Toe the Line

by Dick Hannah

In Toe the Line, small business owner and triathlete, Wynn Johnston, finds his ordered, predictable life thrown into turmoil when his training and business partner, Wheeler, is murdered in the seemingly safe confines of the Seattle airport. As Wynn begins to dig into Wheeler’s past he finds out that his best friend was involved in a racing conspiracy that puts Wynn’s business and his life in danger. Wheeler’s murder forces Wynn to confront deceptive fellow racers, the potential bankruptcy of his business, and past loves he thought long dead, all while avoiding the murderer who is hunting him across Seattle.

Genres: Thriller

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2012

About the author

Imagine Dick Francis listing toward adventure races instead of horse racing, or Diane Mott Davidson writing about triathlons in lieu of catering. With a background in adventure races including competing in the Army Best Ranger Competition Dick Hannah provides a fresh voice and real world glimpse into the world of adventure racing and fitness in his thriller novels.

Prior to starting his writing career he spent four years as a Ranger team leader and continues to stay sharp by working as a fitness consultant at a fitness boot camp. When not racing or writing, Dick works full-time as technical writer, business analyst and trainer.

Dick followed up Toe the Line, his first full-length novel, in 2013 with On the Edge. He has already started on his third thriller, Vapor Trail, which he plans to release in 2014.

Reviews

[Chris Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth the read...

If the author's intention is for the reader to want to reach through the pages and shake the protagonist, he won. I have to be honest, I struggled with the two main characters, Wynn and Madison. The frustration level for Wynn just kept piling on. And as annoying as Madison was she pushed Wynn to rise above and to actively seek answers. Both Wynn and Madison turned it around. Not only did I wind up liking the characters but enjoyed a very intense and unexpected reveal. Enjoy.

[P.B. Flower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action thriller with a cause

This story is around racing arena. But wait, it is full of action and has plenty of thriller elements. There is murder and plot twists as well, making it an exciting read.
Go for it, it is for a great cause ❤️
The narrative is engaging to a decent degree. I'd be sure to try more books by this author for sure.

[Jessica Piro · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mystery was good and intriguing--it kept you guessing/trying to figure it out--but the characters were what really drug this story down for me. They were either weak/lacking a backbone or annoying, or even both.
This could also use a good editor. (Example: One paragraph Madison's hair was in a ponytail; a few paragraphs later, it's not.)

[Brad Dude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the plot with an underlying theme of facing your enemies head on. The triathlete sub-plot was interesting as I could better understand the thought process of the long-distance running, swimmer and bicyclist. Good read.