Runner by Patrick Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This fast-paced thriller had me turning pages. Sam Dryden is former special-ops, drifting through life after his wife and daughter died. Then, during a night jog, he literally runs into a terrified girl who can only remember the last two months of her life. Men are after her, and Sam realizes he has to protect her, and utilizes all his special training to do so.
Sam is a likable, gruff character. Rachel, the amnesiac girl, is a force to be reckoned with once she starts remembering what’s going on. We’re also treated to glimpses into other people’s minds, and a secret government experiment whose investigators will kill to protect. The pacing is spot-on, and I went through this thriller very fast. There is a supernatural element, but it blends so well with the story that it doesn’t seem jarring. I really enjoyed how Sam would think through each situation and determine a way to get out of it, thanks to his (somewhat out of date) training. He knows he’s behind the times, but he also knows enough to predict where things have gone in his exile from ops. Rachael is interesting–she actually is the twist–and the interaction between her and Sam is heartwarming. Each one needs the other. Each one helps the other, and each one can hurt the other, physically or mentally.
The scientist in me liked the science behind the experiment. It didn’t seem far-fetched the way the author describes it, and there is plenty of good scientific method behind it. Sure, the bad guys are running the experiment, but they were at least doing it well…
This book is titled so well. Not only does Sam meet Rachael while running, then the two of them start running away from her pursuers, and your heart will not stop running fast until you’ve finished this book. It was a lot of fun, and didn’t leave me hanging at the end. I’ll be looking forward to more books by Patrick Lee featuring Sam Dryden.
Received as a free digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.