Member Reviews

This book started out so strong! Laura and Oliva are on the way to a college party in the middle-of-nowhere when they realize they are being tailed. Things that can seemingly happen in real life always creep me out the most. Who is following them and why? What should they do? Literally a worse-nightmare situation that we've all seen on a SVU episode or two. So far, so good, so creepy!

But, that's kind of where the characters start making some pretty, dang questionable decisions. Which okay, they are scared-college students, so I get it. But, as the story unfolds, the plot just seems more and more...fiction. And that ending... eek. I'll call it television believable and leave it at that.

This is told from Olivia's perspective which I think works well to really put you in the driver seat of all the action. I really liked having access to her thoughts as she worked out what to do next. Unfortunately, I think that also made the story a bit repetitive. Even though the book was fairly short, I found myself struggling to get through it at times. It seemed like at what should have been the height of the book (finding out the antagonist and motive), I was pulling away the most. The motive read a little shock-value and far-fetched; it just really for me. I've seen so many positive reviews though, so I think I am the outlier here!

Thank you to @netgalley and Dynamite Books, LLC for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Wow! From the very first page this book was a thrill ride. No stop action & suspense plus tough, smart women. I stayed up late to finish this book because I just couldn’t put it down.

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Thank you to Noelle W. Ihli, Publisher Dynamite Books, and as always, NetGalley, for the gifted advanced digital copy to read of RUN ON RED.

Holy human waste this is one scary thriller.

Laura and Olivia are headed to a party. They're wearing sequins, spaghetti straps, and heels. They're heading out into the middle of nowhere in the hills. They're driving an old, beat-up Volvo that doesn't belong to them. They aren't prepared when a giant truck with Halloween-masked occupants shows up and begins shoving their car about the road like it was a toy. But this is only the least of their problems, because Olivia thinks the masked men know who they are, but she can't identify them. She can't place their intent. And these details become more and more pressing as it becomes more and more likely that she and Laura will have to confront them in order to survive.

This story's characters, black, white, and gray, drive this story. While I'm not always a fan of that, it works really well here because of how adaptive each of them are to changes in the story around them. They're interesting under pressure, all of them, so I never knew what was going to happen next. I can say it was never what I expected or even what I was screaming at my Kindle. They always did "go in there."

My biggest complaint is that the title and blurb are both misleading. Though I was completely surprised and somewhat puzzled about this, it didn't affect my enjoyment. But I do wonder if Ilhi is losing readers by not appealing to the right readers!

I loved this story, all the twists and turns. I loved the characters who seem predictable or fated, but straight up high jack the storyline. This was a good, solid thriller.

Rating: 🚗🚗🚗🚗.5 / 5 beat-up Volvos
Recommend? Indeed!!
Finished: December 2022
Read this if you like:
🔪 Thrillers
🔍 Mysteries
⛰️ Survival stories
😱 Terrorizing and phobias
🛣 high speed chase

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This I legit finished in one night. Could not put it down.
Definitely and intense thriller that is out there but very good. Kept me wondering what was going to happen and if the girls would survive and also what their kidnappers were ultimately trying to accomplish and why.

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Thank you so much for the publisher for allowing me to read this book, I thought it was really good! I am excited when this comes out and I can add this to my collection.

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Wow! What an intense story! I’d describe this as a survival horror novel. Very suspenseful and engaging read!

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Talk about heart pounding!! This book has me feeling like I was watching a scary movie and yelling at the characters to turn around! But the two women were strong and their perseverance as they are being chased by two deranged men is impressive. It all takes place over the course of one night and there really is no good spot to put the book down. So if you pick it up, plan on finishing in one sitting!

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I haven’t had this much anxiety since college. These women are braver than the troops.

The build-up of anticipation at the beginning genuinely made my heart beat faster and put me on edge. It slowed down a bit but that didn't stop it from being intimidating. The plot twist at the end wasn't too much of a twist for me, but it still felt like a weight left my shoulders when it happened.

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Thank you to Netgalley, Dynamite Books, and the author for an ARC of this book.

This was one anxiety-producing thrill ride! If you're looking for a page-turner and a quick read, you've found it with this title. This story follows two unsuspecting college women who are going to a party one night when the unthinkable happens: they're followed then ambushed by two mask-wearing men who have nothing but nefarious plans.

What I found most compelling was the sense of claustrophobia and fear that the narrative creates. I felt downright nervous reading this, but also couldn't stop turning the pages. It's a short book, but that's probably good because it would be hard to sustain this level of anxiety for too long. In fact, I'd say the first half is the most engaging, especially since you don't know WHY these girls have been targeted and you're hoping to find out if this was random or . . . not. Also, totally by happenstance, on the day I started reading this, I saw a headline pop out from my newsfeed that a woman who called 911 three years ago from the woods saying she was being chased had been found--or, her body had. A terrible story and very close to what feels like is happening through the first half of this book when the women are trying to evade their predators in a remote canyon area. This book reminds you of what victims of violent crime might endure during their terrible ordeals.

One thing that did puzzle me was, though, was the setting of 2006. I'm not sure why this time period was chosen. I thought maybe because this was before smart phones were in regular use (the iPhone wasn't even out yet in 2006) and that the lack of technology would contribute to the storyline. However, the women regularly try to call AND text; I'm pretty sure there was even a description of a text waiting to go through . . . however, I'm pretty sure we didn't text that regularly back then and, if we did text, it was on a clunky Blackberry or even done by using the number keys on a flip phone. So . . . not sure what I missed, but it FELT like a story from today though set in 2006.

Anyway, overall a very fast-paced, addicting read. If that's what you're in the mood for, this is worth picking up.

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This was my first book by this author will not be my last! Definitely a great weekend read. Without giving away and the character development and the suspense in the plot kept me want to read more. It give a survival sense of thrill without the gore of horror.

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This was a fast paced thriller that started off immediately sucking you into the story. You didn’t need a ton of background on the characters or plot because it’s so action packed it moves super fast. I could not put it down. Read it in two days!

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This was an absolutely gripping read from the get go. The story unfolds at a rapid pace starting with Laura and Olivia being run off the road on their way to a college bonfire party. Terrorised by two men in masks they are soon fighting for their lives in the dark to avoid capture.

I thought this was a fantastic read that pulled me in instantly and kept its claws in me through every page. I felt immersed in the action and the dread was very real.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author and this one is sure to be a hit!

Thanks to Netgally, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read Run on Red.

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This book was amazing! It was the most thrilling ride I've read all year. The plot was very unique and kept me on the edge of my seat! This book is a must for all thriller readers. I will be keeping up with this author in the future.

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This was my first book by this author. From the very first page I was sucked into this action packed, suspense filled story. Laura and Olivia plan to head to a college bonfire party. They are both excited to dance and have fun. When they first notice headlights behind them they assume its another party goer. It doesn't take long for them to realize they are in for the run of their life. This heart pounding thriller doesn't stop until the very last page. In parts the book was predictable, but I was never quite sure and had to keep reading. As I was reading I felt like I was in that Volvo with them experiencing the fear, and the will to survive. I'll definitely be looking for more of this author's work. If you like spellbinding, action filled thrillers: this book is a must read. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

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A fast-paced thriller, and the first book I've read from this author. At first I thought it would be "all action, no substance or plot" but I was delightfully surprised! I am definitely going to read more from this author!

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I love this intense, climactic thriller. I was incredibly invested in the characters and plot. Readers are going to love this incredible novel.

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Run On Red is a jam packed action/thriller book! The writing is exceptional and paints quite a vivid picture of the scary scenarios.

Laura and her best friend, Olivia (Liv), are off to a bonfire party out in the boonies one night. Liv is apprehensive and really didn’t want to go, but eventually she gives in. Now they are decked out in skimpy party clothes surely to impress everyone. Being cold and miserable all night in a short dress and prissy shoes is worth it to be cute. As things unfold the clothes and especially the shoes were all wrong.

As they driving into the hills towards the party, they notice a large truck tailgating, then he starts tapping their bumper and now he’s trying to run them off the road, where there is no shoulder and the bank gies straight down at a steep angle. Are the girls victims of simple road rage and is it a random attack?

They never make it to the bonfire and find themselves hostages in a remote cabin where Tony and Kyle plan to “have fun “ with the girls. Laura and Liv are in a fight for survival with the odds stacked against them.


(Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours, Noelle W. Ihli, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

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Thrilling story from beginning to end. Girlfriends Laura and Olivia are heading to a bonfire party. But on the way, they are being followed. Things go from bad to worse as the evening progresses with kidnapping and escaping and captured again. I could feel for the girls in this horrible situation. This was a difficult book to put down, as I wanted to keep following the girls and find out what was going to happen next.

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This was one jam packed action/thriller/horror book! I started it and it was almost like I could see it on a big screen (that development wouldn’t surprise me at all; this would make a great movie). The writing was exceptional and very vivid, and the premise made for a relatively original horror/thriller.

Laura and her best friend, Olivia (Liv), are off to a bonfire party one night. Liv, always a worrier, didn’t want to go, but eventually she gave in. She knew she’d be cold and miserable all night in her short dress and cute shoes, but she had no idea how accurate that premonition would end up being!

As they driving into the hills towards the party, a truck starts tailgating, then starts tapping their bumper, then starts trying to run them off the road. The synopsis will lead you to believe that this is a road rage incident, but here’s the-most-minor-spoiler-because-it-is-the-whole-book … this isn’t simple road rage, and it isn’t a random attack.

I just read another book about fraternities/sororities and hazing, so it was interesting to get another one that dips into Greek life. This isn’t about hazing though - all I’ll say is you’ll need to read it to find out how it connects with our party-going main characters.

This was 100% a page turner, and it was quite fresh. This quick read didn’t quite reach five-star status for me, but I still highly recommend it as a fast and suspenseful story. It does have some graphic violence, but other than that, don’t worry about the “horror” label if that’s not your usual genre - if you’re a gritty thriller or suspense lover, you’ll like it too!

(Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours, Noelle W. Ihli, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

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This was a crazy & phenomenonal book! It even had me holding my breath & nervous to turn the pages at times. It felt like watching a movie, and then wanting to cover your eyes and turn away from the movie cause it is so intense and scary but in a GOOD way! Loved it!

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