Dark Tide

For the first time, Edna Cowell Martin—cousin of Ted Bundy—tells her story of growing up with Ted, living in Seattle during his murderous spree, and learning the horrible truth about the man she thought she knew. Growing up in Seattle in the 1950s and 1960s, Edna believed she had a perfect childhood. She ran barefoot and explored tide pools in Puget Sound. She had a concert pianist father and traveled the world with him on tour. She grew so close with her cousin they were more like siblings. Her cousin was Ted Bundy. Like a white tapestry interwoven with a single red thread, Edna’s story has been irrevocably impacted by her relationship to one of the most infamous serial killers in history. From living in Paris as a child to joining the skydiving club in college, Edna took every opportunity to see life as an adventure. That is, until she found herself grappling with an impossible truth. She’s wrestled with intense betrayal, fear, and guilt, and struggled with questions of family identity. Full of exclusive, never before told accounts and handwritten correspondence from Ted, Edna has kept her story to herself for fifty years. Now, she’s finally ready to share it.