A Time to Run by J M Peace

Young Australian police officer Sammi and her long term partner Gavin have had one of their arguments. While Gavin heads out for a run to cool off, Sammi decides to visit her friend Candy in Brisbane for a night out on the town.

With a police shift the following afternoon, Sammi’s plan is to have not too much of a good time, crash at Candy’s place and leave early the next day to drive the over three hour trek home to Angel’s Crossing.

When she doesn’t return home, Gavin is worried. When she doesn’t turn up to work, the normally very reliable Sammi becomes a missing person, sparking a police hunt across Queensland.

Ticking off the minutes, hours and then days, the narrative slips between the fleeing Sammi and the police investigation. Sammi isn’t your normal fictional victim. She is tough and resourceful but no super hero – she knows her limits. On her side is Brisbane Detective Senior Constable Janine Postlewaite who from the beginning believed something sinister had happened to Sammi and like a dog with a bone she won’t give up.

As the evening draws in on the second night of Sammi’s disappearance and the lead detectives pack it in for the night, it was nearing 11pm at our house. Could I put this book down and wait till the morning to see if she survives? No! I could not leave Sammi to fight it out in the Australian bush alone. This fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller had me reading till the wee small hours when the last page was turned.

With a carefully-crafted plot; strong, intelligent female characters in Sammi and Janine; and real life police procedures (the author is an Australian serving police officer), this is an exciting, suspenseful read.

And to top it all off, J M Peace has written a sequel. This time I will start earlier in the day in anticipation of another not-to-be-put-down crime thriller.

Posted by Miss Moneypenny

Catalogue link: A Time to Run