Highway to Nowhere: The Chilling True Story of the Backpacker Murders by Richard Shears

by Richard Shears

They were young, adventurous and idealistic, the eight backpackers from Australia, Britain and Germany who, between 1989 and 1992, set out from Sydney to hitch-hike south along the Hume Highway. Seven were to die, and their bodies concealed in the beautiful eucalyptus forest south of Sydney.

Chillingly orchestrated, the slayings in the Balanglo State Forest shocked the world. To snare the highway prowler and bring him to justice would require total dedication and patience. Hundreds of police combed the forest for clues and sifted through maintains of information, studying forensic evidence and computer records.

Amongst the thousands of leads, one story was for a time overlooked, buried in hundreds of reports and tip-offs. In January 1990, a young British backpacker hitchhiking along the Hume Highway had escaped the grip of an armed assailant and run for his life. It was to become a vital clue in the biggest manhunt in Australian history.

Highway to Nowhere is unputdownable and unforgettable, the grisly but gripping tale of Australia's most terrifying and vicious serial killings.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction, Australia

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Richard Shears is an Australian journalist who has covered stories all over the world. His published books encompass fiction, true crime and general nonfiction.

He is the Australian and South East Asian correspondent for the London' respected 'Daily Mail' newspaper.

NB: The exact date of birth is not known so 1 January has been used to complete the entry above.

Reviews

[Diane in Australia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivan Milat. Say that name in Australia, and most folks immediately know who you are referring to. He picked up backpackers along the Hume Highway, and then killed them, and hid their bodies in the Belanglo State Forest. He wasn't picky ... men or women, Australians or overseas visitors. Luckily, one man escaped, and he eventually helped with the investigation.

His victims:


4 Stars = Outstanding. It definitely held my interest.

[Logga Dogga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy dude , very interesting book

[Gert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very gripping true crime story with great details of the overall case. Had to put it down and return to it from some graphic content.

[Narelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

creepy, very very creepy!

[Deb Bodinnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read after watching TV series.