I have loved everything that I’ve read by Terri Blackstock. She is one of my favorite mystery/suspense writers. I have found her storylines to be unique, not plots that I feel like I’ve read time and time again in one mystery novel after another. If I Run is no exception. When I finished, all I could say at first was, “Wow, wow, wow!” And then, “I need the next book NOW!” 🙂
Warning: Some people may consider some of the following info to be spoilers. Although, I don’t reveal anything specific from the book, I have included my thoughts about the story and the characters which goes a little beyond what’s revealed in the synopsis of the book.
If I Run had me hooked from the start! It’s a storyline that has probably been done many times—someone on the run for a crime they didn’t commit with crooked cops involved. However, Ms. Blackstock does it in an uncommon and engrossing way. Rather than writing the story in the usual third person, she has written it in two first person perspectives. The first perspective being that of Casey Cox, the girl on the run, and the second being Dylan Robert’s, the man tasked to find her and bring her in. I loved that the story was written from their first person points of view. It gave the effect of feeling like you’re inside their heads, reading their thoughts, and facing their struggles with them instead of just reading about those things as they happen to someone else.
Being inside Casey’s head as she thinks through steps to survive and then acts on them is intriguing. I loved discovering more about her as the book progressed, both through what her thoughts revealed and what Dylan uncovers about her. She’s in search of survival and justice as well as answers from a God she wonders even exists.
Dylan himself has his own personal struggles he’s dealing with as he’s asked to figure out where Casey is and go after her to bring her in. Trying to think like her and learn where she might be, causes Dylan to start asking questions. When things don’t add up with what Casey’s been accused of and what he’s learned about Casey Cox from her friends and family, Dylan is caught in the middle, not knowing who to trust and quite what to do.
I won’t say anything more about what’s in the book than I have already because I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that I loved the book and I can’t wait to read the next one! For those of you who like things tied up all neat and tidy at the end of a book, I must warn you that it doesn’t happen that way with this one. The story is far from resolved and the next book will need to be read in order to find out more. I typically don’t like books like that, but this one is so well done that I loved it and can’t wait to read the next one!
For more about If I Run by Terri Blackstock or to purchase it, click here or on the cover above. The link will take you to BookBub where you can select the site you’d prefer to buy from. Check out Terri Blackstock’s other books here.
**I was provided a copy of the book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Redeemed Hope Dweller 