Nick Petrie continues to show why he's one of the best authors around. This was a terrifying and gripping story. Can't wait to see what he does next.

Peter Ash is back in a big way! Nick Petrie delivers another brilliant character-driven novel in The Runaway, a modern tale of genuine altruism vs. unadulterated malevolence violently battling for the soul of a young woman on the brink. This excellent thriller sucks you in early and never lets up, continuing one of the best and most underrated series in the thriller genre today.

Peter Ash is driving his old green 1968 Chevy pickup from Oregon to Wisconsin when he comes across a damsel in distress on a gravel road in the middle of Nebraska. Being the kind of guy he is, Peter doesn’t hesitate to offer a ride to the young pregnant woman. However, he learns the situation is more complex than just a broken-down vehicle and quickly finds himself trapped between two cars of armed men with his only means of escape diving off a bluff and into the ice-cold river below. After the harrowing escape, Peter can’t just go on his merry way. Drawn to danger like a moth to a flame, Peter continuously – and willingly, almost gleefully – puts himself in harm's way to rescue the woman from the clutches of a brilliantly evil man. Even with help from June and Lewis, it’s a fight Peter might not survive but one his moral compass and propensity for violence will not let him shy away from.

The Runaway is bursting with all the things that fans love about Nick Petrie’s books. First, Peter Ash is once again driven to do the right thing, attempting to save someone stuck in a threatening circumstance while simultaneously engaging in perilous conflict with a cunning foe just to feel alive. Next, the antagonist is one bad hombre with genius tendencies that allow him to outsmart his opponent and set traps left and right, creating one difficult test after another for our hero to overcome. Then there’s June Cassidy and Lewis. While they don’t feature prominently in the entirety of the book, they arrive with no questions asked and a flourish of expletives to help Peter do what he needs to do. Which is why they are two of my favorite supporting characters of all time! Lastly, this novel is superbly written and an absolute joy to read due to pacing that continually ratchets up the intensity and puts every single character in the crosshairs. You can barely catch your breath, let alone put this book down.

Seven books into this special series, The Runaway confirms what we already knew: Nick Petrie is one of the best in the business at developing compelling characters and delivering exhilarating stories that resonate with readers. He’s got a gift with the pen and we’re all the lucky recipients. Long live Peter Ash, June Cassidy and Lewis. May they wreak havoc and save the day for many years to come.

Nick Petrie’s The Runaway is a slightly different approach to the Peter Ash series than expected. All the core elements that make the books so entertaining and engaging are in abundance, but this time the narrative is equally personal for Peter Ash as it is for the true star of this emotionally jarring story, Helene.

Helene is a nineteen year old living in an awfully deserted town with an abusive caretaker. Desperate to escape a terrible fate, she hitches a ride with a charismatic drifter. What she doesn’t know is that the drifter is no better than the torturous fate she thought she had escaped. Nick Petrie’s vividly immersive scenarios make you feel the gut-wrenching horror she faces at the prospect of being trapped in a vicious relationship against her will.

When she crosses paths with Peter Ash, she tries to escape the clutches of her abusive partner. Ash’s good natured tendency to fight bullies makes him her best hope to get to safety. Right off the bat, the situation seems dire for both Peter and Helene as their pursuers seem to be adept at combat tactics, pushing Ash to unleash his barely-contained inner wolf to match up to his unforgiving and brutal adversaries.

Full review with blurb on: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/the-runaway-by-nick-petrie

There’s no shortage of crisp fast-paced action sequences from cool car chases to bloody shootouts as Peter goes full-Rambo on his enemies by making the most out of any and all resources at his disposal. The beautifully descriptive backdrops to the action sequences make for breathtaking cinematic moments. However, the story actually belongs to Helene more than Peter. Her transformative journey, as disturbing as it is empowering, is done justice as Nick Petrie does a fantastic job of keeping her away from the stereotypical damsel-in-distress trope.

The Runaway is a powerful action-packed story that portrays the unflinchingly true nature of evil while balancing it with an inspirational embodiment of heroism that is more necessary today than ever. A real treat for all thriller fans.

Full review will be posted with blurb image on: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com

Since The Wild One 2020, Nick Petrie has kept the excellent Peter Ash series fresh by making each one different from the earlier books. Soon to be published, The Runaway has Peter Ash as a Knight in shabby armor trying to rescue a damsel in distress from a big time psycho criminal. The narrative switches chapters between hero and victim in this one, and if it didn't have to rely on Ash's exceptional survival skills this could easily be a standalone with a new character. More details will spoil your enjoyment and once you get started with The Runaway you'll want to chase it 'til the end.

Peter Ash stops to help a very pregnant young woman with apparent car trouble in the middle of nowhere and in no time at all finds himself under pursuit by multiple vehicles of hostile men armed with military grade weapons. He barely escapes with his life by jumping off a cliff into a river and later asks himself if it’s wrong to be having so much fun.

No reader could be faulted for wondering the same thing.

Author Nick Petrie really delivers nonstop action in this, the seventh in his Peter Ash series, THE RUNAWAY. This book works fine as a stand alone, prior books are not required reading. But why miss out on the enjoyment? This is an excellent series. By only complaint is that now I’ll need to wait for the next book to come out. Here’s hoping it’ll only be a year because I really enjoy this series. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.