Long Haul

Hunting the Highway Serial Killers

De: Frank Figliuzzi

Narrado por: Frank Figliuzzi

"A true-crime masterpiece."—Don Winslow

From the FBI’s former assistant director, a shocking journey to the dark side of America’s highways, revealing the FBI Highway Serial Killings Initiative’s hunt for the long-haul truckers behind an astonishing 850 murders–and counting.

In 2004, the FBI was tipped off to a gruesome pattern of unsolved murders along American roadways. Today at least 850 homicides have been linked to a solitary breed of predators: long-haul truck drivers. They have been given names like the “Truck Stop Killer,” who rigged a traveling torture chamber in the rear of his truck and is suspected to have killed fifty women, and “The Interstate Strangler,” who once answered a phone call from his mother while killing one of his dozen victims. The crisis was such that the FBI opened a special unit, the Highway Serial Killings Initiative. In many cases, the victims—often at-risk women—are picked up at truck stops in one jurisdiction, sexually assaulted and murdered in another, and dumped along a highway in a third place. The transient nature of the offenders and multiple jurisdictions involved make these cases incredibly difficult to solve.

Based on his own on-the-ground research and drawing on his twenty-five-year career as an FBI special agent, Frank Figliuzzi investigates the most terrifying cases. He also rides in a big-rig with a long-haul trucker for thousands of miles, gaining an intimate understanding of the life and habits of drivers and their roadside culture. And he interviews the courageous trafficked victims of these crimes, and their inspiring efforts to now help others avoid similar fates.

Long Haul is a gripping exploration of a violent, disordered world hiding in plain sight, and the heroes racing to end the horror. It will forever unsettle how you travel on the road.

©2024 Frank Figliuzzi (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Not What I Expected Not what I expected

I am one of those people who is addicted to stories about the pursuit of serial killers. I expected this book to be about that with all the attendant forensics, etc. that is usual in that genre. This book is more about life on the road with an uplifting story about redemption for truckstop prostitutes who are more likely than not to have been victims of abuse and deserve help not punishment. Frank is a stalwart in the pursuit of truth and justice, and this book was a little disappointing. I did learn quite a bit about life on the road as a trucker, but that was not what I was looking for when I bought this book.

Misfire

I love a good true crime story and had high hopes for this book. While I learned a bit about trucking, it felt like a lomg-haul of old played out takes on sex workers (lot lizards) addiction and sad lives converging in tragedy. Felt over sensationalized and yucky (in my opinion.) Never finished.

Surprisingly Compelling

I am a ‘true crime’ aficionado. This book is great! Not at all dry, it benefits hugely from insider perspective. I could not recommend more highly.

Nightmare

What the author shares is a nightmare about long haul killers. The folks dedicated to helping the victims and survivors of this life are true healers. I had to push through the difficult to hear details to get to the end as quickly as possible so I can cleanse my mind with something lighter. Yet the final words about ‘driverless long haul trucks on our highways’ now.. oy.
I agree with the author, Frank Figluzzi that this indeed was a story that needed to be told and my opinion is he told it well.

It's not fiction...The intersection between trucking, serial killing and human trafficking.

The author gave a great perspective on a mysterious industry and its intersection with crime. The back-story of trucking, trafficking, and murder, along with social, physiological, and emotional perspectives of the criminal and the victims is a stark reality of our world. Connecting the dots with the Professors, law enforcement, and resources, gives hope to those who can be saved in the future.

Authors balanced and well-informed POV

Very good author and tone here. Informative and unbiased, and a sobering and fair account of trafficking and truckers, and how both can be exploited.

Interesting Deepdive

It was a good deep dive into trucker culture and how it could lead to murders, but he spent most of his time there and relatively little on the ways to combat it. Overall, it was still informative and somewhat unique. I’d still recommend it.

It’s okay

I enjoyed it but it felt like an internet recipe blog that gives tons of side story and not as much of the promised details. Lots of details of ride alongs with disjointed discussion of random murders

Not what I was expecting

As the author states in the epilogue, this book started out as a look at long haul killers. However, it’s firstly about life as a long haul trucker ( the chapters are “ Monday with Mike”, etc.) . Secondly, it’s about the violent and drug fueled world that sex workers/ trafficked women live in. Thirdly, it’s about the small percentage of those long haul truckers that are serial killers. Having said that, it was an interesting book and did offer some potential solutions to the problems presented.

So good, I didn't want to stop to take a piss.

Great awareness of an important topic. Great look inside our industry for the laymen. Great true crime to keep today's crime junkies interested. All in one.