This book goes a different direction than I thought at first. It follows Kyle, recently out of jail and itching to get a beer. This action sets off a series of events that go from bad to worse and leads to him killing several people and being hunted by the police.
So far very straightforward and then things take a weird turn, not a bad turn necessarily cause from that point on the excitement level and the need to know what happens next grow exponentially.
In the end my enjoyment of the book was slightly more than my irritation at certain stuff and I can say it's worth the read if you like some mystery and are not turned off by graphic violence. What I disliked though is the lack of a satisfying ending...it just stops. And I don't mind open endings but this felt more like: and now I am done with this story. Apart from that the inconsistent use of present and past tense almost had me stop reading in the beginning because it broke the flow of the book. But I am hoping this will be handled before the book is officially released.

*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

Good suspense and a well thought out conclusion. All the clues are there but you won’t figure this out until the last page!

Trigger warning: extreme violence and gore.

Kyle Harcourt is on his way home after serving a sentence for manslaughter. His older brother Steven, who tries hard to be responsible for him, told him to come straight home. But Kyle sees a pink neon sign for a bar along the country road and he thinks a cold beer would go down really, really well. And why not pick up a woman as well? Kyle is a good looking young man who can be charming when he wants to be. And he’s not deliberately bad, no he can be a really nice guy. It’s just that poor Kyle has no impulse control. At all. And that is what gets him into trouble.

He wakes up in his car in the morning, having passed out the night before to find the woman’s headless corpse sitting next to him, her head in his lap. Oops! So Kyle goes on the run, in the forest. He has no idea where he is. Unfortunately other people keep getting in his way. Oops again. But his shambolic bid for freedom comes to a sudden end when he runs into Samuel. It turns out that Kyle is not the only killer in these woods. Samuel is... well let’s just say you wouldn’t want to run into him in a dark alley. Or anywhere quite frankly!

Yep, this book sits firmly in the horror genre and it’s about time I say after reading any number of wish-washy efforts. Thanks to Netgalley, Dexter Publishing and John Hunt for providing a copy. My opinions are my own.

John Hunt's forte are books telling stories of horror. The current one is certainly right smack dab in the genre. The book opens as Kyle is driving home after serving a sentence in prison for second degree murder. He is an individual whose background is dark and a personality that is unable to control impulses to lash out violently when angered. He lives with his brother who takes care of him since their parents are both deceased. His brother had told him in no uncertain terms to drive straight home without stopping for anything. Kyle, though decides that it has been a long time since he has had a beer and stops at a bar. While drinking he picks up a woman and they go out to his car for some sexual activity. In the activity Kyle passes out and when he awakens he sees the woman next to him but with her head away from the rest of the body.
The only thing Kyle can think of is to flee the scene and try to make it back to his brother. And therein begins a story which incorporates a lot of killing including a female police officer and friends of the woman whose head he chopped off. It also utilizes the services of a genuine monster who contributes to the number of bodies stacking up. Many of the murders are described in a lurid highly descriptive manner which might bring on a feeling of repulsiveness on the part of the reader. These killings and the manner some are handled are certainly a part of the miasma hanging over the story.
Horror stories are certainly a part of the literary experience and have been so for many years. For example, the books by Edgar Allan Poe are enjoyed today with some of these incorporating horror. Mr. Hunt does them well and I can't see not reading them along with books with other themes to make for a more complete reading experience.

NetGalley Review

After making it well past the halfway point of ‘Murder Run’, and that was an accomplished endeavor by itself, I had to put he book down.

A robust, charming country boy meets a woman at a bar in the hushed township of Leonard, Ontario. The first few chapters recount her gruesome rape and slamming by the killer, Kyle Harcourt, and this led me to believe that the rest of the story would be just as shocking and riveting as the first pages. The psychological boundaries of Kyle are represented quite well in he beginning ; he simply can’t stop the bloodshed and we never find out the reason for his murderous rampage.

All credibility is washed away with the introduction of the most disorganized police force represented in crime literature this year. I won’t mention some of the characters involved in this foolish manhunt, but I would probably receive better protection from Doofy Gilmore than the law officials of Leonard. I understand and love cheesy pulp novels, but campiness is nonexistent, and the dialogue was jawdroppingly bad. It’s a shame, because Hunt gives Kyle so many obstacles to work with-vigilant biker gangs and Canadian wilderness are a few developments that could have been more prevalent-but these were high hopes that quickly vanished.

Murder Run is a really fast read. It felt dark and atmospheric to me, even though most of the chase takes place in the daytime. I was expecting something different reading the description. I wasn't expecting a murder in the beginning. Plus, I wanted the horror sooner in the story but I like how everything unfolded. This is a really good book 🐾.

My thanks to Dexter Publishing, John Hunt and Netgalley.
This dang book was exactly what I've come to expect from this author. It's starts off as one thing, then gets booted arse over shoulders. I love that!
Kyle "the murderer" is almost someone to feel sorry for. Almost. He has no impulse control. I quickly wanted him to die! But, along comes a very messed up twist. "Hunt style!" I can't say anything about that, because then I'd ruin all the messiness!
I believe Mr. Hunt is slightly mad. Mad, I tell you! Mad! I personally wouldn't have it any other way!

Thank you to the Author, John Hunt, for the sneak preview to his newest novel Murder Run.
This book will have you biting your nails till the very end. A young man is out at a bar and he meets a young woman - should be a nice evening - until the young man, Kyle, wakes up in his truck with a dead body. Kyle doesn't quite remember what happened, and he is on the run from the police.
Kyle's reign of terror continues in the Canadian wilderness where there are many people looking for him - the cops, the dead girl's dad, and some bikers seeking revenge.
When Kyle stumbles upon an isolated house, all he wants is some food and water. But the owners of this home are quite different - they don't have a driveway, there isn't easy access to this property, and there are rumors about this house and the owners. Stories that go way back - stories about monsters, missing people, and murder. Looks like Kyle will get more than refreshments here and there may be worse fates than police and bikers..
This book is just scary good - unexpected twists and turns - and well written with humor and lets say lots of gorey details. Spooky fun - 5 stars!