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The Runner

Not yet published
Expected 10 Nov 26
He’s running for his life. And he’s running out of time. Jay has been hunted since he was twenty years old. A contract on his life has been traded like a commodity, rising and falling with Bitcoin for decades. On the run once again, with no passport, and airmiles as his only currency, Jay will have to choose between love and survival, and run for his life! While staying at an all-inclusive resort, surviving off of the points he accrued in a previous, more successful life, Jay meets Ellie, a beguiling fellow runner who may even be faster than he is, and is harboring secrets of her own. When an assassin appears poolside, Jay is on the run again, but this time with Ellie, as they find themselves on a catamaran helmed by a sinister and reckless crew. The Runner is about high-finance, con-artists, the Book of Jonah, ultramarathons and how falling in love can change everything. Darkly funny, sexy, and exciting, Scarlett Thomas, author of The Sleepwalkers ("A work of gonzo genius." -The New York Times) transports readers from the sun-drenched roads of Cyprus to the rain slicked streets of Kent in this high-concept literary thriller.

Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2026

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About the author

Scarlett Thomas

32 books1,857 followers
Scarlett Thomas was born in London in 1972. Her widely-acclaimed novels include PopCo, The End of Mr Y and The Seed Collectors. As well as writing literary fiction for adults, she has also written a literary fantasy series for children and a book about writing called Monkeys with Typewriters. Her work has been translated into more than 25 languages.

She has been longlisted for the Orange Prize, shortlisted for the South African Boeke Prize and was once the proud recipient of an Elle Style Award. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing & Contemporary Fiction at the University of Kent in the UK. She lives in a Victorian house near the sea and spends a lot of time reading Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield.

She is currently working on a new novel and various projects for TV.

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5 stars
14 (13%)
4 stars
39 (37%)
3 stars
29 (27%)
2 stars
20 (19%)
1 star
3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Bill Lawrence.
444 reviews7 followers
July 26, 2026
I was looking for a new author, something a bit different. I had seen good reviews of Scarlett Thomas's books and so why not try this. Well, there are several good reasons not to try it. Reading reviews of her other books on Goodreads would have given me the clues I needed. The positive is, it's not long and quick to read and chunks of text that can be glanced over. The problem is, it is very thin. It is a thin plot, the denouement comes out of nowhere and barely works. There are holes aplenty. The characters are at best one-dimensional. I spent the whole book with Jay, but apart from life incidents, I have very little sense of his character. But he is 6ft and runs. Bogged down in surface ideas around bitcoin and the dark web, it foregoes the idea of character or development. It's really dull pretending to be exciting, but so much better at the former.
Profile Image for Alex Klein.
36 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 25, 2026
Review of advanced copy received by Simon & Schuster and NetGalley.

DNF at 50%. I really wanted to like this one- I read the description and it sounded up my alley. However, I found the plot to be extremely difficult to follow. I tried my best to push through but this reader did not make it to the finish line…
Profile Image for Ceecee .
2,929 reviews2,458 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
May 10, 2026
Cyprus, May 2025.
Jay is on the run but this is nothing new, it’s been this way since he was 20 and now he’s in his 30s. Currently, he’s stranded, all he has is air mile points, four euro and an assassin on his tail. He takes a job on a catamaran to escape the latest one, but it’s straight into the arms of a very bizarre crew and he’s so he’s off again, this time in Cyprus, where he meets Ellie. Will she be his salvation? Only time will tell. He’s the runner, quite literally and he’s caught in a huge web from which there seems to be no escape. However, we’re off, pat, pat, pat.

Exorcism, assassins, murders, finance, bitcoin, trading air miles, dictators, and running, running, running. Yes, it’s got to be Scarlett Thomas’s latest creation! She always gives her readers something unusual and different and I like that. To start with it feels a bit like being trapped in Hampton Court maze, you’re not sure of your way out or the plot direction but that soon sorts itself out and becomes clear and I settle in for an enjoyable race to the finish.

It’s extremely well written, there’s wit and humour interspersed with the running and Jay‘s backstory. It’s a circuitous route with plenty of good descriptions and a lot of elegant prose. There’s much to keep me entertained, several good plot twists alongside some “intriguing” characters. I never entirely work Ellie out! However, she’s never boring and she has a good heart. I like the way the author has it all play out at the end and everything slots into place. Highly entertaining!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Janine.
2,726 reviews34 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 23, 2026
3.5 stars. Propulsive thriller with “outlandish coincidences” and romance that’s really a satire on capitalism.

Robert Farmer going under the alias of Jay has been hiding for fifteen years from a contract that bought his life cheaply with early Bitcoin and now with millions. He’s a runner. While vacationing in Greece an assassin appears forcing him to flee on a catamaran helmed by con men posing as exorcists to Cyrus. In Cyrus he books a stay at an exclusive resort where he meets Ellie, also a runner, who gives ideas of settling down. What will he run or survive?

The book takes on modern capitalism through the metaphor of ultramarathons questioning what gives life value. Capitalism is seen as a race with no finish line just a constant need for more, more and more. Aside from the money are those who look for value through religion. Christianity as we all know can coexist with capitalism as the parable of the talents is used in the book. But Ellie sees money as “antithetical to being good” and Jay thinks he might consider being a Catholic priest when he’s done with it all.

The irreverence and snark accumulates in the read. The book to me seemed to bog down due its philosophical tropes but the cleverness and fast-pacing keeps the fun read on track.

Readers who enjoy a philosophical thriller with wit and pith should check this one out.
Profile Image for Amanda Alley.
2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
September 23, 2026
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of The Runner!

I really enjoyed this book overall. The concept alone pulled me in: imagine having to literally run for your life and using points to survive. It’s such a fascinating premise.

Without giving anything away, I especially liked the why behind the running. The reason these characters are doing what they’re doing made me stop and think, and I found myself considering the bigger questions the book raises even after I finished reading.

The one part that didn’t completely work for me was the love story between Jay and Ellie. I just never fully bought that they cared about each other as deeply as the story seemed to want me to believe. I wanted to feel more of that connection between them.

And one thing I kept thinking about while reading: I was genuinely surprised this was written by a woman because Jay’s attitude toward women is…let’s just say not exactly flattering. His perspective made for an interesting character, but there were definitely moments when I thought, Scarlett Thomas, are you okay over there?

Overall, though, The Runner was an interesting and surprisingly thought-provoking read, and the premise is one that has definitely stuck with me.
Profile Image for Eric Lustbader.
74 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
July 7, 2026
This is a diofficult review to write since I have been a huge Scarlett Thomas fan since her first novel. Unfortunately her stab at a "thriller" doesn't work, coming off as lumpy and fairly uninteresting. The first problem is the Runner himself. I never could empathize with him and, frankly, wondered why I was reading about him. There are sections that are properly fast-paced and full of danger but they are interrupted by a much-too-long attempt at a backstory for the Runner that simply kills the pace; that is the second probem. There are also unaccounted sections where pretty much nothing happens at all. The romance is all rather wan and far too attenuated to land with any punch. As a successful thriller writer myself I know first-hand that writing a literary thriller is supremely difficult. But even for literary thrillers pace is everything, whether it's fast or in say LeCarre's case, slow and methodical, first and foremost the pace must be maintained. If anyone was up to the task it should have been Ms Thomas. Unfortunately, this novel comes up empty.
Profile Image for ReadingInPyjamas.
840 reviews
July 21, 2026
The Runner was exactly the kind of wild ride i expected it to be!
Jay has spent years perfecting the art of disappearing, but this time he’s really in trouble, stranded, broke, carrying nothing but air miles, a few euros and the small problem of an assassin trying to find him. Naturally, things get even stranger from there.
What follows is a wild, twisty, slightly bonkers adventure filled with criminals, conspiracies, bitcoin, big ideas, and a very questionable collection of characters. It’s dark, funny, clever and completely unpredictable. Jay is exhausted, cynical and a little chaotic, but there’s something strangely endearing about him. Ellie is just as intriguing, and together they make this bizarre story feel surprisingly human.
Scarlett Thomas has created a book that’s equal parts thriller, philosophical rabbit hole, and fever dream. It took me a little while to find my footing, but once I was in, I was hooked. A strange, smart, addictive read that definitely took me somewhere unexpected.
Profile Image for Sean Sadler.
90 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy
August 16, 2026
Book borrowed from Stirling Library following Book Review in the Guardian newspaper
The book is largely set in the present day in UK with parts of the novel set in Cyprus and Turkey
The Plot
Jay is a young British man on the run from an Assassin/ Assassin’s,he meets a young British woman Ellie while in hiding in Cyprus the remainder of the book follows a familiar trajectory as they dodge and weave from the assassins
Why is Jay a target for assassins,?is Ellie who she says she is?
The novel start strongly and conveys a real sense of jeopardy,however i find so often with these type of novels that the plot becomes a bit more convoluted,the characters thinner and less believable to such an extent that one stops engaging as a reader .
The plot limps along to its conclusion by which stage my interest had long since waned
The novel is dialogue heavy and I found that often it did not advance the plot but rather slowed the pace of the book which began furiously and shifted to a walking pace from its halfway point.
A disappointing read ultimately.

Profile Image for Janae McNally.
66 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
June 21, 2026
This story is as circuitous and persistent as all the running Jay does throughout the book. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Jay was a bit of a twit at times, and Ellie reminded me of several girls I've known over the years, which made the characters feel refreshingly real.
Along the way, Thomas offers some thoughtful observations about society, greed, and the ways people can be selfish and destructive. At the same time, she explores love, trust, and what it means to move beyond the expectations and constructs we're handed. IMHO.
I've seen the mixed reviews, and I can understand why this book won't work for everyone. The pacing has a steady "pat, pat, pat" rhythm that mirrors Jay's running, and it takes a little time to settle into. But once I did, I found it to be an intelligent, thought-provoking, and ultimately captivating read. I'm glad I gave it a chance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the complimentary ARC.
Profile Image for Marisabel Arauz.
22 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 16, 2026
The book is about Jay, a runner, who has been running for his life for the last decade. As Jay runs and hides, we are shown how he lives a life in hiding, which is chaotic, funny, messy, and at times smart. Jay is short on money, living off the grid in an all-inclusive hotel when he meets Ellie. As we come to understand why Jay is running for his life, why the assassins keep showing off, and who is to win once he dies, Jay falls in love (or thinks he does) with Ellie.
As Jay sets out to run an ultramarathon to make $10,000 in cash, we are invited for a crazy ride in which keeping on running is all that matters, and maybe true love?
I enjoyed this book. At times I felt lost a bit, and once I was back on board, the craziness continued. Jay was a complex character, and the chaotic way in which he lives is clearly shown in the narrative. It was a fun read, an exciting read, and if you enjoy messy thrillers sprinkled with romance, then I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for Amanda.
11 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy
October 5, 2026
The novel follows Jay as he reacts to the chaos of his life, the title referring to his prowess as a runner as well as the fact that he is literally running for his life throughout.

As a teenager, Jay made a dreadful error of judgement, and this has plagued him ever since. The novel shows him in the present and also includes episodes from his past that show the boy he was and why he became the man he is.

I thoroughly enjoyed ST's characterisation,and I became totally invested in the action that unfolded. The novel is absorbing and gripping.

I am a meanie when it comes to ratings; I reserve 5 stars for books that blow me away. Nevertheless, The Runner is well worth a read and will not disappoint.
Profile Image for Andy Krahling.
780 reviews14 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 15, 2026
I started reading with good intentions -- I liked the premise, I liked the cover, and I wanted to like the book. Unfortunately, I didn't. It just seemed a little messy, jumbled, and I could not get into any sort of flow or rhythm reading it. I didn't care about any of the characters, and the main plot premise didn't grab me, either.

Thriller? Not so much. Romance, umm nope. I think there's an audience for this -- I'm sorry it wasn't me.

Will I read more from the author? Maybe.

I received a complimentary e-copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.
1,503 reviews17 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 13, 2026
“The Runner” is one of the oddest books I have read in a while. And it is certainly not the thriller that it is described as being. There are very few parts of the story that fit the thriller genre. It is more of a commentary on society — importance or lack thereof of money and possessions, what we prize as status symbols, stereotypes, economic rationalism, minimalism, commodification, belief systems, etc. That being said, the story has some pretty good twists.
Profile Image for Inke.
76 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy
August 1, 2026
I read the UK version published by Scribner on 16th July 2026.

Scarlett Thomas is one of my favourite authors, and some of her books I like more than others.
I don't think this is a thriller, as suggested in another comment, but it is properly weird with assassination contracts and scammers and people with various obsessions. But for a thriller, there are too many clues missing if not withheld.
So you just have to strap yourself in, go along for the ride, and see where it's gonna take you.
3 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2026
I love the way Scarlett writes, The End of Mr Y is one of my most favourite books - I've read it at least 10 times.

So it's a shame that The Runner was a bit of a let down, enjoyed the story but the end just ran out <
Profile Image for Jillian.
304 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 25, 2026
DNF’d at 54%.

This book just had no clear point or plot. It was so jumbled and made no sense. I tried to push through, but I just couldn’t do it. The time jumps weren’t clear and became confusing. The general storyline, if there was one, made no sense. I just don’t even know what I just read.

Received this as an ARC through NetGalley.
Profile Image for Elisa Forshey.
101 reviews11 followers
August 19, 2026
This book is absolutely mad bonkers. Maybe in a good way? Maybe not? I feel like I just rode a merry-go-round that was going like triple speed and at the last minute it suddenly slowed and I sort of rolled dizzily off into the grass. 3.5 stars The extra .5 is because I’m not a hundred percent sure this isn’t genius?
31 reviews
Read
August 24, 2026
I think that the author is an extremely accomplished writer. Her prose is always readable and her ideas are exciting. But I fear that I did not find myself really caring what happened, and while I hurried to the end to find out from mere curiosity, I would not have worried if I had had to return the library book before achieving this.
Profile Image for Sophie Patrikios.
158 reviews12 followers
Review of advance copy
September 30, 2026
Goodreads thinks this isn’t published yet but it very much is. I like Scarlett Thomas and this is another interesting and pacy story by her. I was intrigued to know how it would all play out and I suspect she was a little unsure too - it didn’t wrap up with the same deftness the rest of the book showed.
92 reviews2 followers
August 23, 2026
Another absolute stunner of a novel from Scarlett Thomas. This is twisty, original, sexy, clever and thought-provoking. I read this in one sitting and know I’ll be thinking about it for days.
I’ve dropped one star as I feel that the protagonist’s redemption arc could’ve landed a little better.
Profile Image for CherylBCz .
824 reviews10 followers
Did Not Finish
September 18, 2026
#goodreadsgiveaway Thanks to publisher Simon & Schuster ARC

I enjoyed a previous book of author but didn’t finish this, at 30%. Honestly didn’t know what was going on. Book jacket offered more insight.

Profile Image for Sam.
125 reviews2 followers
September 5, 2026
This is so madcap and dark and thrilling and delicious. Scarlett Thomas might be my favourite writer.
25 reviews
August 28, 2026
Some interesting ideas. Plot was disorientating. Bad guys a bit wooden. Could have been a lot better. Not read any of ST’s other books. Paid full price on Kobo. Poor value. Some 99p books have been better.
Profile Image for Simon Gosden.
907 reviews10 followers
August 23, 2026
An intriguing tale of a mathematical prodigy, bit coin and dark web contracts as well as deranged East European dictators and ….. er ……. running.
Sounds bats, it is, but it’s also good fun, damn good fun.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,708 reviews
July 25, 2026
DRC from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster / Simon & Schuster
Jay has been running since grade school. Turns out that it is something that he can do to make his dad, who basically ignores him or hits him, proud of him. Later, he runs because there is a bounty on his head. Now on his third name, and using frequent flyer points he earned while working a high paying job, he is running gain. This time he has no money except the points and he meets a woman who, for the first time in his life, he thinks he is in love with. Problem is that she could collect the bounty by killing him, except she wants to use him first. Can he forget about Elle and keep running? Will he ever be able to stay in one place and have a normal life?
Profile Image for katelands_booknook.
278 reviews8 followers
July 29, 2026
This was an interesting read. I loved The Sleepwalkers by this author for its uniqueness. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this one. I thought it was well written, and I read it pretty quick while on a couple of flights. I was only slightly offended by the advice Jay was given about running, especially a 5k considering I find that distance to be challenging. But this isn’t just a book about running for exercise. It’s also about a man who’s been on the run most of his adult life. There’s some interesting developments, but overall it’s a very straightforward story.

3.5 stars
Profile Image for Gregor Miller.
66 reviews3 followers
August 8, 2026
The Runner by Scarlett Thomas is a really enjoyable thriller, laced with mystery, twists, and turns.

Running is both literal and metaphorically a major theme of the book as the main character navigates life on the run from hitmen, incentivised by the ever more valuable crypto to be rewarded on his death.

I blasted through this in 2 days, and really enjoyed it. If you are planning a wee holiday, this would be the perfect book for the beach or pool.

Massive thanks to Simon and Schuster UK @simonschusteruk and congrats to @scarthomas on this wonderful release
Profile Image for Dave Haywood.
Author 8 books58 followers
July 23, 2026
There were moments of brilliance laced over sentences that left me head scratching.

It’s billed as an erotic thriller but it’s neither. The premise behind it is Jay, on the run from a myriad of assassins that’s finally explained after 100 pages.

This wasn’t really for me, I like a bit more scene setting and description, but I can see some people will love it.

Thank you to Scribner for supplying a copy.
211 reviews2 followers
August 3, 2026
This was so boring. I managed about 120 pages but just couldn’t force myself to finish it. I got to the point where the reader begins to know what he’s running from, but it seems such an unlikely scenario. And Jay (along with all the other characters) is such an unlikeable character, that there’s no-one to invest in. However, I acknowledge I might be out of step as the book has been well promoted by a number of popular reviewers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews