Aussie Book Review: Blog Tour - A Time to Run by JM Peace

"The hunt is on

A GRUESOME GAME

A madman is kidnapping women to hunt them for sport.

A FRANTIC SEARCH

Detective Janine Postlewaite leads the investigation into the disappearance of Samantha Willis, determined not to let another innocent die on her watch.

A SHOCKING TWIST

The killer's newest prey isn't like the others. Sammi is a cop. And she refuses to be his victim.

A RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

A stunning, tautly written thriller from police officer turned writer, J.M. Peace."

From the grim Prologue to the nail-biting conclusion, this novel with take you on a thrill ride as our Protagonist is put through her paces – in more ways than one.

With a looming feeling of inevitability after the opening, we are introduced to Samantha Willis (Sammi). The last thing she is expecting after an argument with her boyfriend, Gavin, sees her slamming out of their house and going to her best friend in Brisbane, is to be deserted by Candy in favour of two good-looking blokes out for a good time - then again, she should have expected it from Candy who is a fun-loving, party animal who loves men and booze.

In the early hours of the morning, after being dragged to another pub and indulging in her own company while Candy rips it up on the dance-floor, she rejects advances made by the over-friendly barman and decides to make her way back to her best friend’s apartment to get some sleep. 

Waiting outside for her taxi to arrive, the barman, taking off after his shift, approaches her and offers a lift. Somewhat reluctantly she accepts.

When she doesn't arrive home the following day to carry out her shift, Gavin raises the alarm after which the reader is thrown into Sammi’s fight for survival and the police attempts to find her.

As Detective Janine Postlethwaite finds herself heading an investigation where similarities between unresolved cases and this one arise, Sammi has already been plunged into a game of life and death with the kidnapper raising the stakes by putting her on the clock!

Wow! That’s all I can say!! A serving member of the Queensland Police Service, JM Peace (simply known as “Jay”) has given us a tense crime novel that is authentic in both its Queensland setting and police work. 

It’s not often that we catch a glimpse into the lives of our Australian cops as they go about their work and Jay’s years of experience in the service have gained her an advantage as she portrays the detail surrounding their investigative processes and procedures. Her attention to detail, rather than simply adding arduous padding to the narrative, adds an educational element as she puts her cop background to good use but, it was the terrifying situation that Sammi found herself in, along with her compelling voice, that drew me in.

I really liked that Jay has structured the novel with chapters and scenes broken down into time-frames. Signalling changes in point of view and time shifts, these chapter and scene breaks make the story flow seamlessly, keeping it going at a steady pace and increasing the tension as the clock counts down.

Sammi is a sharp-witted and resourceful protagonist; our villain is smart and cunning as he engages her in the ultimate game of cat and mouse but Detective Janine Postlethwaite is a force to be reckoned with.

An absorbing plot filled with tension, this is a cross-country race of a debut that is sure to thrill you making it quite obvious that Jay has not only written what she knows but about a job that she is passionate about.

I wish to thank Pan MacMillan Australia for providing me with a hard copy of the novel for review and inviting me to be a part of this Blog Tour.

About the Author

J.M. Peace is a serving police officer who would rather be writing about policing.

Over the past 15 years, she has served throughout south-east Queensland in a variety of different capacities. 

Her voice of authority shines through in her debut crime thriller, A Time To Run.

Jay has also written various short stories, blogs regularly about policing and writing and is currently working on her second novel.

She lives on the Sunshine Coast, juggling writing and police work with raising two kids along with her partner.