A Governor’s Pardon.A Nobel Prize Winner.A Murder at City Hall.It all begins with a Governor's Pardon that sends shockwaves through the criminal justice system. After losing his second term election, the governor of Kentucky pardons 428 felons. Among them, Lennart Skoll—convicted of a brutal double homicide and sentenced to 18 years in Kentucky’s notorious prison, The Castle on the Cumberland. Skoll claims he was wrongfully convicted, an innocent victim of circumstance, but can he be trusted?
But the real storm is brewing in San Francisco where Will Finch joins an Extinction Rebellion protest outside City Hall. When the rally turns violent, a loner waves a pistol and fires a wild shot into the crowd. Finch tackles the gunman and holds him for the police. When the dust settles, a bystander lies dead beside him—a climate science Nobel Prize winner.
As Finch grapples with the weight of the tragedy, he stumbles upon a web of deception that leads to a triple murder. The killings spark a cat-and-mouse chase through South Dakota’s Black Hills. Can Finch outrun the criminals trying to silence him, or will he become one more victim of corruption and violence?
With its serpentine plot twists and life-or-death suspense, Run Time speeds from San Francisco to Louisville, Kentucky and builds to a staggering climax on Mount Rushmore.
Prepare for a fight against the odds — and a battle that will leave you breathless in Run Time.
D.F. Bailey is a W.H. Smith First Novel Award and a Whistler Independent Book Award finalist.
His first novel, Fire Eyes was optioned for film. His second novel, Healing the Dead, was translated into German as Todliche Ahnungen. The Good Lie, another psychological thriller, was recorded as a talking book. A fourth novel, Exit from America, made its debut as an e-book in 2013.
In 2015 D.F. Bailey published The Finch Trilogy — Bone Maker, Stone Eater, and Lone Hunter — novels narrated from the point-of-view of a crime reporter in San Francisco. He is now extending the trilogy in a series of stand-alone novels.
Following his birth in Montreal, D.F. Bailey's family moved around North America from rural Ontario to New York City to McComb, Mississippi to Cape May, New Jersey. He finally "landed on his feet" on Vancouver Island — where he lives next to the Salish Sea in the city of Victoria.
For twenty-two years D.F. Bailey worked at the University of Victoria where he taught creative writing and journalism and coordinated the Professional Writing Cooperative Education Program — which he co-founded. From time to time he also freelanced as a business writer and journalist. In the fall of 2010 he left the university so that he could turn "his pre-occupation with writing into a full-blown obsession."
For more information about D.F. Bailey's books and his free newsletter visit: www.dfbailey.com
Wow Another Will Finch mystery that has you gripped, trying to figure out what happens is impossible. You absolutely have to keep reading to find out the end. Can’t wait for the next book.
The summary sounded interesting, and the reviews were very strong. I was a bit disappointed in the book; I found the dialog and characters somewhat shallow. While I was interested in the plot premise, neither the plot nor the characters moved me deeply. I did appreciate the environment angle and the attempt to shine a light on such a vital concern.
For readers who are turned off by writers who have a weak understanding of grammar (your, you’re, its, It’s, their, there, they’re…) and punctuation, Don Bailey tells an excellent story with good characters and a mastery of writing basics, that won’t be undermined by such distracting glitches that can spoil a good read. I purchased and read all five of the previous Will Finch novels, and the collection of independent stories collected in the set called First Four. Don Baily has to be the most underrated author I have encountered among the hundreds of indie writer/publishers I have encountered through Kindle eBooks. He doesn’t rely on gratuitous sex and violence to hold the attention of readers. True, there is enough action to maintain a good pace, and lots of suspense. There are references to characters and events from previous Finch-series novels, so tackling the books in order makes for smoother reading. But watching Will Finch practice the intricacies and determination that characterizes true journalism has the rewarding sense one gets from reading fictional courtroom scenes written by real case lawyers. Run Time makes use of real events in US political history that evoke headlines from 2020 and 2021. A defeated politician (governor, in this instance) and the pardoning of a hundred or so convicted criminals suggests a loose parallel to the US Presidential Election of 2020, and subsequent events through the end of January 2021. As such, the conclusion of the story is going to polarize readers with strong feelings and convictions about what took place in the US over that three month period. But I found that for the first time, Baily’s story felt clumsy in the way it led up to using political corruption themes and current events to indirectly deliver a punch clearly meant for Donald J. Trump. Don’t get me wrong. As a Canadian, I was, and remain, repulsed by the legacy left by the defeated president. But I have been frustrated by a couple of other excellent thriller authors who have done a similar thing and as a result, polarized readers into two “camps” where one of the groups felt a sense of being affirmed in their mindset, and the other condemns the author and his work and are lost as potential readers for future novels while they flame the author through their posted reviews. Meanwhile, I will pre-order all future D. F. Baily books as soon as I become aware of them.
I've been following the Will Finch series since I got a copy free of Finch Confidential, the medical report of Will Finch, sole survivor of an ambush in Afghanistan, illustrating his many serious injuries. Will, who eventually found a place as a reporter on the San Francisco Post, becomes a crime writer who uncovers crime whilst getting unintentionally personally involved - at risk of his life, and is nominated for Pulitzer prize for the third of his books about said crimes. This story has parallels with real life - one of the most important, and definitely creepy characters is based on a real life American politician who, before he lost his office, granted full unconditional parole to over 400 of the worst criminals - although for a different reason than in real life. The fictional politician in question in this book is involved in murders of climate activists working with the Sioux in Dakota to stop an oil pipeline crossing their land (if you follow the news you'll remember this story). He is part of a nationwide criminal organisation determined to remake America in the image they want. The leader is called The Orangeman but neither Will Finch or any other characters can work out who this could be. I did, but this review wouldn't be published if I said who! These are great stories about a man who would like to just report on crime and write his books, while his pregnant partner takes care of her family and The Post, of which she is now owner. This is a great series to follow
What starts out with a murder of his friend at a green rally and his nephew and girlfriend going missing on an eco road trip leads to Will Finch's involvement in murder and a countrywide conspiracy by a mason like organisation with an ex governor at it's head. Pardoning convicts and recruiting them to commit murders is their plan but Lennart Skoll is not the man they thought he was and Will ends up helping him although it is ultimately too late but the conspiracy is foiled and Will has another great scoop under his belt as well as getting the missing pair back from their unfortunate road trip misadventure. Good plot and settings and very plausible characters.
The author continues the saga of Will Finch. This time he leads us on a cross-country journey that weaves seemly unconnected events together. It's a difficult ride for Will but the author pulls us into his thoughts and choices that allow him to continue this journey. We discover why he makes the decisions he makes and how he pushes them to the logical conclusion.
Well written and gripping. My favorite character was a convict serving time for a crime he claimed he didn’t do. He was resigned with his fate, then hopeful, then desperately trapped by circumstances beyond his control. The desperate measures evil takes to control and rule with total disregard to those that get in their way is the theme of this very absorbing story.
Another good chapter in Will Finch's adventure filled life. Well written, with Well thought out characters and plot, with an explosive and thought provoking finish.
Will Finch witnesses a brutal murder then his nephew and his girlfriend disappear. Now Will is trying to find them but he finds so much more. A nationwide conspiracy in fact. Non-stop thrills. A great read that keeps your attention.
This book was alright but at the end of the book there was a lot of things that I thought were missing. At the end of the book there was Chapter One of the next book (which I won't be reading). The story evidently continues but I won't be wasting my time with it.
Formulaic. Leftist conspiracy theory. The references to Qnon and Trump were clearly understood. Shame on you. When are you going to out the Deep State?
I received a review copy from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. This is an engrossing story that catches the reader's attention within the first few pages and doesn't let go until the last page is turned. The characters, both familiar and new, are intriguing, relatable, realistic, and some are down-right nasty. But whether they are the 'good guys" or the "bad guys" they are not cardboard cut-outs. They feel like people you could possibly know. The action and suspense are in plenteous supply and practically non-stop. Because we see events unfolding both from Will's perspective and also the perspective of one of the "bad guys" there is a feeling of constant action. I also loved the setting and the way it plays into the developing story. If you haven't read the Will Finch series, you need to. They will give you many, many hours of enjoyment. I can't wait to see what's next.
Corruption and violence! Great thriller! After a seemingly random shooting, Will Finch is looking for justice but gets mixed up with some corruption and vengeance, after stumbling onto three murders - will he get justice or will he be silenced? Who thinks pardoning 428 felons after losing an election is a good idea? Seems like a poor looser is trying to mess things up for the next person elected - remind you of anyone? Good book, great series, highly recommended!
Lennart Skoll is pardoned by the governor on a murder charge and is now a free man. But freedom comes with a price that Skoll will soon learn. Meanwhile, Will Finch is at a rally where he tackles a gunman, but it is too late for one of his friends. There are many things going on in this story, so if you like action this book is for you. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I just finished this latest story in the Will Finch series. The story will get your attention right from the beginning.
It starts with Will at his girlfriend's sister's house celebrating Christmas. At that time, it was mentioned that Brock's girlfriend would be speaking at a event related to climate change. At that event, David River's, Eve's Brother-In-Law is killed and Will winds up capturing the killer. Without any notice, this will play a large part later in the story.
Several months after the killing, Brock and his girlfriend are planning a trip to the mid West to perform a task which David normally did. While making the trip, Brock's girlfriend would be doing podcasts along the way. After awhile, Brock's mother hadn't heard from them for a bit and was getting concerned. Later, they receive a call inquiring about a van that had been discovered and was registered to David. The call was from the Rapid City police and they were told that the van had been in a flood and that there were no other individuals found. After a discussion, it was determined that Will would go to Rapid City and try to discover what happened to Brock and his girlfriend.
While Will was in Rapid City he met up with an individual who had been sent to observe certain individuals. As things developed, he and this individual had to fight for their lives. To discover how this all came about and how this individual Will met, played a role and what reason and who was responsible for the Killing of David, then you must read this book. You won't be disappointed.
Will is always the perfect guy for the job. He captures the killer right away. Now he has to find the truth. Plenty of action, intriguing plot and a story that won’t let you down.
This is a great addition to the Will Finch books. As ever, the story engaged le from the very beginning. Fast paced, intelligently constructed and crafted, this is an excellent crime thriller. The battle between ecologists and the brothers of Vidar is an interesting take, and is plausible. Fun to read, this is a great book.