The article discusses the publication of Steve Wick's debut novel, 'The Ruins,' inspired by his interview with Rudolph Hoff, the killer of Kathryn Ann Damm. Damm's murder in 1954 shocked Suffolk County, and Hoff was later arrested after a cold case investigation. Wick portrays Hoff as a terrifying figure, recounting details from the murder that horrified the community. The author emphasizes the lengthy, 8-year research process and his intent to capture the chilling nature of the real-life crime, intertwining it with themes of murder and espionage in his narrative.
"What he did to this woman in Lindenhurst in 1954 was horrendous. He literally ripped her apart. She bled to death in a field," he recounted.
"Another very old woman came in...You could see Hoff look up, and his face just sank. It was his ex-wife," Wick said of Gurli Hoff.
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