Fugitive Red Paperback – 6 Nov. 2018

(Also called 'Too Far')4.5 stars.Savage Lane was a memorable read a couple of years ago, and on the strength of that I decided to read this from the same author. That novel is also referenced a couple of times in here, which didn't go unnoticed.This almost feels like a novella, but with all the action of a full-length novel. It moves quickly from scene to scene, ratcheting up the horror and mess every few minutes. It starts with a bad decision and quickly escalates into a nightmare 'what if' that shows how fast a life can unravel.Jack Harper is a recovering alcoholic, he adores his son but his marriage is somewhat stale. Not happy in his work as an estate agent either, he is tempted to look into an extramarital 'cheating' website but a client he knows from his music days, and soons forms a connection with a like-minded married woman that he uneasily agrees to meet.But when the meeting goes as badly as it is possible to go, Jack quickly finds himself a wanted man, with more than he realised to lose.Of course, as a reader you will most likely, like me, be telling Jack not to use the website, not to talk to the woman, not to meet the woman. So when he goes against our 'advice' and does so, you know he's asking for trouble. But still, you do feel for Jack. He's flawed, but he's human. He may be slightly naive:"Soon things would return to normal. I'd get another chance, and this time I wouldn't make the mistake I'd made before."His naivety becomes a little annoying actually, lasting a long way into the book.We don't see as much of the wife and son for the majority of the book to think of them as much other than background, so it's Jack and a zealous police officer who command our time and attention. The hunter and the hunted. Jack keeps digging his own grave a little deeper, making bad decisions and exasperating me somewhat.But of course, his situation leaves him with few options. It's a rollercoaster ride, fast and furious, a life changed in minutes, a mystery for Jack to solve whilst trying to rebuild his fractured existence, and as a parent, I did identify with his desperate need to see and reassure his son.Not as biting as Savage Lane, entertaining though and darkly humorous, a good popcorn thriller with psychological elements and surprises that would play well on a screen.With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample e-copy.

You know what you're getting when you read a Jason Starr novel - average guy in extraordinary circumstances which are generally the result of said guy's poor judgement or bad decision making.Fugitive Red falls into the same category and shows what can go wrong when you try to solve marital problems with a bit of internet dating - bad decision!All of Jason's books are great reads (I particularly like his stories with Ken Bruen), and Fugitive red is a great addition to his collection.

Jason Starr excels in the delivery of highly readable, original and compelling thrillers. This is no exception; a 21st century noir of the very first order.