Buck Schatz was at one time a member of the Memphis detective squad he was also feared and respected. Now he is retired and taking care of his wife who at 72 is sick. Buck is just going about his days and not doing much except taking care of his wife which is the only thing he has going for himself. When a man he put away many years ago is out of options with the death penalty a story comes out that maybe his confession was coerced. It is now Buck who is on trial in the court of public opinion and if he does not fight all of his work previously will be called into question as well. I found this to be a very good book.

Despite not being a genre I'd usually read, it was a pretty decent story. And although I wouldn't seek out the other books in this series, I'd definitely recommend to readers who enjoy this type of work.

Carlos Watkins is producing an NPR program in which he explores the case of convicted murderer Chester March, who is on death row. Watkins interviews March, his attorney, and the detective who got March to confess to his crimes, Buck Schatz. Schatz is now retired for many years, frail and suffering from dementia. He wants no part of what he thinks is a campaign to release a serial killer and sully Schatz's name. But his grandson, an attorney, assists him in a dialogue of sorts with Watkins. During the course of the interviews with each of these individuals the story of the murders, the investigation and the conclusion are told in a riveting manner which had me spellbound. This was a fabulous and relevant read. I loved it and strongly recommend to anyone.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Daniel Friedman, and the publisher St. Martin's Press, for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St, Martins Press and NetGalley for this free copy in return for my honest review.
This is Book 3 of the Buck Schatz series and I am not sure if there will be a Book 4. I loved this book. Here we have 90-year old Buck being requested to give his side to a murder conviction. Why? Well, the person who was convicted has been on death row for 35 years and his time for execution is near. He reached out to an NPR reporter who has taken up his cause. We go back and forth between Buck in the present, he has early onset Alzheimers, Buck in his police detective career and the NPR reporter and that gentleman's show transcripts as well as interviews. It is a very interesting book on the death penalty, along with the question of death by lethal injection. Interestingly, the convicts appellate attorney no longer is filing appeals on the trial and conviction but rather whether death by injection is cruel and unusual punishment. A very fast read, well written book which got a bit preachy in the last few chapters that lowered it to only a 4****. I understand the author has a point of view but when the book gets to the final chapters I found it veered from what made this book readable. I do believe that this is a great book to use in a book club since all sides of the issue are on the table and that makes it a very good read. Just wish the last couple of chapters had not been as obviously preachy.

Running Out of Road is the third Buck Schatz mystery by Daniel Friedman. Released 24th March by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This was the first book in the series for me and I was blown away. Main character Buck is almost 90, irascible, plagued with physical problems and losing his mental acuity after nearly half a century of being a sharp, feared, pragmatic detective in the Memphis Police Dept. The writing is simply top notch; the characterizations are incredibly adept, the dialogue is so well written and rings true. The author is a gifted wordsmith. He manages to keep the technical aspects of the disparate time lines clearly delineated and easy to follow despite there being changes in scene, flashbacks to different occurrences over several decades and all of these are interwoven with a fictive NPR radio broadcast transcript. Technically, the writing is simply flawless. The author has such a sure hand with the narrative. I really felt for the characters (almost in spite of myself).

There is quite a lot of discussion of the ethics of the death penalty in the USA which is relevant to the plotline and which was simultaneously enlightening and sad. There are also some graphic descriptions of the actual execution process and physiological responses which might be distressing or traumatic for some readers.

Despite the heavy plot elements, there are genuinely funny and warmly humorous moments. I will absolutely seek out the other books in the series. The author is a fine writer.

Five stars. It's really that well written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A crime novel about a retired cop from Memphis becomes a novel with multiple major societal issues, hot buttons, and book club fodder.

Protagonist Baruch "Buck" Schatz has been diagnosed with dementia. He's almost 90. He uses a walker to get around and his wife of 72 years, Rose, has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Buck gets a call from Carlos Watkins, a reporter doing an NPR American Justice series regarding a major crime bust 35 years ago. The perp is beyond despicable and now on death row, his letters have finally garnered attention. Carlos wants to hear Buck's side of the story before Chester March is executed now also of advanced years.

It gets complex running a narrative unique in POV from Carlos' NPR transcripts to Buck in the current year of 2011, and reverting to the time when March first comes to Buck's attention--1955. Crime fighting was different then--he busted some heads.

The reader gets multiple sides of the story, notes and news documented and saved. Schatz was a decorated police detective. Tough, Jewish, driven, successful. March from privileged white landowners maintained the confession was beaten out of him by Schatz.

Character driven, each passionate about his side promoting their agenda in an eloquent argument. Issues of ageism, racism, and capital punishment.

The storyline progresses from intense to urgent as the full picture begins to converge. A hardboiled novel, no punches pulled, the one issue of age and declining health. There are graphic descriptions of March's crimes and profane language. My only quibble, the account pocked with repeated soap-box oratory.

I received this digital ebook from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book. It was written exceptionally well--brilliant even. The author's writing style is unique, infectious and it bites early and hard--impossible to put down. Book 3 in the series works fine as a standalone. 4.5/5 stars

"But somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, I can sometimes forget enough to still believe I am the man I was. In my mind, in those moments, I'm still Buck Schatz."
Buck Schatz is a former Memphis detective, retired for decades.
Almost ninety, physically frail and suffering the onset of dementia, his wife of seventy two years, Rose, has been diagnosed with cancer.
The once tough Jewish detective is contacted by Carlos Watkins, a producer for National Public Radio, about a past case of his.
After thirty five years being on death row, serial killer Chester March is given an execution date.
Largely convicted due to Buck's perseverance, he now maintains his confession was coerced.
Buck feels his character and standing are being maligned, threatening to tarnish his legacy.
This book brought out so many mixed emotions in me. Parts of it I really loved and others just depressed the hell out of me!
Extremely well written, a grim look at aging, illness and the death penalty.
By turns humorous, cantankerous and politically incorrect, Buck is not an easy character to like.
Though this is the third book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone.
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

How can a dementia-challenged curmudgeon tell such a great murder tale based in a Memphis steeped in mid-Century details that make every detail come alive? With poignancy and amazing accuracy, author Daniel Friedman writes RUNNING OUT OF ROAD as though readers are right there listening to Buck Schatz tell his tale. And when Buck isn’t speaking, we feel his confusion or deep regret as he wonders if his life was well-lived or even well-played. Don’t we all have that feeling lately? This is a jackpot of a tale and a winner of a protagonist. Don’t let this book pass you by; it’s fast, compelling and infinitely good. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Former police detective Buck Schatz is 89 years old and he lives in a retirement facility with his 72-year-old wife, Rose. Meanwhile, after more than 35 years on death row serial killer Chester March has run out of appeals and his execution date has been set. He is the oldest condemned man in the country and an NPR producer has decided to create a series that focuses on the allegation that March’s confession was coerced by Buck. Now Buck, with the help of his grandson, is determined to protect his legacy and his reputation.

Buck is a grumpy, irreverent, and opinionate character who is easy to love and hate at the same time. Chester March, who attempts to play the victim of police brutality, is a psychopath with no redeeming qualities, although whether or not he is guilty of the crime he is convicted of is a decision left up to the reader. The story moves back and forth from the present story in 2011 to the 60’s and 70’s, when Buck, the only Jewish detective on the Memphis police force, tries to build a case against March.

I have enjoyed all of Daniel Friedman’s previous novels and Running Out of Road is no exception. This novel deals with the complexities of the death penalty, aging, dementia, PTSD, and illness. The author has produced a well-written book with memorable characters. The story is thought-provoking, at times entertaining, heartbreaking, and definitely note-worthy. I highly recommend Running Out of Road as well as Mr Friedman’s previous novels featuring Buck Schatz.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Chester March is finally, after 35 years on death row, about to be executed and Carlos Watkins is making a podcast about him. His effort opens up a can of worms for Buck Schatz, who twice arrested March for murder and who is convinced he committed other crimes for which he has not paid. Schatz is 90, tottering, and trying hard to cope with the news that Rose, his wife, has lymphoma. Does he have dementia or is his issue more psychological? There are some wonderful meditations on being 90 here (will make you look at elders differently). Did Buck coerce confessions and is March about to be unfairly executed? You'll watch the story turn as it goes on but what doesn't change is Watkins' view, as well as that of March's attorney, that capital punishment, no matter for whom, is wrong. Friedman has taken care to lay out a lot of information about the theory and practice of capital punishment; what you read may or may not change your mind (even Carlos, who takes a whoppingly political viewpoint near at the end, admits that). I don't know how I've missed this series and thus very much thank the publisher for the ARC. This blends history, crimes, sociology, and so on into a novel that is not at all what I thought it would be when I started it. It's an excellent read.

This is one of the more unique series I read. Long-retired Memphis police detective Baruch "Buck" Schatz is nearing the end. He's 90, has to use a walker to get around, lives in a care facility, and is sliding into dementia. His attitude matches his situation -- not great.

His wife Rose's cancer diagnosis pushes him further into oblivion as he keeps "forgetting" that she has a terminal diagnosis.

Buck is a meaty character. A Jewish WWII veteran, he's as tough as they come. There's little he hasn't seen, and he's a hard man. He was passed over for promotions at the Memphis PD for years due to prejudice but he eventually outlasted his detractors, rose through the ranks and had a reputation for being obsessive about bringing in murderers, no matter what it took. And it often took physical violence on Buck's part, something he feels not one shred of guilt about.

Buck finally, after trying for 20 years, put a man named Chester March on Death Row in the mid 1970's. After decades of appeals and legal maneuvering, March's execution date is nearing. The book is split into chapters of interviews of March by a public radio journalist who reports on miscarriages of justice and Buck's narrative, and also comments from an anti-death-penalty attorney working at the last minute.

So there is a thread of Buck's hard-edged view of life, fairness and justice with a bit of softening by his exchanges with Rose. There are the anti capital punishment advocates and their arguments, intelligently presented. There are the interviews with the alleged murderer -- he is a difficult and unsympathetic character. All these strands are expertly braided together in a very compelling narrative. The ending is a bit jarring for several reasons, but I'm assuming that was the intention of the author. A provocative page turner. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Retired Memphis police detective Buck Schatz has always prided himself on his record for catching criminals. Having come up through the department as a Jew in the 1950's, 60', and 70's, Schatz regularly faced the racism and xenophobia of his white coworkers, regularly had suspects cut loose by a white DA unwilling to prosecute them because Buck's cases rested on the testimony of a black or a prostitute. He took pride in his policework, and his biggest accomplishment was arresting and charging Chester March with the deaths of at least three women. For over thirty years Buck waited to see the smug SOB get the lethal injection.
But when American Justice calls Buck out of the blue and wants to speak to him about Chester March, Buck is immediately on the defensive. Nearing ninety years old, and decades removed from the police force, Buck is not the same man he was when he put Chester away. Dementia has begun to set in, and his wife is dying. Buck's grandson, Tequila, is preparing for the bar exam and advises Buck not speak with the program. Never one to listen to anyone else, Buck agrees with his grandson.
As the weeks go on, and Chester's date with the executioner draws near, American Justice follows Chester's latest lawyer as he tries to get a stay of execution.
Flashing between 2011 (Buck's perspective and the American Justice transcript) and Buck's perspective in the 60's and 70's as he tries to catch Chester, the readers are sucked into a story of horror and anger and police brutality. Is Chester guilty of the murders of three women? Probably. Should his confession be thrown out and he be granted a stay of execution for Buck's behavior as a cop? I guess that's up to you to decide.
While I haven't read Friedman's other Buck Schatz books, I really enjoyed Running Out of Road. Buck is the kind of cop that everyone wants looking out for them, but nobody wants to be in his crosshairs. He's the rough-and-tumble, nitty-gritty detective that got his guy, that closed his cases, and who forgot the names of most of the men he put away. Buck had to fight for his chance, and he had to prove every single day that he deserved to be a detective.
Chester March on the other hand, is written to be easily disliked. Friedman made a point of not so subtly highlighting March's psychopathic behavior in almost every interaction set in the past. He paints a pretty picture of being brutalized and framed by Detective Schatz, and does a good job dehumanizing his victims in the American Justice transcripts. It's easy to see why jurors fall for acts like his when sitting in trials, or why society has developed a fascination with serial killers. They're charming and good at making you feel like they're really the victims.
I look forward to reading more of Friedman's work, and hope to find copies of the other Buck Schatz books.

Really enjoyed well written Buck the ninety year old lead character a former detective is a character to enjoy,He’s grumpy snarky with a lot of sides .We go back and forth in time a cast of characters that kept me turning the pages .Will be following this author.#netgalley#st.martinsbooks

Buck Schatz is back and still the same old cantankerous chain smoker. Hes using his dementia to avoid discussing things hed rather avoid but when one of his old cases comes up on death row, he gets pulled back into it by a podcast reporter with an agenda.

We get to see Buck as a young detective working the case over 20 years as the past is dug up and discussed in the court of public opinion.

I love this series and this book continued to deliver a very entertaining read. It also has some great discussions on the nature of violence and the ethics of the death penalty which were both thought provoking and enjoyable.

Buck hasnt died yet so I am looking forward to more of this series in the future!

Interesting story, very intense, swings back and forth in time and addresses many issues, both in personal life and in society. Not a lot of likable characters but they do keep your attention.

Baruch 'Buck' Schatz is almost 90 years old and has been retired from the Memphis police department for decades. He uses a walker and is dealing with serious cognitive decline. Out of the blue, Buck gets a call from Carlos Watkins, an NPR radio commentator, who wants to interview him about Chester March, one of Buck's old cases who is now awaiting execution on death row.

The chapters alternate between Buck's life, past and present, and Carlos's opinion pieces on the death penalty. Carlos manages to interview Chester March, a convicted serial killer, who maintains his innocence. Carlos's opinions challenge Buck's manner of operation in the past, alleging brutality, and questioning the validity of the death sentence altogether.

Buck is also dealing with his wife's recent diagnosis of cancer and he can't seem to face it. Is his cognitive decline Alzheimer's or is it more psychological in nature?

I love the political incorrectness of this book. The reader is privy to Buck's life as the only Jewish detective on the Memphis force, his unique sense of justice, and all that he would put on the line to catch a perpetrator. Sometimes the book had me laughing out loud and at other times I really had to stop and think. My only criticism is that I wish Buck had more center stage and Carlos and Chester had less to say. I heartily recommend this novel.

Wow. My first novel by this author but won’t be my last. Full of the shades of grey of life, this would make a fabulous book club read. A real page turner with jumping off points that would make great discussions including rule of law; racism in America; the criminal justice system; family dynamics; PTSD; aging; and illness.

Oh the joys of a grumpy protagonist! Daniel Friedman's Buck is a delight--always unpredictably irascible. In a suspense world of flawed but earnest heroes, he is a treat.

Thanks to Daniel Friedman, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. In Running Out of Road, elderly retired Memphis detective Buck Schatz must come to terms with his own mortality, his wife’s serious illness, and the pending execution of a man he put on death row decades ago.

I really enjoyed this novel, in part because Buck Schatz’s character is so irreverent and so cranky, but yet touching at the same time. The contrast between the earlier scenes with him as a young detective and those in the present, where he is physically and mentally frail, are poignant and sometimes heartbreaking. Friedman also does a good job here showing both sides of the death penalty debate, while at the same time telling an engaging story.

This is the first novel I’d read by Daniel Friedman, but it won’t be the last! I enjoyed this book so much that I’m planning to go back and read the earlier Buck Schatz books. So glad I discovered this series!

Although this is the third book in the series, it worked as a standalone story without any backstory gaps that some serial stories have. Running Out of Road focuses on our "hero" Buck Schatz, retired detective and general grumpy old man (except he's been grumpy for most of his life as far as I can tell). Not one to mince words and definitely one to push your buttons if he doesn't like you, Buck shouldn't be a charming character, but something about his in your face, be who I'm going to be personality does make him somewhat endearing. His wife must have put up with a lot over the years and we learn early in the story that his memory loss is causing her great anxiety and sorrow. The other story within this story is the impending execution of a man, Chester March, that Buck put on death row decades ago. March has run out of appeals and is scheduled to die unless NPR producer/journalist Carlos Watkins and the prisoner's attorney Ed Heffernan can appeal to the governor and/or make the argument to end death by lethal injection in order to stay the execution. Heffernan argues for this decision on the grounds that the death penalty is flawed, cruel and wrongly practiced by non-medical professionals.

What makes this story interesting is watching the back and forth between present and past, learning about Buck in these earlier years as a detective and his unending dedication to capture and convict March while the reader is making up their own mind about who is right, who is wrong and what is right with regard to executions in general. The story teaches us about the process without being overtly a lecture and without coming down officially on one side or the other. The subject matter is truly serious, but Buck's irreverence and curmudgeon personality keeps it from being maudlin. I have not read this author before, but intend to read the other stories in the series.