See Her Run (Aloa Snow, 1)
See Her Run (Aloa Snow, 1) book cover

See Her Run (Aloa Snow, 1)

Paperback – June 1, 2018

by
Price
$12.76
Format
Paperback
Pages
268
Publisher
Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1503949874
Dimensions
5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Weight
9.6 ounces

Description

Review “Townsend’s debut is driven by brisk plotting with bursts of stylish prose. Her eye for sharp character details makes her one to watch.” ― Kirkus Reviews “ See Her Run is fast-paced with many surprising twists that make this a page-turner. When you think you know who the killer is, this book will prove you wrong, building up the mystery and leaving you on the edge of your seat until everything comes crashing down at the conclusion. See Her Run is truly a novel you will not want to miss.” ―RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) “An award-winning journalist herself, Townsend has created a nuanced young protagonist…This could be the beginning of an intriguing series.” ― Booklist “Aloa Snow, the appealing heroine of Townsend’s gripping first novel and series launch…investigate[s] the apparent suicide of twenty-five-year-old adventure runner Hayley Poole…Aloa’s pursuit of the story of Hayley’s death plunges her into a world of murder and corporate intrigue. Readers will look forward to seeing more of plucky Aloa.” ― Publishers Weekly “If you’re looking for a sweet little whodunit that could have been cribbed from Murder She Wrote , one that won’t bother you with disturbing mental images of death, violence, and the darkness that lurks in the recesses of the human soul, look elsewhere. This ain’t that.” ― GoodTimes Santa Cruz “Snow is a multi-faceted and intriguing character…Kudos to the author for providing a fresh and interesting protagonist.” ― Mystery Playground “Journalist Peggy Townsend’s superb debut delivers an intense character study…Townsend’s sophisticated plotting and affinity for character development elevate See Her Run .” ―Associated Press “With a flawed but relatable heroine and many twists, this book will grab readers’ attention.” ― The Parkersburg News and Sentinel About the Author Peggy Townsend is an award-winning journalist whose stories have appeared in newspapers around the country. She’s chased a serial killer through a graveyard at midnight and panhandled with street kids. In 2005, the USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism awarded her a Racial Justice Fellowship. Peggy is a runner, a downhill skier, and a mountain biker. She currently lives on the Central Coast of California. Follow her on Twitter @peggytownsend or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/peggytownsendbooks.

Features & Highlights

  • “Journalist Peggy Townsend’s superb debut delivers an intense character study…Townsend’s sophisticated plotting and affinity for character development elevate
  • See Her Run
  • .” ―Associated Press
  • A former reporter for the
  • Los Angeles Times
  • , Aloa Snow knows what it means to be down and out. Once highly respected, she’s now blackballed, in debt, and dealing with the echoes of an eating disorder. Until she gets one more shot to prove that she has what it takes―with a story some would die for…
  • After the body of a promising young athlete, Hayley Poole, is recovered in the Nevada desert, authorities rule it a suicide. But when Aloa discovers that the girl’s boyfriend died in a similar accident only months before, her investigative instincts are on high alert. It turns out the girl was on the run from secrets that could kill.
  • This case is murder for Aloa, and Hayley won’t be the last one to suffer. Someone very powerful forced Hayley to run for her life. Now Aloa must do the same.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(466)
★★★★
25%
(389)
★★★
15%
(233)
★★
7%
(109)
★
23%
(357)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Live Like Aloa

Townsend's well written mystery features heroine Aloa Snow, a strong, intelligent journalist that faces her fears to uncover the truth behind two young athletes deaths. The plot travels quickly down the streets of San Francisco with alleys and turns, leaving you running to find out what is around the next curve. On the way, there are the "Brain Farm" seniors to fall in love with, egocentric males that wither under Aloa's sharp wit, and the uncovering of shady business deals that reinforce why investigative journalism is so important. My family would call it "See Her Read" because from the moment I picked it up, I could not put it down, spending the whole day blissfully reading. Then, being inspired to live more like Aloa.
19 people found this helpful
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Mystery Fans, Don't Miss This One

As a mystery fan and former book reviewer, I've read more detective fiction than I can remember. This is one I will definitely not forget. It's got so many memorable characters and a page-turning pace. I love the main character who is both endearing and flawed. It's got a great setting (San Francisco) and intriguing themes (extreme sports and high tech, both new to me). Just loved it. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series. Can't wait.
7 people found this helpful
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Most Entertaining Book of the Year.

A book I couldn't put down. Literally. This book was so fun and engrossing to the point that I read it in one sitting on a long flight to Japan. It's characters are well developed, the scene-setting so well written that I felt like I was drinking coffee alongside the protagonist Aloa Snow and the plot twisting and turning enough to keep turning the pages until the book was finished. A great summer read and the most entertaining book I've read in 2018. Can't wait for the next one in the series.
7 people found this helpful
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At its core, this is a great mystery

This was a great read! I couldn't put it down, literally. Great characters, a plot that unfolds with fun twists and surprising depth, and Townsend's flair for detail is evident throughout, from the insider notes about reporting to the quirky historical notes about San Francisco. I love books set in the San Francisco Bay Area, and this one doesn't disappoint on that front. But at its core, this is a great mystery. Can't wait for the next in the series!
6 people found this helpful
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so it has to be awesome!

I haven't read it yet. But this is Cody Townsend's mom, so it has to be awesome!
4 people found this helpful
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Great debut story

Hayley is an endurance runner, but now she is running for her life, running through a desert, suffering from exhaustion, heat exposure and dehydration. When death comes, it is ruled suicide, yet Michael Collins from Novo, an independent newsroom, doesn’t believe it is. Reaching out to Aloa, a one-time lover, from a family that fostered him for many years, he contracts her help. Needing the money she accepts but there is also that bewitching pull towards Michael even though she will fight against it.

Peggy Townsend creates a wonderful character in Aloa Snow, her vulnerabilities are really endearing, but she is not totally fragile as her intellect, determination and resolve are admirable. Aloa is a disgraced journalist, who was destined for the very top but she fabricated sources so she could get the story off her desk and deal with a dying Mother. “Regret was a wound that bled at the slightest touch and, right now, she couldn’t stand the ache of it.” She is also a recovering anorexic and a runner. Peggy Townsend is herself a runner so with so much content around running it’s not surprising the book was called “See Her Run”. Running is, however, an important context within the book, not in the mechanics of it, but the nutritional supplements.

I loved the smart detailed dialogue, the pace and the movement throughout the story were well executed. The imagery of San Francisco was very well depicted and the gradual revealing of the plot was very well delivered. Her little group of retired learned gentlemen brought an important and useful aspect to the narration. It’s good to see that all geeks don’t need to be 18-year-old, bedraggled computer nerds.

One criticism I have is that this is obviously shaping up to be a series and several characters are introduced that don’t really contribute too much to this book. There is also a hidden conflicted romantic desire bubbling between Aloa and Michael – will they won’t they. I won’t spoil but this disappointed.

I really enjoyed this debut novel, loved the characters and will certainly follow this series, although the next book isn’t due until May 2019.
2 people found this helpful
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A Gripping Mystery/Thriller Debut

Peggy Townsend’s debut mystery/thriller, SEE HER RUN, is a gripping page-turner that had me staying up well past my bedtime to see what happened next. Townsend’s many years as an investigative journalist serve her well in telling the story of Aloa Snow, a former reporter on the trail of the killer of a talented, young endurance runner. Can’t wait for number two in the series!
2 people found this helpful
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I did decide to finish the book, but

there were times I wanted to set it aside unfinished. All the ingredients are here for a better read, but the recipe got overmixed and then underbaked. Perhaps one problem is writing that is not just for this story but for the hoped for or intended sequels later. Our heroine was likable enough but I didn't feel I knew her, even after the concoction of so much personal and parental history. The plot was not that easy to follow and the ending was a little over the top. I enjoyed the Brain Farm concept but (spoiler alert) became annoyed when one of the members is revealed to be black only in the last 10 pages or so. I can't think why the author saved this to be a surprise -- no sense at all. I also can't at all picture his two eccentric sidekicks, i.e., what they looked like, except for their table manners. Another annoyance showed up so regularly that I started anticipating them: paragraphs of 3 to 4 sentences wherein the lead sentence is intended to move the plot along but the following sentences have nothing to do with it and fulfill the role of descriptors where none were needed. So, I did finish the novel just to see if my hunch about the "bad guy" was correct, (it was), but will not likely pick up any sequels.
1 people found this helpful
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Great new protagonist

I love mysteries, like learning something new with my reading, and am partial to protagonists that I can like and are believable- See Her Run is all that . Aloa Snow is a great new character on the mystery scene- quirky and smart. I look forward to the next in the series- wish it were out now!
1 people found this helpful
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Solid Read

Characters are well developed, just too many, forcing the reader to flip back more often than necessary. Interesting opening, gets lost midway until finally settling back to a complete finish. Townsend has potential.
1 people found this helpful

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