Run Away
A perfect family is shattered when their daughter goes missing in this "brilliantly executed" New York Times bestselling thriller from a "master storyteller" (Providence Sunday Journal).
You've lost your daughter. She's addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she's made it clear that she doesn't want to be found.
Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she's not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened, and clearly in trouble.
You don't stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home.
She runs. And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on.
You've lost your daughter. She's addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she's made it clear that she doesn't want to be found.
Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she's not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened, and clearly in trouble.
You don't stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home.
She runs. And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on.
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Community Reviews
In some ways very clever, in other ways very flawed and contrived. But it's a page turner for sure, which is rare for me these days.
I had enjoyed some of Harlan Coben's stories brought to life (and death) on Netflix so I thought I'd try one of his books.
You get thrown right into the story of Paige Greene, who had left college in her first year, fell in with an unsavory character named Aaron, who gets her hooked on drugs, and her father Simon wants nothing more than to bring his daughter back into the family fold and get her the help she needs. Simon has one run-in with Aaron, then shortly after that Aaron is murdered. Simon is a very strong suspect. Simon's wife Ingrid gets pulled into the web too, and some tragic events develop, which lead to more questions about what's really going on. DNA/genealogy websites, shady adoptions, a secret cult all form the backdrop to this sinister plot. But some of the pieces don't completely come together, or they didn't for me. But it was still a fun, suspenseful read!
I had enjoyed some of Harlan Coben's stories brought to life (and death) on Netflix so I thought I'd try one of his books.
You get thrown right into the story of Paige Greene, who had left college in her first year, fell in with an unsavory character named Aaron, who gets her hooked on drugs, and her father Simon wants nothing more than to bring his daughter back into the family fold and get her the help she needs. Simon has one run-in with Aaron, then shortly after that Aaron is murdered. Simon is a very strong suspect. Simon's wife Ingrid gets pulled into the web too, and some tragic events develop, which lead to more questions about what's really going on. DNA/genealogy websites, shady adoptions, a secret cult all form the backdrop to this sinister plot. But some of the pieces don't completely come together, or they didn't for me. But it was still a fun, suspenseful read!
Simon believes that he and his wife, Ingrid, a pediatrician, have established a nearly perfect life. They have 3 beautiful children, successful careers, a beautiful home in Manhattan.
And then their oldest daughter, Paige, goes away to college . . . and it all goes wrong. Paige becomes a drug addict, drops out of school, and has an abusive boyfriend, 11 years her senior. After all attempts to help her fail, she disappears.
Brokenhearted, Simon cannot bring himself to stop searching for her, even though he and Ingrid have agreed to suspend their efforts. With a tip and some luck, he spots her playing the guitar and singing at Strawberry Fields in Central Park. But she's clearly strung out to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. And when Simon approaches her, begging her to come home with him, her boyfriend, Aaron, materializes and there is an altercation. In the chaos, Paige runs.
Three months later, Aaron has been brutally murdered and Paige may be in danger. Simon and Ingrid are now united in their effort to find Paige, and together they venture into a dangerous world. With tragic consequences.
Meanwhile, former FBI agent and private investigator Elena Ramirez has been hired to find a missing 24-year-old. Henry Thorpe's wealthy father is not convinced that the text he received from his son saying he was heading west for a couple of weeks means Henry is not in trouble. Just the opposite, in fact.
And Ash has been hired to kill two men. He doesn't ask questions. He simply carries out his assignments, accompanied by his friend, DeeDee, with whom he was in foster care as a youth. DeeDee has joined a cult, the Shining Truth, and is known as Holly at its compound, Truth Haven.
At the outset, how these three disparate stories are related is a mystery. But as bestselling author Harlen Coben's intricately plotted new thriller, Run Away, progresses, it becomes clear that there will be convergence. First, Elena and Simon encounter and begin working together to find Paige. Both are empathetic characters. Elena has lost the love of her life and been forced to leave the FBI following an injury that left her with a limp. Simon is forced, through Paige's disappearance and other events, to confront his effectiveness as a father and husband. His introspection fuels his determination to make amends for mistakes he made -- even though he thought he was doing his best at the time -- and be more present if only he can find Paige and set things right in his family. Along the way, he finds a surprising ally, as well as a few enemies who threaten not only his well-being, but that of his family.
Run Away's pace never slackens as Coben takes readers along on Simon's desperate search to find his daughter and keep her safe, and keeps them guessing about how the three seemingly unrelated stories are, in fact, connected. As they begin to converge, Coben reveals plot twists and surprising developments that propel the story forward. And just for good measure, he wraps the story up with a jaw-dropping conclusion.
Run Away is a compelling exploration of just how far a father and mother will go to protect their children. But it is also a surprisingly tender exploration of marriage and relationships that illustrates it is impossible to ever fully know another person. Everyone harbors secrets. Coben explores how one family deals with secrets that are finally exposed, as well as whether some secrets can remain hidden for the sake of the family's survival. Run Away is a contemporary, intriguing story with endearing, relatable characters that will leave readers pondering its themes long after they've finished reading the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
And then their oldest daughter, Paige, goes away to college . . . and it all goes wrong. Paige becomes a drug addict, drops out of school, and has an abusive boyfriend, 11 years her senior. After all attempts to help her fail, she disappears.
Brokenhearted, Simon cannot bring himself to stop searching for her, even though he and Ingrid have agreed to suspend their efforts. With a tip and some luck, he spots her playing the guitar and singing at Strawberry Fields in Central Park. But she's clearly strung out to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. And when Simon approaches her, begging her to come home with him, her boyfriend, Aaron, materializes and there is an altercation. In the chaos, Paige runs.
Three months later, Aaron has been brutally murdered and Paige may be in danger. Simon and Ingrid are now united in their effort to find Paige, and together they venture into a dangerous world. With tragic consequences.
Meanwhile, former FBI agent and private investigator Elena Ramirez has been hired to find a missing 24-year-old. Henry Thorpe's wealthy father is not convinced that the text he received from his son saying he was heading west for a couple of weeks means Henry is not in trouble. Just the opposite, in fact.
And Ash has been hired to kill two men. He doesn't ask questions. He simply carries out his assignments, accompanied by his friend, DeeDee, with whom he was in foster care as a youth. DeeDee has joined a cult, the Shining Truth, and is known as Holly at its compound, Truth Haven.
At the outset, how these three disparate stories are related is a mystery. But as bestselling author Harlen Coben's intricately plotted new thriller, Run Away, progresses, it becomes clear that there will be convergence. First, Elena and Simon encounter and begin working together to find Paige. Both are empathetic characters. Elena has lost the love of her life and been forced to leave the FBI following an injury that left her with a limp. Simon is forced, through Paige's disappearance and other events, to confront his effectiveness as a father and husband. His introspection fuels his determination to make amends for mistakes he made -- even though he thought he was doing his best at the time -- and be more present if only he can find Paige and set things right in his family. Along the way, he finds a surprising ally, as well as a few enemies who threaten not only his well-being, but that of his family.
Run Away's pace never slackens as Coben takes readers along on Simon's desperate search to find his daughter and keep her safe, and keeps them guessing about how the three seemingly unrelated stories are, in fact, connected. As they begin to converge, Coben reveals plot twists and surprising developments that propel the story forward. And just for good measure, he wraps the story up with a jaw-dropping conclusion.
Run Away is a compelling exploration of just how far a father and mother will go to protect their children. But it is also a surprisingly tender exploration of marriage and relationships that illustrates it is impossible to ever fully know another person. Everyone harbors secrets. Coben explores how one family deals with secrets that are finally exposed, as well as whether some secrets can remain hidden for the sake of the family's survival. Run Away is a contemporary, intriguing story with endearing, relatable characters that will leave readers pondering its themes long after they've finished reading the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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