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Runaway
With her life as a private investigator in Chicago firmly established, Jan Roberts can often forget where she came from—a backwoods survivalist camp run by her paranoid, dictatorial father. After risking her life at sixteen to escape the camp, she finds it hard to understand the runaway teenager she's been hired to find. With each step on the trail to find her, Jan realizes the girl is running to the same part of Idaho she fled, a digital age version of her father's way of life.
Complicating her mission is the new owner of the security firm she works for, a former British agent who has her own secrets to hide. When the sparks fly between them, Jan finds Catherine wanting to share not only her bed, but also her quest to find the missing teen. The journey to the deep woods of Idaho is a voyage to the heart of darkness for Jan, where the reality of her past can no longer be contained, nor her feelings for Catherine denied.
Complicating her mission is the new owner of the security firm she works for, a former British agent who has her own secrets to hide. When the sparks fly between them, Jan finds Catherine wanting to share not only her bed, but also her quest to find the missing teen. The journey to the deep woods of Idaho is a voyage to the heart of darkness for Jan, where the reality of her past can no longer be contained, nor her feelings for Catherine denied.
264 pages, Paperback
Published March 13, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 1, 2021
4 stars
For me as a non-american it was a fascinating insight into militias and other cult-like paramilitary organisations. We don't have that at home.
The story itself was interesting and I liked the characters, so overall I was happy with it.
For me as a non-american it was a fascinating insight into militias and other cult-like paramilitary organisations. We don't have that at home.
The story itself was interesting and I liked the characters, so overall I was happy with it.
March 1, 2012
I very much enjoy Anne Laughlin's voice. I'd give it 3.5 stars. You can read my full review at C-Spot Reviews: http://reviews.c-spot.net/archives/3864
May 23, 2017
The thriller/mystery/crime/whatever you want to call it aspect could have been interesting, especially if the book had focused more on the parallels between the main character Jan and the "runaway" Maddy. But instead it focused on a (bad) romance between Jan and one of the most unlikable characters I had the displeasure of reading about, Catherine. First of all, I'm supposed to believe they're instantly in love with the only real reason given is the great sex. They barely talk in the book, when they do it's mostly Catherine trying to convince Jan she's not a terrible person (she is). Catherine not only cheats on her longtime girlfriend with Jan, she also abuses her power as her boss to be with her when Jan is avoiding her. Later Catherine says she was going to tell Jan, if she only had picked up her phone, after a whole day of not telling her despite having every opportunity to until directly asked about it. Later on when we meet her girlfriend (as Catherine calls her, her wife even) she's portrayed as a crazy jealous woman despite Catherine having cheated on her multiple times.
Meanwhile the thriller plotline is just an afterthought, just Jan's job shes thinking about when she can tear her thoughts away from Catherine. Which is a shame because that was much more interesting. Not to mention Jan's ties to it, and the fact her whole past is a lie, but those issues barely matter in the story to the point im wondering what the point of giving Jan that past was. Maddy doesn't even get a real conclusion despite the book intermittently changing perspectives between her an Jan, the last few chapters fellow Jan exclusively. We have very little idea of how she is doing after the events. This book is a mediocre thriller at best. I'm not a romance reader, but if the point of romance is to make the reader want to see the two leads together, this book definitely fails as a romance as well. The best thing I can say about it is that it was over quickly.
Meanwhile the thriller plotline is just an afterthought, just Jan's job shes thinking about when she can tear her thoughts away from Catherine. Which is a shame because that was much more interesting. Not to mention Jan's ties to it, and the fact her whole past is a lie, but those issues barely matter in the story to the point im wondering what the point of giving Jan that past was. Maddy doesn't even get a real conclusion despite the book intermittently changing perspectives between her an Jan, the last few chapters fellow Jan exclusively. We have very little idea of how she is doing after the events. This book is a mediocre thriller at best. I'm not a romance reader, but if the point of romance is to make the reader want to see the two leads together, this book definitely fails as a romance as well. The best thing I can say about it is that it was over quickly.
March 24, 2012
Runaway is a solid page-turner of a mystery/thriller in the lesbian tradition, which means there is at least one blush-worthy sex scene. I enjoyed Laughin's writing and think she presented an original plot with a good balance between the thrilling action and the obligatory drama-filled budding lesbian relationship. (Personally, I wanted more thriller and less romance, but that's not the book she wrote.)
Runaway is primarily about Jan Roberts, a Chicago PI who escaped from her father's Idaho militia camp when she was 16. For the last twenty years Jan has been living her life under the new identity she created. Just as Jan and her partner take on a new case tracking down a runaway teen, the firm they work for is purchased by a British company. The new boss is a hot British women with MI6 in her background. Sparks fly between the new boss and Jan. The runaway teen ends up leading Jan back to the militia lifestyle she fled, first to Michigan and then to Idaho.
Laughlin has a great sense of humor, but doesn't overdo it. Here are two bits that made me laugh:
"Catherine appeared to be in her mid-forties, but her breasts appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Jan wondered if she'd have the opportunity to examine whether that was the result of good genes, good lingerie, or good plastic surgery."
And then this from when Maddy, the young runaway, is participating in a militia training exercise in Michigan before her group moves to Idaho:
"Maddy and Kristin were teamed up to learn about stealth movement and sensory awareness in the woods, which Maddy took to mean walking quietly with her headphones off."
I plan on reading more books from Laughlin and look forward to seeing where she takes her writing in the future.
Runaway is primarily about Jan Roberts, a Chicago PI who escaped from her father's Idaho militia camp when she was 16. For the last twenty years Jan has been living her life under the new identity she created. Just as Jan and her partner take on a new case tracking down a runaway teen, the firm they work for is purchased by a British company. The new boss is a hot British women with MI6 in her background. Sparks fly between the new boss and Jan. The runaway teen ends up leading Jan back to the militia lifestyle she fled, first to Michigan and then to Idaho.
Laughlin has a great sense of humor, but doesn't overdo it. Here are two bits that made me laugh:
"Catherine appeared to be in her mid-forties, but her breasts appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Jan wondered if she'd have the opportunity to examine whether that was the result of good genes, good lingerie, or good plastic surgery."
And then this from when Maddy, the young runaway, is participating in a militia training exercise in Michigan before her group moves to Idaho:
"Maddy and Kristin were teamed up to learn about stealth movement and sensory awareness in the woods, which Maddy took to mean walking quietly with her headphones off."
I plan on reading more books from Laughlin and look forward to seeing where she takes her writing in the future.
September 19, 2020
2.75 stars. This is my first book from this author, so I did not know what to expect.
The main character Jan is a private investigator and a bit of a rake. Her partner Peet is a former Chicago homicide detective, also turned PI. They get handed a case of a missing teenager Maddie from the affluent gold coast suburbs. The parents are detached & not really present in their daughter's life.
In the course of the case, the local investigation company gets bought out by a global corporation. They send a team over to assist in the purchase. Catherine an officer in the global security company catches the eye of Jan.
They seemingly fall in to bed despite no real chemistry. Catherine is also married to Elena. She bucks protocol & takes up as a partner to Jan in her cross country search for Maddie.
This leads back to Jan's upbringing & home state of Idaho, the right wing militia & her family.
Good: the mystery and adventure part of the story. Bonus for the midwestern setting & Chicago backdrop.
Bad: the lack of any chemistry & unbelievable immediate romance
The main character Jan is a private investigator and a bit of a rake. Her partner Peet is a former Chicago homicide detective, also turned PI. They get handed a case of a missing teenager Maddie from the affluent gold coast suburbs. The parents are detached & not really present in their daughter's life.
In the course of the case, the local investigation company gets bought out by a global corporation. They send a team over to assist in the purchase. Catherine an officer in the global security company catches the eye of Jan.
They seemingly fall in to bed despite no real chemistry. Catherine is also married to Elena. She bucks protocol & takes up as a partner to Jan in her cross country search for Maddie.
This leads back to Jan's upbringing & home state of Idaho, the right wing militia & her family.
Good: the mystery and adventure part of the story. Bonus for the midwestern setting & Chicago backdrop.
Bad: the lack of any chemistry & unbelievable immediate romance
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2012
Jan Roberts, a PI at a Chicago agency, is hired to track down a teenager who runs away to live in a militia-style, survivalist camp---a place eerily similar to Jan’s nightmarish childhood place in Idaho. The romance starts when the agency is taken over by a British agency led by a hot, lesbian executive who quickly falls for seemingly aloof but passionate Jan. It’s a quick and fun read with a simple but satisfying mystery-thriller plot and a few steamy romance scenes. I would recommend this book to fans of thriller-mysteries, especially ones with lesbian romance elements and a strong Chicago sense of place.
Three words to describe the book: fast-paced, steamy, and quirky.
Opening sentence: “It was her sixteenth birthday, but no one in camp mentioned it, not even her father.”
If you like this book, try Laughlin’s “Veritas,” 2010 Goldie Mystery award winner.
Three words to describe the book: fast-paced, steamy, and quirky.
Opening sentence: “It was her sixteenth birthday, but no one in camp mentioned it, not even her father.”
If you like this book, try Laughlin’s “Veritas,” 2010 Goldie Mystery award winner.
March 21, 2012
A fast paced read that only took me a day. I enjoyed the writing and would have given it a higher rating if more dangling threads were tied up with the secondary characters. I felt the author didn't really explore what happened with them. I definitely enjoyed it enough to check out Veritas.
June 4, 2021
An interesting story
Its unique & captivating storyline, spectacular in its complexity, fluidity & intensity creates a very compelling & entertaining book. With a nice flowing effortless progression, engaging narrative incorporating such formidably vulnerable & passionately flawed characters made it an easy read. With a good, entertaining story with interesting characters & hot sex scenes extremely well written.
Its unique & captivating storyline, spectacular in its complexity, fluidity & intensity creates a very compelling & entertaining book. With a nice flowing effortless progression, engaging narrative incorporating such formidably vulnerable & passionately flawed characters made it an easy read. With a good, entertaining story with interesting characters & hot sex scenes extremely well written.
May 1, 2021
Underneath her tough exterior, I loved Jan's vulnerability. She quickly became attached, something she wasn't used to, and it affected her greatly.
It was a good book, and I wished it could have even been a little longer, a little more explored.
It was a good book, and I wished it could have even been a little longer, a little more explored.
May 27, 2021
Great story! It kept me hooked. I stayed up late reading several nights in a row to see what would happen next. It was definitely an intriguing page-turner and included a very exciting new relationship. I would love to read another story that includes two of these characters.
June 2, 2012
When I started reading this book I was intrigued by the character of Jan and the premise that she had escaped life in a radical militia camp and was now living under a false identity. The problem is that as the book progressed I ended up wanting something different than what was delivered. It’s a romance novel so I guess I should have just wanted Jan and Catherine to hurry up and figure out that they were meant to be together. The problem for me was that the relationship between them was just not interesting.
What was interesting were the Maddy/Militia story line and the potential consequences of Jan’s living under a false identity and how that effected her personality. These were somehow central to the entire story and yet never really felt like they got fleshed out.
I’m certainly not sorry I read the book, and it never made me just want to give up on it, but it was just ok
What was interesting were the Maddy/Militia story line and the potential consequences of Jan’s living under a false identity and how that effected her personality. These were somehow central to the entire story and yet never really felt like they got fleshed out.
I’m certainly not sorry I read the book, and it never made me just want to give up on it, but it was just ok
August 20, 2013
In spite of some superficiality I liked Jan and Catherine characters and the writing of the romance between them had some redeeming qualities (sexy, yet without pages and pages with descriptions of sex). The starting point for the book is interesting, especially the fact that Jan has to deal with stuff that she has buried in order to survive, but I didn't like how it was done. Having the story with two POVs, Maddy, the adolescent runaway, and Jan Roberts, the PI that is looking for her and is a former runaway, doesn't work. I found myself bored with the Maddy/Militia story line and the two alternate POVs really break the story flow. I think the book would probably be much more interesting in terms of character development if we had only Jan's POV and knew more about her past.
December 29, 2013
Better than expected based on the synopsis. Somewhat surprisingly, it didn't read like it started out as Xena uberfic (not that there is anything wrong with that per se).
The romance wasn't interesting, I had zero interest in the "other woman" subplot, and I didn't care one way or the other what happens with them, but I am ok with that because the relationship wasn't why I picked the book up - it was also wasn't the eye-rolling cliche it could have been based on the book description. Worth 4 stars right there just for that.
The romance wasn't interesting, I had zero interest in the "other woman" subplot, and I didn't care one way or the other what happens with them, but I am ok with that because the relationship wasn't why I picked the book up - it was also wasn't the eye-rolling cliche it could have been based on the book description. Worth 4 stars right there just for that.
March 13, 2012
The romance between Jan & Catherine was 'meh'. They were both very flat & cardboard like characters. I mean there was absolutely no depth or dimension to anything in this book; nothing was fleshed out. I did not connect with these characters.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews