Rating: 
Summary: Trash
Review: A purported attempt to examine the psychology of the mass murder in novel form, what this book is really about is hopefully (from the author's perspective)movie rights. Dostoyevsky this ain't. Don't bother.
Rating: 
Summary: Already published a few years ago.
Review: Already published a few years ago during Ellroy "serial killer" period, this book make you follow a serial killer very closely, as if you were with him. Ellroy makes you a murder peeping Tom.This works very well. Ellroy probably used this book as self therapy to expell the dark side within him. (Excuse my english, I am French)
Rating:
Summary: scary, scary
Review: An earlier review referred to Ellis's "American Psycho", which I read as well. I just finished this book, being a huge Ellroy fan. Not of the LA trilogy caliper (all 5 stars), but a scary read. "American Psycho" lacked the depths of evil and depraved lunacy this book has as it delves into the mind of the killer. Psycho caused you to derive these feelings for the killer out of the context of the story. Plunket's "Shroud Shifter" stuff was somewhat silly, at first, but I think that may have been the goal. Just like naming his van "Death Mobile", also silly. It may be showing just how crazy a serial killer thinks and how creative and above others they believe they are, when they are not. When Plunket proudly dawns his ridiculous SS outfit "for the world to see", with everyone laughing at him, he is oblivious because to him, in his own little secret world, it is perfectly logical. I read serial killer books because I don't understand them at all, and no one really can. It is an unfortunate curiosity of mine that I always regret after reading the book. I read this book quickly and in long sessions. And it was scary. I am not looking forward to the bad dreams I'm sure it will bring. But like a junkie, I always come back for more, knowing just how bad it can be?
Rating: 
Summary: The stuff nightmares are made of!!
Review: Books do not come any creepier or more disturbing than this. A serial killer coming of age story about a guy who fashions himself after a comic-book villian named "Shroud Shifter." He kills to attain invisibility like his comic book idol. He calls his own psychotic day dreams "brain movies." The sick thing is, you find yourself rooting for killer. This book is freaky.
Rating:
Summary: I woke up screaming 3 nights in a row!
Review: Dont let your kids read this book. The man is a master
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely terrible
Review: Ellroy apparently believes that sex and violence make a writer seem profound. This book is mindless, with a terrible plot. The main character is so terrible and his actions are so mind-numbing, you are unlikely to enjoy this novel. Skip it.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, perverse horror
Review: Ellroy hits the reader with all the subtlety of a hatchet from nearly the first page of this bloody, grotesque read. Told from a mind-numbingly creepy first-person, this story tells the odyssey of a boy's journey into adulthood, and it pulls no punches as it recounts incidents of unimaginable brutality.
Comparisons could easily be made to Ellis' "American Psycho," but don't bother. "Killer on the Road" makes that work look like a comic strip. Martin Plunkett, the story's main character, travels across the country on a murdering spree, trying to silence the voices which beckon him to slaughter everyone from hitchikers to his own mother. No details are spared in the account, and, fair warning, it's not for the squeamish.
If serial killers are your thing (you know who you are), this book is a must-read. It's not a fun ride, but the writing is as intense as anything I've ever read, and the last paragraph is among the most genuinely chilling statements I've ever read
Rating: 
Summary: Not Ellroy's best effort, but a worthwhile read nonetheless
Review: First off, I must state that I am a fan of James Ellroy. This may cause me to appreciate his lesser works more than if they had been written by someone I hold in less regard. While "Killer on the Road" is certainly one of Ellroy's lesser works, there are certain aspects of the book that I find compelling and make it worth reading. A convention that Ellroy employs throughout his works is to further the plot through the use of newspaper articles. This detached "journalistic" writing can provide a lot of important facts in a short amount of space and also serves as a contrast to the remainder of the novel which is generally presented subjectively through the eyes of one character or another. In general, it is a highly effective approach to develop the action of the story as well as being quite entertaining. In "Killer on the Road" this convention is taken one step further. Virtually all chapters are preceded with a series of articles describing the discovery of bodies and descriptions of the deceased, police leads or suspects (if any), and other facts related to the crime. The remainder of the chapter follows Martin Plunkett as he perpetrates the crimes the reader has just read about in a "newspaper." I found myself returning to the beginning of each chapter constantly to review the detached account of the slayings in light of the subjective version that Martin has just provided. The juxtaposition of the two accounts is an effective narrative device that adds depth to the story. Compared to other Ellroy novels, however, "Killer on the Road" is much less complicated and interesting, but it does have its merits. I wouldn't start with this novel as an introduction to Ellroy's works, but neither would I overlook it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Ellroy's best effort, but a worthwhile read nonetheless
Review: First off, I must state that I am a fan of James Ellroy. This may cause me to appreciate his lesser works more than if they had been written by someone I hold in less regard. While "Killer on the Road" is certainly one of Ellroy's lesser works, there are certain aspects of the book that I find compelling and make it worth reading. A convention that Ellroy employs throughout his works is to further the plot through the use of newspaper articles. This detached "journalistic" writing can provide a lot of important facts in a short amount of space and also serves as a contrast to the remainder of the novel which is generally presented subjectively through the eyes of one character or another. In general, it is a highly effective approach to develop the action of the story as well as being quite entertaining. In "Killer on the Road" this convention is taken one step further. Virtually all chapters are preceded with a series of articles describing the discovery of bodies and descriptions of the deceased, police leads or suspects (if any), and other facts related to the crime. The remainder of the chapter follows Martin Plunkett as he perpetrates the crimes the reader has just read about in a "newspaper." I found myself returning to the beginning of each chapter constantly to review the detached account of the slayings in light of the subjective version that Martin has just provided. The juxtaposition of the two accounts is an effective narrative device that adds depth to the story. Compared to other Ellroy novels, however, "Killer on the Road" is much less complicated and interesting, but it does have its merits. I wouldn't start with this novel as an introduction to Ellroy's works, but neither would I overlook it.
Rating:
Summary: Good idea, not enough story...
Review: I'd just finished 'The Big Nowhere' and was looking for another Ellroy novel. I did like the general idea and plot for this book, but I ended up skipping over the constant news clippings/police reports. After the killer is found out by the cop in Wisconsin, I almost lost interest. It became too strange. Anyway it wasn't a long book, so its worth a peak.
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