Frank Figliuzzi was a special agent for the FBI for twenty-five years, so he knows his stuff and is in a great position to tell the story of the “Highway Serial Killings Initiative.” This special unit was formed to work on solving the Murders taking place across the country for many years. How many victims? At least (gulp) 850. How many killers? Who knows?
Some of these creeps have nicknames like “Interstate Strangler” and “Truck Stop Killer,” but it really isn’t clear what the actual count is. Often the victims have been sex workers who base their efforts at truck stops, and they might be picked up in one place, assaulted or killed in another, and dumped in yet another. These could be different states, so just imagine the difficulty in just figuring out whose jurisdiction any of these crimes are in…
Figliuzzi’s work isn’t just based on being a former agent or talking to truckers, victims, etc. He actually rode along with a long-haul trucker, sleeping in the cab and riding for DAYS as he learned about the lifestyle. Of the truckers – hopefully not the murderers.
TBH, this book scared the crap out of me, and I haven’t quite finished it. Not sure I’ll ever feel comfortable using a truck stop again, even just to buy gas or use the restroom. Figliuzzi is a talented writer, and I hope he continues working in the true crime genre (along with being a commentator on TV, where his insights into crime are much appreciated. Four stars, and thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review..