Simon Greene works in finance in Manhatten. His wife, Ingrid, is a pediatrician. Paige, their oldest child, is lost to them- she is addicted to drugs and has disappeared. Simon manages to find her and notices how strung out she is. When her boyfriend intercedes, as Simon attempts to take his dauther home, it leads to an altercation that becomes a viral sensation on the internet. Simon continues his search of his daughter which brings him into the violent underbelly of the drug world. However, there is something strange going on- why did Paige go from a promising college student to this downward spiral of addiction and self-destruction? The answer is very complicated, as we eventually discover.
I have known Harlan since the days of the bleeding ball paperbacks about Myron Bolitar over twenty years ago. Those books were great but he was heading towards a career as a midlist author in the crime fiction world. At an auction, I won the bid to have him use my name in an upcoming novel. Harlan asked me if it would be okay if I was named as a character in an upcoming standalone which was not part of the Myron Bolitar series. I told him it would be fine. The book was TELL NO ONE, the first of his suburban noir novels. Initially, the books took place in suburban northern New Jersey where both of us are from. I could easily identify with the characters and knew the locale very well. He then got a contract worth many millions to write three additional books similar to that one. His career then skyrocketed. I continued to read his books for a number of years but two things became apparent- there is a similarity among the books (a main protagonist- family person- caught up in circumstances beyond their control and they need to bring their lives back to normal entailing life-threatening danger) and he really did not need my support or my reviews as he became a major bestselling author. So I stopped reading him. I heard good things about this one, so, after many years I decided to pick up his latest. To be honest, the book is very entertaining. I finished it in two long sittings but was engaged throughout. For a thriller, the characters are remarkably well rounded. The plot moves quickly but became increasingly complex as it neared the satisfying conclusion. There are numerous times when reality has to be suspended but we are not talking about high art here. For pop fiction, it is acceptable to stretch reality. Harlan is still in fine form. This is an excellent book for the plane or the beach. Recommended.

Larry gandle
Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

Over the years, so many of my reader friends have recommended Harlan Coben and praised his books. And I always thought "Nobody is that good." Run Away was my introduction to Coben, and all I can say is -- Wow! Well, that and how could I have denied myself so much pleasure for so long?

Run Away is a terrific read. This story of a father desperately trying to protect his family is definitely thrilling, but also deeply moving and thought-provoking -- something I don't generally expect from this type of fiction. I really fell in love with Simon Greene, but I loved that there were also several interesting female characters in the book -- women who actually played a part in the story, and weren't there just for decoration. So refreshing!

It took me quite a while to finally try Harlan Coben's writing, but now that I've had the experience, I'm hooked. I owe the publisher and NetGalley a huge thank you for helping me discover a new favorite author. I see lots of Coben in my future!

Simon Greene , a financial adviser , and his wife Ingrid, a pediatrician have three children. His daughter, Paige is a drug addict who ran away from home and while trying to bring Paige back her boyfriend thwarts Simon’s efforts and Paige manages to escape. Soon a murder occurs which makes Paige either a suspect or in extreme danger. Simon and Ingrid race against time to save Paige but they might be fighting for their own safety too.

Run Away by Harlan Coben is a fast moving action packed thriller with a few good twists and turns that make it an enjoyable read

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

WoW! This book has everything I want in a thriller. It's unputdownable. Be prepared to be glued to this story! I won't give anything away so just read it!! I would read anything he writes!! All the stars.

Fast paced and lots of twists. One of the best I've read.

Harlan Coben never ceases to write a novel that is thrumming with suspense. I've read several of his books and they are all fantastic reads. In RUN AWAY, Coben begs the question what would you do to reconnect with a child with whom you've lost touch? When Simon Greene thinks he sees his long-lost daughter playing music for money in the park, he knows that he must try to reconnect, no matter what. But what do you do if your child doesn't want to be found?

Editor’s note: The following review was published May 14 in the (Boone, N.C.) Mountain Times at https://www.wataugademocrat.com/mountaintimes/columns/book_reviews/spring-into-summer-early-picks-for-a-season-of-literary/article_c78a2823-2035-5949-9e26-f9ed3ea3b5eb.html


Because it’s never too early to prime the pump for your summer reading, publishing houses have a habit of releasing some of their best and most anticipated books in the days and weeks immediately preceding Memorial Day.

This year, a few of those titles have found their way onto our “can’t miss” list. Within the books listed here, you’ll find a bit of something for almost every reader, from young adult to seasoned bibliophile. They’re all page turners and cover a gamut of genres. Even better, they’re all recent pubs that are available now in your favorite flavor — e-book, print or, except for our nonfiction selection, audio.

‘Run Away’ by Harlan Coben (Grand Central Publishing)

I’m convinced that Harlan Coben is more machine than man. There’s no other way to account for an author with 70 million books published in 43 languages who is the creator and executive producer for a Netflix television drama, who is currently filming a movie for Netflix based on one of his novels, was executive producer for a couple of French mini-TV series and who has won more literary awards than we have room to print here, including the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award — the first author to win all three.

In “Run Away,” Coben’s 31st novel, the author dissects a seemingly perfect nuclear family with a knife that cuts deep and thorough: drug abuse. Coben’s plot-driven novel puts you in a position where it’s not difficult to imagine what the dark roads you would travel to follow your own addicted daughter in order to bring her home. A wonderful reveal at the end builds with a handful of likable characters we’ll want to see more of.

‘The Eighth Sister’ by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer)

Robert Dugoni is my go-to author for just about anything. He writes unparalleled thrillers and suspense, and the occasional coming-of-age tale — often in combinations that can feel like a Grisham-Patterson-Coben concoction in just the right proportions.

“The Eighth Sister” introduces us to a new series starter character: former but now reactivated CIA case officer Charles Jenkins. The novel takes us deep into Russia’s underworld with Dugoni’s trademark and unpredictable twists and turns. Fans of the author’s Tracy Cosswhite series will welcome Jenkins into their libraries.
Fans of audio books will welcome Edoardo Ballerini’s superb narration of “The Eighth Sister," adding a depth of dimension to the novel.

And fans of Amazon’s immersion reading will welcome the price. Both the e-book and audio book are available free as of presstime in Prime Reading.

‘Atlas Alone: A Planetfall Novel’ by Emma Newman (Ace)

Like an unexpected letter from a long-lost friend, “Atlas Alone” arrived in my reviewer's mailbox early one April morning, and I opened it just as expectantly.

Emma Newman writes science fiction and fantasy from South West England, UK, and she does it extremely well. Another one-single-job-couldn’t-possibly-be-enough author, Newman is the co-creator of the Hugo Award-winning podcast “Tea and Jeopardy and counts among her diverse daily activities live action role playing and dress making.

“Atlas Alone” is Newman’s fourth sci-fi novel to join the Planetfall universe — a series of books that also read as standalones. Each of this novel’s predecessors — “Planetfall” (2015), “After Atlas” (2016) and “Before Mars” (2018) — are marked by strong lead characters whose inner- and outer-journeys are influenced by the semi-dystopian world around them.

In “Atlas Alone,” Newman channels Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game” to craft a novel of vengeance as heroine Dee struggles to find those who ordered a nuclear strike, destroying the Earth. Alone, the answer to the riddle proves elusive — and calls into question not only her ability to trust others, but herself.

'Mr. Finchley Discovers His England' by Victor Canning (Farrago)

This first of three comic novels by Victor Canning is not a new book, but it was the author’s initial published novel, in 1934. Not yet old enough to be in the public domain, Farrago has reissued this charming gentleman-adventure novel along with its companions, “Mr. Finchley Goes to Paris” and “Mr. Finchley Takes the Road,” as e-books.
This first book about the 45-year-old unmarried solicitor’s clerk follows Finchley on his misadventures as he attempts to take his first-ever holiday, beginning with his abduction in the backseat of a Bentley. From here, the picaresque novel travels through a gentler and more refined time as we follow Finchley’s travails throughout an English countryside much slower-paced than today’s. Perfect reading for a “take a breath” break from the current state of the world, the Mr. Finchley novels, like D.E. Stevenson’s “Miss Buncle” series, are a welcome respite from a too-often cluttered literary landscape.

‘The Road to Healing: Civil Rights Reparations Story in Prince Edward County, Virginia’ by Ken Woodley (NewSouth Books)

As the only nonfiction pick on today’s reading list, Ken Woodley’s “The Road to Healing” is arguably the most important.

When Prince Edward County, Va., closed its public schools in 1959 as an act of resistance to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, the community’s family-owned newspaper, “The Farmville Herald,” led the fight to shutter the schools rather than integrate. Because of this, white students would continue their education in private schools, while black students would have no formal education until forced integration took place five years later.

Setting wrongs to right, in “The Road to Healing,” Woodley — a journalist for nearly four decades at “The Farmville Herald,” including 24 years as its editor — documents an insider’s story of his efforts to establish reparations in the form of state-funded scholarships for black students. Those efforts would come to a successful reality in 2004 in what were perhaps the first Civil Rights-era reparations in U.S. history.

The account of Woodley’s advocacy is told stirringly here as a reporter, and ultimately a community, struggle to understand and amend for past grievances. Few crusades are as well-documented as this telling of Woodley’s quest for justice.

Every parent’s nightmare is that one of their children becomes a drug addict, and in Run Away, by bestselling author Harlen Coben, it’s reality for Simon, a successful businessman and Ingrid, a physician, who have a happy marriage and three children. Paige is the oldest, and somehow has gotten herself hooked on drugs and has an abusive looser boyfriend. Paige has disappeared and doesn’t want to be found. However, Simon catches a glimpse of her performing in New York’s Central Park at a place where he used to take his children when they were young. As he tries to talk to her, she runs. Simon can’t let it go, and begins to try to find her. This leads to him visiting seedy places, drug dealers, and even to Ingrid being shot.

Harlen Coben is one of the best authors out there today; it’s no wonder anything he writes instantly becomes a bestseller. Run Away is no exception. Coben has a way to get readers hooked in the very first chapter and keep them on the edges of their seats throughout the entire novel. His storytelling skills are well-honed, and he writes in a way that readers will believe what is happening is real and not a fictional story.

Coben is one of the few authors who can write a suspense-filled, edge-of-your seat novel and weave his incredible sense of humor throughout. Although this novel is far from humorous, it does have a few parts that make readers smile, which is similar to comic relief in the theater. His humor takes the edge off.

As is Coben’s style, the characters are well-developed; they seem like real people, and as the novel progresses, the readers feel like they know them well. Another element of Coben’s style is the fact that he can tell a believable story with an ending that is not only surprising, but sometimes shocking. That is the case with this novel. Even thriller aficionados who usually guess the ending will be surprised at this one.

Run Away is definitely recommended for anyone who loves Harlen Coben (and who doesn’t?).

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

The estrangement of their daughter undermines a family, and reveals complicated relationships. The basic situations are very relatable and the characters are well-drawn and sympathetic. There are twists, of course, but none are completely unbelievable. This book will satisfy fans of Harlan Coben and other mystery novels/thrillers.

I'm a huge fan of the author so I was excited to read his new book. The story kept me engrossed all of the way through with plot twists and turns. The narrator changed from chapter to chapter, sometimes every two chapters so readers might find this a little disconcerting. The author wrapped up the ending quickly, would have like a slower reveal, but that's just me. Coben fans will not be disappointed.

I read my first Harlan Coben book last year, and I loved it! When I saw that Runaway was coming out, I was definitely excited for something new from him. I really liked Runaway! Coben has a knack for creating suspense and adding twists and turns that you'd least expect,

Another hit from the master of suspense! This was a crazy, fast-paced page turner that kept me guessing the whole time. I normally don’t like when books have tons of characters to keep track of and lots side stories, but these all converged in a way that was interesting and easy to follow. Such a fun read!

★★★★ from Terri Pena on May 1, 2019

Excellent read

Satisfying, nuanced characters. Well paced plot. Accurate portrayal of the desperation a family feels while trying to save an addicted child.

See your full review

Run Away is a fantastic book! This thriller has everythign! Actions, suspense, danger, lies, and some crazy twists and turns.

It’s well-written, precisely plotted and strong characters. Did I mention there is a cult?

I won't give away any more, but this is a must read psychological thriller.

Harlan Coben’s books can best be described as literary whiplash.

Run Away starts with Simon, a desperate father, searching for his estranged daughter who has been seen performing for change in Central Park. What starts as a father, trying to help his daughter turns into a spiraling dark path down a road most people couldn’t fathom.

The thing I appreciate most about Coben’s writing is his pacing. Not only does Run Away twist and turn, but moves at a breathless pace. There is no time to regain your footing before you’re pulled into another direction - traipsing the reader on a chase for answers right alongside the characters.

I’ve been a fan of Harlan Coben for many years, and his novels never cease to amaze me. Run Away is no exception. Fast paced and full of twists, Coben is a master of drama and thrill.

If you’ve never experienced Harlan Coben, now is time to hop on the train! Hold Tight!
Thank you to @Netgalley, @GrandCentralPub, and @HarlanCoben for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rich character development with heart, that's why I read Harlan Coben. The Run Away did not disappoint. I don't read a lot of male authors, but I never pass up the chance to read a Coben book. Simon Green is my hero as the father in this book and Harlan Coben is my favorite male author still.

This was my first book by Harlan Coben and I now can not wait to read more of his books!

Simon is a well-off financial advisor, his wife is a pediatrician, they live in Manhattan with their three children. Their oldest daughter goes away to college and changes...she becomes addicted to drugs, she gets involved with a man who is also into drugs and she runs away. A neighbor tells Simon that he saw her playing guitar in Central Park and Simon figures out when she plays and goes to see her. He tries to confront her, but the boyfriend inserts himself and she flees. A few months later, the boyfriend is found dead and Simon and his wife, fearful for their daughter, go to a bad neighborhood in the Bronx to look for their daughter, which leads them into the underground world of drugs and gangs.

There is actually a lot going on in this novel and it is very well written with extremely well developed characters. It kept me riveted from the beginning and I found myself thinking about the book long after I was finished reading it.

As a masterful modern story-teller, Harlan Coben’s latest highly anticipated novel RUN AWAY delivers a wonderfully intricate tale of deception, family secrets and psychological suspense. Mr. Cohen’s writing style continues to entertain all his fans, leaving his audience always wanting more!

This is the first book I've read by Harlan Coben but definitely won't be the last. I kept seeing this book everywhere and knew I needed to read it and I'm so glad I got the chance too. I was completely hooked within the first few pages of reading and I literally couldn't put it down. I so intertwined by the characters and the story its self. It was easy to relate to characters love for their daughter. I cannot say enough great things about this book.

I adore Harlan Coben's writing and this one is an excellent addition to the collection! It starts with Simon, a successful investment banker who is happily married to Ingrid, a doctor. They have three beautiful children and what appears to be an idyllic life. Until it turns out that the junkie at the beginning of the book is his oldest daughter. The rabbit hole that he and Ingrid fall into trying to save her is compelling and brilliantly told. The dialogue (as with all Coben's books) is often very witty and the plot twists are amazing. I thought this was a terrific book!

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

Run Away is written by Harlan Coben and is published by Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. In this taut and exciting novel we are introduced to Simon Greene, loving father of three and husband to pediatrician, Dr. Ingrid Greene. His youngest, Anya, lives with the Greenes, while middle child, Sam, attends college a few states away. But it is his oldest, Paige, that has Simon at the end of a desperate rope. Paige has disappeared and he has been looking for her for months. After falling in with an older man, Paige has changed. Addicted to drugs and spiraling fast, Paige cannot last any longer on the path she has chosen to walk. Simon soon receives a tip that his daughter is playing guitar for tips in Manhattan's Central Park. He decides to try to convince his daughter to come home and the event does not go his way. After having a fight with Paige's boyfriend, Aaron Corval, a viral video is released painting Simon as an aggressor trying to hurt the homeless. Paige disappears once more and Simon's reputation is in tatters.

Several months later, after hiring an attorney and rebuilding his reputation, Simon continues his search. Meanwhile in Chicago a man hires private investigator Elena Ramirez to track down his son, Henry, who has been missing for three days. This is not unusual for Henry, however this time he contacted his father via text, and that is suspicious to Sebastian Thorpe. Henry has never felt the need to explain his whereabouts to anyone, even his family. Elena accepts the case and begins her research. But what Simon and Elena do not know is that a pair of assassins is cutting a bloody swath through the country executing seemingly harmless men; men that are connected to their search. And when Aaron Corval ends up brutally murdered in his and Paige's apartment in the Bronx, the stakes become higher than either Simon or Elena could ever have imagined. With Paige on the run either from the police or Aaron's killer, the ticking clock is against Simon and Elena.

Where is Henry Thorpe? Did Paige murder Aaron? And why do assassins Ash and Dee Dee have Simon Greene's name on their hit list?

Run Away was a fire that was set early on in the story. It was gradually doused with lighter fluid until it exploded in an incredible finale. I was fascinated then obsessed with the carefully constructed mystery of this novel. Coben's subtle nods and clever build up to the suspense served this novel well. As I began to uncover more clues, I was certain that I knew what happening. I was proven wrong on several occasions and when the reveals began to emerge, I was definitely not prepared for the truth. Simon Greene was a favorite of mine in this novel. He was a loving and devoted man to his family. And when he was wrong he admitted so. I was particularly invested in his love for Paige. She was his failure in his eyes, and he did what he could to help her. Elena was a fun character that was presented very well. Her short stature never impeded her drive to investigate, and Coben never depicted her as anything else but strong and fearless. The character dynamics and their interaction with one another were loaded with respect. I would definitely trust these characters to have my back in hard times. Simon alone could win Father of the Year.

I read Run Away in part with the narration of actor, Steven Weber (IZombie, Wings). Weber has read other Harlan Coben novels, and I believe that he is a great match for Coben’s writing. His pacing made it easy to accelerate the speed of the audiobook, a trait that I love in narrators. His presentation was smooth and his portrayal of the characters made them three dimensional. I loved his reading of Simon and the way he conveyed the tormented state that the man was in over his daughter. An excellent reading.

Run Away was a fast-paced five star read that captured my imagination from the first chapter, and did not let go until the shocking revelations at the end. Coben’s mix of family drama and suspense was perfectly executed. Character development was excellent, with players that I was rooting for until the end. And the villains were dangerous and the action adrenaline-fueled. This is a book that will make you cancel plans and turn of your phone. I am thankful to Netgalley and Hatchet Book Group for giving me the opportunity to read this novel early. I highly recommend this novel.

Because there is always time to read,

Xepherus3


All written content (c) Copyright 2019 by Thomas Bahr II