Mini Reviews: Missoula by Jon Krakauer and Run Away by Harlan Coben
5*****
I read this book over the course of a weekend. It was so compelling and infuriating, I couldn't put it down. I won't summarize the contents, but suffice to say, it deals with upsetting subject matter and though it's a few years old now, is extremely relevant (I guess it would be relevant at all times in history, sadly). The author handled the subject with great care, attention and compassion and I am sure I will read more by him in the future. Recommended!
3.5****
I hadn't read a Harlan Coben book in quite a while, because I felt they were a little formulaic. But when I saw this one and read the glowing reviews, I was swayed. Besides, I was traveling and in the mood for something fast paced, which Coben's work reliably is. Run Away is indeed a quick thriller with an engaging plot. It wasn't terribly original, there were cliches galore, and the characters, except for the protagonist, did not feel fleshed out to me. That being said, the book still offered some solid entertainment, which was what I was after. If I had wanted the language of the Brontës or the wit of Austen I would have chosen their books, but I wanted some thrills and for that Run Away ticked the boxes.