If I Run by Terri Blackstock (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Casey Cox’s DNA is all over the crime scene. There’s no use talking to police; they have failed her abysmally before. She has to flee before she’s arrested . . . or worse. The truth doesn’t matter anymore.


But what is the truth? That’s the question haunting Dylan Roberts, the war-weary veteran hired to find Casey. PTSD has marked him damaged goods, but bringing Casey back can redeem him. Though the crime scene seems to tell the whole story, details of the murder aren’t adding up. Casey Cox doesn’t fit the profile of a killer. But are Dylan’s skewed perceptions keeping him from being objective? If she isn’t guilty, why did she run?


Unraveling her past and the evidence that condemns her will take more time than he has, but as Dylan’s damaged soul intersects with hers, he is faced with two choices. The girl who occupies his every thought is a psychopathic killer . . . or a selfless hero. And the truth could be the most deadly weapon yet."

My Thoughts:

 I read the description of this book and knew that I wanted to read it.  I loved the idea that Casey had no choice other than to go on the run even if I had no idea why.  I had to find out which left me very eager to read this one.  I'm happy to say that this book was just as fast-paced and suspenseful as I had hoped it would be.  In fact, this is the first book in a very long time that I managed to read in just one day.  That never happens for me folks because usually three kiddos keep me too busy to read for that long.  This book was just too hard to put down and was such a fast read that I couldn't not finish it.  One of the things that I enjoyed most about this book was that it was told from two different characters viewpoints.  It was told through Casey's eyes as she went on the run.  Her parts of the story were easily my favorite because it was just so crazy all of the things that she went through while trying to stay hidden.  The story is also told from Dylan's point of view as he not only investigates the death of his friend (the man Casey is accused of murdering) but also as he searches for Casey.  I knew that their stories were going to collide at some point but I definitely didn't want it to happen.  And I found myself reading even faster just to see what was going to happen when they did finally meet.

What I didn't realize when I agreed to read this book was that this book would be considered to be (at least I believe it is) Christian fiction.  I'm actually glad that I didn't know this as this isn't a genre that I usually read from.  The religious aspects were there in different parts of the book but they weren't heavy or preachy in any way.  I really enjoyed Casey's character and am hopeful that this is the beginning of a series.  I say that because the author did leave us with some questions even with a very intense ending.  I loved the last part of this book so much because it was such a page turner.  The ending blew me away and left me wishing there was more.  Seriously I need more!! 

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and am left hoping that there will be more books in the future.  I'm really glad that I had the chance to read this one and am eager to read more by this author.  This book was just as fast paced and intense as I had hoped it would be.  It was also the perfect way to end my reading month in January.  Easily recommended to both mystery and thriller fans alike.

Bottom Line:  A thrilling read that left me wanting more!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to FSB Associates and the publisher.