The Runner

Written by Lloyd Devereux Richards

Narrated by Christopher Ragland

A gripping thriller from Lloyd Devereux Richards author of TikTok sensation, Stone Maidens

He's in too deep… And almost out of time.

Martin Gabriel is a runner for Ben. He runs errands. He runs deliveries. And now he is running for his life…

When a deal goes wrong, Martin realizes Ben isn’t the legitimate businessman he thought he was.

He flees before Ben catches up with him, unaware that Ben’s criminal network and the FBI are also on his tail.

No longer a runner, but still on the run.

Is Martin fast enough to get away from his past?

Readers love LLOYD DEVEREUX RICHARDS

‘Well plotted, tense, fast paced.’ NetGalley reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An absolutely marvellous contemporary crime suspense that had me glued and guessing from the start.’ NetGalley reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This has escalating urgency, suspense that just keeps ratcheting up, and some really recognizable characters. Fantastic.' NetGalley reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'What a great thriller!' NetGalley reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Lloyd Devereux Richards does it again. I can’t wait to read more.’ NetGalley reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: May 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9780008648336

Lloyd Devereux Richards

Lloyd Devereux Richards was born in New York City and traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, and Central America before attending law school. He previously served as a senior law clerk for an Indiana Court of Appeals judge, researching and writing drafts for dozens of published opinions, including the appeal of a serial killer sentenced to death. A father of three, he lives with his wife, Cameron O’Connor, and their two dogs in Montpelier, Vermont. This is his second novel, after Stone Maidens.

Reviews for The Runner

[elenaj-147457 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not a pleasant read. Bullet is not a likable protagonist, even as his way of being in the world is unusual and fascinating. On top of that, for anyone who's read the other books in this series, foreknowledge about the end of his story haunts the rest of the novel.

And yet, this unflinching look at a painful life in a wrenching time in US history is as thought-provoking and beautiful as it is harrowing.

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(Writing this having read only the first four books in the Tillerman series)With "Homecoming" and "Dicey's Song," Voigt accomplished something that I suspect if mighty difficult for an author to do... she created a protagonist (Dicey Tillerman) who, if you actually knew her personally, you probably wouldn't like her very much... but as a reader, you loved her, rooted for her, admired her, and maybe liked her a bit too, knowing all the background behind why she is the way she is. But for me, she did not accomplish this with "The Runner." Bullet Tillerman is Dicey's uncle, dead before the series begins in "Homecoming." This is his story. Like Dicey, you probably wouldn't like him if you knew him personally. I know I wouldn't. But unlike Dicey... I didn't admire him, or root for him, either. He is always angry at someone, if not everyone. He is surly, uncommunicative with everybody, and seems to care nothing at all for anyone but himself and his own selfish wants. For me, such an unlikable main character made for a book that I didn't enjoy very much, even though I acknowledge that it was just as well written as the first three. Just as compelling... but I am happy to leave Bullet Tillerman behind and move on to the next in the series.Bullet is the last of the three siblings at home. Johnny has gone off on his own, and Liza (Dicey's mother) has run off with her boyfriend, who makes a brief, unlikable appearance as well. His father is absolutely loathsome, his mother, who we know from Dicey's Song pretty well, is... prickly, but understandable. The plot centers around Bullet's inherent racism and the integration of the public schools. He is an obsessive cross country track star, and the coach has asked him to help train a new black guy on the team. As you might expect, through the course of the book, Bullet learns a bit, and isn't as racist at the end as he was in the beginning, but he doesn't change enough to make him appealing.The only really pleasant character is Patrice, a curious old fisherman who employs Bullet as an assistant. He takes absolutely everything in the world in stride. Nothing upsets him, no matter what. As such, he is about the only person Bullet respects and likes. I'd have rather read a book about Patrice.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bullet Tillerman runs, not to win races, but because running is what he’s made for. He goes his own way, but occasionally something crops up in life that makes him stop and think. One of these occasions is when the track coach asks him to mentor another cross country runner, a black man named Tamer Shipp. What will it take for Bullet to move past his own prejudice?Ah, I remember why I didn’t like this book as much as I like the other books in the series. For one thing, Bullet is so angry all the time that reading is a tense, unhappy experience. Also, and this may constitute a spoiler, but only in the vaguest sense, something bad happens to a dog. I don’t want to be too critical, because this book has all of the earmarks of good writing present in Voigt’s other books: Bullet’s characterization is terrific, his change over the course of the novel believable and hard-won. The dialogue is smart and snappy, and there’s no shortage of wit in the writing. It also fills in some blanks from other books in the series, which is nice. But I don’t think I’ll ever read it again.

[missreadsalot · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was so, so, not my fave. It took me forever to read and I thought the other books in the sreies were a lot better.

[jenreidreads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think this was the weakest book in the Tillerman series.

[rachelellen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a flashback book, telling the story of Dicey's uncle. The best thing about it is the view you get of Dicey's grandmother as a younger woman, and all the hints of what made her the way she is. Interesting treatment of a domineering father -- made me think of the way someone very dear to me grew up -- and also of mindless racism and what happens when people can put it aside. You probably want to read this one before "Come a Stranger".