Not a book i would recommend and not an author I would read again. Too many judgmental viewpoint that was the Author's not so subtle way to get her Christian views across while condemning others. Not my cup of tea.

If I Run is the first installment in new to me author Teri Blackstock's If I Run trilogy. The story follows two characters: Casey Cox and Dylan Roberts. The author actually alternatives narratives between the two, and it's in the first person format. Casey is a woman who is between a rock and a hart place. After discovering her best friend Brent Pace dead, she chooses to run, instead of facing the justice system. Dylan, an army veteran with PTSD, is hired by Brent's parents to track Casey down and bring her back to face justice.

What's pretty obvious to me is that Casey did the correct thing when she decided to run and not look back. Without going into spoiler-y territory, Casey's past plays a huge role in what happens in this book. Casey is far far stupid. In fact, she's quite smart at most of the things she does in this book. I say most, because Casey is the sort of person who doesn't like to turn a blind eye to injustices she sees even if her actions could come back to haunt her. After all, she's on the run. She is supposed to keep her head down while she tries to figure out a way to save herself.

Dylan is a man of faith. A man who suffers from PTSD. A man who has the position of having to track down Casey because Brent was his friend, and his family trusts Brent to do what's right. As Dylan starts sifting through the so called evidence, and the fact that the police are only really looking at Casey, things just don't add up. Dylan finds things about Casey's past that really, in a way, links them. They have both faced situations that left marks on their souls. Dylan becomes aware that Casey isn't the villain that most have set her up to be.

So, this is something new for me. It is a story that is heavily influenced in Christian Fiction. I was offered a copy of this story straight from the publisher, and choose to read it because I am all in favor of reading suspense and mystery novels. I am not one who who normally reads Christian Fiction, but I am not one who will shriek and run away from reading it either. I will say that if you like a good mystery, read the book.

Casey didn't kill her friend Brent, despite what the evidence says. Covered in his blood and with her DNA all over the crime scene, she has no choice but to run, knowing the police will never believe her version of events. Unable to find her on their own, the police allow a private investigator, recently returned soldier Dylan Roberts, to search for her. But even as she tries to avoid Dylan, Casey begins to realize she might have to trust him with the truth, and hope he won't turn her in anyway. I read this novel at breakneck speed, desperate to know what was going to happen next. Casey is a strong heroine, whose intelligence and drive help her survive and evade the police. Dylan is a tragic hero, battling severe PTSD and his newly found distrust of the people who've hired him. A few times the author slips in miniature sermons about how Casey needs to just trust in God and everything will work out for her, and these seem awkwardly placed, but they don't take away from the story as a whole.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
Good and easy read but the ending happened way too fast and left me with too many questions......

Horrified at discovering her friend Brent’s body in a pool of blood, Casey Cox goes on the run, changing her name and her appearance, heading from town to town in the hope of escaping the evil that has been directly behind her since her father Andy’s alleged suicide when Casey was 12. Meeting Miss Lucy on the bus leaving Durant, Oklahoma, provides Casey with some comfort and support, though Miss Lucy is suffering with her own family trauma.

Dylan Roberts is suffering with PTSD after several tours in Afghanistan, and is unable to find a job in his home town. Grieving his childhood friend, Brent, he agrees to Brent’s parents’ proposal that he search for Casey and bring her back to face justice for murdering their son. As Dylan’s investigation continues, he is surprised that Casey seems like a good person, not unstable or threatening in any way, and when he is sent a copy of Brent’s investigation regarding Andy’s death, he wonders what the truth is.

First off, I didn’t like the ending…because it didn’t. No closure. Not even a whisper of things being resolved. I realize this is Book One in a series, but still…

I also didn’t appreciate the author’s rant in the end pages. Yes, this is billed as a Christian novel, I got that, and I expected the many references to prayer and scripture scattered throughout the story. The reference to a certain organization selling fetal body parts was not necessary and had nothing to do with the story. I don’t feel this was the appropriate platform for that. The last third of the book, including the end pages, pulled my rating down, and I doubt I’ll be seeking out the remaining books in the series.

I was glued to this story! The flipping back and forth between characters has become a popular format in recent novels, and it allows the reader to identify with or relate to more than one of the characters. The Christian theme was lovely throughout the story. I would have liked a different outcome and would have enjoyed a little more "chemistry" to happen between Casey and Dylan.

Fast-paced, enjoyable characters. The real test - I want to read the other books in the series, and have already started reading other books Teri Blackstock.

This book is good with the suspense and mystery. My interest didn't waver with wanting to find out what was really happening. The puzzle of Casey's past and why she is hiding unwound at an appropriate pace. Dylan's background is interesting also. I liked the two main characters (the book alternates between their two voices). Casey did seem too good to be true often. She was on the run for her life but took the time to clean a public restroom and be the bastion of morality in every situation. Also, I like Christian fiction, but I did find some of the times when witnessing or preaching was added to be odd and ill-timed. The police procedures didn't seem realistic, but, overall, the story was a good experience for me. I was interested in finding out what eventually happens, and I had planned on getting the next book until I read the author's note at the end.

Intriguing novel but not as involving as I'd hoped. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I'd be happy to try something else by this author in future.

Casey Cox discovers her friend Brent stabbed to death in his home. She tries to help but only gets blood on herself. Brent was a reporter helping Casey discover why her father was killed and who did it. Her father's death was made to look like a suicide. Fearing the worse Casey decides to go on the run. Will she find out who killed Brent? When a former army criminal investigator,Dylan Roberts comes home to find his friend Brent is dead, he's determined to find Casey. Will he find her? Who killed Brent?

This suspenseful and gripping story is told by alternate chapters -- one chapter Casey and the other chapter is Dylan's. The central characters were appealing to me. This unfolding mystery keeps the suspense from the first page to the last. It is filled will turmoil and trouble. The ending makes me think that this is the first of a series.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the title prior to archiving so I will not be leaving an online review.

If I Run by Terri Blackstock is the story of Casey Cox who is on the run. She is suspected of killing her friend, Brent Pace and knows that her chances of proving her innocence are slim to none if she stays. So she hits the road and manages to stay one step of the authorities. Dylan Roberts, a former investigator for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and childhood friend of Brent, is hired by Brent’s parents to locate Casey and bring her back for prosecution. As he follows her trial, he realizes that the evidence that she is the killer doesn’t add up and when he questions the lead detective, he is met with hostility. The more and more he digs, he realizes there is a larger conspiracy going on. Will Casey keep ahead of the police? Will Dylan bring her in or will he help her prove her innocence?
I loved this book! I read this book in a few hours. It’s a fast read because it holds your attention. There are no real slow spots and the action keeps coming. This book is the first in the series with If I’m Found the newest release and If I live which will be released in March 2018. I can’t wait to finish the series and discover if Casey is able to prevail and prove her innocence and caught the real killer. I highly recommend If I Run!!!!!

If I Run
is available on Amazon
in paperback and on the Kindle

This was a very well written story. I loved the plot and pace however I didn't realize there would be no real resolution. Maybe it's going to be a series, at least, I hope so because otherwise the ending is horrible.

I found If I Run by Terri Blackstock to be a quick, quite engaging read. Though the story premise and following action is quite dark and focuses on murder, corruption, and greed, the overall feel of the book is hopeful and fast-paced. There's definitely a bit of a Christian theme running through the book, but it doesn't take over the story and, as the publisher is Zondervan, it is to be expected. I'm an active and very liberal Christian and was relieved that the message in the story was more subtle than preachy and encouraging rather than judgemental.

If I had put the Kindle down at the last page of the story, I probably would have read more of Blackstock's books. However, the author felt compelled in the author note to rant about everything from "wayward children" to abortion myths to her firm belief in creationism. Blackstock's need to proselytize has shown me who the author really is. Because of her views, she is not someone whose career I choose to support with my bookstore dollars.

3.5 Stars

Fugitive with a Conscience

Casey Cox is running from the law after realizing that she is being framed for a crime she did not commit. Her best friend Brent is brutally murdered as he gets closer to uncovering the way Casey’s father, a police officer, really died years before. Understanding the dire nature of her circumstances and utilizing her intelligence to effectively stay off the grid, she is on a mission to clear her name. However, given her circumstances this is no small task and she must tread carefully.

Dylan Roberts is an ex-soldier suffering from moderate PTSD. After his childhood friend, Brent is killed he is tasked by the victim’s family with finding the murderer and bringing her in. He is working in conjunction with the police department who apparently does not have the manpower or resources to hunt a fugitive on the run or so he’s told.

An unexpected occurrence plays at Casey’s conscience as she puts herself at risk to assist in another unsolved crime, this one involving an adducted teenage girl.

The creative licenses taken with this story left me with a feeling of overreaching however it was crisply paced and entertaining. There are too many storylines crammed into one short novel but the strong characters were a plus. The strong Christian message woven throughout may not appeal to all however after reading the author’s note, it is in alignment with Blackstock’s beliefs and works well as it is interwoven into the story. I appreciated this aspect.

Short, fast paced with non-stop action. The story continues with a follow up book, If I’m Found. I am looking forward to it.

BRB Rating: Read It

The writing was superb. It kept me suspended until the very end. The ending was a let down because I suspected it from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I have to say that it was the cover and description that I fell for...because sometimes I'll put "Christian" titles down on my list (unfair, I know.) In this case, it was good, and I enjoyed it a great deal. Super suspenseful, good plot and well developed characters. I didn't love that there was a cliffhanger end (mainly because I've had 3 this month like that..sigh)...but it's very likely I will read the next title in the series.

"...one step ahead of the shoe shine
Two steps away from the county line..."

From the start of this one, those lyrics from Simon & Garfunkel's "Keep the Customer Satisfied" ran through my head in this fast-paced, exciting book that I read in a single day (partly because it's only 318 pages long and mostly because it was very hard to put down).

You see, Casey Cox is a woman on the run; her DNA has been found at the scene of the stabbing murder of her best friend Brent, a journalist. In truth (or truth as she tells it), she really was at the scene - meeting him at his apartment at lunchtime at his request - but what she found was his bloody body. Believing her story wouldn't be convincing to the police, she ran away in hopes of finding a new identify and a new life. She's also trying to escape some haunting memories of her own youth - memories that comprise another reason to be wary of talking to the police.

Enter Dylan Roberts, a former Army cop with three deployments and a nasty case of PTSD who'd love to get a job on the local police force. Turns out he also was a good friend of Brent, and when Dylan attends the memorial service, because of his background he's hired to track down Casey (with approval from the time-challenged local police). As the chase ensues, chapters shift from Casey's perspective to Dylan's; in most instances, I'm not a big fan of that technique - nor of first-person writing - but they really do work well here.

Despite her efforts to stay off the grid, Casey leaves a trail that's almost amazingly easy for Dylan to follow. The closer he gets to finding her, though, the more he begins to realize there's far more to her story than he's being led to believe - bringing into question what happened to Brent, who actually did him in and why.

Meantime, a second story line comes into play as Casey - who now has a new identity - tries to get her new act together in an Atlanta suburb. A new friend, it seems, has a daughter who went missing a couple of years earlier. In the course of her new job, Casey inadvertently uncovers clues that could mean the daughter is still alive. Risking the loss of her precious anonomity, she sets out to learn the truth. The book comes to a riveting conclusion that brings closure to one of the two story lines (but I won't reveal which).

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book - but with two reservations. The first is that there's a doozy of a cliffhanger ending. This is the first of a two-book series (which I knew ahead of time and, under those circumstances, certainly expected some carryover business). But this goes far beyond that, literally forcing readers to get the next book ("If I'm Found") if they want closure. And not knowing that was gonna happen till the end of this one made me very grumpy.

The second is that it's in-your-face clear from the beginning that this book belongs in the category of Christian fiction (which I didn't know at the time I accepted a review copy from the publisher based on what sounded like a great story). Mind you, I have nothing against organized religion; in fact, I consider myself to be somewhat of a student of it. Over the years, I've enjoyed, and learned much from, books on the history and beliefs of faiths from Baha'i to Judaism to the Society of Friends to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

What I do not want to read about, however, is some character's "search for the God I used to believe in" or, God forbid, proselytizing. Both are in here from the beginning, though thankfully, not in large doses (with a couple of exceptions). Still, it's more than I want to encounter, and I firmly believe potential readers should be made aware of this ahead of time.

If I Run was my first exposure to Terri Blackstock's writing, but it certainly won't be the last! The storyline grabbed me immediately and the never-ending suspense kept me riveted to the last page.

Casey Cox finds her best friend, Brent, dead. She is covered in his blood as she tries to revive him, and, as best friend's, there is DNA evidence of her everywhere. She fears that Brent has been murdered because of something in her past that he was looking into for her. Knowing from past experience that she can't trust the police, she knows they will try to pin his murder on her, so she runs.

Dylan Roberts has just returned home from war suffering PSTD. He, too, was friends with Brent, and Brent's parents hire Dylan to find Casey and bring her back to face justice. But the more Dylan investigates, the more he's certain that everything is not as it appears. Too much doesn't match up. Everything he's learning about Casey tells him she didn't kill Brent. But then, who did and why? Can he find Casey? Can he bring Brent's killer back? Will Casey be on the run forever?

The story is told alternating between Casey's voice and Dylan's. It works well, and the reader comes to care for both characters. The writing is fast-paced and there's a good sideline story as well. All in all a very satisfying read. This is book 1 in a new series and I definitely want to follow up on this!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zondervan Fiction for allowing me to read and review this book!

This book has a riveting plot. However the ending keeps you hanging. Hopefully the next book gives us closure. Who is Casey? A killer? Just someone trying to stay alive?