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Lying in Wait: Anatomy of a Domestic Terrorist
A Silent Forest. A Sniper’s Bullet. A Community Held Hostage.
On the night of September 12, 2014, the autumnal quiet of the Pocono Mountains was shattered by the crack of a .308-caliber rifle. At the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove, Corporal Bryon Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass fell, victims of a calculated ambush launched from the darkness of the treeline.
The shooter was not a phantom, but a Eric Matthew Frein, a survivalist and military reenactor who had spent years preparing for a private war against the state. As Frein vanished into the dense, unforgiving woodlands he knew intimately, he sparked one of the largest and most expensive manhunts in American history. It also landed him on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list.
Lying in Wait takes readers deep inside the forty-eight-day siege that transformed a peaceful region into a "Green Hell" of fear and paranoia. From the terrified silence of lockdown to the high-tech war room of the pursuit, Howard Frank reconstructs the harrowing search for a "mission-oriented killer" who viewed murder as an art form.
Drawing on forensic reports, court transcripts, interviews with key players, and the killer’s own chilling journals, this is the definitive account of a domestic terrorist who mistook his own delusions for revolution, and the relentless machinery of justice that rose to meet him.
On the night of September 12, 2014, the autumnal quiet of the Pocono Mountains was shattered by the crack of a .308-caliber rifle. At the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove, Corporal Bryon Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass fell, victims of a calculated ambush launched from the darkness of the treeline.
The shooter was not a phantom, but a Eric Matthew Frein, a survivalist and military reenactor who had spent years preparing for a private war against the state. As Frein vanished into the dense, unforgiving woodlands he knew intimately, he sparked one of the largest and most expensive manhunts in American history. It also landed him on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list.
Lying in Wait takes readers deep inside the forty-eight-day siege that transformed a peaceful region into a "Green Hell" of fear and paranoia. From the terrified silence of lockdown to the high-tech war room of the pursuit, Howard Frank reconstructs the harrowing search for a "mission-oriented killer" who viewed murder as an art form.
Drawing on forensic reports, court transcripts, interviews with key players, and the killer’s own chilling journals, this is the definitive account of a domestic terrorist who mistook his own delusions for revolution, and the relentless machinery of justice that rose to meet him.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 11, 2026
Lying in Wait is a chilling and deeply immersive true-crime account that reads with the tension of a thriller while remaining grounded in the devastating reality of domestic terrorism. Howard Frank reconstructs the 2014 ambush of Pennsylvania State Police officers with precision, restraint, and an unflinching eye for both the human tragedy and the psychological darkness behind the attack.
What makes Lying in Wait particularly compelling is its examination of Eric Matthew Frein. Rather than portraying him as a mythic fugitive or criminal mastermind, Frank carefully dismantles the dangerous fantasies and extremist ideologies that fueled his actions. Through journal entries, investigative records, and courtroom material, the book paints the portrait of a man consumed by delusion, isolation, and violent obsession. The result is unsettling precisely because Frein is not presented as incomprehensible, but as someone whose radicalization grew quietly over time.
Beyond the procedural details, the emotional core of the book lies in its focus on the victims and those left behind. Corporal Bryon Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass are treated with humanity and respect, preventing the narrative from becoming merely a study of the killer. Frank consistently reminds readers that this story is not about infamy, but about the devastating ripple effects of violence on families, officers, and ordinary residents.
Ultimately, Lying in Wait is more than a true-crime chronicle—it’s a sobering exploration of extremism, paranoia, and the terrifying consequences of ideology untethered from reality. Disturbing, compelling, and haunting long after the final page, it stands as both a gripping manhunt narrative and a cautionary portrait of homegrown violence.
What makes Lying in Wait particularly compelling is its examination of Eric Matthew Frein. Rather than portraying him as a mythic fugitive or criminal mastermind, Frank carefully dismantles the dangerous fantasies and extremist ideologies that fueled his actions. Through journal entries, investigative records, and courtroom material, the book paints the portrait of a man consumed by delusion, isolation, and violent obsession. The result is unsettling precisely because Frein is not presented as incomprehensible, but as someone whose radicalization grew quietly over time.
Beyond the procedural details, the emotional core of the book lies in its focus on the victims and those left behind. Corporal Bryon Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass are treated with humanity and respect, preventing the narrative from becoming merely a study of the killer. Frank consistently reminds readers that this story is not about infamy, but about the devastating ripple effects of violence on families, officers, and ordinary residents.
Ultimately, Lying in Wait is more than a true-crime chronicle—it’s a sobering exploration of extremism, paranoia, and the terrifying consequences of ideology untethered from reality. Disturbing, compelling, and haunting long after the final page, it stands as both a gripping manhunt narrative and a cautionary portrait of homegrown violence.
May 14, 2026
I received this book in return for a review.
This is the story of an idiot, a moron, a 31 year old child who, in his self-deluded belief that he was doing something of historic importance, murdered a PA state trooper and severely injured another. The author describes in detail how the perpetrator planned and carried out his misdeed and then hid in the woods of NE Pennsylvania for 40 days, until the inevitable capture. Ending with a whimper, not a bang. The trial and inevitable outcome are covered in great detail. He also draws comparisons to other recent domestic terrorists.
I found this an interesting and easy read, and would recommend it.
This is the story of an idiot, a moron, a 31 year old child who, in his self-deluded belief that he was doing something of historic importance, murdered a PA state trooper and severely injured another. The author describes in detail how the perpetrator planned and carried out his misdeed and then hid in the woods of NE Pennsylvania for 40 days, until the inevitable capture. Ending with a whimper, not a bang. The trial and inevitable outcome are covered in great detail. He also draws comparisons to other recent domestic terrorists.
I found this an interesting and easy read, and would recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews