Runner

For me, the Jane Whitefield series is one of the best I have ever read in the thriller genre. Maybe The Runner wasn't the best of the lot, but I lost a lot of sleep reading it nonetheless. I simply could not make myself put it down and turn off the light. Yes, the antagonists' motives were somewhat weak and far-fetched, but I was willing to forgive that point. I was also willing to forgive some of the unrealistic tactics used to capture the runner. Unlike some reviewers, the cross-country driving didn't bore me. There are so many subtleties to appreciate about this book and the entire series. I eagerly await the next installment and hope this series continues for a long, long time.

Perry does as masterful job with Runner, capturing within one book the best elements found throughout his works. He expands, without rehashing, the female warrior character of Jane Whitefield. At the same time, as is done so well in his other books, he brings to life the cannibalistic transition of complex characters and dysfunctional relationships when the hired hunters become the hunted. You will find this a compelling read. If you aren't familiar with his previous books, this is a good place to start. It will tell you enough to know whether to backtrack on Jane or pursue his other equally delightful characters.

Finally, another Jane Whitefield novel. This time Jane is living in the world of GPS and email. Her client, being 20 years of age, makes a mistake and is captured and returned to her pursuer. I loved the book, especially the ending, which assures me that Jane will reappear again another day.

I read "Runner" by Thomas Perry so fast - What happens next! What happens next! - that the pages started to smolder and smoke. I was forced to read the rest of it wearing fire retardant gloves and with a fire extinguisher within easy reach. "Runner" hits bookstore shelves on January 14 and, once you've fireproofed your favorite reading chair, you should seriously consider added it to your collection. "Runner" is a marvel, and already in the running for my pick for best suspense novel of 2009. Thomas Perry has always been an underrated scribe. He came out of the gates strong with his first novel "The Butcher's Boy," which won the 1983 Edgar Award for best first mystery novel. But Perry really didn't hit his stride until he created Jane Whitefield - a Native American woman who helps desperate people "disappear" - guiding them to new lives while helping them escape their pasts, usually filled with various nasty people with guns. Jane is hard as dried leather - and smart. Her character - the detail oriented, obsessive perfectionist with little humor and a demeanor as sullen as funeral - centers the novel. She's a fascinating case study as she plunges the reader into the underground world of forgeries and the act of "vanishing" without a trace. Jane made her first appearance in "Vanishing Act" in 1995 and appeared in four more novels before Perry retired her in 2000. The series, however, has proven so popular, that Perry has dusted off Jane nine years later. Lucky us. The result is "Runner." Jane is now married to a surgeon in up-state New York and living under the name Jane McKinnon. The action begins immediately as a pregnant teenager named Christine tries to find Jane at the local hospital - where Jane is attending a fundraiser she organized. There are five professional criminals trailing Christine - and they bomb a wing of the hospital in order to flush Christine out of the building. Christine, however, is fortunate enough to find Jane first. The rest of "Runner" is a harrowing race to save Christine and her baby from her former boyfriend, a corrupt real estate mogul who needs Christine and his child back to avoid being written out of the family businesses by his demanding father and mother. "Runner" is relentless - but never allows itself to get away from the characters. Perry gives readers complex characters in Christine and boyfriend Richard Beale (and his complicated family dynamics with his mother and father). There are no stereotypes or casting call characters here, but dynamic human beings. There are some questionable logic lapses in "Runner" with the hospital bombing front and center (would career criminals in a covert operation really do something that dramatic?). And the relationship between Richard and his criminal friends, led by the enigmatic Steve Demming, fails to hold up under too much scrutiny (and we never get any insight into Demming and his colleagues motivations). However, "Runner" is just too expertly plotted and

I've read just about everything by Thomas Perry, and the Jane Whitefield books are my favorites. The brilliant Native American woman who takes people "out of the world" is back with an exciting new case. It's been a few years, and Jane must adjust to new realities (post-9/11 security systems, new Internet tracking capabilities, etc.) to help an abused, pregnant woman disappear from the ruthless people who are looking for her. Perry knows Jane Whitefield inside and out, and everything she does in these adventures just rings true. Every new book is like a visit with an old friend, which is how I think of her. She uses her common sense while avoiding the thousands of mistakes most of us would make (phones, email, GPS, Internet, etc.) in making other people vanish without a trace. Of course, the modern world makes vanishing increasingly difficult, and Jane has to strive to keep ahead of all the latest technology that is her profession's enemy. This makes her a bit of an old-fashioned throwback--but it also enables her to get the job done. RUNNER is a fascinating addition to this wonderful series. Recommended.