Plot Twist Fridays: Run Away by Harlan Coben

 

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, a loving father whose search for his missing daughter, Paige, ends unexpectedly. Simon receives a tip that she is playing guitar for tips in Manhattan's Central Park. He decides to try to convince his daughter to come home and the reunion 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. 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 from the police and Aaron's killer, the ticking clock is against Simon and Elena. 

  Run Away was a fire that was set early on in the story and was doused with lighter fluid that exploded in an incredible finale. The turns that Coben takes to fake out the reader are cleverly crafted. His players worked well together and displayed respect for one another which served the cases well. The twist in this book comes near the end and it's so shocking, I had to set the book down and walk away. I never saw that twist coming and it was fantastic. 

  I read Run Away in part with the narration of actor, Steven Weber (TV's 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 off your phone. I highly recommend this novel.

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