The Runaway is a story with as many layers as the stratified limestone where it’s set. Nick Petrie has crafted a cast of characters with various shades of morality, each unyielding in the pursuit of their end goal. With a brilliant mix of action and psychological suspense on the page, Petrie continues to demonstrate why this series is required reading for thriller fans every year.
Peter Ash is driving his prized ‘68 Chevy back home, when he happens upon an unexpected site in rural Nebraska. A pregnant woman is standing in the cold beside a broken down vehicle. Without a second thought Peter does what he always does… he helps. Unfortunately for him, no good deed goes unpunished.
Minutes later, Peter and his new passenger find the remote road blocked in both directions with military precision. When the bullets start flying, Peter finds himself with two options; stay and get shot or swan dive off a bluff into the frigid river below. With Ash’s magnetic attraction to conflict, we all know which choice Peter will make. I like to imagine his lips curled into a sort of smirk as he sailed through the air, savoring the violence to come. As if Peter needed any more motivation to get involved before being shot at, he has all the justification he wants now. His inner wolf is about to be let loose.
After finishing this book I was trying to think about all the reactions I had while reading and the way it left me feeling. For nearly a week I just thought about it and a single quote from Rumi kept coming to mind; “what you seek is seeking you”. For Peter, this is as accurate for his physical body as it is for his mental state.
Peter’s relationship with precarious situations is well documented. Ash may not overtly go looking for trouble, but it seems to find him with ease. And when it does, he is incapable of walking away. I would also argue that Peter’s compulsive nature to aid others is driven by his own personal demons and the assistance that others, like June and Lewis, have provided him. Petrie has continued to do a stellar job exploring the psychological aspects of Peter’s character.
This book also includes one hell of an antagonist that is a wonderful embodiment of unadulterated evil, but (amazingly) with an easy to understand rationality behind it. The evolution of the ‘damsel in distress’ is also utterly fascinating.
What I most appreciate about Petrie’s style of action thriller is that it isn’t the typical full auto, infinite ammo shootouts common in the genre. Rather Petrie spikes the reader’s adrenaline reserves with well placed and well timed shots that heightens the intensity and danger of a particular scene. It is our personal investment in his characters that makes each potential bullet wound that much more impactful. Petrie once again proves it’s not about quantity, but quality when it comes to lead flying through the air.
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Purchase The Runaway
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Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
