Blood Highway

by Sheila Johnson

Dead WrongOn January 23, 2000, already battered by an ice storm, the rural Alabama resort town of Mentone was about to be struck by an even more terrifying freak catastrophe. Hurtling down the highway in a Lincoln Town Car was Hayward Bissell, a 400-pound madman on a murder rampage. Ramming the pickup truck of Don and Rhea Pirch, Bissell lured Don Pirch on to the road, running him down with his car.Dead ReckoningBissell next targeted the home of James and Sue Pumphrey. After stabbing James Pumphrey in the stomach, Bissell was thwarted by two family dogs, who gave their lives to protect their owners. Their sacrifice bought Pumphrey enough time to get a gun and scare off Bissell--who didn't know the weapon was actually inoperable.Dead EndWhen Bissell was finally stopped, police discovered that he wasn't alone. Occupying the passenger seat beside him was the mutilated, partially dismembered body of his pregnant girlfriend, Patricia Ann Booher.In February 2002, Bissell pled "guilty but insane" and was sent to prison for life. Was he really crazy? Or was he crazy like a fox, turning it on and off to try to beat a death sentence for Booher's murder. . .Includes 16 Pages Of Shocking Photos

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2004

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not finish this book. I gritted my way through maybe 33% of it before I gave up. The people involved were colorless, one-dimensional. It just read as a bunch of newspaper clippings strung together with disclaimers by the reporter. Granted I've been spoiled by years of reading Ann Rule and other excellent true crime writers, so perhaps I am being a little harsh. But this book stinks.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly good

writing. Good story, horror that it was. A little too much repetition of information and a lot of statistical information at the end. But, good for this reporter to get the scoop and move to writing non-fiction novels.

[Mollee Lemons · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me absolutely forever to get into reading this book and to be honest I'm not sure that I ever did. This book was sad and crazy, but it also makes you realize how mentally unstable some people are out there in this world.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is written like a 5th grader giving a Science report. So repetitive that if you took out the repeats it would be half the length. I struggled to finish but did because I wanted to know what happened.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 I wrote about this book:

Just finished this book and now I am wondering what did go wrong?

Well wrong is maybe not the right word but why was I wishing that I could quickly finish this book at the end? The beginning was shocking. I did not know what to expect so I was very surprised. The writing was good, but overall this book did bore me a bit and I cannot explain why. Maybe it was just me. 7.5

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It tells the story of a true crime. Hayward Bissel killed his girlfriend while on a road trip from Ohio to Florida. The question ... is he insane or just mean as hell. Personally I think anyone who can take the life of another for no good reason, is insane. But you shold be your own judge on this one.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A horrible crime, completely incomprehensible. How love went so terribly wrong. Horrifying. I feel so very sorry for the poor rookie cop that finally got this monster to pull over...what the cop saw...

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing & Repetitive,
It's frustrating to read the same scenario over and over again. That really takes away from the book.
I hate reading books which go over and over what you just read and jump around.
Do not waste your time reading Blood Highway

[Jeannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a sicko creep this guy was. The book drug along at a fairly slow pace for me which prompted my 2 star rating.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 1 out of 5]

About one hundred pages of information stretched out to 227 through the use of repetition and padding. Might have been a so-so entry in a compilation but there's not enough here for a whole book.

[Pam Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true crime story, that shows you not only the crime, but the effect on all. The last two chapters give a good deal of information on abuse, and the signs to look for and help available.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much and the only negative point I feel I have to make is that the author does have the tendency to repeat the same information several times over. Some true crime books start out with a bang and then slow down significantly once it gets to the trial part. This one did not. It was a good, quick read.