Run For Your Life

by Jackie Kabler

Every step might be your last…From the No.1 bestselling author of The Perfect Couple and The Vanishing of Class 3B comes an addictive thriller for 2026! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden!

On a bright spring Saturday, hundreds gather in a park as usual for their weekly community 5k run.

An hour later, one of the runners is dead.

The next week a runner training for a 10k event dies. And then another, a half marathon runner…

The police are baffled. The pattern is the same, the deaths can’t be coincidental. Is there a murderer picking off victims one race at a time?

Ten million adults are regular or occasional runners.

Ten million potential victims.

With the next event just announced, as you reach the start line you might just have to run for your life…

Praise for Jackie with tangible foreboding and pitch-perfect twists…an unputdownable thriller' B P Walter, bestselling author of The Dinner Guest

'Twist after twist and lightning-paced, I couldn't put it down.' Annabel Kantaria, author of Coming Home

'The twists never stop coming in this revenge thriller featuring the most compelling, audacious and scheming cast of characters. It’s fast, fun and fierce – a perfect summer read!” Jo Furniss, author of Dead Mile

'The book twists and turns like a snake, well written, great characters and descriptions’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An excellent storyline and the revenge plot was clever and entertaining’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A sharp and clever read that keeps readers guessing with each page turn’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Disturbingly unforgettable. It’s twisted, it’s dark and it’s intense. If you love psychological thrillers, you really need to try this one’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This author is quickly becoming one of my favourites’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'It was UNREAL, sooooooo good! What a plot, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book. It was a page-turner I did not want to stop reading…’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This is a tightly plotted clever novel which is very enjoyable’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Great twists and turns as your head will spin until the bitter end!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Filled with suspense, intrigue and a cast of engaging characters' Lucy Clarke, bestselling author of The Hike

'An intriguing and gripping psychological thriller that keeps you guessing as you frantically turn the pages’ C. L. Taylor, bestselling author of Every Move You Make

‘This is a psychological thriller that has intrigue, mystery and constant twists and turns.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Action

389 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2026

About the author

Jackie Kabler is a journalist, TV presenter and author. She spent twenty years as a TV news reporter for GMTV, ITV and BBC news, and now works as a presenter for shopping channel QVC and is author of the Cora Baxter Mysteries, a series of murder mysteries set in a television newsroom.

The Development is her third novel. Jackie lives in Gloucestershire with her husband, who is a GP.

Reviews

[Aisvarya [back ig] · Rating 4 out of 5]

An author I wanna read more from!!

Actual rating - 3.5⭐

I really had an amazing time with this one. It felt like watching one of those detective movies or TV shows, and I was completely here for it!!!

What to expect -
👟 Engaging mystery thriller
👟 Police procedural/investigation
👟 Female detectives
👟 Serial killer on the loose
👟 Multiple POVs
👟 Shocking twists

A killer is targeting the running community, and with each murder, his M.O. changes, but not the victim profile. The police are left clueless as to what connects all these victims. Will they catch the Running Ripper, the serial killer haunting marathon runners day and night, or will he continue pulling the wool over their eyes? You'll have to read to find out.

Following this case through multiple POVs was fascinating. We get to see the victims' perspectives before their deaths, the killer's perspective, and those of three different police teams across the country. Even with all this information at our disposal, the killer still manages to throw both the readers and the detectives off🤣 Every lead they follow seems to end in a dead end, and establishing a pattern proves more difficult than running an ultramarathon.

That's one of the main reasons I found this book so intriguing because I love thrillers that keep me guessing until the very end and still manage to surprise me. The reveals and the ending were quite satisfying too, and I enjoyed seeing how all the pieces finally came together.

Overall, if you want a detective thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last page, you have to pick this up.

✨Pre-read:
I haven't read a lot of police procedural thrillers but have watched and loved numerous TV shows, and heard this one's good. Hope it delivers and cures my High Potential series hangover😭🤞🏻

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH. MY. GOSH!!!!

The twist that just twisted…I DID NOT see that coming my jaw was on the floor DAMN!!

~ Check the Trigger Warnings for this book

When I read the description for this book I knew it would be one I’d enjoy reading and boy did I enjoy reading it. It had me completely hooked from the first chapter right through to the last.

I was sat there so confidant in who was doing what was happening and I was so wrong, SO WRONG!

I will NOT go into what goes on because I don’t want to give any spoilers or anything away BUT I will say if you’re a lover of thrillers and mystery murders then you’ll LOVE this.

This book has many characters included but it’s never confusing or overwhelming it just works perfectly.

That last chapter I have to admit, I seen coming. The author ended this book the way it needed to end for those involved.

This is my first read from this author but let me tell you right now, it will not be my last. I loved every second of it.

Run for your life is an addictive thriller, full of twists and turns you won’t see coming. It’s bloody brilliant!

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Run for Your Life is surprisingly one for the books (literally). I requested this on NetGalley without any real expectations, and honestly, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. What I got was a twisty, clever thriller that kept me guessing right up until the final chapters. Even with multiple characters in play, the story never felt messy or overwhelming. Instead, it was tightly written, engaging, and delivered an ending that felt genuinely satisfying for everyone involved.

What made it even more intriguing is the running angle. The characters are all runners, and as someone who’s spent plenty of time on the sidelines supporting my ultramarathoner husband, I could picture every scene so clearly. The pacing, the atmosphere, the competitive tension, it all felt grounded and familiar in a way that made the story even more immersive.

What I Enjoyed:
• Fast-paced storytelling (easy to binge with no dull moments)
• Running Ripper trope (fresh, unique, and surprisingly gripping)
• Alternating narratives (kept the suspense sharp and the perspectives balanced)


What Sort of Fell Flat:
• Victims’ backstories felt too short (I wanted a bit more emotional depth)
• The look-alike element (felt a little unfair and slightly forced)
• Some unrealistic police portrayal (nothing major, but noticeable)

Ratings Breakdown:
• Setting: 4⭐️
• Characters: 4⭐️
• Writing: 5⭐️
• Message: 5⭐️
• Overall: 5⭐️

Overall, this is a solid long-weekend read, the kind you finish in a single day because you need to know what happens next. It’s full of speculation, puzzles, and that rollercoaster energy thriller girlies like me live for. Definitely one to add to your TBR pile.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK – One More Chapter, and author Jackie Kabler for my advance copy.

~JaNnA~

[Kayl_may · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a few of Jackie Kabler’s books before and have always enjoyed them, but this one has to be my favourite so far!

This thriller centres around a series of unexplained deaths linked to running events, leaving both the police and the community searching for answers. With the sense that these incidents can’t be coincidental, the tension builds as the story unfolds and the stakes get higher.

I found this to be a fast-paced and gripping read from start to finish. It constantly kept me wanting to read “just one more chapter,” and before I knew it, I was completely hooked.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints including the police, the runners, and the antagonist, which I thought worked really well. It added depth to the story and really built the suspense, giving you a broader understanding of what was happening while still keeping plenty of mystery.

There were twists and shocks throughout, many of which I didn’t see coming, which made it all the more exciting to read.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It’s a thrilling, addictive read that I’d highly recommend… definitely a 5-star read for me!

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Jackie for sending me your gorgeous new book and @instabooktours for having me on tour. Today is my review stop 🏃‍♀️

•••••
 
Well … Jackie has only gone and done it again. An unputdownable, fast-paced, twisty, and utterly gripping thriller, that kept me in suspense all the way through. This is why Jackie is easily one of my auto-buy authors.

What a fantastic premise for a thriller. Its frightening to say, but this is exactly the kind of thing runners - especially women - have to think about. Are they safe, and when and where they should run? It’s a sad and very scary reflection on reality, which makes this story even more real and chilling. While the murders in this novel are quite specific and niche (and an  incredibly clever and engaging thriller plot btw) the underlying sense of vulnerability runners must experience in reality comes through strongly.
 
Another aspect of this story that hit home was the social media side of things. It highlights just how easy it is to follow people, which felt genuinely disturbing.
 
The plot of this story was so clever and as normal, with Jackie’s books, I didn’t have a clue what was going on. POV’s coming from the police, the runners and the suspected villain certainly kept me guessing and engaged.

Jackie is a keen runner herself and I loved how her personal insight added authenticity to the book.

As always, Jackie’s writing style flows effortlessly, which made this book a pleasure to read and so easy to sink into.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Short snappy chapters, newspaper reports and social media posts dotted throughout to break the narrative up, the fast pace throughout had me hooked and there were plenty of twists. And then everything was tied up neatly by the end. Not one lose ends. I hate lose ends 😅.
 
I highly recommend this book. If you do add this one to your tbr, let me know your thoughts.
 

[Alora Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. A killers targeting runners, and I spent the whole book trying to figure out the why. There’s a lot of different perspectives but it worked. It’s a thriller/police procedural. It was definitely entertaining to figure out what exactly was going on, and I’ll say I was a fan of the ending. Strong writing and hard to put down.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Jackie Kabler, and HarperCollins UK | One More Chapter for a copy of Run for Your Life in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book took my nonexistent jogging plans and buried them six feet underground. I am never running anywhere except maybe to lock my doors after reading this. 🏃‍♀️🔪

Five runners. A serial killer. An inmate. Lookalikes. A full blown psycho running around making everyone suspicious. This book felt like someone threw a true crime documentary, a police procedural, and pure panic into a blender and hit liquefy. And somehow it WORKED. Every single chapter dangled another little breadcrumb of chaos in front of me until I physically could not stop reading. Sleep? Irrelevant. Responsibilities? Forgotten. My Kindle battery? Fighting for its life.

The pacing in this book deserves an award because the second I thought I had a handle on what was happening, Jackie Kabler came flying around the corner with another twist like a caffeinated menace. The tension never dropped. Not once. It was giving “just one more chapter” until suddenly you are sitting in darkness at 2 AM questioning every person who has ever gone on a morning run.

And can we talk about the characters? Because I actually cared about them. EVERYONE felt important. The runners all had their own personalities, secrets, and drama, which made it even more stressful trying to figure out who was safe, who was suspicious, and who was about to end up on the evening news. Even the police were interesting, and that is rare because sometimes thriller detectives have all the personality of stale toast. Not here. I was INVESTED.

What I loved most was how fresh this felt. So many thrillers start blending together after a while: unhappy wife, creepy husband, missing girl, surprise affair, somebody drinking too much wine while staring out a rainy window. But this? This felt different. The running angle added this constant sense of vulnerability and urgency. Every isolated road, every dark trail, every early morning jog suddenly became terrifying. Congratulations to Jackie Kabler for unlocking a brand new irrational fear.

Also, the suspense? Top tier. This book had me suspicious of everybody. I was out here building conspiracy boards in my head like I worked for the FBI. Every reveal made me rethink everything I thought I knew, and I LOVED IT.

Final Verdict:
This was addictive, intense, creepy, smart, and ridiculously entertaining. Jackie Kabler absolutely understood the assignment and delivered a thriller that had my heart racing faster than the characters in this book. If you love twisty thrillers that grab you by the throat and refuse to let go, pick this up immediately. Just maybe stretch first... because this book will have you running for your life too. 🖤

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another new author for me and one that I plan to read more of. Run for Your Life by Jackie Kabler is a high-concept, fast-paced thriller that takes the “safety in numbers” of the running community and flips it on its head, proving that even in a crowd of hundreds, you can be perfectly isolated.

On a spring Saturday at a community 5k a serial killer is about to begin their own race. It’s an environment built on health, camaraderie, and personal bests. But an hour later, the finish line becomes a crime scene, with one of the runners dead.

The terror escalates as a murder occurs with every increasing distance. Next, it’s a 10k trainee. Then, a half-marathoner. The police are left baffled by a pattern that is too consistent to be coincidental, yet too clean to easily solve. Is there a serial killer stalking the pavement, picking off victims one race at a time?

An intriguing plot that grabbed my attention from the start, well written with short punchy chapters and a fair amount of tension. Running is a major interest and by the killer targeting the sport, it leaves a virtually impossible amount of potential targets. There are approximately ten million regular runners and the killer is making it very tough for the police to make any progress on this case. The “Ten Million Potential Victims” statistic raises the stakes from a local mystery to a national panic. Because the victims are linked only by their hobby, the motive remains frustratingly elusive, keeping the police scratching their heads.

Following every distance the tension builds as the killer moves on to the next event. Runners all round the country are living in fear as they ‘Run for their life’ while following the activity they enjoy.

I really enjoyed my first Hackie Kabler novel which I found intriguing, addictive and well plotted. The suspense increased throughout with the anticipation that the killer was to strike again.

Jackie Kabler is a name I will be adding to my list of authors to follow.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily Portman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favourites of the year so far! It’s rare you get a thriller these days where every single one of your predictions turns out to be wrong, where your theories are quickly ruled out. I was left completely baffled by a series of brutal murders, a serial killer targeting runners, right up until that gloriously satisfying ending. It was utterly fantastic. With ten million runners as potential victims, how do you protect them? How do you stop a serial killer?

Run for Your Life is quite the addictive, pulse-pounding read, and if you’re a runner, well… you might want to look away now 😅 Thirty-year-old Victoria Dunn collapses during a 5K, pronounced dead at the scene. Then another runner, brutally murdered while training for a 10K. Then, to the absolute dread of detectives, a half marathon runner is drowned. The pattern continues, yet every lead is a dead end. This serial killer, aptly named the Running Ripper, leaves nothing at these crime scenes. There are no clues, and no one sees a thing. Who is this serial killer, what is their motive, and how the hell can they be stopped?

This book was completely mind-boggling at times, and constantly bingeworthy. I loved the detectives on the case; DI Livvy Lacy and DS Noor McCarthy, driven women who were desperate to get to the bottom of the most bizarre case of their careers. Despite working tirelessly on this case, they have no luck. I loved following the tiny leads they had, and there were plenty of red herrings and little twists to keep us on our toes. Reading from the perspectives of the victims and the killer felt so immersive and was brilliantly balanced, and it made the whole reading experience so memorable. But this book is about so much more than the hunt for a serial killer. It’s about a decades-old dark, horrifying secret, a deep desire for justice. This book will have you questioning your morals and then some.

The ending was truly excellent and incredibly satisfying, the perfect conclusion to a book that has been in my brain day and night. Clever, meticulous and just a damn good crime thriller!

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Run for Your Life takes something as ordinary and wholesome as a weekend run and twists it into a pulse‑tightening nightmare. There’s something deeply unsettling about the way this story unfolds — bright spring mornings, cheerful crowds gathering for their local 5k, and then the sudden, shocking truth that someone isn’t making it home. It’s that contrast between the familiar and the terrifying that gives the book its bite.

The pattern of deaths is chilling in its simplicity. A 5k runner. Then someone training for a 10k. Then a half‑marathoner. Each loss feels random yet horribly deliberate, and the police are left chasing shadows while the running community begins to fracture under fear. The tension builds beautifully, not through gore or spectacle, but through the creeping realisation that anyone could be next. Every runner, every route, every finish line becomes a question mark.

What I loved most is how the story captures the vulnerability of everyday life — how we step out into the world assuming safety, routine, normality, and how quickly that illusion can crack. The pacing is sharp, the atmosphere taut, and the sense of dread grows with each chapter, especially as the next event looms and the stakes widen to include millions of potential victims.

There’s a strong emotional thread running beneath the suspense too. The book taps into community, obsession, ambition, and the quiet rituals that keep people going. It’s not just about a killer; it’s about the people who run to cope, to escape, to feel alive — and what happens when that solace becomes a target.

Fast, addictive, and unnervingly plausible, Run for Your Life is a thriller that gets under your skin and stays there. A perfect pick for readers who love their suspense grounded in the everyday, with tension that builds step by step until you’re breathless.

With thanks to Jackie Kabler, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Kim Snaith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, you all weren't lying when you said Jackie's books were brilliant, were you? Run For Your Life is my first, but having just finished it, I'm so glad I have another waiting for me on my shelf. This is a fantastic thriller, blending together police investigation with a very clever, twisty serial killer crime. The perfect ingredients.

A runner drops dead during a local 5k run and, not long after, a runner training for a 10k is murdered. It seems there's an active serial killer, and they're targeting runners.

There's a heavy focus on the police teams on the hunt for the killer here. I quickly found myself caring for the leading detectives; Kabler has struck the ideal balance between focusing on the crime and also giving the team depth and personality. Interestingly, we'll also get some chapters from the perspective of the victims, humanising them and making the crimes against them that much more impactful. They aren't simply random people once we've heard about their lives.

Expertly woven throughout the novel are newspaper reports and social media posts from the online running community. It highlights the breadth of the crimes and how much they're affecting the nation at large, giving a sense of urgency and peril to everything that happens. These aren't just senseless killings; it's affecting a community of millions of people.

I flew through Run For Your Life, with a mix of reading and audiobook (which I highly recommend). It's brilliantly written, balancing personality, thrilling scenarios and twists that will keep you guessing. If you're a fan of police procedural thrillers, ensure this is on your radar.

Well, unless you're a runner, then you might want to give this one a wide berth. 👀

[andshe.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think going for a run, or training for a marathon is ordinary this book gives those community events a whole new outlook. Run For Your Life is a deeply unsettling psychological thriller that follows a series of Murders linked to runners & those training for races. Each victim is connected by their love of running.. at least so it seems. 

What stood out for me is the originality, there was none of the familiar typical thriller tropes. Kabler makes this everyday hobby something to fear. The atmosphere usually associated with the likes of running is usually about health, community and self discovery however Kabler has twisted the narrative to create paranoia. I think the story taps into a message about being aware when alone in such spaces & how predictable a routine can become. 

The multiple perspectives work really well with accounts from the detectives, the runners & even glimpses into the killers thoughts. The supporting characters added the constant whodunit or who's next so there was plenty of suspense throughout whilst slowly the connections unravelled. 

The pacing was another bonus, with short chapters, multiple cliffhangers, the multiple viewpoints kept the story flowing quickly. Let's just say I picked the book up & only put it down when I'd got to the last page. 

Overall a superb thriller with a unique storyline, that delivers suspense & a great deal of unease - & I don't even run. [Im definitely never going to now] 🤣

Thank you to InstaBookTours & Jackie Kabler for a copy of the book. 

[Read_with_Beans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the ARC of Run For Your Life by Jackie Kabler.

I have read several books by Kabler and absolutely loved all of them. This book was no different. As a runner and lover of thrillers when I read the synopsis I knew I needed to get my hands of this book.

The book follows runners as they are enjoying themselves on training runs, fun runs, organized races, and more. There is someone picking off runners, one at each race distance. And I picked off, I mean ending their lives. It is a wild ride seeing how which characters are killed, how they are killed, and guessing who will be the next victim. And of course you cannot forget to guess who is the killer or killers are. This book will keep you guessing till the very end with each of these questions.

The plot and pacing were perfection. There was plenty of action and bodies piling up in this book, but they were spaced well in order to give the readers a much-needed break from the violence, but also still keep them interested. I was not able to put this book down. I read the entire book in one weekend.

If you enjoy fast paced thrillers with twists that make sense and you won’t see coming, pick up this book! I cannot recommend this author enough and this is one of my favorites by her.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I've enjoyed other thrillers by Kabler, and this one did not disappoint. Victoria Dunn starts wheezing and collapses during a community 5K run in a local park. Soon a runner preparing for a 10K run and a half-marathon runner both die. The only thing that seems to connect them is their love for running. Now the running community in the UK is scared and afraid they may have to literally run for their lives. The detectives assigned to the cases are rushing to prevent the killer from striking again.

This is a fast-paced thriller that I really enjoyed reading. It's told through multiple points-of-view, and I love that there are multimedia items like news articles and social media posts included throughout the book. I enjoyed getting to know the two lead detectives on the case. They were dedicated and likeable and really added to the story. The book introduces different runners as the story progresses and there is tension as you worry if they will survive. I thought I knew who the killer might be, and I was way off. I was definitely shocked by the final reveal, and I like being surprised by a thriller.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley.

[Mary Donegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘26 - 5 Stars

DESCRIPTION :

What if the most dangerous thing you did this weekend was go for a run? On a bright spring Saturday, hundreds gather in a park as usual for their weekly community 5k run. An hour later, one of the runners is dead. The next week a runner training for a 10k event dies. And then another, a half marathon runner. The police are baffled. The pattern is the same, the deaths can’t be coincidental. Is there a murderer picking off victims one race at a time? Ten million adults are regular or occasional runners. Ten million potential victims. With the next event just announced, as you reach the start line you might just have to run for your life.

REVIEW :

Previous books by this author for me were The Revenge Plot (‘25 - 4 Stars), The Life Sentence (‘24 - 4 Stars), The Vanishing of Class 3B (‘23 - 4 Stars) and The Murder List (‘22 - Read ‘23 - 4 Stars).

Right from the start I enjoyed following along with the detectives as they tried to find the killer. I felt like I was right there with them. I’m a thriller girl usually, but this mystery held my attention and kept my mind guessing right to the very end. I loved the complete ending ! Definitely a 5-star mystery.

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Run For Your Life by Jackie Kabler
Narrated by Olivia Mace

My decades of running and racing have long been over and that allowed me to listen to this book more smugly than I would have if I was still a runner. You see, it seems there is someone targeting runners. When the first runner died, it might have been written off as a reaction to something but when another runner dies and both the runners have something on them that shouldn't have been there, police know they have a big problem on their hands. Who is killing runners, why are they killing runners, how can the police stop someone targeting all the runners out there who publicize their their running plans, running events, and just way too much of their daily lives?

Some runners bow out of running for the time being but many runners are determined to continue on with doing what they love doing so much. We get to know the victims a bit before they have their last run. We also get to know the investigators and I especially enjoyed the police procedural portion of the story. We also get to know the killer's thoughts but it's not until the very end of the story that we learn why the killer is targeting the people that are targeted.

I've never read this author before and she has a lot of books already published so I'll be checking out more of her audiobooks. Run for your life, it can save your life (or walk, as my joints demand of me now) or, in the case of this book, run and it might just end up getting you killed.

Published May 29, 2026

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a whirlwind this one is. There is so much going on and the author certainly knows how to build and hold the tension and suspense throughout the book.

When runners start dying while training for, or taking part in organised runs, the police soon realise they have a serial killer on their hands.
It’s then a race against time to figure out just what is going on, how the cases might be linked and how to put a stop to the murders.

I really enjoyed the parts from the police’s point of view and the dynamic between the two main officers. You really feel you are getting inside their heads and understanding how the investigation is running. I’m very familiar with some locations within the story which made it feel all the more real.

The different character points of view keep you in suspense and guessing just who is responsible and why. The author has a great writing style and knows just how to pull in the reader and keep them hooked until the end.

This book really builds up to its climax in the last few chapters, giving away all its secrets and tying up all the loose ends.

All in all a quick read that you will not want to put down.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all the books i have read by the author and especially Run for your life had me guessing right from the very beginning what was going on and why the runners were being murdered.

Right from the get go this was a fast paced read that had me guessing who the murderer was, the author did keep giving little clues and i was trying to figure out what the victims had in common. With short chapters you feel the suspense and the worry that is going on between the running community as well as following the police as they are trying to investigate the murders. Each character is well thought out and i did wonder throughout what they did to deserve their outcome but especially near the end i was shocked when the reveal happened as it most definitely would never of came to mind who it was and the backstory of why they were doing what they were doing.

Full of twists, secrets and suspense this read was so unique and had me engrossed right from the very start. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me a digital ARC in exchange of my full honest review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a bright spring Saturday, hundreds gather in a park as usual for their weekly community 5k run. An hour later, one of the runners is dead. The next week a runner training for a 10k event dies. And then another, a half marathon runner....

The police are baffled. The pattern is the same, the deaths can't be coincidental. Is there a murderer picking off his victims one race at a time? Ten million adults are regular or occasional runners. Ten million potential victims. With the next event just announced, as you reach the start line, you might just have to run for your life....

This is a cleverly crafted, twisted and gripping thriller that had me guessing all the way. Why were people being murdered while running? The story is told from multiple points of view. The tension builds throughout. The police have a race against time to find the serial killer to find what links they might find to catch the serial killer. This is a quick read.

Published 29th May 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #JackieKabler for my ARC of #RunForYourLife in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Carbajosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Run For Your Life is another cracking story from a fabulous author. Beginning with the murder of a runner, this book kept me riveted to the pages, as I tried, along with DI Livvy Lacy and her team to guess who was targeting and murdering runners competing in races and marathons, with no apparent connection, across the south of England.

What follows is a chase through buried secrets, past betrayals, and a present that refuses to let the past rest. Here lie secrets in abundance and little by little the truth starts to sneak out. The story is packed with suspense and plays out as a gripping whodunnit, ramping up in its final quarter and delivering some unexpected twists and a decent ending.

Peppered with news articles and instagram threads, the reader gets a true sense of some of the characters’ opinions plus public opinion. I really enjoyed reading this book and I couldn’t wait to find out if DI Lacy was going to catch the killer, and more intriguingly, what the reasoning behind the murders was.

Highly recommended to all thrill seekers and lovers of escapism.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Run for your life takes on a whole new meaning in this book. Runners are being murdered with no obvious links to each other - they’re in different parts of the country; they didn’t appear to know each other or know anyone in common and their backgrounds don’t show any obvious motives. Is the length of the races they do a factor or a coincidence? The police are investigating every possible angle they can think of and the tension is building, especially in the running community, as no one knows when or where, or even if, the killer will strike again.

Such a thrilling read, definitely a ‘just one more chapter’ book! The narrative comes from several sources which works really well. The main narrative comes from the police investigations with others from the public, someone who may know something but isn’t prepared to tell and the killer. There are lots of twists and turns throughout as well as plenty of red herrings and several rabbit holes!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins (One More Chapter) for an ARC for my honest review.

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read, wow! I wasn't initially captivated by the blurb as I'm not into running, but when I saw other reviews coming in, I knew I couldn't miss out.

The first victim is murdered during a 5k park run, an activity that nobody would consider unsafe, with hundreds of other runners and spectators around and in broad daylight, but the killer's execution was slick and very targeted to their victim. I was entirely immersed from that point on and I didn't stop reading until I had devoured the whole, brilliant book.

As the body count rose, I really enjoyed getting the know the background of the victims and tried so hard to find a link, but, just like the police, I was absolutely stumped. It was interesting hearing from the killer every few chapters too. I liked the two main police characters too, in terms of their work ethic and their friendship, and would love to read a series based around them.

Superb writing, interesting characters and a stunning plot.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jackie Kabler and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of ‘Run For Your Life’ by Jackie Kabler, due to be published on 29 May 2026 by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter.

When a runner is murdered, it sends shockwaves through the running community, as does the next one, and the one after that. All signs point to a serial killer - but what’s the motive, and how can the killer be caught? 

The storyline formatting is good, giving depth to each character involved.  Their lives and deaths described in intricate detail, making you shudder at the endless possibilities for what is to come next. 

Woah - what a wild read this is! Full of tension, apprehension, head spinning twists, red herrings and revenge.  A seriously dark thriller which makes you change your mind at every page, certain you’ve worked it all out, only to be unequivocally wrong. I could not put it down for fear of losing the fast pacing and breath holding suspense.  Highly recommended read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I cannot understand I have not read more of this author work. Run for your life by Jackie Kabler Is an excellent read which I enjoyed from page one.
The running community are horrified when they hear that there Is a killer on the loose. Runners from different backgrounds, marathon runners are being targeted one by one. The bodies are left with a number sticker and a tick. What connects them and why?
This is a police procedural like no other. It has a heart stopping unique plot, with lots of twists and turns and a police team that doesn’t know what the hell is going on and what is linked to all these murders.
This drew me I from the very first page and wouldn’t let me go to the very end. I did kind of guess what was going to happen at then the end. But it didn’t stop me enjoying this book so much.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper one more chapter for a copy of this fabulous book. 5 stars from me.

[Nat Eveleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Unexpected deaths start to occur around various locations. The deaths are baffling the police, and the only thing they can connect with the deaths is that they are runners. The police are desperate to catch the killer before anyone else dies. But can they find the deeper link?

I absolutely loved this book. I have read a few books from this author, and I think this may be the best one I have read so far - and I enjoyed it so much, that I ordered the books from her that I havent yet read. This book was really fast paced, which I read in no time at all, as I just wanted to find out what happened. The story was so well written, and so descriptive, that you could really picture each scene in the minds eye. I loved the way we read from various points of view, which I feel added much more depth to the story. Such a great read, and 5 stars from me.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins One More Chapter for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I’ve read Jackie Kabler’s stories before and really enjoyed them, so I was excited to read this one.
Run For Your Life immediately drew me in. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. It begins with a runner being killed during a race, and when more runners are targeted, it becomes clear a serial killer is on the loose. The investigation focuses on uncovering the connections between the murders.

I really enjoyed the different perspectives, including news articles and Instagram posts. It was a clever way to keep the story moving and added a sense of realism.

The book is fast-paced, suspenseful, and kept me guessing until the end. The twist was brilliant and brought everything together perfectly. Definitely a five-star read.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie Kabler has come up with a cracker of a read with Run For Your Life, and I really enjoyed this book. It has a great start that immediately drew me in. Runners are being targeted and murdered but why? I love that the story is told through the police investigations, the killer and individual characters. The author knows how to connect with her readers, her writing is very good and engaging, the plot line is well thought out, multi layered and certainly kept me guessing. The tension and suspense is constant throughout and this quickly became a very moreish read that I would pick up and continue reading whenever I could. I even felt empathy for the killer once I knew the reason for the murders.
If you like thrillers then I'm certain you'll enjoy this and I would recommend it.

4 stars

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sooooo good. I love a themed murder mystery. It helps standout from all of the other procedural books out there. This one had some sensible twists (easy to see happening in reality) along with some just good ole fashioned police work.

I loved that Kabler wrote the protagonists as being stumped. Too many authors write their detectives as if they are all knowing. The mystery was good and the “villain’s” actions would keep the best of the best stumped.

Then, there is the last few chapters of this book. So well written. Jackie Kabler held a master class in writing that has emotion and sympathy for a character.

“Run For Your Life” will be a fantastic summer/beach read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Judy Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Run for your life is a riveting perfectly paced heart pounding thriller that is unputdownable.

A runner is murdered during a race , then another.

Someone is killing marathon runners .

There are 10 million potential targets and no one is safe.

Jackie Kabler has written a white knuckled thriller with short snappy chapters that will have you holding your breath.

Its a journey I will leave to the reader .

Be prepared to binge read as the twists and turns keep you on a roller coaster of a read.

Buckle up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter/One More Chapter for the privilege of reading and reviewing this high paced octane thriller Run for Your Life.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An experienced runner drops dead during a 5K race. Then another runner dies while training for a 10K. They didn’t know each other, they died in different cities and the manner of death was very different. What should DI Livvy Lacy be looking for? In the standard distances for races half-marathon is next. Livvy and her team now know they are looking for a serial killer but have no idea of the motive. And there are a lot of runners in England.

Run For Your Life is an explosive thriller. The characters are so well described you start to feel sorry for them all. Then come the twists and a shocking conclusion. This is a mystery you won’t be able to put down. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Jackie Kabler for this ARC.