The sense of time and place in this novel is really strong. It's set in the 1990s and the sights and sensibilities of that time are evoked with depth and clarity by the author.

Drug-related crime fiction isn't something I'd normally read and the drug world in this novel did leave me a little uninspired. However, if you like crime fiction of this ilk it's a solid thriller and character study.

Lost in his own world, Pablo finds himself a wanted man by seeing something he shouldn't have seen involving law and criminal enforcement. In this dark fiction, Pablo uses intellectual and economical devices to survive his situation. When push comes to shove, Pablo fights fire with fire by enlisting the aid of a friend to create a 'new life' in the underground world of drugs. With "On the Run", what emerges is the story of a man on a dark path to identity. This is an engrossing read with both an interesting tale and characters.

A young man of South American ancestry is on the run for crimes he did not commit. How he is going to evade not just the Feds and the Police who are on the look out for him, but most importantly Colombian drug dealers who think he has skipped with their consignment is even worse.

In a series of cross country runs, ingenious thinking, good network of friends and supporters and sheer good luck he is able to survive. In the process he has to change his way of thinking, give up on his family, take on a new identity and think of a career change as well. The changes are very far seeking from his present way of life but he realises earlier on that there is no point in living in the past and what should have, or could have been.

The story was interesting as it gives you pointers into the way of life of different ethnicities and how people are able to survive in a melting pot which is very often hostile to either one or many of them. Not always doing the right thing Pablo who also changes his name to suit the occasion lands on his feet, makes his money and finds the girl of his dreams as well.

The story has a happy ending though it did not seem like that it will go that way for a very long time. Easily told of a life of crime and how it sometimes pays!

Goodreads and Amazon reviews up on 1/7/2017. Review on my blog 24/10/2017.