If I Run by Terri Blackstock

I love a novel that's a good mystery with great suspense. Blackstock has given us a winner.

The novel opens with Casey Cox discovering her boyfriend – murdered. She knows she has to run, even though her DNA is all over the scene. She doesn't trust the local police, not since her father supposedly committed suicide a decade ago, when Casey was twelve.

Contracted to find Casey is Dylan Roberts, a veteran army criminal investigator with PTSD. He needs to prove to himself and the police that he can still do the job. But the more he pursues her and investigates the case, the more he finds that the clues do not add up.

Blackstock has done an excellent job of crafting this novel in such a way that we are placed in the midst of a suspenseful story from the beginning. The suspense builds as Casey tries to make a new life for herself. Casey is a smart gal and she knows she has to stay one step ahead of the police so she can prove her innocence. Just when she thinks she's found a safe place...

I liked Casey as a character, struggling to not believe in God when she needs him so desperately. I liked Dylan as a character too. He is a good guy but has had emotional trauma that sometimes clouds his judgment. There are great secondary characters too, and a subplot that fits right in and intensifies the suspense.

Great characters, a great story line, and lots of suspense make this a novel that impressed me. Blackstock is in top form. The worst part of the book? We're left hanging, so get me the sequel soon.

You can read the first chapter here.

I am participating in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times bestselling author who has sold more than six million books worldwide. You can find out more at http://terriblackstock.com/.

Zondervan, 320 pages. You can purchase a copy here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse for the purpose of an independent and honest review.