Run

Run is a gritty drama set in the criminal underworld of Manchester and follows the format Mandasue Heller is renowned for.

The protagonist, Leanne Riley, has suffered a setback courtesy of a cheating ex-partner. She is wanting [and needing] her life to change for the better [which includes her living arrangements]. Leanne meets Jake who is not only a face from the past but is everything a girl could want – good looking, financially secure and charming; or is he?

Run is a book of two halves. The first half of the book sets the scene, and builds up the array of characters which requires a little patience from the reader. The second half has the action, leading the reader into a fast paced ride onward onto a dark and bloody conclusion; that links back to the characters and their motivations.

There is a good amount of suspense and Heller’s writing style pulls you into the grit and grime of the surroundings, making the depths of depravity seem real. Every character wears a mask and the intrigue of watching the cracks forming and true faces being revealed adds a darkness that slowly pervades through the pages, until the menace comes directly at the reader.

Having read and enjoyed several of Heller’s previous books, her latest Run did not disappoint although you need to manage the pace of the first half, as it is like the pull of a sling-shot as the characters are formed for the revelations that follow are indeed worth waiting for – as dark as they are.