Killer on the Road
James Ellroy's deep dive into the psyche of a serial killer who recounts his life in the shadows, a tale of American madness and obsession.
"The scariest book I've ever read." —Jason Kellerman
Even as a child, Martin Michael Plunkett was no ordinary boy. Extreme parental indifference marked him as an outcast. In his head, Plunkett crafted a second life, remaking himself in the guise of his favorite comic book villain. His mind fixated on dark thoughts and twisted imaginings. A heart of evil was burnished—and Plunkett grew up to become a psychotic murderer.
This chilling tale is written as the reflections of an unrepentant criminal. As Plunkett serves four consecutive life sentences in solitary at Sing Sing, he reminisces on his discovery of his disturbing passions and the dark heart of America. Killer on the Road is an exploration of the mind of a perfectly crafted psychopath: a mix of clinical vision, genius intellect, and an empty conscience. Plunkett is the killer on the road.
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James Ellroy
James Ellroy was born in Los Angeles in 1948. His L.A. Quartet novels — The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz — have won numerous awards and were international bestsellers. Likewise, the novels of the Underworld U.S.A. Trilogy — American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood’s A Rover. The Quartet and Trilogy are now available in Everyman’s Library editions.
2023 is Demon Dog Ellroy’s Triple Crown year. On April 21 he will be honored with the L.A. Times Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime excellence in writing about the American West. Late this summer, the twenty-hour podcast of “James Ellroy’s American Tabloid” will drop on Audible. It will be unexpurgated, uncensored, and unabridged. Ellroy himself reads all narrative passages; noted actors read the dialogue. Boffo sound effects and jazzy period music accompany the spoken text. “James Ellroy’s American Tabloid” is a revolutionary advance for the podcast form.
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