was neither. Bundy did not charm, he harmed! A story of not just survival, but of a life lived. What a life she has lived, surviving childhood lupus, a serial killer, a bank robbery attempt, divorce, breast cancer at 34 and hurricane Katrina, and through it all she never gave into the darkness. Her own son did not know that she had survived a brutal attack by a serial killer, an attack that many thought she would not live through, until he was thirty-seven. Shocked and angered at what she had endured, his response was “but you were so normal”. She has always lived a full life, a life full of hopes and dreams and the love of family. Her wishes are that anyone reading this book will realize that no matter what they are going through others feel their pain and that they are never alone, even if they are ready to dial zero to talk to an operator (something she did as a child with lupus because she was so lonely), to always believe that the tide will someday turn in their future. Take those baby steps out of the darkness and when looking back they’ll see how far they have come. There is a light in the darkness! Thank you to Chicago Review Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review and ARC of this title.

Finding the words to review this title has been extremely difficult. This isn't a work of fiction that I can pick at where plot points have gone wrong or characters aren't realistic. This book is real, and it's raw. It makes me rethink the way I view the true crime genre. It's no longer a genre to me. It's people's lives. Their experiences. Their strength to take back what someone has taken from them.

So many women's lives were overshadowed by one singular, terrible man. And I truly am so proud to have read this book that took so much strength to write and give them their voices back, even if they aren't here to do so themselves.

All I can say is thank you.

This is a compelling and poignant read about surviving. Surviving health crises, and surviving Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers. The author was one of the survivors from the Chi Omega sorority house tragedy and she writes compellingly of what she remembers and the post-traumatic stress resulting from this. She also effectively reframes the narrative so it is giving humanity back to the victims and survivors of Bundy. She also destroys the myth we have been told through media again and again - that Bundy was highly intelligent and handsome and charming. Actually we learn many survivors got a creepy vibe from him and those who knew him talk about how he failed in his law school studies. Also disturbing is that during this trial, he had groupies and thrill seekers (women). I cannot imagine the pain of the author and her parents and others having to sit amongst these delusional women. She describes in detail his execution and I can only think it must have been cathartic for her to write (though a bit gruesome to read). In the end of the book, she not only names survivors and victims but finally gives them their due. She also has appendices with tips on how to correct the narrative about Bundy. This at times was a difficult read but I loved learning about her life and her happiness. I cheered her on the whole way!



Thank you to Netgalley and Independent Publishers Group, Chicago Review Press for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

This *could* have been a really powerful book excerpt…


I read through most of “A Light in the Dark” preparing to give it a really strong review. I emphasized with Kathy’s experience deeply, and agreed with much of her reflections regarding the media and society’s adornment of white men and murder.

She’s a very detailed storyteller which helps in understanding the unfolding of events that night in the sorority house. And, because of her chronic condition, lupus, it’s fascinating to hear her describe the ways in which her body has survived brutal attack, cancer, and lupus. Without question, she’s a strong woman with a story worth telling. If only she would have stopped talking after the trial…

It’s when she goes into detail about Hurricane Katrina that she reveals herself to be quite apathetic to those outside her shared experience. The tender delicacy that she used in speaking on behalf of Bundy victims all but disappeared once she entered the Deep South.

1. She repeatedly referred to survivors of Katrina as refugees. Refugees? No. They were displaced Americans, many of whom didn’t have the resources and means to flee the storm like Kathy and her husband did. The verbiage of “refugee” is a nod to the attitude that many had towards Katrina survivors, most of them who were Black. These people were homeowners, taxpayers, and humans.

2. During a scene where Kathy is in a restaurant with her husband, she ridicules another couple who were also Katrina survivors. After expressing disappointment for not having their meal comped, which was a common practice at that time for survivors, Kathy and her husband apologize to the restaurant on behalf of the other couple, telling them that “We’re not all like that.” The ‘we’ Kathy refers to is quite questionable. She was an implant, from Florida and had not actually been in the city of New Orleans when the storm hit. What if the other couple, like many, lost every scrap they owned, including I.D., income, and work? Kathy’s husband never lost his job and they never lacked resources.

3. She goes on to speak of the conditions in the Superdome, but also perpetuates the narrative that the city was riddled with looting and crime. She never reconciles the fact that race played a major part of this, and that much of the sensationalism was based on racial tropes that portrayed starving, unhoused, and sometimes even dying Black people as villains.

As a reader, I can’t help but wonder, how could a non-Black woman of color be so compassionate to murder victims and survivors of Ted Bundy, yet be so apathetic to a city filled with disenfranchised residents who lost their homes, livelihood, and sense of belonging because of a storm outside their control?

Of course, there’s good material about America’s infatuation with murder, as well as the reclaiming of truth regarding the centering of victims instead of their killers. However, because it’s delivered by someone who only partially cares about victims, it’s hard to hold this as a resource worth referring others to. It’s fascinating that, even I. 2023 the gaps of racial bias are so wide a memoir like this can go through several rounds of edits without interrogating the contrast of compassion between Bundy victims and Katrina survivors. As a Black Cuban who’s lived in both Miami and New Orleans, I understand all too well how a non-Black person like Kathy can fall into the same behavior she calls out: romanticizing one group of people while shaming another.

If only she would have wrapped it up after the trial, this stain of bias would have gone unseen and I likely would have rated this a strong 4.

Kathy Kleiner is such a strong woman! I’ve always heard that Ted Bundy was very intelligent and charming, but hearing her opinion of him along with other women he came into contact with, proved otherwise. Kathy did an amazing job at giving the other victims a voice. She has been through so much in her life and is still so positive! This was such a good read. It made me feel grateful for everything I have and made me realize it could always be worse!

Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

The Story of Unimaginable Crime Put Exactly Where It Belongs: With the Victims, Not the Monster
A Light in the Dark by Kathy Kleiner Rubin and Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi is an excellent book and are the memories of Kathy Kleiner Rubin from her childhood and adulthood. Kathy works to honour the women and girls who were murdered by Ted Bundy. Kleiner not only survived the night of his horrifying attack at her sorority house but has continued to survive and thrive while dealing with the trauma of that night.
In discussing the Chi Omega attack, Rubin makes use of both firsthand, gruesome details and facts that she learned later through the murder trial. Kathy shares the misconception people have in their beliefs that Ted Bundy was charming and intelligent, in addition to being a serial killer Kathy Rubin makes the case that what we believe about Bundy is wrong. He was not charming most women he approached found him creepy. Most of his victims were not lured into his car by a sad tale that he spun but were attacked in their beds or from behind by Bundy.
Bundy was not very smart as he was a poor student who had no aptitude for the law or anything except killing. Her words and memories are very inspirational as the author points out, none of them are to blame for being murdered by this monster.
Kleiner and Lucchesi underscore that in a noticeably brief time span a killer can either take or alter one's life forever. Kathy Rubin encourages others to find light within the darkness. A must read for anyone who wants to better understand the impact serial predators have on victims and their loved ones. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow! What an amazing person Kathy is. She endured so much in her life and still came out shining. You are a true inspiration. Her story will take you on a wild ride.

OMG - if you just received my feedback it was for THE WRONG BOOK! So sorry... anyway..

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was rooting for Kathy the whole time. Reading this after the fictional Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll was so empowering, because they both centered the victims and dispelled all rumors surrounding Bundy. I think this is such an important book and perspective that we dont often get in the true crime genre. I would highly reccommend this to true crime readers and anyone who has followed the media obsession of Bundy because its so important to get the real story.

I am a bit of a crime tv geek and have watched so many documentaries but I’ve really enjoyed reading books of late based on true crime. Thank you for the advanced copy!

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

I absolutely loved this book, If you like victims stories, or loved the book "The Five" by Hallie Rubenhold you will love this book. Kathy's story is so amazing and her strength shines through. She does such a great job centering the stories of the young women who's lives and dreams were cut short by a brutal killer. She is honest (brutally so) about so many of her struggles and the struggles these young women endured that it puts how far removed we are from victims pain in stark spotlight. Such a great book!

I received a free copy of, A Light in the Dark, by Kathy Kleiner Rubin, Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Kathy Kleiner Rubin, was a victim of Ted Bundy. In this book she rewrites that narrative that other authors have said about Bundy, being so charismatic, his victims would just go with him, instead of being actually kidnapped. Kathy has had a hard life with a lupus diagnosis and the heartbreaking torture at the hands of Bundy, with the awful silent treatment by her horrible sorority Chi Omega. Kathy is very inspiring, this was a hard book to read at times.

So often, with true crime books, you have an author writing about the crimes and perpetrators from an outside opinion and viewpoint. It's so refreshing to read an account of a real survivor who candidly goes through the horrific experience and the long-term effects the crime has had on so many people

As a true crime lover, this book is A MUST. Most books about the serial killers of our time focus directly on the destruction they leave in their path. A Light in the Dark shows the other story. The author tells her brushes with death not once, but three times. Her take on how death is her old friend was a true immersive experience.

I don't like to rate autobiographies because it's hard to rate someone's story. But this book really pulls you in. The author mentions what she was doing when Bundy was escaping, working on the hotline, fixing his own cases. I enjoyed this book because I was in it, I felt the fear, the anger, all her emotions after everything that had happened to her.

She does mention Ann Rule's book numerous times and I think that's great for those who have read it (I personally have not) but without reading it, the reader can still understand the point being conveyed.

I gave this book 4 stars because it was memorable, I wasn't even finished yet and was recommending it to everyone. But, I wish the layout was better. The kindle/e-version wasn't very reader friendly.

I am very much interested in reading about true crime and this book did not disappoint. To read this and realise that these things actually happened is definitely an eye opener but also makes you want to continue reading to find out more information about the barbaric events that happened.

Kathy Rubin is one of the only survivors of Ted Bundt and so to read a memoir detailing her account of events before, during, and after is really heart wrenching. It would have taken sheer determination and courage to write something so emotionally moving especially with it happening to you, but to then publish and allow others to read is nothing more than brave.

I’ve previously read books which give the perspective from the victim rather than the guilty and I think a lot more people will be reading also because of this.

Would definitely recommend.

What can I say about this book? What a heartbreaking yet hopeful story is survival by one of Ted Bundy's victims. I wish I could meet Mrs. Rubin and give her a hug and say thank you. She is an amazingly strong woman and her story tells that story. Read this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 3, 2023
Kathy Kleiner Rubin is one of the few confirmed survivors of serial killer Ted Bundy. Her memoir, “A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy” talks candidly about her life before, during and after the horrible attacks by the savage monster who ruined many lives.
Kleiner Rubin, and her co-writer Emilie LeBeau Lucchesi, portray a version of Ted Bundy that’s contrary to how the media portrayed him- as a charming, handsome and intelligent man. Kleiner Rubin describes Bundy as a monster of moderate intelligence, who was socially awkward and gave women the “creeps”, yet still maintained an attitude of supreme arrogance. Kleiner’s tale shines a light on the victims, as she tells the story of the murders in her words, as a survivor and it’s utterly emotional and captivating.
As a child, Kleiner Rubin suffered with a lupus diagnosis and, until receiving treatment, she thought she wouldn’t see her teenage years. Then, as a young adult, her life was drastically changed the night she “met” Ted Bundy. Again, she thought her life would be cut short. After living through the worst nightmare imaginable, she got diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of forty. After reading this memoir it can absolutely be said that Kleiner Rubin is not a “victim”, she is, in fact, a survivor.
Kleiner’s childhood is depicted not just for character development and background but so readers can identify with Kleiner as a human; as a child with loving friends and family who had goals and dreams. “A Light in the Dark” forces readers to see the people that existed before they became the “victims of Ted Bundy”, and she definitely succeeded. Kleiner pays ample tribute to all of Bundy’s victims, and those who suffered at his hands in any way, and expresses her feelings about Bundy in an open and honest manner. She details her experiences of the Bundy trial, and the months-long event that continued to re-traumatize her and her family, until his death in 1989. For those who need a warning- this novel does get quite graphic when describing the attacks and the physical damages Bundy left on his targets. It is absolutely necessary in order to drive home the pure evil that lived in Bundy, but it is not for the faint of heart.
Kleiner Rubin is a survivor by every definition, and every page of “Light” showcases her bravery. Kleiner takes on every challenge she is faced with determination and does not let her history define her. She is an example to women everywhere and is deserving of all the admiration she receives. Kleiner Rubin is a wife, a mother and a woman above all else and she is living her life for herself, and as a tribute to the young women and girls who did not have a chance to live theirs, thanks to the monster that was Ted Bundy.