Just Run

by Chris Culver

Mathematician Renee Carter sees patterns where others see random strings of data. While investigating a database she wasn't supposed to have, she and a colleague discover a pattern no one was supposed to find. Two weeks later, Renee finds her colleague murdered in his office. Not knowing whom she can trust, she runs. Aided by an enigmatic detective with an agenda that may or may not mirror her own, Renee knows that her only chance of survival is to unravel a conspiracy that reaches across international lines and deep into the halls of American power. If she's caught, she'll never make it to jail; if she lives, she'll never be the same.

Just Run is a short (approximately 220 print pages), stand-alone thriller. It's great for waiting rooms, cross-country flights and lazy Sunday afternoons.

Genres: Suspense, Fiction

Nook

First published September 22, 2011

About the author

Chris Culver is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ash Rashid series of mysteries. After graduate school, Chris taught courses in ethics and comparative religion at a small liberal arts university in southern Arkansas. While there and when he really should have been grading exams, he wrote The Abbey, which spent sixteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller's list and introduced the world to Detective Ash Rashid.

Chris has been a storyteller since he was a kid, but he decided to write crime fiction after picking up a dog-eared, coffee-stained paperback copy of Mickey Spillane's I, the Jury in a library book sale. Many years later, his wife, despite considerable effort, still can't stop him from bringing more orphan books home. The two of them, along with a labrador retriever named Roy, reside near St. Louis where Chris is hard at work on his next novel.

Reviews

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many reviewers will complain this book is formulaic, and it is, but what a great formula. Two good guys (male cop and female victim) are forced to flee and hide from the bad guys and authorities who have been bamboozled by the bad guys. The ultimate outcome is never in doubt, so it’s how the author gets there that keeps us reading.

Of course the idea that a researcher would have only one copy of a large important database on a laptop is preposterous,but as with all such books some suspension of rational thought is required.

Good dialog, interesting characters, fun read and cheap Kindle price.

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working my way through the Mary Joe Court series (7 down, 2 to go), I decided to try one of Culver's standalones. Cloak and dagger with just a bit of a surprise ending. Some questions left unanswered. Did Gregori die? Did Renee publish her paper. No follow up, so those questions are left hanging.

[JoyReaderGirl1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great romp! After reading Chris Culver's debut novel "The Abbey", of which I wasn't so terribly fond, I gave this one a try because the $1 price was right and the reviews were good. Boy I'm glad that I did. It was fast paced and kept me guessing until the very end, with twists all the way through the last paragraph--leading one to ask, "Is a sequel perhaps a possibility?" After a female math prof stumbles into the murder scene of her gay collegue who had her laptop in his office, her life becomes a mightmare of fleeing Russian mobsters, cops, feds and all sorts of people. She's not sure who she can trust, even the one man helping her escape and keeping her safe. Taught as a child by her professional poker player dad to learn "tells" in others when they lie, she notices that this man's eyes often betray his verasity, but he's all that she has. Who is he really? What's his real purpose in helping her? Or is he? Keep reading and find out. You won't be disappointed.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of action and tension in this book as the protagonists stay one step ahead of the bad guys. It was easy to read with a carrot dangled that promised answers to a conspiracy mystery. At the last twist of the story, the plot suddenly made no sense. Who were the bad guys, and who where the good guys? Why were these people running and what were they running from? Were they running or being herded? I confess that I have no idea how to answer these questions. I liked this book as I read it but am unsatisfied by the ending.

[kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say, I'm a sucker for books set in Southwest Ohio with cameo appearances at the Dayton International Airport (we have a non-stop to Toronto, hence international airport)and name dropping Wright Patterson AFB.
The book is a genre novel, innocent math teacher gets caught up in international intrigue after writing a paper about online poker. She winds up on the run with Trent (detective Scheafer ) twists and turns, seedy motels, living out of vending machines. Of course there are unbelievable elements but it's fiction and I enjoyed it

[Monica T. Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was suspenseful and an interesting plot, but as an editor and proofreader, I know that if I'm rewriting sentences in my head, the book needed some more work. Not too many typos, but simply so-so on the writing. But a good enough story that future books have promise. I wouldn't strike the author of your list if you like suspense/thrillers.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. There were plenty of twists and turns. Enough thrills and suspense to keep you wondering what would happen next. I liked the characters and enjoyed their interactions. I was a little disappointed in the ending. I would recommend this book.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just so-so

Felt like plot and story could have been stronger and more exciting somehow. I kept reading, hoping for more - like what happened to granddaughter and daughter?

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really impressed by Mr. Culver's writing in his first book, "The Abbey." It also struck me that the 99 cent Kindle price for it was really low considering it is a first rate detective novel -- as good or better than most of the name writers who charge far more for their work. Presumably the attractive pricing is a means by which Mr. Culver could build up a readership.

When I saw that his second novel, "Just Run," was similarly priced, I was surprised but delighted at the bargain. This one is even better than his first.

The heroes of "Just Run" are Renee Carter, a female professor caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Trent Schaefer, a somewhat mysterious detective who investigates a situation in which Renee's entangled.

It is difficult to say more without spoiling the fast paced and engaging plot. The character development is strong, the story line focused, believable, interesting and compelling.

I've become quite the fan of Mr. Culver's writing and look forward to his next book. According to his blog, at www.indiecrime.com/, it will feature the detective and law student main character Ash Rashid who was so interesting in "The Abbey."

For this 99 cent strategy to work, there should be hundreds of positive reviews for Mr. Culver's books, with massive sales to encourage and support him to keep writing. I don't know how volume marketing of novels works through Amazon, but I wish him the best on this as I want to keep reading his work for years to come.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was either a freebie or a 99-cent-er for my Nook. The descriptive blurb made it sound interesting, so I figured what the heck. Turns out, it was quite a read!

Dr. Renee Carter is a math professor at a small Ohio college. We learn that she has written a research paper proving that online poker games are rigged. As the book begins, she is going to her colleague's office and when she arrives, finds the colleague dead, and she herself is attacked. Detective Trent Schaefer is called in from Cincinnati to help the small-town police force investigate. Turn out, the men who attacked her are with the Russian mob.

Needless to say, things start moving pretty fast after this. When Renee's life is threatened, she and Schaefer hit the road. They try to keep a few steps ahead of the Russians and an FBI agent who are trying to find them. Schaefer turns out to be quite resourceful, and though Renee is suspicious, she sticks with him since he is the only person who seems to be interested in saving her life.

I'm not going to say much more, because if you are going to read this book, I don't want to ruin any of the suspense. The book is fast-paced, and covers a lot of ground (literally and figuratively), while also making the reader wonder how good their own instincts are.

If you like suspense, I can recommend this book.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fast paced, and the mechanics of good writing were fine. The book opened with a grabber, but like Trent and Renee, the good guys, I got tired of running from the Russian mob, the FBI, a potential presidential candidate and other law enforcement agents. All of the characters were acting on agendas of their own separate from their common goals. The book ends with a twist which I did not expect.

Thank you, Mr. Culver, for a good read.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

nook book This was a rather exciting, non-stop story which though implausible, could have happened fairly much the way that it did. A mathematics professor whose father had played poker and taught her, writes aa book about beating the odds. The Russian Mafia wants her killed, because it could ruin their business. An offbeat character comes to her rescue, and they speed across the US with the enemy in pursuit. It is fascinating to see how they elude their captors.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I shouldn't rate it this high, but it is so much better than a lot of the crappily-written ebooks I've read lately. Title is accurate: the whole book is about two people running from place to place away from people who are trying to kill them.

Update: I couldn't live with the 4 stars so I downgraded it to 3. I'd give it 3.5 if I could.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right after finishing "The Abbey" I saw this book and immediately purchased it. Amazing, fast paced storyline, great characters, insane plot twist at the end! Loved everything about it. Writing sometimes still a little amateur, but nothing that totally jerks you out of the story you're immersed in. Can't wait to see what Culver brings to us next!

[Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd have probable have given this 4 stars for the story which is engaging and smart. However, this reads very-much like a first novel. Some parts had strange phrasing and awkward dialogue that really took me out of the book. Also, the ending was quite abrupt. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on this author.

[Virginia Childres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense to the Max

I really enjoyed this thriller, suspense novel. It kept me turning pages and intrigued as to the next piece of trouble Trent and Ranee were going to find and how they were going to get out of it. I've read Chris Culver's Ash Rashid detective novels and loved those, so I thought I'd try this one. It was different and exceptional.

[anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Culvers first book, The Abbey and loved it. I thought Just Run was even better. I'm hoping to see more of Trent and Renee is his next book, I really liked their characters. Will definetly buy his next book.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this one down. I thought this crime thriller was well written. I enjoyed the main character and think it could be part of a series as there were so many unanswered questions about him.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost didn't finish this book. I found it slow throughout the first half if the book. However, the second half was much better. Originally I was going to give this book 3 stars but changed it to 4 stars. I think 3 1/2 stars is better.

[Marcus Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever book and a quick read.

[Kristen Gibbon]

A good book but the ending came too quickly and was slightly confusing.

[Donna Velde]

another hit for Chris Culver.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

So predictable I couln't finish this stinker.

[Kenneth Funk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was better than the last effort by this author. I do find his fascination with the Russian mob to be a little tedious. Character development still needs work.

[Robbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read and good on the DC stuff. I would read another of his books.

[nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

an ok book, it tended to drag on a bit, sometimes unrealistic

[Susan2240 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! Really fast-moving with such a twist at the end that came out of nowhere! There's got to be a sequel!

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really remember this book, which means that for me, it wasn't that memorable?

[Stacy Juhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read by thus author. Good character development and a surprising ending. I enjoyed it!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome bok...can't wait for his next one