A suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading until the early am


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

This was a good read. It began well and it grabbed my attention from the very beginning. It was definitely creepy in parts and full of suspense. Abbie thought that her prayers were answered when she manages to escape from her past and move to a teaching job in quiet Indiana. However, all is definitely not as it seems when she witnesses a murder while out running one evening. She just can't shake the unsettling feeling that she is being watched.

I found that this novel is full of suspense and I couldn't guess how it was going to end. It's a very enjoyable thriller and I highly recommend it.

This was a really good read. It began well and I was eager to continue reading from very early on. It was eerie in parts and full of suspense. Abbie thought her prayers were answered when she managed to escape her past and take a teaching job in quiet Indiana but all it not as it seems when she witnesses a killing one night while out running. Afterwards she can't shirk the eerie sense that she is being watched. This tale is full of suspense throughout and I really couldn't guess how it was going to pan out. It's a very enjoyable read, one I highly recommend.

What a creepy read, but what could I possibly have been expecting from a crime novel. A pretty good one too! If I do say so myself. The idea of moving to a place where the truth is hidden and the bad is hushed, makes for a good place for a murderer!
One of my favourite things about this book is that the main character is a normal human being. Why is that good? Well, simply because she doesn't run off and do ultimately idiotic things like trip or hide in plain sight. Such horror movie moves.
Even so, some of the plot seemed a little far-fetched at times, but otherwise a really good novel.

Abby Markstein's ex-boyfriend has just committed the ultimate act of revenge by hanging himself and making sure that Abby will be the one to find his body. Once destined for a plum teaching job at Amherst, Abby now finds herself running the opposite direction in order to come to terms with her nightmares. What she finds instead, is a greater horror waiting for her in the heartland of America. 

Landing in a small Midwestern town in Indiana, Abby assumed that her life would be boring. However, while running through a tunnel during her morning run, she discovers a car engulfed in flames. The only thing worse than the burning cadaver inside, is the horrifying smiling man staring down at her on the other side of the tunnel. With her life in danger, Abby soon finds that this small town holds many big secrets and some of those secrets can you get you killed. 

Running in the Dark is a well written, fast paced mystery. There are multiple plot lines, perhaps more than necessary, which make this book a very quick, "can't put it down" read. However, because of all of the detail to action and plot, the character development gets left by the wayside. We know about Abby, who she is and usually what she is feeling. What we don't really grasp is why. Tidbits about characters are thrown into the story but they aren't fleshed out in a way that make you want to like or even dislike them. In the end, it becomes just another story that you've read. This was very disappointing to me. I'm from Indiana. I knew many of the places that were mentioned and I live in a town not unlike Lewisburg. I truly wanted to connect to the story and to this author because of my Midwestern roots. Sadly that just didn't happen. In the end, it's a readable book, an interesting story if you come across it but it's not one that I would rush out to get - even if you are from Indiana.

Wow, what a quick easy read. You should definitely check this one out. I couldn't put it down!

While the book wasn't poorly written, I just couldn't get into it. Felt a little "been there, done that" and I had a hard time connecting to the characters. This review is only my opinion, and I hope others enjoyed the read more than I did.

running in the Dark by Sam Reeves.
Abby Markslein accepts a teaching job after a personal Tragedy. Abby loves to run. but while running she comes across a burning car. afterwards she has the sense of someone following her. who are they? Are they dangerous?
a very enjoyable read. couldn't guess who it could be. 4*.

The first chapter was okay. As I kept reading, I started to feel a constant monotony to the story and it bugged me big time. Several times, I fell asleep over the story but maybe that's because I was tired. Or it could be because it bored me. Who knows? To me, there was so much black and white and maybe a sprinkle of a lighter shade of red, for the murder part. But even for the crime scenes, I could barely see the red. It got me wondering if the mystery genre was for me but then I thought, I've actually read other mystery books and the genre as a whole sounded exciting and makes one think. I was ready for a challenge and I was thinking maybe this book would be a good one. I thought wrong.

I was close to DNF-ing but I decided against it because I wanted to know how the murders were set. Maybe my expectation was too high or the plot was just too weak but either way, I did not enjoy it. It left me with the impression "ooookay...? That's it?" I felt barely any thrill to the story.

Overall, it was an excruciating read, and I don't think it's a book for me, hence the one-star rating.

However, I think this book would be great if you're a rookie in the mystery genre. A bit of some blood spattering but not much that you probably can't handle. Just maybe.

I enjoyed this book mainly because it partially took place on a college campus. The overabundance of suicides was very disturbing and a bit of a trigger for me.

A tragic event leads Abby Markstein to leave her life in Manhattan behind for the quiet and tranquility of Lewisburg, Indiana. She knows she’s probably just hiding from her problems, but for the time being she’s okay with it.

But Lewisburg isn’t as event-free as she’d hoped. On a morning run she comes across a car, lit up in a blaze, and a bubbling body burning inside it. The face of a tattooed stranger grinning at her from behind the car is the blood-red cherry on top of her trauma cake.

As much as she tries to forget about what she saw, more murders occur in the small-town, and as the only eye-witness she’s the only one who can help the police identify the killer.

Dealing with this, as well as a lovesick student who won’t take no for an answer, Abby has to come to terms with the fact that life in Lewisburg is full of more secrets than she though one small town could hold.

Running in The Dark is my kind of book. Dark, creepy, full of murders. What more could you ask for? You’re hooked from the very first scene, of Abby missing a phone call while out running, and coming home to find her ex-boyfriend waiting for her in a way she never imagined (I won’t say any more than that, you’ll have to read it for yourself).

I found Abby to be a very realistic character as well. Often in books like this the person who witnesses the crime becomes a sort of amateur detective and goes about trying to solve the crime themselves. A lot of the time they out-do the police and figure it all out before them.

But not Abby. Abby is just plain freaked out by the whole situation. She’s scared the killer is after her because she saw his face. She’s convinced someone is watching her. She’s scared to go home alone at night. She eventually ends up moving in with a friend when it all gets too much for her.

I think that fear is much more realistic than trying to solve the crime herself. You’re not Ms. Marple, leave it to the police, it’s their damn job. (Side note, I actually don’t like Ms. Marple. She’s the one Agatha Christie character I can’t stand, mostly for this reason. She’s a nosy aul biddy who should just leave the police work to the police. Okay, rant over.)

The only thing I thought was a bit unrealistic was the amount of information Detective Ruffner was willing to give to Abby about the case. I don’t know much about how police stuff works, so maybe I’m completely wrong, but I feel like he gives away information about who they’re looking at, why they’re looking at them, and general sensitive stuff way too freely to be professional.

The ending is also a tiny-weeny bit disappointing. You kind of know throughout that the Mexican-angle the police are looking at isn’t right, but what it ends up being is kind of anti-climactic. I like to be properly shocked by the ending of a book, and this didn’t blow my mind.

In saying that, it’s not an unenjoyable ending, and it did have me staying up a little past when I should have gone to sleep to finish it. So, don’t be put off.

Running in The Dark is an easy read, and fans of a good thriller will like it. The pace is good and is kept up throughout the book, and there was nothing about it that made me want to put it down and never pick it up again. A good book overall.

A disappointing read.

This suspense drama began with real promise. A runner comes across a burning vehicle and a man, smiling at her from close by. However, the ongoing negative comments about the likelihood of Mexican involvement and, for me, the laborious writing style, left me frustrated.

Overall, a disappointing read.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to preview.

Think about the feeling you get when you think someone is behind you or watching you from afar. Sam Reaves brings that feeling to life in Running in the Dark as protagonist, Abby Markstein, tries to acclimate to her new surroundings after witnessing a murder.

Fleeing to The Middle of Nowhere, Indiana after a traumatic break-up, Abby merges into her new life and role as a mathematics teacher at a prestigious college. When she witnesses the murder of a local criminal defense lawyer paranoia sinks in because whoever she saw on the other side of that burning car saw her, as well. Throughout the story she looks over her shoulder because she might be next. When another murder is committed, Abby's friend Lisa Beth believes they were killed over their seedy business practices.

While the story is engaging and interesting, the execution of it doesn't inspire me to love it. Abby was an interesting character up until the murders were committed and she didn't even attempt to investigate. She was more worried about being safe and whether or not she could pick the killer from a lineup. Even if Abby isn't an amateur sleuth, she was just way too passive about the situation and spent her time worrying over it with no real action. The only times she did anything for herself is when her co-worker and student both hit on her and she attempted to put them straight. The rest of the story, though, things just happened to her, and around her, and she let it slide by.

If I ignore the lackluster characters, the story definitely hits the mark as a suspense. It's dark and takes some unexpected turns that kept me reading to the conclusion. Sam Reaves inspires the need to know why, which will definitely hook readers!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

Stars: ✦✦.5✧✧
So as usual, I'll tell 2.5 things I liked about the book and 2.5 thing I didn't like.
So what did I think?

+/- 0.5 | The idea is great. That and the cover was definitely what drew me into it. It is quite a typical thriller regarding to what happens, but since the setting is completely new to the main character, it brought a new layer of mystery

+1 | Entertainment value. It started off really well and I did read it to the end, meaning I definitely wanted to know what happens - which is a great sign for me with thrillers and books in general

+/- 0.5 | I enjoyed the main character, but a lot of characters were introduced in a short span which made me confused heading to the end

-1 | Like I mentioned in a previous point it started well, but I felt the pace decline

+/-0.5 | The writing I enjoyed, but the ending wasn't as shocking as I'd hoped


Read on lovelies,
S

This is a short book in some ways, which does not waste any time in getting to the heart of the story. We are introduced to Abby ( our leading lady) as she runs, something we are to learn she does often.Abby is faced with an unfortunate situation which will upend her life. She has to make changes she never thought she would have to.

At her new job, she is a witness to a strange turn of events that puts her in the heart of all the crazy things that follow soon after. There are red herrings strewn in our path as we follow her on her daily routine while she tries to get the hang of her work life along with the deaths in town.The situation is igniting new xenophobia in their midst and a lot of sanity would be required to make peace once again.It was a decent read. It does to some extent, leave you guessing till the end. By making sure that the solution does not come easy, and other death-defying situations, the book does earn its position in the thriller/suspense category.

Abby Markstein is learning that when you run from troubles, the trouble follows you. After a disastrous ending of a relationship, she decides that moving across the country is just the thing. From big city Manhattan to a small university in Indiana ... what can go wrong?

Abby is settling in, getting to know a few people, teaching mathematics at the university. During her nightly run, she finds a car being consumed by fire. She can see the body inside the car, but there is nothing she can do except call the police. But it's the tattooed stranger standing a few feet away that scares the daylights out of her.

While the town buzzes about the death of one its well-known citizens, Abby runs into another problem. One of her students develops a crush on her ... which turns into stalking. And when she tells him bluntly that she is not in the market for a relationship, he goes a little crazy.

And then there's another brutal killing ... someone Abby has met. And then there's the woman driving Abby's car who is shot and killed.

Is she being targeted? Local law enforcement seems to be looking more at the Mexican drug ring that has settled in Indiana ... but is it?

Sam Reaves is a new author to me, so I wasn't sure what I'd be getting with this book. What I got was a fast read, violence, and a terrific who-dun-it with a fairly large cast of suspects. It's fast paced with realistic characters.

Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Abby needs a change of scenery. At least that's what her therapist suggests.

She's just completed her doctorate in mathematics and broken up with her unstable boyfriend, Evan. Evan hasn't taken it so well. After a late night run in Central Park, Abby returns to her Manhattan apartment to find Evan has taken his own life.

In attempt to escape from the guilt and trauma, Abby takes her therapist's advice to leave the big city. She accepts a job teaching at "The Hoosier Harvard," Tippecanoe College in Lewisburg, Indiana, home to a bunch of erudite professors, self-entitled students, biker gang townies, immigrant workers, and shady small-town property developers.

It's a big change for a native New Yorker but maybe that's just what Abby needs.

While out for a run in early hours, just outside of town, where she expects to be totally alone, a car speeds past her. A few minutes later, she catches up to the car, stopped in the road and engulfed in flames. With the driver still inside. Even worse than the sight of a man burning to death is a second man, standing at the edge of the road with no shirt on, smiling at her.

The only witness to a brutal murder, Abby learns all about small town life: self-important, journalists, real estate cheats, crooked lawyers, the Mexican drug cartel, and morally questionable teachers. Everyone has secrets and no one wants Abby too close to the truth.

Them there's a second murder and  Abby thinks the smiling man might be coming for her next.

A quick suspenseful read. Abby has left behind all she knows to move to Indiana, a decision she will come to regret. A New Yorker without a driver's license or any experience in a small town, she runs into a horrible situation with a dead man in a burning car. That's only the beginning of the creepiness. Who committed the murder and who is stalking Abby? Abby's the best fleshed out of the characters and she's also the most sympathetic. The others, while interesting, are familiar tropes (although I had a soft spot for Natalia.). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Small town, Indiana, college town. Wouldn't guess much crime happens in such a little burg. Wrong! Running across a burning car with a man burning inside is a big deal, a scary thing for Abby Markstein, newly hired math professor at Tippecanoe College in Lewisburg, Indiana. Abby seems to have a bad habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot.

There's lots of action and suspense in this well-plotted-out story. The author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing about what's going to happen next. I enjoyed reading this book.

Great book, it was exactly what I was looking for. Really enjoyable.