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gillian_darkholme's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lynguy1's review
5.0
You Can Run is a crime murder mystery thriller with a bit of romance by Rebecca Zanetti. FBI Special Agent Laurel Snow is on her way back to Washington D. C. when she is diverted to her home town of Genesis Valley, Washington. Several bodies have been found on Snowblood Peak. Since she specializes in serial killer cases and the Seattle FBI office is tied up with a big case, she is drawn into the investigation.
As the protagonist, Laurel is reasonably strong, but has some vulnerabilities. She has an eidetic memory and started college when she was 11. With multiple degrees, she has been successful in her career, but doesn’t work with a partner and sometimes misses underlying signals from others in social situations. Captain Huck Rivers is the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene. He likes rules and routines and doesn’t like anything disrupting his schedule. Their attraction to each other is only a small part of the story. He seems to have secrets that may or may not have anything to do with the crimes. He also prefers to work alone.
While most of the story is from Laurel’s point of view (POV), there are a few sections with POVs from other individuals. From her unusual background, to her sometimes atypical reflections as she tries to figure out what game the killer is playing with them, to her relentless pursuit of justice for the victims, readers will root for her success. I enjoyed the interplay between Laurel and Huck.
A clever plot with enough twists and red herrings to keep a reader guessing is one of several positives in this novel. The pacing and dialogue are great and the writing style is smooth. As they evolved, the plot facts were intriguing and occasionally unexpected. The suspense builds steadily throughout the story. While the ending was not unexpected, the journey was full of chills and trills that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the end.
The physical world-building was vivid and I could feel the cold, ice, and snow pelting the characters. The author weaved various agencies into the story line without detracting from the flow and action. She also did this with factors affecting Laurel’s personal life. There is one steamy scene about 60 percent into the novel.
Overall, this was a riveting story with compelling and complex characters that kept me fully engaged. It’s skillfully written and chilling and will appeal to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers and police procedurals involving serial killers. The intricacy of the plot plus attention to detail in the world-building made this a definite winner for me. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. There are relationships to be explored with family, friends, and colleagues as well as whatever the thriller story will be.
Kensington Books - Zebra and Rebecca Zanetti provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
As the protagonist, Laurel is reasonably strong, but has some vulnerabilities. She has an eidetic memory and started college when she was 11. With multiple degrees, she has been successful in her career, but doesn’t work with a partner and sometimes misses underlying signals from others in social situations. Captain Huck Rivers is the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene. He likes rules and routines and doesn’t like anything disrupting his schedule. Their attraction to each other is only a small part of the story. He seems to have secrets that may or may not have anything to do with the crimes. He also prefers to work alone.
While most of the story is from Laurel’s point of view (POV), there are a few sections with POVs from other individuals. From her unusual background, to her sometimes atypical reflections as she tries to figure out what game the killer is playing with them, to her relentless pursuit of justice for the victims, readers will root for her success. I enjoyed the interplay between Laurel and Huck.
A clever plot with enough twists and red herrings to keep a reader guessing is one of several positives in this novel. The pacing and dialogue are great and the writing style is smooth. As they evolved, the plot facts were intriguing and occasionally unexpected. The suspense builds steadily throughout the story. While the ending was not unexpected, the journey was full of chills and trills that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the end.
The physical world-building was vivid and I could feel the cold, ice, and snow pelting the characters. The author weaved various agencies into the story line without detracting from the flow and action. She also did this with factors affecting Laurel’s personal life. There is one steamy scene about 60 percent into the novel.
Overall, this was a riveting story with compelling and complex characters that kept me fully engaged. It’s skillfully written and chilling and will appeal to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers and police procedurals involving serial killers. The intricacy of the plot plus attention to detail in the world-building made this a definite winner for me. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. There are relationships to be explored with family, friends, and colleagues as well as whatever the thriller story will be.
Kensington Books - Zebra and Rebecca Zanetti provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
courtneyyloves's review
5.0
5/5 star.
I loved it. Laurel Snow is a badass FBI agent who is smart, funny, and relatable. There was even interesting side characters Huck, Kate, Deidre, and Abigail.
It was a thrilling read, I couldn’t put it down. There was mystery, spice, romance, funny moments and growth. This book really had it all. I can’t wait to read the next one.
I loved it. Laurel Snow is a badass FBI agent who is smart, funny, and relatable. There was even interesting side characters Huck, Kate, Deidre, and Abigail.
It was a thrilling read, I couldn’t put it down. There was mystery, spice, romance, funny moments and growth. This book really had it all. I can’t wait to read the next one.
khadijareads's review
4.0
4 stars
I'll write one review for all three books, will wait for the third to come out - In the meantime, I think this will be a very solid series
I'll write one review for all three books, will wait for the third to come out - In the meantime, I think this will be a very solid series
booktalk_at_tiffanys's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lrijsman's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
k_lenn's review
DNF; forced myself past the 40% mark before calling it quits. I’m pretty surprised by all the 5 stars and glowing reviews, but I’m glad others have enjoyed reading this more than I did.
The main character is a textbook Mary Sue, and while I liked how smart and educated she was at first (especially when her intelligence unapologetically coexists with her femininity), I got tired of her perfection quickly. She went to college at 11, has multiple degrees, has an “unnaturally gorgeous” hair colour, and has the most beautiful blue/green sectoral heterochromia. She’s smart, gorgeous, kind, sociable, has started several successful businesses and organizations for other people, and more. Everybody recognizes her uniqueness and endless talent, and the author makes sure that it’s a hot topic in conversations so we can’t forget.
That being said, Laurel’s Mary Sue-ness (and the absurdity of some of the plot points) wasn’t what put the nail in the coffin for me— it was the stilted writing and dialogue. I’d understand if it was limited to one or two characters, or even a whole family, but everybody talks like a robot regardless of their background, and the overall writing isn’t much better.
But I’m in the minority here, so if you’re reading this before giving it a try, don’t let my review turn you off. Hopefully you like it enough for the both of us :’)
The main character is a textbook Mary Sue, and while I liked how smart and educated she was at first (especially when her intelligence unapologetically coexists with her femininity), I got tired of her perfection quickly. She went to college at 11, has multiple degrees, has an “unnaturally gorgeous” hair colour, and has the most beautiful blue/green sectoral heterochromia. She’s smart, gorgeous, kind, sociable, has started several successful businesses and organizations for other people, and more. Everybody recognizes her uniqueness and endless talent, and the author makes sure that it’s a hot topic in conversations so we can’t forget.
That being said, Laurel’s Mary Sue-ness (and the absurdity of some of the plot points) wasn’t what put the nail in the coffin for me— it was the stilted writing and dialogue. I’d understand if it was limited to one or two characters, or even a whole family, but everybody talks like a robot regardless of their background, and the overall writing isn’t much better.
But I’m in the minority here, so if you’re reading this before giving it a try, don’t let my review turn you off. Hopefully you like it enough for the both of us :’)
sarabookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
a book that i thought would be right up my alley, and even though it is, it somehow lost so much of what makes a good story great!
CONS:
- the premise and the plot were very promising, with a chance of being graphic, interesting, and very investigative, so many elements were there, but were NOT utilized or tapped into
- the protagonist herself is meh, she is very uninteresting, and her focus on the romance ruined the idea of the book!
- i felt that the author covered the possible flaws and plot holes by overcompensating for what the protagonist is. She is a "unique" know-it-all. She was portrayed as a hyperaware brilliant character ( which love), then ruined by her doing like 6 majors in college, having very unique hair color, and an extremely unique heterochromia.
It's tooooo much of a stretch.
- even then, she did not utilize the character's potential. her investigation was almost non-existent, she relied on tell tales, and teens stalking the internet, and few words from other police personnel. she hiked to the murder scene, and tried "investigating" but ended up showing her fragile weak side, and being investigated herself. .... I'm sorry, but what the heck!
- on this note, i felt that the character's personality shifted from the start of the book to the middle of it, and towards the end. NO not in a character development way! but rather, the character that the author started with is not the same character she decided to continue with!
- i wish the author kept the strength and hyper attentiveness of the character, added more depth to her, kept her closer to normal, and then utilized that as a way to connect dots and work through the investigation!
- it was more talk and imagination, and less investigation.
- there was no plot twist for me, it was apparent she was trying to push us to suspect 2 characters, but also easily guessing the 2 actual possible suspects!
PROS:
- fast-paced, thankfully
- the writing style is not bad, just bad execution
- has potential with regard to the plot and murder
CONS:
- the premise and the plot were very promising, with a chance of being graphic, interesting, and very investigative, so many elements were there, but were NOT utilized or tapped into
- the protagonist herself is meh, she is very uninteresting, and her focus on the romance ruined the idea of the book!
- i felt that the author covered the possible flaws and plot holes by overcompensating for what the protagonist is. She is a "unique" know-it-all. She was portrayed as a hyperaware brilliant character ( which love), then ruined by her doing like 6 majors in college, having very unique hair color, and an extremely unique heterochromia.
It's tooooo much of a stretch.
- even then, she did not utilize the character's potential. her investigation was almost non-existent, she relied on tell tales, and teens stalking the internet, and few words from other police personnel. she hiked to the murder scene, and tried "investigating" but ended up showing her fragile weak side, and being investigated herself. .... I'm sorry, but what the heck!
- on this note, i felt that the character's personality shifted from the start of the book to the middle of it, and towards the end. NO not in a character development way! but rather, the character that the author started with is not the same character she decided to continue with!
- i wish the author kept the strength and hyper attentiveness of the character, added more depth to her, kept her closer to normal, and then utilized that as a way to connect dots and work through the investigation!
- it was more talk and imagination, and less investigation.
- there was no plot twist for me, it was apparent she was trying to push us to suspect 2 characters, but also easily guessing the 2 actual possible suspects!
PROS:
- fast-paced, thankfully
- the writing style is not bad, just bad execution
- has potential with regard to the plot and murder
emsmeat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ok, not the best thriller I've ever read but I love this female main character. She is definitely on the spectrum. I like that she's this amazing child prodigy turned FBI agent but also sucks so hard at regular human interaction sometimes. She's not perfect like a lot of fantasy FMCs. There were some random red herrings that didn't get fleshed out other than to say "look over here!" and I did find some of the big twists pretty predictable (e.g., Huck not really being involved, the "blonde" not being Abby) but I still did not guess the ending and had a fun time geneally. Excited to keep reading as it seems to only get better. 3.4