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White Knuckle
There’s a killer on the road…He’s a big rig truck driver who goes by the CB handle White Knuckle, and he’s Jack the Ripper on eighteen wheels. For thirty years he has murdered hundreds of women in unimaginable ways, imprisoning them in a secret compartment in his truck, abducting them in one state and dumping their dead bodies across the country. Dedicated FBI agent Sharon Ormsby is on a mission to hunt down and stop White Knuckle. She goes undercover as a truck driver with a helpful long hauler named Rudy in a cross-country pursuit that will ultimately bring her face-to-face with White Knuckle in a pedal-to-the-metal, high-octane climax on a highway to Hell.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
24 people are currently reading
514 people want to read
About the author
Eric Red
64 books110 followersEric Red is a Los Angeles based novelist, screenwriter, and film director. His novels, an edgy Y/A book called DON’T STAND SO CLOSE and a dark fantasy called THE GUNS OF SANTA SANGRE and its sequel THE WOLVES OF EL DIABLO are published in hardcover, trade paperback and digital editions by SST Publications. Two other novels, a science fiction thriller called IT WAITS BELOW, and a mystery crime thriller called WHITE KNUCKLE are published by Samhain Publishing. The first two of his Joe Noose Western novels, NOOSE and HANGING FIRE, are published in Mass Market Paperback and digital editions by Kensington Books and Pinnacle Books. The next two Joe Noose Westerns, BRANDED and THE CRIMSON TRAIL, will be published in 2021.
Mr. Red directed and wrote the films COHEN AND TATE for Hemdale, BODY PARTS for Paramount, UNDERTOW for Showtime, BAD MOON for Warner Bros. and 100 FEET for Grand Illusions Entertainment. His original screenplays include THE HITCHER for Tri Star, NEAR DARK for DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group, BLUE STEEL for MGM and THE LAST OUTLAW for HBO.
His published horror and suspense short stories have been in Cemetery Dance magazine, Weird Tales magazine, Shroud magazine, Dark Delicacies III: Haunted anthology, Dark Discoveries magazine, Mulholland Books' Popcorn Fiction, among others.
He created and wrote the sci-fi/horror comic series and graphic novel CONTAINMENT from SST Publications and the horror western comic series WILD WORK for Antarctic Press.
Visit his website at www.ericred.com.
Mr. Red directed and wrote the films COHEN AND TATE for Hemdale, BODY PARTS for Paramount, UNDERTOW for Showtime, BAD MOON for Warner Bros. and 100 FEET for Grand Illusions Entertainment. His original screenplays include THE HITCHER for Tri Star, NEAR DARK for DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group, BLUE STEEL for MGM and THE LAST OUTLAW for HBO.
His published horror and suspense short stories have been in Cemetery Dance magazine, Weird Tales magazine, Shroud magazine, Dark Delicacies III: Haunted anthology, Dark Discoveries magazine, Mulholland Books' Popcorn Fiction, among others.
He created and wrote the sci-fi/horror comic series and graphic novel CONTAINMENT from SST Publications and the horror western comic series WILD WORK for Antarctic Press.
Visit his website at www.ericred.com.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 30, 2015
There’s a killer on the road…He’s a big rig truck driver who goes by the CB handle White Knuckle, and he’s Jack the Ripper on eighteen wheels. For thirty years he has murdered hundreds of women inunimaginable ways, imprisoning them in a secret compartment in his truck, abducting them in one state and dumping their dead bodies across the country. Dedicated FBI agent Sharon Ormsby is on a mission to hunt down and stop WhiteKnuckle. She goes undercover as a truck driver with a helpful long hauler named Rudy in a cross-country pursuit that will ultimately bring her face-to-face with White Knuckle in a pedal-to-the-metal, high-octane climax on a highway to Hell.
Lucky I had my kindle with me while at a jewellery stall today, so in between my regular boon, read this today, as well as my other Net galley Book.
WHITE KNUCKLE pits a probationary FBI Special Agent with a sad background and finely tuned intuition against a human monster--a long hauler trucker who began killing and torturing animals at age six and who has slaughtered women and girls in interstate rampages for four decades.
This is the first I have read of Mr Red but it certainly will not be the last.
Although violent and graphic and a mixture of films Duel, Silence Of The Lambs and The Hitcher.
Great read
Lucky I had my kindle with me while at a jewellery stall today, so in between my regular boon, read this today, as well as my other Net galley Book.
WHITE KNUCKLE pits a probationary FBI Special Agent with a sad background and finely tuned intuition against a human monster--a long hauler trucker who began killing and torturing animals at age six and who has slaughtered women and girls in interstate rampages for four decades.
This is the first I have read of Mr Red but it certainly will not be the last.
Although violent and graphic and a mixture of films Duel, Silence Of The Lambs and The Hitcher.
Great read
June 7, 2015
Review copy
With apologies to Eric Red, prior to getting this book from Samhain Horror, I knew nothing about his work. Turns out, Eric is an American screenwriter and director, best known for writing the horror films The Hitcher and Near Dark. And based on what I just read, he's a damn fine horror writer, as well.
This is the way the story opens...
"There's a killer on the road...
He's a big rig truck driver who goes by the handle White Knuckle, and he's Jack the Ripper on eighteen wheels. For thirty years he has murdered hundreds of women in unimaginable ways, imprisoning them in a secret compartment in his truck, abducting them in one state and dumping their dead bodies across the country.
Dedicated FBI agent Sharon Ormsby is on a mission to hunt down and stop White Knuckle. She goes undercover as a truck driver with a helpful long hauler named Rudy in a cross-country pursuit that will ultimately bring her face-to-face with White Knuckle in a pedal-to-the-metal, high-octane climax on a highway to Hell."
If that doesn't pull you in, maybe you should be reading romance novels instead of horror.
White Knuckle has plenty of action and the title character is one sick and twisted individual. The back story on the killer's childhood was absolutely chilling.
Special Agent, Sharon Ormsby, is a wonderfully strong female character and White Knuckle has some of the most horrific scenes I've ever read. There were times I was actually cringing in my seat while reading this novel. It's that good.
If you haven't been reading Eric Red, like me just a few days ago, do yourself a big favor and drop this book right on top of your TBR pile.
White Knuckle is available now in Paperback and a variety of e-book formats from Samhain Horror.
Strongly recommended.
With apologies to Eric Red, prior to getting this book from Samhain Horror, I knew nothing about his work. Turns out, Eric is an American screenwriter and director, best known for writing the horror films The Hitcher and Near Dark. And based on what I just read, he's a damn fine horror writer, as well.
This is the way the story opens...
"There's a killer on the road...
He's a big rig truck driver who goes by the handle White Knuckle, and he's Jack the Ripper on eighteen wheels. For thirty years he has murdered hundreds of women in unimaginable ways, imprisoning them in a secret compartment in his truck, abducting them in one state and dumping their dead bodies across the country.
Dedicated FBI agent Sharon Ormsby is on a mission to hunt down and stop White Knuckle. She goes undercover as a truck driver with a helpful long hauler named Rudy in a cross-country pursuit that will ultimately bring her face-to-face with White Knuckle in a pedal-to-the-metal, high-octane climax on a highway to Hell."
If that doesn't pull you in, maybe you should be reading romance novels instead of horror.
White Knuckle has plenty of action and the title character is one sick and twisted individual. The back story on the killer's childhood was absolutely chilling.
Special Agent, Sharon Ormsby, is a wonderfully strong female character and White Knuckle has some of the most horrific scenes I've ever read. There were times I was actually cringing in my seat while reading this novel. It's that good.
If you haven't been reading Eric Red, like me just a few days ago, do yourself a big favor and drop this book right on top of your TBR pile.
White Knuckle is available now in Paperback and a variety of e-book formats from Samhain Horror.
Strongly recommended.
February 26, 2015
Review: WHITE KNUCKLE by Eric Red
Rip-roaring, knuckle-biting, constantly suspenseful adventure in this riveting mystery thriller by the author of IT WAITS BELOW, WHITE KNUCKLE pits a probationary FBI Special Agent with a sad background and finely tuned intuition against a human monster--a long hauler trucker who began killing and torturing animals at age six and who has slaughtered women and girls in interstate rampages for four decades. Rife with high-octane tension, WHITE KNUCKLE also delivers extended characterization and well toned backstory. It's a Don t miss, but don't read while traveling the highways, or sleeping alone.
Rip-roaring, knuckle-biting, constantly suspenseful adventure in this riveting mystery thriller by the author of IT WAITS BELOW, WHITE KNUCKLE pits a probationary FBI Special Agent with a sad background and finely tuned intuition against a human monster--a long hauler trucker who began killing and torturing animals at age six and who has slaughtered women and girls in interstate rampages for four decades. Rife with high-octane tension, WHITE KNUCKLE also delivers extended characterization and well toned backstory. It's a Don t miss, but don't read while traveling the highways, or sleeping alone.
July 9, 2018
Yes, I really enjoyed this weird story about the killer on the road. Like a very good road movie!
October 30, 2015
There is nothing that is better than a good trucking story. The open highway, the smell of the diesel fuel and the wonderful beauty of those great big 18 wheel monsters as they roam the highways of America. Roy Tremble is no ordinary trucker, he is a killer, who for some 40 years has been murdering and butchering women across the American states. Known to his fellow truckers by the CB handle “White Knuckle” he feels truly unstoppable until that is he makes the acquaintance of Special Agent Sharon Ormsby.
This is a fun read and gives a real feeling of being at the wheel of a monster truck and the complexities, control and skill that is needed to navigate this powerful machine successfully from town to town.
Where this trucking tale fails is in the stupidity of the storyline. To accept that no sooner has an FBI agent become an undercover trucker’s mate than she immediately makes contact with the trucker killer (who has eluded the authorities for a very long time) is absurd in the extreme. Whilst I realise this is merely a story, I would feel much more comfortable if the writing contained an element of believability, the ending itself almost portraying Agent Ormsby as a superhuman superwoman!
This kindle edition contains a number of grammatical errors which would have been so easy to avoid and correct by simple proof reading. I would certainly have awarded White Knuckle a 3 star review if more care and attention had been directed towards the preparation and presentation of the ebook edition but because of the carelessness of these silly mistakes a 2 star review is more appropriate.
The errors are as follows:
“The officer was in a foul mood because he wasn’t supposed to working a double shift....” should read “The officer was in a foul mood because he wasn’t supposed to (be) working a double shift...”
“......were driving up to my grandmother’s in Pennsylvania. Don’t where my dad was, but it was just me and my mom....” should read “....were driving up to my grandmother’s in Pennsylvania. Don’t (know) where my dad was, but it was just me and my mom...”
“Know that. Found your badge. Nice tits for and G-gal.” should read “Know that, Found your badge, Nice tits for (a) G-gal.”
“Her legs were rubber and she again she almost tumbled off the truck” should read “ Her legs were rubber and she almost tumbled off the truck”.
This is a fun read and gives a real feeling of being at the wheel of a monster truck and the complexities, control and skill that is needed to navigate this powerful machine successfully from town to town.
Where this trucking tale fails is in the stupidity of the storyline. To accept that no sooner has an FBI agent become an undercover trucker’s mate than she immediately makes contact with the trucker killer (who has eluded the authorities for a very long time) is absurd in the extreme. Whilst I realise this is merely a story, I would feel much more comfortable if the writing contained an element of believability, the ending itself almost portraying Agent Ormsby as a superhuman superwoman!
This kindle edition contains a number of grammatical errors which would have been so easy to avoid and correct by simple proof reading. I would certainly have awarded White Knuckle a 3 star review if more care and attention had been directed towards the preparation and presentation of the ebook edition but because of the carelessness of these silly mistakes a 2 star review is more appropriate.
The errors are as follows:
“The officer was in a foul mood because he wasn’t supposed to working a double shift....” should read “The officer was in a foul mood because he wasn’t supposed to (be) working a double shift...”
“......were driving up to my grandmother’s in Pennsylvania. Don’t where my dad was, but it was just me and my mom....” should read “....were driving up to my grandmother’s in Pennsylvania. Don’t (know) where my dad was, but it was just me and my mom...”
“Know that. Found your badge. Nice tits for and G-gal.” should read “Know that, Found your badge, Nice tits for (a) G-gal.”
“Her legs were rubber and she again she almost tumbled off the truck” should read “ Her legs were rubber and she almost tumbled off the truck”.
May 18, 2015
On the one hand, Eric Red’s White Knuckle takes a slight spin on the ol’ fashioned FBI procedural hunt for a serial killer premise and runs with it unashamedly. The “slight spin” in this instance is to make the serial killer a long-haul truck driver who utilises his largely transient lifestyle to deposit bits and pieces of his victims across the country – unless he opts to keep a few pieces for his backwoods home. Red also opts to incorporate some fairly questionable FBI tactics, as his protagonist, Special Agent Sharon Orsmby is not only allowed to go undercover, but also to enlist the aid of a real trucker (aka NOT a FBI agent) to help sell her cover story as she starts with almost zero idea of who the killer is and where he might be.
Then there’s the other hand, which suggests White Knuckle is fairly paint by the numbers. As soon as you take into account that the guy who wrote the original version of The Hitcher is also the author of this, the main plot beats become more than a tad predictable. I doubt many will be surprised by the directions in which White Knuckle heads, nor the place at which it ultimately ends.
Still, it’s a well-written novel that wastes few scenes in conveying the threat of the mad, serial killing, truck-driver and the obsessiveness of the attractive FBI agent who winds up having quite the personal reason to want him brought to justice or put in the ground. Other than a few sections in which Sharon is learning to drive the big rig she is travelling in, the pace is quite brisk, with Red returning to Mr White Knuckle himself for another abduction and implied murder whenever Sharon’s frustrating search becomes too repetitive.
But the best scenes of the novel are those reserved for when the authorities are closing in on White Knuckle and discover just what his definition of a little taste of home equates to.
In the end White Knuckle might not be classifiable as a “must-read”, but it is a decent, sometimes effective, and readily consumable thriller that will have you double checking your rear view mirror the next time you pass a big rig on a lonely stretch of interstate.
3 Smuggler’s Holds Han Solo Would Be Proud to Own for White Knuckle.
The preceding was based on an eARC provided by Samhain Publishing through Netgalley and can be found at Horror After Dark along with many other reviews.
Then there’s the other hand, which suggests White Knuckle is fairly paint by the numbers. As soon as you take into account that the guy who wrote the original version of The Hitcher is also the author of this, the main plot beats become more than a tad predictable. I doubt many will be surprised by the directions in which White Knuckle heads, nor the place at which it ultimately ends.
Still, it’s a well-written novel that wastes few scenes in conveying the threat of the mad, serial killing, truck-driver and the obsessiveness of the attractive FBI agent who winds up having quite the personal reason to want him brought to justice or put in the ground. Other than a few sections in which Sharon is learning to drive the big rig she is travelling in, the pace is quite brisk, with Red returning to Mr White Knuckle himself for another abduction and implied murder whenever Sharon’s frustrating search becomes too repetitive.
But the best scenes of the novel are those reserved for when the authorities are closing in on White Knuckle and discover just what his definition of a little taste of home equates to.
In the end White Knuckle might not be classifiable as a “must-read”, but it is a decent, sometimes effective, and readily consumable thriller that will have you double checking your rear view mirror the next time you pass a big rig on a lonely stretch of interstate.
3 Smuggler’s Holds Han Solo Would Be Proud to Own for White Knuckle.
The preceding was based on an eARC provided by Samhain Publishing through Netgalley and can be found at Horror After Dark along with many other reviews.
August 30, 2015
Eric Red’s White Knuckle is as high octane a horror thriller as they come. It is a cross between Silence of the Lambs and Richard Matheson’s Duel. It also bears a very slight resemblance to the 80s film, The Hitcher which was written by Eric Red as well as was one of my favorite vampire movies, Near Dark. Those two movies and this novel have something in common and that is they show that Red knows how to write dark and evil characters that jump out at you. If his psycho villains come out a little too super-human sometimes, it just revs up the suspense and gives us a little more worry and need to cheer on the hero or, in this case, the heroine.
Our heroine is FBI agent Sharon Ormsby who is assigned to the FBI’s Highway Serial Killing Initiative which tracks and hunts down murders on interstate highways. She comes across a pair of bodies that appear to be linked but, if so, it means that the killer has been active for over 30 years. In the meantime through alternating scenes, the reader discovers quickly that this is a trucker who uses the CB handle White Knuckle. He is abducting women and imprisoning them in his own torture chamber on wheels.
White Knuckle has the right amount of action, crime know-how, suspense, and terror to appeal to a number of genre readers. The FBI/CSI enthusiasts will get a lot of crime-fighter stuff. The author certainly know a lot about the trucking industry too. The suspense/thriller reader will not be disappointed with the tense writing and many taut action scenes. And the horror fans will find lots of scares, both psychological and physical. But it is the cat-and–mouse relationship between Sharon and White Knuckle that kept my interest. The character of White Knuckle is a larger than life serial killer; obsessed, thinks he is smarter than everyone else and just may be, and highly misogynistic. His killing of women is described by the author in a way that hides no facts about his villainy and frankly may be too much for some readers. Yet when Sharon, who is undercover and on the road with a veteran truck driver she had partnered up with, comes into contact with him we can feel the killer being both threatened and challenged by this woman. This is handled well by the author and only adds to the tension as Sharon builds her case and White Knuckle prepares for what he sees to be his final triumph. The final climatic scene is one of the best written action segments I have ever read on paper.
But it isn’t all perfect. That best action scene on paper sometimes comes across too well and feels like a send-up for a film. This is not necessarily a big problem but there are a number of times that some scenes felt too cinematic or too pat. Like the hitcher in the aforementioned film of the same name, the character of White Knuckle is often too “there” when he should be. Also, considering how detailed his descriptions of both FBI and truck driving is, there are some moments that stretch believability. For instance, it is hard to think that an agent that develops a sudden major disability would be kept in the field for such an important and dangerous manhunt. That almost lost me, to be blunt.
Yet overall, I have to admit that White Knuckle ends up as one of the most visceral and on-the-edge-of your-seat reading I have done in a long while. It never lets up. Red has an affinity not just for villains but for the victims which adds a lot of poignancy in the writing. Sharon Ormsby is a great protagonist with enough nerve and back story to make her easily likable. If this isn’t one of the best literary horror/action thrill rides of all time then it still easily goes to the top of the list for best action thrillers in 2015.
Our heroine is FBI agent Sharon Ormsby who is assigned to the FBI’s Highway Serial Killing Initiative which tracks and hunts down murders on interstate highways. She comes across a pair of bodies that appear to be linked but, if so, it means that the killer has been active for over 30 years. In the meantime through alternating scenes, the reader discovers quickly that this is a trucker who uses the CB handle White Knuckle. He is abducting women and imprisoning them in his own torture chamber on wheels.
White Knuckle has the right amount of action, crime know-how, suspense, and terror to appeal to a number of genre readers. The FBI/CSI enthusiasts will get a lot of crime-fighter stuff. The author certainly know a lot about the trucking industry too. The suspense/thriller reader will not be disappointed with the tense writing and many taut action scenes. And the horror fans will find lots of scares, both psychological and physical. But it is the cat-and–mouse relationship between Sharon and White Knuckle that kept my interest. The character of White Knuckle is a larger than life serial killer; obsessed, thinks he is smarter than everyone else and just may be, and highly misogynistic. His killing of women is described by the author in a way that hides no facts about his villainy and frankly may be too much for some readers. Yet when Sharon, who is undercover and on the road with a veteran truck driver she had partnered up with, comes into contact with him we can feel the killer being both threatened and challenged by this woman. This is handled well by the author and only adds to the tension as Sharon builds her case and White Knuckle prepares for what he sees to be his final triumph. The final climatic scene is one of the best written action segments I have ever read on paper.
But it isn’t all perfect. That best action scene on paper sometimes comes across too well and feels like a send-up for a film. This is not necessarily a big problem but there are a number of times that some scenes felt too cinematic or too pat. Like the hitcher in the aforementioned film of the same name, the character of White Knuckle is often too “there” when he should be. Also, considering how detailed his descriptions of both FBI and truck driving is, there are some moments that stretch believability. For instance, it is hard to think that an agent that develops a sudden major disability would be kept in the field for such an important and dangerous manhunt. That almost lost me, to be blunt.
Yet overall, I have to admit that White Knuckle ends up as one of the most visceral and on-the-edge-of your-seat reading I have done in a long while. It never lets up. Red has an affinity not just for villains but for the victims which adds a lot of poignancy in the writing. Sharon Ormsby is a great protagonist with enough nerve and back story to make her easily likable. If this isn’t one of the best literary horror/action thrill rides of all time then it still easily goes to the top of the list for best action thrillers in 2015.
September 18, 2015
When I learned that the man who wrote one of the best horror movies of all time--The Hitcher--also wrote books, I immediately bought White Knuckle. I'm always a sucker for a good serial killer story, and if there's anything I know about Eric Red, it's that the man is a master of all things scary.
I wasn't disappointed. White Knuckle is tightly woven cat-and-mouse game between the killer and the young FBI agent. This has been done before, but what sets it apart is the age of the killer and the FBI agent's unusual approach to catching him. I've always been fascinated by truck driving, and you could tell Red had done his research--he weaves in a lot of information about life on the road in a skilful way that was never boring or heavy handed.
Even the one thing I was sure I'd figured out from the beginning turned out to completely different than I suspected.
I planned on giving this book four stars until I got to the end, which was surprisingly moving. Red managed to write an edge-of-your-seat thriller while still making me care deeply about some of the characters (one in particular). He more than earned these five stars.
I'll definitely be reading more of his books.
I wasn't disappointed. White Knuckle is tightly woven cat-and-mouse game between the killer and the young FBI agent. This has been done before, but what sets it apart is the age of the killer and the FBI agent's unusual approach to catching him. I've always been fascinated by truck driving, and you could tell Red had done his research--he weaves in a lot of information about life on the road in a skilful way that was never boring or heavy handed.
Even the one thing I was sure I'd figured out from the beginning turned out to completely different than I suspected.
I planned on giving this book four stars until I got to the end, which was surprisingly moving. Red managed to write an edge-of-your-seat thriller while still making me care deeply about some of the characters (one in particular). He more than earned these five stars.
I'll definitely be reading more of his books.
June 3, 2015
Big rig serial killer
Special Agent Sharon Ormsby has been working as an analyst and she wants to move up in the FBI ranks. She is assigned to the Highway Serial Killings Initiative (HSK), trying to track down serial killers that work the major highways of the U.S.
Sharon knows the US Interstate Highway system has over 46,800 miles of interconnected highways and there are two million tractor-trailers driving those roads. And for forty years a trucker calling himself White Knuckle has been working those highways, killing women and disposing of their bodies. SA Ormsby wants to put this freak out of commission as soon as possible.
This is a over-the-top, interesting FBI procedural. Author Red ramps up the excitement from page one and keeps the pedal to the metal all the way to the end.
Be forewarned that you probably shouldn't read this if you have a weak stomach. Way vivid, gory scenes and plenty of harsh language abound in this serial killer tale.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Samhain Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Special Agent Sharon Ormsby has been working as an analyst and she wants to move up in the FBI ranks. She is assigned to the Highway Serial Killings Initiative (HSK), trying to track down serial killers that work the major highways of the U.S.
Sharon knows the US Interstate Highway system has over 46,800 miles of interconnected highways and there are two million tractor-trailers driving those roads. And for forty years a trucker calling himself White Knuckle has been working those highways, killing women and disposing of their bodies. SA Ormsby wants to put this freak out of commission as soon as possible.
This is a over-the-top, interesting FBI procedural. Author Red ramps up the excitement from page one and keeps the pedal to the metal all the way to the end.
Be forewarned that you probably shouldn't read this if you have a weak stomach. Way vivid, gory scenes and plenty of harsh language abound in this serial killer tale.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Samhain Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
July 20, 2015
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
I’d classify this book more as a thriller than a horror book. It’s an interesting book, with an unique main character. The author crafts a serial killer well, and gives him an actual personality. He’s more than stereotypes. Despite that, the book is a little predictable, though. The pacing wasn’t always fast enough, but overall it was an enjoyable book about a serial killer and the FBI agent desperate to hunt him down.
I’d classify this book more as a thriller than a horror book. It’s an interesting book, with an unique main character. The author crafts a serial killer well, and gives him an actual personality. He’s more than stereotypes. Despite that, the book is a little predictable, though. The pacing wasn’t always fast enough, but overall it was an enjoyable book about a serial killer and the FBI agent desperate to hunt him down.
September 11, 2018
There are plenty of things I like in a good book and this one has so many. A strong, female character, the wide open road, and big rigs, my favorite. This book kept me on the edge of my seat with plenty of twists and turns, and more than enough suspense. What does it take to catch a monster, especially one who has been on the road for forty years? I could almost feel the thrill of the interstate and the rush of fear each time White Knuckle came rolling in to a new town. With characters that were easy to love and cheer for, this book was very enjoyable to read.
June 12, 2015
Over the last few years, I’ve gotten more and more into crime fiction. Whenever I feel a bit bogged down by science fiction or fantasy, I throw a little crime into the mix just for a change of pace.
Special Agent Sharon Ormsby has uncovered a horrific pattern while investigating seemingly unrelated crimes. There is a serial killer at work in the United States using the thousands of miles of highway as their own private stalking ground. Ormsby is tasked with finding the maniac and stopping this psychopath from killing again. Sharon enlists the assistance of a trucker, Rudy, and the two travel from crime scene to crime scene trying to find any kind of lead. What develops is a tense game of cat and mouse as Sharon and Rudy switch from being the hunters to the hunted. White Knuckle is a killer who likes to play games with his quarry, and Sharon has piqued his interest. Ultimately, this novel becomes one long chase from beginning to end.
A small word of warning, the easily offended may wish to look elsewhere for their crime fiction. There are some pretty nasty suggestions of violence in this book. The character of White Knuckle is an entirely loathsome piece of work; a sexual sadist who preys on women, using them, abusing them and then disposing of them. He revels in their pain and suffering. I had no difficulty at all rooting for Special Agent Ormsby to take him down. I was urging her on every step of the way. There are a handful of chapters that follow events from White Knuckle’s perspective. They also reveal additional insight into his childhood and formative years and, I’ll be honest here, it just made me hope for his destruction all the more. Knuckle is a complete scumbag, I’m always impressed when an author can create a character that I really actively hate. There are no redeeming qualities to this villain at all, not a one. Think Ed Gein driving a big rig, and you are about half way there.
There is a distinctly cinematic feel to proceedings and that is hardly a surprise when you discover that the author is already a successful screenwriter having written movies like Near Dark and The Hitcher. I could easily see this story being adapted for the screen. I’m pondering my dream cast right now. I’m thinking someone like Tommy Lee Jones could be supremely sleazy as White Knuckle. Not sure who would play Sharon and Rudy though. That requires some more thought.
This is short, sharp and often shocking fiction. I rattled through the entire book in a single sitting. All the chapters tend to only be a couple of pages long. This fast-paced, punchy approach feels appropriate and adds an additional sense of urgency that infuses the entire novel. Darkly entertaining, I enjoyed this grisly slice of pulpy crime fiction. It certainly shares the same deliciously sinister tone as the author’s classic celluloid endeavours.
Special Agent Sharon Ormsby has uncovered a horrific pattern while investigating seemingly unrelated crimes. There is a serial killer at work in the United States using the thousands of miles of highway as their own private stalking ground. Ormsby is tasked with finding the maniac and stopping this psychopath from killing again. Sharon enlists the assistance of a trucker, Rudy, and the two travel from crime scene to crime scene trying to find any kind of lead. What develops is a tense game of cat and mouse as Sharon and Rudy switch from being the hunters to the hunted. White Knuckle is a killer who likes to play games with his quarry, and Sharon has piqued his interest. Ultimately, this novel becomes one long chase from beginning to end.
A small word of warning, the easily offended may wish to look elsewhere for their crime fiction. There are some pretty nasty suggestions of violence in this book. The character of White Knuckle is an entirely loathsome piece of work; a sexual sadist who preys on women, using them, abusing them and then disposing of them. He revels in their pain and suffering. I had no difficulty at all rooting for Special Agent Ormsby to take him down. I was urging her on every step of the way. There are a handful of chapters that follow events from White Knuckle’s perspective. They also reveal additional insight into his childhood and formative years and, I’ll be honest here, it just made me hope for his destruction all the more. Knuckle is a complete scumbag, I’m always impressed when an author can create a character that I really actively hate. There are no redeeming qualities to this villain at all, not a one. Think Ed Gein driving a big rig, and you are about half way there.
There is a distinctly cinematic feel to proceedings and that is hardly a surprise when you discover that the author is already a successful screenwriter having written movies like Near Dark and The Hitcher. I could easily see this story being adapted for the screen. I’m pondering my dream cast right now. I’m thinking someone like Tommy Lee Jones could be supremely sleazy as White Knuckle. Not sure who would play Sharon and Rudy though. That requires some more thought.
This is short, sharp and often shocking fiction. I rattled through the entire book in a single sitting. All the chapters tend to only be a couple of pages long. This fast-paced, punchy approach feels appropriate and adds an additional sense of urgency that infuses the entire novel. Darkly entertaining, I enjoyed this grisly slice of pulpy crime fiction. It certainly shares the same deliciously sinister tone as the author’s classic celluloid endeavours.
July 25, 2015
Horror veteran Eric Red brings all of his prodigious storytelling powers to bear in his newest novel, White Knuckle. The title may reference the ways a driver curls their fingers around the wheel but the reader will find the novel has the same effect on their fingers around this book. Eric Red first took horror to the highways back in 1984 when he wrote the screenplay for the horror classic The Hitcher.
White Knuckle is a contemporary tale of a long-haul trucker serial killer and the FBI Special Agent out to stop him. Sharon Ormsby is a new Agent with the Bureau assigned to the Highway Serial Killer Initiative when she discovers a pattern among dead women found along the nation’s highways. The problem is that the bodies are separated by thousands of miles and more than twenty years. Can there really be a serial killer out there who has been using the interstate highways as a killing field for such a long time, can there be someone out there that dangerous? I’m not giving anything away when I say that there is, and that things are worse than anyone could have imagined.
While the novel is punctuated by brutal violence and high action, it’s really powered by its characters. Ormsby is an effective protagonist that really comes to life, a strong and smart woman with a real life and a past that she will have to confront. The action of the story rests on her able shoulders. The supporting cast is small but important to the story, with the ex-con trucker Rudy being a real stand-out. And the villain, when he’s revealed, is positively nasty. And, as fans of The Hitcher know, with Eric Red you can’t be sure what the future has in store for any character, and you can’t get comfortable with anything or take anyone’s fate for granted.
The action is positively over-the-top but vividly written. There are times when it requires the reader to suspend their disbelief, as do some of the more gruesome scenes of violence, but the characters keep the story rooted in some semblance of reality. White Knuckle is absolutely compelling reading, and until the end charges forward like a runaway eighteen-wheeler.
White Knuckle is a contemporary tale of a long-haul trucker serial killer and the FBI Special Agent out to stop him. Sharon Ormsby is a new Agent with the Bureau assigned to the Highway Serial Killer Initiative when she discovers a pattern among dead women found along the nation’s highways. The problem is that the bodies are separated by thousands of miles and more than twenty years. Can there really be a serial killer out there who has been using the interstate highways as a killing field for such a long time, can there be someone out there that dangerous? I’m not giving anything away when I say that there is, and that things are worse than anyone could have imagined.
While the novel is punctuated by brutal violence and high action, it’s really powered by its characters. Ormsby is an effective protagonist that really comes to life, a strong and smart woman with a real life and a past that she will have to confront. The action of the story rests on her able shoulders. The supporting cast is small but important to the story, with the ex-con trucker Rudy being a real stand-out. And the villain, when he’s revealed, is positively nasty. And, as fans of The Hitcher know, with Eric Red you can’t be sure what the future has in store for any character, and you can’t get comfortable with anything or take anyone’s fate for granted.
The action is positively over-the-top but vividly written. There are times when it requires the reader to suspend their disbelief, as do some of the more gruesome scenes of violence, but the characters keep the story rooted in some semblance of reality. White Knuckle is absolutely compelling reading, and until the end charges forward like a runaway eighteen-wheeler.
March 2, 2015
Eric Red, Screenwriter, Director, and Author, has given us a straight-up FBI procedural that is at once familiar and gripping in its account of one lone Agent trying to apprehend a monstrous serial killer and resolve her tortured past. FBI Special Agent Sharon Ormsby is on the trail of a killer, who is also a long-haul trucker on the dim dark back-roads of America. The action is violent and visceral, with gruesome scenes of savagery and madness. On the trail of one particular suspect with the road handle of White Knuckle, suddenly the hunter becomes the quarry. I liked the way many of the standard FBI techniques are expanded upon in Ormsby's quest and also the deft handling of the serial killer's background and developing insanity. This would make an exciting action movie as the deadly scenes are graphic and cinematic in their portrayal of two forces confronting one another in a fight to the bloody finish. I really wasn't expecting much from this seemingly exploitative material, but this book was enjoyable and as they say, hard to put down.
September 25, 2015
Very much a road trip novel, so take it on the road with you like I did for maximum enjoyment (if you're not driving, of course). You'll start seeing greasy killers everywhere you stop to get gas. Reminded me a bit of Joy Ride (the movie), although "White Knuckle" himself is bit simpler, and therefore more primal creature than "Candy Cane." The FBI agent on White Knuckle's trail had a kind of a Clarice Starling-thing going on, but gets her hands much dirtier than Clarice ever did (at least until the much-nuttier novel version of Hannibal, of course). At least one truly horrific revelation (think wall trophies), suitably seedy prose that goes well with the filthy truck stops, and an extremely clever rolling torture chamber that incorporates some actual bootlegging history. Ugly fun, some real surprises, and like others have pointed out, really cries out to be a goddamn movie, which makes sense as it was written by The Hitcher's Eric Red.
September 21, 2015
Loved this visual and gripping novel of a serial killer in a big rig. White Knuckle makes Rusty Nail from the film, Joy Ride look like an altar boy. I would love to see a movie version of this thriller only if Eric Red would write the screenplay. Enthusiastically recommended!
July 8, 2015
not at all what I was expecting, but really good. Keep them coming.
November 8, 2021
Awesome book
I loved this book very much. I have not read anything else by this author, but I will be checking out his other work. Mile by mile this book will pull you in. The writing is so good. You feel like you are in a semi barreling down the road at 85 mph. The cruelty of White Knuckle is something else. He loves being a monster. SA Sharon is new to undercover work, but gets right in there and does a great job. I would really like for this to become a series. Sure has a great start.
I loved this book very much. I have not read anything else by this author, but I will be checking out his other work. Mile by mile this book will pull you in. The writing is so good. You feel like you are in a semi barreling down the road at 85 mph. The cruelty of White Knuckle is something else. He loves being a monster. SA Sharon is new to undercover work, but gets right in there and does a great job. I would really like for this to become a series. Sure has a great start.
January 2, 2026
I certainly did not expect this book to captivate me way it did. I got caught up in the action scenes, and I was on the edge of my seat. There were times when Ormsby was doing something in the book, and I caught myself tensing up and gripping the kindle so tight I thought it would explode. It definitely was a different style than I was use to, but it certainly didn’t disappoint. I would recommend if you’re a fan of criminal minds and that type of stuff. Again just a wonderful read!
August 4, 2019
Abgebrochen und in die digitale Ecke gepfeffert! Dass der Typ, der das Drehbuch für den originalen Hitcher geschrieben hat, so dermaßen als Romanautor saugt, hätte ich mir nicht vorstellen können. Dass der Typ allerdings auch am Drehbuch für das grottige Remake beteiligt war, hätte mir eine dezente Warnung sein können... hätt ich's bloß vorher gewusst :/
December 21, 2021
High octane thriller!
Packed with everything you need for a great story!
I could almost smell the diesel as I read. Full of action, mystery, and suspense as you ride along with Sharon in the 18-wheeler. Feel the frustration and pain as she is out to catch this serial killer. He must be stopped and Sharon is he'll bent on getting the job done...no matter what the cost.
Packed with everything you need for a great story!
I could almost smell the diesel as I read. Full of action, mystery, and suspense as you ride along with Sharon in the 18-wheeler. Feel the frustration and pain as she is out to catch this serial killer. He must be stopped and Sharon is he'll bent on getting the job done...no matter what the cost.
January 30, 2022
A sick murder and an inexperienced FBI agent.
It was a good read. My only regret was a favorite died. That did spoil a bit for me but it is a knuckle biter.
It was a good read. My only regret was a favorite died. That did spoil a bit for me but it is a knuckle biter.
June 26, 2015
I must be a sucker for punishment. After reading, and hating, Don't Stand So Close I just had to read this didn't I? Well, I thought it would be completely different. Ok, it WAS different. But. I. Just. Didn't. Like. It. Apart from the FBI acting completely implausibly by involving civilians in a dangerous manhunt and Sharon's (or whatever her name was) actions at the end being nigh on impossible - the guy was too over the top. I've read some pretty graphic stuff but this was too much and made my skin crawl. It bordered on horror porn and made my skin crawl. Was it well written? I'm not even sure. After reading two of his books I think I'll be leaving Eric Red's stuff alone from now on.
May 24, 2015
A very good horror/thriller
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/article/white... and follow me on twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/article/white... and follow me on twitter @josenher
September 13, 2019
I liked it.
I know some that drive the roads.
I know some that drive the roads.
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