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The Runner
Not yet published
Expected 17 Nov 26He’s running for his life. And he’s running out of time.
On a sun-soaked Greek island, Jay is on the run. He’s been hunted since he was twenty years old: a contract on his life traded like a commodity, rising and falling with the price of Bitcoin.
Stranded with no passport, loyalty points as his only currency and an assassin in hot pursuit, Jay’s only hope is to escape on a catamaran with a crew on their way to perform an exorcism on a dictator’s private island. When it becomes clear that his shipmates are even more dubious than they first seemed, Jay has to run again – this time into the arms of the beautiful Ellie, who is either his doom or his salvation.
Caught in a web of high-finance, con-artists, the Book of Jonah and ultramarathons, Jay will have to choose between love and survival, and run for his life!
Darkly funny, sexy, exciting, philosophical and enthralling, The Runner is an unmissable literary treat from Britain’s most exciting novelist.
On a sun-soaked Greek island, Jay is on the run. He’s been hunted since he was twenty years old: a contract on his life traded like a commodity, rising and falling with the price of Bitcoin.
Stranded with no passport, loyalty points as his only currency and an assassin in hot pursuit, Jay’s only hope is to escape on a catamaran with a crew on their way to perform an exorcism on a dictator’s private island. When it becomes clear that his shipmates are even more dubious than they first seemed, Jay has to run again – this time into the arms of the beautiful Ellie, who is either his doom or his salvation.
Caught in a web of high-finance, con-artists, the Book of Jonah and ultramarathons, Jay will have to choose between love and survival, and run for his life!
Darkly funny, sexy, exciting, philosophical and enthralling, The Runner is an unmissable literary treat from Britain’s most exciting novelist.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 16, 2026
About the author
Scarlett Thomas
33 books1,861 followersScarlett 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.
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
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.
Did Not Finish
June 25, 2026Review 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…
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…
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A wild and bizarre rollercoaster ride of cat-and-mouse games, The Runner was a highly original tale of redemption that I blew through in only a handful of hours. You see, it not only oozed wit and humor, but also asked some rather large philosophical questions. That being said, it was more like a fever-dream of a read than a conventional thriller. Hard to find my footing and often downright absurd, the crazy-a** adventures and odd romantic entanglements felt somewhat off to this thriller lover. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but it just missed the mark for me in spite of the high-stakes conspiracy, clever social commentary, and irreverent dark humor.
What, however, was my biggest turnoff? Well, that had to be the misogynistic feel throughout this short and satirical novel. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it was written by a man. Ultimately, though, my reasons behind why I gave this book the rating I did were twofold. With a plot that felt both jumbled and disjointed and a main character who I really didn’t care for, it was, at times, hard to give a damn about what happened to Jay. Don’t get me wrong, I obviously did or I wouldn’t have finished the book at all.
All of that being said, if you like literary thrillers that are strange and experimental, you just might enjoy this one a bit more than I did. So if this sounds like something you might enjoy, perhaps you should take my review with a rather large pinch of salt. After all, even though it wasn’t really my cup of tea, I still found myself oddly enchanted as I raced through the pages all the way to that abrupt yet shocking last scene. Who knows…maybe I really did just want to find out what happened to Jay. Rating of 2.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
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.
Thank you Scarlett Thomas and Simon & Schuster for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: November 17, 2026
Content warning: cursing, sexual content, misogyny, violence, murder
What, however, was my biggest turnoff? Well, that had to be the misogynistic feel throughout this short and satirical novel. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it was written by a man. Ultimately, though, my reasons behind why I gave this book the rating I did were twofold. With a plot that felt both jumbled and disjointed and a main character who I really didn’t care for, it was, at times, hard to give a damn about what happened to Jay. Don’t get me wrong, I obviously did or I wouldn’t have finished the book at all.
All of that being said, if you like literary thrillers that are strange and experimental, you just might enjoy this one a bit more than I did. So if this sounds like something you might enjoy, perhaps you should take my review with a rather large pinch of salt. After all, even though it wasn’t really my cup of tea, I still found myself oddly enchanted as I raced through the pages all the way to that abrupt yet shocking last scene. Who knows…maybe I really did just want to find out what happened to Jay. Rating of 2.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
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.
Thank you Scarlett Thomas and Simon & Schuster for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: November 17, 2026
Content warning: cursing, sexual content, misogyny, violence, murder
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
October 10, 2026
What seemed at the outset as a tale of unfortunate coincidence, of perplexing pursuit, and random circumstance turned out to be a carefully and cunningly crafted tale of ubiquitous surveillance, revenge, the Dark Web, excessive materialism (a common trope in Thomas’s work), and redemption (a not so common trope in her work). The story centres on Jay, as he is known – not his birth name, fleeing an assassin, taken in by a crew of sailors who turn out to be exorcists, scamming their way through the gullible wealthy and with get rich schemes aplenty.
Thomas takes this seemingly bizarre set of circumstances as the basis of a tale of redemption, the significance of the con, the subtle and not so subtle dynamics of class, of obsession, greed, and being in the wrong place, all woven into the tale of a man, who for no obvious reason, is pursued by assassins, who may or may not include his travelling companions. She also, and this is a delight of the book, manages to keep Jay – as the pursued – in a balance between perplexity, concealment, and getting on with keeping alive anyway, where an abundance of airpoints is the only sign of his previous standard of living while in the now his focus in on finding, in one case, £165 in cash to provide, perhaps, an option for a way out of his predicament. Along the way, there is running – a lot of it – for release, for hope, for relaxation, and in one case for cash and opportunity in the form of an ultramarathon traversing parts of Kent.
There is a sense of corruption via wealth and alienation it can lead to that is similar to The Sleepwalkers although in this case Jay’s wealth seems a marker of hollowness in his chosen means of escape from his childhood while for others it is either a fantasy or a fatal trap. There is, then, a sense of the immorality of irresponsibility in the book – not in any kind of heavy handed way, but as an ethical underpinning; and I admit I may be over-reading with this.
The shaggy-dog character of wondering where this was taking me kept me engaged, along with a trust in Thomas’s work (based on all I have read of her work) that this was going to take me somewhere interesting, and it did, even if that ‘somewhere’ is left open, in the hands of the fates.
Thomas takes this seemingly bizarre set of circumstances as the basis of a tale of redemption, the significance of the con, the subtle and not so subtle dynamics of class, of obsession, greed, and being in the wrong place, all woven into the tale of a man, who for no obvious reason, is pursued by assassins, who may or may not include his travelling companions. She also, and this is a delight of the book, manages to keep Jay – as the pursued – in a balance between perplexity, concealment, and getting on with keeping alive anyway, where an abundance of airpoints is the only sign of his previous standard of living while in the now his focus in on finding, in one case, £165 in cash to provide, perhaps, an option for a way out of his predicament. Along the way, there is running – a lot of it – for release, for hope, for relaxation, and in one case for cash and opportunity in the form of an ultramarathon traversing parts of Kent.
There is a sense of corruption via wealth and alienation it can lead to that is similar to The Sleepwalkers although in this case Jay’s wealth seems a marker of hollowness in his chosen means of escape from his childhood while for others it is either a fantasy or a fatal trap. There is, then, a sense of the immorality of irresponsibility in the book – not in any kind of heavy handed way, but as an ethical underpinning; and I admit I may be over-reading with this.
The shaggy-dog character of wondering where this was taking me kept me engaged, along with a trust in Thomas’s work (based on all I have read of her work) that this was going to take me somewhere interesting, and it did, even if that ‘somewhere’ is left open, in the hands of the fates.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
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.
Review of advance copy
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
October 24, 2026
This novel follows the main character as he desperately tries to evade an assassin, and it’s a tense, intriguing journey from start to finish.
One of the highlights for me was the cast of characters. Each one felt distinct, with motivations that kept me invested in their interactions and the unfolding story. Scarlett Thomas does an excellent job of making the reader care about what happens to them.
The plot itself is a slowly moving deliberately toward an unexpected conclusion. While it doesn’t rush, the pacing allows the suspense to simmer, and by the final chapters, the twist is both surprising and satisfying.
Overall, The Runner is a gripping, character-driven thriller with a payoff that makes the journey worthwhile. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful reads that take their time to deliver a memorable ending.
One of the highlights for me was the cast of characters. Each one felt distinct, with motivations that kept me invested in their interactions and the unfolding story. Scarlett Thomas does an excellent job of making the reader care about what happens to them.
The plot itself is a slowly moving deliberately toward an unexpected conclusion. While it doesn’t rush, the pacing allows the suspense to simmer, and by the final chapters, the twist is both surprising and satisfying.
Overall, The Runner is a gripping, character-driven thriller with a payoff that makes the journey worthwhile. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful reads that take their time to deliver a memorable ending.
Review of advance copy
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Jay (not his real name) is staying in a Greek resort when he realizes he's been found and is forced on the run with only the clothes on his back. He manages to get a job on a boat to Cyprus, where he continues his clandestine existence of living off of the loyalty points he'd accumulated before a hit was taken out on him years earlier, that has now, thanks to bitcoin, ballooned into an outrageous sum. So, he's comfortable and well-fed, but unable to buy a change of clothes or basic supplies. He does meet a young woman, with whom he quickly forms a casual relationship, but his ties to her are stronger than he knows and he is eventually sucked into a plot to grift money off of the dictator of a small Eurasian country by exorcising the leader's residence of evil spirits. The would-be grifters are inept, helped out in their scheme by Jay's love interest's brother, a defrocked and severely depressed priest.
The plot, if even moderate attention is paid, does not hold together or make sense. It's also very, very weird. As the plot grew more convoluted, it became muddier, eventually leaving me less invested in what happened to Jay, and by leaving the reason for him having had a contract to have him killed taken out on him until late in the book, it was hard to find a reason to care about his fate. Thomas is an imaginative and surprising writer and this book is both, but lacks the cohesion of her previous novels.
The plot, if even moderate attention is paid, does not hold together or make sense. It's also very, very weird. As the plot grew more convoluted, it became muddier, eventually leaving me less invested in what happened to Jay, and by leaving the reason for him having had a contract to have him killed taken out on him until late in the book, it was hard to find a reason to care about his fate. Thomas is an imaginative and surprising writer and this book is both, but lacks the cohesion of her previous novels.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“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.
Review of advance copy
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.
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.
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 <
So it's a shame that The Runner was a bit of a let down, enjoyed the story but the end just ran out <
October 24, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book has an interesting premise, but the story falls flat. There's very little actual plot, and what little there is gets buried under pages of atmospheric writing. The pacing drags, the characters feel underdeveloped, and there's never much of a sense of urgency. For a book about a man running for his life, surprisingly little happens. I kept waiting for the story to pick up, but it never really did.
This book has an interesting premise, but the story falls flat. There's very little actual plot, and what little there is gets buried under pages of atmospheric writing. The pacing drags, the characters feel underdeveloped, and there's never much of a sense of urgency. For a book about a man running for his life, surprisingly little happens. I kept waiting for the story to pick up, but it never really did.
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?
Read
August 24, 2026I 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.
Review of advance copy
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.
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.
I’ve dropped one star as I feel that the protagonist’s redemption arc could’ve landed a little better.
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Sonstiges
3.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A bit confusing at first, but a delightful read!
Review of advance copy
I enjoyed this. It was a bit laggy at times but once i got into the story it was good. So outrageous but totally believable!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
September 5, 2026
This is so madcap and dark and thrilling and delicious. Scarlett Thomas might be my favourite writer.
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