What do you think?
Rate this book
Outside the White Lines - a crazed serial killer roams the motorways at night
Don’t drive at night. Don’t drive alone. And if you break down, do not open the door to anyone.
There’s a serial killer on the roads masquerading as a breakdown rescuer. Prowling the motorways after sunset, even he doesn’t know where and when his next murder will be. But when he does strike, it is with terrifying brutality.Andy, a young recruit to the traffic police, is intent on hunting The Killer down. After the third victim is found, he believes he’s seen something crucial - but his partner won’t believe him. Andy's obsession with finding the killer leads him down a dark path, and he becomes increasingly alienated from his fellow officers.
The Searcher is an outcast from society; lonely and misunderstood, he unwittingly links Andy and The Killer through his bizarre nocturnal activities.As the police fail in their search for the Killer and the murders grow increasingly savage, Andy is determined to bring them to a halt. The actions he takes bring all three men together in a truly shocking finale.
Chris nominated for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year and CWA Daggers!
Praise for Chris Simms’ novels'One of the genre’s all-time great debuts.'Lee Child
'A gritty, suspense-filled first novel. . . here is a new crime writer who really knows his stuff – a compulsive and compelling read.’(Publishing News)‘Simms’ fresh approach, and the way the story weaves between three viewpoints, makes this one of the most promising debuts in crime for some time. From the prologue’s brutal first pages to the satisfying crunch of the final chapter, the prose is spare, lean and mean.’(City Life)‘Anyone reading this will do so in one sitting…Simms is really a name to watch out for.’(Deadly Pleasures Magazine, 4.5 stars out of 5: ‘A potential classic’.)
‘Simms has written a gritty novel that grips from start to finish. I just couldn’t put it down.’ (Horroscope)
‘After many years of reviewing crime fiction, it’s not often my jaded nerves get actually, physically jangled.’
(Morning Star)
Some Amazon reader reviews
“A very well written book that gets you hooked from the beginning.” ★★★★★
“A gripping story, very violent and menacing, characters are believable and although you knew 'who dunit' I couldn't put it down.” ★★★★★
“Loved the way the action rotated between the three main characters, very cleverly written story that keeps the reader guessing until the final pages.” ★★★★★
“It is well-written and gripping. I shall certainly be looking for more books by Chris Simms.” ★★★★★
About the AuthorChris Simms has worked in airports, nightclubs, post offices and telesales centres. After travelling around the world he settled near Manchester - where he now scribbles away in a cosy garden shed with a dainty little lurcher lying at his feet.
There’s a serial killer on the roads masquerading as a breakdown rescuer. Prowling the motorways after sunset, even he doesn’t know where and when his next murder will be. But when he does strike, it is with terrifying brutality.Andy, a young recruit to the traffic police, is intent on hunting The Killer down. After the third victim is found, he believes he’s seen something crucial - but his partner won’t believe him. Andy's obsession with finding the killer leads him down a dark path, and he becomes increasingly alienated from his fellow officers.
The Searcher is an outcast from society; lonely and misunderstood, he unwittingly links Andy and The Killer through his bizarre nocturnal activities.As the police fail in their search for the Killer and the murders grow increasingly savage, Andy is determined to bring them to a halt. The actions he takes bring all three men together in a truly shocking finale.
Chris nominated for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year and CWA Daggers!
Praise for Chris Simms’ novels'One of the genre’s all-time great debuts.'Lee Child
'A gritty, suspense-filled first novel. . . here is a new crime writer who really knows his stuff – a compulsive and compelling read.’(Publishing News)‘Simms’ fresh approach, and the way the story weaves between three viewpoints, makes this one of the most promising debuts in crime for some time. From the prologue’s brutal first pages to the satisfying crunch of the final chapter, the prose is spare, lean and mean.’(City Life)‘Anyone reading this will do so in one sitting…Simms is really a name to watch out for.’(Deadly Pleasures Magazine, 4.5 stars out of 5: ‘A potential classic’.)
‘Simms has written a gritty novel that grips from start to finish. I just couldn’t put it down.’ (Horroscope)
‘After many years of reviewing crime fiction, it’s not often my jaded nerves get actually, physically jangled.’
(Morning Star)
Some Amazon reader reviews
“A very well written book that gets you hooked from the beginning.” ★★★★★
“A gripping story, very violent and menacing, characters are believable and although you knew 'who dunit' I couldn't put it down.” ★★★★★
“Loved the way the action rotated between the three main characters, very cleverly written story that keeps the reader guessing until the final pages.” ★★★★★
“It is well-written and gripping. I shall certainly be looking for more books by Chris Simms.” ★★★★★
About the AuthorChris Simms has worked in airports, nightclubs, post offices and telesales centres. After travelling around the world he settled near Manchester - where he now scribbles away in a cosy garden shed with a dainty little lurcher lying at his feet.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
77 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Chris Simms
64 books82 followersI was born and brought up in rural Sussex, three miles from the nearest shop. Childhood holidays – which lasted for weeks as my dad was a teacher – were spent in a secluded spot in the heart of Exmoor. Sitting round the campfire at night, the haunting cries of owls floating in from the blackness beyond the flames, he would read me the ghost stories of MR James. The short walk to the safety of my tent was always taken at a sprint.
Books that interested me growing up? Plenty of mysteries – especially the Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators series. I also loved Roahl Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected and read plenty of Pan Horror Stories, too.
Later, it was novels that gave insights into unusual minds: the twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles’, The Collector; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene’s, Heart of the Matter; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe’s, Butcher Boy all had a major influence.
After school and university came a series of abysmal jobs punctuated by travelling. Quite a lot of travelling, actually. Then, just after my 30th birthday, the idea for my first novel came to me. I was broken down on the hard shoulder of a motorway in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a rescue vehicle to arrive. It’s about the driver of a van who roams the roads in the dead of night, looking for stranded motorists to murder…
Ideas for subsequent novels have occurred at all sorts of odd moments: glimpsing a derelict church from the window of a moving train; browsing a newspaper report about a walker who claimed he’d been attacked by a panther; half-reading a doctor’s surgery article on how some tinnitus sufferers don’t hear whistles or buzzes – they’re tormented by birdsong; listening to a radio program about a flotilla of yellow ducks that fell from a cargo ship and floated slowly across the Atlantic.
Books that interested me growing up? Plenty of mysteries – especially the Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators series. I also loved Roahl Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected and read plenty of Pan Horror Stories, too.
Later, it was novels that gave insights into unusual minds: the twisted desires of Frederick in John Fowles’, The Collector; the tormented thoughts of Scobie in Graham Greene’s, Heart of the Matter; the violent urges of Francie in Patrick McCabe’s, Butcher Boy all had a major influence.
After school and university came a series of abysmal jobs punctuated by travelling. Quite a lot of travelling, actually. Then, just after my 30th birthday, the idea for my first novel came to me. I was broken down on the hard shoulder of a motorway in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a rescue vehicle to arrive. It’s about the driver of a van who roams the roads in the dead of night, looking for stranded motorists to murder…
Ideas for subsequent novels have occurred at all sorts of odd moments: glimpsing a derelict church from the window of a moving train; browsing a newspaper report about a walker who claimed he’d been attacked by a panther; half-reading a doctor’s surgery article on how some tinnitus sufferers don’t hear whistles or buzzes – they’re tormented by birdsong; listening to a radio program about a flotilla of yellow ducks that fell from a cargo ship and floated slowly across the Atlantic.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 24, 2023
Motorway madness!
A deranged killer is stalking Britain's motorways, posing as a good Samaritan and murdering those unfortunate enough to have broken down. Just what drives this killer who, on the surface, is a law abiding family man? Then we have an emotionally stunted young man who seeks out road kill and other trophies discarded at the road's edge. The overweight, cynical and overbearing traffic police sergeant who hates his job and is counting down towards retirement. His eager and enthusiastic young trainee, so keen to impress. All come together in an explosive conclusion. An unusual tale perhaps but, highly engaging.
A deranged killer is stalking Britain's motorways, posing as a good Samaritan and murdering those unfortunate enough to have broken down. Just what drives this killer who, on the surface, is a law abiding family man? Then we have an emotionally stunted young man who seeks out road kill and other trophies discarded at the road's edge. The overweight, cynical and overbearing traffic police sergeant who hates his job and is counting down towards retirement. His eager and enthusiastic young trainee, so keen to impress. All come together in an explosive conclusion. An unusual tale perhaps but, highly engaging.
February 20, 2020
There's a serial killer on the highways! Masquerading as a breakdown rescuer, he strikes at random without warning. But now, the killer has a nemesis, a young traffic police recruit who's prepared to jeopardise everything in his pursuit of justice.
A competent UK crime novel, interesting told from three viewpoints - that of the rookie policeman, the motorway serial killer and a 'collector' of motorway debris! 5 out of 12.
A competent UK crime novel, interesting told from three viewpoints - that of the rookie policeman, the motorway serial killer and a 'collector' of motorway debris! 5 out of 12.
March 11, 2023
Good read
Enjoyed this book, only reason not given it 5 stars is having to remember who is the hunter, the killer and the searcher, had to remember to read
the chapter heading each time. However I did enjoy it, satisfying ending, I enjoy all of this author's books.
Enjoyed this book, only reason not given it 5 stars is having to remember who is the hunter, the killer and the searcher, had to remember to read
the chapter heading each time. However I did enjoy it, satisfying ending, I enjoy all of this author's books.
October 11, 2020
Great debut novel
March 20, 2021
Not a easy read
This book is not as good as the Spicer series I nearly gave up on it but as I had paid good money for it I plodded on it did step up a gear I've read most of Chris simms books this one is definitely lacking something
This book is not as good as the Spicer series I nearly gave up on it but as I had paid good money for it I plodded on it did step up a gear I've read most of Chris simms books this one is definitely lacking something
February 13, 2024
None of made any sense ,There was no reason given why he killed ,and they would have known where Walker was that night by the tracking in the car !!
Found it very boring ,Could have been a lot better storyline !!
Found it very boring ,Could have been a lot better storyline !!
Read
October 25, 2024Keeps you guessing
A truly psychological thriller. I enjoyed following the character development and personalities. I look forward to the next in the series.
A truly psychological thriller. I enjoyed following the character development and personalities. I look forward to the next in the series.
February 27, 2013
Loved Pecking Order but this wasn't a patch on it ... possibly the start of Chris Simms honing his craft as The Searcher was a lovingly detailed, lonely creature who's past was told so we could understand why some people will always stand apart from the crowd. However, he neglected to do this with The Killer which is a complete mystery to me ... so why did he kill then ? Yeah, i get the usual angry 'roid rage waterboy's who are really coward's full of bluster but they don't all go out beating innocent men to death with monkey wrenches. Also, how did the red shoe end up in the lock up if she never went there & the other fell on the road ....?? Not too bad but a blessing it was short.
March 17, 2013
If you've ever been involved in a book, discovered you missed what just took place, and decided it doesn't really matter, you'll know what it was like for me with this one.
Included is a gory part and a lot of the f___ word in the protagonist's every day language.
Premise was good but the story lagged.
At 42%, I stopped reading. Just wasn't into it.
Included is a gory part and a lot of the f___ word in the protagonist's every day language.
Premise was good but the story lagged.
At 42%, I stopped reading. Just wasn't into it.
Want to read
March 6, 200803/05/08 rec via bookmooch
Read
August 9, 2011A truly gripping thriller. Dramatic writing that is enough to have you in a petrified should you ever breakdown alone at night. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews