Runaway

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But I think that would be a mistake. The 1960s was just a few years away from the end of the worst war in the history of mankind, and the most heinous act of evil perpetrated by the Nazis in the form of the Holocaust. Since Author May is a veteran of the TV mills and decades of thriller- and mystery-writing, he's developed that habit of story-telling and be damned if you, reviewer, wish for something a bit more textured, true to life. As this particular novel is a standalone and is based in part on some of the author's own lived experience, well...maybe it's all down to that specialty of the old, the tidying-up of the past. Here is the “story behind the story” and how the inspiration for RUNAWAY came from his own experiences… The Enzo Files is a series of five novels with one on the way. The series tell the story of Enzo Macleod, a half-Scottish, half-Italian former forensic scientist that is forced to use his skills once again to solve old cold-cases in France. In the first novel of this series, Extraordinary People (also published as Dry Bones) Enzo is sent on a disturbing scavenger hunt for body parts around France. This is the second of Peter May’s books I’ve enjoyed (my review of ‘Cast Iron’, the final instalment in his Enzo series is here) and I look forward to reading more in time. ‘Runaway’,

Runaway: a high-stakes mystery thriller from the master of Runaway: a high-stakes mystery thriller from the master of

In a show of distain for his reader, no sooner do our protagonists arrive at their destination, for example, do they bump into not one, but two icons of the era - one of whom happens to be in the process of committing to celluloid the most iconic moment of his career. Are we really expected to swallow that as plausible, let alone likely? Similar events that occur throughout the book feel like unwarranted indulgences on the part of the author to relive his youth and demonstrate his musical chops. But this is lazy. Where he could have evoked London of fifty years ago through careful description of the mundane and profane, he has instead chosen to slap on a massive sign saying "Look, the Rolling Stones are on the Dancette, it must be the sixties!" It is astonishing how youthful ignorance can put adversity so easily aside to breed baseless optimism. Runaway opens in 2015 with a murder in a downmarket room in London. Few would remember the name of the aging victim, former actor, Simon Flet, except Maurie. Fifty years earlier five starry-eyed 17-year-olds playing in a band together, were runaways from Glasgow, following their dream of finding fortune in Swinging Sixties London. Despite how the mystery aspect was pushed behind the story of life, it was still an interesting mystery. As you worked through the story it became painfully clear how certain things were to end, yet you did not have the specifics. The specifics were what you were holding out for, curious as to exactly what would happen to each of the characters.As a baby boomer in his late teens in 1965 this part of the plot resonated so strongly for me. It so replicated my own life it could have been my biography. But my experience of the 1965s was a lot less traumatic than the young men in this story, I am glad to say. Fifty years later, in 2015, a brutal murder takes place in London and the three men, who are now in their sixties, are forced to return to the city to confront the demons which have haunted them and blighted their lives for five decades. The period detail was interesting and I found myself researching a few of the topics touched upon to find out more, which I always think is a good sign of an author who has said just enough to interest you in something and not drowned you in their research! Final thoughts

Peter May, Scottish author, home page, Lewis Trilogy, China Peter May, Scottish author, home page, Lewis Trilogy, China

Everything starts to go horribly wrong for them from the beginning of their road trip. Finally disillusioned, dirty and exhausted, and with very little money, they arrive at their destination. In London their hopes for a music career are dashed and they fall in with people who claim to have connections with the entertainment business. They stay at a place where alcohol and drugs are available. After adventures and misadventures in London, three of the bitterly disappointed young men return to Glasgow. This is a good road trip story and I particularly enjoyed the parallels between the two trips. ‘Runaway’ provides an interesting glimpse into life in 1960s London and could well serve to remind us all to grasp at life, rather than allowing it to drift by. Five of us had run away that fateful night just over a month before. Only three of us would be going home. And nothing, nothing would ever be the same again.

Peter May has become well recognized for his work both as a novelist and in film and television. His very first award was the Fraser Award in 1973 for being the Scottish Young Journalist of the Year. In 1996, Machair was nominated for the Best Drama Serial Award at the 17th International Celtic Film and Television Festival. This novel marks something of a change of pace from previous Peter May novels I’ve read. In many ways, the subject matter, social commentary and frequent splashes of humour are more reminiscent of fellow Scot, Christopher Brookmyre: but that’s certainly no bad thing. The book begins with a murder in 2015. We don't know the identity of the killer or victim until much later in the book.

REVIEW: ‘Runaway’ by Peter May | Buried Under Books

The two journeys, 50 years apart, allow May to show the changes across the country in that time, and he does so very well. Both journeys take the form of road-trips, punctuated by accident and disaster, but lifted by a healthy dose of humour. Along the way, the boys rescue Maurie's cousin from her drug-dealing boyfriend and she becomes one of the gang as they finally arrive in London and start looking round for the streets paved with gold. And at first, when they are given lodgings and a job by a man who promises them a chance to cut a demo disc, it looks as though they have landed on their feet. But it's not long before things go wrong and start to spiral out of control.Five very young men, disillusioned with life in Glasgow, decide to leave home and seek fame and fortune in London. Just a note left, for unsuspecting parents, to say goodbye. The second journey in 2015 with an ailing Maurie in many ways reflects the first, with flashes of humour and heart-wrenching sadness along the way. But for me it is the quiet achiever, Luke, who silently steals the show. Five of us had run away that fateful night just over a month before. Only three of us would be going home. And nothing, nothing would ever be the same again." The Aristokats, with Peter May on the left and Stephen Penn on the right, playing in Glasgow aged 13 or 14. This thriller series is popular for the tempestuous relationship between Chinese detective Li Yan, and acerbic American pathologist Dr. Margaret Campbell from Chicago. The China Thrillers landed Peter the only honorary membership of the Chinese Crime Writer’s Association awarded to a westerner for its vibrant portrayal of contemporary Chinese life.

Runaway by Peter May | Goodreads

Regret is such a waste of energy. You can’t undo what’s been done. But every new day offers the chance to shape it in the way you want”Here they become involved in the experimental treatment of schizophrenics by a celebrity psychiatrist pioneering the use of LSD. This was inspired by the work of RD Laing at the Kingsley Halls in Bow, East London, during the mid-to-late 60s. Laing was something of a media celebrity himself, controversial in his theories and treatments, and was in many ways a quintessential product of that decade. It was interesting that during my researches into Laing I discovered that my wife had been at school with his son, and that Laing and I had been taught to play piano at the same Glasgow music school. The housing around us became more sparse, and up ahead I saw that the street lights came to an abrupt end, leaving only darkness beyond them. Fear sat among us like another passenger. It could only be a matter of time before Andy made his move. Both timelines have a great feeling of authenticity and, as always with May, the sense of place is done superbly. I hadn't realised May grew up in the Southside of Glasgow (as did I), but the accuracy with which he describes it suggests he must have done. Although he's writing about a somewhat earlier era than my own, the places, attitudes, language and lifestyle are all spot-on. Spookily so, in fact – I kept finding parts of my own life mirrored in the story and spent much of the early part of the book being reminded of events and places in my own past.