Casey Cox is running for her life . . . and she didn’t do it.

But those who did aren’t about to take the fall.

Casey has had to deal with more tragedy than one person should have to endure. First, she finds her father hanging by the neck in the dining room. Then her best friend Brian, who was investigating the “alleged suicide” on her behalf, is brutally murdered. And Casey’s DNA is all over the crime scene.

Dylan Roberts, a recently discharged Army CID investigator diagnosed with PTSD, is also interested in Brian’s death. They practically grew up together. The police force is limited in what it can investigate, due to budgetary concerns. And Brian’s family wants answers. With nothing but time on his hands, and a longing for justice in his heart, Brian takes up the investigation on the family’s behalf.

What initially began as a cross-country manhunt slowly evolves into a full-blown investigation, and for each answer that Dylan finds, more questions emerge. And by the time the questions are all answered, the definition of “justice” has taken on a surprising aspect.

Just when you think you’ve got Terri Blackstock “pegged,” she’ll pull the rug right out from underneath ya!

The writing style and format of IF I RUN is unlike anything I’ve come across . . .but it works! As the story “weaves” its way back and forth between the two main characters, you will find yourself “woven in” as well. And putting the book down after you’ve started reading?

Good luck with that.

5 stars for a riveting tale from Terri Blackstock

Casey Cox is on the run. She knows she will be accused of murder and doesn’t want to end up dead either. She didn’t kill her friend but who will believe her covered in blood and with a bloody knife. She decides it is time to leave town and those she loves behind. She can’t trust the cops as they might be involved in the murder. Or is she just paranoid?
Dylan Roberts who suffers from PTSD is hired to find Casey and bring her back. He needs to learn about her in order to figure out why she would murder her friend. Casey doesn’t fit the profile of a murder but could she have snapped. Things are not as they seem and Dylan starts to figure out something just don’t make sense. Will Casey be able to stay on the run? Will Dylan be able to track her down and discover what really happened?
This is a Christian Fiction book. Book 1 to a series it is well written and I enjoyed reading it. A suspenseful story and will draw you in.

I received this book in advance from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading this book. it was more suspenseful thanni thought it would be. you find out pretty early on what the motive of murderer is, and have a pretty good idea of what will happen, but the author does a really good job keeping you interested and wanting to.read.more. I need to read book #2 asap.

This is the first book I've read by this author, and I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.

Every moment of this book was suspenseful. There was always the fear of Casey getting caught and arrested for a murder she didn't commit, or worse. Then there was the suspense of whether or not Dylan would find her, would turn her into the police, or would believe what she was trying to tell him.

There is a side plot in the book that was also full of suspense--a kidnapping from a family that has befriended Casey (not knowing she is on the run or why).

This book ends without any real resolution, but I felt it was a good stopping point, leaving readers ready to start the next book in the series.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

I really liked this book, although I didn't know it wasn't a stand alone read. I am not fond of books that are cliff hangers, so fair warning this is book ends with a cliffhanger and you have to purchase book two "If I'm found" to continue the story.
That being said, I liked the story and the main two characters Casey and Dylan. The story was original, full of suspense and kept my attention throughout. I just had to purchase the second book because I really want to find out what will happen!
**A special thank you to NetGalley and Zondervan Publishing for an advanced copy in return for my honest review**

Casey finds her friend, Brent, murdered and she flees the scene because she knows that the blame will fall on her. Brent was a reporter who was researching her father's murder. She's convinced that Brent's death is related to what he knew about her father's case.

Brent's family hires Dylan Roberts to find Casey and bring her back. She will be prosecuted if she is guilty of their son's murder. Dylan was formerly an investigator with the Army and he knows that he can find Casey but the evidence doesn't quite add up. He wonders why she would kill her best friend and leave so much evidence behind. And why aren't the police cooperating? He embarks on a journey not only to find Casey, but to discover the truth as well.

This is a Christian novel, which I was not aware of when I requested it. The religious tones were subtle and well-placed so I think that this is an enjoyable read for a broad audience. The ending left quite a few unanswered questions, but I believe there is a second book coming up in the future. Overall, a great read.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Zondervan Fiction, and to Terri Blackstock for this opportunity.

Could not put this book down. Exciting and interesting.

I had never read this author. The basic story line was fairly interesting. A woman is suspected of killing her friend. She runs from dirty cops and assumes a new identity. A friend of the victim is hired his family to find her, wit grudging support from the dirty cops. I didn't realize Ms Blackstock was a devout Christian, but clearly she is. This was interspersed throughout the book, and was the focus on the author's notes at the end. This aspect did not interest me.

This author is an auto-read for me and many of my patrons.

If I Run is a story of mistaken identity, loss, running for your life, isolation, and trusting someone your not sure you should. Casey is being sought for what she knows about her fathers death and now about her boyfriends death as well, who just happens to be the police - so where do you run to when it is the police who are after you - who are the bad guys? The ones who are suppose to protect you and are out to kill you or charge you with your boyfriends murder. It is the ultimate betrayal.. Dylan was a criminal investigator in the army with PTSD - now he is hired as a PI to find Casey by her dead boyfriends family - he meets her and feels she is innocent 0 she gets away (not that he was keeping her). He starts to look into the murder himself while he hunts her down. Does he see what the police do? Is Casey safe? Who is helping Casey? Is it enough when you have the whole police department after you? What has Dylan learned to help her or did it?

This book was very suspenseful and kept me turning the pages as quickly as I could. If you like good suspense stories, look no further. However, if unresolved endings or "cliffhangers" are as frustrating for you as they are for me, then you will likely end the book with a sense of incompleteness. When I agreed to read this book for review, I didn't know it was the first in a series. Now I am anxious for the next books in the series!

Good Christian suspense that steers away from preachiness and feels realistic, relevant, and current.

Casey finds her best friend dead and knows she'll go down for it if she doesn't run. so we follow her and get a bird's eye view of the case from the PI trying to follow her as well. This book wasn't quite as twisty as I like, and I can honestly say I didn't think the son genre of Christian thriller existed, but Terry Blackstock proves me wrong. overall, compelling and well done.

So I was really torn on how I should rate this book. I think it was because of the ending, because there was no closure. So I sat here thinking between a three rating and a four, I talked to a friend who has the audio version and what changed my mind was when she said "hey they have book two." So because now I know that answers will be given and justice will be served that I can give this a four wineglass rating!

On to the review......Casey had something very traumatic happen to her when she was a child, it changed her whole family. She never believed what happened when she was a kid went down like that, though no one believed her. So when her friend ends up dead and she takes off it makes her look guilty. We follow how Casey seems to be one step ahead of the cops and the man who has been hired to bring her back. Though what he starts to uncover about Casey and the person she is well it doesn't seem to add up. While Casey is trying to stay under the radar she seems to find herself in the right place at the right time, because when she befriends a grandma she learns that her granddaughter is missing. Casey somehow is able to save the day but yet will she find herself caught or in another bad situation.
I really enjoyed how we got to get more information on Casey's past and how she along with her mother was handling it all. I thought that Casey's character was well developed and I loved how she didn't follow the crowd when we get to see how she acts around others. She does things for the good but not for recognition. Dylan was a good character and I liked how he was written in the sense of wanting to do something with his life but yet was still dealing with the PTSD that he suffered.
I do plan on reading book two because I need to find out if Casey will be able to clear her name with the help from Dylan. Will the justice be served that was not given so many years ago?

I received this a while ago from Net Galley (thank you for my copy!) and read it in two days. It was a thrilling and suspenseful read! I see it’s the beginning of a series with “If I’m Found” as Book Two. It is a bit reminiscent of the Fugitive (or whatever that show was when I was a kid with the man accused of killing his wife and he was innocent).

Here’s the overview:

Description

Casey Cox has blood on the bottom of her shoes, in her car, on her clothes. But there’s no point in trying to defend herself. She just has to run.

Casey didn’t kill her friend Brent. She discovered his body, but she’d never try to hurt him. He’s the only person she’s ever trusted enough to tell the truth about what happened to her father . . . and there’s no doubt in her mind that Brent was killed trying to help her prove it. She has to run before they get to her too.

Dylan Roberts was hired to find Casey and bring her back so that justice can be served. As a former Criminal Investigator for the Army, he can’t imagine that tracking down one girl will be that difficult.

But the more elusive Casey turns out to be, the more Dylan digs into her past to try to determine what she might be thinking. What he finds there doesn’t fit the profile of a killer at all. She’s unlike any other fugitive he’s ever seen.

The police refuse to discuss any other possibilities. There’s something more going on here. Something more to this fugitive who has captured his attention. Now he just has to figure out what it is . . . and Casey just has to stay one step ahead of everyone who’s after her.

Perfect for summer! This came out last year and the sequel this year (2017) and should be readily available at your favorite indie bookstore, online, or at your local library!

This book follows Casey, a woman running from the cops because all evidence points to her.
This book was a little slow pace for me in the beginning but overall I liked the characters and the storyline.

3.5 stars. The book was mostly good. The protagonist running away for fear of being blamed for a murder was adequately explained and I liked both Casey and Dylan. Some parts of the plot were a bit predictable and a couple of things were too unrealistic, but overall it was a gripping story. However, I didn't like the ending--it seemed like the author just deliberately tried to cut it off right before the wrap-up so as to be able to have a sequel. The author's note at the end was also a real turn-off for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.

Starts with murder and just keeps getting better. Conspiracy and unexpected alliances. Seamlessly blends the past and future. Casey is unable to stop helping people even on the run from corrupt law enforcement. Her story blending with Dylan's is very well done. I read it in one sitting.

If I Run is a definite page turner. I loved the alternating points of view between Casey as she's on the run, and Dylan as he tries to find her. There's lots of suspense and turns that kept me thoroughly engrossed and wondering if Dylan could piece together what truly happened and if he could or would help Casey. I feel like the writing has a young adult tone to it. Considering the main character is in her mid twenties and I love young adult books, I think that's actually one of the reasons I really enjoyed this one, when I am not usually a big thriller suspense kind of reader. I am super glad that I already own book two because that cliffhanger has me so anxious! I highly recommend If I Run.

Awesome book!! This is the first thriller that made me have tears in my eyes at the end.
The characters are so well developed, I kept thinking about them during the day when I wasn't reading. I felt as if I knew these people. I just really felt for them.

The suspense is great - it starts out with a bang and never really lets up, and the end is so satisfying!

There are some coincidences and things that conveniently happen, but the story doesn't dissolve into predictability, as I was afraid it would.

I don't want to give anything away, but what a fast read! I am so glad this is book #1 of a series - would love to read more about the main characters.

I loved the fact that some of the characters had a strong faith in God - it wasn't preachy and rounded out the personality of each character nicely. If that offends you, you might not enjoy the book as much as I did.

One of the best books I've read this year. Followed up by getting more in series, and can't wait for the next book coming out later this year.