The 2018 murders of American cyclists Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin in Tajikistan by ISIS members forms the central narrative of William Elliott Hazelgrove's new book 'Evil on the Roof of the World: A Cycling Trip That Ended in Terror,' published by Rowman & Littlefield on November 13, 2025. The book reconstructs the odyssey of two young American idealists who set off to cycle around the world, chronicling their belief in the fundamental goodness of people, only to have their journey end violently in the mountains of Tajikistan when members of the Islamic State deliberately ran them down and murdered them.
Hazelgrove's work confronts the question at the heart of modern idealism: Can innocence survive in a world that still harbors evil? The book blends travel writing, moral inquiry, and investigative reporting to explore how two adventurous spirits inspired by kindness and curiosity collided with the darkest expression of fanaticism. Through diaries, blogs, and global reporting, the author traces their path through the Caucasus, Europe, and Central Asia, illuminating the enduring tension between hope and cruelty.
The importance of this narrative extends beyond the tragic events themselves to examine broader questions about global travel safety, ideological extremism, and the persistence of idealism in dangerous environments. As Hazelgrove states, 'I wanted to understand what happens when pure belief in the world meets evil head-on. It's a story about courage, but also about our faith in humanity.' This examination comes at a time when adventure tourism continues to grow despite increasing global instability and terrorist threats in remote regions.
Early reviews have praised the book's approach, with Publishers Weekly noting that 'Hazelgrove's prose is utilitarian, letting the facts of the case carry the narrative forward... The approach pays off, lending the account an unsettling air. Readers will be aghast.' Other reviewers have described the work as 'meticulously researched,' 'haunting,' and 'a powerful meditation on belief and violence.'
The story carries significant implications for the adventure travel industry, government travel advisories, and individual travelers considering journeys through politically unstable regions. It raises critical questions about risk assessment, cultural understanding, and the limits of cross-cultural optimism in areas where extremist ideologies hold sway. The tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that while most people worldwide are fundamentally good, dangerous exceptions exist that can have fatal consequences for unprepared travelers.
More information about the author and his work can be found at https://www.williamhazelgrove.com. William Elliott Hazelgrove is the National Bestselling author of ten novels and twelve nonfiction titles whose work has been featured on NPR, CBS, NBC, Inside Edition, and The New York Times. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, and have been selected for Book of the Month, ALA Editors Choice Awards, and Junior Library Guild Selections.
