Book Review: Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti

Running From the Devil by Jamie Freveletti

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: June 1, 2010

Paperback, 320 pages

My Review:
Starting off with a plane crash and from there the action just keeps building and building, Running from the Devil was a true thriller and very deserving of the Best First Novel award given to it by the International Thriller Writers a few weeks ago.

Before hearing about Running Dark, the second book in this series, I had not heard of Jamie Freveletti.  I agreed to read and review Running Dark and was pleasantly surprised to receive Running From the Devil in my package as well.  I like to read series in order so I immediately picke Running from the Devil up and started reading it.  Wow - it was really hard to put down.

Some of the things I loved:  Emma, the main character runs ultramarathons and is in tip-top shape.  I wanted to run a half a few years ago before my health sidelined me and I have always been fascinated by those people who run ultramarathons.  Emma was also smart and knew how to survive out in the jungle (she had been there the previous year).  She didn't know everything though, like how to use a gun, so I found her a believable character.  I also loved Sumner and his determination.  Banner was also interesting as the behind the scenes and eventually in the trenches guy.  The bad guys are sufficiently bad and not redeemable in the least, I could not like, did not like them and will not like them, they were truly bad guys.

The plot was great - it kept the book moving along at a pace that made it difficult to put down.  A few times I had to suspense disbelief, but truly this is fiction and a thriller, I don't expect every moment to be truly real, though the majority of this book felt real.  The action and the characters move this book right along.

The ending tidied everything up well, though from it you knew you would see more of the characters in the future and from reading the first 20 or so pages of Running Dark, I can't wait to see these characters again and hopefully again.

If you like thrillers that take place in the jungles of South America and ones where the good guys have to rely on themselves and their abilities to survive, then this is just the book for  you.  Throw in drug runners, warring factions, corrupt government and some conspiracies and you have one great thrill ride.

My Rating:  4.25/5.0

About the Book:
Emma Caldridge, a chemist for a cosmetics company, is en route from Miami to BogotÁ when her plane is hijacked and spins out of control into the mountains near the Venezuelan border. Thrown unhurt from the wreckage, she can do nothing but watch as guerrillas take the other passengers hostage.

An endurance marathon runner, Emma silently trails the guerrillas and their captives, using her athletic prowess and scientific knowledge to stay alive. Those skills become essential when she discovers an injured passenger, secret government agent Cameron Sumner, separated from the group. Together they follow the hostages, staying one step ahead by staying one step behind.

Meanwhile, as news of the hijacking breaks in Washington, the Department of Defense turns to Edward Banner, former military officer and current CEO of a security consulting firm, for help. Banner quickly sends a special task force to the crash site, intent on locating the survivors before it’s too late.

But finding Emma and Sumner is only the beginning, as Banner starts to realize that Emma was on a personal mission when the plane went down. There is more to the beautiful, talented biochemist than anyone ever imagined, for in her possession is a volatile biological weapon in an ingenious disguise, one that her enemies have set for auction to the highest bidder.

About the Author:
Jamie Freveletti is a trial lawyer and a runner. The author of the international bestseller Running from the Devil, she lives with her family in Chicago, Illinois.

Running from the Devil won Best First Novel award from the International Thriller Writers

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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.