RUNNING DARK - Jamie Freveletti

FIRST LINE: "Emma Caldridge passed mile thirty-six of the fifty-five-mile Comrades ultramarathon in South Africa when a roadside car bomb exploded."

During the Comrades ultramarathon chemist Emma Caldridge is knocked out and injected. Following the injection, she experiences an explosion of energy enabling her to finish the race in a form more like that of beginning the race. Trying to figure out what entered her blood stream, Emma tests her blood following the race only to find it clean. Meanwhile security consultant Edward Banner is dealing with pirates attacking a cruise ship in the Gulf of Aden. Cameron Sumner is the loan Darkview agent aboard the ship, but the cargo seems to be what the pirates are after. Suspecting the desired cargo is a chemical weapon, Edward calls on Emma to join a dangerous mission to the cruise ship. As long as Sumner is aboard the ship, Emma can't refuse.

RUNNING DARK is Jamie Freveletti's follow-up to her award-winning RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL. The novel combines several of today's greatest threats: terrorists, pirates, and chemical warfare. Freveletti's carefully researched knowledge of the science included in the novel creates a chilling scenario in a world fearful of what may come next.

While they play more minor roles in this novel, I especially enjoyed the characters of Alicia Compton and Carol Stromeyer. Alicia's quirkiness and Stromeyers' strength add depth and color to the novel.

There is a noticeable change in the pace about two thirds of the way into the novel. The last third of the novel is densely packed with the largest portion of the action.

Freveletti continues to build a sexual tension between Caldridge and Sumner even though they are separated for the better part of the novel. There were a few characters who could have possibly been left out to tighten up the plot and the time line may have been a little difficult to pull off realistically. But, those factors won't prevent a thriller fan from enjoying the intensity of RUNNING DARK.

RUNNING DARK was released this summer and is available from William Morrow in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-06-168424-1).

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