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Killer on the Road
Sixteen-year-old Harper has decided to run away from home after she has another blow-out argument with her mother. However, her two best friends, little sister, and ex-boyfriend all stop her from hitchhiking her way up Route 80 in Wyoming by joining her on an intervention disguised as a road trip. What they don’t realize is that Harper has been marked by a very unique serial killer who’s been trolling the highway for the past three years, and now the killer is after all of them in this fast-paced and deadly chase novel that will have your heart racing well above the speed limit as the interstate becomes a graveyard.
288 pages, ebook
First published June 17, 2025
40 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Graham Jones
236 books14.7k followersStephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author thirty-five or so books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
July 21, 2025
There’s nothing like a bit of hell on the highway, and Killer on the Road had me at the edge of my seat (car seat to be exact because I listened to this purposefully in my car while driving)!
In this novella, we’re given a supernatural spin on a suspenseful slasher. Sixteen year old Harper runs away from home after a fight with her mother and decides to hitchhike across Route 80 in Wyoming. With the intent of an intervention (disguised as a road trip), she is intercepted by her two best friends, her ex-boyfriend, and her little sister. But a very unusual serial killer known as Bucket Mouth has been terrorizing the road for years and has a particular interest in Harper who unknowingly has a target on her back.
When it comes to final girls, Stephen Graham Jones always delivers the most relatable, complex, smart, and courageous female characters! There was so much blood and suspense in this story as well as heart!
I highly recommend doing as I did and listen to the audiobook on your next road trip for an added story-consuming experience!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook!
In this novella, we’re given a supernatural spin on a suspenseful slasher. Sixteen year old Harper runs away from home after a fight with her mother and decides to hitchhike across Route 80 in Wyoming. With the intent of an intervention (disguised as a road trip), she is intercepted by her two best friends, her ex-boyfriend, and her little sister. But a very unusual serial killer known as Bucket Mouth has been terrorizing the road for years and has a particular interest in Harper who unknowingly has a target on her back.
When it comes to final girls, Stephen Graham Jones always delivers the most relatable, complex, smart, and courageous female characters! There was so much blood and suspense in this story as well as heart!
I highly recommend doing as I did and listen to the audiobook on your next road trip for an added story-consuming experience!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook!
October 7, 2025
My first by this author and definitely not the last. He has crafted a tense, startling highway to hell thriller of a novella. I’m looking for to seeing what he does with a full length novel.
July 16, 2025
Stephen Graham Jones has perfected the art of the slasher and Killer on the Road is a prime example of that. Killer on the Road is a High stakes game of cat and mouse with a bad ass main character in Harper.
As soon as I started Killer on the Road, I was immediately pulled in with a shocking opening chapter. The killer in this one is truly horrific and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. At 240 pages its a faster read and I absolutely loved it! And of course as always with SGJ, I appreciated the indigenous rep
Killer on the Road won't be for everyone since it does have a lot of gore however Jade Daniels, slasher, and final girl fans will love this one!
I listened to the audiobook version which was read by Isabella Star LaBlanc and Richard Brake who did an excellent job. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Killer on the Road by Stephen Graham Jones will be available on July 15. Many thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook!
As soon as I started Killer on the Road, I was immediately pulled in with a shocking opening chapter. The killer in this one is truly horrific and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. At 240 pages its a faster read and I absolutely loved it! And of course as always with SGJ, I appreciated the indigenous rep
Killer on the Road won't be for everyone since it does have a lot of gore however Jade Daniels, slasher, and final girl fans will love this one!
I listened to the audiobook version which was read by Isabella Star LaBlanc and Richard Brake who did an excellent job. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Killer on the Road by Stephen Graham Jones will be available on July 15. Many thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook!
September 6, 2025
There is a simplicity to this book that makes it really shine. The being-chased-by-a-killer-on-the-highway subgenre is small but it's effective and Jones really makes the most of it with all kinds of big setpieces of destruction, mayhem, and gore. This would make a great movie and you wouldn't need to make that many changes to adapt it, by far the most cinematic of Jones' work I've read so far (which is saying something given how focused on the cinematic much of his work is).
Solid audiobook, though as always with Jones' work audio requires a little bit of extra concentration. He doesn't punctuate big moments the way most thriller writers do by slowing the action down. Sometimes he even speeds it up in a blink and you miss it kind of way.
Solid audiobook, though as always with Jones' work audio requires a little bit of extra concentration. He doesn't punctuate big moments the way most thriller writers do by slowing the action down. Sometimes he even speeds it up in a blink and you miss it kind of way.
July 29, 2025
DNF at 80%
Honestly I was just looking for a thriller to change up what I’ve been reading but this book just isn’t it. It is so gorey and so much death happens and idk at a certain point I’m wondering if survival even matters.
I looked up spoilers to see how it ended and I feel like the ending would be okay, but I just can’t handle the book anymore. Not for me.
Honestly I was just looking for a thriller to change up what I’ve been reading but this book just isn’t it. It is so gorey and so much death happens and idk at a certain point I’m wondering if survival even matters.
I looked up spoilers to see how it ended and I feel like the ending would be okay, but I just can’t handle the book anymore. Not for me.
August 2, 2025
2.5/5
The first chapter is REALLY suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat! The chapter reads beautifully and illicits a feeling of impending doom that’s similar to the first chapter in My Heart Is A Chainsaw. Unfortunately, in my experience, the first chapters were the best part of both books and they went downhill from there.
I keep thinking my next SGJ book will be the one where it finally “clicks” but I’ve come to accept that his writing just doesn’t work for me. I’m glad so many other readers clearly connect with his novels. He’s built quite the dedicated fan base and appears to be a great guy.
The first chapter is REALLY suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat! The chapter reads beautifully and illicits a feeling of impending doom that’s similar to the first chapter in My Heart Is A Chainsaw. Unfortunately, in my experience, the first chapters were the best part of both books and they went downhill from there.
I keep thinking my next SGJ book will be the one where it finally “clicks” but I’ve come to accept that his writing just doesn’t work for me. I’m glad so many other readers clearly connect with his novels. He’s built quite the dedicated fan base and appears to be a great guy.
July 29, 2025
Uhh…. Okay. 🙄
Read
October 17, 2025mom come pick me up i wanna go home
October 1, 2025
What an insane first chapter. The dialogue bouncing back and forth and then the sudden turn things took made me gasp aloud. Safe to say, I was invested quickly.
The story is about a young girl running away from home after a bad fight with her mother. She ends up hitching a ride with her friends who were visiting from out of town, and her younger sister tags along. However, they are soon stuck in a fight for their lives after being stalked and tormented by a mysterious killer who finds fun in taking lives on the road. But, don’t expect a typical slasher…there is much more to this killer than meets the eye.
This was fast-paced, brutal, and emotional. Basically everything I was expecting. The roadtrip horror was everything I didn’t know I needed, and reminded me of my days as a kid watching and rewatching the movie Joy Ride 😂
Overall, I didn’t find it as impactful as some of my favorite SGJ reads but this was a great time the whole way through.
The story is about a young girl running away from home after a bad fight with her mother. She ends up hitching a ride with her friends who were visiting from out of town, and her younger sister tags along. However, they are soon stuck in a fight for their lives after being stalked and tormented by a mysterious killer who finds fun in taking lives on the road. But, don’t expect a typical slasher…there is much more to this killer than meets the eye.
This was fast-paced, brutal, and emotional. Basically everything I was expecting. The roadtrip horror was everything I didn’t know I needed, and reminded me of my days as a kid watching and rewatching the movie Joy Ride 😂
Overall, I didn’t find it as impactful as some of my favorite SGJ reads but this was a great time the whole way through.
July 8, 2025
Overall this was a super fast paced horror that I read in one sitting ! It isn’t my favourite book from Stephen but I did still enjoy it and find it super easy to read ! My reasoning behind the 3 star resulted from the plot feeling slightly disjointed at points as well as the elements with bucketmouth being very predictable throughout the entirety of the book but also with the disjointed structure it also made the storyline confusing at alot of points for me. Overall it was a decent read and I cannot wait to dive into more
August 3, 2025
This was such a fun read. Gruesome and fast-paced.
March 17, 2025
SGJ perfection. No notes. Thank you exponentially to Saga Press Books for the early copy <3
July 11, 2025
Thank you Saga Press for my free ARC of Killer on the Road by Stephen Graham Jones — available Jul 15!
» READ IF YOU «
🔪 can’t resist a badass final girl
🛣️ love a slasher story set on a desolate stretch of highway
👁️ would do anything for the people you love
» SYNOPSIS «
Harper is running away again, determined to hitch up the interstate to get away from her crazy mom. But her plans are instantly foiled by her besties and baby sister, who snatch her off the side of the road to talk sense into her. As they drive though, they realize something sinister is after them, and leaving bodies in its wake—but there’s nowhere to hide on the remote Route 80, so they’ll just have to push their little truck as fast as it can handle to stay ahead of the danger.
» REVIEW «
I know this might seem crazy to some of you, but Harper might be my favorite final girl?! It’s a toss up between her and Laurie from Del Rio, honestly. She just has so much grit, and heart, and courage—I love her to bits. Stephen, I hope you write the sequel I know you’re angling to! Trust me, you’ll be drooling after a second book too, once you get to the ending of KOTR.
“Get her into a corner, I mean, she’ll show her teeth, fight her way out, and then fight the whole world while she’s at it, just because. These are the kind of people I prefer to believe in. They’re also where I keep my heart.”
So yeah, another slasher novel from the King of Slashers—lucky us, right? It’s a beautiful ride down a treacherous highway, to be sure. Tears at the end for me, which is becoming the norm with SGJ books. And? I know reading this gore-filled horror story wasn’t supposed to make me itch to head up to Wyoming so I can drive I-80 myself, but alas, here we are. I just want to pull into all the rest stops, look around for a teenage girl with a fire in her eyes...
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
» READ IF YOU «
🔪 can’t resist a badass final girl
🛣️ love a slasher story set on a desolate stretch of highway
👁️ would do anything for the people you love
» SYNOPSIS «
Harper is running away again, determined to hitch up the interstate to get away from her crazy mom. But her plans are instantly foiled by her besties and baby sister, who snatch her off the side of the road to talk sense into her. As they drive though, they realize something sinister is after them, and leaving bodies in its wake—but there’s nowhere to hide on the remote Route 80, so they’ll just have to push their little truck as fast as it can handle to stay ahead of the danger.
» REVIEW «
I know this might seem crazy to some of you, but Harper might be my favorite final girl?! It’s a toss up between her and Laurie from Del Rio, honestly. She just has so much grit, and heart, and courage—I love her to bits. Stephen, I hope you write the sequel I know you’re angling to! Trust me, you’ll be drooling after a second book too, once you get to the ending of KOTR.
“Get her into a corner, I mean, she’ll show her teeth, fight her way out, and then fight the whole world while she’s at it, just because. These are the kind of people I prefer to believe in. They’re also where I keep my heart.”
So yeah, another slasher novel from the King of Slashers—lucky us, right? It’s a beautiful ride down a treacherous highway, to be sure. Tears at the end for me, which is becoming the norm with SGJ books. And? I know reading this gore-filled horror story wasn’t supposed to make me itch to head up to Wyoming so I can drive I-80 myself, but alas, here we are. I just want to pull into all the rest stops, look around for a teenage girl with a fire in her eyes...
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 5, 2025
how can a short novella feel like it's neverending and keeps dragging?
I'm sorry, but after having read two books by this author, I can safely say his work is not for me. Love the concepts, hate the execution — and how he writes female teens. Not in a sexualising way or anything like that, don't get me wrong, but as someone who not only was a teenage girl but also works with teens... they don't feel believable to me. And the main character in this one really got on my nerves sometimes, god. She kept making stupid decisions and I wanted to shout at her every time she had yet another useless and whiny argument with the killer.
I also didn't see the point in some of the events that happened or characters that were introduced, to be honest. They would appear and then they'd be dropped out when it felt convenient for the plot, just like that, or that was my impression, at least.
And while the twist at the end was clever, the way the author got there was so incredibly absurd that I had to stop the audiobook and rewind it because I couldn't believe what I was hearing ().
I'm obviously in the minority here because I've only ever seen positive opinions about this author's work, but I think I'll pass next time. It really is a shame because I wanted to love this, though!
I'm sorry, but after having read two books by this author, I can safely say his work is not for me. Love the concepts, hate the execution — and how he writes female teens. Not in a sexualising way or anything like that, don't get me wrong, but as someone who not only was a teenage girl but also works with teens... they don't feel believable to me. And the main character in this one really got on my nerves sometimes, god. She kept making stupid decisions and I wanted to shout at her every time she had yet another useless and whiny argument with the killer.
I also didn't see the point in some of the events that happened or characters that were introduced, to be honest. They would appear and then they'd be dropped out when it felt convenient for the plot, just like that, or that was my impression, at least.
And while the twist at the end was clever, the way the author got there was so incredibly absurd that I had to stop the audiobook and rewind it because I couldn't believe what I was hearing ().
I'm obviously in the minority here because I've only ever seen positive opinions about this author's work, but I think I'll pass next time. It really is a shame because I wanted to love this, though!
August 15, 2025
no notes. Stephen Graham Jones is a master ☠️🙌
October 15, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Really fun, but the writing style didn’t flow as smoothly as some of his other work. Still really fun and brutal though.
Really fun, but the writing style didn’t flow as smoothly as some of his other work. Still really fun and brutal though.
September 6, 2025
One of the better ones of SGJ.
I've read quite a few now, and even though I get through them, there's always the feeling that I'm not 100% able to follow.
The dialogues for one are hard to follow. They leave out big chunks of the sentence because the friends don't need them, they know each other so well, they don't have to spell it all out.
The other thing is that the descriptions sometimes are overly technical. In fear of not getting it right, the author has researched trucks and rigs so much... but I haven't. So all the details are wasted on me, confuse me, don't help me to see the scene.
It's like reading a repair manual which describes all parts in fancy names...
Story wise: Harper is a good character, makes big mistakes but tries to correct them.
I feel sorry for her friends, they all deserved better, there wasn't the typical 'lets split up and investigate' mistake of other splatter stories, but their demise is, I guess, the price you have to pay for a serial killer.
Bucketmouth - he gets more background story than usual. His loneliness shines through. Which is needed to believe his concessions to Harper...
Her sister Meg seems to be a bit smarter though and it really irritates me that the end isn't more clear.
I've read quite a few now, and even though I get through them, there's always the feeling that I'm not 100% able to follow.
The dialogues for one are hard to follow. They leave out big chunks of the sentence because the friends don't need them, they know each other so well, they don't have to spell it all out.
The other thing is that the descriptions sometimes are overly technical. In fear of not getting it right, the author has researched trucks and rigs so much... but I haven't. So all the details are wasted on me, confuse me, don't help me to see the scene.
It's like reading a repair manual which describes all parts in fancy names...
Story wise: Harper is a good character, makes big mistakes but tries to correct them.
I feel sorry for her friends, they all deserved better, there wasn't the typical 'lets split up and investigate' mistake of other splatter stories, but their demise is, I guess, the price you have to pay for a serial killer.
Bucketmouth - he gets more background story than usual. His loneliness shines through. Which is needed to believe his concessions to Harper...
Her sister Meg seems to be a bit smarter though and it really irritates me that the end isn't more clear.
September 7, 2025
After a blow out fight with her mom, Harper decides to head out on her own and takes to the nearest Interstate onramp to hitchhike her way to freedom. Only her friends decide otherwise and head her off to stage an intervention. But things turn deadly as a serial killer with a 'unique' set of skills sets his sights on Harper and her friends...
The second of SGJ's books I've read, and I preferred the other one. It's a good chase story, lots of cat and mouse action. The narrative is perhaps a little too self aware. Like at multiple points Harper comments on how it's a cat and mouse situation, and at various times they point out how if anything had been different then they wouldn't be in this situation, very much stating the obvious. As with "Teenage Slasher", SGJ struggles to make the action come alive, there's something about his descriptions that I find myself unable to picture in my head. The volume of super niche terminology was also too much. I know nothing about big rigs (a major plot device), and I don't particularly want to know more about big rigs, but my lack of knowledge about the mechanics of a big rig, or of North American trucker culture in general, shouldn't have felt like such a handicap when reading this book.
The second of SGJ's books I've read, and I preferred the other one. It's a good chase story, lots of cat and mouse action. The narrative is perhaps a little too self aware. Like at multiple points Harper comments on how it's a cat and mouse situation, and at various times they point out how if anything had been different then they wouldn't be in this situation, very much stating the obvious. As with "Teenage Slasher", SGJ struggles to make the action come alive, there's something about his descriptions that I find myself unable to picture in my head. The volume of super niche terminology was also too much. I know nothing about big rigs (a major plot device), and I don't particularly want to know more about big rigs, but my lack of knowledge about the mechanics of a big rig, or of North American trucker culture in general, shouldn't have felt like such a handicap when reading this book.
October 6, 2025
"I've been down a lot of bad idea roads."
Great audio. The plot is gory slasher, like old school horror movies. So much death and cat and mouse in trucks on the road. I liked the adventure and the serial killer. The narrators were compelling and I liked giving voice to the story.
And if you get the chance, do the audio. The author always narrators acknowledgments and it's always my favorite part. I love hearing the stories and people that inspired the book!
As always, this author tells a great story. I enjoyed it!
Great audio. The plot is gory slasher, like old school horror movies. So much death and cat and mouse in trucks on the road. I liked the adventure and the serial killer. The narrators were compelling and I liked giving voice to the story.
And if you get the chance, do the audio. The author always narrators acknowledgments and it's always my favorite part. I love hearing the stories and people that inspired the book!
As always, this author tells a great story. I enjoyed it!
July 20, 2025
Fricken truckers and their fricken piss jugs.
October 5, 2025
2.5 stars - Jones is really hit and miss for me, and this was not quite right. I had to push through the middle part and the action. I found the horror of interactions with Bucketmouth and the final confrontation very satisfying (creepy, scary, gross), but the action and the cars - eh.
December 5, 2025
Disclaimer: I switched from paper copy to audio book part way through.
I felt like this one slowed a bit in the middle and I struggled a bit to get over that hump but I still really enjoyed it— especially the very beginning and towards the end!!! I did really grow attached to the characters too.
I felt like this one slowed a bit in the middle and I struggled a bit to get over that hump but I still really enjoyed it— especially the very beginning and towards the end!!! I did really grow attached to the characters too.
July 27, 2025
This is the first SGJ that lived up to the expectations of the premise. A true slasher. Throughly enjoyed it.
September 8, 2025
A weird ride. Half B horror, half folklore-ish. Either way fun and wild.
June 30, 2025
This was my first SGJ book and I went into it with high hopes, but it missed the mark for me.
The plot felt basic, Bucketmouth as the "bad guy" was built up as a loner serial killer throughout the 280ish pages, killing being his first choice every time. then SPOILERS BELOW....
Harper just talks him into eating an eyeball for a paralysed woman, which then paralyses him...
Plus, the plot point of Harpers dad having ran away made it very obvious that Bucketmouth would "use" his face for the final show down. The dad being mentioned less would have made this more of a shock.
3.5 🌟
The plot felt basic, Bucketmouth as the "bad guy" was built up as a loner serial killer throughout the 280ish pages, killing being his first choice every time. then SPOILERS BELOW....
Harper just talks him into eating an eyeball for a paralysed woman, which then paralyses him...
Plus, the plot point of Harpers dad having ran away made it very obvious that Bucketmouth would "use" his face for the final show down. The dad being mentioned less would have made this more of a shock.
3.5 🌟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2025
“These are the people I choose to believe in”
Never skip the acknowledgments where Stephen talks about his inspiration for each novel.
Blown away, Stephen Graham Jones is now an auto buy author for me after this and Buffalo Hunter Hunter.
This story is a combo of serial k*ller thriller with paranormal aspects and for sure horror imo. It’s brutal and left me reeling with visceral reactions but at the same time his writing speaks beautifully to the human experience.
I appreciate how much he researches his subjects - this one he learned and spent time on the bleak highways with truckers. You can certainly feel that.
Overall it’s a slower thriller - a bit of a deadly cat and mouse. I could not stop listening. Ty as always to SAGA and Simon and Schuster for the ALC. you guys have the best taste in authors and books 👌🏻👌🏻
Never skip the acknowledgments where Stephen talks about his inspiration for each novel.
Blown away, Stephen Graham Jones is now an auto buy author for me after this and Buffalo Hunter Hunter.
This story is a combo of serial k*ller thriller with paranormal aspects and for sure horror imo. It’s brutal and left me reeling with visceral reactions but at the same time his writing speaks beautifully to the human experience.
I appreciate how much he researches his subjects - this one he learned and spent time on the bleak highways with truckers. You can certainly feel that.
Overall it’s a slower thriller - a bit of a deadly cat and mouse. I could not stop listening. Ty as always to SAGA and Simon and Schuster for the ALC. you guys have the best taste in authors and books 👌🏻👌🏻
August 28, 2025
This wasn’t very scary, just gory, and that’s not my thing. Also sometimes - often times - I couldn’t picture or understand what was happening in the action scenes. Maybe it was too trucker specific for me.
December 5, 2025
me and my best friend, stephen graham jones, back at it again ^_^ once again i have been enchanted by his heart being laid out in narrative form, delightfully confused by the process of following along with the audiobook, impressed by the strength of the book’s opening chapter/introduction to the villain, and grossed out by the gore! i love this guy! he knows so much about trucks!!
and it’s so worth noting that, as always with SGJ, the acknowledgements were my favorite part! (not to dismiss how much i enjoyed the story itself. i just enjoy the acknowledgments THAT much especially since they’re read by our author himself!!) i feel so vindicated by the number of other reviews mentioning them!! every time my good friend sheridan has read a SGJ novel (thrice), i’ve told her to read them, and she has read them zero (0) times. that’s how much she respects my insights. so thank YOU goodreaders for proving i’m right!!
similar to what others have said too, this would make an Excellent movie.
additional edit to add that what stood out to me on this read was how devoted SGJ is to this archetype of teen girl: angry, impulsive, and melodramatic. however, she is also brave, clever, and devoted to those she loves. i often find the MCs like this hard to tolerate at first, and if SGJ wasn’t writing from a place so clearly based in love and respect, i’d criticize him for not understanding women at all. but he is soooo good at holding clear reverence for his final girls and making them empathetic and layered young women. i guess he’s just Him and his girls are Her.
and it’s so worth noting that, as always with SGJ, the acknowledgements were my favorite part! (not to dismiss how much i enjoyed the story itself. i just enjoy the acknowledgments THAT much especially since they’re read by our author himself!!) i feel so vindicated by the number of other reviews mentioning them!! every time my good friend sheridan has read a SGJ novel (thrice), i’ve told her to read them, and she has read them zero (0) times. that’s how much she respects my insights. so thank YOU goodreaders for proving i’m right!!
similar to what others have said too, this would make an Excellent movie.
additional edit to add that what stood out to me on this read was how devoted SGJ is to this archetype of teen girl: angry, impulsive, and melodramatic. however, she is also brave, clever, and devoted to those she loves. i often find the MCs like this hard to tolerate at first, and if SGJ wasn’t writing from a place so clearly based in love and respect, i’d criticize him for not understanding women at all. but he is soooo good at holding clear reverence for his final girls and making them empathetic and layered young women. i guess he’s just Him and his girls are Her.
November 29, 2025
3.5 stars.
This one took me about a week to read — and it’s a fricken novella. It’s gory, chaotic, and confusing enough that I kept wondering if it escaped the editing department a draft too early. The audiobook? Yeah… plan on listening at least twice at regular speed if you want any hope of tracking what’s going on.
I really did try. I invested time. I reread. I rewound. And I still don’t fully understand what happened — which kind of makes me mad because I gave it more attention than much larger novels. At a certain point, though, I just have to move on despite still not knowing what happened. It needs to be a movie—and it would be a great one.
That said: the setting is phenomenal. I will never look at truckers on a dark highway the same way again. It had me hearing that old “Convoy” song in the distance and quietly queuing up Gordon Lightfoot in the background. If you know, you know.
The deaths are terrible, inventive, brutally original, and the sense of terror is pure Stephen Graham Jones. But for me, the ending just didn’t land. This one kind of veered off the shoulder and kept driving…so I learned that much.
Sorry, Stephen — I think I need to return to the “other” Stephen when I want horror that actually finishes the job.
Still, the atmosphere? A+++. The rest? A confusing 3.5 stars.
This one took me about a week to read — and it’s a fricken novella. It’s gory, chaotic, and confusing enough that I kept wondering if it escaped the editing department a draft too early. The audiobook? Yeah… plan on listening at least twice at regular speed if you want any hope of tracking what’s going on.
I really did try. I invested time. I reread. I rewound. And I still don’t fully understand what happened — which kind of makes me mad because I gave it more attention than much larger novels. At a certain point, though, I just have to move on despite still not knowing what happened. It needs to be a movie—and it would be a great one.
That said: the setting is phenomenal. I will never look at truckers on a dark highway the same way again. It had me hearing that old “Convoy” song in the distance and quietly queuing up Gordon Lightfoot in the background. If you know, you know.
The deaths are terrible, inventive, brutally original, and the sense of terror is pure Stephen Graham Jones. But for me, the ending just didn’t land. This one kind of veered off the shoulder and kept driving…so I learned that much.
Sorry, Stephen — I think I need to return to the “other” Stephen when I want horror that actually finishes the job.
Still, the atmosphere? A+++. The rest? A confusing 3.5 stars.
September 4, 2025
This was an addicting listen. Horror, slasher and supernatural all mixed in the book. This was an addictive listen that I very much enjoyed listening to while driving. Ha! A monster stalks Route 80 in Wyoming looking for his next hunt. There are grisly descriptions and some that may turn your stomach, but it was an addictive story that just spun you into its web and didn’t let go till the very end. I couldn’t help myself but root for Harper.
The narrators, Isabella Star LaBlanc, and Richard Brake did an amazing job portraying their characters. The tones and inflections used were spot on. You can feel the terror emanating from Harper. Such an addictive listen. Just when you think it’s game over… guess again.
A very special thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted ALC.
The narrators, Isabella Star LaBlanc, and Richard Brake did an amazing job portraying their characters. The tones and inflections used were spot on. You can feel the terror emanating from Harper. Such an addictive listen. Just when you think it’s game over… guess again.
A very special thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted ALC.
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