Dear Diary: Run Like Hell

by James A. Moore

Confessions of a Desperate

Sooner or later even the best prepared hitman is going to run out of bullets. Buddy Fisk has two new jobs, bring back a few stolen books of sorcery, and then stop the unkillable man who wants to see him dead. There are problems even the deadliest assassins can't be prepared for, like supernatural entities looking for the same prizes he seeks, and mob bosses that refuse to die. The collateral damage adds up quickly and Fisk is looking to solve mysteries that border on the edge of madness...

"This short, fast-paced novel features irreverent first-person narration and includes black-and-white illustrations. It will appeal to readers who enjoy the combination of real-world violence and otherworldly horrors found in The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, or Cynthia Pelayo's Children of Chicago." -Booklist

"James A. Moore has been moonlighting over in grimdark fantasy for a while, but with Dear Diary, Run Like Hell, he reminds us that we horror folks claimed his soul long ago. Brutal and breathless, this is Jim Moore wading back into horror fiction with gloves off, ready for blood. One hell of a lot of fun.” -Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and All Hallows

"Dear Run Like Hell is a white-knuckled thrill ride from beginning to end. James A. Moore is a master of the written word, giving us a story filled with action, danger, and the supernatural. I loved every page." -Owl Goingback, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Crime

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

James A. Moore was the award winning author of over forty novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls trilogy (featuring his recurring anti-hero, Jonathan Crowley) and his most recent novels, seven Forges, The Blasted Lands, City of Wonders , The Silent Army and the forthcoming The Gates of The Dead (Book Three in the Tides of War Series) and A Hell Within, co-authored with Charles R. Rutledge.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first James A Moore book. I went in fresh and avoided any spoilers. Now seeing the cover and reading the synopsis led me to believe there would have been a lot more supernatural and/or horror elements. Sadly, they were treated as random, tertiary add-ins. Buddy Fisk is a really fun character, but I feel like this could have been a much more refined story if it dove deeper into Buddy’s personal life, which we got very little intel on. It would’ve given him some much needed character development and shown his difficulty balancing all of these various aspects of his double life. This maybe could have enabled the reader to see why he chose to act in certain ways throughout and heightened the stakes. It also would break up the story a bit to give the audience some much needed relief from the nonstop Crank-like pace. But, again, I liked the premise, the way the plot unfolded, and Buddy is a terrific lead. The book just needed to more firmly establish its purpose and stay the course. Sometimes simpler is better, rather than trying to overcomplicate an already good thing.

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want to stop reading this book, I was compelled to find out what was going to happen next it was so good.
Buddy Fisk is a gun for hire. “Mostly, I kill people. I kill a lot of people. I don’t ask questions, I don’t study my targets and get to know them, I just make them dead.”
He makes them dead, then he writes about it in his diary. Maybe it’s his way of compartmentalizing because in his regular life, he teaches dancing, I don’t know. What I do know is that Buddy writes for himself, the style is frank, gruff, in your face, and doesn’t care what you think.
Being diary entries, RUN LIKE HELL is presented as short stories but these are all connected in a whole story arc. Buddy retrieves rare books, is hunted by someone who seems unkillable, and faces undead beasts. It gets creepy and tense. “That freakish face loomed over me, and the pits where its eyes hid—if it actually had eyes—pressed close enough to let me see things moving in the darkness.” A very cool combination of noir, and dark magic and it is open to further diary entries by Buddy in the future.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I blindly decided to read this book because the cover pulled me in, but this story was not what I was expecting at all. And I kind of loved it for that. It was a fun crime story with a hint of paranormal and a great introduction to the main character, Buddy. I look forward to more!

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick entertaining read. Between the cover, the title, and the blurb, there was no question I would be reading this after spotting it at the library. Written in a single pov, there are two diary entries. That doesn’t sound like much, but when the MC recounts what happened, it is a heck of a diary entry. Nothing like mine, I can tell you that! Overall, and enjoyable read that was perfect for spooky season.

You can call him Buddy, but he won’t put down his real name in case this diary is discovered. He is a contract killer, and he has some stories he need to put down. He covers a couple of jobs that mix with the supernatural. He’s good at what he does, but when things don’t die from big ol bullets, he has to think fast on his feet. After all, he has his day job to go back to, where nobody knows that he has a very different job to help pay the bills.

[Mike (Hail Horror Hail) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hitman's diary filled with all kinds of sordid details. Plenty of bloodshed amidst the cat and mouse game played out between the lead characters, both of whom aren't the nicest of people. Within the blood and carnage, there's some supernatural elements that surprise, but kinda just flow with the story. Lots of fun.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flowing pose: check. Great action scenes: check. Noir atmosphere: check. Stunning illustrations: check! This love letter to occult noir and urban horror can be read in one sitting, every page a true gem of imagination and narration. The supernatural elements enter the story with great subtlety, never disrupting the sense of adventure. What an achievement! I look forward to more diary entries by Mr. Fisk! Thank you Cemetery Dance for the ARC.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy Fisk is a hitman who find himself suddenly embroiled in supernatural shenanigans, which he writes about in his diary. Two such writings are collected here in Dear Diary: Run Like Hell.

The first, "Dear Diary," is a short but effective piece that sees Fisk hired to recover some stolen books and kill the thief responsible. Following the maxim of Murphy's Law that anything that can go wrong will, Fisk finds himself having to resort to kidnapping, killing folks tangential to the thief, surviving a car crash, and being chased by...well, as William Shatner once performed, "something...some...thing!"

In "Run Like Hell," Fisk is hired to take out some other mook, but quickly finds himself on the wrong end of somebody else's gun. He lives, but the other shooter doesn't. Turns out, that second shooter was a cousin of one tough Russian gangster who has now not only put a bounty on Fisk's head, but is, in fact, actually bulletproof.

These two stories are connected not only by the supernatural motifs, but by a recurring character that provides linkage between these stories and the more ethereal affairs Fisk inadvertently finds himself in. The set up behind these two stories co-existing is basically an, "in order to tell you this second story, I have to tell you this other thing first," on Moore's end, but it ultimately works well enough as an ad hoc collection. Dear Diary: Run Like Hell is a fun and breezy, but also quite dark, bit of supernatural pulp noir, one that reminded me almost of an inverse Charlie Parker story, or even Alan Baxter's Eli Carver books. As a character, Fisk has tons of potential and I certainly wouldn't say no to more stories centered around him and his intriguing double-life. If we are fortunate enough to get more Fisk stories out of Moore, I'll run like hell to grab a copy, that's for sure.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading James A. Moore. My thanks to his publishers for sending me an advanced reading copy of Dear Diary: Run Like Hell.

* * *

Dear Diary: Run Like Hell contains two adventures of Buddy Fisk.

The short story "Dear Diary" is a biter-bit suburban crime story. Diarist narrator Buddy (his criminous nom de guerre; by day he teaches dance) is sent by his sometime employer Demetrius to steal back four rare books.

“Four books?” Listen, I’ll be blunt here. I don’t work at a library. I do the sort of shit that no one ever wants to do and somebody always has to do. Mostly, I kill people. I kill a lot of people. I don’t ask questions, I don’t study my targets and get to know them, I just make them dead. My point is…I don’t normally get sent out to gather a few books. My rates are too high for that sort of shit.
Demetrius gives me one of those looks; the ones that say I’d be better off not asking too many questions, and I nod my understanding.
“So what’s the deal then?”
“I have a name. I know who has the books. You get them, and you take them to this man at this address.” He hands me a piece of paper. “When you get done, you come back to me and I give you a bonus.”

Now, if you think this is going to be a smart-alec Bernie Rhodenbarr caper or one of Donald Westlake's yarns of crime and misdemeanor, adjust your readerly expectations. "Dear Diary" is moonlighting splatterpunk: a man reports on the men fought and the carnage wrought, and the satisfaction he felt in inflicting so much of the old ultra-violence.

The twist in the tale begins when Buddy gets his hands on the books:

One of them was as big as the Manhattan White Pages and bound in leather. There was some weird writing on the front. It matched the description. One looked like somebody had taken the time to bind eight pages of paper between two pieces of sterling silver. No way it was a fake. Like the first one, it matched the description. The next one was small and well worn, like an old family Bible, only I’m pretty sure the gargoyle face on the front never went with a copy of the Good Book.
I reached out and touched the last one. I swear it squirmed in my fingers. That was enough for me. No way the little shit had a chance to make copies. Even if he’d had the time, he wasn’t that smart. Leo looked at me hopefully and I nodded my approval. Then he turned to pick them up....

Once Leo the book thief is dispatched, Buddy begins the nighttime trek on foot back to his vehicle. But he senses he is being followed, not by rival book collectors, but by something out of "Canon Albrecht's Scrapbook."

[....] I finally got a look at what was following me. It wasn’t a dog. I would’ve preferred that, because, noisy and vicious or not, I knew a well-placed bullet would at least kill a dog. I only got a look in the plate glass window from a little five and dime on the corner of Westfield Avenue and Lanier Road. It was night and the only light was coming from the streetlamp behind me. So I couldn’t see it clearly, but I knew right away I was in deep shit.
It was just a shadow, okay? But it looked all wrong. It sort of looked human, with arms and legs, but it was running on all fours, and it was as skinny as a greyhound. I couldn’t see the face, but I could see the hair on the thing, thin and scraggly, like it had the mange or something, and I could see the long fingers of the hands whenever it was bouncing forward. It didn’t run so much as it hopped, the legs pushing off the ground and the hands catching the sidewalk and moving it forward before the legs did their thing and kicked again. It made me think of the way kids played leapfrog when I was younger. The same sort of motion, but faster and a lot stronger....

* * *

"Dear Diary: Run Like Hell" is a longer yet more perfunctory Buddy Fisk adventure. Our diarist is kidnapped and tortured after an assassination. His opponent, Anton Naheel, is a remorseless revenger and dabbler in black magic, made bullet-proof through the skills of his familiar.

"Dear Diary: Run Like Hell" is far more violent and gruesome than the first story. Happily for any Buddy Fisk fans, room is left for a galaxy of sequels.

* * *

One benefit of Dear Diary: Run Like Hell is that it gave me an even greater appreciation for Nathan Ballingrud's short story collection Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell (2019).

Ballingrud takes far greater care in the ways he turns the tables on his protagonist, Jack Oleander. He also seeds small dramatic curlicues along the way that pay off later, often across more than one story.

The Oleander stories lack the vigilante cynicism and rudimentary 1:1 plotting that hobble Moore's Dear Diary: Run Like Hell.

[heidi Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy Fisk is a hitman who, after a job goes a little sideways, finds himself hunting and being hunted by someone involved with the supernatural. Reading from Buddy's point of view as he tries to get his life back is entertaining. He has skills, but he seems to have a little temper that makes him run his mouth and gets him in trouble.
This is a short read, and it was pretty entertaining and a bit intense. It left a bit open-ended so, if the author wants to write another adventure with Buddy leading the way he can and I hope he does because while this was a 3 star read for me it was still entertaining enough to want more.
What made it 3 stars for me was how Buddy talks about being smart and in some way he is, but he kept making a lot of dumb decisions, so it had me questioning if he was actually smart or just lucky.
This was also my first experience with James A. Moore and I will be reading more from him.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those times when I wanted to read the book after seeing the cover. Come on. Just look at it. How could I resist.

I went into this without reading the synopsis and the first thing it had going for it was how it was told. It’s presented as diary entries. I’ve read other books told that way and really enjoyed the idea. And the entries were written by a hitman. Talk about getting inside the characters head. Speaking of that. He didn’t sugar coat anything. He was brutally honest. And wait til you learn what his day job was.

An unstoppable foe, supernatural monsters, lots of bad guys and my own love of the different or macabre in horror made this a whole lot of fun to read.

I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

[Strega · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh yeah, James A. Moore and horror? Awesome match.

Buddy is a pro, and a really good one. His "other" personality was a surprise but made sense.

And I always love to see Albert Miles again, even just a tiny bit.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read.

Pretty good. Not much of a horror theme unfortunately. The main character is likable regardless of what he does. Repetitive at times.

[Samantha Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dear Diary: Run Like Hell" by James A. Moore. I was sent my copy in exchange for a honest review.

Buddy Fisk is a man whose found himself in a unique situation. Living a double life, one of which being a hit man for hire, Buddy has became tangled up in a world of supernatural escapades that he chooses to dictate inside of a diary. This story follows two stories in particular, Dear Diary and Run Like Hell.

I really enjoyed Buddy as a character. I loved the way he described things and spoke and his personality. I also didn't mind the sprinkle of supernatural elements inside the story but I do wish we knew more about them. Especially the creature from Dear Diary. I hope if we get another Buddy story that we're given a little more back story than what we were. The vagueness created a lot of intrigue for me and I'd really like to know more.

[Mike Kazmierczak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an all-out action novel. It starts at high speed and stays that way. Buddy Fisk is a hitman. As he says, "Mostly, I kill people. I kill a lot of people." Then afterwards, he writes about it in a diary as his own cathartic release. In this book are two diary entries: "Dear Diary" and "Run Like Hell". The first is the recovery of some magical books while being pursued by supernatural monsters. The second involves Buddy being hunted by a bulletproof gangster. In each case, the supernatural is a side element to the action.

One of the great things about a story like this is that it is super easy to picture in your head. The whole book played in my head like an action movie. It makes putting the book down a difficult task. However, with an action movie, the characters often become secondary to the action; the audience doesn't care if it is Bruce Willis, Jason Statham or whoever so long as the bullets are shot and punches thrown. Carrying that through in a novel is difficult. All the characterizations and development must occur while on the run. Moore makes this seem easy. Readers find out everything we need to care about what happens and to be impacted by the results. I'm not sure if there are more stories about Buddy Fisk, but I would read them.

[Thom (T.E.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Richard Stark type of tale (actually, this novella-length book is a pair of stories with a quirky element of overlap that's central to the plot of one story but a subplot to the other). A late-career entry from the inimitable Jim Moore, this is told in first-person but without any clumsy efforts to pull the reader into identifying with the antihero during his hit-jobs (or what happens when they inevitably go haywire). Pulp-violence rendered in a breezy style from a real pro who's gone too soon.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I'd say this book is a little light on horror, but it more than makes up for it with fun action sequences and a very likeable anti-hero. I'd categorize the book as crime thriller with a touch of the supernatural. Whatever you call it, Dear Diary is tons of fun. Buddy Fisk is a great character and I would absolutely read about his further adventures.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh- it was okay. It's more of a novella than a full novel which is perfect for this story. It's very violent - main character is a hit man so I did expect some violence but, for me, he's not a likeable character. The supernatural stuff was around the edges and I suspect future stories about Buddy's adventures will delve more deeply into that.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typically, this isn't the type of book I'd pick up. I'm so glad I did! I absolutely loved this story. I was emotionally invested in the main character. Moore writes so fluidly, and knows exactly how to keep your attention! Do yourself a favor and get this book, even if it's not what you'd normally read. It's worth it!

[Bookishme_lisamarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was kind of a mob-ish, hitman type story with a paranormal twist. It's definitely not my normal read,but I really enjoyed it!

I do wish that the creature we met at the beginning of the story would've made more appearances later. I'm not sure why it didn't, really. Still, this is a quick read that kept my interest.

4⭐️

[Mommacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new James Moore? Yes, please!

More noir crime meets h0rror, this two story diary of a hitman was a very new James Moore. But the writing was all Moore. Which is to say wonderful!

It's a little bit Jack Nightingale and a little bit Tom Pic. And it's a whole lotta fun.

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover of this book looked like fun, so I took a chance. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it past page 28. I like horror with heart: characters that you get to know & care about & the psychological aspect of horror. This book has none of that.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super gross and occasionally super funny. The premise is just a hoot.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little supernatural-tinged hit man story. Interested in the seeds of a sequel planted.

[John Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, violent, and a lot of fun. James Moore never disappoints.

[KD250 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy fun read, great noir feel with characters you hope to see again. Buddy and Albert, let's go.

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have yet to read a bad book by Moore and I’ve probably read at least 75% of them.

[DJMikeG · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decently entertaining pair of novellas, about hitman Buddy Fisk and his involvement with some occult foes. Extremely violent and profane. AMENDED: I read this book and wrote my review the week before author James A. Moore passed away. I felt bad about how persnickety my review was in the light of the death of a man who seems, by all accounts, like he was a great person. Rest in Peace, Mr. Moore and thanks for the entertainment.

[Jonathan Sprague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Pulp Horror!

This book kicks ass! This supernatural horror builds to a roaring, satisfying climax. If you love noir, pulp and supernatural horror, Dear Diary: Run Like Hell is for you. I pray Mr. Moore writes a sequel and the adventures of Buddy, kids’ dance teacher by day assassin by night, continue.

What a fun ride!