What do you think?
Rate this book
Jack Swyteck #8
Born To Run
“[A] thrill-a-minute novel.” — USA Today Jack Swyteck is back in action in Born to Run —the eighth outing for the danger-prone Miami lawyer in author James Grippando’s New York Times bestselling series. In this timely and spellbinding thriller, Swyteck is embroiled in shady Washington D.C. politics when his own father is selected by the President to replace the Vice President, killed in a hunting accident. Born to Run crackles with suspense, surprises, and razor sharp wit—“a fun 200-proof yarn,” the Washington Post raves—and serves as indisputable evidence, as crime fiction superstar Harlan Coben attests, that “Grippando grips from page one.”
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
164 people are currently reading
844 people want to read
About the author
James Grippando
50 books1,193 followers The first thing you should know about bestselling author James Grippando is that he is no longer clueless—or so they say, after “A James Grippando Novel” was a clue for #38 Across in the New York Times crossword puzzle. James is the winner of the Harper Lee Prize for legal fiction and a New York Times bestselling author with more than 30 novels to his credit, including the popular series featuring Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck. His latest, "Goodbye Girl" (HarperCollins 2024), is the 18th in the Swyteck series. His novels are enjoyed worldwide in 28 languages. As an adjunct professor he teaches "The Law & Lawyers in Modern Literature" at the University of Miami School of Law. He is also counsel at one of the nation’s leading law firms, where he specializes in entertainment and intellectual property law, representing clients who have won more than 40 Tony Awards. He writes in south Florida with Atlas at his side, a faithful golden retriever who has no idea he’s a dog.
Series:
* Jack Swyteck
Series:
* Jack Swyteck
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
May 25, 2020
Picked up as many books at the library as I could before they closed a few months ago, and this one turned out to be a winner. I'll have to read the series now. Jack Swyteck is an interesting dude. A criminal defense attorney in Miami, dating an FBI agent he gets entangled in a murder case (Is his dad, the former Governor of Florida and current candidate to replace murdered VP Harry Grayson, a suspect?). A lot of interesting characters including the Greek, his former wife, the President, the Vice President's wife, daughter, and lover....all mixed up in a who-donit and what did they really do? Give it a go if you can. I'm going to track down "Intent to Kill" the follow up to this novel as well as an earlier one in the series, "Last Call". Sometimes it takes a little Pandemic to find a really good author!
May 6, 2018
Jack Swyteck gets himself into more difficult sitauations than any other lawyer on the planet.
This time, he is with his father who has been tapped to become the next US Vice-President after the untimely death of his predecessor. But was this death a natural occurrence or was it murder? And who is the mysterious “Greek” from the early '60's who is bringing so much trouble to Jack and others 46 years later? A fast paced easy read.
This time, he is with his father who has been tapped to become the next US Vice-President after the untimely death of his predecessor. But was this death a natural occurrence or was it murder? And who is the mysterious “Greek” from the early '60's who is bringing so much trouble to Jack and others 46 years later? A fast paced easy read.
April 4, 2019
This was a deviation from the usual format. No legal case or connected investigation.
The basic plot is that Jack’s father Harry is being considered for Vice President.
I found it boring and I wasn’t sure what was going on.
It was long.
W/out giving any spoilers, there is a big chase in the middle & when it finished, I wondered where is this going now?
Some humor via Theo.
A surprise towards the end.
The basic plot is that Jack’s father Harry is being considered for Vice President.
I found it boring and I wasn’t sure what was going on.
It was long.
W/out giving any spoilers, there is a big chase in the middle & when it finished, I wondered where is this going now?
Some humor via Theo.
A surprise towards the end.
February 8, 2021
I liked the twist at the end. I did not see the "secret" coming.
August 1, 2023
Another great book with Jack Swyteck!
April 16, 2025
There was a little more action in this one which is always a good thing. But on the other hand, there were no courtroom antics for the lawyer MC, Jack, but that was not a deal breaker.
There were some convenient information/clues that fell precisely in the right place and at just the right time in the hands of the right people. That always feels lazy to me. This author relies on this tool in every book, but in this one it was prevalent. Not my favorite.
However, even when the story doesn't grab me, there are still things I enjoy. One of those things is the humor. I loved the way the author inserts this into the dialogue and into the relationship expectations. And this leads me to the second thing I enjoy.....the characters.
So 3 stars.
There were some convenient information/clues that fell precisely in the right place and at just the right time in the hands of the right people. That always feels lazy to me. This author relies on this tool in every book, but in this one it was prevalent. Not my favorite.
However, even when the story doesn't grab me, there are still things I enjoy. One of those things is the humor. I loved the way the author inserts this into the dialogue and into the relationship expectations. And this leads me to the second thing I enjoy.....the characters.
So 3 stars.
December 27, 2016
This is the 8th adventure of Jack Swyteck, a less than successful Florida attorney - although money never seems to pose a big problem - who, as this series progresses spends less and less time in the courtroom and more time involved in the world of politics. Born to Run is a political thriller – or at least an attempt.
After the death of the Vice-President while hunting alligators in the Everglades, Jack’s father, a former Florida Governor, is tapped by the President to fill the vacancy. Then of course the hi-jinx begin. Jack is approached by the VP’s widow who suggests that her late husband’s death wasn’t “natural” and he receives an anonymous e-mail that further confirms foul-play.
As political thrillers go the plot of Born to Run is one of the more ridiculous I’ve read and at times borders on farce, including the “exciting” conclusion. And I also had the suspicion that much of this was written with an eye on how it would play out on a movie, or at the very least, a TV screen.
Jack’s current girl-friend, an FBI agent, comes across as pretty much of an idiot, which is par for the course for Jack’s love life. Although this hasn’t prevented the author from continually romantically pairing him up. That being said, this book like its predecessors is mindless entertainment with Jack and his side-kick Theo fighting crime and saving the day, a la Batman and Robin, and is perfect for airport reading during flight delays – or any other situation during which you don’t feel the need to tax your brain
After the death of the Vice-President while hunting alligators in the Everglades, Jack’s father, a former Florida Governor, is tapped by the President to fill the vacancy. Then of course the hi-jinx begin. Jack is approached by the VP’s widow who suggests that her late husband’s death wasn’t “natural” and he receives an anonymous e-mail that further confirms foul-play.
As political thrillers go the plot of Born to Run is one of the more ridiculous I’ve read and at times borders on farce, including the “exciting” conclusion. And I also had the suspicion that much of this was written with an eye on how it would play out on a movie, or at the very least, a TV screen.
Jack’s current girl-friend, an FBI agent, comes across as pretty much of an idiot, which is par for the course for Jack’s love life. Although this hasn’t prevented the author from continually romantically pairing him up. That being said, this book like its predecessors is mindless entertainment with Jack and his side-kick Theo fighting crime and saving the day, a la Batman and Robin, and is perfect for airport reading during flight delays – or any other situation during which you don’t feel the need to tax your brain
May 30, 2018
Audio book read by Jonathan Davis who always does a brilliant job.
Poor Jack, another mustang bites the dust!
I loved this novel. Jack Swyteck gets caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and murder at the top levels of the U.S. government when the vice-president dies ( gets murdered) and Jack's father is called upon by the president to be his new vice-president, but there's a secret out there that could take the president down. Great suspense until the very end and then a little romance between Jack and Andie which is always a good thing!
Poor Jack, another mustang bites the dust!
I loved this novel. Jack Swyteck gets caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and murder at the top levels of the U.S. government when the vice-president dies ( gets murdered) and Jack's father is called upon by the president to be his new vice-president, but there's a secret out there that could take the president down. Great suspense until the very end and then a little romance between Jack and Andie which is always a good thing!
October 6, 2014
Jonathan Davis does an awesome job narrating this story on audio CD! What secret is someone holding over the head of the President of the US? Unraveling the mystery, James Grippando brings this story to an unbelievable conclusion. Pilfered funds, mobsters, an unimaginable survival from a fall, and love all come together to make for a great story! 8 out of 10 for me on this one.
March 9, 2009
You’ll want to read Born To Run for the ending.
July 14, 2009
This book had a great start. The middle was OK. The end fell flat for me. It is the first of the Jack Swyteck stories that I have read. I may try another.
February 5, 2013
Interesting and well written. 8 of 10 stars
May 28, 2017
Own library Amazon Audible edition. When Harry's friend, the vice president of the United States, goes hunting for alligators in the Everglades and winds up dead, the president positions Harry to be his new VP. Harry immediately asks Jack to be his lawyer. The prestige that comes from the job turns lethal, however, when Jack finds himself at the heart of a complicated cover-up that spans nearly fifty years and the globe. Before hostages can be released, an old secret must be revealed, one that could threaten the life of the president of the United States himself. The vice-president dies in Florida on an alligator hunting trip which initially looks likes the result of a known pre-existingmedical condition broght on by the excitement of the adventure but later is discovered as a result of a high dosage of ED medicine (erectile dysfunction ) that should not be taken with the medical condition of the VP.
As Jack is informed of this information by the VP's wife the questions start to be raised. Did he himself take the ED medicine because he expected to see the ex white intern aide Cloe who he had an affair with or perhaps someone else added it. It turned out in the end that with the president's ,the secret service organised crime insider plant to control the president Frank want he person who doctored the VP food / drink so he ingested a lethal dosage.
Jack Swyteck gets caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and murder at the top levels of the United States government in his most high-profile and disturbing case ye
Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck guards his own family secrets closely, after his father's two terms as Florida's governor made some personal rifts public. Things between the two men are finally better, and whenever Harry Swyteck asks for Jack's help he gets it. Suddenly, Harry needs it more than ever before.
(less)
Hardcover, 325 pages
Publishe
Jack
Friend Reviews
As Jack is informed of this information by the VP's wife the questions start to be raised. Did he himself take the ED medicine because he expected to see the ex white intern aide Cloe who he had an affair with or perhaps someone else added it. It turned out in the end that with the president's ,the secret service organised crime insider plant to control the president Frank want he person who doctored the VP food / drink so he ingested a lethal dosage.
Jack Swyteck gets caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and murder at the top levels of the United States government in his most high-profile and disturbing case ye
Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck guards his own family secrets closely, after his father's two terms as Florida's governor made some personal rifts public. Things between the two men are finally better, and whenever Harry Swyteck asks for Jack's help he gets it. Suddenly, Harry needs it more than ever before.
(less)
Hardcover, 325 pages
Publishe
Jack
Friend Reviews
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2021
I loved Theo. He made the book much more entertaining. I never had a friend who behaved so outrageously, yet still managed to be cherished as a friend. Theo should have his own book. It is hard to come up with fresh plots for novels. This book had one, at least far as I know. Not knowing the big secret that threatened the President until the end of the book was not unusual for a novel. I kept wondering what kind of situation or crime or scandal could result in the immediate removal of the sitting President. After all, what President in real life has ever been quickly removed from office? The President in the novel not being born in America or naturalized later comes to mind as one of the only situations where in the face of proof, a sitting President would have to vacate the office, no matter the politics. A great idea.
April 18, 2024
This was a nice evening read I can recommend. It might help a tiny bit if you are familiar with the entire series only because you get some gratification in seeing the development of the romance between Attorney Jack Swyteck and FBI Agent Andie Henning. Grippando crafts her so well you’d want her association if she were real.
Someone murders the vice president, and the president taps Swyteck’s dad, Florida’s fictional former governor, as the guy’s replacement. Naturally, the murder looks like a heart attack initially. But a disgraced White House intern and her sister get mysterious information that indicates the vice president didn’t die naturally.
The bodies pile up and the bullets fly hot and fast as a desperate man attempting to blackmail the president continues to raise the stakes.
Someone murders the vice president, and the president taps Swyteck’s dad, Florida’s fictional former governor, as the guy’s replacement. Naturally, the murder looks like a heart attack initially. But a disgraced White House intern and her sister get mysterious information that indicates the vice president didn’t die naturally.
The bodies pile up and the bullets fly hot and fast as a desperate man attempting to blackmail the president continues to raise the stakes.
May 25, 2025
started finished 25h may 2025 good read i liked it three stars no more no less fourth story from grippando james for me and if i recall the main page this story only has...was it 181 reviews? since, what was it, 2008? readers are missing out. story and grippando deserves to be read more than that i only just recently (four reads ago) discovered him while sniffing books at the digital library...you know, make you way down the aisle, all you can see are the edges, covers all hidden, you pull random books from the shelf. hey, maybe if it had some cock-sucking and butt-fucking it would get more pundit coverage, maybe a month devoted each year to the subject? anyway, entertaining fast pace story with some heavy-duty politics involved, various creeps and creepezoids populate the pages jack swyteck #8 and i've now read four from this series. well worth a read.
June 26, 2019
So for the first half of the book, I'm very impressed. So many writers have their characters in suspended animation. They are the same people with the same jobs for the whole series. And here comes Grippando making a move! Jack's father possibly Vice President? The locale moving to DC from Miami? Great!
Then the second half of the book came. I don't know how many of you read these books in order, but it's NOT COOL to have two full Swyteck books out the last 3 both having hostage situations! I read that Grippando's editor left around this time period, which may explain how no one pointed out you shouldn't go to the exact same well twice in three books.
If Grippando does this again soon, I'm out.
Then the second half of the book came. I don't know how many of you read these books in order, but it's NOT COOL to have two full Swyteck books out the last 3 both having hostage situations! I read that Grippando's editor left around this time period, which may explain how no one pointed out you shouldn't go to the exact same well twice in three books.
If Grippando does this again soon, I'm out.
September 26, 2023
I listened to this one and really enjoyed the narrator, Jonathan Davis. He does a wonderful job of making Theo and Jack come to life for me.
This is about Jack's dad and asked about being vice-president and how he becomes involved in finding out why the last vice-president ended up deceased.
It takes place in Washington, DC and in Miami. There is a hostage situation and Andie is involved in negotiating the release of the hostages.
I just love the wit in this books. Theo and Jack are great friends and Theo sometimes tells Jack things he probably wouldn't think about.
I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars.
This is about Jack's dad and asked about being vice-president and how he becomes involved in finding out why the last vice-president ended up deceased.
It takes place in Washington, DC and in Miami. There is a hostage situation and Andie is involved in negotiating the release of the hostages.
I just love the wit in this books. Theo and Jack are great friends and Theo sometimes tells Jack things he probably wouldn't think about.
I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars.
February 16, 2024
This is the 8th book in the Jack Swyteck series with reoccurring characters from previous books in this series. In this book Harry Swyteck, Jack's father, and former governor of Florida is selected by his friend US President Keyes to fill the VP position after the VP dies unexpectedly during a hunting trip in the Everglades.
Things start to unravel for Jack as he is piecing together information obtained by a reporter, who then shows up dead. This information is unveiling a cover-up that Jack thinks his father might be involved in. Just when you think you might understand what is happening, there is a new twist to the plot. This one caught me off guard for sure.
Things start to unravel for Jack as he is piecing together information obtained by a reporter, who then shows up dead. This information is unveiling a cover-up that Jack thinks his father might be involved in. Just when you think you might understand what is happening, there is a new twist to the plot. This one caught me off guard for sure.
July 31, 2023
The crisis of age. Jack is having trouble coming to grips with turning 40, which soon takes a backseat to the mystery and intrique of what goes on in Washington DC. Politics, secrets and retribution a perfect blend for Jack to step into the middle of.
What I love about Jack is his clever mind that never seems to over think things and more than occasionally get him into trouble. Theo, Cy & Andie are all characters to love and worry about. Pages filled with macho posturing and past secrets threatening to be exposed.
What I love about Jack is his clever mind that never seems to over think things and more than occasionally get him into trouble. Theo, Cy & Andie are all characters to love and worry about. Pages filled with macho posturing and past secrets threatening to be exposed.
May 3, 2020
Good read, good story well told. Once again, Jack doesn't get much chance to do much lawyerin'. He was actually hired by his father, but that lasted only a few pages until he became a hostage. In a previous episode he was a negotiator. I'm not sure when the last time he actually did some lawerin', but it's been awhile. I sometimes wonder how he actually gets enough income to get by. Still a good story and I like his love partner.
March 23, 2017
My first grippando novel and not my last. Thought I had this figured out and Grippando had me guessing until the end. Reminds me a lot of Martini and Baldacci so if you like them you will definitely like Grippando. I especially liked that the characters were simple. Enough to keep me thinking and not so many I couldn't keep them straight.
March 24, 2018
The latest in the Swyteck series finds him involved in National Politics when his father is tapped to be Vice President after the current one dies. When he gets a cryptic email that says I can make your father President he becomes involved in a case that may lead all the way to the top. Okay but kind of an unbelievable storyline.
June 19, 2018
Ugh. Not my kind of book. I much prefer reading the books involving Swyteck in the courtroom. The plot of this book was implausible, in my opinion. If you like reading about yet another hostage situation, Theo being more annoying than usual, as well as Russian and Sicilian mobs - then this book is for you!
September 27, 2018
Well-crafted, entertaining continuation of the Jack Swytek novel series. This one adds in a new level of intrigue as it involves the President of the United States and the potential for Jack's father to go to Washington. The tale is cautionary, to say the least. Little do we know of the intrigues that constitute our capitol.
June 8, 2020
This is the first Jack Swyteck book that I've read but 8th in the series. It was a pretty intertwined story that kept the reader guessing. The characters were interesting and like-able while the story did not drag. I will probably go back and start at the beginning of this series to see what I missed, although not reading the prior books did not impact my ability to understand the story.
December 30, 2021
A quite different venue for Jack Swyteck as he end up in DC serving as lawyer for his father. Events develop that bring the FBI in on the case. With his love, Andy, an FBI agent, that brings complications for Jack, personally and professionally. No courtroom scenes, but a good mystery solved. Another good read!
August 17, 2023
Lots of adrenaline-fueled, heart-pumping action scenes in this one. No courtroom scene, but that is fine with me as I enjoy how the author varies the setting and plot structure from book to book. What doesn't change is the inclusion of core characters, the most compelling of which are Miami criminal defense lawyer, Jack Swytech, and investigator Theo Knight. A great ride, this one!!
December 1, 2024
Well, I liked the deviation from the normal plot path... this one was connected with Harry and a political plot (always something to think about). You have to admire the imagination of James Grippando, his mind is a strange place to wander around in, but I so enjoy it!
Jack is, as always his best self and always worth the read.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Jack is, as always his best self and always worth the read.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
January 28, 2025
Secrets can make or break you. A secret was born over 50 years ago in Cyprus and what does that have to do with the President of the United States today. Many moving parts and Grippando keeps the information trickling in. Who is pulling the strings and who are the the bad guys in this story of the quest for power. Grippando kept me reading, as the story focuses mostly on Jack and his father.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews