The book, Run:
Ben Walsh, a Congressional staffer for a US congresswoman, gets a cryptic text from his wife: “I love you. I just need you to know that.”
Up until that morning, Ben and his wife Veronica, a gifted mathematician and professor, seemed a happy, ideal couple. But after this text, Ben cannot locate Veronica. She doesn’t pick up her phone, and when she doesn’t return home by that night, Ben calls on his good friend, Jeremy Wiles, who is running for President, for advice and help.
They discover that her disappearance occurred around the time of a mass shooting along the running route Veronica takes every morning. When another violent death of a family friend and baby sitter occurs, the police begin to suspect that Veronica is somehow involved and could be a suspect.
Ben is unaware that a killer from Veronica’s past, which she’s never revealed to Ben, stalks his family with what appears to the goal of assassinating her. Ben is smart and pulls all the strings he can find to track Veronica down, including her home department. There are clues scattered through the book, from Veronica, based on her knowledge of math and what she’s been able to impart of it to Ben.
Veronica is on the run, hence the title of the book, from her past. There are unexpected twists and turns as Ben tries to find her. No one is as they seem and there are quite a few family ties and connections to be discovered among the threads of the Veronica’s life.
How is Veronica related to the victims? Is she alive, and if so, where is she?
******
My review:
This is the author’s first novel. I enjoyed it, as there were enough twists to keep me occupied and trying to figure things out. However, I was thrown off by the first chapter, the reason for which comes into play much later in the book. And it takes several chapters before the reader gets to Veronica’s disappearance and the beginning of the mystery. These first chapters are slow and I wondered if much of what’s in them was absolutely necessary.
The author writes well and the reader can connect with the various characters, although I have to admit I wasn’t tightly drawn to any of them. Maybe the possible assassin.
The author’s background comes into play in a big way in the writing of this book – see About the Author. I recommend this book (4.5 stars) to readers who will hang with the story to become engaged and who enjoy a story with twists, turns, and unexpected connections.
About the author:
Matthew Becker is a mathematician and formerly worked as part of the national Covid-19 response. He has a doctorate in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is published in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology. Matthew currently lives with his wife, a U.S. diplomat, and their two children in Washington, DC, before they move to Nicaragua in 2025 for their next overseas tour. His next book, Don’t Look Down, is out on January 14.
You can find the author at:
Home
on X: https://x.com/MattBeckerBooks
An interesting and insightful review, Noelle – and useful for the author. Thank you
Thanks, Judith. I wonder if he’ll submit his second one to Rosie’s team?
Thank you Noelle.
It sounds very intriguing. Thanks, Noelle!
You’re welcome!
Given that I removed the first two paragraphs from both of my first in series books, I suspect your assessment is spot on! Good review, but probably still too suspenseful for me!
I must admit I don’t like having to dig to get into a mystery. But I’m probably guilty of that myself!
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I love smart books so this sounds like one I’d enjoy.
It is a smart book – loved the math challenge!
The whole “math” element of the book sounds interesting to me, Noelle. And I like anything with twists and turns. It sounds like a job well done for a debut book. Thanks for sharing your review!
Thanks, Diana. I almost understood all the math – almost. I’m off to read the second in the series, just out.
Hi Noelle, thanks for this fair review. Sounds like this new author is off to a good start!
I think he is. I need to read the second one.
“Well explained, made the topic much easier to understand!”
Thanks, Diana. Now on to the second one in the series…
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