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See How They Run
2 hours, 48 minutes
From the author of These Toxic Things and Audible Original How It Ends comes a gripping short thriller about a young woman whose dreamy “glamping” weekend becomes her worst nightmare.
Still mourning the death of her own fiancée, Lauren Hudson must put on a brave face for her family as they gather in Zion National Park for her brother’s wedding. He’s co-founded a “glamping” (glamorous camping) start-up with Sadie, the soon-to-be bride whom the rest of the Hudsons have yet to meet, and they’re hosting their small destination wedding for their nearest and dearest right on their own campgrounds. But not long after Lauren arrives on the scenic property, doubts creep in about Sadie - could she be harboring a sinister secret? Or is the trauma of Lauren’s own past clouding her judgment? With the wedding looming ever closer, can Lauren discover and expose the truth before it’s too late?
Please note: This audio contains strong language, distressing situations, and descriptions of violence that some listeners may find upsetting. Discretion is advised.
From the author of These Toxic Things and Audible Original How It Ends comes a gripping short thriller about a young woman whose dreamy “glamping” weekend becomes her worst nightmare.
Still mourning the death of her own fiancée, Lauren Hudson must put on a brave face for her family as they gather in Zion National Park for her brother’s wedding. He’s co-founded a “glamping” (glamorous camping) start-up with Sadie, the soon-to-be bride whom the rest of the Hudsons have yet to meet, and they’re hosting their small destination wedding for their nearest and dearest right on their own campgrounds. But not long after Lauren arrives on the scenic property, doubts creep in about Sadie - could she be harboring a sinister secret? Or is the trauma of Lauren’s own past clouding her judgment? With the wedding looming ever closer, can Lauren discover and expose the truth before it’s too late?
Please note: This audio contains strong language, distressing situations, and descriptions of violence that some listeners may find upsetting. Discretion is advised.
Audible Audio
First published April 7, 2022
37 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Howzell Hall
35 books2,494 followersRACHEL HOWZELL HALL l is the critically acclaimed author and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for And Now She’s Gone, which was also nominated for the Lefty-, Barry-, Shamus- and Anthony Awards and the Audible Originals bestseller How It Ends. A New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister with James Patterson, Rachel is an Anthony-, International Thriller Writers- and Lefty Award nominee and the author of They All Fall Down, Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series. Her next thriller, These Toxic Things, out in September 2021, recently received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, calling the novel ‘cleverly-plotted’ and ‘a refreshing take on the serial killer theme.’
Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and has been a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers Programs. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit www.rachelhowzell.com
Her next novel And Now She’s Gone will be published in September 2020. You can find her at www.rachelhowzell.com and on Twitter @RachelHowzell.
Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and has been a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers Programs. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit www.rachelhowzell.com
Her next novel And Now She’s Gone will be published in September 2020. You can find her at www.rachelhowzell.com and on Twitter @RachelHowzell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
March 3, 2023
Another short audiobook, and I liked it. The glamping experience made for a perfect setting for suspense. I didn’t mind that early on we knew something wasn’t right, and why. Predictable is okay when there is a lot going on and we don’t yet know how it all will play out.
January 4, 2023
An exquisitely mesmerizing demonstration of everything a writer — and readers — should avoid at all costs. It’s a toss-up whether the dialogue or the plot was the greater abomination. What is certain is that no one should experience either first-hand.
August 1, 2022
A cautionary tale about a young man who is not a very good son, brother, friend, or business man but pretty good at being a simp. Incredibly cliche plot and characters.
I can only suspend disbelief enough to accept the cast of very West Coast White Collar Hipsters, and it won't stretch far enough to believe the plot, character motivations, or setting.
I only give spoilers if I suggest you do not read. So here are a lot of them. Save yourself 2 hours.
Spoilers/Stupidity:
- "Socials" and a can of bear mace are basically main characters
- started with intrigue (unknown caller leaving heavy breathing voicemails, high speed chase into remote location, seeing ghosts) and gets less interesting as we go (turns out it was just a plot to take over a mediocre small business)
- we are supposed to root for this guy's glamping venture to succeed even though it objectively sucks and he sucks too. Started on a whim after failing to launch other businesses first. Uses his parents money without gratitude. VIP complaints to the owner/friend go unresolved, regular unexpected power outages lead to unsafe environment, running out of hot water, no mosquito netting in tents, running out of food when the next option is 30 minutes away. The owner seems very unconcerned about these issues. Most of the plot is driven by the brothers incompetence or inaction. He was bound to lose that business someday.
-Many characters have confusingly similar names: Malcom, Marley, Harlow, Sparrow etc.
-this lady tries to kill her husband 10 minutes after the ceremony. Did they already file the marriage certificate? Does she think a 5 minute religious ceremony is legally binding?
-girl jumped straight to plotting murder of a famous pro athlete because he didn't want to sleep with her and we are also to believe the brothers friends over heard that plotting & didn't report it or tell their friend despite how it could have helped him, his sister, his business and arrest a murderer?
-this guy is so pussy whipped he can't even ask his GF to postpone the ceremony one day so his parents (who invested millions in him and haven't yet met his GF) can be there?!
Unbelievable and only in the worst of ways.
I can only suspend disbelief enough to accept the cast of very West Coast White Collar Hipsters, and it won't stretch far enough to believe the plot, character motivations, or setting.
I only give spoilers if I suggest you do not read. So here are a lot of them. Save yourself 2 hours.
Spoilers/Stupidity:
- "Socials" and a can of bear mace are basically main characters
- started with intrigue (unknown caller leaving heavy breathing voicemails, high speed chase into remote location, seeing ghosts) and gets less interesting as we go (turns out it was just a plot to take over a mediocre small business)
- we are supposed to root for this guy's glamping venture to succeed even though it objectively sucks and he sucks too. Started on a whim after failing to launch other businesses first. Uses his parents money without gratitude. VIP complaints to the owner/friend go unresolved, regular unexpected power outages lead to unsafe environment, running out of hot water, no mosquito netting in tents, running out of food when the next option is 30 minutes away. The owner seems very unconcerned about these issues. Most of the plot is driven by the brothers incompetence or inaction. He was bound to lose that business someday.
-Many characters have confusingly similar names: Malcom, Marley, Harlow, Sparrow etc.
-this lady tries to kill her husband 10 minutes after the ceremony. Did they already file the marriage certificate? Does she think a 5 minute religious ceremony is legally binding?
-girl jumped straight to plotting murder of a famous pro athlete because he didn't want to sleep with her and we are also to believe the brothers friends over heard that plotting & didn't report it or tell their friend despite how it could have helped him, his sister, his business and arrest a murderer?
-this guy is so pussy whipped he can't even ask his GF to postpone the ceremony one day so his parents (who invested millions in him and haven't yet met his GF) can be there?!
Unbelievable and only in the worst of ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2022
Such A Sight In Your Life
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (April 7, 2022)
I needed a few short books to keep my April 2022 book-a-day streak going and the novella length See How They Run stood out due to its intriguing cover image and the title allusion to the old Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme. It didn't really live up to either of those.
The dialogue here is pitched at a millennials level with influencer-type people referring to their "socials" and using various other youth slang. I felt several decades removed from that and it was difficult to identify with anyone, except perhaps the parents who were offscreen for most of the story anyway.
A reformed alcoholic is asked to her brother's rather spontaneous wedding at his camp grounds. The parents are supposed to attend as well but are stopped due to a supposedly cancelled flight. The sister spots the future sister-in-law canoodling with a stranger at the airport and her suspicions are up. Will she be able to convince her brother to stop the wedding in time and is there some other sort of plot afoot? Due to her own past issues and loss of a fiancé through an accident, her opinion is doubted by others and undermined by the suspicious bride-to-be. The plot was intriguing enough and the narration was ok, but the dialogue was often cringe.
I've read that Audible Originals authors sign Audible exclusivity contracts for at least a six-month period before they are allowed to issue the work in print or eBook formats, so non-audio Howzell Hall fans will have to wait for a bit. Meanwhile, her next novel We Lie Here is available soon, expected July 12, 2022.
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (April 7, 2022)
I needed a few short books to keep my April 2022 book-a-day streak going and the novella length See How They Run stood out due to its intriguing cover image and the title allusion to the old Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme. It didn't really live up to either of those.
The dialogue here is pitched at a millennials level with influencer-type people referring to their "socials" and using various other youth slang. I felt several decades removed from that and it was difficult to identify with anyone, except perhaps the parents who were offscreen for most of the story anyway.
A reformed alcoholic is asked to her brother's rather spontaneous wedding at his camp grounds. The parents are supposed to attend as well but are stopped due to a supposedly cancelled flight. The sister spots the future sister-in-law canoodling with a stranger at the airport and her suspicions are up. Will she be able to convince her brother to stop the wedding in time and is there some other sort of plot afoot? Due to her own past issues and loss of a fiancé through an accident, her opinion is doubted by others and undermined by the suspicious bride-to-be. The plot was intriguing enough and the narration was ok, but the dialogue was often cringe.
I've read that Audible Originals authors sign Audible exclusivity contracts for at least a six-month period before they are allowed to issue the work in print or eBook formats, so non-audio Howzell Hall fans will have to wait for a bit. Meanwhile, her next novel We Lie Here is available soon, expected July 12, 2022.
April 8, 2022
Quick fast paced listen that is enjoyable. Will be fun for those that are looking for an escape for a short while.
April 12, 2022
Bad. Just pass on it.
April 13, 2022
This was an interesting story...it slow dragged and there was a lot of verbiage really to tell this 2 hour story...I didn't think I was going to like the story because it was really taking too long to get to the good stuff...for me, this story didn't get good until close to the end...Unfortunately, you really need to listen to the story in its entirety to get the jus....It really was better than I expected. Lauren really did unexpectedly save the day.
April 22, 2022
This book was all over the place and so poorly written. Too many “I” sentences, pointless descriptions of outfits, and wishy-washy characters with very little depth. Skip it.
August 4, 2022
this litreally had no plot, the endig is super predictable and you knew the plottwist from the very first chapter
September 22, 2022
Interesting short story. Great audio performance.
May 18, 2022
Needs a new title. Must ask if this was written during high school? For the most part, this story reminded me of stories that I have read from high school students I have taught. Not that that is a bad thing, but it does lack a certain sophistication in the writing. And, the plot line was easy to predict early on in the story. Nevertheless, it gets a two, because it was amusing.
July 18, 2022
I really enjoyed this novella- the narration of this audible original was really good. The story was pretty decent! Quick short listen which was perfect for my road trip!
May 14, 2022
See How They Run by Rachel Howzell Hall
2 hours and 48 minutes narrated by Imani Parks
Genre: Literature, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Featuring:Traveling, Alcoholism, Grief, Traveling, Las Vegas, Utah, Sibling Relations, Stereotypes, Sex- off camera, Glamping
Rating as a movie: PG-13/R for adult content
My rating: ⭐⭐½
My thoughts: 38% (ch. 6) - This girl is slow. I definitely would have said something.
I don't know a word to describe it, but this story features a Black man who only dates White women because Black women don't "treat him right," and his sister has a problem with it. That's not racism, that is real people discussing real life, these people exist. Some people can't get pass that, but there is some mild racism going on in this story. Once you get beyond the MC's opinion of her brother's dating choices, the plot lacks substance. I was enjoying the story until the 30% mark, that's when I realized this was going to be wack, unfortunately I didn't realize how bad until the last quarter of the story.
Recommend to others?: Not really. It's skippable.
2 hours and 48 minutes narrated by Imani Parks
Genre: Literature, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Featuring:Traveling, Alcoholism, Grief, Traveling, Las Vegas, Utah, Sibling Relations, Stereotypes, Sex- off camera, Glamping
Rating as a movie: PG-13/R for adult content
My rating: ⭐⭐½
My thoughts: 38% (ch. 6) - This girl is slow. I definitely would have said something.
I don't know a word to describe it, but this story features a Black man who only dates White women because Black women don't "treat him right," and his sister has a problem with it. That's not racism, that is real people discussing real life, these people exist. Some people can't get pass that, but there is some mild racism going on in this story. Once you get beyond the MC's opinion of her brother's dating choices, the plot lacks substance. I was enjoying the story until the 30% mark, that's when I realized this was going to be wack, unfortunately I didn't realize how bad until the last quarter of the story.
Recommend to others?: Not really. It's skippable.
April 18, 2022
It had good potential, but then it developed more plot holes than a cheap swiss cheese. I found myself stopping to rant at the protagonist for doing dumb things or being inconsistent with what had previously been established as her character. Most of the characters were whiney and generally unlikable. All that said, I would give one of the author’s full length works a shot, in case my issues were due to the shortness of being a novella.
April 9, 2022
Short listen… predictable.
I think my biggest issue is that it “reads” like a social media account. I get that influencers are a big thing but I don’t need the floofy detail about a particular outfit or meal or jewelry like I’m heading over to my “socials” to rave about it.
Rated Ehhh.
I think my biggest issue is that it “reads” like a social media account. I get that influencers are a big thing but I don’t need the floofy detail about a particular outfit or meal or jewelry like I’m heading over to my “socials” to rave about it.
Rated Ehhh.
April 16, 2022
A short book by a popular author thought I would give it a try. Kept with it because it was short and hoped it would get better (it didn't). Nothing about this was plausible and even if not written to be so, it was not entertaining. Didn't care about or really get to know any of the characters.
May 6, 2022
2.5
I thought the story was an interesting, modern concept, but the ending fell flat to me.
Things you should know:
Unlikeable characters
MC with an alcohol addiction
Glamping
“Thriller” novella
I thought the story was an interesting, modern concept, but the ending fell flat to me.
Things you should know:
Unlikeable characters
MC with an alcohol addiction
Glamping
“Thriller” novella
April 15, 2022
Tries too hard, and is suffering from an identity crisis. Passable narration.
May 19, 2022
2.5 It was okay. The MC wasn’t exactly a sympathetic character, and her brother was TSTL.
May 24, 2022
See How They Run…away from this book 🥴 Boring, scattered, unrealistic, and just plain bad.
February 18, 2023
1.5 stars:
“See How They Run” is a short story by Rachel Howzell Hall. I listened to the audio, narrated by Imani Parks; it’s part of the Audible Original Stories.
It’s a story about a woman whose fiancée recently died, and as the story opens, she’s preparing for a glamping weekend in Zion National Park. Her brother is getting married and it’s a destination wedding, involving their glamping site. Both she and her brother started the glamping business. Strange events begin occurring on the camp site. None of the family members have met his fiancé, and a foreboding mood flows through the story.
Thankfully it was short. There were too many holes in the plot to be realistic in any way. It’s a thriller, so one expects some dis-believability, but the was just strange.
Can’t say I can recommend it.
“See How They Run” is a short story by Rachel Howzell Hall. I listened to the audio, narrated by Imani Parks; it’s part of the Audible Original Stories.
It’s a story about a woman whose fiancée recently died, and as the story opens, she’s preparing for a glamping weekend in Zion National Park. Her brother is getting married and it’s a destination wedding, involving their glamping site. Both she and her brother started the glamping business. Strange events begin occurring on the camp site. None of the family members have met his fiancé, and a foreboding mood flows through the story.
Thankfully it was short. There were too many holes in the plot to be realistic in any way. It’s a thriller, so one expects some dis-believability, but the was just strange.
Can’t say I can recommend it.
February 24, 2023
Please seek out diverse reviews.
I haven’t read anything by this author so a short story seemed like a good introduction. It wasn’t. As someone who lived near Zion, the amount of “bugs” and wildlife is grossly exaggerated. The mystery seems implausible. The gen z baby millennial vibe didn’t bug me as much as the unlikeliness of any of it occurring. But it is the UT desert and weirder things have happened so…
I haven’t read anything by this author so a short story seemed like a good introduction. It wasn’t. As someone who lived near Zion, the amount of “bugs” and wildlife is grossly exaggerated. The mystery seems implausible. The gen z baby millennial vibe didn’t bug me as much as the unlikeliness of any of it occurring. But it is the UT desert and weirder things have happened so…
May 23, 2022
Kept me company as I was driving but it wasn't so riveting that I had to listen to it every day. In fact I probably stopped listening for a week as it just wasn't grabbing me. The ending and epilogue were good.
May 17, 2023
It was okay. A super short novella.
2.75/5 ⭐️
2.75/5 ⭐️
August 16, 2023
What I won’t read for my Goodreads goal. 🙄 HFS this book was predictably bad. The narrator only made the story worse,
February 17, 2023
An enjoyable novella! A fun, quick listen :)
May 5, 2022
An okay thriller. Really didn't start to get good until the last thirty minutes or so. Not a bad way to kill some time, and I don't regret listening to it, but this novella leaves a lot to be desired in the narration and the story.
April 10, 2022
First book I’ve read by this author. Debated between 4 and 5 stars.
Incredibly interesting that the plot doesn’t develop in typical mystery/thriller style. Usually, it’s -> try to find out who committed crime -> discover the culprit(s) at the end!
This book doesn’t evolve in the oft-repeated way, which makes it differ from the norm. But yet, it was a great read that kept me highly engaged throughout.
I’ll be reading more from this author. Well done.
Incredibly interesting that the plot doesn’t develop in typical mystery/thriller style. Usually, it’s -> try to find out who committed crime -> discover the culprit(s) at the end!
This book doesn’t evolve in the oft-repeated way, which makes it differ from the norm. But yet, it was a great read that kept me highly engaged throughout.
I’ll be reading more from this author. Well done.
September 3, 2022
I listened to this via audible, and fortunately it was free. All it cost me was time that I can never get back. However, I am not sure which was worse the actual story or the narrator. It was something that sounded like it was written by a seventh grader trying to do an English assignment and on top of that the narrator was terrible. The story was absolutely predictable and even the "twist" was unsurprising
July 1, 2022
I want my 2.5 hours back! Every character was very unlikeable, especially the pu$$y whipped, bad son/brother/businessman character. The characters had similar names which was annoying. And the final death scene had me cracking up, like y’all aren’t even officially married until your pastor hands in the marriage certificate lol just an overall plot sucking story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews