I am a big fan of Ann Rule and her true crime books, but there is one I despise. It is Every Breath You Take, about the tragic murder of a mother of quads, perpetrated by her ex. Nobody but nobody deserves what happened to this young woman, but it was difficult to empathize with her, as, throughout the book, she came across as a social climber, all about the $$$, and egging on her ex, excusing a lot of his behavior as long as he was providing a great lifestyle for her, and even enabling him in criminal behavior at some points. Then, following their divorce, she married a man who was physically abusive to the two daughters she'd had with the ex, and that's where she completely lost me. Ms. Rule explains away and excuses all the bad acts and poor choices made by this woman throughout the book. I was still heartbroken when the murder was described, and I will reiterate that she did in no way "have it coming to her"; she was just harder to empathize with than many other crime victims.
I also wanted to throw Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult through a plate glass window.