What a way to pop my Harlan Coben cherry! Simon and Ingrid Greene are a professional, successful couple. They live in uptown New York, are wealthy, and have a loving family. Except for their daughter, Paige, who ran away months before. One day, whilst sat in Central Park, Simon is drawn to a young woman, busking a few metres away. Simon is stunned to recognise the woman as his daughter, emaciated and clearly hooked on drugs. Simon approaches her, but it becomes very clear very quickly, that Paige did not want to be found. What follows is full of tension, intrigue and plenty of 'edge of the seat' moments. A great read.

I have never read Harlan Coben before and realise now what a big mistake I had made. He is a great author that has written a really gripping story. Housework and all the other banal jobs went out of the window as I just had to sit and read. I will now read more by this fantastic author.

Harlan Coben is one of those authors who slipped off my radar for a couple of years but I’ve been trying to correct that mistake the last few weeks by reading “The Stranger” (soon to be a Netflix series), by watching “Safe” (currently on Netflix and it’s brilliant!), by buying some of his older books and by getting my hands on his latest release, Run Away. (sprayed edges! 😍)

Simon’s eldest daughter is a drug addict and has gone missing. Until one day, Simon spots her busking in Central Park. When he approaches her and begs her to come home, she runs off. Simon’s daughter is nothing like he remembered her. Drugs have wreaked havoc on her body and she’s quite obviously in trouble so what’s a parent to do? Simon will not rest until his daughter is safe but he soon finds himself in a dark and dangerous world. And that’s all I’m saying because it’s really all you need to know and also, I can’t possibly begin to explain.

It’s safe to say this story went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. Alongside the thread that follows Simon, there’s another one whose purpose I couldn’t figure out at all. When the pieces of the puzzle finally started to fit, I was in awe of how masterfully this entire plot came together.

Run Away grabbed me by the throat so fiercely from the very first chapter that I was immediately kicking myself for losing track of Harlan Coben’s work. I’m hard pressed to think of any other author out there who writes this kind of suspenseful thriller, taking a realistic scenario and then completely turning it onto its head. Simon is just your regular parent, not some kind of action hero and I’m sure anyone with children can relate to his situation. Is there anything he could have done differently? Is he to blame for the downward spiral his daughter has found herself in? Is there ever a time when you completely give up on them?

There’s something quite cinematic about the way Harlan Coben writes, in that way that you can see scenes play out right in front of your eyes as if you’re watching them on a screen, and if that doesn’t make for an incredibly immersive reading experience, I don’t know what will. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if this too finds its way onto Netflix some time soon.

Run Away is full of twists and turns, lies and deceit and few things or characters are what they seem. This well paced and cleverly plotted story makes for one addictive page-turner. There is just no way to stop reading once you’ve started. Let that be a warning to you! Above all, it has put Harlan Coben firmly back onto my radar and I will not lose sight of him again.

Run Away by Harlan Coben.......What a cracking read this was once I started to read Run Away it was very hard to put down. It takes you on a roller coaster journey with plenty of suspense with twists and turns throughout.
I just loved this book

I have never read any of this authors books .....Where have you been? I found this gripping throughout and looking forward to read more from him.

I highly recommend this book. 5 stars

Big Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK Cornerstone, and Harlan Coben for the e-ARC.

I loved this book and could barely put it down. There's a real pressing sense of urgency that makes you want to keep reading. A real return to form for Harlan for me as I didn't enjoy his last couple of books as much as usual. One thing though, can we have a Myron soon please? Pretty please?

This is the third book by Harlem Coben that I’ve read and it was as good as the rest. I couldn’t put it down. A wealthy business man is on the hunt for his daughter who has got addicted to drugs and run away. In his quest to find her he gets caught up in all sorts of situations and his life is at stake. Some of the storylines were laboured and a bit far fetched, but if you take it as a work of fiction then it’s a good, fast paced thriller

This was the first Harlan Coben book I have read and having seen good reviews of this author, I was keen to try one for myself. The story, seen from a father’s perspective concerns his drug addict daughter and his journey to try and save her from the clutches of her controlling boyfriend. Although, I can understand the desperation of a parent of an addict I felt their naive way of dealing with the situation a bit extreme. Without any spoilers I found the whole thing rather far fetched with the story becoming increasingly unbelievable. Everything was revealed in the end but I struggled to believe the entire explanation.

Harlan Coben never disappoints and this book is a cracking good thriller. Basically, a man is trying to find his daughter, a drug addict. Throw in a hit man, religious cult and some great characters, you have the perfect thriller to keep you engrossed. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

What can I say, Harlan Coben at his best. A happy, wealthy New York family seem to have a perfect life, but they have a daughter who has become a drug addict and they have failed to reach out to her. Then she is spotted busking in Central Park which leads her father on a chase he couldn't have imagined to try to save her. There are so many twists in this story that it kept me guessing right up to the end, brilliant!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC of this book.

I love Harlan Coben books and always look forward to a new one. They are always a quick entertaining read with thought-provoking family quandaries.

This one is one of Coben’s stand alone books, although it does feature a couple of recurring characters from his other books just as a wink to his regular readers. It was, as expected, an easy, enjoyable read, but I didn’t find it one of the best examples of his work. I was more than half way through the book when I realised I was still waiting for that intriguing hook that most of his books have to make you interested.

I think I have probably just read too many of Coben’s books now, so the themes are very familiar and they are not as surprising or fresh as they were when I started reading his books. I still enjoy his voice and find the books a good read but they just lack the fizz and surprise elements they used to have for me and are beginning to feel quite formulaic.

I think the unique hook for this book was supposed to be figuring out the connection between the murder of several men who have all recently used a DNA service, but this never quite sparked my interest as a mystery. There’s also the question of what has happened to the lead character’s junkie daughter, but I didn’t care much for this mystery either and it is resolved by exposition at the end of the book and not really through the main action of the book.

Still, I would wholeheartedly recommend Harlan Coben’s books to anyone, especially people who are new to his work, they have a real treat in store. I wish I could discover him for the first time again.

You have lost your daughter. She is addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. You haven’t seen her in six months. Then you find her busking in New York’s Central Park.
But she is not the girl you remember. This woman is frail, filthy, terrified, and in more trouble than you ever imagined. You do not stop to think. You approach her. You beg her to come home. She runs. You follow. What choice do you have? As you descend into the dark, dangerous world she has lost herself in, you quickly find yourself out of your depths. Down here, no-one is safe – and now both of you might never make it out alive.

A new book from Coben is always a welcome read and I loved reading this new offering. Essentially 'Run Away' is a family drama/ thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Greene family. When we first meet them it is clear there are some interesting family dynamics and Coben certainly reveals some intriguing relationships and family history.

First and foremost though, and something I always adore Coben for, they are a likeable, human family who I could relate to. I liked them, I felt their pain and I was rooting for them throughout their investigations. Coben has a special skill for creating endearing characters and these are no different.

Then of course, we have Coben's trademark humour. The blend of intense drama and sarcastic humour works perfectly to create a recognisable Coben read and one that is thoroughly entertaining. I have to quickly mention that it is great to have the references to Coben's previous loved characters as well. This is always something I look out for and it is a real treat for Coben's regular readers.

'Run Away' is a thrilling, dramatic read centred around a family you will love. This has all the trademarks of a Coben read whilst still feeling refreshing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

I have read Harlan Coben before and whilst some of his books are just perfect to me others are just so-so and Run Away falls into the latter camp.
There are lots of things to like especially if you enjoy plenty of twists and turns in a story but it seemed to me that the whole problems for the characters came from failing to communicate. That and the very unlikely behaviour of Simon the main character.
I will read more Coben books and hope for better.

Another great read from Coben, can never tell which way a book of his is gonna end, the story keeps you on your toes, which is what you want from a book like this. Not going to give away the plot, I’ll just say if your a fan of his, this won’t disappoint

This is a great book! The story starts with a couple, Simon and Ingrid, looking for their daughter who has dropped out of college and is spiralling out of control on drugs. However, it turns into a story about a secret cult and a genetic DNA link which in the end explains the bizarre killings that connect all the characters. Well worth a read.

Thrilling, gritty and the characters stay with you. Not a comfottable read in some places but certainly up to the mark and keeps your attention glued to every page.

Well, I can't say I'm surprised by how damn engaging and utterly gripping this book is given it's written by one of the masters of suspense, but I am continually blindsided by the superbly crafted plots, intelligent twisty narratives and characters that are relatable and have depth. This isn't my favourite of Coben's thrillers, however, it is still more accomplished and entertaining than many other novels of the genre, and its quite clearly immaculately thought out and designed to grab the reader in its vice-like grip refusing to let go. It demanded to be read in a single nail-biting sitting; now all I have to do is wait in intense anticipation for the next one.

Coben knows how to get your attention immediately and is adept at providing subtle enough clues to keep you guessing as twists come at you left, right and centre. The suspect is kept hidden until the very end and everything is neatly tied up in the last few pages. I am also appreciative of the dry humour throughout as it works well against the criminal backdrop. This is an action-packed, heart-in-your-mouth type of read. Run Away will both gain Coben new admirers and cement his place in the minds of crime buffs and long-term fans worldwide.

Many thanks to Century for an ARC.

Simon and Ingrid Greene live in a nice neighbourhood in Manhattan with Paige, Sam and Anya. The eldest, Paige, drops out of college and becomes a drug addict after meeting Aaron who is 11 years older. She’s now disappeared and Simon is desperate to find her so goes to some pretty extreme measures to track her down. He doesn’t tell Ingrid as she thinks they have done enough to help Paige and that she can no longer be helped.

Simon gets into more and more desperate situations as his search brings him into contact with drug dealers and squalid properties.

A separate plot of two young people, Ash and Dee Dee, is running who are paid to kill people who seem to have no connection with one another. These threads finally start to come together towards the end.

The book kept me enthralled in that I wanted to know what happened to Paige but I found it quite violent at times and there were lots of descriptions of women that seemed superfluous to the plot. Good and bad but always a little excessive.

I didn’t guess the twists and the final one was good but a little rushed. The ending was also a little convenient with someone just happening to be in a particular place with no real explanation of why that was. .

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Harlan Coben clearly loves to write about solid, middle class, comfortable American families and then make something pretty dreadful happen to them. It feels all the more terrible because his families have everything that should make them safe and comfortable, but once Coben gets his hands on them, secrets start to leech out; violence edges ever closer, and a family with no need to be resilient finds itself reaching down to its primal roots to find out what its really made of.

And so it is with Run Away, Coben’s latest book, published in the UK today.
Simon Greene works as a financial advisor on Wall Street and his wife Ingrid is a pediatrician in NYC. They have three children,
Sam, Anya and Paige. They have eschewed the move to Conneticut, preferring to live in the cool that is NYC with all its access to art and culture.

Their eldest daughter Paige used to be a model student, serious, academic but enjoying life. Now she is a junkie, living with Aaron, her dealer who is clearly abusive.

Simon is in Strawberry Fields one day when he spots Paige busking, but when he approaches her to beg her to come home, his world starts to crumble and it is not long before the family are sucked into the seedy underbelly of NYC’s drug world.

Another hallmark of Coben’s stand-alone writing is the way he loves to play six degrees of separation with his plots. So as we are introduced to two, seemingly unconnected hard boiled assassins and we watch them follow a trail of brutal murder, we are already wondering how this pair will inter-connect with our middle class New Yorkers and their fragile daughter.

This is, of course, where Coben works his magic. He gives us characters we identify and empathise with. Then he pulls their lives apart so that we can see what they are really made of. And once we know what’s going on, he throws us several curve balls so that what we thought we knew, is not really what we knew at all.


Coben’s story is well plotted, his language sharp, and his characters well drawn. His writing is as smooth as whipped butter and his misdirection is beautifully judged. Just as we grasp the plot, we find that Coben has deftly pulled the rug out from under our feet and left us gasping as we finally understand the whole picture.

Verdict: As ever, an entertaining, surprising tale with more twists than a pretzel.

What can I say but Wow, I haven't read a Harlen Coben book in a while and I am now wondering why? This was such a good book. Simon and Ingrid have 3 children but Paige takes a wrong turning somewhere and ends up estranged from the family and taking drugs. Simon gets a tip that she has been seen so he goes to see if it is her busking in the park and that starts a catalogue of bad decisions by both Simon and Ingrid. When Paige's boyfriend is found dead Simon is accused of murder but with no evidence it can't be proved. In the meantime Paige has fled and he is determined to find her. I found myself not wanting to put i down until I realised I did have to eat and go to work. He ekes out the clues throughout the book and you never get bored with the plot, When I got to the end I thought 'I have got this ' but (wham) it was much more than I thought.
I would recommend this book to everybody.
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the book

I'm a huge fan of Harlan Coben, especially his stand-alone novels, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of Run Away.

Simon Greene and his wife Ingrid seem to have the perfect life - until their eldest daughter becomes addicted to drugs and under the control of her abusive boyfriend. When she disappears, following a suspicious death, Simon has a race against time to track her down. This is one of those books where the less you know, the more you will enjoy it, so I'll stop there! Harlan Coben excels at the kind of story where it takes time for the reader to work out what is going on; I don't want to spoil it for you!

Run Away has a slightly different hero to the author's more recent books (more subdued, less wisecracks), mainly because Simon has had to face the nightmare every parent dreads: that his beloved child is in trouble and won't let him help. The story races along, with Simon venturing further into a dangerous and thoroughly seedy world he barely knew existed, making some unlikely allies along the way. And there are some excellent twists, which I only guessed because I have an interest in the subject.

My favourite characters were the very ruthless Ash and Dee Dee, who reminded me of Pumpkin and Honey Bunny from Pulp Fiction, and Simon's smart-talking lawyer, Hester. And I loved that Nap from the author's earlier novel, Don't Let Go, also made a brief appearance.

I loved Run Away and I'm sure Harlan Coben's regular readers will too. It should also appeal to fans of authors such as Lee Child and Linwood Barclay, and anyone who enjoys a cracking good thriller with emotionally engaging characters and jaw-dropping twists.


Thank you to Harlan Coben and Cornerstone (Random House UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.