The Running Club

by Ben Gross

Praise for The Running Club

The Running Club is the best comic mystery running novel I've ever read. It's also the only comic mystery running novel I've ever read. But seriously, it's really good!—Matt Fitzgerald, Author of 80/20 Running and How Bad Do You Want It?

Ben Gross sets a blistering pace from page one and never lets up. With an engaging cast of irreverent conspirators, a villain you'll love to hate, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a healthy dollop of humor, avid runners and sedentary readers alike will race through The Running Club.— Dan Mayland, Author of The Colonel’s Mistake

Running can be Murder.

Running. Murder. A beer mile competition. A Salt Lake City running club hatches a plan to kill Nielsen Skarsgard, a disgraced Mormon convert acquitted of human trafficking after a sensationalized trial. Keeping the plan secret proves as improbable as seven amateurs planning a murder.

The Running Club is a satirical send-up of running clubs and running culture wrapped around a how-dunnit vigilante murder story set in Utah.

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

Ben Gross of Park City, Utah is a fifteen-time Boston Marathoner who hikes, runs or skis every day of the year, mostly with his three dogs and sometimes with his reluctant teenagers. Long time ago he went to football games at Penn State and emerged with a degree in Political Science. After stints in retail and teaching, he went to law school in one of the few states where year-round outdoor pools are a thing. Leaving the University of Florida with a juris doctor and designated as Order of the Coif, Ben took and passed a few bar exams, worked in a few law firms, and ended up back in retail. His current day job is general counsel, chief people officer and fit model for a US outdoor retailer. Fun facts: Ben was briefly mayor of a small town in Pennsylvania, and he was an extra in The Waterboy and an episode of Mindhunter. "The Running Club" is his first novel, with his second, Good & Evil Running Club, coming out next year.

Reviews

[Amanda Gallenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. The story was both intriguing and entertaining. The one complaint I have is there were plenty of grammatical errors through out the book that the editor clearly missed. And for some reason the word "said" was used in place of several other words, causing me to have to re-read several sentences scattered throughout the book to replace it with an assumed word that made more sense. Overall though it was a great read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. It started a little slow but it gets better and better as you go. I am a runner and loved all his references and inferences to the running community. I’m happy to see he’s writing another one! I found myself cracking up many times. My running group needs to step up its game. 🤣

[Karla Osorno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4 stars.

Books written by runners about all things running are so fun. And this one with a murder mystery at the center was no exception. My book club of runners chose it so our discussion should be great. I loved being reminded of the beauty of community and specifically the bonds runners have with each other. Recommend this for the mystery and the running talk throughout.

[Tricia Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel profiled

Facebook ads did a good job on this one. Targeted me, a runner who grew up in Utah who loves murder mysteries. It was a very entertaining romp.

[Wilson Paul Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining little story. If you’re familiar with the running culture you will love this book. The humor is a tad dry and the author could have included a bit more emotion with the characters but I enjoyed the story and hope this becomes a series.

[Ivy Cohen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated this book

This author couldn't stop bashing Trump and all Republicans at every angle. I don't read to hear some random guy's thoughts on politics or politicians, I just like reading so I can escape. I would have tossed this book aside if not for my book club. Likely the 7 people in my book club are the only 7 people to have purchased this book other than probably the author himself. The book was poorly written, badly edited, and not cohesive at all. This review is more well written than the book is. Nothing about this story works. The main characters are awful, unbelievable, and boring. Trust me, with this review I'm giving you hours of your life back. This book is bad and a waste of time and money.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This murder takes a new sidestep as I know little about the hobby or obsession with running and all the terminology involved. That was enough new for one book, but I found myself on the inside of the detective's investigation. I also found myself as a member of the running club and followed as it became a vigilante group within the club wanting to kill a guy who just got off from being sentenced as a sex trafficker. So for me, following the murder of a villain for many young girls, I rooted for justice and a solution. And the justice became his murder. That still left the problem of the guilt or innocence of the vigilante group who delivered the justice. Interesting, and unsettling, read.

[Angela J. Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes You Root for the Bad Guys

Overall, the book was good. I found myself not wanting to get to the end because I didn't want the killer/killers to be caught. Other than that, the word "said" was misplaced throughout the book. I must have highlighted "said" a dozen or more times. Anyway, the book was entertaining.

[Steve Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, the typos...

The story isn't that bad, but I'm hoping the author knows that he can fix the typos and reupload the book. That seems to be costing them a lot of stars here.

[Jacque Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

made for tv

To much good stuff to cram into a 90 minute movie. I am going to read it again, starting now. Hope for a second season.

[Stacy Gravitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. Any runner would really enjoy it. The editing was poor, but it didn’t interfere with the story. I’ll definitely look for his next book.

[Gina Giuliani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Run

This story was fun and clever. Being a member of several run clubs made it easy to relate. Some of it was laugh out loud and I was held until the end.

[Elaine Richert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funnier than I expected. The switch in narrator was challenging to follow, but otherwise I enjoyed it.

[Sheila Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!! A fun mystery for runners!