Disturbed Ground

The shocking true tale of a shape-shifting woman who fooled everyone – neighbors, clergy, even cops – when in fact she was the rarest of all a female serial killer. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Carla Norton, Disturbed Ground is an extraordinary true crime story, haunting from beginning to end. Dorothea Puente’s tidy Sacramento boardinghouse was a well-known refuge for loners, misfits, pensioners, and veterans. They sometimes “wandered off” … but despite foul odors and strange events, no one guessed anything sinister. No one reported anyone missing. No one suspected the grandmotherly landlady who worked so hard in her garden. But when shy, sweet Bert Montoya vanished, a tenacious social worker named Judy Moise grew suspicious of Dorothea. She filed a missing person’s report, launched a one-woman investigation, and at last persuaded police to take a closer look at Dorothea’s boardinghouse. They arrived with shovels. But as the first of seven bodies was unearthed from her garden, Dorothea disappeared, leaving behind a firestorm of blame and confusion. How could this happen? Who was this chameleon-like killer? And just how long had she been getting away with murder? “Brilliant… a classic!” -- Ann Rule “Stunning… Once again Norton works her true crime magic and draws us inexorably into the core of murderous terror.” -- Jeffery Deaver “An engrossing piece of reporting that reads almost like a crime novel.” -- San Mateo County Times “Eye-popping, sensational, astonishing.” -- Santa Cruz Sentinel