Desperate Highway: The True Story of a Criminal

Memoirs From The Life of Jeff Andrews

Jesse Stretch (Author), Jeff Andrews (Collaborator) 

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
“Desperate Highway may leave readers in disbelief. The audacity of a life lived on the criminal edge of society might boggle the mind of those readers who live the nine-to-five life, treasure their families, and pay their taxes. And the power of spiritual transformation—that such a person could be redeemed to live a moral life—must be regarded as miraculous.

While this book is labeled a memoir, it is actually memories from one man’s life recorded by a professional author. The life examined is that of Jeff Andrews, but the story begins by chronicling the adventures of a college student named Jack Alexander—unwilling to study, prone to indulgence. Alexander marries a coed with a trust fund, quits college, and moves to California. He could live off his wife’s income, but he chooses to work in retail. His journey down the “desperate highway” begins after he joins in the shady dealings of a fellow employee. “Greg was right. I need to make my own money,” Stretch writes. “I couldn’t live off a woman. It wasn’t my way. I told him to keep me posted and I’d think about how I’d get those hippies in second gear.”

This first scheme may have been unethical but not illegal; Alexander/Andrews intended to sell hippie-manufactured bean bag chairs to his employer through a shell company. But as the journey progresses, Alexander’s exploits grow bolder and more criminal, and propel him from coast-to-coast. In Hawaii he meets the woman who will eventually become his second wife, and more importantly, a link to the Colombian drug cartels.

And so it goes for two decades: schemes, dope peddling, Houston, Denver, Florida, Virginia, drugs and drink, con games, check kiting and sad women left to fend for themselves. Andrews (under aliases and stolen identities) leaves a trail of crimes interrupted by a series of incarcerations. 

…This exciting chronicle of Andrews’ criminal career reads like a novel…Crime novel fanciers will be fascinated by this real-life Elmore Leonard bad guy.

…Desperate Highway is tale of bravado sailing on a river of despair…[The book] provides interesting insight into the netherworld most people only read about, and a glimpse at spiritual redemption as Andrews struggles to live a productive and useful life.”

- ForeWord Clarion Reviews 

Product Description
Jeff Andrews didn't just scam people; he ripped them off for everything they were worth. He took their homes, cars, planes, boats, even their girlfriends, and spent the money on booze, guns, coke, and limousines. He was the epitome of the American Badass, a hardened fugitive with a high threshold for pain and steady hands under pressure. From San Francisco to Acapulco, from Kenya to New York City, the only aspect of this enigmatic villain's true story more shocking than the crimes he committed are the unexpected relationships that uncover his true identity, bringing his recklessly glamorous lifestyle to a shattering halt. "Amazing how much one can get away with, just using balls-out determination and serious nerve. Quite scary, actually!" -Robin Williams - Dallas, Texas

"Desperate Highway will both entertain and break your heart, all the way up to the unexpected ending." -Eric Bowling - Richmond, Virginia 

"After a while I felt like I was in the story... it's like a movie without the picture. Jesse Stretch is destined to be one of the best writers in the years to come. I couldn't wait until the next chapter, I was completely captured. I forgot about everything else..." -Paul Armstrong - Los Gatos, California 

"Desperate Highway was a life changing experience for me. The manner in which the book was written was spectacular. As the main character (pick a name) was taking his journey through life, I felt myself rooting for him to take a different path and stop running."-Jim Bonello - Tampa, Florida 

"Extremely enticing story, well-written, suspenseful." - Martha Johnson - Seattle, Washington 

About the Author
JESSE STRETCH, the author of Desperate Highway, is a writer from Richmond, Virginia. He is an avid seeker of new and exciting fiction and non-fiction projects. He is currently working on a novel and has partnered with the President of Virginia Blood Services to write a non-fiction book, the title of which is still in the works. He looks forward to continuing a diversified career that will span all genres of writing. For more information about his works, or to contact Jesse Stretch, visit one of these websites: www.JesseStretch.com www.DesperateHighway.com

____________________________